Scott's Mentor Group-Closed (Page 31)

ahutson - 2012-03-28 3:01 PM They usually run out of free t-shirts if you register the day of!! Isn't that why we compete? Free t-shirts?

I'm hoping for socks at my race coming up because they gave out one I loved last year. I'll be so excited if I could have two pairs to rotate. I could just buy some but it's really not the same.

I'm thinking about doing the trifecta.  5k, 1 mile, and 200 m dash.  

Whoa. I could be talked into that. I can't remember the order ... but if the 200 is last, it could be quite comical.

Just in from my early morning medium long run. 11.55 finished before 6AM. I felt good ... yesterday's rest day helped tremendously, and I ran a nice smooth negative split. So far, I'm liking this 12 week plan better than the 18 ... but I'm just finishing the first 4. Hoping I time my peak a bit better.

Good morning, all.

I hope everyone had a great day of training yesterday. Troy, it is imprressive what you can get done before I am out of bed.

I hit the road for a 4 mile run. I wanted to hit the sub 8 minute mile on all 4 miles. I hit my goal and had splits of 7:48, 7:57, 7:54, and 7:46. I was cut it close on mile 2 and 3. My last 11 out of 13 miles running have been sub 8 miles including my race. I ran an easy 2 miler friday before my race and had 8:15 and 8:11. I'm excited my times are coming down. It is still a challenge to finish at those times. It's not an easy pace. I have to continually push myself throughout the run.

Today will be a swim with sets of 100 going as quick as I can. I have been using the 2:00 lap. I finish up and rest the remainder of the 2 minutes. It is challenging. I'm not sure how many sets I'll get in. I want to do atleast 12-16. I'll see how I feel.

Aerobar question- did you buy them and put them on yourself? My lbs wants me to get a 'fitting'. I know it could help with some minor adjustments. it might help me feel more comfortable for longer rides and perform better on shorter ones as well. A bike fitting is 175, bars are 125, and installation is 25. How much do I keep putting into a 6 year old bike. I'll probably ride it two more years.

I could just buy them and put them on myself and let it 'fit' how it fit!

Troy- 11.55 miles before 6am? I'd have to leave around 3am for that

Yesterday I was reading an article about running long without carbs and metabolic efficiency. You can find it here: http://running.competitor.com/2010/10/nutrition/become-a-fat-burning-machine_8244 and another article here: http://www.marathonguide.com/training/articles/mandbfuelonfat.cfm

?

Because I'm so slow and I'm out for over 3 hours on a half marathon I've always taken a bit of nutrition (gels or just gatorade) during my run and have typically eaten breakfast before going out but this year I've been experimenting with not taking anything but water during the run and last week I didn't eat before my long run. I'm doing this for various reasons-not neccesarily to become more efficient but I remembered reading about it a few years back and decided to research a bit yesterday.

The first article is mostly about eating but it also mentions that at high intensities (unless you train your body otherwise) the body relies on carbs for energy whereas at lower intesities (LSD) the body uses fat for energy.

I was just wondering if that's what you were talking about when you said slower paced miles will help you become faster-or maybe I'm just forgetting something obvious. Either way, what does everyone think about this?

I have NO idea what kind to get or if I should get them at all. I'm wondering if my engine work is enough or if they will really make a difference. There are small ones, long ones, etc.

Pofile, Vision, jammers, etc. - My lbs said a proper bike fitting would be money better spent. I see Profile T2s for $80.

I'm torn...

Ashley,  Shorty aerobars I think will be better for a road bike.  They will make you faster, because they will place you more aero.  A proper bike fitting is money well spent if they are good.  I would haggle for the $25 installation fee.  If they are fitting you for $175 (decent market-value price) and you are buying the bars from them, then the installation should be included in my opinion.  

If you feel that you will be purchasing a dedicated TT bike soon, then I would personally hold off on that expenditure.  In fact, I wish I had, because not long after I put bars on my roadie I bought a TT bike.  I have since removed the bars from the road bike.  Oh well. Lesson learned.  Only you can determine if 1-2 mph faster is worth the money.  

I was talking mostly about training to run within your aerobic zones appropriately. But mostly about staying mindful about what you are asking of your body when you start adding mileage. The best way to do that is to run must of them slower than you'd think you should be. If you go out there each day trying for a course PR or to hold a certain pace, it's a recipe for injury or, at least, more fatigue than you should be accommodating.

The mantra is "you've got to run slow to become fast". I LOVE my recovery days which, for me, hover around 9:00 pace. This allows me to run more mileage and still be fresh for the one or two workouts I want to really nail during the week (LT pace workouts, intervals on the track, a negative split long run, etc.).

I always run on an empty stomach ... even when I'm going long (20-24 miles). I'll bring Gu along and take it as I need it, but I never eat before a run unless I'm really hungry (very rare). Then, I'll take in half a banana.

If a race is later in the day than my usual morning run, I'll try to be finished eating something light by 3 hours prior to the race start. 

Ashley,

I bought the PD T2+ aero bars used from the classified forum on this site ($75).  I love them. I  figure I'm about 2 mph faster but I what I really like is how comfortable I am in the areo position.

If you have a decent set of allen wrenches and can tighten a hose clamp you are more than qualified to install them yourself.  It is important to get a set that has a lot of adjustments.  It's very important to get a set that allows you to adjust the arm pad fore and aft so your arms are perpendicular to the ground from your shoulders to your elbows (see photos of the pros riding).  You may also have to adjust your saddle fore and aft and tilt it forward some (I did).  Many cheaper bars just position the pads even with the handle bar and that can stretch you out and make you reach for the bars which could lead to back and neck discomfort.  

I've never had a professional fitting and have heard many say they're great.  However, I'm not getting one at this time for the following reasons.

• I may not keep the current bike for much longer
• For sprints and olys you're not in the saddle for more than a couple hours training at most.
• I'm not experiencing any back or neck issues while riding at this time.

I'd suggest getting the aero bars, installing them yourself and see how it goes. Make your adjustments as needed. You can always go back and get a fitting later.

Just my 2 cents.  

Good luck.

Yesterday I got off work early and it was a beautiful day.  I decided to go for a ride and begin my hill training (my next race has a lot of killer climbs).  Went 17 miles and climbed about 1500 ft.

Off to the pool now.

Tomorrow morning I'm planning a run with some hill climbing work.

Hope you had a great day training.

I appreciate everyone's advice on the aero bars. It looks like the profile T2 is a popular choice. Is it a lot of trouble once you're in the aero position to move over to your bars to shift or did you move your shifters? I see it has cable holes. Then there is the Fast Forward seat post!

I get a tiny bit of back/neck soreness if I have been out for 2 hours but I figured it is normal from being in the same position. I want the aero bars for a little added speed, comfort, and the ability to stretch out.

Moving on.....hit the pool yesterday for 100 meter sprints. I did 12 sets and was feeling it. I set my timer for 2:05. I was having about 18-22 seconds of rest between each set. That is a workout. I am pleased that my endurance is building up.

I have a bike ride scheduled today. I'm going to hit a 20-22 miler and try to keep a 18-19mph pace.

Happy training everyone!!!

Ashley,

I didn't move the shifters.  I use the shifters on the drop bars.  They're old Shimano Sora and I have no problems using them as is.  I didn't go for a new seat post, just adjusted my seat forward with a slight downward slant and it seems very comfortable.

Last night pool session was 2000 y. That included 10x50s.  Those worked the arms big time.

500 wu

10x50

2x100

1x100

Run with hill work later this morning.  

I have a mountain bike planned for Sat morning to build some horsepower for the hill climbs.  However, I'm donating platlettes later today (I'm a regular donor) so I may be lacking some energy this weekend.

Keep pushing and have a great weekend.

Craig, you are motivating me to knock the dust off the mountain bike and get out there to compliment the road work. My m-bike probably needs a serious tune up. I am going to try and start doing that this summer. I used to m-bike like a mad man. I spent a summer on your side of the country and m-biked a lot of places. You ever been up to mammoth in the summer? It is a ski place in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. You ride chair lifts with your bike up to the top and ride down. Piece of advice- get your brakes tuned up before you go.

I hit the road today for a 20 miler and kept a good pace. It took me 1:06 which is just over 18mph. I can tell the internal engine is improving.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend. Train smart. I'm getting away from civilization for a few days- no high speed internet or smart phones. I am taking my running shoes to try and sneek a few miles in. I'll check in again with you soon.

Ok. So not my best day workout wise. I planned to get my first bike of the season in today but I didn't have a chance to tune up my bike (inflate the tires) this week and I got busy today so I was hoping I wouldn't find a problem as I had no spare tire. I meant to do it last weekend but I ended up needing to travel. I thought I got lucky when both tires inflated but as I was removing the pump from the back tire I heard a hissing noise. I tend to pull the tire apart at the valve when removing the pump. By then I knew I didn't have time to go to the store for a spare AND put it on my bike before it got dark and I have no lights or appropriate clothing for night riding (I never bought any on purpose because riding at night scares me a bit) so I figured I would trade tonight's ride and tomorrrow's yoga. In the mean time, I went to my LBS and got some tires and I went to buy a new swim suit (mine is slipping a bit when I flip turn and I had a bit of accidental exposure this week). I figured I'd run my errands while the LBS was open and then come home and do my yoga.

Unfortunately, my DVD player had other ideas. It's already past my bedtime and I haven't even had dinner yet. Swimsuit shopping took longer than I had planned. I think I'm going to call it a day and double up my workouts tomorrow. It might actually be better to do the yoga after my ride tomorrow as Sunday is my peak training run for my 1/2 (12 miles) and I really didn't wanted to do it on 1st bike of the season legs, so hopefully the yoga will cut down on the soreness. I plan to take it easy anyway.

On the plus side, I tried a new LBS that is closer to my house and everyone seemed really nice and knowledgable. I'm hoping I've finally found a good shop. Last summer when I upgraded to clipless pedals they were kind of unenthusiastic about showing me how to use them and helping me pick out shoes. I actually had to ask if I could try it on the trainer so I really want to find a place where they are more helpful. Unfortunately, they don't yet carry tri bikes. The owner said he's reaced out to a Quintana Roo and Cervelo (I think) and they didn't return his calls. I hope he works something out.

Craig-That's a nice thing you're doing. Enjoy your ride. Ashley-Enjoy your R and R. You earned it last weekend! Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Morning all

Did my first serious brick training session this morning (Sat), did 20k bike ride followed by a 5k run, felt good, legs felt a bit heavy around the 4k mark, but hey, just got to keep on practicing!! On a positive note though (and really surprised) I did a PB on the run, I knocked 6 seconds (yes a whole 6 seconds) of the time I set earlier in the week, and my new PB is 27.46, really pleased, the times are going the right way, which in turn gives added motivation!!!

Keep training

Gareth