JohnnyKay's Group - FULL (Page 3)

Ok so I have some wierd post swim, bladder issues going on. 

No need to worry about hijacking, let's learn from one another and ask many questions.

Fyi...I feel more comfortable breathing every third stroke/bilateral during training, but in races I will breathe every stroke on one side or the other.  (whichever side is away from the rising sun)

I appreciate all the swim discussions, as this is the area I need most help with.  I'm a novice as well. 

 As for breathing, I breathe on the same side every stroke.  It seems to work well for me and I'm very comfortable doing it.  If I try to breathe any less frequently, I get winded more easily.  I know this is not ideal, but I just do what is most comfortable. 

Question on lap swimming.  Do you folks do "flip turns" in the pool and then push off the wall?  As of now, I just swim up to the wall, pop my head out of the water, turn around, and start swimming the other way.  I do this because I figure we can't push off the wall out in a lake or ocean.  Perhaps I'm losing a lot of momentum doing this.  Everyone in the pool seems to do flip turns.  Just wanted to get you feedback. 

Sweet ... thanks for all the swim advice.  I'll probably check in on getting some new goggles and a swim buoy here soon.  Just a matter of taking the time to get down to the sporting goods store.

As for your run question, I am by no means fast - just look at my times.  But I'll chime in with my .02 worth.  I trained for my last 1/2 mary with a group in Columbia, SC led by one of the better runners in the country - 2nd place at US Masters 5k Championship in 14:31, sub-30 10ks, 1996 Olympic team (as an alternate), etc. all this and he's over 40.  He basically taught us to run tall, on light feet, with a quick leg turnover.  He partners with Greg McMillan of McMillan Running (click here)and recommends his methods, articles, etc.  He also said that if you were really interested in running, to pick up a copy of Jack Daniels' book on running.  I've got a copy and its super technical and scientific, and geared more for elite runners, but has lots of good info.

Right now, I'm just working on building my base and losing weight, so I'm not doing all the speed work that most fast folks do.  But I really do concentrate on my form during my runs.  I used to be a heel-striker, and have tried to change into landing more on my mid-foot.  It seems to be helping, as I don't have quite the leg pain/cramps I used to.  Hope some of this helps.

I think Tommy hit the highlight for running with getting a quick turnover and trying to stay "light" on your feet.  You want to avoid "over-striding" or landing with your foot out in front of your body.  This will cause you to "hit the breaks" with each stride (also increases your impact and raises your risk for injuries).

A couple other things you can think about: 

Avoid crossing your arms across your center-line.  Your arms should swing parallel to your running direction.  You dont want to be swinging your hands back and forth across your chest.

Keep good posture.  Don't sag or bend over at the waist.  Some people will talk about a "forward lean", but this should really only be a slight tilt forward and come at the ankles.

Stay relaxed.  Don't let your shoulders or arms tense up.  Don't clench your fists hard.  Make running as easy as possible.

I can't recall if Daniels has much on running form.  It's mostly geared towards building a run-training program.  A very good book if you're considering a run focus.

Johnny, thanks for including all of that.  They mentioned all of those things in training, but I just forgot to include them.  Now that you've reminded me, one thing to watch for is tensing up of your arms and shoulders to the point that your hands/fists are basically touching your shoulders as you run because your arm is so bent.  I find myself doing this at the end of a long run or when I'm putting in lots of effort.  Every so often I'll remind myself to just get the arms loose.  One thing that helps me to relax is to keep my jaw loose, not clinched.

You are may know this already, but someone shared it with me about a year ago and I think it's a great tool.

You can go to the USA Track & Field website and map out any running or cycling route and it will calculate the mileage for you.  http://www.usatf.com/routes

Here is the website

Thanks for the tip jeepgil97

Bike question:

Do any of you run a Compact crank set (50/34 rings)?  If so, have you ever found yourself needing more gearing?  Why did you go with a compact crank?

I am considering a compact for Ironman Lake Placid, but I'm still on the fence about switching from my standard crank.  Currently, I run a 53/39 with a 12-25 in the rear.  I can spin up most hills around here, but I'm not positive about the hills in Lake Placid.  I guess I'm not thinking about the bike, but more about the run off the bike.  I hope that make sense.

That question is too advanced for me.  I have a QR Kilo 2006.  Here's what came with it:

 
I don't know if that is suitable to spin up the hills at LP or if I should switch to something else.  Let me know what you find out if you can. 

I don't have one, but the compact will effectively give you more gears for the hills.  To get easier gears to spin up hills, you can (a) install a compact crank, (b) change the cassette to one with more teeth, or (c) do both.  You can play around with different combos over at Sheldon Brown's site to compare what each will give you.

The advantages (that I can think of) of the compact are "tighter" gearing (fewer 2 teeth jumps on the cassette) and lighter weight (removing teeth instead of adding them).

The advantages of the cassette are generally an easier and cheaper swap.

I have a 53/39 and 11-23 combo on my bike right now.  I will probably swap to a different cassette (12-25 or 13-26) for LP to get an easier "bail-out" gear.  But a compact is another viable option.

I took a closer look at my gears (for the first time) and I have the following:

53/39 in the front, with crank length 170

12-25 in the rear

You guys helped me learn something today.  Thanks!   

Thank you for the web site!!  Very helpful!!

I think I will try out a compact crank in prep for Lake Placid.   Looking at the web site, I will not give up much, if any speed, but I will gain with the climbing and lightness of the crank.   Hopefully at Lake Placid, I'll coast/cruise down the big hills to save the legs for the long climbs back into town and the run. 

According to my set up plugged into the web site  -  It looks like a 50 - 13 is about equal to a 53 - 14.   (0.4 difference)

I'll let everyone know as I set up and try out a compact crank.  Thanks again for all the info.

A quick peek on the internet this afternoon....There are alot of great deals on compact cranks.

I just found a great product to share with the group.....

BIOFREEZE

Have you guys ever heard of this stuff?  I had not until recently.  Man this stuff is great.  I like to feel some pain in the muscles just like everyone else, but for continued soreness, I like the Biofreeze gel. 

greaseless, stainless, vanishing scent, cryotherapy - the cold method. 

Time to crank out some more questions!!

Bike question:  Does anyone here use a road bike with clip-on aero bars?  Or are all y'all fast enough to warrant a tri bike?  I use the road/clip-on combo and was wondering if you or anyone you know just leaves the aero bars on year round.  Does that freak out the roadies when you show up for group rides?  I like my clip-ons, as I find I can ride longer more comfortably when I'm down on the aero bars.  Anyone have any experiences/comments?

And random weight loss question:  Does anyone have problems losing weight in the winter as opposed to the warmer months?  I've been averaging about 5 hours a week in training (not much for some of you, but a decent bit for me), trying to eat better food in smaller quantities and more frequently (the grazing concept), and while the clothes are fitting better, I haven't seen the scale budge in about a month.  In fact, I'm actually probably a pound or two heavier.  While not obsessing about my weight, I would like to eventually drop 15-20 lbs, and would like to lose something soon for my upcoming 1/2 mary next month.  Any suggestions, besides "eat less & exercise more, you lard a##!"?

Hope everyone's training is going well.

<< Edited:   Now we're on page 3 of posts!  Go JK's group!! >>

I ride a road bike w/clips.  I never take them off, but I almost always ride alone too.  On the few occassions I have found myself in a group, I just ride out of the aerobars.  Unless there is you group you want to ride with that really frowns on them, just leave them on there.

As far as weight, I have gained a few pounds this winter.  But all of it came over the holidays so I know how it got there.   In the process of taking it off now (almost there).  I'd like to actually drop another 5-10lbs this season but that's going to take more discipline than I've been able to muster in the past so we'll see. 

It sounds like you're doing the right things (exercising, wathing what you eat and eating smaller portions more frequently to help stave off binges).  Unfortunately, your last line (ex-lard a## comment) is the best advice.  Fewer calories in, more calories out.  It's the only way to lose weight over the long-term.

It can be a legitimate safety concern depending on how the group rides.  Riding in a pack on your aerobars is less safe.  Handling tends to be a little worse and you're further away from the brakes in an emergency.  That's why I stay off the bars in a group.  Also, there's no reason to stay aero if you're drafting.