light_sabe_r's group is CLOSED (Page 3)

Well, look at all this chit chat thats been going on whilst I've been asleep. How am I ever going to keep up with you lot?

-Welcome back Maddy, sound like you had a very exciting long weekend. Very cool race.

I'm quite afraid of my Worlds goal cos I'm unsure of my capabilities having never really tested them before. I figure I'll just go for it and make sure the only excuse for not making it is genetics if that's the case.

-Chrissy, it may not be you legs that hurt so much on the Century, it's other bits I would worry about!

-Sandi I find I really struggle every couple of weeks also. I just take it as it comes, I find I need to schedule an easier week every so often cos my body just doesn't want to play. 

Enjoy your training all(I'm having a rest day... I'm fighting a cold).

Don't worry about surfing late too much Emily.  Studying, training, working... It's WAY too much.  I have the utmost respect for the guys and girls at my work doing their masters/PhDs because it's sooo time consuming and yet they seem to have a life as well (with no money!)  Your time is VERY valuable!  Use it wisely!

 Sandy!  This is EXACTLY how I raced my first three races!  (Although I don't own a suit because It's Queensland and It's always too hot here)  Backstroke was my strongest stroke in highschool, so when I panicked I flipped over and backstroked until I caugh my breath.  Sometimes the whole swim leg.  It's TOUGH getting back into it when you THINK you're a strong swimmer.  i thought I was!  I'd done all that swimming a while ago then launched in... Bum-bow! 

After my first tri I went straight to the pool and started building myself up!  Can I do 50m?  Yup... Can I do 100m?  and so on and so on until I could do 400 non stop.  Then I joined a squad that was too advanced and it all went pear shaped.  start small! 

 The best thing for you to do Sandy is to get in A pool (preferably 50m - at 5am in the morning) and just SWIM 1500m non stop!  While I've been doing that I've been using my swimming as a kind of meditation.  That way when I got to race day this season I sort of  ZONED OUT to stop panicking (biggest weakness in the swim...  If you Panic you drown)

Things that caused me to panic

• Salt water.  Yeck...  You know when you swallow that!  At the start of my races I now take a mouthful, rinse it round like mouthwash and spit it out.  It stops me from getting TASTE SHOCK 
• COLD water...  Haven't quite mastered this one yet... Then again QLD isn't that cold.  i find my muscles in my ribs contract in the cold making it harder to get air in my lungs...  Chattering teeth don't help either...  To get over this I've been trying to dunk myself first before a wading start.  If it's a deep water start then I get in one wave ahead just to acclimatise.
  
•  People Swimming over you.  Kick, elbow and punch them back!  You have a right to your own space in the swim as do they.  They need to learn to swim round!  To avoid this I have a favourite spot at the swim start.  Usually based on tidal flow but it's usually next to the right of the start buoy (or first buoy since we pass the buoys on the RIGHT.)  and I swim just a "little" wide so I've got my own space keeping to the left. 
  
• Currents/tidal flow.  This is a BIG one for open water swims.  Esp if it's working against you.  If you get caught in a rip, swim parraell to shore until you can't fell it sucking you out anymore then make a dash to the shore.  Unfortunetly the only way to fight against the tide in a race is to become a stronger swimmer.  LOTS of practice! 
  
• CHOP!  Notice how it's not "WAVES"  Chop are tiny waves that have no pull and are usually whipped up by your fellow competators or by the wind in bad conditions.  Not much you can do about it than PUT YOUR HEAD UP like you're sighting to take a breath.  It's been the only way I've managed to fight this one so far.  

 I do wanna say though that this was your first tri!!!  Don't worry about the time!  You finished it!!!  That's the main thing!  You've accomplished your first goal this season sandy!  NOW you have a base to work on and improve! 

Let's Give Sandy a hand!!!   

Yeah...we are getting team outfits, so I don't know what the chamois will be like in the shorts. I have a pair of shorts that are super-padded and comfy without being bulky; I would wear those otherwise. Going to get some Chamois Butt'r too and smear on a whole bunch of that as well!

Hey folks,

So, to change the subject to something less cheery, but I just want to vent...yesterday, I was told by someone that it was an insult to them as a triathlete to be compared to me, because that person had completed an IM (fwiw, the context was not comparing me as an athlete to this person, so I'm sure where the rude comments came from, but anyway). I mean, I know I'm not fast, I'm not exactly running around bragging and saying I'm a better athlete than everyone else. Heck, everyone should be GLAD that I'm slow - that way, they will be sure to beat me! I've only been doing this for a year, so yeah, I'm not exactly winning my AG, but I think I've come a long way in some respects. Am I completely wrong in thinking that this is a HORRIBLE thing to say??!?!?! Even if I were good, I would NEVER say that to someone, never mind say it twice! I'm a pretty good swimmer; I might have better technique than some people here, but I would NEVER EVER be condescending about it, never mind mention it in the first place, unless someone asked for my help - and in that case, I wouldn't be nasty! I'm still a little shocked, because it was really unwarranted, but seriously, how can someone even THINK that saying something like that is okay?! And this is someone I know in real life too, which makes it even worse. If it were just some internet troll, I wouldn't care as much, and I don't REALLY care cuz it's not like we are bff, but I guess it just goes to show you how crappy people really can be.

Sorry - just wanted to vent...

Yup. People can be real jerks sometimes. You gotta let it go. Sometimes, when I find myself getting really angry at stupid people, I think "Why do they have the power to make me question my abilities when THEY are the ones with their heads up their you-know-whats?" Just remember, they have to live with themselves and if they get off belittling others to make themselves feel superior, then they have deeper issues. I like to think that maybe they were just having a bad day and were lashing out due to fear or lack of self confidence or something.

Frankly, anyone who has even the slightest committment to bettering themselves is ACES in my book! No matter how far you have come, at least you are moving forward. Comparing yourself to other's progress is a trap. Don't fall for it.

Wow, I only missed a day and have a lot of catching up to do!

Chrissy, YOU ROCK!  This person who insulted you needs a kick in the pants (or head if I had anything to do with it).  If they were any kind of decent they would be acting as a mentor, helping motivate others.  Not trying to squash them. 

I'm all proud of myself for not swearing, btw--that kinda pissed me off.

Exactly. Anyway, I'm glad that there are people out there who are at least humble about their athletic abilities. The guy who is leading our century group used to be a member of the USA Triathlon Team. He is the nicest, most positive and supportive guy you will ever meet. He will ride with you when you are going 8 mph, and stop when you get slammed into a bridge by the wind, cheering you on the whole way. He's great. I have another friend, who's a BT'er and who is very fast in all disciplines, who once forfeited a group run, to run with me at my slow, slogging 10:30 minute/mile pace to keep me talking and going for my then-longest run ever (of 5 miles!) while everyone else left us behind.

Anyway, I am hoping I can hop on the bike tonight, but that might not be a go if I don't get out of here early enough. I'll ride the trainer, at the very least, but I'd like to get out on the trail.

Ooo, people like that make my blood boil. Don't they realize that it's people like us that are the bread and butter of this sport? Where would it be without all of us people just giving it a go. We all have to start somewhere.

You just gotta believe in karma.

Chrissy, that person is an idiot. You are a triathlete. THEY are an elitist. IMHO you should feel embarrassed they call themselves a triathlete. Same as I feel embarrassed whenever I see a cyclist blatently ignore the road rules.

There's always one bad apple. 

Bastard.   

I just purchased a few DVD spinnervals online today. I know the weather is heating up and the days are getting longer, but I have to squeeze in most of my training at odd hours, so having treadmill speed workouts and bike trainer options that don't make me fall asleep at 4 am are good things to have, I think.

Has anyone tried something like this before? I got a runervals, spinnervals, and a bike/strength/core combination session, too. Wondering if these are worth the $? I have most of the accessories already, although some heavier DBs wouldn't hurt. The only thing I'm lacking is the little nozzle adaptor for the foot pump to blow up my physio ball. I believe it is somewhere buried in the kid's playroom beneath piles of dolls and matchbox cars....

I, too have to train at odd hours cos I like to give time to my family so it's early morings or after my son has gone to bed. I have a couple of more beginner level Spinervals DVD's and they certainly do help pass the time on the trainer. As I improve I intend to get some more advanced ones to help my get stronger.

Have fun.

Eh, it's not really necessary to take more strokes between breaths than you're already doing. The key is even breathing, and not breathing shallowly, really. Also, I don't do flip turns in the pool because I haven't done them since I was like 10. If you're going to do tris with pool swims, then it might be useful. But even then, there are ways to turn at the wall that are fast, and not flip-turns.

Please answer Jenni's question first   It's more important.

I hate to jump in, sorry....

OK, how can I get the list of people in this group onto my page as links to their pages, as well as the link so I don't have to go to forums, then April mentors, etc.?   Thanks.

I've tried spinervals, but I get more out of someone yelling at me in person. Plus the accent kinda puts me off... (I want KPH as well not mph) Plus they get boring after a while, I'd rather get out there and ride for real! Or flip in a good movie to watch while in the trainer.

BUT if you're for your odd hour workouts Jenni these sound like a GREAT solution! I say go for it!

Damn right! That's why I love it so much!

With the pull buoy (my favourite tool!) i breathe every 4 strokes and can go on like that for many many sets. When I swim normally (with my kick) I breath on almost every right stroke which is about every 4th kick. (Except when I'm swimming) When I'm sprinting I can breathe every 4 strokes but find I can't keep that up more than 50m or so. AND I'm buggared afterwards to the point of being almost out of breath. When I breath right stroke I've gone for 2km (and I feel as though I can do more if when I stop)

The big question is: What kind of distances are you doing with the 4 or 5 stroke breathing without "bonking"

Bilateral breathing is a total weakness of mine! I'm working on it. (slowly) My left side just doesn't want to co-operate yet. I did some on Tuesday with a kickboard.

Quick question: Does anyone do flipturns? Sure they make you faster in the pool but all my tris are in open water and unless I move to a colder climate, they probably always will be. It might be a handy skill to learn but I'm more concerned with getting my swim technique RIGHT first.

Andria, You should be able to just copy the table here and paste it into the GOALS section under the control panel icon in your blog. You can add links to our profiles under FRIENDS in the control panel as well.   Hope you all don't mind that the background pickture on the table  are LIGHTSABRES!!!

I can email you the straight HTML code if you'd like. If I PM it to you it'll just show up like a table again...

Dee has written up a great tute for putting tables in your blogs. Which I've linked to here.