Baowolf's Winter training is FUN group..no really it is!! (OPEN) (Page 3)

You can certainly buy a helmet at box sporting good stores. They go through the same CPSC certification. You can travel up the money ladder when it comes to comfort, aero and weight. My first helmet was a Giro Ionos. I had a wreck and shattered it in 6 pieces. The foam did it's job saving my 3 brain cells. So, I bought another one just like it. They have a great replacement policy.

I wanted a helmet that provided plenty of air flow. I live in AL and it gets hot and humid during the summer. The next thing I wanted was comfort. I don't want to feel the helmet after a couple of hours.

What ever you choose, make sure it has the CPSC sticker!

I'd love to be back!

Will post bio a little bit later but I have read all the posts so far. What an amazing group we have!
Any news from Linda? Jay? I hope they are both doing good.

Isabella

I would probably start with a fairly standard helmet until you are averaging 20 to 21 mph at race distance. It does need to be certified or they literally kick you out of the race. I have broken a few helmets so far and am glad they were not pricey. If I had unlimited funds I would get the specialized new helmet forget its name, evade maybe. , will have to look it up later. 25 miles on the drainer, got started too late.

Edited by Baowolf 2015-01-06 2:12 AM

Thanks guys for the advice.
I don't know if 20 Miles average is going to be possible. For now I'm riding with my mountainbike, with these lovely tractor tyres...I thought it might be the wright to do to get some resistance for half a year, then get the wright bike and train for another two years to get ready.

I'm back again......for those that know me already, skip this....its copy/paste at this point lol.

NAME: Jay

STORY: I'm not sure how far back you really want to hear.....I was a three sport athlete in high school (football/basketball/baseball) before I went on to play all three sports during my four years in college. I made the decision as a young man to go to a smaller school to play two sports (even all three for one year) rather than go to a D1 school to play football or baseball. A few years after college, my wife and I decided to get married....and thats when the comfort and weight increase happened. I gained almost 100lbs from my college playing weight a few years into my marraige and didn't like it one bit. Over the course of the next six months after seeing that weight on the scale, I got back into the gym and got within 20 lbs of my playing weight. (this happened back in 2003) I have maintained that weight for the better part of 9 years now. I have contemplated doing bodybuilding competitions in the past but I could never pull the trigger.

That leads me to the last few years. I was given some marathon training books by my wife for XMAS 4 years ago as a gag gift. I had always talked about doing the Boston Marathon so I took the present as a sign to start training for it. I have complete 4 marathons since I got those books (including Boston in 2012) and many more half marathons. In 2012, I decided to take on the challenge of triathlon because HM/FM weren't challenging enough. I've gotten my fitness level to the point where I can run an acceptable (for me) HM time without any training. The next logical step was triathlon so in March 2012, I went to a TI workshop to learn how to swim.


FAMILY STATUS: I have been happily married to my wife (Kiley) for 14 years. We have been blessed with two great kids; Braden 10, and Kaelyn 7.

CURRENT TRAINING: Had some real good mojo going until the holidays hit....but starting from scratch now

THIS YEAR'S RACES: Patriot HIM for now.

2014 RACES: No triathlons; only 1 HM. Got caught up in power lifting and lost my cardio.

WEIGHTLOSS: I need to drop some weight after putting it on during the holidays.

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTEE: I take the advice given from the group very seriously and I'd like to think I contribute (a little) to the family atmosphere that Steve has created in past groups (and I'm sure this one as well!)

Today was day 1 of my return to training after going AWOL for the last month. Got sick around Thanksgiving and then just gave into the nonsense of the holidays. I decided to refocus after the New Year....here I go.

Did some upper body lifting at the gym; strength is always good....but even more so when I have extra weight on! After the gym, I made my return to the pool. Did a quick 400 yards; beginning is always the same: 1st 100 is always a freak out when I start to exert myself....I find comfort again with face in the water and each set gets better. I was using my Finis Tempo Trainer during the fall so I picked right back up with the pace I left off at...which is a good thing. I left the gym and decided to get back on the road. It was a balmy 20 in Mass today with snow squalls....did 3.7 miles (my usual route) at about 9:30. It amazes me how quickly you lose your legs when you stop running. (I was up to 15 miles as a long before I fell off) Wind was good...legs will come.

Nice to see all the new faces and a few old ones. Ken, get that swim right this time so we can celebrate a new IM!

I am on it. I have a date in Louisville this October.

Lunoni, you're right, no need to hurry on getting a new bike. And yes, for many of us 20 MPH is not in the picture even with a better bike!

Mike, Jay and everyone else -- glad to see you on this side of the new year!

Had a great 2nd interview today, so hopefully the job piece of life will be in place soon. For now continuing with yoga, walking (mostly...get a little frisky and throw in some jogging occasionally), and trying out the new elliptical.

Glad to see so many new people. I’ll try to catchup on all of the posts soon.

I crewed this weekend for some friends. Gosh, it was something seeing all of those people in the 24-hour race (129 max miles), 100k, 100 miler, and 48-hour (130 max miles). I went to crew for two of my friends (although I ended up assisting others too). One friend did her first 100k (previous longest was 50k). My other friend got her goal of 100 miles, won the women’s division in the 48-hour, and was the last man standing! I’m so proud of her! We also saw a 16 y.o. set the record for Under 18 (He was the one with 130 miles). I had never crewed before and it was interesting, fun, and back-breaking. I took down and pitched tents, pawed thru underwear and other gear, undressed a man while others were holding him up, lifted things too heavy for me, ran to and from the parking lot 100+ times for various people. I'm exhausted - and over the moon with happiness for my friends.

Hello. I'm checking in so you all don't think I've quit. I'm trying to get training. It's harder than I expected. I've never swam laps outside of a class setting and am having a hard time building up the courage to go. Any tips on etiquette, etc?

Where are you going to swim. Usually there is a Very fast lane, fast, medium, slow, very slow and kick/aqua jog lane. So get in a lane that is appropriate for your swim speed, usually 2:00/100 ish is slow and 2:15+ ish is very slow, with very fast being 1:30 /100 ish.

If there are 2 in the lane you can each stay on your side, with 3 or more in the lane you swim usually counter clockwise. If you rest at the end stay in the corner of the end near the rope so the other swimmers can pass you and push off the wall while you rest. Try to get the person's attention when you join into the lane so they know you are there (for 1 or 2 in the lane, doesn't really matter for 3+ as it will be circle swim).

I'm swimming at the college pool. They have lanes set up in the mornings. Thank you for your advice! I will go over this morning to do some laps. I think I'm going to do the first weeks of Michael Pates training program to get ready for my beginner sprint in April. I think I'll also find a sprint to sign up for near the end of the summer. Work myself up to longer races slowly.

If you have questions about what to do, feel free to ask someone there. As a super-slow 2:30 +/100 swimmer, I have only had a problem once with sharing. That was with a person who shares with NO ONE and is an to everyone. Having a training program to go by is a good idea. Also have a secondary goal is good. It keeps you from floundering around wandering what to do after your April sprint.

Edited by ceilidh 2015-01-07 7:54 AM

I would like to join this group. I am looking for good advice, fun, and encouragement. I am 45 years old and am attempting to do my first sprint in the Spring. I remarried last June and have a step-son. We have two dogs and a cat. I have a pretty stressful job and like the idea of making this a lifestyle. I recently packed on about 15 pounds and have got to shed it!

I trained for a sprint five years ago, but I had a problem with my neck, so I was not able to do the race. However, I loved the training and becoming healthy. I had surgery on my right big toe joint for hallux rigidus in December 2013. It has been a source of pain and discomfort and running was out of the question. However, a friend introduced me to the Hoka One One Bondi3. I CAN RUN AGAIN!

I have been training on my own for 4 weeks (Original Sprint and a Couch to 5K iphone app). This is the perfect time for me to gain some friends to help me along. I hope that y'all will have me!

Thanks.
VA

A swimming program myself, Carol, and many others have used to get kick started in the pool again.

http://ruthkazez.com/SwimWorkouts/ZeroTo1mile.html

Hello all!
Here's a bit of my background:

I live near Montreal, Quebec, Canada (a kingdom of cold and ice these days...). Married 18 years, mom to girl age 10 and boy age 8, and a 17 y/o cat

Started running on April 1st, 2009, training for a 10K race. Started swimming in 2010. Bought a road bike in 2012 and did a few bike events (not races). Loved it!!! Then I put all 3 together and did my 1st sprint tri in 2013. I was hooked!

My favourite and strongest sport is the bike; I was coming along nicely with the swim last year, not very fast but good endurance. The run is my struggle. I aim to change that in 2015!!!

2014 races : 135 km (84 miles) Charity bike event; 2 sprint tris, my first oly!!! and a 5K race (scheduled for a HM, but got injured somewhere in August and could not train properly).

2015 races / goals : Nothing is official yet, but I want to do a Gran fondo in the spring, the same 2 sprint tris + 1 oly during summer and 1 HM in the fall. That should keep me busy.

Training : 2014 was my best year training-wise (well, until September, when I cut back drastically on training). So I too am starting from scratch, and I am having a hard time starting the wheel again. But I know once I’m started I can stay motivated and consistent.

I plan on doing pretty much the same thing except for the run, I need to run more. Also, I am adding yoga, starting this week! My injury seems to come from a weak hip, and I feel I need to work more on my core strenght and flexibility. Also, yoga will bring a nice balance to the craziness of training and life in general, can’t wait to see how it goes!

I look forward to seeing everyone’s progress. Happy training!

Welcome VA! You've picked a good supportive group with a great mentor!

And as for the swim etiquette, I agree with others. Just watch a bit and ask for advice from others there and you will be fine. The pools where I swim have a very relaxed supportive vibe. If the lanes are full, I watch for a bit and often someone asks me if I want to join their lane. Or I will pick another swimmer that looks about my speed and ask to join them.

Isabella, I'm with you on the yoga....think it is key for me in staying healthy. Are you using DVD's or live classes? I'm doing DVD's at home.

Edited by squirt 2015-01-07 11:12 AM

Not sure if it's the wright word, but I think it's the calve; the muscle between your foot and your knee. Every time it feels like it's cramped, after 10 minutes of easy running. The cramped pain stays for 3-4 days, like extreme muscle-pain. Is this a common thing? Does anybody recognice this, and what to do??

I agree with the shoes, even if they are a good pair of shoes, they might not match to your style of running. I like to go to a shop that specializes in running shoes to make sure I get the right type of shoe for how I run. The wrong shoes can cause all sorts of issues from shin splints, calves, knees, hips and so on.

Does anybody have tips for running in the cold? I'm still trying to adapt to the whole winter thing

My schedule is still settling after vacation, I will catch up more this weekend. All are welcome, awesome group we have shaping up here.

Definitely need the right shoes. Very important to warm up first if you are having issues. Does your calf hurt when you do anything else? Is it the front, shin area or the back of your lower leg between your heal and back of your knee, or is it up in the back of the knee on one side or the other? You could have shin splints, a pulled calf muscle or the wrong shoes, need more info to tell. If it is just irritation then I recommended toe raises (4x10 work up to 4x20) each night with calf stretches etc. But definitely need to know more. I would ice the hurt part after every run, maybe just walk for a couple weeks and then start a walk/jog program until it feels better. Folks from my group know that when I have a bum leg I will walk 5x4 miles a week when I can't run. Other things to try are elyptical while getting the muscle under control or water jogging. It might be the case that you need to see a sports doc., but I would start with a run analysis (free at a good running store). Then there is the marathon stick or foam roller you can use to unlock the cramped muscles. It could be that you are cramping in which case bananas (potassium) is good and some use calf compression socks when they run to help with that.

How cold are you talking for running in the cold and do you have a footing issue for icy/snowy conditions. I usually just put on a windproof pants and top with a hood and gloves if it is not too cold (which means down to about 5F. If it is really cold which for me is only 5 to -10 F as we don't actually get winter here I also put on a balaclava (always misspell that word). If you are running in snow and slush then Smartwool socks rock. I have done 20 miles in slushy snow with warm feet in those things. They are great for the bike too.

I am feeling pretty cooked this week, back at elevation and carrying a lot of fatigue for my fitness level. I guess if I hadn't put on those extra pounds it might have helped, oh well, back to the no chocolate diet again. Today was a 7 mile run and 25 mile bike. I ended up taking a 2 hour nap after work and before my bike ride today. It will be good to have a recovery week coming up next week.

Feel free to throw out questions I am sure you guys have lots of them. I can hit some basics this weekend.



Edited by Baowolf 2015-01-08 2:47 AM

Well today it's -17 F (windchills down to -65 in places), but that is just me complaining about the weather today . If it's under 10f my toes have been going numb. I seem to be ok for the rest of my body, so I will definitely look into some socks! Thanks

Carol : I plan on doing both. First attend classes to make sure I do the poses correctly etc. then at home, at a time that is more convenient to me. I thought I had DVD's at home but couldn't find them. Can you recommend good DVD's? There are so many on the market...

Running in the cold, that I am good at
The key is layering quality pieces of synthetic or wool (no cotton clothing by all means).
I make sure I cover my head and wear only thin gloves, as I sweat mostly from those places!
The legs and feet are the areas that are most prone to get cold (for me). Merino (sp?) socks work really well.

Also if you run on snow or ice, make sure you wear traction thingys under your shoes. I use the "yaktrax run" brand (received them for XMas!) but several other brands out there.

I will try to insert here the weather report from yesterday, insane!!





Attachments
----------------
wn.jpg (17KB - 3 downloads)