RunningJayhawk's Mentor Nest - FULL! (Page 3)

Good morning, everyone!

Barb, thanks for the tip about the Galena Tri thread.  I'll definitely be poking my nose in there later on!

Tonight's workout will be an hour-long "swim team" practice at my gym.  It's not really a team - just an instructor guiding people in the class with drills, etc. 

Wednesdays are my speed run workouts.  I managed to only put it off by an hour this morning, but then of course, was an hour late to work.  I did the run on the treadmill (which I don't love, but it's a lot easier to keep on pace than when I run with my Nike+ outside) and managed to do 2 x 1.5 mile intervals at a little faster than my 10K pace.  Overall, 5 miles just under 50 minutes, so that felt good.

I'm glad I didn't push the run to after work.  Now I can catch a movie after work. Then I'll do the yoga for runners episode from YOGAmazing when I get home before settling in on the sofa and knit.  I've got a knitting deadline coming up and got to get going on this sweater.

Jennifer - Any type of swimming goes technically. The vast majority of folks will be doing some variation of freestyle since from a technical standpoint it is usually the fastest and most efficient among triathletes. You should definitely look into the open water swim class you mentioned. Also, if you can try and turn your swimming perception from a negative to a positive. So rather than thinking that you may drown while swimming...look at it as an opportunity to work on making your weakness a strength. When I first starting swimming, especially in open water, I'd give myself mantras while floating along. Sometimes I'll keep thinking to myself something ridiculous like "I am a fish...and I am awesome" over and over and over. Other times I'll be singing to myself as I exhale underwater (I may or may not be guilty of belting out tunes like the Star Wars theme or the unmistakable Rocky song). Just try a few things to help you clear your mind and get yourself in a comfortable zone mentally and you'll be start building that confidence in the water before you know it. For me, one of the biggest point of differences I experienced with swimming in pools vs. lakes vs. ocean was visibility...more than likely, the lake will be the murkiest of the three in terms of visibility, so take some time getting used to that as well. And if you can swim in the lake where the tri will be beforehand...that's a bonus!!

I'm totally bummed you've had a mixed experience with the Team. I find the program really varies chapter by chapter. What are your thoughts on pushing back to the Long Beach half? You may want to check and see the schedule for the next season to if they're taking a similar build approach or if it'll build more gradually--and don't be afraid to ask a coach to suggest adjustments on the calendar fit to your needs. At the end of the day you need to do what you feel is best for yourself. Just listen to your body over the next few weeks and see how you're feeling.

But it sounds like you're taking the right steps to get back on track, which is good. Let me talk to my husband tonight and see if he has any additional suggestions on what could help bring relief (he's a chiropractor and has a really great understanding of the body especially with sports-related injuries). Continue to spend quality time with your foam roller (or even "The Stick") as I've found that has made the biggest difference in recovery for me. Have you thought about incorporating some basic yoga stretches?

Good morning to you all,

I am very thankful for a day off.  I felt a little fatigue in the legs during the run yesterday and it did not help that I had to umpire two baseball games last which involves a lot of crouching.

I am looking forward to having a good meal tonight and watching the Astros take on the Dodgers. 

Tif & Nik...it sounds like you two have had a couple of great days of training and deserve to relax at the ballpark tonight. Have fun!!

And Dena, you're ahead of me today. I was planning on doing my strength training before work, but ended up hitting the snooze button until 7:30 (we were up too late last night and I'm paying for it now). Way to knock it outta the park before heading into work. What movie are you planning on seeing?

And Missy, enjoy the swim tonight! As you know, drills are key to improving your form and technique which will make you ultimately faster. Since you come from a swimming background have you ever thought about joining a masters program like the Blue Dolphins or Chicago Masters? Starting in May Mike and I will be working out with Chicago Masters (they meet at UIC in the 50m pool).

I'll be seeing The Class which I've been putting off for weeks, but it's leaving tomorrow.  It's supposed to be really good.

Good morning everyone! (well morning here on the west coast). Today I'm giving my hip a rest after my swim yesterday so I'll be doing strength training at the gym tonight. Going to focus on my arms, chest and back with maybe some light abs thrown in as well if the hip is feeling good. Other than that I've been icing 2x a day and taking this week slow as I ease back into training.

I've thought about joining a master team, but since I already have a gym membership, I figure I should take advantage of the resources there first.  I've only been to this swim class once, and I was the only one there, so it was basically a private swim training session! 

If after a few more classes, I find that it's not really helping me improve, I probably will check out Blue Dolphins or Chicago Masters.  Do you know if there are any major differences between the two groups?  It seems like they both practice at the same pool, just at different times.

Can I join your group? I am looking for inspiration and accountability, and I like your sense of humour and philosophy.

MY STORY:I am a 39 year old male with a wonderful wife and 2 fantastic little boys (5&2). They are the most important thing to me and are alot of the reason I decided to get back into running. I have lost 23 lbs in the last bit here and holding steady at 205lbs. I still should lose anouther 5 lbs to be at a appropriate BMI but it is coming. Training for a Tri has helped. I am working towards a Sprint Distance Triathlon in July of this year. My biggest hurdle will be my swimming. I just got a "new to me" road bike that I am not really comfortable on yet and I have done some running in the past. A couple of 1/2 Marathons and one very tough full Marathon in 2005 (5:55 but I survived) I was really not prepared for the full and that lead me to not run the next year and to just run a bit since then.

MY PLAN:I am getting more serious about my running and was challenged by a good "Ironman" friend to the full IM in Penticton...once I'm ready. So I got all excited and quickly signed up for the 1/2 LibertyIM in Independence, MN in June of this year... what was I thinking!?! I have quickly realized that I do not possess the necessary baggage to realistically do that race so I have had to chang my game plan. I will do a Sprint Distance Tri in Regina Beach, Saskatchewan on July 19th and the Full Queen City Marathon in Regina, SK on Sept 13th. I will then do a 1/2 IM in 2010 with a Full Marathon and then for my 41st year I want to do the Full IM in Penticton. Sounds like a good birthday present doesn't it?

TRAINING:- I am swimming two or three times a week (250 to 300 meters). There are a couple of guys at work who appear to be training for the same Triathlon and I have been swimming with them. It is a strange relationship where they are usually in the water before I get there and I am definately out before they finish so we don't really talk. I have to change that.- I bike to work about half the time (3 miles each way) on my Mountian Bike and plan to do a longer ride on my "new" bike on the weekends (6 to 10 miles)- I run twice or three times a week. (3 to 4 miles) and plan to pick up the distance on the weekends for one long run (6 plus miles).- That leaves me weight lifting once or twice a week. I have only just got back into that so it have been a struggle to balance all these things.-this will last till the Tri is over and then I will switch to more running for the Marathon.

NUTRITIAN:I am taking my Nutritian very seriously and it's making a big difference. As I increase my work outs I will undoubtable will have a little trial and error but I am committing to good nutritian. (How can I not when my 5 year old tells me I can't eat cake or drink beer cause it's not a "good choice". Ha ha. they see and hear everything don't they?)This message has taken a long time to write as I have had to put my plan on paper (or screen) and therefore commit to it. So I am looking for some accountability and inspiration and to belong to a group of people who are going through the same thing.

Cheers,
Alan

Edited by boomer99 2009-04-23 12:02 AM

Today is an off day for me, I work until 5 and then go directly to a class for my masters degree until 8:30 and then I have a paper to finish! Oh to be a student! Once my semester is over, my training will be more involved, but for now, I exercise when I have an evening or morning off and I'm glad for the "me" time.
I hope everyone has a great day! Happy Earth Day!

Erin

I've never heard of it! Let me know how it goes.

How'd you feel during yesterday's swim? Glad to see you're easing into things slowly!!




Definitely take advantage of the resources you have available. And how awesome that it turned into a private swim lesson, too.

To my knowledge, the biggest differences between the two programs are price and practice location. Chicago Masters has 11 workouts a week (M-F 5:30-7:30am and 5-7pm and then Saturday from 8-10am). The M-F morning workouts are a set workout prepared by the coaches (one of which is UIC's swim coach). They meet at the 50m pool at UIC's facility off of Roosevelt. It's $150 per 4 month session for unlimited use of the coaches and pool times. http://www.chicagomasters.com/

The Blue Dolphins are a little bit more expensive at $140 for a 2-3 month session. I believe they move locations during the week, too. Sometimes they're at UIC, others they're at Moody Bible Institute off of Chicago and Wells or the CBD swim studio. I do believe you may get a little bit more one on one work with them, I'm not 100% sure, but they have a really strong roster of coaches. http://www.chicagobluedolphins.com/

Clearly, there's pluses and minuses to both groups. You may consider doing a workout with each to see which is a better fit if you decide to go that route!

I felt pretty good. I started to get a slight twinge in my hip after about 400 meters, so I swam the rest of the 1,000 using a pull buoy. My arms are more sore today than normal but I think it was a good call to take it easy!

Welcome to our little group, Angela!!

What an awesome experience getting to work closely with a trainer for so long. I can only imagine how beneficial that can be. And I hear ya on the winter blues. I usually get into a training/workout funk when it's cold and gross outside. But now that spring is making an appearance in most of our towns, hopefully we'll all be able to rejuvenate ourselves and get moving outdoors!! Plus, triathlon is a fun, healthy"thing" to have claim on!

I understand how it can be tough to get out the door and train when your family is all together at home. What kind of support is he giving you? While I'm not a mom yet, I can understand wanting to stay home with the family rather than getting out the door. But I think it's important that you build a set schedule and training routine into your everyday life. Make sure that everyone is okay and on board with when you need to be outside. And there's no rule against having them go for bike rides and swims with you! Who knows, you may inspire your daughter or son to sign up for a kids tri over the summer...it could turn from an Angela "thing" to a family "thing."

Have you taken a look at any of the olympic plans that are free here on BT? You may find one that you can adapt to you lifestyle. I see that your next tri is in September--are you looking for one sometime in the summer as well? Or will Cultis Lake be your "A" race? ...and congrats on a great 2008 season. Looks like you had a lot of fun out there and improved throughout the season, too!

Sounds like you're on the right path working with your doctor to start to lose weight, especially with diabetes running in your family. There's an entire forum here on BT dedicated toward weight loss and another one specific to nutrition (both every day nutrition and race day nutrition). Take some time to explore these sections of the board when you have time. How is your every day diet as it is? I hope you'll find that eating the right foods combined with sticking to a training plan can help.

You're so right about it all being mental with swimming.  When I was young I almost drowned and have been afraid of water ever since.  When I am swimming I am always afraid I am not going to be able to breath.  It is all a mental game that I must overcome.  THat is why my main focus will be on swimming for the tri. 
As for my 1/2 marathon, I am in the process right now of trying to get moved into the fall group -my coach was recommending it.  I haven't heard back from my campaign manager whether or not they will allow me to transfer into the fall group yet.  Regardless, I still plan to run the Long Beach 1/2 marathon in October.  Just out of curiosity what is "the stick"?  Funny you should mention yoga, I used to do it all of the time but got out of doing it.  Today I ordered 2 yoga dvds to workout to -one is especially geared for sports strengthening.

Hi Alan! I'm happy to have you along for our journey!

Sounds like you've got things started for your sprint in July and have done a great job logging your workouts so far.

With your road bike, were fitted for it? Remember the best way to get comfortable on a set of wheels is to keep on riding. And then when you feel like you've ridden enough...ride some more!! It probably took me close to 100 miles before I felt really comfy on my road bike...and then another few hours of riding to be confident riding with clipless pedals (and the same for riding in aero).

What do you perceive to be your biggest roadblock with swimming right now? Do you think it's more of a mental hurdle versus a physical/training one?

I'm glad to see you've been keeping up with running, too. And there's nothing wrong with a 5:55 marathon! Remember that there are some people out there who'd love to post a time under 6-hours. As I've said before, speed is all relative.

I like the enthusiasm with your plan, too. I've heard incredible things about Penticton and my tri coach raced there last year and loved the course. I really can't think of a better birthday present to yourself. I think that focusing on the shorter distances this year with a HIM next year is a great plan. Once you have a 70.3 or two under your belt, then reconsider IM Canada. From my experience, biting the bullet to sign up was one of the most challenging things I've ever done. Lots of what if's plagued my mind...but now that I'm in full training mode, I'm really excited about the race.

You've got a great start on the swim portion for your tri by just getting in the water. Are you typically swimming this straight through or are you doing things like incorporating drills and various strokes to mix it up? Don't be afraid to talk with them and maybe challenge yourself to swim with them until their done to help beef up your volume in the water.

I'm impressed with the balance that you've found with swimming, cycling and running. Have you thought about picking up a formal plan to follow for your first tri? The thing I love about having a plan is that I don't have to think about what I've got to get done. I take a look and do what's prescribed for the day. Takes the brain work out of it and I'm not second guessing whether I've put in enough time. Also, once the triathlon is done, you may want to consider keeping a swim or bike day in the mix for marathon cross-training. It'll be easier on your body to keep mixing things up than to go straight to pounding the pavement for longer distances. The well-rounded approach will help with recovery, too. I find that after a long-hard run, an easy swim helps bring my legs back to normal.

Cycling to work is great to mix in as well!! As tempting as it is to use your mtn bike, you should maybe try using your roadie once in a while, too.

I'm glad to see that you're working on your nutrition...many folks see this as the 4th discipline as it's important to fuel your body properly to deliver optimal results (both each day and on race day). But keep on listening to your son and make healthy choices nothing gets past the kids, does it!!

Enjoy the "me" time!!! You've got some time before you need to rev things up.



Right on, Margot! I was going to suggest trying a pull buoy.

Edited by RunningJayhawk 2009-04-22 2:57 PM

The mountain bike portion totally flew over my head. Makes complete sense....and I don't blame you for not wanting to trek out on a mtn bike course...oooof!! I can't imagine 100 miles on a mtn bike! I'm impressed. And nothing wrong with wanting a security blanket once in a while. Plus I think from a safety perspective, it's important that he knows the route you're taking when you bike.

You've definitely got your focus in check. One bit of advice that I'd give you is that come race day, position yourself on the back to the outside--you'll be less likely to get jostled around during the swim start and feel less rushed and frantic.

The Stick is a fun little tool that hones in on muscle compression like a foam roller, however it's smaller and more manageable (at least in my opinion). Think of a skinny rolling pin with beads. It works out trigger points. You can find them at a lot of running-specific stores or online at www.thestick.com.

Glad to see you're looking to get back into yoga!

I've actually wanted to ask about this. Right now I feel like my biggest obstacle is the bike. I've been taking spin classes consistently for 3 years so physically the bike is my best of the three sports, I have a really strong base built up. But I have very limited experience actually riding a road bike. I'll be most likely using my husband's road bike (unless I use some tax return $$ to buy myself one which is a possibility), we are roughly the same size and weight but he has clipless pedals. I've taken the bike out several times and he taught me to clip in and clip out but I'm still terrified (to the point of shaking) everytime I go for a ride and I haven't even tried riding on the street with cars yet.

Do I just need to give myself time or are there any tricks for not being scared out of my mind about falling or running into things? If I do end up buying myself a bike should I think about getting cages rather than clipless pedals, or since I can already clip in and out would it make more sense to just get the clipless pedals at the outset since they are the best choice in the long run?

Okay...first question...what type of bike are you currently riding (or do you just use your husbands and the spin bikes in class?) Also, whose shoes are you riding when you're going clipless--do you have your own cycling shoes or are you using his?

Riding clipless is one of the bigger challenges folks have when it comes to the cycling portion of triathlon. Ultimately, riding clipless is MUCH easier than using traditional pedals and cages. Clipless pedals allows you to pull up on your leg rather than push down on a pedal to gain momentum. The only way it gets easier is with practice. If you have a trainer at home that you can hook the bike up to, do that and work on clipping in and out. I did this for my first few training rides when learning to go clipless. Then after a while, I took it to a path in a grassy area and would clip in and out over and over and over while cycling...just to get used to the feeling. You may fall over...and that's okay (make sure you're wearing a helmet!)...remember that even the best cyclists forget to clip out from time to time and fall over. It happens. You may get scraped up, but I don't know of any cyclist who hasn't fallen at least once while getting used to it. When I changed my mindset from being afraid of falling to accepting the fact that it might happen and being determined to learn how to ride clipless, things started to click into place.

When you end up getting yourself a roadbike, I'd suggest investing in clipless pedals and cycling shoes. In the longterm, it's an investment. You can also pick up a pair of inexpensive pedals as well (standard ones will run you anywhere from $12-25) and switch them out as needed. Shimano also makes a double-sided pedal where one side is for clipless riding and the other is a standard flat pedal. Something along these lines: http://www.bicyclebuys.com/item/0414441 They're intended for mountain bikes, but folks use them on road bikes frequently.

Thanks so much Barb! Right now I'm just using the spin bikes at the gym along with my husband's bike. His bike is a Norco road bike which is a Canadian brand (he's from Canada) and he has Shimano gears. I'm actually very tall (almost 6') so he and I wear almost the same size shoe so I've just been using his cycling shoes.

It sounds like from the fear perspective that I just need to do more of what I'm doing and get out there and get used to riding clipped in. I realize that at some point I'm going to fall so I just need to get used to the idea. We were joking that we should find a grassy place in the park and bring some pillows and have my husband push me over while I'm clipped in to get it over with. I'm really starting to lean towards buying myself my own bike, since he's a big cyclist and then we could go riding together, not to mention that I'd like to get a women's bike that's fitted to me.

Thanks so much for all your advice, it is SO helpful!

My name's Cheryl. I'm a 43yo married mom of 4 working fulltime seems like everywhere all the time.  I also have a  pug:  Jabba the Pug.

I'd like to be in this group because it seems to be full of vibrant, committed people - some of whom are as scared by parts of tri as I am.  I love the long supportive posts and especially identify with clipophobia.

I just happily finished my first tri (Miami University Sprint) and am prepping for about 1 a month through August.

I'll share more later when I'm home from work...

Cheryl
Cincinnati, OH