RFP GROUP 2013 - CLOSED (Page 30)

Tim - I signed up for the Chicago lottery as well. That whole Naperville fiasco kinda screwed the pooch on that one. 

Get well soon Jen that sounds horrible!

I made the mistake of jumping right back into coached workouts after Ironman Wisconsin in 2008 and ended up burned out.    Six months of training on a plan is plenty if you maintain your base.  Enjoy those couple of months off!

Count me in for a shirt as well. 

Does anyone have any suggestions for improving recovery from hard workouts?  My bike class is killing me lately, lots of threshold work.  I don't seem to recover between Tuesday's class and Thursday's class.

Protein shake after, preferably one with some L-Glutamine but definitely a protein shake. Have that with an apple or some kinda fruit. Or have a glass of milk, piece of chicken, fish, eggs or steak or other meat product instead. Not a nutritionist but I am thinking 20-30 grams of protein at a minimum would be really helpful. Plus a few carbs and boom. 

Refuel = recovery = happy muscles. Still need to work in off / recovery days and step back weeks but yeah the shake after working out has been a huge revelation for me personally. 

Well it is official - I just registered for my 5th Ironman Event - Ironman Racine 70.3 on July 21, 2013.

Funny how I remember back in 2008 when I half committed to this crazy sport and I would see a 140.6 sticker on a car and think that the person was like a super hero or something and that a full Ironman was impossible.  Now it has become such a huge part of my life and I have surrounded myself with superheroes who impact my life everyday! It has become my lifestyle and wouldn't change it for the world.

Tim, I thought the same thing.  It is amazing how far we have gone once we decided to try it!  I still remember my first sprint triathlon sitting on the wall after finishing and saying anyone who does a full ironman is just nuts as I barley survived the sprint.  It took me 2 years after that finish to do another sprint.  I am still in awe of those with the IM tattoo and 140.6 stickers, so far I haven't considered myself one of them yet.

Last year I had asked my family and coach to write a short note that I could read on the last half of the marathon during Louisville.  This morning I got those out and was reading them and the emotions were there just like they were the first time I read them.  I am still in awe of what I completed and realized that dreams really do come true!

KTC - i think you had a 1/2 marathon today...  how was it?  i'm sure you rocked it!

tim, i'm glad your 1 year old is ok.  that must have been so scary!  but that is totally funny that your neighbors thought the ambulance was at your house for YOU!  they must think you're nuts.

jen, your illness sounds just awful!  just you mentioning "throat ulcers" sends a shiver down my spine!  that must have been so uncomfortable.  i'm glad you have a good attitude about it - that attitude will help you recover quickly....  just take it easy and rest until you're feeling better.

for recovery foods, i like a chocolate whey protein shake (AMP at GNC or Whole Foods brand), but i only use 1/2 the amount recommended and mix the powder with ice water.  i think the full amount is recommended if you are looking to increase muscle mass, which i'm not!  or a PB and J or chocolate milk or turkey sandwich.

this past week has been a little crazy for me... my 6 year old woke up on tuesday with pink eye.  i found out my 4 year old needs a tonsillectomy (not too worried about the surgery, but had NO idea that the recovery period is 14 days - no school, no day care for 2 weeks, yikes!) and then we got bamboozled by yet another effing snowstorm yesterday and the kids had no school!!  we were expecting 1-3 inches but got 18 inches instead!!  i'm so done with winter!!

i have a 10+ mile planned for tomorrow and i'm really looking forward to it!  it will be good "therapy" for me after this crazy week, ha!

hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!! 

Tim - OMG, I am so glad your toddler is okay, what a horrible scary experience for you all.

On the other note, congrats on your official sign up for Racine and good luck with the Chicago Marathon Lottery. Thanks also for the inspire, it always motivates me just that little bit more!

KTC - I hope you had a great race, be sure to let us know all the details! Also I love your idea of having your family and friends write you a small note to read on the IM marathon, I might do something like that for Shep.

Lori - Thanks so much for the lovely inspire you gave me, it really meant a lot!

Also when I was taking on dairy I used to find a low fat chocolate milk great for post strength training nutrition, it goes down easy and has plenty of protein and calcium. I cannot wait till I reach my goal weight and go 80/20 paleo, as I really miss my chocolate milks, boiled eggs just aren't the same!

Kristen - I don't know how you keep up with your schedule, you are a super mum! Enjoy that 10+ miler!

KC - how did you get on about your IT band?

Hi Team,

well today I had my sprint race with the local club. It was a little longer than the last one, but I actually felt like I handled the bike a little better than last time even with the extra lap. The run was great, I ended up with the fastest pace I've ever done in a race, so I was really happy with that. The swim was Blah! I was pretty anxious before the race and I dunno whether that affected my swim or not, but I just couldn't get my breathing relaxed and my stroke was all over the place.

To be honest I was a little disappointed with the overall time cause I thought I had done faster, but in the end I did a PR by 27 seconds over last year and that's better than being 27 seconds slower!

Anyway here is the BT race report link if you are up for the read. - Race Report

If you are interested in reading my blog about the race you can find it here - Bendigo Tri Club Sprint II

Sounds like everyone is up for a tshirt, so I'll be making that a priority (after training) over the coming week and should have a few designs for you all by next weekend. I had a look at Zazzle and a couple of other POD (print on demand) art sites and their base prices for Ts is actually pretty reasonable. Around $20-25, they also do singlets and hoodies.

Kristen - Hope you got out of the house and ran your 10 miles of therapy.  Ha Ha.  Scary that we think of that as therapy as it really is, isn't it?

Simone - Great job on your race! I would love a PR no matter by how many seconds.  Remember this isn't your A race so take each race and learn from it which it sounds like you are.  I didn't see our race report on BT but I did read your Blog.  So do you get to pick where you rack your bike?  Every race I have done, you have assigned spots so that gets tricky.

Tim - so sorry to hear about your 1 year old.  That really must have been scary.  I loved how you turned the story around about how your neighbors thought the ambulance was for you.  

Yesterday was my half marathon and I was looking forward to racing, as I haven't raced since Louisville.  It was really cold in the beginning but the day was suppose to warm up so that made dressing for the race confusing.

I was hoping for a PR but wasn't going to be upset if it wasn't in the cards as I knew going in that I wasn't as fit for this race as I had been for others.  I was racing for fun and get back into it, and I had only been really training for it for about a month.  Once again I was keeping up with my 12:1 run/walk intervals and my goal was to start slow and work my way up. I started a little faster then what I was planning but it felt good and I felt good so I kept on going.  I kept a pretty steady pace for the majority of the race.  The race itself was manly flat till the end and then they threw in some small climbing hills, and that is when I slowed down.  I ended up being 3 minutes slower from my PR but this was my 2nd fastest HM and that is with limited training so overall I was happy with it.  One thing I kept telling myself during the race was this is MY RACE, RUN YOUR RACE and don't worry about anyone else and it worked as I wasn't concerned if I was passed or if I was passing too many people as I was running my race.

As I was running I was thinking boy this seems longer then the marathon during the IM race.  Funny how things look differently after an IM.

Simone - Great Job on your race. A PR is a PR. It show consistency and that's hard to maintain over the years. My Garmin Connect is gilruntri.

KRAZY - It's great that you stuck to your plan as much as possible. It's not easy during races. Anxiety always gets the best of me. I have my first HM next Sunday and I hope that I can stick to the plan. 

Tim - I'm like you were now. I look at those stickers and I can't imagine myself doing one of those events. 

I have my first HM of the year next Sunday and I'm still on the fence as to how to run it. It's a challenging course so it makes it harder to prepare for. I still have minor pain in my heals and I don't want to make it worse so I have been taking it easy. Today I have some choirs to take care of but I am planning a Brick Workout which consists of 1 hour on the bike and a 10 mile run. I did an hour in the pool yesterday and that wore me out for the entire day so I hung out for the day and went to bed early so today I'm ready to get back at it. 

Have a great Sunday everyone. 

Gil

KTC - nice job on your race and congrats on sticking to your own race plan and not being tempted to go too hard.

With regards to our club triathlons, they are only small (80-100 people) so we can rack out bikes where ever, I tend to try and stick to the outside of a row if I can, not that it matters much cause by the time I get to T1 all of the guys and girls in my wave are already on the bike course!

Gil - Thanks for your Garmin connect details, I've sent you a request to add you as a contact. Also good luck with your lead in to next weekend's HM. Don't over do it with the brick, especially if your heels are still niggling. You want to be as fit as possible for the HM. Just a question do you wear orthotics? I have found them to be a god send with regards to my achilles issues. I couldn't afford to see a podiatrist, but I bought sport specific ones from the pharmacy and they have worked a treat. I ended up putting them in all of my running shoes.

Hi Team,

bit of news on the weight loss front from me. Today was the last day of my 3rd Whole30, so out came the scales and measuring tape. My results are as follows:

Lost - 4 kgs (14 kgs or 30.86 lbs total)
Lost - 1.5 inches off my hips (6.5" total)
Lost - 2 inches off my waist (8" total)
Lost - 1 inch off my chest (5.5" total)
Lost - 1 inch off my thigh (3" total)
Lost - .25 inch off my calf (1.25" total)
Lost - .75 inch off my bicep (1.5" total)
Added - .5 inch to my neck (.75" total loss)

It was a good month and I still feel great and I am still eating like a horse and have plenty of energy. I am hoping to stay on it for another couple of months as I would like to lose another 9.2 kgs. I should be down to my goal weight well and truly before my HM in July. I'm hoping that will help me get my run pace down to 6 min/km also.

Anyway hope everyone had a great weekend of workouts.

Simone - I do wear orthotics. I'm lucky enough to have good insurance that covers orthotics. They do help and I use them all day. I use them for short runs because when I have used them for long runs I have gotten blisters on my feet. My heels feel great today but I'll need to keep taking care of them so that the pain doesn't come back.

http://running.competitor.com/2013/03/nutrition/protein-intake-and-performance-for-runners_22711

Gotta love all these "scientific" articles that refute and support their points all at the same time. 

Gill - I would just run your HM for fun, don't worry about time, pace, etc.  Just go and have fun.  That was what I did and it was fun just going out there and remembering why I do what I do and not stress over anything.  I knew going in that I wouldn't beat my PR even though it was a route for PRing but I didn't care I just wanted to go out there and enjoy what others refuse or can't do.

Today was my first day of no schedule training and what do I do????? Go to the gym and work on my upper body, core and knocked out 1500 in the pool.  Yes, I am crazy but I got to make up my routines and sometimes that is all you need to put a smile on your face. 

Good Morning Team.

Jen WTB - hope you are feeling better.

Tim - Hope your 1 year old has fully recovered. Congrats on IM Racine and I completely agree on your feelings about the Ironman lifestyle. I am so grateful I found this lifestyle. Without getting into a long soap opera of a story, it has made me strong in so many ways and I believe it has gotten me through and continues to get me through a very difficult time in my life. As my spouse was deciding that our marriage was not what she wanted anymore, I needed something for me to focus on, to help me rediscover and recreate myself and for that and for all of you and all the others I continue to meet along my Tri journey (no matter how long it lasts) I will be eternally grateful - thanks. ( I guess that did turn into a bit of a soap opera LOL -sorry but thanks for letting me share )

KTC - I have some news for you - I was there - YOU ARE AN IRONMAN

Kristen - sounds hectic but I am sure you can handle it.

Simone - The IT band is holding up but I have a sneaky suspicion these things hand around and creep up on you when you don't want them to but I am doing all the right things to get it better. AWESOME JOB ON THE SPRINT - I am so jealous you are racing and keep up the incredible job on the weight loss.

Gil - Good luck this Sunday in your HM.

All is well with me - spent Saturday afternoon and most of the day Sunday in the USA on a shopping trip. Pool was great this morning and I am looking forward to a great week of training.

Stay safe everyone.

KC 

Wish I could keep up with all the posts.  I surrender, I can't but doing as best as I can.

I did my FTP test for the mesocycle last Wednesday. Killed it.  Only 2% from my highest ever.  I and Paleo Diet are no more.  I had no energy.  Now I have all I seem to need. 

Run is going good.  Ran 17 last Saturday, 20 the Saturday before that.   I got the 17 done in 2:45.  Sore after but recover fast to do a intense bike on Sunday.  Not bad for an old guy.

Swim is good.  Working on form (don't we always?) Now trying to incorporate the high elbow emphasized in Swim Speed Secrets.  Rather than reaching low into the water which is easier, she says fastest swimmers keep elbow near the surface under the water.  Lowers drag.  Also, ordered a pair of Zogg Flex Reactors.  Pricy, brand new product.  $70.  But photochromatic and anti fog.  If they work I will only need one pair instead of three for different light situations.  Cheaper in the long run.  I'll report.

Good Morning Team.

Scott - nice to see you.

Got back on the weights yesterday and have added some dead lifts to the routine - ouch - groin muscles a bit sore this morning.

Trainer ride on tap later in the day - as long as my bike is ready at the LBS. I dropped it off Saturday for the spring tune up and check up. I sure hope the weather turns around soon, I would love a nice 3 hour ride outside soon instead of the one that is staring at me on my training scheduled this weekend on my trianer .

I am currious about your thoughts on long trainer rides and how usefull they actually are - any one want to chime in on alternatives to long trainer rides?

Have a great week team.

KC

Thanks everyone! Your comments help to make me feel like I'm still training for something and a part of something though I'm not currently doing anything to progress towards that goal. I have another doctor appointment today since things are not really getting better. My head feels like it's going to explode with the congestion.

I know I'm getting a little behind on my training but I'm just going to think of this as some added rest so that when I come back I'll be even stronger! And probably a little lighter since I can't eat too much these days.

Wishing everyone good training days this week! Just remember what a gift it is to be able to get out there and move!

Krazy - Thanks for the advice. It looks like it will be a cold day on Sunday but I will not stress over it. I plan on having fun with it. As long as I can beat my wife to the finish line It will be a blast. LOL! I say that because she usually beats me in races but it's all in good humor in my household.

My longest trainer ride this winter has been no more than 2 hours. Google "inverted training periodization."  See if you hit articles.  The idea is for us in the cold area where we can't bike outside in winter it makes infinitely more sense to do the intensity workouts inside on the trainer and add the endurance workouts when we can get outside.  So we focus on strength exercises with high power, low cadence (50 to 60 rpms) which is like hill repeats and lactate threshold workouts that put us at or near LT.   We can vary the length of the intervals to overload the muscles to yield adaptation.

Same holds true on the run. Treadmills are great for hill workouts and speed workouts but they suck for long distances.

The exceptions here would be people with early races.  I have a marathon in late April so I've been outside running long distance every Saturday since before Christmas.