Baowolf's New Years Resolution Group-Closed (if are stuck with no group PM me) (Page 3)

The trainers most of us use do indeed attach to our regular bikes. You typically just change out the skewer in the rear wheel, and then mount it to the trainer with the rear wheel touching a wheel/roller that provides the resistance. Some use magnets, and some use fluid to generate the resistance. Personally, I went cheap and have a magnetic one that cost less than $100. But I hate indoor anything and live in a fairly moderate climate so don't spend a lot of time on it. If I were planning to use it more, I'd probably go with a nicer fluid trainer. Oh, and one other thing...you may want to use a different rear tire for your trainer...the trainers tend to chew through your tires faster than the road.

Wetsuit...the ad banner at the top of the BT website will have Xterra wetsuits for 50% off sometimes.

Tri shorts or suit...I prefer tri shorts and a tri top....easier on and off for port-a-potty stops. My tri shorts also double as training shorts for my bike. Also good encouragement for weight loss...ran screaming from the dressing room the first time I tried some on!

Bike...tri vs. road...very individual decision. Road bike = more comfortable for most, welcome at all group rides, better for climbing, some say a bit easier to handle. Tri bike = more aero position, better/faster on the straight-a-ways, may take more time to get comfortable. I'm not going to be front of pack, have decided to stick with sprints and OLY's, and enjoy just riding with friends and occasionally in groups and bike rallys, so I have a road bike. #1 piece of advice given out by most people seems to be to get your bike professionally fitted to you, and make sure that you are buying one that is the right size/dimensions to do that well.

Bike...used vs. new...used - be careful that the frame has zero defects in it. I started off with a very nice Craigslist bike, and then had to trash it after a year because of a tiny crack in the down tube that makes it unsafe to ride. Had I bought it new, the mfg would have replaced it. It is now my trainer bike and has not seen the road since that was discovered. I also had to pay for fitting, and pay for every other little thing at the bike shop. Expensive lesson. Once I stopped crying over that, I bought a nice new Trek Madone from the local bike shop and could not be happier. Great service, free fitting, and free adjustments for life, etc. Just my experience, so YMMV. Also, I was advised to go for at least Shimano 105 components or better, and have not regretted that at all. Nice smooth shifting without much maintenance.

Borrowing a bike for your first sprint tri may also be a good option. I rode a mountain/hybrid type bike for my first one because that's what I had in the garage . Slow but thrifty!

Bike shoes....once you get a road or tri bike...yes. I was not sure about that at first, but once I got them, I would never go back. You may fall a few times while learning, but usually they are of the slow speed variety....as in stop, forget to unclip, and tip over.

Hope some of that helps, and I'm sure others will have input as well.

Randy,

You will definatly need a suitable bike, as far as road bike vs. tri bike I feel there is a differance in the two my tri bike is a lot faster than my roadie probably because it fits me better. The biggest factor is fit, find a bike that fits you it will cost a little money but pay for a fit (not just a yeah that feels good after a couple minutes on the bike, or a salesman looking at you on saying yeah that looks good. 3.5-4 hours is a long time to be on a bike during a HIM) and make sure to get a bike that fits you. You can always put clip on aero bars on a road bike to get a little more aero. Tri shorts are a must in my opinion they help add comfort, also pedals and shoes really help with efficancy while pedaling but don't need to be a right off the bat purchase. And yes a trainer is a stand that allows you to basicallt turn your bike into a stationary bike.

Good to see the group is finally live! I'm currently in Disney with my family so this is a quick hello to everyone. I will post bio when I get home. For our new mentee who has achilles issues....don't mess with that.....tore mine in Feb 13......sucks .

Hey everyone, I hope everyone's training is off to a good start this year. I've had a pretty good week so far, next week will be a challenge as I am heading off on a work trip...

Thanks for the pointers on nutrition. Definitely a concern of mine since I have never done anything longer than an Oly where it didn't come into play too much. A big concern of mine in HI HIM is going to be the heat when I'm on the run. Any pointers on how to monitor water and/or sports drink intake? I've read that monitoring my weight pre and post run during training will help determine how much I should take in. Is there any merit to this theory?

Cheers!
Wayne

Edited by Wayno92129 2014-01-09 9:00 PM

The main way to stay coolish on the run is to dump cold water over your head, in your hat, down the front of your tri suit, etc. Wet is a good condition for cooling. You can not drink enough fluids to cool you off, that leads to really bad tummy issues and side stitches. Temps below 75 for me = 3 oz of water once very 3 miles on the run, mid 80s, 2-3 ounces every other mile, mid 90s, 2-3 ounces every mile, 100-105 6 oz of water every mile. You wear a hat to help keep water on your head. Be really careful and probably don't put ice in your hat, can lead to a wicked headache, maybe if it is 110F+. Ice down the shorts should work well enough. If you need to hit the portapotty, icewater comes after the pitstop, at least for guys... I will let the girls figure that out for themselves.

It takes 2-3 weeks to acclimate to 100F ish temps, so working out at noon in the summer can help with that. Don't do all your workouts in the heat, you can hit a couple a week.

Tri top and separate tri bottoms is highly recommended, wet spandex doesn't go on or off very easily.

Hi Steve,

I would like to join this group, if you will have me.

I am 55 years old.
Till May 2013, I was not much into fitness, but signed up to train with Dallas Galloway.
On Nov 3, I ran a half marathon in 3 hours and 12 mins.

I have signed up for a full marathon on Feb 23rd and am training for it.

Today, I bought a sports bike and a trainer so that I can train at home when it is cold outside.

I do not know swimming and am taking private lessons for the last 6 weeks. I have yet to learn how to breathe while swimming freestyle.

My goal is to do a tri in 2014 (either a sprint or an open). It will be great if I could accomplish this by July.

I intend to train at least 5 days every week.

I just discovered BT and would like to join your group.

I have not logged anything onto BT but will start logging my workouts here.

- Kumar

Bike - the word faster is being tossed around with more expensive/carbon bikes in mind. My first bike was a mountain bike for training and I was working at a 15 MPH range. I upgraded to a road bike and did not see the benefit I expected. No regret on the investment and there may still be bike fit issue. My point is to not let price guide your decission. Any bike will do to get started unless you really want to spent the money.

Not sure home many people use the dreadmill but I had a question regarding incline. Do most people keep it level and just vary the pace, or some combination? The incline definitely add challenge which is good but I am not sure how to adjust pace with the change in incline. Thoughts?

Steve -
Thanks for the pointers on staying cool. That should help. I'll start looking into a hat, the most I have now is a visor.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Thank you for welcoming me!

Mike D, the 30.0 didn't have the Westernport or the Killer Miller. There were 4 or 5 named climbs, but none very difficult, only about 800 ft of elevation gain over the 22 miles. I trained in the Shenandoah Mountains so I was ready for em though!

Samantha, I may not be successful with the chocolate thing. If I were to give up chocolate, I'd just replace it with cookies or ice cream or hard candies! But another one of my goals is to lower my body fat % (I was at 16% at the end of last tri season) and cutting on those is probably a good way to start. It's... just... a stick of celery isn't going to replace a nice, cold Klondike bar.

Randy, I would purchase these in the following order: bike (can't tri without one), tri shorts/suit (your loins will thank you), shoes (efficiency), wetsuit. Optimally, if on a budget, I'd get the first 3 (opt for the cheaper shorts vs the suit), and just rent a wetsuit as needed. I've gone several seasons without the need of owning a wetsuit.

Concerning tri vs road bike, I always say go with a road bike if you're unsure. Here's why: tri bikes are fine-tuned machines specifically meant for aerodynamics and wind cheating. You will gain speed (if fit correctly) but at the expense of control (your body weight is shifted closer to the front of the bike). If you want to use the bike outside of tri training and races, many organized group rides and century rides, etc. will not allow the use of tri bikes so keep that in mind. A middle ground is something Mike/mrajki mentioned and I did last year, which is to get some clip ons. I went a step further and got a forward seatpost, and dropped my stack and lengthened my reach to obtain a position similar to the aero position of a tri bike (see my fit here). I'm currently in-between owning a tri bike, but I'm looking forward to testing the new Felt AR series (with that reversible seatpost) in hopes that I could just own a dual-use bike.

Tri-solar, incline is a good workout IMO because it varies the muscles you use in your legs (quads, compared to more hamstring workout on declines) and I've heard there is less impact on your knees (downhills are worse on the knees). Also, it's good training because not too many races are on 0% grade the whole way. As far as adjusting pace with varied incline, the best way to do that is with a heartrate monitor so that you can measure effort versus using your perception.

And don't hold off on buying a bike! You'll essentially be holding off on your goals. And hopes. And dreams. Count on the mentors to motivate you to stay 'in this.' That's what the group is for. My motivation is to always be signed up for the next race (as big or small as it may be) so I'm always striving toward that goal.

Also Randy (and others) if you'd like to hear a swimming success story, I convinced my fiancee to do her first tri, she couldn't swim 25 meters without stopping. It only took 2 months of training twice a week with my masters team to get from that point to completing a sprint tri.

Baowolf, how many workouts do you recommend on a recovery week? And I'm assuming all Zone 1/recovery (50-60% max heartrate)? Thanks btw for those nutrition tipe. My last tri I overdosed on gels trying to rid myself of some leg cramps during the run!

Also, would you recommend those 'Naked Juice' drinks as a good source of fruits/veggies? It has tons of sugar in it, but I'm hoping it's the good sugar. I have a hard time incorporating fruits in my diet because I'm not a fan of grocery shopping and fresh produce spoils quickly.

And do you recommend an aero helmet for HIM races? I've been using a road helmet. During Savageman I duct-taped the vents (see link for picture) to keep the cold out and I think it may have helped in the aero department. I'm looking at the Giro Air Attack (not long and alien-pointy-looking, with some ventilation). And FYI, I'm t total tri gear fanatic. I love buying stuff acquiring gadgets and gizmos and clothing and accessories. My race reports even list the crap I use during races!

Joe -- I set the incline at 1% on the 'mill. Supposedly is more 'road like'. I'd think it needs to slightly slant to one side to do that

Jay -- welcome back and happy to have you here. have you signed up for any races this year? Maybe we can catch up at one.

Keeping cool -- ice down the shorts may sound kind of frigid, but it helps. Tried this at my first HIM last and it works well. As for dumping water on your head, I like to lean forward a bit when I do it so the water doesn't run down into my socks. Wet socks are bad news.

I have a CylceOps Fluid trainer. Its been going strong for 3 years - likely due to under use ;^). I recommend it. Its not loud, built like a tank, and has never given me a problem

As for training, my real HIM training kicks off on Monday. I've been muddling through some ramp up, and will ease into this, particularly with running.

Your recovery weeks typically has the same number of workouts as your build weeks, you can also do the same intensities, you usually multipley .6 time your long bike and long run. Pretty much any plan you use will have recovery weeks in it.

The hat should probalby have a brim on it for sun or rain issues or to put a light on and hold some water for cooling reasons.

Most folks move from a montain bike at 14-15 mph to a road bike at 17 mph on the first day. I experienced those gains, so there was a 2-3 mph gain from the equipment alone, mostly rolling resistance. Most folks like to have 105 or better gear sets and if you buy a bike with a lot of miles on it and then have to spend $150 on replacing the cables, gears and chain, it can add up. Also look at what gear ratio you want so you wont have to instantly burn another 75 to 150 on bigger gears if you are going to be riding/racing on big hills. Aluminum is fine for a starter bike, you don't want to learn to drive on a Porcha. Most starter bikes go for around $750 to 1500 new, 450 to 1000 used.

It probably took me a good 2-3 weeks to get to functional breathing in freestyle. Some of it is just swimming and struggling through it and some of it is doing drills to practice on body position and body rotation. The biggest problem is head up high, but down low, mouth full of water. Once you get get parallel in the water breathing and rotation will come easier. But getting there probably won't be so easy unless your coach is just that good.

The sleeveles Xtera wetsuit at the top banner with BT discount is like $100 and wetsuit rental is like $50. I personally really like the Xtera sleeveless and used it at Tahoe this year in 58F water it was great. I have done full suit, but that really tires my arms out after a mile......

So ya purchase order, good shoes, tri suit, bike (can do first tri on a kmart mountain bike) but if you are doing a HIM or longer you are going to want a road or tri bike. The wetsuit again becomes important as you get into longer races like HIM/IM and if you go early or late in the season. There are some Triathlon packages that include all of it at a decent price, but often the put cheap components on the bike and an aluminum frame. So ya have to look at the small print in the quality of what you are getting.

Edited by Baowolf 2014-01-10 3:37 PM

Oh, I can tell this is gonna be a great group! So excited to get to know everyone.

Randy, loved your early morning long post! So excited for you on getting started. You got great advice from everyone. I like the advice above (Phil? I'm still trying to learn everyone's name so I may have it wrong) about looking for a road bike vs a tri bike at first. Hubby did that (I haven’t graduated to a tri bike) and whew, the tri bike was a big adjustment for him and he pretty much only uses it for races or on the trainer because it’s not great for regular rides with groups or even on training rides on busy streets.

Steve, laughed about the advice that you gave the guys about dousing themselves with the water AFTER the portapotties. Same for us girls. And girls, we have an extra place where we can put ice. Actually it’s a common joke around town regarding me using the sports bra for everything – ice, chap stick, the cord of the earphones, spare money, gels, arm warmers, swim cap, gloves (But make sure that the fingers aren’t hanging out. Really looks bad on those photos), and last weekend, it was even mini moonpies. I was never like that before running and tris.

Just went out for the first time since the HM this weekend. It was bad. I can see that I need to add some easy doubles tomorrow just to shake out some cobwebs. Then hopefully Sunday I’ll be ready for the 8 mile last weekend taper run. Samantha, yes, the Louisana marathon is my race that is next weekend. Mel and I are working out travel plans (She lives 2 hours from me) and I'm getting so excited. I'm looking for a fun girl's weekend, making sure I keep a smile on my face for the race, and hopefully a nice enough PR.

Pam you have some awesome speed.... but I thought I remembered something about a nasty trail marathon taking a bit longer to recover than you had hoped and something about a surgery and nasty meds that trashed your running and such..... If I were you it would b really hard to pace a marathon with all that going on. Try to not go out so fast that you end up doing the walk of death. Maybe shoot for 4:15:00-4:30:00 or something, not sure what pace you are shooting for.

Hey all, please add your name to the bottom of your post so we can start knowing who is who - thanks!

Day 4 no chocolate! It's a good thing the holidays are over and there isn't much sugary food around - especially chocolate! Just finished a skype convo with a good friend and we are going to plan a trip to some place warm and tropical for 2015. I've never been on a vacation like this so I'm stoked. Aaaaand the convo lasted a very long time, which makes today an official rest day...ha.

Randy - tri shorts are a must to go with the bike, which is also important. I would also recommend a road bike if you want an all around bike and/or you plan to do group rides often. I only have a tri bike and it works for me because i'm sticking with tri's and I do most of my riding by myself or with other tri'bikers.

Kumar - swimming will get better the more time you spend in the water. Hiring a coach was a great decision for me, so I hope you have a similar experience. With the marathon experience, private swim lessons and now having a bike I think a sprint is well within your reach this year!

Joe - I don't use the incline much on the tready, but when I have I always use my breathing to determine pace. I don't have a HR monitor so that's my go to, which usually means I drop speed down a few points when I increase the incline.

Phifatch - I have to watch my chocolate replacement consumption too! I really do like sugary foods, but I chocolate gets me every time. This has been a good challenge for me. Funny you mention celery...I've been using it as a snack every night to give myself something to eat to fight against my chocolate cravings.

Pam - How fun to be getting together with a friend for the race, and I'm excited that you are excited. A friend and I are finalizing plans to do a HIM together in August, then head to the wilderness for some backpacking/relaxing mini-vaca.

Happy weekend!

Thanks Steve, Phil, Samantha and others I wasn't sure of names for the advice. I like the road bike idea for having the flexibility of doing different types of rides with it. I think with the way I swim, I will need to rock and roll on the bike portion.

Started with some inexpensive paraphernalia - swimming accessories:

I sometimes get swimmers ear or often clogged feeling ears, hard to hear, after swimming.

Tried a cap with ear pockets, googles, kickboard.

Googles worked very well, kickboard fine, cap was very comfortable but I did have some water in ears still and feeling clogged, bugging me now.

This was my first swim work out ever - 5 laps freestyle w/ a little rest between. Struggled to figure out breathing.

Also, 2 laps kicking w kickboard - I can barely make it across pool this way. Pretty weak, but I still enjoyed it. I have a hard time getting a cardio work out on exercise bike, but definitely got the heart and lungs going here.

Anyway, wondering if I should use moldable ear plugs too. CAn't deal with the ears being this bad all the time.

Feel good about 1st swim work out in the books. Earlier in week went to gym w son, which was another first and fun.

I did 30 mins hill program on exercise bike, 2 mile run pretty quick (for me, under 8 min mile pace I believe), then abs work out.

At this point, trying to shake off holiday cobwebs and prepare myself for upcoming training program. Hopefully develop swimming skill, endurance, etc. May need a lesson or two.

Time for some sleep. Hoping for good work outs, healing for all who need it. Thanks to all for your encouragement!

Randy

I suggest fruit as a replacement food for chocolate. I have had like 4 bananas, 2 oranges and 2 apples this week. The previous month of not such good choices was um not so much fruit. Carrots, some raw been pods, and salads with lots of stuff like leftovers are good. Throw down a base of lettuce and then put leftover chicken a little cheese some tomatoes, add 1 egg a touch some shaved carrots and you have a feast. Also soup is good, low on calories, throw in lastnight's vegies and a little extra meat and or ride to top it off into a meal.

For anyone buying a bike, you can testride bikes at bike shops and they should come with a bikefit. On your initial purchase you usualy get a discount on extras like bike levers, tool kit, tool bag, clipless pedals, shoes spare tubes, pump, co2s and micro pump etc. It is a lot, but then you are good for a long time. My gear for the year consists of 4 pair of running shoes 1 pair of socks 2 tires and some bike chain cleaning fluid and oil, that's pretty much it. Well 1 bag of Infinit. I put 25,000 miles on my last bike before I um well it is now a permanent indoor bike. Don't get too comfortable and zone out in aero position and don't ride so close to sunset that you are looking directly into the sun where someone parks a piece of farm equipment taking up an entire lane. (parked cars for you city folks).

I am chocolate free as well, have lost a couple pounds so far. You can get about 5 pounds back if you put on 5-10 pounds with the combo Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays if you have a clean diet for a week or 2. But then you have to work again to get the next pounds off.

Unfortunately I will be going out of town most of next week, back to sea level just about when I should be reacclimated to my altitude, then start over again for another 10 days sigh.

The last couple swims I have been trying to keep my hand and forarm all flat, or in the same line with my pull. It is kind of hard to describe, but if I were a coach I would probably splint people's wrists to make them get the feel for it. I think I am doing it right, who knows swim is my weakest sport. One of these summers I need to take my tent and go find a coach for a month or 2.

For those who are new I live 100 miles from a stoplight, McDonalds, Home Depot, bike shop, year round pool, YMCA, etc. We don't actually have any stoplights in my county. When I go on rides my first waterstop when I go northwest is 56 miles unless I turn west, in which case it is 75 miles. Same for south. NE water is only 35 miles away, but that is over a 2000 foot hill that you hit again on the way back.

Steve, you are right about the surgery (minor as it was, it still affected lots) and the nasty meds. And my training has really sucked. I worked hard Oct and Nov and then Dec was an undoing. A smart person would probably drop down to the HM but ...... So yes, my pacing, which is always hard for me, will be even worse. My tentative plan is 10mm. I feel like I'll be slowing around mile 15 or so because I just don't think my longs were long enough, consistent enough, good enough, enough. Would love to be wrong tho and fly thru the race. I'm going to really try to take that mental toughness that you had me develop and apply it in the final miles. I would be over the moon if I got a 4:30:00. So far, all of my marys have clustered around the 4:50:00 mark.

Steve, so sorry about the trip and then again the acclimitization (sp?). Hope it's a fun trip tho.

Anyone interested in a wierd challenge? A friend introduced me to Idita-Walk several years ago. It's something a little different. In the spirit of the 1049 mile Iditarod Sled Race, the Idita-Walk is 1049 minutes walk/run from Feb 1 to Mar 31. I signed up for it and entered my org as BT. Site is: http://idita-walk.com/idw/Index.asp. And if you don't want to signup, we could just report here - say on Sundays.

Edited by Pink Socks 2014-01-11 7:08 AM

Hey guys!!! I'm in! Will post blo later hand is burned cant type a lot


Jared

I REALLY don't like water in my ears. So much so that if I have forgotten my ear plugs, it becomes a kick only workout. I use the moldable ear plugs. It may take a bit of experimentation to find the size that works for you (they have larger disks - about the diameter of a dime, and smaller disks (maybe a centimeter across). Roll the disk between your fingers to warm it up a bit, then put it in your ear - it should mold to the distinct contours of your ear pretty quickly. The biggest problem I have with the ear plugs is I can't hear a flippin' thing once I put them on...

I seem to have caught the creeping crud from my eldest, congested chest, drippy nose, coughing.... I'll take it easy this weekend and back into the pool on Monday.

I agree with the incline on the treadmill - I tend to default to 1.5% and have noticed that now if I'm on no incline it almost feels like I'm running downhill. Another thing I have done is check the elevation map of the races I'm participating in and mimicing them (5% incline for .5 mile, followed by flat for 1 mile, plus 10% incline for 1 mile, etc) for the distance I need to get in.

I would concur that separate tri top and shorts is the way to go, and ice down the shirt for the ladies as a really good way to stay cooler. Or train/race up in the frozen north ;-)

I am training by time (instead of distance) for the first time this year - just because my schedule is so wacky, I need some ability to plan. What do you prefer? Time or distance?

My Race Log

Agreed, love the way this group is coming together. For those who are new, welcome a great group!

Re: water in the ears, I use "Swim Ear" drops after each swim. I think it's just a mix of alcohol and water which you could probably mix up yourself, but it's pretty cheap anyway. It helps dry/clear your ears out, and also helps to prevent ear infections (which I got from swimming a couple times before I tried this). http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/swim-ear-ear-water-drying-aid-drop...

Jennifer, hope you feel better! Good question re: time vs. distance. I've always done distance, but I think time might be a refreshing change. Also on out and back type routes it would encourage even pacing.

Carl, wasn't one of the Mary's you were considering Disney? Isn't that this weekend? If so, hope you have a good race!

Samantha, tropical sounds really nice. Any ideas on where yet?

No chocolate is going well. Have subbed in a small handful of Toasted Coconut Cashews a couple times, but otherwise just passing. If you are at Costco, do NOT let those jump in your basket! Seem to have tweaked my wrist swimming yesterday. Hubby asked me if I ran into the wall. Ha, I thought he meant just walking around, but he meant in the pool. And no to both! About to try some leaf raking, so hopefully it will straighten out. Walked 2 slow miles this morning, and have been stretching and rolling the foot more, but still not as much as I probably should. My FIL went to the ER yesterday with abdominal pain and low blood oxygen level, but came out OK after being assessed. Enjoy being able to be active folks...it doesn't last forever!

Hi All. Steve, I'd love to be back in if you'll have me. I'll post my bio in a bit but I look forward to learning a lot this yer and having a strong Iron man in June!

Randy - I use ear plugs when I swim. I have used the molded kind and the bullet shaped rubber ones that go into the ear canal. I prefer the in-ear over the molded. Find what you like, but I do recommend them. And great job getting into the pool and swimming 5 laps! I suck at kicking too. I was told by a swim coach to focus more on form and stroke before I start worrying about my kicking, but it's a nice way to break things up.

Steve - nice job on losing some pounds. I'm really curious to see how quickly I lose some weight/inches by cutting out chocolate since I've never done that before. Sorry about the trip coming at such an inconvenient time.

Pam - I like the idita-walk idea. It equals about 18min. of walking per day over 59 days. I'll do that challenge with you. I will check out the website to see if I want to sign up or just report back here. Great idea! I hope you have a fun marathon even if it has to be a slow one!

Jared - welcome back!

Jennifer - get better sooooooon! I train by distance when I'm training for a specific event. I would like to train by time but it doesn't motivate me enough to push myself. I'm so totally a type B

Carol - our first pick is bora bora, but we are also looking for an all-inclusive super awesome spend as little as possible deal. You travel often, so if you have tips or know a great place to go please share! Great job on no choc. Oh your pour body...praying for you. Great reminder too!

Mitch - glad to have you join back up. I've been thinking about you and Jim. How is training going? Sure can't wait til June. Hit me up if you have questions about the race, etc.

Crazy high winds in the forecast for CDA 40-70mph. Hoping no trees destroy homes or other such tragedies. Gonna get my bike on today and run tomorrow - I might even go for 4 miles. Route 66 challenge starts Monday. It'll be a real challenge to cover the whole 2100miles by march 7th, but I'm gonna wear a pedometer because every step I take counts toward the over-all distance.

Randy - congrats on getting in the pool!! Those Olympians make it look so easy! Always remember that unlike biking & running where speed is built on lots of time in the saddle or on the track, swimming is all about technique.

Mitch -- good to see you back!

did a nice 1 hour on the trainer today. I was temped to go outside on the bike as its mid 50's here today, but the roads are just atrocious with sand/salt, puddles, etc. Not a good mix.

Tomorrow is a run & some swim time, then get mentally ready for the start of HIM training on Monday. 147 days until the years first race!

Carol, so sorry about you FIL. Hope he recovers quickly.

Mitch and Jared, welcome back to our new dads. Jared, what happened with the hand?

Samantha, glad you are joining me on Idita-Walk. I've become lots more interested in the Iditarod race now. It's just a fun thing to participate in.

Jennifer, good question re time vs mileage. I was always mileage until a few months ago. My Garmin started acting squirrelly and wasn't reliable and then I found, I kinda of like not wearing it. And then Steve was telling me to keep my long runs to max of 3 hours so I began doing longs by time. And then I began doing sorta longs by time. And then the shorter runs. I'm liking it. It's liberating to tell the fam, I'll be gone for an hour and a half and instead of saying, "Well, I'm trying to get x miles so it could be y time or z time." Hubby says a book he is reading (I think Don Fink) say to always train by time.

Went for a run today. Dadgum PF was bad. I wish I understood that stupid stuff. Well hubby is going to show me something that is supposed to help. Well probably hurt horribly but I'll give it a try.

Edited by Pink Socks 2014-01-11 3:45 PM