SBR Utopia - OPEN (Page 30)

I agree with this.  Also make sure you ice your shins after each run to bring down the swelling.  Rolling with The Stick or a rolling pin will help break up the scar tissue.  If you have to run and your shins are grumpy I have found compression helps a great deal.  You can go with socks or sleeves but the compression will hold everything together so less friction on the facia.

I could see this showing up in long course quite noticeably, and early last season finally realized just how little I was getting better in the pool with what I had been doing. The bike was getting better, but the run wasn't. Training numbers yes, but not in the race. Training sims were going well, but was dragging in the race. So many people say that last line and jump to more bricks or something else as the answer. The biggest difference is the swim beforehand. I kind of knew it before, but it really hit home after Quassy to where I made some substantial changes as the winter work hadn't really done much. I don't think it's a coincidence that my best HIM run (by far) was in the race where the swim was cancelled.

Maybe suggest attempting a 2 x 20 or threshold run after a hard swim to show the point. They're just not going to go well.

Please stay to the right on the bike.

Boom! ROTFL!

Double BOOM!  HAHAHA

Does anyone ever feel like it doesn't matter how hard you work.. it still feels like crap?

I'm not trying to have a pity party or looking for encouragement. I work as hard as I can, and overall I feel good about what I'm doing, but but sometimes it feels like nothing is ever enough. 

Does anyone ever feel a bit like a gerbil on the wheel?

Absolutely - especially when I swim.  It's a constant struggle, and like I said above, it's hard to see noticeable improvements from workout to workout, but I've seen the end result, and that makes me keep going back for more.

A good plan is to sometimes look back - not over a short period, but a longer period - say a few months.  Are you SBR'ing at the same level, or can you actually see some improvements that were hidden when only looking back in the short term?  One of my big motivators is to review previous races and see if/when I've made improvements - and se what i was doing in training at the time.

Sometimes you do need to switch things up to kickstart the improvements, and also to add a litle spice to the training.  Tried and true sometimes get dull and boring.

Or the flip side of this is to just look at one day. Today. Find the joy in today and don't worry about the long term or the goal or whatever. Have fun.

I'm good at staying to the right.  In Mont Tremblant I practised riding on the white line when I could.

Yup, lots of ice and using compression sleeves seems to help.  I'll have to get out the foam roller and tennis ball as well (if I ever get out of airport hell)

This kind of is more to where I lean.  I'm just a hack playing at this game.  And I am a hack that's getting older.  I enjoy the day to day training and I like to push myself and honestly I don't get hung up in the numbers and the improvements and the what not.  When they happen I take joy in that as well (especially swimming) but when things are a little more slow moving or I feel a day is particularly hard I don't really get too concerned about it. 

Hang in there!...As Greg LeMond said: It never gets easier, you just go faster!

- Brian

I opten to rest yesterday, PF was lingering so decided to give it a rest.  Thought maybe a run this morning...NOT, didn't get to bed until 12:30 AM.  But did get to the pool at lunch and had a good swim.  I did a set of 200's and I cam in under 2:55 for all of them.  That may be the first time I've ever done that.  We've done sets in our masters groups, I just done remember what my times were.  I'll try to make cycle class tonight, may make it a brick and run 3-4 miles afterwards.

Holidays are over, game on peeps!

Anyone use Strava Run for their run data?  I do not understand the elevation change data.  It simply shows up as a whole number, such as 33, or -18.

Anyone know how to translate this?

I have what I think is a hilly run route, but don't know how to quantify with Strava.

This.  Training is just like life...  well I guess it is just life.  You'll have good days and bad days.   Hopefully the good outweight the bad, but ultimately the ability to be out there - running, swimming, biking, skiing, paddling, boarding, heck, just walking - is a blessing (coming from a totally non-religious person).

On those days my motto is FIDO (forget it, drive on)

So today I start my training program with a coach, leading to PRs in HIM and IM distance.  The first day's planned workout:

Rest Day

Hmmmm     

(j/k, it was set up this way and I had a good great weekend)

I had shin splints early on and was advised by a very good runner to try to increase my cadence.   Worked on that and they have not (knock wood) returned

That's my kind of coach.  did you decide to go the coach route because of the IM or you just wanted to see if you could really stretch your results this year after such a great year last year?

Did they prorate the fee?

Heh I started with a coach this year to just try to get back to where I was before my injury.

Looking like I lost about 50 watts.  Ouch.

A little of both?  I want to see how much run potential I have, but need someone to reign me in at times.  In the words of my friend just yesterday, "see? there you go again, overdoing it....."

It will come back, didn;t you have some lung injury as well?

Ha! Ha! My coach actually writes my workouts for free, but charges for the rest/recovery days, because they are the ones that are most important. Seriously, I don't think coaching is for everyone, but the best thing mine has done is to slow me down, make sure that my easy days are easy enough (which allows my hard days to be hard enough) and make sure I get the appropriate warm up, cool down, active recovery and rest. If only I had of known 20 years ago, youth is wasted on the young, I coulda been a contenda, etc, etc.

I'm seriously considering doing the Oly Distance AG National Championships in August. I'm currently weighing the pros and cons of all this bike suffering you people speak of  hence my question the other day.

You need to stop talking about it and just do it.  You'll do great.  You're already getting some good rides in there.  After Boston you'll be able to focus more on the bike.  Use cycling as your cross training as you already are, then hammer the bike after Boston.  Oh yeah, swim a little too......