SWBKRUN MENTOR GROUP - FULL (Page 3)

Why I waited until 42 (next Sunday) to get interested in Tri, I don't know. I guess it was a natural progression. I've lost about 50 pounds in the last 6 years, and am down to a managable 185. My body fat % is 8.4% (hydro-weigh). I am 6'1" tall. I was thinking about it the other day, and I guess I can say I'm in the best shape of my life. I'd like to say I feel like 30, but I was pretty pathetic at 30. My body style is long and lean, like when I was 18, but much more muscular. I S-B-R and weight train all with the goal of building an endurance-ready physique. In other words, I would never train my biceps.
I feel much better running and riding now; the extra weight was killing my ankles and knees. I started mountain biking about 11 years ago when I moved to Oregon. Again the weight loss has really helped. I don't really road ride very much, but I feel confident in my biking abilities to make it thru. As a child I grew up in Florida, but never learned to swim (no kidding). Actually certain events led me to fear the water. Conquering the swim will be hugely mental for me.
I also have some buddies (guys & gals) who want me to adventure race with them. I really like the aspect of having multiple athletic skills, although I've never kayaked or rappelled.
I live in Beaverton, a suburb of Portland. Anyone travelling this way can feel free to contact me. I'd even considering being a support person for your races.

So now, how about some advice for a beginning swimmer? My swimming 'workout' is freestyle for 50m without stopping. I recover, then repeat for a total of about 400m. The breathing part of it is killing me. I've got a long way to go, huh?
See ya, and thanks,
Paul

Hey, If there's still room in here, I'd really enjoy getting some good information from someone with experience and share experiences w/ other beginners. I'm a 22 y/o male in St. Louis going to Chiropractic school. I love working out but finally decided to set a goal. So, let me know and I'd be glad to let you guys know more about me.

Hi Steve,

My name is Dave, and I am from Atlanta, GA. The idea of the mentor program is really appealing and I really liked your post.

A short Bio: I was a decent athlete in high school, and then took about 14 yrs off from exercise. It caught up with me, and I found myself pretty soft and chunky. So, a year ago, I bought a road bike, and really fell in love with it. I logged about 1700 miles last year, but didn't really train in any structured way. On a whim, I also signed up for a sprint triathlon and a 10K road race. With the triathlon, I really had no idea what I was getting into, and my goal was just to get to the starting line. Well, I was hoping to finish also, but thought I would be dead last. It actually was a lot more fun than I expected. I enjoyed it even though I had no idea what I was doing (especially in the swim and transitions). After falling back out of shape a bit, I've decided to do a bunch of triathlons this year (will sign up for a sprint on 4/28/07) and concentrate on performance. Unfortunately this may require some intelligent training in all 3 disciplines.
My (biggest) weaknesses:
1) consistency: I need specific goals to keep motivated.
2) running: I'm not really built for it, and tend to get pain in my right knee. I'm hoping that losing a few pounds and taking a very conservative approach may help.
My only relative strength would probably be swimming. Technically I'm OK, but in my first tri, I was a bit freaked out by the mass start and also swam about 30 degrees off course for a while(at which point I wondered why I was entirely alone, and swam back to the race).

OK, I guess that bio wasn't that short. Anyway, if you still have an opening I'd really like to join your group.

Cheers,
Dave

Hey Steve, if there is room, I'd like to join your mentor group.

I just started triathlons this past year. I saw a video of Team Hoyt about 2 or 3 years ago and thought, "Wow! If that guy can do that for his son, surely I can get off my lazy but and run one for myself." And quickly lost the idea. Last year a friend of my was going to run in an Olympic Distance Relay (Memphis in May Triathlon) and that got me thinking again. So, I decided that after Memorial Day last year, I was gonna start training. I began my training without a race in mind. I just wanted to get to the point where I could do all three. I was already a pretty strong swimmer and decent biker, but a horrible runner. You see, I've gotten a little rounder as I have gotten older. I'm 30 years old and when I was younger, I was very active. I'm now at about 210 lbs, but I was 230 when I started training. I dropped 20 lbs in my first 2 months of hard core training. A friend of mine and I found a race and trained together. Then, about a month and a half before the race, we both got laid off from our jobs. Too depressed to continue with training, we spent most of our time trying to find jobs.

About a month later, I had a new job and decided, on a whim, to go for a run. I ran about 2.8 miles and still felt like I had more in me. That was a big accomplishment for me. When I first started training a couple of months before, I couldn't walk a mile, much less run one. So, with a renewed confidence, I promptly signed up the next day for the race, went home and ran that night, woke up the next day and felt like a truck had hit me. Well, I had already registered, so there was no turning back. I had 2 weeks to get ready for my first Sprint race. It came and my only goals were to 1) finish the race and 2) not finish last. Well, I exceeded both goals. Not only did I finish, but I finished 266 out of 365 and 18 out of 25 in my division (Clydesdale).

I've been doing strength training during the off season mixed with cross training. My gym has recently moved, so there has been about a 2 week hiatus while they have been moving. My goals this year are 6 races. They are as follows:

Little Rock Marathon - Half Marathon Relay

Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon

Ozark Valley Triathlon - Sprint

Mighty Mite Triathlon - Sprint

DeGray Lake Sprint Triathlon

CATS Sprint Triathlon

I know it's pretty ambitious, but I think I can do it. Like most people, I got hooked after my first race and want to continue all the way of to the Big One. Let me know if you still have room in your group. Thanks.

Welcome to the 3 new members of our group. I think that I am going to cap this group to 10 people. Much more than that I feel like it might not get the FULL attention it warrants, if you all are ok w/ this. The thing I like about my group it in each of your there is a strong will to do well, and I sense a bit of Competitiveness. We can all learn something from one another. Some are good runners and others are good swimmers (although it seems like that is the toughest for everyone!). The one thing I noticed is that not many of you talked about your cycling skills. This is probably the most important part of a race. It is where you spend the most energy, and time. If you are not good on the bike, and expend a lot of energy, you will be FRIED by the time the run starts. So really pay attention to getting the miles in on your bike. Along with EVERYTHING ELSE OF COURSE! When I 1st started what stressed me most was the fact that I might MISS A WORK OUT! I am screwed. It was so hard, however, it got to the point where I didn't stress out, and actually looked forward to working out. There was no guilt if I didn't make it to the gym, or it the road. One more suggestion, if you miss a little work out during the week that is fine, but I would AVOID MISSING YOUR LONG WORKOUT ON THE WEEKEND! This is the most important workout of any during the week. This is where you can "test" yourself both mentally and physically. AND HAVE FUN! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE HEALTHY FUN!

My cycling skills are decent. I am weak on hills and my average speed is around 16-18mph, which really needs to go up. I haven't ridden in a while due to work and weather. I just ordered an indoor trainer and will hopefully have it by next week.

Well, my name is Adam and I grew up just outside of Omaha, NE. Played 3 sports throughout high school, soccer being the highlight. I then went to a liberal arts college on a basketball scholarship, but decided that with school and extracurricular activities not to pursue it. I graduated last year and am in my second trimester (out of 10) at Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis. I've worked out doing weights and running for about 5 years now, but got tired of just doing it to look good and stay healthy. I have a little too much competitiveness in me to not try and outdo other people or a time.
So...last year I took up the tri idea. Just did my own thing, building up to what I thought would be enough. Well I owned a fireworks tent and twelve 20 hour days did in what training I thought I had and the idea left me. My brother is doing his first marathon this spring, and I'm not about to be out done by my little brother, haha. So I'm pretty motivated (more self than from my brother) to do this. I've read up some and started a 12 week program. Although it seemed I wouldn't have time with 28 credit hours this semester, I would go crazy w/o a release of the energy and boredom that comes from sitting in a classroom so long. Oh yeah, I'm 22 and not married. I don't have a bike as of yet (tight TIGHT budget on loans). I'm a pretty comfortable swimmer and running is just fine with me. And i'm trying to figure out what race(s) to do, not sure whether to look for one around here, or back in NE...although I do know that I'm looking for a sprint distance.

So I'm just looking for some advice to turn my regular workouts into a great accomplishmet which I hope will turn into a passion for an intense sport.

I know I don't spend enough time on the bike, mainly because it is the one that takes the most time and can't be done in the dark (at least not around here). I currently swim 3 times a week and run 3 times, but only bike once on the weekend. When the time changes I am going to try to get another bike in per week, but I know it is an area I need to work on, although not as much as running. If I take a 20 mile ride on the weekend, do you think I would benefit from taking an 8 mile ride during the week, with the majority of it on a MAJOR hill? I am thinking about putting in this short, but very difficult ride in along with my long ride. Also, I don't know how you guys are riding 20 mph. I am trying to get to 15 and I don't feel like I am THAT slow, but I guess I am. Are you guys averaging those numbers on hills, or is it flat where you ride. My riding is virtually all on rolling hills. Not many flat spots where I live. Of course I still have that 45 pound plate I am carrying around, too.

I live in the Panhandle of Texas and on both of the routes that I ride there are huge hills at the very beginning. My speed drops to 10-12 on the hill. I also have to deal a lot with the wind which constantly blows here. On really windy days, I don't like to ride. Thus, I purchased an indoor trainer.

windy days...panhandle...you may not get to ride much then. Ha. I am in East Texas. At least we have trees to block SOME of the wind. But we have our share of hills. Killer on a fat boy.

I just got a new road bike for Christmas.  My hubby paid for it and I got to go in and pick out what I wanted (he scored major brownie points on that one!)  I have not been able to ride outdoors much at all with the wind and cold weather, however.  I'm logging most of my time on an upright bike at the gym.  Doing my first "real" long ride this weekend.  I've found some good cycling clubs nearby that I can get long rides and education in with once spring gets here.  But for now I'm stuck indoors for the majority.  Jaredog - what kind of trainer did you go with?  Steve - what's your advice on indoor trainers?

My bike is okay. Definitely, my middle event (race wise as well as skill). What's funny is that while training for my first Tri, all I had was a borrowed, cheap Wal-Mart mountain bike. Let me tell ya, riding for a few miles on that thing really whipped my butt in shape. I even rode the race course with it a couple of times for practice. By the time I got a road bike (also a borrowed bike, but a Cannondale), I was whizzing up the hills. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. I went for a ride with a few people one morning for a long ride. They all had road bikes. Needless to say, I held the ride up quite a bit. But hey, I got more of a workout than anyone that day! The swim is definitely my best event. I used to swim a mile a day (about 5 yrs ago). Not saying that I could do that now, but my form and breathing technique have stayed the same, so that has been the biggest help there. It also helps that fat floats and I don't have to work as hard to stay on top of the water. My worst is running. I have a lot of weight coming down on my frame so I have to take it easy. My fastest on the treadmill is about an 8.5 minute mile. There is no way I could keep that up for a 5 or 10K. My one and only race, I averaged a 10 minute mile.

OK, that's me.

Edited by dustyken 2007-01-12 2:57 PM

Cycling oh cycling...My cycling skills are pretty par I guess, I don't really know what to compare them to though because I have always biked by myself...

How about this one....I have never ridden a road bike! I have ridden mountain bikes on a casual basis but never anything like what i am embarking on now. I have an appointment with a guy at the bike shop that I had my first TRI-Club meeting at tomorrow am. I plan on riding a few bikes and making a decesion. I hope to have it purchased, completely fitted (they have four certified fitters), and in working order by the weekend of the 26th. There is a "beginners ride +/- 26 miles with the club and it is within riding distance from my house. It is a bike path and should be good for practice (it is completely seperate from the road). Any advice on a first ride? What to do...or not to do? I have looked at the Cervelo but think that the Specialized bikes are more in my budget range. There is an Allez comp double that I have been looking at. I would really like to ride them both first....I guess we will see. Are there any gizmo's or gadgets that I MUST by? I would rather buy what I need upfront than make a bunch of trips everytime I realize I am missing someting.

Check this out... It gives you a pretty good idea on what's out there!
http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/31490

If money is no object I would recommend the COMPU TRAINER. They Rock
http://www.racermateinc.com/

I am lucky enough to have a brother in law who LOVES TRIATHLON'S and bought my wife and I each one. They are closely simulated to the outdoors. But the things people look for in trainers is cost, practicality, noise level (SOME CAN BE LOUD!), and longevity. I think the most popular brand is CYCLEOPS, and you will see that this is what your LBS (local bike shop) carries.

Hope this helps!

On your first ride, just ride. Enjoy conversation, enjoy your new bike, and enjoy the workout. This should not change from your first ride to your 100th ride (when your in a group). It's just nice to have people to get your through the hard workouts! And teach you a few things. As far buying stuff for your bike???? Be slow, I wouldn't buy everything up front. What if you buy Aerobars, then once you get use to them you find you don't really like how they fit? Computer? Are you going to go wireless, use a Watch (polar-w/ Heart Rate Monitor), or are you not even going to train w/ a heart rate monitor? Just a lot of choices, and I would hate for you to "waste" money of stuff you find you DON'T REALLY LIKE. Your shop may tell you different, but that is there job. A good local bike shop w/ learn your bike, and as you come in they will help you with what you need. Good or bad, every time I take my bike into the shop they can tell how much I have been riding by how much gel, nutrition, and vaseline are on my bike! But you need to to what you really feel good about doing. If you trust your shop and they tell you that you should "GET THIS NOW BECAUSE..." then maybe you should.

What's everyone's GOALS THIS WEEKEND? OR PLANS!?

Mine:

Well's it about 20-30 degrees here (too cold for much), and I am just finally starting to feel better from the flu this week, so my plans are to Hit the hills tomorrow, and do some winter hiking, followed by a few cocktails tomorrow night at my company party. Sunday, A early morning Baptism, followed by the Seahawks game, then hopefully a 7-8 mile run (probably on treadmill!).

Everyone else????

I ordered the Minoura 850 Mag Trainer.

As for my plans this weekend, I'm going to try to stay warm. If the roads aren't too icy, I may bundle up and go for a run. I'm also planning on going up to the gym to pay my dues so I can start swimming again.

My plans for this weekend is two really good swims today and sunday and hopefully a nice little hike tomorrow morning. My goals are to increase my training a little more next week, hopefully intensify my run and maybe even hit some anaerobic repeats. With my cycling I wanna ride an hour or so with every workout next week. Swimming I'm now getting lessons from my friend who's on the swim team here at school so I feel I should be on the right track with him.

Well, I did 1 hour of Yoga and 9x50m swin this AM. Ultimate Frisbee (1 hour) and 3 mile run at lunch. Tonight I ref boys HS basketball. Tomorrow, I will try to run an early morning 2.4 mile hilly (think small mountains) run around my neighborhood. Then ref 4 8th grade boys basketball games. Sunday I will try to celebrate 42 years with my long run of 4.8 miles. Sunday afternoon will prob find me playing Ultimate again for a couple of hours. All this in 30-degree, but SUNNY SKY weather. Hey this Oregon and it's NOT raining! Later that night: cake and ice cream!

GOOD LORD! TRY SITTING DOWN EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE! Great Job!

GREAT DOUBLE POST! SORRY

Edited by swbkrun 2007-01-12 6:18 PM

buyerryan,

Don't worry about never having ridden a road bike before. I was in the same state until just a little while ago. Not only that, but I had never clipped in until today (just got my shoes this afternoon). It was a blast though! I just got back from a 45 minute ride. Loved my eggbeaters.

As far as must have gear, the only thing I think you really need is a bike, and maybe a water bottle of no one is willing to let you slobber all over theirs I happened to find my bike at a pawn shop for $300. Would have been $600 new at Sun and Ski.

Houston has been really warm today. In the 70's. But tomorrow I heard it's going to change.

Later gaters,

Benson

Ice storm in St. Louis ALL weekend so...I hit it pretty hard this week so I'll do a little weights and recovery run (treadmill) tomorrow afternoon and study. Then hopefully the ice will let me make it to church on Sunday morning followed by a long stationary bike and some weights.