LaurenSU02's group - CLOSED! (Page 30)

vball03umd - 2008-05-18 5:16 PM I ran my first half marathon today!!  I had a great time   I do need to start taking in some nutrition during training though because I felt like I could have used a gel for the last 5k today.  This was my longest run to date though and I was OK up until mile 10. 

Great job!!!!  I like the half marathon distance.

DEAD BODY!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS MATT!!!!  YIPPEE!!!!

I just saw this!!  Have a great time in Alaska!!   I was there for two weeks when my uncle was stationed there and it's awesome.  It'll be probably be a little chilly - like jeans and sweatshirt weather in Seward.  It was cooler there than Anchorage.

Have a wonderful time! 

Nope, first time up there! Already have all the places we're staying booked, but maybe we could give that breakfast place a try!

Traci - Thanks for the heads up, I will bring some of my winter clothes with me

Check out my album for a couple of photos of Alaska!   Yup, be prepared for cool weather!

Calling all bike experts...

I have a "minor" problem of having close to 0 experience riding on hills. After mapping out my HIM bike course (in Muncie, IN called "muncie endurathon,  I am starting to panic a little about this. Although I am able to drive an hour away (and carpool whenever I can) to get in running on hills, I just don't think it's possible to make a second trip for the bike.

I almost always ride into a headwind, and my lowest gear puts me at about 41 gear inches. If any of you have time to look at the Munie bike course route elevation map which I posted as a public route on the BT route feature and give me a sense about if I'm:

1. Going to be slow, but will survive the hills  -or-

2. Get your butt out to some hills or you are screwed!

I would be forever in your debt...

Hola everyone.....

WOW!  So much has happened.  I don't have the time to respond better, so I'm VERY sorry....

1. Baby:  WooHoo!!!!  Congrats.  Who won the pool?
2. Races:  Awesome for eveyone that competed!  I will checkout the RR's.
3. Dead body:  ewwwwwwwww....
4. Long rides:  Good for you guys who got them in.  I wish I could have.
5. Alaska:  Schweet!  One place I would love to go some day.  Post some pics.
6. Race Volunteer:  Nice, I want to do that some day.
7. Happy Monday!

Later!

Actually here is the link:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/training/map.asp?routeid=52422

Still need to turn on the "elevation"

Probably both.  More #2 if anything..... sorry....

Headwinds suck, but nothing compares to hills like riding hills IMO.  I haven't looked at the profile yet.  Make sure you have some gears low enough to still spin up the hills if you can - a 60 dollar investement in a different cassette could really make a difference.  Do you have a trainer you can crank up the resistance?  Maybe prop the front of the bike up a couple inches to feel the different angle?

OK - After looking at the profile, I take it back some.  You should be ok.

I took the lowest point (-40) and the highest (161).  That's about 200 vertical feet in over 14 miles.  That REALLY flat (only 0.3 percent grade, average).  I also checked some of the steeper sections, and you are dealing with only 50 feet vert. over a half mile or so.  This actually seems like a pretty flat course to me.

However, there could be some short but steep hills that don't show up, but it doesn't look like anything is too long.  Anyway to drive the course beforehand to check it out?

if you have a good bike, i'd say more #1 than #2.  just looked at the elevation and it really is quite manageable - 2000 ft over 55 miles, and the min is around -50ft to a max of about 132 - sounds very manageable to me, and i'm not a fan of hills.

granted, it wont' be as easy as a totally flat route...but i don't think you'll find yourself in a position where you can't do it.   i think it LOOKS scarier than it is, but if you look at the scale, it's really not too bad.  if you have an appropriate crankset/cassette that allows you to spin, i think you'll make it just fine, just a bit more tired at the end than you'd expect on a pancake route.

HA!!!  looks like you and i were typing at the same time.  we have the same opinion.  

I can't see the elevation on that, but if I could, I am not so sure it would indicate the type of climbing (it'll just say total elevation change over XX miles, right?).

1. Stay calm, don't freak out. It's probably not as bad as you think. FWIW, last year, I did all my bike training in flat South Jersey, and managed a decent showing at my less-than-flat HIM in New Hampshire. This year, 90% of my bike training will be done in flat South Jersey, and I am sure I will survive the 112 miles at IMLP.
2. Your running should be fine at this point. If it's only feasible to travel once a week to train in hills, maybe you should start doing your bike training in the hills as opposed to the run training.
3. All climbing is is power to weight. You just need to exert more power to move your weight across the distance. Just think of it that way. You don't need hills to prepare yourself for hills. A power meter allows you to see this clearly, in numbers. But, if you can't find a place to ride hills, do intervals where you crank out a lot of power (i.e., throw it in the big ring, and mash those pedals as hard as you can). It doesn't allow you to practice gearing on hills, etc., but it will help and it will also allow you to throw "hill effort" into your rides.

Let me know if you can find an elevation profile for it. No worries. You'll be fine !

Oh okay. I couldnt' see/find elevation. Based on the numbers above, you will be fine, and the course is pretty flat . No worries !

Hit the "elevation" or "profile"button (I forget which it is)  "elev. graph" button above the map and it gives you that info....

Thanks guys! I'm starting to relax a little!

My easiest combo on my bike is 42/25. I just don't know if it's worth it to change these or not for the race. Would a 27 be a big diff. over the 25?  

Thanks for the advice, I will try chugging through the 55/12 (hardest combo) a bit and practice that. I know I will be breaking down the hills because I'm a total wuss 

The largest hill I could find near where I live is a 50ft climb over a fairly short distance, maybe I will ride up and down that for a while, I'm sure the people on that street will think I'm nuts!

Not much difference (27 over 25).....  That's only one extra gear, really, so as much difference as going from your 23 to 25.

Test yourself on the hill in which you speak of.  That should be a good test of what you may see.

I think you'll be fine, too.  Long, extended hills are easier to maintain than short, steep ones.  Like Lauren mentioned, the only thing you will have a difficult time with is learning how to shift on the hill.  Know thy hill!!!!  Shift into an easier gear early, lighten up on the pedaling in the midst of the hill to shift, and remain seated as much as possible.

Hey Everyone! Thanks for the Congrats!

Baby is doing really great and we're heading home tomorrow.  So, no workout until tomorrow.  She's so sweet, just wants to cuddle all the time.  I'm trying to soak it up because I know it won't last.  Totally different from when Jacob was born.

A few comments on previous posts:

1) Congrats to Traci on the half marathon! Sounds like you learned good  training tips from it.

2) Lauren, what kind of saddle/shorts does someone use for a 6+ hour ride? And how long do you spend in a hot-tub after that?

3) Dead Body!? What's the story with that? I saw a dying armadillo last week riding home from the pool.  First armadillo I've seen that wasn't dead on the road but a car had just hit it.  I presume a human body is a little more strange.

4) I've been looking at bikes.  Conditions for getting one are a) I must complete 3 triathlons and the Marathon this year, b) must get-down to 210 lbs, and c) must get in the habit of doing longer rides to warrant the tri-bike.  d) must register for an HIM.

Another QUESTION for the BIKE EXPERTS- I won't likely ride my Road Bike once I get the tri-bike since it's too big and pretty heavy so should I look to just canibalize my bike for gear set, cranks, etc or is it best to buy complete?   Should i just sell the road bike and put the money toward the tribike? I have a 1996 Bianchi road bike.  It's in good condition, but not great condition.

I'm pretty pumped about the possibility of doing a 5K swim in January off Ft Lauderdale.  I'm pretty sure I will need to get a wetsuit for it, but if the water is like it was last year, I'll just "modify" my scuba shorty for it. 

(Emma.JPG)

(jacobhead.JPG)

Cute pics!!! Thanks for sharing, glad to hear that all is well Sorry I can't help with the bike question.

Thanks again for all of the comments about the "hills issue". I will try that 50fter for practice and I will practice getting into an easy gear early, just as you suggest. There is a chance I could drive to a hilly area maybe at least once before the race, so I'm sure that would help as well. You guys are great!

If I saw a dead body I would probibly fall off my bike in shock!

DAMN is it hot today (108 degrees!)....

This gives me a glimps of what's to come this summer.  Part of the reason I changed my plan (again!)....

Blech.  I may be doing lots of work on the trainer exept for those long bikes, where it becomes phsycologically impossible to be on a trainer.....

LOVE the pics!!!  Emma is beautiful, awwww, congratulations again!  How does Jacob like his new little sister?

As for the bike, if you have '96 bianchi, i'd say don't cannibalize it.  you'll get much better components on a tri bike, even if you go entry level (unless this bianchi was a racing steed back in the day and has super nice components, then maybe you can think about it).  but my guess is you should just go whole hog and get a full tri bike - it will have nice new components, you don't have to worry about moving cranks, derailleurs, etc. (that are 10+ years old!) over to the tri frame. 

as for the idea of selling the bianchi, if you plan on riding in groups, keep the bianchi.  it's bad form to ride in a group with a tri bike because they're tougher to handle, and if you're riding in close quarters, it can be a little dangerous.  if you always ride alone, then maybe consider selling it, if you need the money.  if you don't...well, a vintage bianchi is always a nice part of a bike stable . 

Love the pics! You have some very cute kids!!

I agree with Lisa, just get an entirely new bike. But, feel free to keep the roadie so you have two...just in case .

I just use the Dolce saddle from Specialized. My butt's pretty immune to riding; I wore cycling shorts for that ride (cheap $20 pair I got at Sports Authority 3+ years ago), but I can handle the long stuff in just tri shorts, maybe less.

I have to toot the old horn a little today.  I hit two personal benchmarks:

FIRST, I got up early to workout!  WOOT!  Not that I've never did that before, but 4:45 was awefully early.

Also, I'm 99.9% sure I had my longest swim ever this morning!.....  It wasn't all that bad, either!  Had the pool to myself, the pool room was nice and toasty and the water was warm!