mndiver's Group - FULL (Page 3)

Get some new ear buds. The ones that come with the ipod are not very good. Mine are panasonic I think, but they are squishy and they stay in my ear really good. Trust me, it's worth the investment to get ear buds that stay in!

Here are some very similar to what I use.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/JVC-Inner-Ear-Headphones-HAFX55ZW/sem/rpsm/oid/148962/catOid/-14861/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

1. Beginner, definitely. 

2. Trek 1000C (same as the Pilot now) Good: economical, meets my needs. Bad: wish I had Ultegra components. Wish I had aero bars (may get some this spring)

3. 50cm, I am 5'4" but have short arms and a short torso, that's why the 1000C is good for me- doesn't stretch me out too much. 

4. Nothing other than walmart type bikes. Does my Huffy Thunder Rose dirt bike count when I was about 10?

5. I've ordered from Nashbar. I've heard performance bikes are good. Other than that, I don't know I use a local bike shop.

Happy new year!

PS- Derek is off to Lake Okeechobee, FL for a fishing tournament. You can follow along with his progress online. I'll post the link when they get matched up with their partners (derek fishes the back of the boat- as the coangler) 

5.  

Try Craigslist. Around Cincinatti I would think you would have a good chance of finding one. I have found a brand new trek 1000 for Derek- the only bad part is that it's in Myrtle Beach, and they want full retail. I figure we'll make an offer and throw in money for shipping if he gives me the green light. A girl won the bike at a Christmas party and wants to sell it for $750- that's regular retail or close! I think if we offer I'll come in at like $400 since we'll have to have it shipped and also pay a bike shop for a fitting. Does that seem reasonable? After all, she did win it-

mndiver- how tall are you? I've found a 58 cm trek 1000 for Derek- want to be sure it will fit him- he's 5'11 and change, pretty much 6'- has an inseam of 32" or so. (some pants are 30" and some are 32"- depends on the brand)

I've offered $350 cash for it (it's brand new) so we'll see if the girl goes for it or not. She won it- I guess it depends on how fast she wants to sell it, etc.

I use a HR monitor for my long runs and when I bike on the road. I don't use it for swims, treadmill runs, or trainer rides, although I should on the latter.

I find it helps me to stay in zone 2 for my runs and helps me to know how much more I can push myself on the bike. Plus, mine keeps track of my mileage and calories burnt. I have a Garmin 305 that I got for my birthday (we don't have kids yet, so birthdays are still a little extravagant!). I really love it!

Re the workout depression. SNAP OUT OF IT!!!! I've had a hard time getting my arse on the bike, and in the pool, but the swim class Derek and I are starting next week will take care of the swimming issues. I do think I will have to get a new tire for my rear wheel before I ride outside. I think the trainer has worn it down a bit.

Come on guys!!! Don't let the lone female in this group kick your butt! There, I've thrown down the gauntlet....

Hinch- I would also steer clear of the carbon bike- I'm going with an entry level aluminum for Derek- Still waiting to hear if we've got the trek that I found on craigslist. I have a Trek and really like it, so I'm partial to them. I feel like they are a good deal for the money. Sometimes, for all brands of bikes, you can find a last year's model still on the floor and the bike shop will discount it. I bought mine last May as a 2005 model and got aboutt $75 off. Not too bad!

Dtraub- I used the think the same thing about running and gadgets,etc. But I find the Garmin really helps me. Not only do I not have to map out my runs now and clock them on the car, but the heart rate thing has helped me to increase my fitness level. I've seen my speed on my tempo runs get fast quicker after building zone 2 base miles on the weekend.

Medictim- Re: Swimming- there are all kinds of drills you can do. One thing I would suggest is using a pull bouy and concentrating on the glide in between pulls. That helped me cut my strokes per 25 m a good bit. I usually make about 21 or 22 per 25 m. In a yard pool it's about 20 I think. It's been about 3 months since I was last in the pool, so I know I'll be rusty next week.  Whatever your number is, try to decrease it by working on the length of your glide between pulls. 1375 isn't bad. You are in a yard pool? Try swimming 100 yds, resting 15s, then another and so on. The next time, do 150 yds then rest for 15s. Keep increasing it until you can do the distance you want to race without stopping. Practice 25 yard sprints and count your strokes per length. Try to duplicate that number of strokes, even when you are getting tired. And, if you need to, swim a couple of laps of breaststroke to catch your breath during a set- there's nothing wrong with that.

Mndiver- get that leg well!!! I know how frustrated I was last summer when I had to do PT on my quad from soft tissue inflammation. It was very tough not to be able to get out and work- but, eventually my leg healed and yours will to! 

Derek's finally home, so he should be logging in soon. YAY!

Good morning peeps! Derek and I started our swim class this morning... suffice to say it kicked our a$$es!!

Hope everyone has a good day!

Suzanne