PanicTour's Group - FULL (Page 3)

Kick cadence is how many times you kick per arm stroke or strokes.  I generally do not kick the whole time, just during certain times of my stroke and a certain amount per stroke.  The cadence differs from person to person.  However, the main goal is to find efficiency.  This will come in time, once an individual learns their particular stroke. 

Shari, I love the "pop bottle" idea! (Seems funny to hear "pop". Down here, everyone calls them Coke. Doesn't matter whether it's a Pepsi, Sprite or whatever, it's a Coke.) I recycle them as well...they don't spill in the car. Sometimes I freeze water in the bottom 1/3, then fill the rest with water when I leave. Stays cold longer.

My challenge: 11 mile run Thursday. I'm not a runner, and I have to be very careful not to get an injury. The only flat area where I live is a cornfield, so footing can be tricky. Anyway, will add in mental toughness challenge with no IPOD. They can't be used in USAT races anyway, so I better get used to it.

Ya'll have a great day. I'm gonna chug down another mug of coffee, and then pick up 12 y/o to go to the pool.

Carol

My goal for this week is to swim 500yds in under 11 minutes.

Hey guys!

Shari, you are an inspiration, how you just keep trying. I love your enthusiasm. Thanks for the inspire. Good luck on the swim, Ward! I crashed on my 11-mile run, stopping at 6. A lot of factors involved, most prominent of which is probably overtraining. Never done that before :0. I'm definitely on the steep slope of the learning curve with this training thing. Anyway, I have permission to take 2 days off, and a whole week of taper! I'll probably go crazy mentally.

It's sleeting here! People go a little crazy with the stuff! I'll check in later.

Carol

Hey All.  I'm back from vacation.  2 days in Charlston, SC and then 5 @ Disney.  Weather could have been better but it was a good break.  I only ran once but I walked 6-8 miles a day so I'll call that my workout.  Getting back into the routine today.

You are all right about the hydration.  I need to do a better job of that. 

We went to the D-World.  Weather was a bit cold but the trip was great. 

Yeah, the Tri Talk forum is great and the search function is awesome.  You can find an answer to almost any question. 

RE the goggles, yes some people do wear a swim mask but not a snorkel.  TYR and AquaSphere both make masks that are geared toward triathletes.

You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in 19 weeks, with a little discipline.  Don't look at it as a race but one of many accomplishments that you will succeed in!  In fact there have been many accomplishments that have helped you get to this point. 

Any one have any big plans for the weekend?  I'm going to try and get in some training hours even though it is suppossed to be pretty cold around here.  I'm going to do a 1-hour trainer ride and a 20 mile run at some point. 

I'm not really looking foward to the run.  5 weeks until my marathon so I need to keep focused.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Keith, good job on getting back into the swing of things. We saw "Spirit of the Marathon" last night and it was oh, so inspiring. Wish you could see it where you are. Makes me believe I can do it too, one day. You've challenged me to think seriously about signing up for a HIM in September. It's just such a commitment. I think I'll wait until after the 1/2 mary.

Shari, you're going to do great in your tri. Just remember to have fun along the way.

4 weeks until our Mardi Gras 1/2 marathon in New Orleans. My husband and I are both getting the jitters. Mardi Gras is Feb 5, so the race will actually be during Lent. Do you think it will matter? I don't. Anyway, I'm looking for advice for race day. My coach/friend, says forget the heart rate monitor on race day. I'll pack my nutrition with me. Stomach is too sensitive to live off the course. I have a little pouch on my FuelBelt for emergency supplies. Considering lip balm, moleskin. Any other thoughts???

Carol

Hey everyone, I have a few questions regarding biking. 

Since that is all I can do is bike for the next 2 weeks, I need some input.  How often should I bike, easy or hard? 

Do recumbent bikes work a different group of muscles than an upright?  Can I do upright one day and recumbent the next and so on?

I really do not like taking more than 1 or 2 days off a week. 

Half Mary Advice...

I've done 2 half-marys which have both been in good weather so I'm lucky.  The biggest piece of advice -- no new clothes on race day.  Including socks.  Starting with a few days before the race up the % of carbs in your diet.  No need to carbo load the night before.  About 3 hours before the race have a breakfast of about 300-350 cals.  Try to use the bathroom before heading to the course so you don't have to wait in line.

During the race, start of slower than you planned pace.  You will want to have gas left in the tank at the end.  I try to run 5 easy, 5 medium, 3 with whatever I've got left.

Use whatever nutrition you used for training especially if you are carrying a belt.  For a 1/2 I take 2 hammer gels and then gatorade and/or water at the aid stations.

Good luck!

Ward - On your biking questions...

Each session should consist of mostly steady cadence on the bike.  It is good to throw in 2-3 minute bursts at a higher difficulty but make sure to build a base through steady progressively longer sessions.

The road > Trainer > Spin Class > Upright Stationary Gym Bike > Recumbent

Since you aren't getting your bike until March, I would stick with the upright unless you can get in a spin class.  The upright will help develop you core and back muscles as well as your legs.  If your back is a little sore, you can certainly hop on the rec for a day.

Let us know how it goes!  

actually I have my new bike now, but it is still too cold to ride outside (thought it did warm up for a few days).  Thanks for the info.

I hope everything goes smoothly with your grandmother.