left.right.repeat group -closed - Full of a bunch of winners...YEAH! (Page 3)

Hey Bryan,

Thanks for the helpful input on your post today. I like the format - easier to follow that a lot of individual messages.

I've been looking at several websites for swimming technique, and I was wondering what you would recommend. Not sure how successful I will be at finding a swim coach in the short term, so where would you suggest as a good resource until then? Back in the pool tomorrow.

My treadmill broke today - sheesh! I guess I will brave the icey Northern Utah roads and like you said, hope for an early spring.

I was able to identify some Sprint Tri's in the area in May-June timeframe, and will plan on doing those. Good suggestion. I am actually starting to think that this triathlon thing could be a blast!

Leston

Hey Bryan

Lets get this spin class going..... Do I take my own shoes? I know these guys get the bikes going pretty good. The question is how I do I keep pace yet be more realistic of being a newbe?

I have been running every day now (Knees burn a little) and I need to back away yet also keep at my 1000 calorie count loss so the spin class will be right on time.

Spin Spin Spin!

I see Leston is asking about a swim coach. good question!

I just looked at the website for the time results from my first 5k last weekend.

The bad news is I got beat by a 10 year old girl by 2 1/2 minutes....how sad is that. Yeah that is bad news!!!!! as you know there is bad and good news in everything......so the good news is I beat a 8 year old by 3 minutes.....double Yeah!

I note that our fearless leader posted some brief biographical data about us all on Page 1 and some of you have shared a bit more info in your opening posts. Thought I would offer up a bit more about myself so here goes ...

As mentioned earlier I am Peter, age 47 and living in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Fredericton (aka Freddy Beach) is a fantastic city of approx 70,000 and is situated alongside the beautiful Saint John river. It is the provincial capital and home of the University of New Brunswick where I am employed as the Associate VP, Human Resources. UNB is a medium sized Cdn university - about 10,000 f/t students. We are less than 50 miles from the Canada-US border in upstate Maine.

I note that many of you live in much warmer and/or wetter southern/western areas. I run outside year-round and it is not uncommon for the temperature to be -20c (-5f). I have something called Yak Trax to pull onto the soles of my shoes for grip on ice/snow and for clothes the key is layering. Picture the Michelin tire mascot or the StayPuff marshmallow creature So, no whining about the cold and I promise not to whine about heat/humidity when our summer temps get up into the 80's and, on occassion the 90's.

Started running in the summer of 2001 with a goal of running a marathon to raise funds for diabetes - my son had been dx in 2000 with Type 1 diabetes. Raised over $12,000 and ran the Dublin marathon in Oct 2002 - first time I had ever pinned on a race bib of any description. Since then I have been running pretty regularly and have done two other full marathons - NYC 2006 and Boston 2007 (as a guest of the sponsor NOT having met the qualifying time) - a number of Half Marathons and various other events. My wife Jil (or Mrs FreddyBeachPete if you prefer) has taken up running too in the past couple of years and is just now started to train for her first Half Marathon planned for the end of May.

Since 2003 I too have been diagnosed with diabetes - "atypical Type 2" a.k.a. LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults). I control it with oral meds for the moment but expect that I will be moving onto insulin injections before too long. Exercise is a big help in controlling my form of diabetes but I have to be careful about not allowing my blood sugars to go too low (hypoglycemia).

I maintain a "blog" about my activities which you can read at: www.petermcdrunning.blogspot.com

Lately I've not had a lot to write about but if you scroll back to November 2006 archives you can read all about my NYC marathon experience or April 2007 to read about Boston. Please post a comment if you visit!

I am also a participant in a couple of fantastic on-line running discussion groups, mostly Canadian but open to all at:

www.runningmania.com
www.runningroom.com

Never done a triathlon so decided that 2008 would be the year to give it a go - starting at the sprint distance. My running discussion boards, where there is also a core of triathletes,, refer to this as "going over to the dark side" . My cycling to date has been exclusively commuting from May through November on a mountain bike. I think I have the use of a road bike for my triathlon (and to train in advance) which will be great and as soon as our snow disappears (in late March) I will be out onto the bike. My swimming has been nil for years so, I am now hitting the UNB pool 2-3x per week at lunch plus taking an adult swimming class. Last night was the first session and it was tough but fun. Many of the others are tri wannabees like me or current triathletes looking to improve and/or step up in distance.

Look forward now to reading more about y'all.

Edited by FreddyBeachPete 2008-01-17 7:13 AM

Hi guys! Wow, I'm so thrilled to be a part of this team! You guys are awesome (not to mention, "goal oriented, experienced, hardworking and knowledgeable"). Hmm, not sure I belong, but I feel passionate about participating in a triathlon and this is so definitely a good place to learn. After saying that, I need to admit that I feel like I've overloaded you, Bryan. I saw later, AFTER I had asked to join, that you said you were going to close the group. So listen, if you decide that you have one too many - because answering our questions is going to be very time consuming - please don't hesitate to say so and I'll find another team. I promise you, my feelings won't be hurt.

Peter, I loved your bio. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself! Wow, you are amazing. I can't imagine being so athletic and then having to deal with diabetes too.

I'm not sure what else anyone would want to know about me. I've been married to the most wonderful man on the face of the earth for 33 years this March. I have 3 incredibly wonderful offspring. Natalie is 28 and lives in Denver. Katy is 23 and is in graduate school at Florida St. And Jeff is 21, and a junior at Auburn University. I'm a dog lover and have 2 adopted furry children, Spazz and Bitsy. I don't usually give out my family website addy but I feel like I already know you guys, so you can go to
http://etheridgehaus.com/
if you are interested in seeing photos.

Bryan, you are my hero. What a success story. And Rand and Marianne? Just WOW! I can relate to you guys because I smoked for 25 years. But how I wish I had taken fitness seriously earlier the way you two have. Congrats Darren, on your first 5k!!! Wtg! I'm still working up to mine... maybe this spring... Of all the 3 tri events, running will be my worst. *sigh* I'll say this once and let the boss yell at me, but no one has seen slow until they see me "run". I call it jogging. I kind of lean forward and fall into a forward step. BUT! I can go for 2 miles. A couple of years ago I couldn't jog to my mailbox.

Ok, I'll see if I can figure out how to configure this log. I was so inspired by this group and Bryan, that I ran outside (jogged) today, (I usually run on my treadmill), and I need to log it. *grin*

Bryan,

Wow, we have a lot of things going! It is a little hard to tie in all the threads and I hate to add more questions and confusion but here are a few things:

1. I have just signed-up for the Lifetime Indoor Tri in April. 10 minute swim, 30 minute bike and 20 minute run. This will be my first try at doing all three!

2. I like the posting on page one with the bio. I live in Harrison Twp., MI (a Eastern suburb of Detroit).

3. Junita, I love your website. You have done outstanding on the fitness trail and are a great inspiration. Keep up the good work.

4. I did my 2 mile run on the treadmill this morning and started at 5.8 mph. My heart rate maxed out at about 151 - 152 (3 to 4 beats under AT) and it took a while to get there. I was thinking WOW this is much better than just Tuesday, then I realized I was running a "0" elevation. I usually run at a 2% elevation as trainer sugggested you always do that when possible as it is easier on your back. Then I realized it must be that 2% that really increased my heart rate. So what is your suggestion, do I run at 0 incline or am I better to have 1 or 2%?

5. When I started working out a couple of years ago, I did a full physical and talked with my doctor. He OK'd me for everything, but said: "Don't run on cement or pavement, I make a hell of a good living from problems created by people running on pavement." Well, obviously an outdoor Tri will be ran on pavement and I will have to do some significant pavement training. Has anyone else found physical problems associated with pavement running?

6. I am having my MAP test redone at Saturday 7am. I will be interested to see what has happened in the last year!


OK, that's enough for now.

Dan

Hi Juanita,
I would highly reccomend the Danskin Womens triathlon for your first tri. They sponsor them all over the country. It is an all womens triathlon.Sally Edwards ( a pro triathlete) sponsors the tri with danskin. I know they have one in Orlando in May. This is a very well run event, geared toward first timers-women. It is an incredibly supportive race and I think you will have a great time. Last year I did the New England Danskin. There were 2200 participants, 1800 were first timers!
Good luck, and welcome
Marianne

Well, I did something crazy today. I let me friend talk me into a 4 mile running race on March 8th. Not only is it crazy because I'm been really slacking on my running now that I have discovered spin class but here in upstate NY, we could very likely have snow on the ground in early March!

But I'm excited to have my next race in place so I can work myself out of these winter doldrums I seem to find myself in. My plan is to do that race and then the Corporate Challenge 5K at the end of May. I still have to pick a Sprint Tri in early summer but I'm all signed up for my favorite Sprint Tri in August.

More immediate plan is to go home and run! Swim tomorrow and spin again on Sunday... A goal is definitely what I needed!

Dan, you checked out my page! Thanks for taking an interest! And thanks for the kudos. Nothing motivates me more then encouragement from friends. So this MAP test is important, you think? I should look into that...

Marianne thanks for the head's up! I'm not sure I can make it all the way down to Orlando, but I sure would love to. Money is an issue I'm afraid. I've found a beginner sprint in Birmingham that I'm going to register for. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it, lol. Hubby says ok, so that will be my designated goal. The event is May 24. Let me post the website addy:
http://www.team-magic.com/tmtri/sftri.htm
With a 200 yard swim in a pool I can use my flipturns! Woohoo! So, it's decided. Let the training commence.

WTG, Rhoda! Good luck with your training. I think I know how you feel. I'm so pumped now that I know I have something definite to work for. But wow, I bet it IS cold up there in March. Good luck!

Hey Bryan! I have 3 ideas for a group name. *wink*

TriAges
TriAged
TriAncients


Ok, off to log todays workouts
To quote Bryan...
See you at the finish line!
Juanita

P.S.
2 more name ideas: sTRIve
TriTriAgain

Edited by juanita_etheridge 2008-01-18 8:20 PM

Sorry to be short tonight. I promise to spend some time here...Probably Sunday - tomorrow is the 12 mile River Road Run....it is currently 38 degrees F and raining....should be a fun run. My garbage bag rain slicker is ready if needed. This is going to be a training run for me but someone else will be carrying my water....smile.

Train smart this weekend (notice I did NOT say train hard!!!) Be smart. Train smart. Live smart.

You guys rock - it's really cool to see all the posts.....answers coming soon.
Bryan

Ouch, Bryan! 38° and raining here in Mobile this morning, too. (Could be worse, though, hehe. My son, at Auburn, is under a heavy snow warning.) I can't even imagine having to run outside in this kind of weather, much less for as far as your going! Holy cow. I know you won't see this until tomorrow, but I'm sending postive (and dry) vibes your way!

Edited by juanita_etheridge 2008-01-19 4:06 PM

OK...just typed for about 20 minutes and somehow lost the post....so here goes again....apparently I said something ugly and the bad karma got me....smile.

I love Saturday training....long nice workouts....The longest recess of the week....Take advantage of Saturdays and Sundays for great training if you can as your workouts get longer.

I am going to try to hit ya'lls questions (that's "your questions" for our northern friends), and then I will give you a brief race report from the run I did this morning.

Juanita
I think the tri4God would be great (who wouldn't say that?) however I like the YTri for your first one. I like the shorter swim, shorter bike and shorter run. Also, tri4God is an open water swim and I think a pool swim is best for your first tri if you can find one. Riding a mountain bike or hybrid is certainly fine...no worries, but I would try to put slicks on the mountain bike. Some have knobby tires and they are a whipping out on the road, they can vibrate and they also make a weird noise...however, that said - if it is knobby tires or nothing....I would opt for the knobby tires....smile. If you get into this crazy wacky world, you will probably ultimately want a road bike, but don't spend the $$$ until you know.

By the way, in your first event you are going to be all GEEKED up. There will be nerves and adrenaline - you who have done it, please chime in here and let us know your stories. Mine is this - I got out of the pool at my first event with a heart rate of like 714....okay not really but it was like 170...and I still had to bike and run, so the advice is go short, go fun and smile. My goal for my first event was to finish with a smile on my face...that's it...and you know, to this day, that remains my goal I want to have fun. I talk to everybody....everybody...I ask spectators to tell me I look good as I run by...I ask a fisherman in Corpus Christi Bay if he had caught anything, I have stopped running to applaud a wheel chair participant, I thank every policeman I can and most volunteers...we don't race without them. If it is a multi loop course I will tell the volunteers when I will be back...they always laugh...remember folks this is fun. I will never make a living doing it but I am making a life...hopefully a much longer one.

Next, before your first race, volunteer at one. You will learn a ton - look at various transition setups, watch as racers transition, note all the things you DON'T need in the transition area, watch the ones who don't know where the run or bike exit are...we will talk more about this as races approach. Also, I think we should ALL volunteer at least once a year. It takes people to do these things...help out. If you are a body marker you get finished really early and can watch the whole thing. Downside, you have to get there really early. Also, body marking is what everyone seems to want to do so volunteer early. It will also have you a little more relaxed at your first race if you have seen one on the ground first. If there are not local tris, then volunteer at a 5k or a 10k...they need help too.

Leston
First, be careful on icy roads....slip and falls are not fun.
Swimming - I am a Total Immersion guy...that means nothing except that is the swim technique/coaching that I use. www.totalimmersion.net yes that is .net.....Upper left area of the website, select your connection speed and watch some of the videos...the system/process is based on balance in the water and reducing drag....it's all about efficiency. Also for a local coach you might check out www.usms.org - this is the masters swim program website. You might find a local group or at least a coach. A note about masters swimming...some of these teams are competitive and some are not....some focus on a ton of speed and huge distances...remember this...they don't put the finish line at the end of the swim in most tris...it is after the run....what I mean is, you won't win the tri on the swim but you can really hurt your bike/run if you are not careful. My goal is to get through the swim in a reasonable amount of time with a low heartrate and not totally out of breath. When you consider the total time and distance of the swim in relation to the entire event, I think you will understand.

Darrens
Yes on the shoes...take them.
Spin class - I love spin class, I go 1-3 times a week....that won't work for everyone but for those of you that is does work for, it is a great workout. Usually equating to a 15-18 mile ride if you are working. The other great thing is there is no coasting in spin class...you gotta pedal. If you try it, go easy on your first class - take in twice the towels you think you need and two bottles of water - ask the instructor to adjust the bike and then write down or memorize the settings for next time. As the class starts go pretty easy...pedal with light resistance...after about 30 minutes adjust your tension and effort accordingly. These classes can get intense...just ride your own bike. By the way, I wear cycling shoes as it is closer to riding outside....I do not wear a cycling jersey to spin class (some do and I laugh a little), cycling shorts however are totally acceptable. Why do I laugh at the jersey people...I don't think the aerodynamics of a rider on a spin bike are influenced at all by a tight fitting jersey....if YOU have worn or regularly wear a jersey to spin class, please disregard the last couple of sentences...I wasn't talking about YOU....smile.

Masters...see above...www.usms.org.

Beat by a 10 year old...hey she could be the next Melanie McQuaid or Emma Snowsill or the gold medalist at the 2012 Olympics....as far as beating the 8 year old...shame on you...find something new to gloat about.....BIG SMILE!!! Just kidding! Hey I am the first to admit that flying by a 18-22 year old dude makes me feel GREAT! I like to encourage them as I go by....smile.

Race ettiquette - (by the way, I see more of this in triathlon than just running races)
Thank every volunteer
Thank every policeman - without either of them we don't get to play
Encourage fellow athletes...the ones kicking your tail and the ones behind you...in my first race a young guy caught me on the run and patted me on the back and said "come on, run with me" and away we went...it was really cool.
I talk to everyone....from the guy at the turnaround - I always say "I'm goin home!", to a fisherman in Corpus Christi Bay, "Are you catching anything?", to unknown spectators - asking them to tell me that I look good....have fun...this is recess.
Recognize special moments, look for them, react appropriately - you will understand this the first time you see a challenged athlete on the same course you are on.

FBP
Welcome to the dark side...that is hilarious...you will never go back totally...you are changed forever.

Layering for the run...give us some idea what you have to wear to run outside. You should all layer, it is much easier than a big coat. It actually takes less than you might think. I find if I can keep my ears and hands warm everything else seems to work...but it doesn't get that cold here.

Juanita,
in your post that included the list of our fine attributes you inadvertently omitted "handsome and/or beautiful as it applies" - please update all future postings to included the complete list....LOL!
Glad you ran outside...nothing like it for longer runs, the treadmill can get boring.

Dan
Congrats on getting in the Lifetime Tri...what date is yours?
Treadmill at 0% elevation....I run at 0% or 1% on the treadmill. 1% seems to feel pretty normal. I have not run a 2% I don't think...I will try it too. I wouldn't worry too terribly much about that - if the grade feels better use it. I think sometimes we can worry too much about what a number on a machine means - remember they are not all calibrated the same so one mile on one may be 1.2 on another, and 1% grade may be 0% on another.

Pavement...well, lets see....not running at all is the softest surface and I would say your doc has buried more unhealthy people earlier than those injured running on the road....Of course, that does interrupt his cash flow when someone dies....

Running on a dirt trail is best, crushed stone packed trail is next, asphalt is next and concrete is the hardest. When I do long runs and I can, I run on the grass/dirt when it is flat and firm, and on the asphalt other than that. There are not a lot more choices. Your joints must adapt. No more than a 10% weekly increase in distance/duration. Also, if your joints hurt - swim or bike that day - don't run. You might also look into glucosamine/condroitane (a joint supplement, natural I think) Caveat - I am not telling anyone to take anything - supplement or otherwise...just a suggestion for you to research and decide for yourself.

Dan - how did your MAP results change? Big AT move?

Juanita - the MAP test is a metabolic assessment test at Lifetime Fitness, it measures heart rate zones and VO2 max. There are also other places that offer the testing either on a treadmill or bike. If you want to know more, just let me know.

mav - Danskin is a great tri for females. They actually have a paid staff person (I think she is in marketing) who does all of the races and her JOB is to "finish behind the people who have chosen to spend some extra time on the course"....no registrant is EVER last at a Danskin tri...that is cool. They have them all over the country. This is a great idea for those of you close to where they have one.

Ronda....4 miles on March 8...you got it girl...let me know how I can help.

How do you all feel about

sTRIve

I think that pretty much sums us all up?

Let me know your thoughts.

Finish Line

The River Road Run - 12 mile run along the Guadalupe River in Texas.

Start time: 8 am central January 19, 2008. Air temp at race time 34 degrees F, ground wet but no rain during the race, winds 10-20mph, really cold wind chill.

This is one of the most picuresque courses I have ever run. It is rolling hills through the river valley. This part of the river is really popular with tubers, kayaks, canoes and the like during the summer so it is pretty dead right now. The entire run is along the river, you never lose sight of it. It was steaming this morning as the water temp was much warmer than the air.

About 100 hearty folks started including one elderly man in a motorized wheel chair with two attendants walking along with him and steering and powering the chair. Cool!

I will never be the fastest guy in the run so I knew I would be toward the back. Real runners were doing this event. I felt really good through the first half and wanted to negative split the run (that would mean the second half would have to be run faster than the first half). I ran the first 6 miles in 1:02:30 and finished in 2:01:05. I felt pretty good as the second half was a 58:35 split. Additionally, since this is the longest road race I have ever run this is a PR (personal record) for me. Yippee!

Many were faster but none had more fun,
Bryan

Congrats Bryan,

Cant thank you enough for taking the time to respond to all the posts, and at the end of a race sit down and fill us in on the event!

Sounds like you had a great time.

I am running a 10K in Hyannis MA in Feb. I was going to do a 1/2 marathon but chickened out. I was a little worried that the weather would prevent me from finishing. I can run a 10 K in just about any temp but was afraid to try a 1/2 esp if temps drop below 20.

I am so glad you mentioned that you talk to everyone... I do much the same. Never forget the volunteers or the police. Like you said, I will not be the first to cross the line but I feel like I am one of the happiest!

The person who runs last at the Danskin tri is Sally Edwards. She is the professional triathlete who sponsors the race with Danskin. She has done many ironman tris and won several. She is amazing. Has written a book on heart rate/zone training.

My own personal goal for every race I run or tri is NOT TO THROW UP AND NOT TO FINISH LAST( first and foremost not to throw up). This has worked so far!

Thanks again fearless leader for a job well done

Marianne

Where are all of you??? Must be swimming...or watching football!!!

Marianne,
You crack me up....your goal of "not throwing up" made me laugh out loud and then I had to read your post to my wife and she cracked up too....I may add that to my base expectations when racing.

How about the rest of you? What are your base race goals? To finish happy, not throw up, not die, not be last....whatever...this is a great cold weather exercise and will keep you motivated during training. You may not realize this, but triathlon, as any endurance event, (and a sprint triathlon is an endurance event, dangit) is a very mental undertaking. I promise you that during the run, if not during the swim and bike, your nugget (your brain) will be asking you to take a break, just pull over and rest for 10 or 15 minutes....maybe telling you...maybe yelling something like - "hey you blithering idiot YOU ARE KILLING ME HERE!" Therefore, you must have control of your nugget as well as control of the physical ability to complete the race. Confidence is king...start working on it.

Sally Edwards, yes that is her. I have heard her say that she wants to stay out on the course with those who have chosen to spend some extra time there...I love that. I can assure you, at my speed, I get my money's worth of exposure to the course.

Michael,
We gotta change your quote...there are just too many openings with the 17 comment...smile. The gym would work over the winter...although our gym was pretty cold today too.

Weightloss and HRM (heart rate monitor) training -
Juanita - these next couple of lines are just for you - everyone else avert your eyes or read it if you want to - OK J - Here goes - SHUT UP ALREADY! I am getting ready to get on a roll here....YOU HAVE LOST 46 POUNDS IN 7 MONTHS....That is about 1.6 pounds per week...that is AWESOME and about as fast as you want to lose weight...that is healthy...Here's a question for you - Did you gain all of this weight in 7 months...I doubt that you did. You will get there one step at a time. Remember this, you are trying to lose a 5th grader...90 pounds is about the weight of a 4-5 grader...so there you go. I agree that you will be lightening fast when you get there - you just want to get there properly.

Now, back to the show. Here are some of my thoughts...I am not a trained nutritionist or dietician so keep that in mind as you read this....any of your thoughts are welcome as well.

Weightloss -
A very basic explanation that appealed to the simple side of me - a pound is 3500 calories. Your body has a basal metabolic need that can be estimated or tested based on height, weight, sex, activity level and age (some estimations are more sophisticated than others - some scales even estimate this (Tanita is what I own)). Lets say your basal metabolic rate is 2800 calories. Then if you eat 2900 calories and don't burn any with exercise, you will gain a pound every 35 days (35 days x 100 calorie overage = 3500 excess calories = one pound). If you burn 100 calories in exercise each of those days, then you would maintain the same weight. So here is how it works...it is just a math problem...okay - this is oversimplified but you get the basic drift - you have to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound - that can be done through exercise or not eating your basal amount of calories. Now, calorie deprivation brings up a whole new argument about loss of muscle mass, being prone to injury, and inability to train from low energy. I think exercise is the answer...it takes a while but sensible eating combined with exercise is the right answer. By the way, all of this science includes art as well - our bodies are amazingly complex machines which have mechanisms to change our metabolism as we change our eating habits. By the way, be sure you are consuming some calories in the hour after you exercise. Your body is still burning calories and if you fuel it, it will keep on chewing them up...if you don't fuel it, it will go into survival mode and begin to shut down - the result of which is you lose some of the benefit of the exercise you just did. By the way, I don't understand all of this and there are many many different opinions on what is right but this is what works for me.

Now let's talk fuel for exercise and Heart Rates -
There are basically two fuels stored in your body - glycogen and fat.
The body basically uses a combination of the two regardless of the intensity of the exercise however the body can be trained. In heart rate zones 1-3 on the Polar scale, you are predominately burning fat - the top of zone 3 is known as your AT or anerobic threshold. Above your AT (therefore in zones 4 or 5) you are burning a majority of glycogen. Now, your body contains about 45 minutes of glycogen and 115 hours of fat stores - so you can see which one we want to use...we can last a lot longer on fat. You can go to the Polar website to learn more about their heart rate zones. So we know we burn more fat in zone 1, 2 and 3 - especially zone 2 and 3, and we can go a LOT longer in zones 1-3, so we want to spend more time in zones 1-3...the only problem is that speed is located in the upper zones...like say,,,3-4-5...but there is good news....we can train our bodies to use our fuel more efficiently...and actually your AT moves a lot...like every day is can be different....not necessary to test that often just know that it moves some....as we get in better shape our AT moves up...mine moved 28 points in 8 months last year...that is probably my last big move but it will move some. Now as I said above, we burn both glycogen and fat as we exercise, even when your AT doesn't move much, continued training helps your body burn a higher % of fat than glycogen in each zone...again...using less glycogen let's you go longer before you bonk (bonking is when you are absolutely out of gas (glycogen) and can go no further. (The MAP test at Lifetime Fitness measures your AT). You can estimate your AT by taking 180 minus your age. Then you can add 10 points if you have been exercising regularly for a few months...or take 10 away if you have been a total couch potato - again this is just an estimate. Another method of estimation is by body cues. Start with either a slow run or slow bike...after about a 5 minute warmup begin to increase the intensity...again take your time here - use about 10 minutes or so for this test and watch your heart rate as it elevates. When your jaw drops and you begin to breathe from your mouth you are pretty close to your AT...again an estimation. I honestly don't know how much of this is pure science and how much is some expert's opinion but again it has seemed to work for me.

By the way, so much of that goes against my old style of "no pain, no gain" training...and being a devout coward I am thrilled that it doesn't have to hurt to get results. When I first discovered the heart rate I needed to achieve to get cardiovascular benefit all I had to do was look at a stationary bike and my heart rate spiked into the correct zone...then after a couple of weeks I had to actually get on the bike to get my heart rate up and then ultimately I had to pedal...our body really is an amazing machine and starts getting into shape pretty quickly...more exertion is needed to get to those same heart rates each time...that is a measure of your fitness.

Again, as I said, any triathlon is an endurance event - the shortest ones last about (or in my case, at least) an hour. That is classified as endurance in my book.

Hopefully this covers the testing and heart rate basics...let me know if you have questions or where I confused you...other opinions matter as well.

See you at the finish line,
Bryan

Where was I? I can actually say I was working out this weekend! I ran 3 miles and swam on Saturday and then went to spin class on Sunday. I love spinning class so much that I don't know if I'm ever going to want to get on a real bike once the snow melts. Pain doesn't seem so bad with loud music... Plus, I tend to lollygag on a bike if there isn't someone telling me to push myself. And my normal bike route in the summer takes me past the orchard that sells apple cider donuts that you can smell for miles... very conducive to lollygagging... Maybe I am better off at class!

Hmmm... I would have to agree that one of my goals for my 4 mile run in early March is not to throw up. (I ran in a very crowded 5k race on Thanksgiving morning and the person in front of me crossing the finish line actually did this... I do NOT need to be that poor person). My usual goal for any running race (or tri) is to not have to walk. I've never run more than 5k in a race, so this extra mile will be a little harder for me. I'm trying aim for a time too, but haven't decided exactly yet. It may be hard not knowing what the weather will be like. UnderArmour can only help so much when it's 20 degrees and snowing! So, goals: 1) don't puke, at least not on anyone's shoes, 2) finish without walking and 3) try to pick up the pace a little but focus more on #2.

I have a question for you all that doesn't specifically have to do with swimming, biking or running. I had my first kid 3 years ago and my second a year ago. In between, I did NO situps, etc because I figured why bother if I was having more kids. Needless to say, I have an extremely core in general. Not only to I hate the belly flab but I feel like it affects my biking form. I detest situps, mostly because I find them just plain boring and I don't see results quickly (ie, at all). Do any of you have any favorite core strengthening exercises, DVDs, classes, etc that you like? Or should I just suck it up and force myself through the situps?

Thanks!

Rhoda

Oh, and on layering up... Up here in Albany, NY we have temps right now in the single digits. I tend to stay inside if it's below 30 but am a big fan of UnderArmour! I got a new UnderArmour shirt and pants for Christmas from my husband. I've worn it a coulpe times in 30-40 degree weather with a light fleece on top and I actually broke a sweat! And I am one of those people that are always cold - and this really keeps me warm.

I always start with light gloves but they usually come off after a mile. Sweaty hands stuck in gloves drive me nuts. And I hate wearing hats even though I'm sure it would be much smarter to wear one. But I admit when it comes to running, I am one of those high maintainence people that has to have everything just right. When I ran my sprint tri last August, my husband and older daughter were waiting for me right by the entrance to the run. So they watch me get off my bike, put it on the rack, drink some water, get my shirt on (I biked in my swim suit and shorts), retied my shoes... and then started fixing my hair up in a pony tail so it wouldn't be poking me in the eyes for 3.1 miles. My arms were a little shaky and I couldn't get it to stay up and that's when he started yelling to me to get my a** in gear because "this ain't no beauty pageant!". Yes, I know... high maintainence...

Bryan,

Thanks for all the tips and taking your time to moderate our group. I truly appreciate anyone who is willing to help others like this - because God knows I need a lot of help!

1. Lifetime triathlon is April 6th. 10 minute swim, 30 minute bike and 20 minute run. I have not yet set goals for this and only have one slight problem - I will be on vacation for 2 weeks just prior to the Tri. The good news is my vacation is on Maui. I don't think I will mind excersicing while on vacation, but I certainly plan on putting a dent in the alchol stock at our resort (I have never taken a 2 week vacation in my adult life so I am looking forward to this!).

2. I have set a goal for the Chicago Triathlon as follows: 750M swim - 20 minutes; 22K bike - 40 minutes; 5K run - 30 minutes; Transition - 6 minutes (total time 136 minutes). I do think not throwing up would be a good thing too :^) ... I have checked the times for the last 2 years in my age group and this seems to be "middle of the pack!"

3. I did my MAP test Saturday and my AT went up 13 beats to 168. I am not sure if that is good or not because now I have to work harder!!!!!! If you give me your email address, I can email you a copy of this years test along with last years for a comparison. I am certainly burning more fat in zone 2 and zone 3 than before! If anyone else would like to see what a MAP test results look like, send me an email at [email protected] and I will email you my results.

4. Rhoda - I certainly need some work on my core as well so I am not sure I can give the best advice, but one of my favorite core excercises is the Plank (get in "push-up" position only on your elbows rather than your hands - therefore balancing yourself on your elbow and toes. Hold your body completely stiff like a plank. Do this starting off in 30 second increments - or as long as you can - rest and repeat 4 or 5 times (or again as many as you can). You may need to start off in 10 second increments, but you get the idea! Hopefully you can build up to 2 - 3 minutes per increment). Just one suggestion!

OK, my question (you know I can't type without at least one question)

- When I did my MAP test, the trainer suggest I run in intervals - zone 3 for 6 minutes then recover in zone 2 for 2 minutes then back up to zone 3 for 6 minutes and so on. She said this will help me build endurance better than running zone 3 for the 2 miles (in February I was going to 2.5 miles!). What are your thoughts about interval training for building endurance?

Got to go, thanks for everything,

Dan

Bryan,

I forgot on the last post:

I love the name sTRIVe for our group! Unless someone has a better name within the next few days, I say "go with it!"

Dan

Rhoda,

RE: Core Strengthening Exercises

Like you said, situps are not it. They are actually bad for your back.

I found one that I really like and works for me. The Bicycle Crunch.
Google it and you will find lots of explanations and also some videos. One nice thing about it is that you can do variations that are easier or tougher. Keep your feet high, and it is easier. Lower your feet for more work. Shoes on = harder, off = easier.

This exercise has done wonders for my long bike rides, and I'm sure that it helps with the swimming, and running as well.

If the Bicycle Crunch is not your style, there are lots of different crunches you can find. I like this one because it woks the oblique muscles as well.

Leston

Ok, someone please clue me in.

I know what a heart rate is. I have a heart and it beats, and my little monitor can count it for me. I even know what my max HR is (220-my age). However, I'm not sure how to know my target HR for a training session. For example, when I run should I be shooting for 65%, 75% or 85%, or of my Max HR?

I suspect the answer is not a simple one, but I also suspect it will include something about Zones. And AT, whatever that is...?

Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

Leston