PeterAK's Group: THIS TREEHOUSE IS FULL!!! (Page 3)

Just a thought to make things easy.  I'll be asking for info from all of you from time to time.  To make it easy to see when I'm asking questions of the group, I'll post it in all green, like this:

All of you forgot to answer the cherry vs. cola slurpee question.  Please post your preference!  (not a joke, it was in the very first post of the thread!)

ABSOLUTELY FINAL, don't ask to join, we are an exclusive group, we will throw rotten tomatoes at you if you hang around and are not part of our group, roster for PeterAK's spring 2008 mentor group:

Zilla / TJ
daspanglers / Dave
Tautery / Teresa
Daveo1101 / Dave
hhpvbtri / Hilary
AndriaLL / Andria
force / Jeff
FentressJET / Eric
Regimom / Linda

If you don't have everyone in the group in your friends list, please take care of that ASAP.  I will be checking all of your logs regularly, and to get the most out of this, you guys will be checking on each other. 

How do you do that?  In your training log, just under the calendar, click "change display settings."  Then click the "friends" tab and put the user names in the blanks.  When done, click "apply" at the bottom of the page and you will then be able to access everyones blog from yours!

Okay, I see diet as being important to many of you.  I have been eating like crap for the last three months too, and we're about to jump into early season training, so getting a handle on diet now will benefit us all.  Is everyone in for making this our first step together?

POP QUIZ: What did you have for breakfast this morning (Sat)?

I had oatmeal with blueberries topped with some raw sugar and half & half, and two scrambled eggs.  OJ and coffee.

Cola, for me. 

mix 50-50 - cherry cola

chicken breast on romain with balsamic dressing, 1 banana 1 slice wheat toast - 20 oz water

Yay!  I'm in!  I like all the peeps in here!  I read all your bios and I think this will be great for all of us.  That is, if Peter can handle us all...

Name:  Linda

Family Status: Divorced/2 kids - 9 (almost) and 6. 

Story:  It goes something like this:  Once upon a time, when I was a little girl, I had a wee bike.  I rode it everywhere.  Then these new-fangled mountain bikes came out, so I bought one.  I never owned a car (typical Oregon hippie) so I rode my bike where I needed to go.  That is as close to an athlete as I ever was.  I always rode with my ex and his friends on mtn bike rides and always sucked until after my first child was born.  Not sure what happened, but I rode more endurance riding after that.  Pretty soon, I was faster than some boys, then I was faster than my ex.  Used his road bike on occassion after I had my second child because it was easier to train with and then I started racing mt bikes.  I had a full 2004 and 2005 season racing and started my 2006 season in expert class, and then life happened.  And continued to happen.  Why tris?  Oh yeah... in 2005 I entered a local sprint tri on a whim because it was the first open water one they had done in the area.  I figured I knew how to swim, basically, so whatever, and I could move on the bike, and I could maybe just maybe run the whole 5k.  And that was the first time I had ever run that far.  Turns out it wasn't so bad.  I got 3rd in my AG.  So here I am.  I now live in Denver and am amazed by all the *real* athletes here.  I used to be very unique, now I am one of the masses of athletes that live and train here. 

Current Training:  I'm on a 24-hour bike race training plan that I purchased online.  I'm really trying to stick to it.  It goes until the race on Feb 16th.

2008 Race Plans:

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo (MTB) Solo - Feb 16

A marathon

A Half-Iron

Sprinkle in a few mtb races maybe

Might (crossing fingers) have a spot in the Leadville 100 MTB race.

(combine ingredients and bake at 375 until cooked thouroghly)

Training goals for 2008:

Since 2007 sucked (broken clavicle, divorce, move, job, $) I'm going to say as long as I'm making progress, I'm succeeding. 

• Get to race weight by Feb 16th (12 lbs to go)
• Learn to enjoy running (right now I loathe it)
• Build endurance and base to complete IM in 2009
• Have fun and avoid the overtraining burnout...

Slurpee Preference:  In HS it was the Cola, now that I am older and wiser... cherry.  However, I once has a Pepsi Freeze that was pretty good.

This mornings breakfast... waffles with the kiddos.

Does this mentor group come with a free t-shirt?

How cool is this!  Zilla AND Regimom in the same group as me?  In case no one knew they were my first!  wait .... didn't sound right.  Well, THEY know what I mean!

Oh yeah - Cola slurpee is the best. 

Breakfast - 1 pc toast w/ peanut butter!

The coolness advisor is somewhat debatable as you witnessed by my peotry prowess!  But I shall do my best to uphold the values of the position ane will fufill my duties to the best of my ability! 

Did a tri just because.  I actually made it a new year's resolution.  I think I saw it in Men's Health or something like that.

Probably running is my worst.  I don't enjoy it.  Before starting triathlon training I never ran over 5 miles at a time before.  I could run a 40 dash with anybody but over 40 yards was long distance to me.  I found an old physical fitness test in the storage room the other day from my younger Army days.  Once I ran a 2 mile run in 12:28.  I have no plans to get that fast again, however.

I kept active during my injury.  No running at all but was able to swim and bike.  Diet is my biggest issue, so I'll work on that w/ every one else!  I like to eat, I just don't eat as much any more!

You were there???? I was there!  I didn't run, but I took pics and cheered!  Shoot.  Next time lets meet!

Excellent answer.  5 points for you.

Am I going to have to separate you three?

Wheat or white toast?

Regimom/Linda/Lala/SheWhoIsFasterThanBoys:

Good bio ya hippie!  You are one of those people who frustrates people like me.  You enter a race on a whim and collect hardware.  I work my azz off but have yet to get on a podium at any sort of race.  Please share your secrets (and if you are going to tell me to get pregnant just keep it to yourself).

For your 24 mtb race, have you set goals for yourself?  I'm hoping to do a 24 hour race this year, but I won't do it solo... Nope.  I'll do a relay.  Have you done a 24 hr race before?  I know a guy who did the Leadville 100 last year, sounds like it was brutal.  And fun.

Which is more important to you, the mary or the HIM?

2008 will be better than 2007.  I guarantee it. 

Race weight: I've met you.  You are skinny.  Do you really need to lose weight?  Honest question--I'm skinny myself but I was super-duper-extra skinny for IM.  I'm up almost 10 lbs from race day and totally fine with it.  Are you trying to get to a weight you were at before your clavicle break?  Tell us a bit more about this goal.

For the rest of you, if you have weight goals, want to cover XX miles on the run or bike etc., you can put tickers on your blog.  Lala has one set up for her weight and I think it's a cool tool to help benchmark your progress.

Glad to have you in the group Lala!

You must drink out of a mug as huge as the one my grandfather drank out of.  Just, ya know, out of curiousity, have you thought about cutting back on the caffiene? I love my coffee too, and drink 4-5 cups a day.  No training wheels for me though, strong black coffee straight up.  Mmmmm...

I'm into hydration.  I drink water all day at work and at home.  Caffiene makes it harder to stay well hydrated.

Wauwatosa maybe?  It's the first western burb and my office is there. 

Gradually ramping up your training will be key.  Basic rule is to add no more than 10% distance/time per week.  Listen to your body and share how you feel with us so we can provide feedback and learn from you too.

This is pushing my computer skills, but you need to resize the picture.  Save it on your computer, open it to edit, reduce size, resave, upload to your album, and then set it as your avatar.  How's that for oversimplifying??? 

Keep practicing with the pull buoy.  It's a great tool to focus on body roll.  If you are going to get lessons the sooner the better--a good teacher/coach will help you make your kick more efficient and find body balance. 

I think the all or nothing approach is common.  Fit is a lifestyle--people who work out regularly are typically good eaters.  Lazy people frequent the fast food joints.  I bridge the two groups.  Our goal as a group is to be aware of what goes in our mouths.  Nobody is perfect.  But we can all find balance without too much sacrifice.  My pop quiz this morning is an effort to get the awareness going.

My dad would was a very young 57 when he died.  One thing I struggle with is that my dad lived a healthy life for the most part.  Yes, he smoked for a few years in his 20's and 30's, and he was a radiologist and I can't help but wonder if radiation exposure played a role in his cancer.  He first had it at 38, and enjoyed an 18 year remission before being diagnosed at 54 and fighting for his life for three years.  F*cking cancer.

I buy frozen blueberries and stock up when they are on sale.  Not too expensive that way.

Awesome.  Slow and steady gets the job done.  Remember that just because it is called a "sprint" triathlon does not mean it is a short race.  We're talking well over an hour here.  You will not forget your first 20 minute jog.  That is huge.  Now you can look forward to your first 30 minute jog!

This will change and stay the same as you do more.  I have way too many race t-shirts.  Seriously way too many.  But I can't get enough of the race numbers and finishers medals.  I write the dates and race info on my race numbers--finish time etc. and post them on the wall.  I'm proud of every single one of 'em--the first race that I thought I would drown and have a heart attack is my second favorite--the Ironman one takes the cake though.

For swims, I print out the workout I plan to do, and slap it on a wet kickboard at the end of the lane.  That is the only way I have figured out how to remember a workout.

For your running progression, look at the training plans on BT and also at: www.halhigdon.com  Hal is a running guru and has tons of great run training plans for free on his site.

Stick with what you know on this one rather than what you want.    Don't you worry, with a solid foundation, the speed with come.

Nobody ever won a tri on the first leg, but they sure have lost on the first leg!

The Pleasant Prairie race was the at the end of June this year.  They had 1, 2, and 3 mile distances if I remember right.  Nice event in a beautiful spot.  It was put on by the Kenosha Barracuda swim team, hoping they will do it again in 2008.

It's okay that I still have a crush on you, right?  I'm just not ready to give that up.

24 hr thing... Yes, I've raced in 6 24 hr races on teams and 1 I did as a duo.  You are doing one??? Awesome.  They are my favorite thing in the world.  All my favorite memories come from those.  This is my first time solo and I have some big goals for myself.  I listed out my goal lap times in my log.  Based on my racing history at that race on a team and the lap times of the women that ranked top 3 the last year or two... I'm thinking 15 laps would get me a podium spot and 16 laps would clinch it.  Realistically?  I haven't a clue.  But goals are good. 

HIM is more important for sure.  Mary, just because I want to say I've done one.

Race weight... I've put some one since I've seen you .  Damn drinking.  But, yes, my goal weight is what I raced at in 2005 and felt fantastic.  I don't want to lug any more of myself on the bike than I have to. 

Leadville 100 is interesting.  It is a lottery to get in, but I have a friend (forerunner guy if you read my race report from Winter Park) who has a friend who did it last year and I guess if you complete it, you get 5 entries for the next year.  I love epic things like that.

Peter, I think you absolutely rock and I'm glad to be in this group.  You have such positive energy and I totally feed off of that.  Thank you!

Seperate us three?  Sounds interesting!

Wheat of course!