Kenj - triathletes in training CLOSED (Page 3)

I would like to join back again Kenj - I had so much fun the last group, and I really enjoy Ken's advice as he is an everyday Joe, and replies nearly ALL the time! :-)  Bio next.

EDIT: Wooot! My 1000th post! :-)

I would like to be part of this group!

NAME: Ryan

STORY: I'm 34years old heavy balding dude, and I see an endocrinologist for whacked out lab results.  Im trying to make the lifestyle change, but life, kids, soreness and a high stress job seems to want to take front seat.  I vowed this year to be consistent.  I look back and see that Im not consistent in training or if I am then Im slacking in dieting.       


FAMILY STATUS: Married, Christy and a 6 yr old boy and 2 yr old girl

THIS YEAR'S RACES: I don't have any planned; I would like to do a half this summer. Im moving in August to the east coast and I would like to finish the 20 week bt 70.3 training plan before I do one.  I did a sprint and a quarter last year and want to continue on.   

WEIGHTLOSS:  Ha! I hope.  Im working hard at it.  240 in Mar and and now 233. So "consistently" going the right direction

WHY I'M HERE: Consistency and Accountability 

Hey DJ!  Great to have you back!!  When is graduation? 

Hi Ryan! Great to have you as part of the group!

Where are you moving to?

NAME: DJ

STORY: I was never athletic growing up, but I've done 7 years of Ballet, Jazz, Pointe and Tap. Even doing dancing, I was always overweight and "not so good", but I can do some killer jazz kick-turns.  I've done skiing, snowboarding, and skiboarding, but that's pretty much it. 2008 I moved to Las Vegas. Aug 2009, I started riding for the first time, and doing 5 miles had me gasping so badly. Accidentily sat on Fire Ant's home and got stung a few times. Not a great day to do my first day of riding!  After riding a year (and getting my first ever road bike), I was encouraged to try triathlons, and registered for my first race, IronGirl in 2010. I even ran for the first time that year.  That season, I did 1 5k, 3 Sprints, 1 Olympic and first Half Marathon to finish the season. In 2011, I only did one Sprint, 1 5k, my first Century (which was the highlight of the season!), and a second Half Marathon (PR with serious lack of training, which shocked me!).  Took it slower that season due to feeling burned out and finishing my Senior year in college. Now, I'm BACK!   I'm doing triathlons to keep myself busy and a permanent couch potato. I do and cycling races for fitness as well. I'm not seeking to win any podiums, just to finish the race with a nice smile on my face. 

FAMILY STATUS: I live with my fiance, Roy. We've been together for 8 years, engaged for 4, and FINALLY getting married in September. We also have 5 cats and a dog, Stardust. We live in a 1964 home that is owned by Mel Carter's (singer of Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss me) mother. When his mother died, Mel Carter was trying to sell it, and we bought it from him. :-) Roy does NOT do any endurance sport at all, and I'm trying to get him to do a couple 5Ks, but that's pretty much it. He supports me all the way and never frowns at me if I'm out cycling (which is quite often), running and swimming.  Roy has his electronics and collecting old school Vegas stuff hobby and I have my cycling hobby, so it works out well. :-)

 
CURRENT TRAINING: Finally getting back into the groove. Training has been a little sporadic the last couple months due to craziness at school.  All the hard work in school - I earned a BS with honors in Game Art and Design (I'm a Texture/Environmental artist) with Best of Show for my Portfolio work.  Now I don't have any school, I have a lot more free time. 

LAST YEAR'S RACES: 2011 was my second year, and did 1 Sprint, 1 Half-Marathon, 2 5k's, and 1 Century.

2012 RACES:  IronGirl Triathlon, Showdown at Sundown, Lake Las Vegas Tri, Las Vegas Tri, Tri Club races, Kokopelli, Soma Triathlon for my first HIM., ET Midnight 10k or Half marathon.   And several cycling events. I did not register for all of them yet, still a tentative schedule, only Irongirl. But I definitely would like to do Soma Triathlon. :-)

WEIGHTLOSS:  2009 is when I started my weight loss journey. I don't follow a strict diet, but I'm more careful on eating junk food and pizza. ;-) Lost 25 pounds, and would like to lose about 10 more, and get some strength training done and killer abs before my wedding. I know 25 pounds doesn't seem much, but I was at my heaviest at 151 and I'm 5'! I used to be able to wolf down entire pizza pie. Now, I get sick after 2 slices.  So I must be doing something good. :-)

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTEE: Because I'm cool like that. :-) I like to give my opinions and get advice as well. I like reading stories about people's triathlon experiences.  Let's ROCK it!!

 I graduated two weeks ago, and won Best of Show for my Portfolio! :-) WHAHOOOO!! I'm done baby...now...it's just me, the couch, video games, and oh yeah, some SBR. :-D

Ahh, I knew you completed the work I didn't realize that your graduation was then too!  Congratulations on graduating and the Best of Show award! 

Where are you moving to on the east coast?  I'm doing a half in Augusta,Ga on Sept 30.  I was 240 lbs November of 2010.  I lost 50 lbs by my first triathlon in May 2011.  Put a few lbs back on but there are on their way out.  I'm going to drop another 20 by Ironman Florida this year.  So as far as the weightloss goes, hoping won't get you very far but hard work will.  I have two girls,9 and 6, and I needed to lose the weight and get healthy for them and I found a way to have fun on the way.  It's kind of a demented, self-torturing kind of fun but fun anyway.  You can do it and this group will be great support.  Just stick with it!  

DJ - you are too funny - congrats again on the graduation!

Congrats to all those who have lost weight on their journeys - amazing to read the success stories- very inspiring!

I look forward to hearing more -  bring on the questions/comments!

Lynda I think it is great that you are not only helping yourself towards a healthier lifestyle, but inspiring your son at the same time.  He sounds like a great kid to be able to have that discipline at that age.  It isn't easy to lose weight at his age. 

There are some great training plans on BT for first time participants.  If you go to the programs button at the top it will list them out along with some sample weeks and a description.

Ok, I think we will have about 5 more joining us.  A couple from our winter group and a couple more that PM'd me and will be posting sometime in the next couple of days.  I will do up a list with links that makes it easier to bounce between each others work out logs sometime after I get back home Sunday or early in the week.

A few pointers that help make being part of the group easier:

First, down at the bottom there is a button for toggle e-mail alerts.  If you click it and turn it on, you will get all of these posts via email so it may be easier to keep up. 

Second, if you add us as friends, you keep your blog private if you choose and we will still be able to see what you are up to!

Next, post all your workouts here, even if you have a coach and use a different program with the coach.  It helps us to comment on your training, especially if you ask a question or are seeking input.

Finally, use the inspire feature with each other as much as possible.  (I was a little slack with this last time with my travels).  Everyone likes a little note of encouragement! 

If you need any help in using these features, there are several of us that have been around here for a while and more than willing to help guide you through them. 

First,  Thanks Ken, for hosting this group!  All of the bios are inspirational in themselves.

Since there are a lot of Yankees here, I'm wondering when you start OWS training.  Last year I started swimming in my backyard pool once I opened it and hit around 67F.  I was a non-swimming rock and had no cold weather gear for swimming.  It took some getting used to, but no real problems with the temperature.  Thankfully, I've outgrown my pool in terms of distance, and when I can I fit it in I swim with a masters group.  Since I have a June 3 HIM, I'm getting antsy to work on OWS (which I either do in the Hudson river, or in a lake about 30 minutes from me).  Thanks to the warm winter, the Hudson is 10 degrees warmer than it was at this time last year (50 deg F now).  I know its still too soon but when would you jump in? I'm thinking ~55F might be safe now that I have a wetsuit and just ordered a neoprene cap, socks, and gloves (My wife is going to cut up my credit card soon).

Happy training!

Most recent instantaneous value: 10.3   04-04-2012  09:45 EST

bdenehy - 2012-04-04 11:15 AM

First,  Thanks Ken, for hosting this group!  All of the bios are inspirational in themselves.

Since there are a lot of Yankees here, I'm wondering when you start OWS training.  Last year I started swimming in my backyard pool once I opened it and hit around 67F.  I was a non-swimming rock and had no cold weather gear for swimming.  It took some getting used to, but no real problems with the temperature.  Thankfully, I've outgrown my pool in terms of distance, and when I can I fit it in I swim with a masters group.  Since I have a June 3 HIM, I'm getting antsy to work on OWS (which I either do in the Hudson river, or in a lake about 30 minutes from me).  Thanks to the warm winter, the Hudson is 10 degrees warmer than it was at this time last year (50 deg F now).  I know its still too soon but when would you jump in? I'm thinking ~55F might be safe now that I have a wetsuit and just ordered a neoprene cap, socks, and gloves (My wife is going to cut up my credit card soon).

Happy training!

Most recent instantaneous value: 10.3   04-04-2012  09:45 EST

 

Good question! I have the benefit of 2 pools, high school where I can swim the masters and Y where I take lessons with the tri group and swim early in the morning.  In the summer we have Canandaigua lake, which is one of the finger lakes.  We swim a buoy line which is about a mile out and back.  Plus at any point along the buoys it is never more than neck level.  The buoy line is put in just prior to Memorial Day weekend, which works out since the first race is the first weekend in June.

Temperature wise, I force myself in at least once prior to the race just to get a wet suit swim in, but it is usually in the low 60's by then.  This year, unless things change, I am guessing it will be in the upper 60's!

Now swimming in the Hudson, doesn't that offer a whole host of other issues besides temperatures?

Bill - Since I live here in Vegas, OWS is pretty much available all year. Due to the very mild winter we had (it lasted like a month), the water is a little warmer than last year.   

I think water temps is also relying on how much you can handle the cold water. You'll never know until you jump in. 

When May starts, the Tri Club has OWS every Wednesday night (right before dusk, so it'll still be light out. :-)

I would avoid Hudson River often because of the current, it can throw off your times, unless if you swim against the current! 

Hello everyone, I am really excited about being apart of this group.  It sounds like we have some very experienced members... I am looking forward to picking your brains for how to go faster and longer.  Also, I am excited for the newer members too- I can't wait to hear about your first races and to watch you all get hooked on this sport!

So, my first question: living in Oregon and training almost exclusively in the early AM means that I am spending a lot of time on the trainer.  I don't have a power meter (or even a cycle computer on my bike), so I am doing all my trainer sessions using time as my intervals. 

For example, this morning I did 8 sets of: [6 mins moderate spin, 2 mins hard effort in the big ring].  I mix up my time intervals from session to session.  You can go back into my logs to see some other examples. 

Is this good use of my time?  Other ideas of trainer sessions?  I do have a heart rate monitor I could use, but I'm confused on HR zones and how to use them while riding the trainer.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=633 - Article will explain on your LT HR.  You'll have to do the test in order to determine your HR Zones. 

Are you following any plans at all or just "winging" it? Usually if there's a plan, it'll tell you the workouts you do in the trainer and what zones your HR should be in.  

You can use spinnervals, TrainerRoad (this will help you figure out the power even though you don't have a PM), to give you some workouts to do in the trainer. 

Other than that, I'm not very "trainer savvy", so I'm sure other people will chime in on what "to do" in the trainer. 

I spend 1 hour or less in the trainer. Anything more, I hit the road. My butt hates the trainer. :-)

Nole,

I went though the same thought process in the fall, on how to make trainer sessions as productive as possible, since I hate being on the trainer and try to never spend more than an hour on it.  The way I went does require a basic bike computer, but not power meters.  Coach Jorge Martinez provided detailed trainer plans that work off of either power or HR.  I cant do intervals based on HR, because it is a lagging indicator and made me nuts, and no power meter.  Another BTer kindly sent me a spreadsheet that converts speed on a trainer to a power measurement that I call "poor man's power" and populates weeks worth of trainer workouts based on FTP tests (you have to do a 20 minute all out test and a 5 min test, which is brutal).  The idea is that in a controlled environment (no wind or hills) power relates directly to speed.  While the power measurements are based specifically on a Kinetic fluid trainer, I think this process would work with any trainer.  Who cares what your power measurement is if you are only concerned with relative power (hard intervals vs easy) and increasing this measurement over time?  I'm working off of Coach Jorge's year old plan, since thats what the spreadsheet worked with. I'd be happy to email it to you if you want [email protected].  A basic Cateye wireless computer would set you back about $40 on Amazon.  That would give you a speed measurement inside and outside riding.  The plan is basically what you are doing, lots of hard intervals over a 45-60 minute period, but maybe less spinning time.  I'm not good with RPE on a trainer because all I want to do is get off, so I like having fixed, objective targets for each workout.

For harder workouts I like to use the sufferfest videos (thesufferfest.com) and they are not very expensive - it keeps the boredom at bay and I seem to work harder than when watching t.v.  It may be helpful (at some point) to get some sort of bike computer w/ a cadence sensor on the back wheel (will also give you an estimate of distance). I have used the cateye cordless double strada until it broke a few weeks ago.  Now I am waiting for a garmin sensor that will work with my HRM watch. With that said nothing wrong with going with RPE!

ETA: Jorge's plan was mentioned above - you can find it here:  http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/training/trainingplans-list.asp?h=1 - not sure if it is one of the free plans, but I have heard good things from all that have followed it.

speaking of trainers.... I have been waiting a very long time (over a year) for our piece of crap trainer to finally break (it is like 10 years old performance brand trainer and I have to have the TV volume at max).  The bolt that changes the roller height is now stripped and it is a major PITA to change the height and since my hubby and I have diferent size wheels, well.....

So I am pushing a new trainer and soon! Based on all the reviews I have read I think it is between the kurt kinetic fluid trainer and the Cycleops 2 fluid trainer. What would you all get - do you have a preference?  Price is pretty much identical. Thanks!   

bdenehy - 2012-04-04 11:15 AM

First,  Thanks Ken, for hosting this group!  All of the bios are inspirational in themselves.

Since there are a lot of Yankees here, I'm wondering when you start OWS training.  Last year I started swimming in my backyard pool once I opened it and hit around 67F.  I was a non-swimming rock and had no cold weather gear for swimming.  It took some getting used to, but no real problems with the temperature.  Thankfully, I've outgrown my pool in terms of distance, and when I can I fit it in I swim with a masters group.  Since I have a June 3 HIM, I'm getting antsy to work on OWS (which I either do in the Hudson river, or in a lake about 30 minutes from me).  Thanks to the warm winter, the Hudson is 10 degrees warmer than it was at this time last year (50 deg F now).  I know its still too soon but when would you jump in? I'm thinking ~55F might be safe now that I have a wetsuit and just ordered a neoprene cap, socks, and gloves (My wife is going to cut up my credit card soon).

Happy training!

Most recent instantaneous value: 10.3   04-04-2012  09:45 EST

 

I start near the end of May average temp is 55. I have a full suit, hood, gloves, booties basically the works....It's not really that bad but I've done a lot of scuba diving and I'm pretty comfortable in the water and used to cold water.

I don't really have any pool access during the winter. There is a tri club that does swim training in the winter once a week. The pool's about an hours drive for me. I just couldn't swing it this past winter.

Thanks DJ and Ken.  So I guess its not a safety issue below 60.  I'll just have to see if its for me.  I swim accross the river and back so the current hurts a little since i like to end where i started (swim upstream a bit on the return), but time isnt my concern right now so much as going farther without stopping.  Its closer to me than the closest lake, but I'll probably move to the lake once the speed boat crowd starts filling up the river.  BTW, I'm way jealous of anyone living in or around Vegas...