Dream Chaser's 'Set a Goal and Capture it!' Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 30)

www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=252630

GREAT JOB, DAVID!!!

One of the four horsemen of the apocalypse...

His name would be Kegasus...which is the official mascot of the Preakness this year, which is on the same day as the end of the world.    If you've never heard about the debauchery that goes on in the infield during the day, Google it sometime. 

Dream Chaser - 2011-05-19 4:21 PM

kimmax - 2011-05-16 10:56 AM

Whatever you've been eating during training rides, try and duplicate that on the day of the Century.  This is a Supported Century, right?  So there will be Aid Stations?  If so, feed the body what it wants.  If you crave sugar, it means you need carbs and sugar.  If you crave salty, grab some pretzels.  Pretty simple

And don't tell me between now and the next 4 weeks you can't get one outside Ride in!!

As for the Taper, this is not Running; it's Cycling.  Great example is Marathon Runners.  They train for two Marathons a year on average.  Professional cyclists ride 20-Stage Tours with only one or two rest days!! They do back-to-back-to-back-to-back Centuries!!   I would not Taper for this event Marcia.  For me, personally, I've found Cycling and Swimming similar in the fact that the more I do it, the better I get.  My best Swims and Long Rides have come during the end of a week where I've swam or cycled a fair bit.  Having said all that (Curb Your Enthusiasm Reference )  I would keep the frequency up the final week, but I would remove intensity.  So in short, *I* would NOT cut down Volume, or if I were to cut down Volume I would do so ever slightly 10 to 20%, and I would make the trainer rides that final ride very EZ.

Yes it will be an assisted supported ride.  It's the practice rides leading up to it that pose a challenge! 

So after what feels like MONTHS of constant rain it's finally sunny out!!!  Guess who will be on her bike by 6am tomorrow morning?  Yup!  Meeeeee!  Supposed to be nice and sunny.  But I'll be riding by the lake so I'm thinking it might be a tad bit chilly.  I need to buy some arm warmers.... and a cycling jersey might be a good idea too doh!

After all the great advice I've received (which I'm very appreciative for) I'm sort of leaning towards DC's re: taper.  I think I might drop one of the hour rides during the week and keep the cycling easy vs. interval training but I think I'm going to keep increasing the weekend before the ride.  Just keep building the volume til the actual ride.   

Okay - gotta run and get my stuff ready.  It's only 8:30 and I feel ready for bed! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend - it's a long one here with Victoria Day woo hoo!  Can't wait to see what you all will be getting up to.  Hopefully next time I report in it will be to report on my longest ride EVER!

ETA: FIXED IT!

Got the first tri of the year in the books this morning; a mini sprint that was my first tri ever last year. 

Completed last year in 58:42 and was aiming for sub 50 this year as that was AG podium in 2010. Nailed it at 49:03, missed podium by one place BUT can't complain about over a 9:49 PR

Dream Chaser - 2011-05-22 12:11 PM Tremendous Ride Yesteday, Marcia!!  68 miles -- YEAH BABY!!

Funny!  Thanks!  You had a pretty sweet ride yourself today!!  Yes yesterday was one of the first days that felt like spring here.  Sunny and beautiful.  I made the mistake though of taking the trail that runs along the lake.  It was a nice ride but when we got to the 1/2 way mark and looked at the time we realized it was going to be a L-O-N-G 100km.  Took us 5.5 hours to complete!!!  Insane!  I guess the good news is - now I know I can sit in the saddle for that long!  Next weekend I'll go for it again but this time will stick to the roads.  Feel good today - quads are a little tight.  My shoulders and neck were killing by the end of the ride yesterday.  I was happy to dismount

Way to go on the tri Ted!  Very spontaneous of you!

Dream Chaser - 2011-05-22 12:05 PM

Sammeg - 2011-05-22 11:05 AM

Got the first tri of the year in the books this morning; a mini sprint that was my first tri ever last year. 

Completed last year in 58:42 and was aiming for sub 50 this year as that was AG podium in 2010. Nailed it at 49:03, missed podium by one place BUT can't complain about over a 9:49 PR

Really, Ted ... you missed it by one place!!!  Positive:  Great job on the PR.  Good volume in April.  Congrats on 4th AG.  Negative:  Had you carried and built on the April Volume you would've probably had a shot at THE PODIUM!!!

Slacker

Hahaa, I think slacker is being positive w/my May training(or lack of) but to put a positive spin on the race, it....well, um...hmmm...oh, yeah, my legs were oh so fresh.

kimmax - 2011-05-22 3:26 PM

Dream Chaser - 2011-05-22 12:11 PM Tremendous Ride Yesteday, Marcia!!  68 miles -- YEAH BABY!!

Funny!  Thanks!  You had a pretty sweet ride yourself today!!  Yes yesterday was one of the first days that felt like spring here.  Sunny and beautiful.  I made the mistake though of taking the trail that runs along the lake.  It was a nice ride but when we got to the 1/2 way mark and looked at the time we realized it was going to be a L-O-N-G 100km.  Took us 5.5 hours to complete!!!  Insane!  I guess the good news is - now I know I can sit in the saddle for that long!  Next weekend I'll go for it again but this time will stick to the roads.  Feel good today - quads are a little tight.  My shoulders and neck were killing by the end of the ride yesterday.  I was happy to dismount

Way to go on the tri Ted!  Very spontaneous of you!

Scha-weet OUTDOOR ride Marcia! With all the crazy trainer hours you've put in this year, you're gonna KILL that century!

Well, seems we all survived Judgement Day over the weekend so I have no more excuses not to train

Race report for yesterday's mini is up

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=253425&posts=1#M3513656

Wow!!  Congrats!!

Sweet! Taking almost 10 minutes out of a race that distance is huge progress! 

Sammeg - 2011-05-22 7:27 PM

kimmax - 2011-05-22 3:26 PM

Dream Chaser - 2011-05-22 12:11 PM Tremendous Ride Yesteday, Marcia!!  68 miles -- YEAH BABY!!

Funny!  Thanks!  You had a pretty sweet ride yourself today!!  Yes yesterday was one of the first days that felt like spring here.  Sunny and beautiful.  I made the mistake though of taking the trail that runs along the lake.  It was a nice ride but when we got to the 1/2 way mark and looked at the time we realized it was going to be a L-O-N-G 100km.  Took us 5.5 hours to complete!!!  Insane!  I guess the good news is - now I know I can sit in the saddle for that long!  Next weekend I'll go for it again but this time will stick to the roads.  Feel good today - quads are a little tight.  My shoulders and neck were killing by the end of the ride yesterday.  I was happy to dismount

Way to go on the tri Ted!  Very spontaneous of you!

Scha-weet OUTDOOR ride Marcia! With all the crazy trainer hours you've put in this year, you're gonna KILL that century!

Always nice to break free of the trainer.  Looks like you had an awesome ride, great job, well on your way to your century.

Junk Food is the Enemy. 

Anyone else struggling with losing weight?    For me, it's a matter of stopping eating garbage.  Very simple, but so freaking hard to do...

Yes it is.  But oh so tasty...

I know that if I really focused on my nutrition/diet I could lose another 15 pounds, but honestly I'm not really focused on losing any more weight this tri season (right at 200 lbs currently...which is the least I've weighed since probably my sophomore year of college, and down 25 from fall 2006).  At 6-10 hours of training a week it's been hard to keep the weight on.  I'm looking to race Clydesdale this year for my sprints and Olys so I gotta keep the weight on for now.  Next year might be different when I look to go HIM or maybe even IM, and I'll probably look to race my fall HM in the 195 range.

Maybe it's a little cheesy competing right at the cutoff line for Clyde but I can't compete with the 160-170 lb Bobby's in my 40-44 AG.

YUP!  I'm really sick of it!  Probably because it all just makes NO SENSE!!!

When I started triathlon in 2008 I weighed 137, did resistance training 3x per week and some spin classes.  I couldn't even run - my longest run was 1.5 miles!  I started on a couch potato-to-sprint plan and my total hours of training for the year was 68hrs.   Fast forward three years and I weight 142, do no resistance training and now - in May - I have already surpassed the number of hours exercised than in all of 2008!?  I've pretty much given up alcohol and junk food.  I try to eat clean and have replaced potato chips/pretzels with nuts (though just a handful).  I eat clean for the most part.  And ya... I can't pass through this barrier.  What's worse is with every year older - I gain another pound or two.  It's really really frustrating.  I try cutting back but ya - I feel tired, hungry and will get headaches when I do.  I do have an underactive thyroid which I think plays a bit of a role in all of this.  I even thought at one point that maybe I wasn't eating enough so I increased and... I gained!

My weakness is cheese.  I do love it.  But I measure and keep it in check.  So what's the answer?  I am going to REALLY go for it from now until the end of June.  No alcohol [or maybe just light beer ].  Go nuts on fruits and veggies.  Eat as clean as I possibly can.  Continue to train but I won't let myself go feeling hungry or with headaches etc.  And if I can't shed this by the end of June - well I will accept the sad fact that I might be getting old and this is a part of life   Then I will drink a LOT of wine (only partly kidding!).

I think too it's good to be accountable.  I send my mother my daily food intake so I'm not cheating.  Maybe you need to start posting a 'junk food' log Bobby - when you see it listed out - it can be an eye opener.

My wife has a similar result from working out...seems that the more she works out the more she weighs.  Drives her crazy.  Of course I really don't notice the difference being a clueless male and all...

I took a similar approach my first year of Tris.  Basically hovered around 200 and stayed there on purpose so I could be considered a clydesdale.  What I have found though is that a lot of Tris are moving away from and or eliminating the clyde/athena class. 

Looking back I think I would have been better off letting my weight drop where nature and training was taking it and racing lighter vice trying to stay at 200.  For me I felt much better dropping the extra 10 pounds, felt lighter on my feet and it is amazing what dropping 10 lbs can do for your biking performance.  Think about how much money can be spent to drop a few pounds on the latest and greatest bike.  It is much cheaper and physically beneficial to drop the pounds.

I will never be one of the guys who stands on a podium at the end of a race and I am good with that.  But I do want to perform to my highest level, for me that means letting the weight come off naturally.  I'm not saying this is your case as some actually perform better with more muscle mass and power, but for me lighter is faster. 

My weight is finally starting to come off.  I finally dropped below 200 this year, I attribute this to finally getting outside for training and ramping up the volume.

During my IM ramp up last year I dropped down to about 192 and actually put a few pounds on during my taper into the race.  Funny that the appetite is still there despite the reduced training load.  Lesson learned is to somewhat ignore the appetite and reduce the calories as I head into my future tapers. 

One key for me is to stay hydrated and drink water throughout the day.  Outside of juice/milk in the morning I  really try to stay away from drinking any calories.  Normally the calories I drink are for taste only and provide no benefit, especially soda.  I have become a fan of tea.

My nemisis is chocolate and ice cream, if I am in the general vicinity of it I feel drawn to consume it.  Best for me to keep it out of the house. 

Since we're on the junk food topic...I stole this from Ron's (one of the guys who runs this site) blog:

I don't understand all the fuss about Ronald McDonald.  It's the parents that buy it...not the kids.  It's the parents that drive the kids to McDonalds...not the kids.  So when parents try to pin the obesity epidemic on fast food chains...who is really to blame?

My kids have McDonalds or really any fast food about twice a month lately.  I pack their lunch myself, lots of fruits and veggies everyday.  Chicken sandwich from a roasted breast (not processed, overpriced deli meat) They don't eat that nasty (microwaved in plastic wrap=plastic chemical leaching) school food.  They don't eat that candied cereal that many kids do.  They don't have PopTarts for breakfast (as delicious as they are, PopTarts are not a healthy start to a kids day). 

My wife and I discuss if the fact that people go to Fast food for their kids due to the fact that it is inexpensive...IT'S NOT!  2 Happy meals and an adult meal is very expensive compared to making something at home from scratch (crock-pot roast with potatoes, onions and carrots) on a 'per meal' basis.  Eating out anywhere does not save money anymore.  Fast food is only fast...not cheap.

My kids get snacks like chips, cookies everyday with lunch and after dinner...assuming they eat fruits and veggies between meals.  I am not draconian.  They are not devoid of any yummies.  They get on avg about an hour to play on the playground after school.  When it's warm we walk home (extra 20 minutes).  TV doesn't go on except for weekends so they are outside after homework is done...plus karate.  If they instead choose to read or play inside, all the better as it is developing their imagination instead of droning away in front of the TV.  I make sure they burn what they are consuming...and having fun.  Keeping TV or videos on the weekends gives them something to look forward to from a good week at school.

Parents shouldn't blame fast food.  Parents should blame the lack of diligence on their part for their kids obesity...as ultimately it's the parents that put the food in front of their kids - or take them to it.

Many people will cite, "But I have no time to pack lunch or make dinner...we work all these hours."  Well...from what I have seen numerous times, many people have to work those hours to afford all the thing that they don't really need, big house, cars, eating out, etc...this takes away from being really diligent in your kids life.  I know I can save 1/4 to 1/3 at least from people's budgets.  That can go to less hours or a different job for more family time.  One really has to evaluate if you are living for you or for your kids/family sake.

I think this is pretty much spot on for the most part and the focus on children's nutrition is very important  BUT I think the real culprit in regards to childhood obesity (or all obesity for that matter) is the lack of physical activity.

Our diet certainly wasn't any better growing up in the late 70's early eighties and I don't believe that this was nearly the issue that it is now. Nobody came home from school and played video games(probably cause they sucked back then ), we would ride our bike to practice whatever sport was in season or we'd have a pickup game of baseball/hockey/Bball or whatever. Kids still play sports; mine play soccer, basketball, tennis, track and swimming throughout the course of the year but I don't really see the neighborhood pickup games like I used to. Seems that given the choice to be active or jump on the computer/Xbox/DS/whatever, too often the choice is to tune out with technology.

When my kids were in 1st grade, the school implemented a rule that forbid any food at class parties such as birthdays, holiday, etc. citing the obesity problem. Figuring 20 kids and maybe 5 holiday celebrations over the course of a 10 month school year, you're talking about 2.5 cupcakes per month. Yet, in talking to my daughters yesterday, they told me that during recess, kickball was no longer allowed, they can't run, no touch football, dodgeball has been gone forever and no boxball. The one game they are allowed to play is modified volley ball where they catch the ball then throw it back over but they are considering banning this as well....but it's the 2.5 cupcakes per month that are making them fat.

Don't get me wrong, nutrition is very important and creating good eating habits is REALLY important but as a society, we're so afraid to let our children be kids for fear of injury or lawsuit that we eliminate the very behavior that historically helped kept the obesity risk in check.

Sorry bout the rant but I feel better now