Jenny (jsnowash)'s Spring Guinea Pig Group - CLOSED (Page 3)

I was kind of looking forward to the wetsuited guinea pig picture (while simultaneously wondering where on the internet one goes to find such pictures).

Jenny - I still need to get you my form; I have to get a new ink cartridge for my printer (hopefully tomorrow), then we'll be good to go. In terms of the private v. public follow-up, it will depend on the questions; so I agree that it may need to be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Finally, just to provide an update on my weekly activities - I ran 35 minutes at lunch today. It was supposed to be a tempo run (my first ever, as my history has always been about building endurance and distance rather than speed) and it was a partial fail. I did get running faster than my usual pace (after a 10- minute warm-up), but I started out trying to run TOO fast, and burnt out too soon. When I checked my garmin at one point, it showed me running 3 minutes/mile faster than my usual pace... oops.  In the end, instead of being a tempo run, it would up being more like a fartlek/speed interval run. Any tips on how to work on a consistent pace that is faster than my standard slow run pace?

After work I hit the pool for the first time in many months, and swam 1150 m. It felt pretty good, although I wasn't breaking any speed records. Once I get back to swimming more regularly, I'll worry more about my pace..

Hi Jenny!  Sounds like a fun couple of days!  Question: Where's *our* chocolate?  

1. In general, what times are you available to train?

I am a morning person.  When I was just a runner I never ran any time other than the mornings, before work.  During the week I get done by 6:30 AM to get ready for work.  (I've even gotten up at 3:45 AM to be done by 6:30 AM)

Now Triathlon training is different, and swimming will almost always be after work.  And an occasional Bike ride in the evening might be good.  But generally I'll train early mornings, especially given the Heat and Humidity we have down here in the summer.

I am active in my Church - Congregation Prez, Choir, Praise Team, Soloist, etc. - so sometimes Sunday can be  a problem, though generally I can squeeze in a short 3 or 4 miler beforehand.  Lunchtime is out.  No shower at work.

2. Do you have any scheduling constraints for the 2nd & 3rd week of April (days or times you absolutely cannot train because of other commitments, etc). 

Nope.  Those weeks are open.

3. Are there any particular days/times you have workouts you already participate in that you would like worked into your schedule?

I typically try to run Long with the local Running Club on Saturday mornings.  I may join a Masters swim program at some point later in the Spring or summer, but nothing firm yet.

4. How do you feel about "two a day" workouts - either back-to-back or one earlier in the day & one later in the day?

Two-a-days are fine, especially early morning back-to-backs (Bricks and such).  Also, with my swims typically being after work, the morning is free for something else.  But I don't really like running after work.  When I get home I like to eat and relax from the work day.

5. How do you feel about rest days? Some people prefer to take a complete rest day each week, others prefer to do more "active recovery" than complete rest, and others just let life dictate when a rest day happens.

I'm flexible here.  Over the Fall and Winter I ran every single day for a good long stretch and only took a day off when it was obvious I needed one.  Slow and easy runs sprinkled in generously.  Now, with the Triathlon training (biking and swimming - using new muscles!), I find I get pretty tired toward the end of the week.  So a scheduled day off works well too.

Bill

1. In general, what times are you available to train - be as specific as possible. For example, you might tell me you can train any evening except Thursday, any morning before work, etc. Also let me know how much time you have available during those times. If you work and can train during lunch, let me know what kinds of workouts you are able to do at lunch-time. 

I can generally train 7 days a week in the AM.  I like my workouts to finish at 7:00am or earlier.  Come summer and end of school I can push the workout end time a bit later to 7:30 to 8:00.  I have had some success at getting up at 5am. If I really try I can do that - that gives me time to do 1 hr of running and 30 minutes of cycling or vice versa.  On weekends I try to finish workouts prior to 7:30 to 8:00.  Goal is always to be done before the rest of the gang is up and going.  I can workout at lunch - I try to block Wed. and Fri. lunch times (12 to 1) on my calendar.  I typically look to swim at those times.  I also live very close to a pool and a track.  The track is a 1 mile warmup run away and the pool is a 5 minute drive.

2. Do you have any scheduling constraints for the 2nd & 3rd week of April (days or times you absolutely cannot train because of other commitments, etc). 

 I have a half marathon on April 14th. It's not an A race but still trying to plan my week around a strong performance.  I think I have a chance to set a PR and will likely race it at a top effort.  Assume that will impact the start of the next week as well.

3. Are there any particular days/times you have workouts you already participate in that you would like worked into your schedule - for example, if you regularly participate in a group ride, run with a friend, exercise class at your gym, master's swim group, etc... let me know about those so I can work them into the schedule. 

As the weather gets nicer I try to ride outside on Sat mornings.  I would like to do a group ride on Tuesday evenings but that will be more of a sporadic things as it doesn't really fit in my lifestyle with work, family, etc.

4. How do you feel about "two a day" workouts - either back-to-back or one earlier in the day & one later in the day? Two a days might not even be a consideration for some of you, but it's good to know what all the options are. 

I try to do back to back workouts quite frequently.  I will do a hard run with a recovery spin on the trainer or a hard ride with a recovery run outdoors.  I like to try to run frequently, not sure there is any magic to cycling frequently with a fair amount in Zone 2 but I like to think a recovery ride after running helps move some of the lactic acid out of the muscles?

5. How do you feel about rest days? Some people prefer to take a complete rest day each week, others prefer to do more "active recovery" than complete rest, and others just let life dictate when a rest day happens. My long winded way of saying - would you like a rest day included in your schedule  

I've really struggled with rest days.  Right now I have Mondays as a rest day because I stink at getting up on Monday morning to workout.  I would like to swim on Monday mornings and view that as a day of rest for legs.  Recognizing that those Monday morning swims will sometimes not happen.

Hi Jenny! Sounds like you had a fun mini-getaway with the kids! mm.. chocolate...

I still need to get you my form - I have it filled out but haven't figured out a way to get it to you. Could you pm me your email address please? Might be easier than trying to PM it as an attachment.

1. In general, what times are you available to train - be as specific as possible. For example, you might tell me you can train any evening except Thursday, any morning before work, etc. Also let me know how much time you have available during those times. If you work and can train during lunch, let me know what kinds of workouts you are able to do at lunch-time.

Mornings: I have about 30-45 minutes to train

Evenings: Are usually wide-open but due to work I usually only have about 1-2 hours/evening

I prefer to save my long workouts for the weekend

2. Do you have any scheduling constraints for the 2nd & 3rd week of April (days or times you absolutely cannot train because of other commitments, etc).

No constraints! Caveat: I recently moved so I haven't found a local pool to get to as of yet so I'm not sure how much swimming I will be able to get in.

3. Are there any particular days/times you have workouts you already participate in that you would like worked into your schedule - for example, if you regularly participate in a group ride, run with a friend, exercise class at your gym, master's swim group, etc... let me know about those so I can work them into the schedule.

Nope

4. How do you feel about "two a day" workouts - either back-to-back or one earlier in the day & one later in the day? Two a days might not even be a consideration for some of you, but it's good to know what all the options are.

I feel that I'm still fairly early in my training for this season so I'm afraid of burning out. However, I definitely welcome them a couple times a week at this point (just maybe not everyday...)

5. How do you feel about rest days? Some people prefer to take a complete rest day each week, others prefer to do more "active recovery" than complete rest, and others just let life dictate when a rest day happens. My long winded way of saying - would you like a rest day included in your schedule More questions to come, but that's a good start!

I like to have one full rest day (usually Fridays since workouts just don't seem to happen... unless maybe if it's a morning one)

Thanks Jenny!

On another note - had an AWESOME 6k run this morning (the one I was supposed to do last night) legs felt good!

Have a one hour trainer ride this afternoon

Hey Group,

@Jenny

1) 5:15-6:30 AM  M-F  (Swim only. I can't run/bike that early;  I'm a wuss that way.) 

    5:00-7:00  PM  M, T, Th, every other Fri. 

    Sat-Sun is tough-single parent/kid weekends.  Most mornings I can do something shorter.

2)  No problems in April at this time.

3)  Tues PM - group ride, Wed. noon-group track workout, every other Sat.-group ride

4)  No scheduled rest days; I kinda play it by ear.  After 4-5 days I'm usually ready for a break.

5) I'm good with x2 a days or brick workouts, but most days I can only go for a couple hours. 

I prefer intensity over LSD, but I like to ride centuries and run 1/2 marys so I need to occasionally log some higher miles.    Thanks, Jen

Good Luck everybody!

Hey GP's (guinea pigs),

I am so enjoying reading your posts.  What a varied bunch of enthusiasists we are!

I rode my bike outside for the first long ride of the new 2012 season.  I meant to be out earlier when the ice/snow melted, but had some maintenance issues with the road bike after being on the trainer over the winter.  Basically, operator error, although my bike guy was kind and fixed it without disapproval.  Anyway, the ride was an awesome 20 miles - swallowed a few bugs, felt the burn in my lower back and shoulders from hunching again, wobbled dangerously with my clipped shoes at one intersection, but had one scene that is worthy of sharing...  I live in rural Montana and at one point I looked in the field next to me and saw a little group of yearling horses running with me like little kids following an ice cream truck.  It was very sweet and reminded me of why I didn't want to be home on the couch.

For Jenny:

1. In general, what times are you available to train.   I work out from 5 am to 7 am during the work week.  I teach spinning at 6 am Tu/Th/Fri for 60 minute classes.  Spinning classes end May 31 and start again Sept 1.   I do longer rides or runs on the weekend usually at 8 or 9 am or later afternoon depending on kids' social/sports calendar.  I swim on Thursdays between 4-6 pm and Sundays 1-3 pm.

2.  Do you have any scheduling constraints for the 2nd & 3rd week of April.   I have a bike race on April 22 (hilly 49 miles) that I am feeling a little uncertain about because I haven't logged the outside bike hours.  The pool I use is only available to me on Thurs. and Sun.

3.  Are there any particular days/times you have workouts you already participate in that you would like worked into your schedule.  Spinning class. 

4.  How do you feel about "two a day" workouts?  Right now I am doing 2X on Thursdays with stretching & strength/spinning in the early morning and swimming in the evening.  That taps me out right now, but I would like to work up to a back to back riding/running when the weather is nicer in the early am that I won't freeze or run into a parked car in the dark!

5.  How do you feel about rest days?  I use Monday as a rest day, but I try to get a power walk in the evening.  I will need a rest day because my family will freak if I do it 7 days a week and my body needs a break from being too sore.

Thanks folks for answering my early questions!

Janette

It's not a wetsuit hgoudreau, but it's the closest I could find.  

I will stop now, No more pictures, although they do amuse me.  I just don't want y'all to think that these are all from my private collection or something. Got to love the internet and what you can find on it.

No trainer needed.  We train outside year around here.  Biking early morning is not a problem.  There are street lights, almost no traffic to speak of, bike lanes in most cases, and I'm used to being out there predawn from many years of running workouts.

My Sprint Tri is this Saturday, the 7th.  And no, I am definitely not ready for it - bike-wise.  Whatever happens, it's all good!

Bill

this makes me want to go out and find a guinea pig.

1. Weekday mornings - 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., M, W, Thur, Fri.     Weekday evenings between 5 - 9 p.m. I can usually get a hour or so on M, T, W, Thur.        Friday evening I like to relax after work and in prep of long Sat. and Sun workouts.  Sat and Sunday I can usually get 2 or so hours in the morning or evening to workout.  I eat lunch during lunch! 

2. I will be leaving for deer camp around 5p on the 20th and will return home mid afternoon on the 22nd.  So I can workout the morning of the 20th, possible get in a 5k on the 21st at camp, and can bike or run the evening of the 22nd.

3. I don't have anything set but do like to swim on Mon. Wed. And Friday Morings 6a-7a.  I do have access to a gym bascially whenever I want and will usually do strength on Tuesday, which is my bad day.  I do have access to 1 hour spin classes on M W F at 5:30 a.m. and p.m. 

4. I am fine with two a days and used to do at least one day of swin to run brick work. 

5. I do not have to have a rest day, but Tuesday usually ends up being a rest day with light lifting and a few minutes on the treadmill.

I do have a trainer for my bike

Janette, How much flexibility do you have in the way you put together your spinning profiles?  If you were to do specific interval training in spinning classes that would also benefit your tri training, how would that go over with your students?  I do a lot of pretty specific interval type work in my spinning classes, and people seem to be pretty happy with it in general...  Of course I need to include more standing efforts than I would normally do if I were training on my own, because most of my students prefer changes in position from time to time.  But I've found that teaching those kinds of focused interval-based classes has translated pretty well to my "real" cycling when I hit the road in the spring.

My spinning classes are mostly intervals.  During a 60 minute class, I try to get no less than 35 minutes of 75% of Max HR.  Certainly, we do more standing than one might if on a road bike, but that bumps HR so quickly that it is essential for the class.  I could easily incorporate HR focused training into spinning profiles.  I would love to incorporate more intense flat work if I could figure out some way to keep everyone (myself included) on task and pushing.

J.

I have a tempo run (5 miles) and a 8 mile run at race pace + 20 seconds left to do this week.  I'll also try to get one more cycling session in as well as a swim or two.  Next week I am debating on whether to do a speed workout or not on Tuesday. It is a 6x1 mile with 400M rests...Also have a 3 mile easy run on Thursday with the race on Sat.  Any input you have on that as well as any cycling workouts during the week (placement/intensity) are more than welcome.  I have been following the "FIRST, Run Less - Run Faster" half marathon plan for my half marathon on June 3rd.  I tried to self construct a mini taper...just looked and saw that the run 5 days before the race on Jun 3rd is a 6x400M intervals at 5K pace - maybe that is more appropriate?

Good Friday, Guinea Pigs!

This morning I ran a short 4 mile run.  I ran it easy paced, with 4 striders thrown in for good measure, just to wake up the legs and let them know I need them tomorrow.  (My first Sprint Tri!)

Speaking of Good Friday (aren't they all?), I'll be singing a Solo during all the services today.  If I do this piece justice, I may see some Tears in some eyes (not that that's the plan or anything).

Bill

Bill, you'll have to let us know how your solo goes! what a talent! 

Hoping to get in a 6k run this afternoon but my legs are a feeling tired after my 2 workouts yesterday. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekends! 

1. In general, what times are you available to train - be as specific as possible. For example, you might tell me you can train any evening except Thursday, any morning before work, etc. Also let me know how much time you have available during those times. If you work and can train during lunch, let me know what kinds of workouts you are able to do at lunch-time.

Early mornings and I don't get along. I usually train in the evenings after work (so any time between 6-11pm).  Sometimes I run or swim at lunch - my work has a locker room with a shower and there is a pool about a 5-10 minute drive away from the office. If I'm swimming, my time in the pool needs to be less than about 35 minutes, though.

2. Do you have any scheduling constraints for the 2nd & 3rd week of April (days or times you absolutely cannot train because of other commitments, etc).

No.

3. Are there any particular days/times you have workouts you already participate in that you would like worked into your schedule - for example, if you regularly participate in a group ride, run with a friend, exercise class at your gym, master's swim group, etc... let me know about those so I can work them into the schedule.

I play co-ed soccer on Thursday nights. The game only lasts an hour, and I usually end up playing 40-60 minutes of the game (depending on how many female subs we have).  Please note that this is going to change again in a couple of months. For the next two weeks, our games are at 11pm (on the 12th - ick) and at 7pm (on the 19th).

4. How do you feel about "two a day" workouts - either back-to-back or one earlier in the day & one later in the day? Two a days might not even be a consideration for some of you, but it's good to know what all the options are.

I'm okay with this, but not every day.

5. How do you feel about rest days?

I do like to have a rest day, but it doesn't have to be every week. 

Awesome! (and weird - are there really people in the world who look at a guinea pig and think "dragon costume?)

Bill - Good luck (translation: training WILL pay off - no luck needed)  for tomorrow's sprint.  Is it a bunny hop?  And same goes for the solo.  No amount of training would help me pull off a singing bit!  Easter is the perfect season to shed a tear though.

Jenny - I ride a Trek Madone road bike.  When I first started biking I had a mountain bike and then a hybrid commuter bike.  I love the road bike, except for wind and downhill.  I sometimes want a little more substance under me and between me and the ditch!  Thanks for the advice about the white lines.  I hadn't thought of that.

I did my first back to back this morning.  I did a 60 min. spinning class then hopped on the gym treadmill for 3 miles.  It wasn't half bad!  I have read about the Tempo run so I tried 1/2 mile reg. pace, 1 mile 45 sec. faster, 1/2 mile reg. pace and finished 1/2 mile 30 sec. faster then jogged out recovery off the treadmill.  I was surprised that I recovered easily from the faster pace.  Makes me wonder if my "regular" pace needs to be reevaluated.

Is a Wave run the same thing as a Tempo run?  I couldn't find anything about Wave other than water info.

How do you all keep track of your planned training schedule?  I use the BT training log to post my actual workouts, but have found the planned portion to be a little clunky for me.  I broke out the good ole day planner the other day to write out next week. 

Janette