Todd's Tri Turtles 6 (Beginner - Sprints, 5K, 10K) - OPEN (Page 3)

First big race next week - how is it looking for you?

Best of luck!

Code Blue, best of luck at the run this weekend.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and is able to get in some work. I'm working all weekend but am going to get in at least one workout. I'm realizing quickly now that since I've switched positions that if I'm going to make this Ironman happen in September I'm gonna have to work out a schedule and am going to have to do workouts at odd times (for me) in order to get it knocked out. I'm gonna spend Sunday night trying to work out a plan, but know a large part is going to be me going to bed when I should whether on days or nights to get in what I need to.

Good luck. Start with smaller changes that you can build on and stick with.

My new years resolution was to get back to working out and run two good half marathons. I started working on this in October - I knew that getting into the habit of getting up very early to run would take work.

Hi Turtles,

Code Blue, hope you have a good run in your race.

Todd, Good luck with the planning.

Following a good training week I've been doing some planning of my own for February. I think it's a simple approach and I should be able to stick to it.

Swim, Bike, Run,Rest/Recovery over 4 consecutive days and repeat. (Told you it was simple) The Rest/ Recovery day will also be a contingency if I miss a session. I'll also be doing my gym workout and home workout on alternating days. On a Rest/recovery day I'll have a session on the foam roller rather than a workout.

At the end of February I'll decide if I will enter a race in April. It is the last race of our season. I'm also looking at a race interstate in August.

The weather remains very hot here, even for our Summer. I finished today's run by 10 AM and I don't think I could have done it any later in the day without causing heat stress.

Hope you all have a good week.

Well first race of the season is in the books.

Small race report, Hot Chocolate 5k/15k in Houston first time this race has been in Houston.

Packet pickup at Minute Maid park, small expo easy to get around. They swapped out race jacket for a different size at expo if needed. Signed up for two races while at Expo (hey 25% off a half, and the promotional price for next year Hot Chocolate). In and out no problems. The information desk at Expo said the route was flat which made me

Race morning: Got to site 60 minutes ahead of start, limited parking had to park 5 blocks away in a ramp but thankfully weekend rates are much better than week day! Gear check was a breeze. 5K started at 0710 so they were off shortly after we arrived. 15K did not start until 0750 so we walked around a bit and last minute trip to the port o johns...long lines, no TP. I settled in the back of my corral with the 14 minute pacer ( I am a turtle), my husband went to the front with the 7:30 pacer.

Overall course was OK, NOT flat! Road were rough, I was just waiting for someone to bite it in a pot hole. Ample water/Nunn stations. They gave out candy at each station (chocolate chips, marshmallows, gummy bears...and not sure of the others I only grabbed the bears). Lots of hills after mile 7. Water and Nunn at finish line with huge medal and keychain. Chocolate at finish line too...hot chocolate, chocolate fondue with marshmallows, a rice crispy treat, banana, pretzels and cookies. Too much for me but nice. No water outside the finish line, and the officials were resistant to let you back in finish area to get more water.

Overall I finished right were I thought I would (around a 13:30 pace) considering my gross under training, and my husband finished 3rd in his age group. Nice volunteers and hopefully they will work out the little kinks before next year!

Great Job! Hopefully the RD will get the kinks worked out for next year.

And towards the end of a race, even the slightest incline becomes a mountain.

Finished up the month almost where I wanted to be 99.25 miles, just shy of 100 miles. And no, I'm not going to to a mile just to break 100.

Found out that what I thought was a gradual ramp up was just a little harder than expected when put together - it looked so simple on paper! February will be spent trying get one long run up to about 10 miles and seeing if I can run 6 days a week. My plan is very touchy-feely and made up as I go along because previously when I rigidly followed a plan I would end up hurt or discouraged. Trying to avoid both of those outcomes and get to my first half-marathon healthy and happy.

That's an impressive run total. You made me laugh over the .75. My dumb butt would have gone out in a hurricane to finish it out, as if that .75 mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Congrats on a great event!!!!

Good weekend at the lake with the family. Got in two runs and will get in a ride this afternoon when we get home.

A nice steady week. Managed to not talk myself out of running yesterday - if I don't run first thing in the morning I manage to come up with a lot of reasons not to run - fought that fight and won!

There is a mantra on BT that is "run a lot, mostly slow, sometimes fast" and that is what I have been basing my training around. I dropped my usual run speed by almost 2 min/mile and tried to ignore the distance run. I have been at it for about 3 months, and now I am starting to see a difference. My heartrate stays under 150 for most runs and today when I slowly built up to a 10 min/mile, my heartrate just grazed 155 and was mostly around 153. And I'm feeling good too. Let's see what the rest of February brings and hope I can keep from pushing myself too hard.

Have a great week guys - it seems to be warming up for the Texas crew - enjoy it.

Hi Turtles

Our group was starting to slip down they web page due to inactivity so I thought I'd drop a line.

Since I resumed training I've been very enthusiastic, perhaps over enthusiastic. I was starting to over commit until my 60 year old body reminded me of my limitations. I won't be racing this summer but I've set my sights on a race in August. We're planning to travel north for winter to escape the cold and there is a race in Townsville which is 2600 Kms (1615 miles) from home. So that's my goal.

I've been working out in the gym to get my body right and see me through. This week I took a class that was a mix of aerobics and yoga. It is designed to increase endurance, power and core strength. I certainly knew about it for 24 hours after. I followed up the next day with a Hot Water Workout. It wasn't as strenuous as the previous session as the water takes out a lot of the impact but it certainly took a lot of energy to complete.

The rest of the week is back to basics with some more runs, rides & swims. Hopefully a bush walk on my "rest" day.

What is everybody else up to?

There is a 7 mile "Run to the Brewery" on Sunday that I am really on the fence about. Free beer and free food at the finish line, but it could be cold and rainy Sunday morning. Nothing worse than being cold and wet. I will probably make the decision on Saturday and sign up at the packet pickup (or not).

Interesting recovery approach : Beer & Food. We only get Gatorade & a Banana

You need new friends

I ran in a St. Pat's Day 4 Miler in central Ohio a few years back....(before my knees gave out) .....and the recovery refreshments were glasses of Guiness and Harp Beers!!!! Best "recovery" drinks in all of my previous runs!! I so go for it!!

The forecast right now is for "drenching rain" Not looking good for a run

Darn!

Sorry for my lack of post this week. I had a lot at work this week in addition to being sick. Hopefully I can get back at it tomorrow.

It stinks when grown-up life gets in the way of having fun.

It was 40 and raining steadily almost all day Sunday - glad I skipped the race. I don't mind running in the rain but I hate starting a run in the rain, especially where you have to stand around waiting for it to started. During my first marathon (NYC in 97), it started to pour as I got off the 59th Street bridge - the spectators were not outside in the numbers they tell you to expect and it was raining so hard that 1st avenue was one long puddle. It was still fun in its own way. Sort of

Just could not get it in gear this morning - slept in and played with the cats instead.

Long weekend is coming up - I've got nothing special planned, but I have to sign up for my two half marathons. Next one is April 28, but I can do basically the same race on March 10. Have to check with SWMBO to see what our plans are.

Anyone have a race on the horizon?

Not yet but will need to register for the April sprint I hope to do.....

Felt like I was stuck in the mud all weekend. Culminated today when I just cancelled my run. I wasn't feeling it and even though I know I can push past that initial "let's quit" urge - I couldn't do that today.

The rest of the weekend was mostly a bust too - too much other stuff going on. Family obligations, getting ready to move and other issues. This whole week will likely be a light training week too. I'll just call it a step-back week and not worry about it.

Some days are just like that....we all experience them....today was one for me. Did get a walk in but terrible weather, some business stuff that was a challenge made it an "iffy" day.