Newbz'z summer mentor group is FULL!!!! (Page 3)

Robin, you should use the "QUOTE" button to do that.

Is there room for another person?  I'd love to be part of this group.  Here's my bio:

NAME: janeclemo (Jane Clemo, yes very creative!!)

STORY: Grew up in Washington State (Puyallup to be specific) and was always a skinny kid.  I played water polo in high school and raced sailboats with my father through HS and with the collegiate team and WWU.  I recreationally ran and mountain biked, but was never really consistent about it.  After I graduated from college and got a engineering job and became significantly less active and little by little the weight started creeping on.  I had to do something so I got involved in triathlons (last season) at the suggestion of a coworker.   My first thought was, "no way!! I can't do that!" but I did 2 sprint races and LOVED them!  Since then I've been doing lots of running and recently completed a half marathon, albeit slowly!

FAMILY STATUS: Married for 3 1/2 years to a great man who's a great support and cheering section for my races

CURRENT TRAINING: Focusing on Sprint and Oly distances for this season.  I'd like to complete 2 sprints and add in an oly this fall.

THIS YEAR'S RACES SO FAR:  Cowtown 5k, Dallas Rock n Roll 1/2 marathon,

2010 RACES: Cleburne Sprint, Seattle 1/2 marathon, metroplex sprint, maybe Austin Oly in sept.

WEIGHTLOSS: would like to drop 20 lbs.

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTEE: I'm very enthusiastic and excited about triathlon and I really am devoted to my training.  I want to be a better biker and especially runner.  I'm looking forward to the upcoming season!

alright all, everyone that is in here now is in, closing the group for the moment.

Starting to read through everyone that joined after i went to bed last night/this mornings bios now.

Welcome all.

DOH!!! HOW CAN YOU EXILE ANOTHER ROWER!!! I WANT IN!!!

Hmmm, I would wager there are a significant number of former rowers on this site. I rowed at The George Washington University, class of '09, and am now trying to get into triathlons. Love this mentor/team of mentees idea. I find my life suddenly devoid of 20+ hours of weekly team workouts, so I could definitely use some training partners - virtual or otherwise. Since your group is full, if you know of any mentors who would work well with former collegiate athletes, let me know! Thanks!

for everyone that joined later/did not read through all the posts/is new to these groups;

This group can be anything you guys want/need from it. questions, comments, support, training info, rants, etc. Personally i have an 11 year background in endurance sports (rowing and now triathlon), coach both sports, and am racing as an elite triathlete, we also have (if i read correctly) an exercise science person in here, and between all of us a HUGE amount of experiences and background to draw from.

So between all of that, we should be able to get some great conversations going.

To the poster asking about training for today, i have a 2k swim, 30 mi bike and 6 mi run to squeeze in today.

Sweeeet, now that I know I'm in I'll share: Just started a HIM plan here and its got me redoing the bike and run LT tests this week (and its been awhile...).  I've got bike up today.  I believe its 1:15 with 30 min as the all out test.  Just curious, has anyone done the bike test on a trainer?  It avoids all the inherent problems of the road, but I'm not sure I could focus and keep my intensity up like I can on the road.

if you do it on the trainer, make sure you have some fans around you. the numbers might not exactly line up with outside (i know my HR is always WAY higher inside).
the fans will help with that though.

OK...so here's the 1st of my MANY (to come) swimming Q's.  I know "one" of the main issues with my swimming (COMPLETE beginner) is my breathing.  I'm getting winded, not tired.

Q - Would I get more benefit from swimming a non-stop 500yds....utilizing "whatever" stroke necessary to complete......v. swimming a series of 50yd sets.....utilizing the crawl for all sets?

I went from not being able to do more than ONE 50yd swim (my 1st time in)....to doing 8X50's in my 5th trip to the pool (with rest, in between....and I won't say how much!....lol).

My goal is at LEAST 600yds crawl, non-stop, by June.  I plan, right now, to do 10X50yd sets, today (with rest for air!).  Hope to up my dist. to 12X50yd sets, next week.  At some point....I hope it all comes together.

Thoughts?

Edited by nc452010 2010-04-07 11:19 AM

how many times per week are you swimming?

Just using this one swim as an example, work up to the 12x50 on X rest. next time cut 5 sec off the rest and do 12x50 again, keep at this until the rest is down to 5-10 sec. next time around do some of the 50s as 100, so say 8x50, 2x100 or something around there.

If you are swimming more per week, take another swim and slowly work on getting a few longer intervals in, if 75, or 100 is the furthest you can, do that.

How often are you breathing, how much are you kicking?

Are you gonna let me in Newbz?

how many times per week are you swimming?

4-5

Just using this one swim as an example, work up to the 12x50 on X rest. next time cut 5 sec off the rest and do 12x50 again, keep at this until the rest is down to 5-10 sec. next time around do some of the 50s as 100, so say 8x50, 2x100 or something around there.

Sounds good.

If you are swimming more per week, take another swim and slowly work on getting a few longer intervals in, if 75, or 100 is the furthest you can, do that.

OK

How often are you breathing, how much are you kicking?

I vary from breathing bilaterally....to once/stroke.  Actually, I ONLY got to the point where I could do the multiple 50's by breathing every stroke.  I can't do it, breathing bilaterally.

Kicking?  It sucks.  I'm probably trying too hard, here.  I'd love to kick less....and be more efficient.

yep, told you i was saving a spot.

for what its worth, as soon as i start doing anything over a warmup pace i am down to every stroke breathing as well.
Make sure you are rotating your body, and turning your head to breath, not lifting it. lifting it will push your legs deeper into the water and slow everything down/make you have to work even harder.

try kicking a bit less, and slow everything down a bit, just relax, get a feel for things, get comfortable, then work on picking up the speed.

David...just curious if you don't mind me asking.

What type of injury ended your rowing career that still allows you to be a FOP triathlete?

I second not lifting your head to breath.  Also making sure that you aren't "swimming uphill".  To prevent this, work on applying pressure to the water with your chest.

As for today's training, I'm currently tapering for the USAT Collegiate National Championship on April 17th.  That being said, I swam 2200yds this morning with some pretty good intervals mixed in.  Later today I have a 45min run scheduled with several race-pace 400s mixed in.

3 herniated disks and a hole in one of my vertebrae that we found on the same xray (i guess that let the one slip easier).

I had probably 6-7 months where i could not really do anything athletic at all, sleeping hurt, etc.

now not too many issues from it, now and again i'll it off but for the most part its ok. i can row some/have raced about once a year for the past few years, but never got back into it full time/prob could not without surgery.

carl, good luck at nationals, that race / weekend is an awesome experience.

Do you have access to masters, swim clinics, instructor, or even an ex swimmer that can watch and give you lessons? I know one on one sessions can be expensive but even 1 or 2 can help immensely. I know so many people on my team that learned how to swim as an adult and are very solid swimmers now b/c they had a handful of one on one coaching sessions. It is easier to learn proper technique the first time around then trying to fix it later on. I swam competively from 6-16 but took a 9 yr hiatus from swimming at all. It's been about a year since I've started swimming with my team and I'm still in the process of re-tweaking my stroke and let me tell you it is not easy fixing bad habits even coming from a swim background!

Good luck though!

Edited by tnguyen1 2010-04-07 12:18 PM

wow...does that affect your riding position/endurance on the bike when aero?

x2...good luck

x2 on masters.  5 months of mastes class got me from a sucky swimmer who couldn't swim 25 yards, to a kinda sucky swimmer who can go 3000+ continuous no problem.

no issues on the bike at all, the biggest one i have off and on is sleeping on it weird, anything too soft and i am screwed for the next day or so