BHannahs's Group - FULL! (Page 3)

 I know!  I start to shiver a little when the temps drop below 80. 

The DMV - ugh!  There really should be some way to log time spent there as training time - it's an endurance contest by itself!

acv - 2010-04-22 6:51 AM It was a little warmer today mid 40's when I hit the road. I slowed my pace down a little and did 3 miles (10 min/mile) while pushing the baby in the jogging stroller. I'm feeling stronger each time. I think I'm going to mix it up a little more as Brian suggested.

Brian,
I've noticed your up kind of early to do your work outs. I imagine you must need to eat something before jogging for an hour. Do you eat anything and if so what is it?

I've been finding myself thinking like I could use a little energy boost in the morning.

Yeah - I find if I get up really early to train, I keep control over my workouts.  If I try to delay them to later in the day, there is too much opportunity for work and other things to interfere.  Besides, I love arriving at work knowing I already have put in some good training time. 

On my long run and ride days (Saturdays and Sundays), I always try to eat something before I go - usually an energy bar or a banana or something.  For my weekday workouts (less than an hour), I normally skip it.  Caveat:  This falls into the 'do what I say, not what I do category'.    It would be better for me to eat something small before hitting the road or the pool.  A few ideas for something quick and easy before your morning workout would be:  energy bars, bananas or other fruits, smoothies, peanut butter on wheat bread, sugar free jelly on a multigrain english muffin - these would give you some calories, carbs, and some proteins to get you going.  Find something that appeals to you first thing in the morning and that doesn't give you any digestive issues - nothing worse than getting a few miles from home and having 'issues' with your breakfast.     

Excellent - have fun with your shopping - very few things as much fun as buying a new bike!

Hi, everyone!  I see that most everyone has started to log their training.  This is excellent.  I also see that many have added everyone in the group to your friends list - this is even better.  Lastly, I see that a few have started to leave inspires in the training logs of other group members - I am REALLY excited about this!  I want our group to be collaborative and interactive.  We can all learn from and inspire one another, so let's keep up these trends. 

Lastly, a hint when it comes to training log inspires...  if you want to respond to a comment that someone leaves for you, click the reply button.  This will take you to that person's log and allow you to leave them a reply.  If you leave your response below theirs on your own training log, they may or might not see it.  Keep up the great work, everyone - we're off to a fantastic start! 

I think you have these in the order I would recommend...

1)  Unless you have a Garmin or something else that is tracking your distance, a basic bike computer would be the best (and cheapest) of the three to get.  Even a low priced model will give you your distance, speed, average speed, and time.  If you have a little more to spend, you can get one that gives your cadence as well.  I rely on mine a great deal - I always want to know how far I've travelled and how fast I am going. 

2)  Clipless pedals and shoes make your pedaling more efficient and improve your power transfer from your legs to the pedals.   Road shoes or tri shoes are a choice, the difference being that tri shoes typically have only one velcro strap and are more ventilated than road shoes - they are designed for quicker transitions - easy in, easy out.  That said, there will be fewer options for tri shoes since road shoes are more prevalent.  Getting clipless pedals and compatible shoes would be my second choice.

3)  Aero bars would be my third choice, but would also be a nice upgrade.  If you get a set, make sure to select a style that is comfortable for you - usually, there are s-bend and ski bend styles to choose from.  I have used both, and I find the ski bend style to be more comfortable, but it varies by individual.  In addition to the aerobars, I would also get a bike fitting along with them.  Getting in an optimally aerodynamic position that you are comfortable enough to remain in for long stretches can be a challenge, and it helps to have a good fitter to work with you.  Riding in an aero postion can take some getting used to - different body angles and bike handling, but if you can sustain the position, you'll likely see increased speeds.     

You might find you like the pre-dawn workouts better!  It's dark, quiet, and peaceful - nothing but you, the road, and the sound of your footsteps.  And you can think about the great workout you are getting done while the rest of the world is sleeping.  It's a beautiful time of day.  Looking forward to hearing how it goes! 

Great input, Dave!

I have a basic bike computer that I think just needs a new battery. I have the shoes and the pedals even though they are road I am going to keep them because I am semi comfortable with them.  So I guess my next thing would be aero bars.  How important are these?  I had a biking incident that involved my front tooth and concrete when I was younger and I can't seem to shake that.  Going downhill is the worst for me.  I hold on super tight and brake the whole way down. 

I would definitely replace the battery in your computer first.    Riding in road shoes is fine as well - I have road shoes and they work just fine for me.

Plenty of people do just fine without aerobars, so if you don't feel like you would need them or wouldn't feel comfortrable using them, they certainly aren't necessary.  Handling is a little twitchier and fitting is a little more complicated with them, but they do provide an opportunity to decrease your wind resistance and help your speed if you choose to get them.  A lot of people who have them actually sit up in their regular position and skip the aerobars on downhills to stay close to the brakes and keep from going too fast for comfort.   

If you want to experiment, you might try to find some used ones (cheap) and try them only in areas where you feel completely comfortable (i.e. no traffic, flat roads, etc.) until you decide whether you like them and whether you would feel comfortable using them.  Since you wouldn't have much invested, you wouldn't lose much by giving them a try, but don't feel compelled to get them.

flip18436572 (tri) trodrig23(5k), and trigertas (5k) all have races today.  Be sure to stop by their training logs to wish them luck and congratulations!!  If anyone else is racing this weekend and I missed it, please let us know.

I love wearing a tri suit versus a top and shorts.  Sooo much more comfortable.  Without a tri store close, buying on line looks to be your only option.  To get an idea for what size you would need from a particular manufacturer, you can look at the website of each - they should have a sizing chart.  Based on the dimensions you give, I wouldl guess you would need an xl or xxl for most manufacturers, but you would want to choose a manufacturer that cuts their sizes more on the tall  and narrow side (I run the same size range, but I have to look for companies that cut wider and shorter).  Some companies to get you started are:  Zoot, DeSoto, Pearl Izumi, Jaggad, Orca, , Oomph, 2XU, Craft, Louis Garneau, and Tyr.  Once you have a few companies that seem to cut their sizes to fit you, or you determine what size you would need from a given manufacturer, then you can shop around (they also will have sizing charts at a lot of websites that sell tri clothing, which would save you the time of going to each manufacturer individually).

There are a lot of online retailers, so you will have some options.  Some of the more popular ones are Trisports, Sports Basement, and (who sells their own house brand, as well as others).  You can also find some options on eBay for new clothes.  I tend to shop in the clearance and sale sections until I find something that suits me, so I have spent around $50 each for my suits.  However, even though they were discounted, I have worn both Zoot and DeSoto and been very happy with them.  I haven't really heard anything generally negative about any of the manufacturers, so it's a matter of what works for the individual. 

Personally, I would avoid wearing white and black.  White, when wet, is practically see-through, and trisuits are revealing enough on me as it is.  I also would avoid black because I live in a hot, sunny climate and black would be very, very hot during a race.

Hope this information helps - good luck with your shopping!!

Congratulations on completing your first open water swim - that's a HUGE step!  It sounds like it was enjoyable for the most part, which is better than most people can say after their first time.  I don't have too much experience in choppy water, but I have heard that the best thing to do when breathing is to exaggerate your roll so that your head turns further than normal to get your breath and avoid getting too much water.  Maybe others can chime in here with some tips as well.  Way to go!!!