Scott's Mentor Group-Closed for training. (Page 30)

Good morning, everyone!

I'm still not feeling great even after taking it really easy this weekend. I just made an appointment to see the chiropractor tonight. My neck feels a little pinched and I'm hoping getting it worked on will help a little.

By the time I'm done with that and I probably won't get a workout in tonight. I have to meet with a friend to pick up some items she is donating to a charity I am visiting this week. She is also a nun. I'm afraid this also may interfere with my ability to transport my bike as planned when I travel as I may not have room in my car. So 2 workouts killed with one stone but how do you say no to a nun? Especially, when it involves charity.

I also have my mother visiting later this week so between the travel and family obligations the week is not looking good. I've gone over the math over and over in my head and it's looking like it muight be saturday before I swim or bike. I'm going to try to run every day though and I'm making my weekly track workout a priority.

Glad to hear of eveyone's progress! Keep it up!!

Slow day in here...

So, um, yeah I needed the adjustment. I'm icing my neck now and hopefully back in business tomorrow. I'm travelling, though. A few hours in the car and I'll be ready for a run to stretch back out.

Hope everyone had a great day!

Good morning, tri trainers!

Matt, I am sorry for your loss. Safe travels to CT. Glad you got a plastic sleeve for your thumb. Listen to your doctor and reel it in when necessary.

Hit the pool yesterday for 2000 yard swim. Thats a 1.1 mile swim- still have 1.3 miles more to go before I am ready for Kona- onward! I'm ready to start to changing it up a bit in the pool. I feel like I have a good base to work with. I am going to look for some speed drills and do something different- just not sure what yet. Next week will be distance training. I'll swim next week, both days, at race distance to see how my times look- give it a little more push.

Weather pending, i'll hit the road today for 25 miles. I'll do the same with the bike next week  regarding distance training. I'll get in two longer rides this week and do race distance riding next week. Less than two weeks before I smash dreams!!! I can't wait!!

What is on the agenda today everyone??

Good to hear on the thumb Matt.

Going for a group ride tonight. Excited! First group ride in a year so looking forward to the atmosphere.

Wound is sufficiently closed so I can now resume swimming - not sure what I will have but my plan for the AM is as follows ...

Get kids off to school ... bike (on trainer) from ) 830-1000am ... chiropractor at 10:30 (I am finally having my hip issue corrected which will mean custom orthotics and hopefully in time no more problems with my running .... anyone have any experience with custom orthotics?

After lunch I will be going to the pool and will take the short lanes (the 25m ones) and seeing what my arm and fitness allow me to do - I won't push it ...

I am excited though and will be returning to work on the 18th - 5 weeks "wasted" finally coming to an end.

Century ride on Saturday - first time I will be back on the street - and I have promised my wife that after this I will remain on the trainer for three more weeks before I do any road work ...  

Everyone is healing up nicely.  Sounds great!  Matt, so sorry to hear of your loss.  Prayers to your family.  

Question for the gang:

Which of the three sports is your strength?  Which is your weakness?  What are you doing to maximize your strength and minimize your weakness?

1.  Cycling is my strength.  Which is weird b/c I come from a running background.  Because of my injury over the last year I have hit the bike hard and it has become my best sport so far.  

2.  A year ago I would have said swimming, but I'm actually coming along pretty well.  Running is my weakest, again very weird.  I am coming back.  Achilles not 100%, but about 90-95% depending on the day.  

3.  I am running as much as I can with a whole lot of easy miles to build my strength back up.  Just recently have added some tempo work.  And I continue to hit the bike hard as I feel that this is where I will "crush dreams."  

How bout you?

Good morning peeps ... 

Just in from 6.2 miles. Rainy, which I love in the summer. Shoes are stuffed with newspaper to dry. Yesterday ended up being an unintentional rest day. I opted to sleep in as I just couldn't get any sleep worrying about the high winds. We had a large pine tree fall onto the house last week and there are still some precarious trees in the same area that we've asked to have removed (land owned by the university). So I didn't bike in the morning. Thought I'd run last night after my daughter's track banquet, but we got home pretty late and I ended up going to bed. No worries .. I hadn't had a rest day in a while.

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1. Running is my strength. I've been a runner for 30+ years, and I know how to maximize my training. I've always loved running and, had I not gotten injured last year, would probably still be only a runner.

2. Swimming is probably my weakness, but mostly due to my newness to it. I can hold a 1:40/100yd pace for 1000yds now, so I think I've already moved to the front of the MOP.

3. To maximize my strength, I continue to train hard for the run. A track workout every week and now hilly trails once per week as well. I intend to get off the bike and run my age groupers down.

To improve my weakness, I commit to swimming at least 3x per week and I do whatever my coach tells me to do ... finding new areas to work on as often as possible. I've recently taken on bilateral breathing and that has really helped me keep a balanced stroke. This weekend will be my first open water swim with sighting practice.

Biking is somewhere in between the two. I'd like to be able to hold more speed, so I'll be really focusing on  quality training this summer. I can already tell that this winter will be a significant bike focus for me in anticipation of IMLP 2013.

Which of the three sports is your strength?  Which is your weakness?  What are you doing to maximize your strength and minimize your weakness?

Cycling is certainly my strength of the 3. I started mt biking about 1.5 years ago and then bought my first road bike about 1 year ago. I didn't cycle that much last year but since February when I started training Ive really improved. I bike 2 times per week

Running would be my next strength but I don't consider it a strength. I started running small 15 minute HIIT drills about 2 years ago when I lost the majority of my weight (down 65 pounds). Since March when I completed my first ever 5k race I've had significant improvement. Last week went on a hour and half run. I wouldn't even dream of that duration 3 months ago. I've been running 3 x per week.

Swimming is my weakness and currently I am not doing much about it. I've shown significant improvement in the last 6 weeks however I am no where near where I need to be for my first Tri in September. I am still looking for a pool to join. Hopefully this week I will find one and can add more swimming to my weekly training. I currently swim twice per week but hopefully will change that to 4 times per week very soon. I just joined a local Tri club and one of the members is retired and told me he will gladly help me with my swimming. I will be taking him up on his offer very soon.

Morning, tri junkies!

It is a glorious day! I feel a big run coming on! (only 5 miles but it has been awhile).

Paul, I know you are itchin' to get out there. Enjoy! You already have a century ride planned?

Jonathan, group rides are a lot of fun. They push you when you might otherwise go easy on yourself. Do as many as you can. Don't worry about getting dropped. It happens. Remind me what your first race is in September...Oly or Sprint?

Scott, good topic. I would say biking is my strength but have seen the most improvement in running and swimming. I like biking the best and swimming the least. I had a 4 mile run in April and did all 4 miles in sub 8 minutes. I was impressed. I'm still averaging 16-18 mph on my bike, not so impressive. I am now swimming a mile twice a week in about 45 minutes. That is more impressive than my biking. However, I can bike for 2-3 hours so if endurance shows greatest strength, it is the bike. It's not the black and white answer I anticipated.

Biking- The summer afternoon winds in Lexington makes riding here a challenge late in the day. That is what my schedule dictates right now. I am riding 2-3 times a week. Somedays I do shorter distances with more intensity and other days longer rides at lower intensity. I want to build up my endurance to tackle a century ride next May. My next race (6/24) is a 7am start. I can't wait to see what kind of speeds I do! I know the adrenaline will be pumpin!.

Running- I'm running 2-3 times a week. I'm getting my distances back up after a May injury. I really want to start running in the mornings when it is cool to see what I can do. My slow runs in the late afternoon heat help with building endurance but they are not that encouraging right now.

Swimming- I won't beat around the bush. I don't like swimming. I only swim twice a week. Dread it. Can't wait to get it over with. I get my 2000 yards in and go home. My attitude might be different in open water or outdoor pools but that is hard for me to accomplish right now. My endurance is getting better and I am happy about that. I need to practice other types of swimmming strokes and would love a coach but that is not in the budget right now.

I'm thrilled to get in the 6-8 hours a week right now that I am getting. I have seen major improvements in the 6 months I have been doing this. I don't know if I have plateaued a little and need to adjust my training. That is something I am considering. Early morning workouts would help that. My schedule/training will have a major adjustment in 8-10 weeks so we will se what happens then.

Sorry about the longevity of this post....

Which of the three sports is your strength?  Which is your weakness?  What are you doing to maximize your strength and minimize your weakness?

Running: by far my strength. I started running after I lost 50 lbs to keep the weight off and its how I got into endurance sports. regular training I have gotten my pace down from 10:00+ to mid 8's on long runs and find it a simple sport to train for and do anywhere I am.

Cycling: I am relatively new to cycling having purchased my first road bike end of last season. Once I got my fit dialed in and settled down with a group to ride with I seem to have adapted pretty well. I have gone on some 30-40 mile rides and held my own with the more experienced group.

Swimming: My weakness by far. I come from a lifeguarding/WSI background but I have not been in pool in four years since before this season. I have been swimming for three months now and swam 1.14 miles straight last night (record for me) but I am slow and not as comfortable as I would like. Also, I have not been in open water in 10 years or so.

With my first tri coming up I have been focusing on on my weaknesses first - so I prioritize swim, then bike, then run workouts (and then strenght training). I have actually found that my run has not diminished much even without runnign as much as usual - perhaps due to the benefits of cross training? My cycling is ok, I can do the distance desired but I am not happy with my speeds. My plan for the rest of the season is to build up my cycling and really develop. As for swimming, assuming I survive my tri, I plan on joining a masters class for 4 months this winter to really develop and get where I want to be.

- David

Sprint in September to get my feet wet then..

Depending on how my swimming improves then there is a Half Iron in my city in late October I would love to do. I can do the biking now, I can easily have the running by then but swimming just not sure so I haven't signed up yet. Goal is to do my first Full Iron at Texas IM Woodlands in 2014

Running is my weakness now - odd as I have done several marathons, halfs and 10ks - but the facts are simply, my milage is low and I had taken 5 years off and put on 65lbs from my running weight.  20 lbs gone and doing modest mileage and working on speed.  I did suffer through the heat of Miami yesterday....ugh - but it felt great when I was done.

Biking - I am new and feeling very comfortable - everyone (including Scott) is telling me to ride more so I am.  Did my second 40 mile ride this weekend and feel myself getting stronger and pacing much better.

Swim - swim is a comfort area - I just have been out of the water so getting the mileage  is helping me.

Net net - I am working hard on all 3 portions doing each 4-5 times a week to improve all - crazy but fun.

Matt - sorry for your loss.

First time in the pool since I smashed my clavicle ... told myself I would go easy and no matter what stop at 1200 meters ... did the 1200 and could have easily done more.  Was hoping to get into the 25m section of the pool but the 8 lanes were packed (3 old people per lane) so I went to the 50m section where I was able to take a lane for myself.  Did the first 300m in 7:21 - Felt tight and uncomfortable for the first 200m and then began loosening up.  Did second 300m in 7:10, third set in 7:01, and fourth in 7:19 (with the final 50m being breast stroke) ...

Feel good right now and may try for 1500m tomorrow ... I am hoping to get back up to speed by July 1st (when I plan to go back to my coach and Masters Team but that may be a reach - she said she will figure something out for me regardless so that is encouraging as was today's swim.  Got some weird looks from the old people - my legs are all tattooed - I am bald and have a beard and in addition to the 3 scars on my abdomen I now currently have a shaved portion of my chest that highlights my new 8" scar ... lovely.  Maybe that is why no one came in my lane

Hit the trainer for an hour - I literally melt when I am on that thing.  Averaged 18.7mph just went steady at 85 cadence ... plan to take this Saturday's century at a nice 17mph pace - skip the first rest stop (depending on the weather) and make my first pit stop at mile 49.   Long Island generally has some nice breezes off the ocean, as long as it is not too humid it should be good.

When I started racing, it became apparent that biking was my strength.  My first three races were with a steel bodied 1982 Univega and I finished in the top 15% of the field on that tank.  I had no strategy though and went balls out full hammer and that hurt my runs.   Prior to the series of injuries I worked for 5 months on improving my run.  I ran all winter and was much improved on speed and stamina ... and then the injures hit and I really haven't run since.

Right now just based on fitness and ability I would assume my best split would come in the bike portion, based on today's swim I would think in 6 weeks I should be better than last year, and my chiro says with my new right show lifts, stretches and weekly adjustments I should be back running by July 1st ...

I'm a hot mess - but by August 5th we will put it to the test with a sprint ... I told my wife that I felt good after the swim today and that if the century went smooth I will be doing the fathers day sprint I signed up for ... she hung up on me before I could tell her I was kidding.  I have a feeling I will be in the doghouse when she gets home tonight.

David what was your start weight?  50# is a big chunk to have knocked off well done!

Sorry for being out of pocket for a few days, this one may be long to catch up.

First off I'll start off with the funny stuff. When up in CT at my Mom's house I went and did a 4 mile Tri running route for a Sprint they have at the end of July in the area, I'm giving it some serious consideration. This is REAL country in Western Connecticut, the little town I was in is called Sherman. I haven't been in this area for any extended time for over a decade, no exaggeration. As I started my run 2 cars are beeping and waving at me, people I went to high school with. Then as I was finishing up my run I heard a car slowly coming up behind me and I hear a tenative voice ask, "Matt? Is that you? IT IS YOU! I saw a big guy running from about a mile up and thought it was you!" This was another friend of mine from high school, who hasn't seen me in any athletic capacity in probably 20 years. Yes my running style leaves that kind of impression on people! Think lumbering bear on hind legs moving down the road...

So to answer your question of the three sports which is my strength? I'm going to go with Breathing!  I am more adequate at swimming and biking than running, but I would not call any of them my strength. But honestly, up until 2 years ago I had run 2 miles once before in my entire life. I hadn't done any serious swimming since I was probably 10 years old? And other than riding my bike about 3 miles to go to 7-11 in the summer with friends to get slurpees and play video games, the distances weren't that much. So as far as my standing as a noob in all 3, I'm good with that. I have room for improvement in all of them and when you have lots of room for getting better, in my experience, I see more gains more quickly which helps keep me motivated and to keep going. I'm currently closing in on maintaining a sub 10 minute mile pace for my running (on race day this magically goes down to 9 minutes somehow?) I've tried to build up my endurance but I'm now trying to mix in some fartleks as I don't have a track readily available to do any real speed work. (I think I have a 1/3 mile loop that will get the job done now though.) As far as the pool, I'm mixing my workouts to do distance one day, intervals the next, and my times keep slowly going down, so I'll stick with that (feedback I got from this forum put me on this path, it ain't broke so I'm sticking with it!) Lastly, if I'm not wiping out, I try to do at least one 30+ ride on the weekends and get in 2 or 3 hour rides during the week on a nice hilly ride in my neighborhood. When I first started doing the hour rides I was only finishing between 15-16 miles. Prior to the wipe out, I had gotten that over 18.2, so things were going well. I'm hoping to not drop off of this too much.

On that note, I got in my first ride today! I started off slow, tenative, and a little scared. After my first 4 mile lap came in at 16 minutes plus, I got pissed off at myself and kicked it into gear. I finished up the ride with 16.6 miles in the hour. More importantly the thumb didn't hurt that much (I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt when I hit the various dips and bumps.) So now that just leaves the pool, which I'll be hitting up later today.

I cannot express how happy I am to be back working out. It was only 5 days of not being able to swim or ride (thank god I was able to run) but I'm officially addicted. I was seriously blue and down. But now I'm good to go! 11 days until we do this for real!!!

-Matt

I forgot my computer when I was travelling so I had to catch up here. Last night after a few hours in the car (and light workouts all weekend) I really wanted to get out and strech my legs. I went out to run for just a mile and FINALLY managed to break 10 minutes. I'm glad to have gotten that out of the way as I have been trying for months and never quite successful. It gets in my head when I'm running and a few runs where I have thought I had a chance to break it I've ended up pushing harder than I meant to. Having done it once I think I can finally relax again and hopefully it will happen again without trying so hard.

Matt and Paul- So happy you guys are back out there.

Paul-I had custom orthotics when I ran in high school. I originally got them because I had bad shin splints and also some weird knee thing. For a long time-even into early adulthood I wore them to run always. I don't know what they are like now but back then the had to be readjusted every few months as they flattened(?) from use. I stopped using them because 1. I couldn't afford them, 2. The MD closed up and disappeared and 3. I had been a while without running and can't remember what happened to them. The shin splints didn't reoccur until I got back into running seriously. The knee pain got better with PT and better flexibility. Honestly, I've been running without them and after 4 half marathons and a couple of duathlons without them I guess I can say I don't need them. Also, my shin splints never improved when I did use them. OTOH, I did not have a hip problem-you have a different issue YMMV.

So-strengths-great topic. I don't have any.  I am equally sucky at all three disciplines. That being said:

1. Running-I have been running on and off since Jr. high. I was slow even then. In fact, in 7th grade I was the only person on the track team who couldn't pass the test to run varsity. I took that stupid test (running around a set of cones 3 times in under a certain time) soooooooooooooooooooooo many times by the time I was done half the school was lined up in the hallway cheering for me. In retrospect it was really nice of them-at the time it was extremely humiliating. The following year however I had lost a little weight (I grew a bit and took up smoking over the summer) and found myself MOP on the Jr. high cross country team that fall. I think that was when I fell in love with running. It's been a love/hate thing ever since. It's been my go to exercise for weightloss, stress and just to get into better shape for practically my whole life. I took up running after my son was born, again when I was in college, after my granfather died and a few years ago in 2008 I ran my first half marathon after having a cardiac ablation for SVT. It was my way of making sure my heart was healthy. Shortly after that I had some more health problems and it took me until 2011 to complete my next half marathon. After the 1st HM triathlon was always the goal and running was the first discipline I picked back up in order to get in shape to meet that goal. I am slow but I can run for hours and I have a really good base to work with so in that way running is my strength even though I am still BOP.

2. Swimming-I am very comfortable in the water and always have been. I was the kid who would stay in the water until she turned blue and her mother dragged her out kicking and screaming. Swimming was my first love. I grew up near Lake Champlain in upstate NY and it's the lake that my brother and I and all the kids I grew up with learned to swim in. Every summer, early in the morning we'd take a school bus to the beach and barring thunder and lightning we were expected to get into that freezing cold water(it's a big lake and doesn't warm up until mid-July) and take swimming lessons. To this day, when I get to the pool and smell the chlorine as I walk into the locker room I'm all excited that I'm going swimming. It's just so ingrained in me from childhood. I'm not fast but I think I will be fine when I fix my stroke-my strength here is that I have no fear of the water and I can take the cold pretty well.

3. Biking-Again-there's a comfort here. I grew up using my bike as transportation. I rode to school and my friend's houses and up and down the driveway ad naseum. I enjoy riding. I love the feeling of freedom on a good downhill. My limiter here has been my lack of a trainer and having to retrain each spring. This winter that will not be an issue. I plan to spend the winter making the bike a strength for me.

I know this turned into a (looooooooooooooooooong) post about how my childhood memories and my feelings about swimming, biking and running but for me that is my strength. Yes, somtimes I have to make myself go and some workouts are better than others but the truth is I enjoy all 3 of these things equally. All 3 have always been a part of my life. I don't feel any one of them outweighs the other. I may suck at them but I suck at them equally and as I get better I will get better at them equally and then I will be unstoppable-or at least my rise from BOP to MOP will be. Gotta dream big right?

It's past my bedtime. Have a good night, everyone!

Good morning peeps!

New land-speed record for me today. Old course PR was 18.8 mph. Today's ride was 19.2 mph! WooP!

Matt - is that you crossing the finish line?????!!!!!  Great story.

Morning PR in VT - Awesome.

I just finished a 11 mile ride with 3x1 all out miles spread over the ride.  times -2:42, 2:35 and 2:42  -holy cow....my legs are starting to have some power.

Yesterday I ran at lunch, swam and then found a running club doing a time trial last night so after doing 5.5 at lunch I ran again.  2.5 miles in the rain - was very lethargic but good to run with others and get pushed when all I wanted to do was sit on the couh.

What do you do for Core work?