Experior's Group, Take Two -- CLOSED (Page 31)

OOPS!  Did 40 minute long run at lunch and wanted HR to be in HIGH Z2/LOW Z3, I ended up in Z4, high Z4.  I didn't have any problems maintaining my pace.  According to my Garmin I was in Z4 for 25 minutes/ 5km.  I think I need to re-assess my run fitness.

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Edited by sstucker 2010-07-20 1:16 PM

A couple of nice workouts Sylvain.  Looks like you are feeling good.

Swimming is definitely a balancing act between form and fitness, effort and technique.  Keep experimenting to find the right balance.  I know I am.

7 miles running on the road today!  I think this hip thing is almost behind me now.  I was able to increase the pace progressively to a final mile at 6:15 and pain-free (well, except for my bum knee, but I'm used to that...).

Anyone got anything on the agenda for this weekend?  I'm headed back to Asheville for another ride up Mount Mitchell.  Good times.

Hey Everyone,

Vacationing in South Dakota.  Stayed a couple days on a farm.  Nothing like running on gravel roads to work you legs some; especially if they are soft in spots.  Was able to get a mile continous swim in this afternoon at the local pool.  For not having swum for a coupel of weeks it felt real good.  Since my last Tri my left elbow has been pretty tight.  I am going to have to start icing it.  Not sure what caused it.  Did not affect my swim at all.   Have been able to get in some additional running.   I ahve been trying to keep up on the previous entries, but it has been hit and miss.

Great Training everyone. : )

Last night at swim got the biggest cramp in my right calf that I've ever had.  The positive thing is I got it during cool down so I didn't lose a workout, but I think I lost todays bike hill workout.  Calf is still tender this morning so I'll do light stretching and maybe a short recovery ride.  Or should I just take day off??? 

I HATE swim cramps!  I get one of those calf cramps every so often.  I generally 'train through' it.  I stretch it several times during the day (trying to be warmed up a bit before I do), and also massage it sometimes.

As for training, as I said, I don't stop.  I find that with a good warm-up and cool-down I can still do my workouts.  It isn't really an 'injury' per se, so I don't put this in the same category.

BUT, if you are a good ways into your workout and the sore calf is causing you to change your form (especially running), then stop.  In fact, that's my rule of thumb in general -- any ache or pain that hurts enough that I cannot maintain form is one that I feel I need to stop and respect.  (This is what my ortho told me a while back, so I'm really just passing on his advice.  Works for me.  So far.)

Thanks, I took your advice.  Before reading your reply I did go out for about 8 minutes to test it and had no pain during the ride.  After reading your reply I decided to go ahead and do the hill repeats.  It turned out to be a great workout, my legs were cooked, nothing left and no pain.

Nice!

I'm in West Asheville (NC) again.  I'm going to ride Mt. Mitchell tomorrow, then play in the river with my kids.  Should be a great day.

I hope everyone is doing well.  What's on tap this weekend for folks?

Good place to be, Michael... biking in the mountains and in the river in the heat of the day with your kids... well done! 

I've got in my first full week of training since the HIM 8+ weeks ago.  Guess what... I sucked.  Don't take 2 months off if you can help it!  Anyway, I'm trying to add two new things to my new routine... one is a yoga class to help with flexibility and back strength.  The worst part of my last 3 tris were my back during the run.  I'm hoping that yoga will help with that part of my body.  Plus, it is something my wife and I can do together :-)  The second new thing is trying to do one brick a week as a workout.  I'm doing this for two reasons - one, I will schedule in a day off before it to help keep my mind fresh and positive about the workouts and two, I need to work on my mental toughness in that transition to the run.  I need to hit that run like I've hit it a hundred times before, not like it is some kind of last round of torture.  Yes, the run is my weakest leg and it comes at the end and I hate the heat... well, I need to get my head around that.

4 pounds to go before I'm an age grouper.  I'd like to get one race in this year out of the Clydes category (officially). 

Enjoyed reading the race reports - some real breakthroughs from what I could see.  Thanks for all the motivation... good to see you all out there going after it... me, I'm working my way back on the wagon... errrr... bike. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Stu

Welcome back Stu,

Take it easy for first two weeks.  You're body will remember and get you back to where you were soon enough.  Only 4 pounds to go, wow! great job.  Keep it up!

Stu, glad to see you're back!

Crazy couple weeks with work and college visits with son. Hopefully getting back into the swing of things. Bike time has bee down a little. I feel like I can ride the forever, but having problems with the favorite part of my anatomy going numb. I ordered an Adamo saddle. Was torn between that and a Cobb. Cobb was $50 more so I decided to go cheaper hoping that works and get the Cobb if the Adamo doesn't work out.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!

Phil

Hello all, anyone racing this weekend?

Have question for those of you that have completed HIM.  I've been contemplating doing HIM September 2011 instead of my original plan of 2012.  There are a couple of things I do want before I would actualy commit; one is a trainer and second I don't plan on getting a Tri bike next year but would get aero bars for the roady.  So I'm curious to know the experience from those that have performed HIM. Mainly I would like to know who performed the race with limited training.  I keep reading about individuals whom have done HIM on first year they trained, without having any other endurance background.  I'm starting to question why don't I give it a try earlier (2011 instead of 2012).  I have three marathons and one 30K race under my belt.  I didn't train for any long distance this year but last couple of days I'm debating doing Half Mary in September. 

So just curious to hear the good and bad experiences. 

Welcome back to training!  Getting back at it is the toughest part.  Sounds like you have a good plan.

Sounds like the time off didn't hurt your waistline much!  You must have been very virtuous.

I have an Adamo.  I like it a lot.  I do think that the problems I was having that led me to get it were more with a poor fit than my old saddle (not saying this is true for you, just me), but I continue to use the saddle and like it.  Especially when I'm in the aero position.

My first HIM was during my first season of tris (and less than a year after I got up off the couch -- that's just me; I'm impatient!).  I really had not ramped my training volume up enough before the race, and at the same time, I raced too much leading up to the race so I was pretty tired.  I survived the swim, rode the bike much too hard for my fitness, and blew up badly during the run.  Walking the better part of the final 8 miles of the 'run' in 95 degrees was not one of the more pleasant experiences of my life.

I think that the number of years you've been doing endurance training does matter, but really far more important is just getting your training volume up to where it should be to be prepared for the race.  You can definitely do that in time, but it does take some commitment.

Hi guys- I've been out of town in the Adirondacks with no internet! and planning a 50th anniversary party for my parents (it's tomorrow). AND, my sister and family are in town from Texas.
So, I've been lurking a little, but really just trying to keep my head above water. I did get a great bike ride in this morning- same distance as the Tri I have coming up, but hillier. So, I'm feeling pretty good.
Catch you all later!
~Heidi

Hi Syl,

My experience is still pretty fresh, and I think my race report gives a pretty good blow by blow of it.  To be honest, when I read your long term goals (post long ago), I wondered why you weren't aiming for HIM in 2011, given your marathon experience.  So, I'd encourage you to aim for it.  I would however, make sure you had at least one OLY under your belt before doing a HIM.  In retrospect, I wish I had done a 2nd one... but the first one was definitely crucial in mental preparation.  Each distance is a major step up.  Keep my experience in perspective though as the run is the big challenge for me... a 1/2 Mary is a big deal for me even when I'm fresh... and trust me, after a mile swim and 56 bike, I wasn't fresh.  I'd also aim for one where the heat wasn't likely to be a major factor and find one that is a fairly easy course... maybe one at the end of the season where the water would be pretty warm but the air wouldn't be oppressive.  Just running in this last week has made me think I was *very* fortunate not to be trying an HIM right now... I would have keeled over on the run (and I'm not kidding about that... you're out there a long time with the HIM... longer than a marathon) and I was definitely getting fuzzy in the last part of the run.  But, I'm not an endurance guy... I've always been a sprinter... I think you've got the endurance mentality!  That will definitely help.

Then there are some personal / philosophical sides to the question... my first tri at each distance has always been done without enough prep... I treated it as a learning / see if I could do it experience... I knew I'd suck on the run in the HIM, but I didn't really care (okay, I cared, but not enough to not give it a shot).  For me, the only goal was could I finish (and under the cut-off time).  Other people really want to be fully prepared... me, I just wanted to do a HIM in the year I turned 50 and that seemed like my best opportunity, so I went for it (in retrospect, that was a really good call... I wouldn't have been able to get the training in for the other one I was considering in Sept). 

I guess the last question is what are your goals?  Why are you doing it in the 1st place?  Until the HIM, my goal was always to improve my health, reduce my stress, improve my nutrition and feel better in general.  The tris (sprints primarily) was my motivator for reaching those goals.  But that changed with the HIM... somewhere around Sept of last year...  my goal became the HIM itself, as prepping for the sprints was plenty for achieving the health-related goals.  And I found that making time for the training was a real challenge (and I still didn't train enough).  That's all fine... until the HIM was over... and all of a sudden, I lost both my goal and my motivation.  This caught me by surprise and I've kind of had to regroup about the "whys" since then, regain my balance and priorities.  Still working that through, actually :-)

phew... I went on longer than I expected... hope there's something worthwhile in there for you!  Keep plugging away!

Stu

It all sounds like very good advice to me.

Heidi:  Sorry I missed your post earlier.  Welcome back!  Nice job getting in some training while you are away.  That's always tough.

Randy:  I wish I could go to AG nationals.  With the tough swim, I would not do well, but it would be fun.  But I just can't make it, especially with my HIM coming close on its heels.  Have a great race!  Do you have a specific HIM in mind?

I managed to get my long 'run' (in the pool) done today, while traveling.  The locals must not see much pool running because I got loads of funny looks, and more than a few questions ("What are you doing?").  I'm hoping that the first or second week of August will be my first week of no more pool running...well, until the next (?) injury.

Stu,

I have the same concern.  This is my first year and the events (as well as this group!) have definitely been the source of my motivation and I'm concerned about what will happen after my last scheduled race in 3 weeks. 

I can already sense the same feeling I had as a kid on 12/26...  All of the anticipation and excitement of the holidays was gone and I all that I was left with was a house that needed cleaning... :-)

My goals for this year were weight / health related and (based on the constant compliments) I have definitely achieved them.  I'm looking for another fall race to extend the season a little longer, but it won't be too long before the lakes ice over... 

Does anyone have any advice for transitioning out of the race season while maintaining focus?

Thanks,
Mark

Edited by OneFastMule 2010-07-26 12:32 PM