stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL (Page 32)

2009-03-02 7:07 PM

in reply to: #1992580

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

TREVOR -

Must be a wide-ranging strain of west coast crud; Neil is cruddified, also. well, mama said there'd be days (weeks?) like this.

I don't know if you saw it from last week, but I sent gels to you and Mindy last tuesday. they were sent from here, though, and not the States, so I think my prediction was today or tomorrow for her, Thursday or Friday for you.

See? Christmas comes TWICE a year!

Get well. If it lasts much longer, you might have to visit a decrudification clinic!

2009-03-02 8:22 PM

in reply to: #1992735

Veteran

481

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

stevebradley - 2009-03-02 8:07 PM TI don't know if you saw it from last week, but I sent gels to you and Mindy last tuesday. they were sent from here, though, and not the States, so I think my prediction was today or tomorrow for her, Thursday or Friday for you.

Nothing here yet. Hoping the goods come tomorrow!

2009-03-03 8:55 AM

in reply to: #1992960

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

MINDY -

Well, "tomorrow" is now today, so maybe today will be the day. Say "hey"!

Still got snow on the ground, or did it all melt away after a few hours?

2009-03-03 10:18 AM

in reply to: #1896958

Master

1547

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

I finished my final plan for the next 5 weeks into IMCA 70.3 Please take a look and give opinions.

*Wks to go*	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
5	Yoga-60min	B-60min R-4.5m	S-2K R-40minTempo	R-3m B-90min hills	R-5m (pace) S-4K	B-50m	S-OWS R-10m
4	Yoga-60min	B-60min R-5m	S-2K R-9x400 (5K)	R-3m B-90min hills	R-5m (pace) S-4K	B-60m	S-OWS R-11m
3	Yoga-60min	B-60min R-5m	S-2K R-45minTempo	R-3m B-90min hills	R-2m S-4K	REST	½ Marathon
2	Yoga-60min	B-60min R-5m	S-2K R-10x400 (5K)	R-3m B-90min hills	R-3m (pace) S-4K	B-40m	S-OWS R-10m
1	Yoga-60min	B-60min R-4m	S-2K R-30minTempo	REST	REST	IMCA 70.3
		Bike trainer Brick	Swim in morning, run in evening	Run in morning, bike the hills in afternoon	Run in morning, swim in afternoon

TGrayPDX

2009-03-03 1:01 PM

in reply to: #1896958

Veteran

135

Portland

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

Steve -

Got home from work to find a wonderful display of sports gels spread out on the dining room table - my 8yr old daughter Meadow was very impressed. WOW! They all sound revolting - I can't wait to try them! Thanks for the care package. I am curious - the ingredients seem to be just sugar and salt - not much different than Meadow's emergency glucose tabs and gels (Type I diabetic). Am a wrong on this? ( I realize you don't whip these up in the kitchen, so you may not know) - Is it the salt that is the big difference - "electrolytes"? Anybody know?

Down with crud! I'm beating it into submission with exercise now. SAX, I've got to say that nothing ruins Yoga for me like a head full of crud. Good for you that you can use it as a part of the fix.

Swimming went a bit better last night - still terrible, but a better sort of terrible. I spent some time watching the other lappers and saw that my roll (for breathing) was not anywhere close to far enough. So increased this with much better results.

I'm doing some reading and trying to figure out the coordination - six count? four count? I need a great deal of work, and some outside assistance. I'm spending 10 times the energy and getting a tenth of the result compared to the other people. I will continue to seek efficiency.

Back on the bike for the commute, running tonight. I'm at the beginning of the curve here, but there is still quite a long time until the sprint end of May, and then another 12 weeks after that before the Oly.

TGrayPDX

2009-03-03 1:34 PM

in reply to: #1896958

Veteran

135

Portland

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

ALL -

Bike question: I think at least half of you are using tri specific bikes, - aggressive seat post angle and aerobars - essentially a time trial bike. This will not be the case for me (budgetwise), but I'm wondering if anyone has switched over from a standard road bike and noticed a huge difference? Is the advantage primarily on the flats?

The bike course for Portland is very hilly - probably 2m flat/2m climb (600 ft)/2m descent/2 mile flat - this making one lap, Oly runs three laps. I have heard that most of the advantages of tri geometry are lost in the climb, and that drop bars are potentially better for the climb.

Anyone with real world experience on both frame types? I guess I'm curious how much I'm losing in the bike portion due to my trusty (but not rusty) old school ride.

2009-03-03 3:02 PM

in reply to: #1994392

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

TREVOR -

"They all sound revolting." Hey! I resemble that remark!

Glad you got 'em! Was there a note along with them? I think I meant to include one, but for the life of me can't remember whether or not I did.

I'm rushing trying to reorganize the study so that it is moderately appealing, and I want to do this before Lynn gets home from work so that I have some tangible proof of having done something to justify my existence today. So, I'll get back to you later about gels and bikes, okay?

TGrayPDX

2009-03-03 3:17 PM

in reply to: #1994701

Veteran

135

Portland

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

Steve-

Yes, note included - thank you. I of course mean "revolting" in the best possible sense. I speak as a person who examines the science experiments from the back of the fridge. Hooray for us Biology majors!

Good luck with the study, I have a great deal of experience in trying to make 2 hours of frantic effort appear to have been 8 hours of methodical progress.

2009-03-03 4:05 PM

in reply to: #1896958

Veteran

481

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

Christmas in March!

My gels also came today. they are a little intimidating and your note on how to try them (a little at a time, with water, and continue if not too revolting) does not instill confidence, but I am looking forward to trying. After my last real bike ride (not counting the stationery) I was famished. I think just about anything would have tasted good at that point, so hopefully that will work for the gels as well. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again!!

Mindy

2009-03-03 6:40 PM

in reply to: #1896958

Master

1547

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

I think I was poisoned by the Pacific Ocean!

2009-03-03 7:32 PM

in reply to: #1994874

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

MINDY -

Argh! Sorry! I certainly did not mean to not instill confidence! And did I really use the word "revolting"? I couldn't've used that, could've I?? I mean, I'm pretty much a gel junkie!

Actually, the longer I do this gig the more readily I can accept gels that I used to find mostly unappealing. I'm thinking specifically of GU and Powergel, two brands that I didn't really like, but that I now find quite palatable. In fact, for much of last season I relied on GU, in no small part because they have the most minimal packaging (less bulky to carry, less of a "footprint"), but beyond them I enjoyed them and thought they worked well for me.

Have fun with these! Merry Marchmas!

2009-03-03 7:36 PM

in reply to: #1995295

Veteran

481

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

I think I was morphing your words and Trevor's into one message. Your exact words were "feel free to discard any of them at any time if revulsion sets in." I'm pretty sure you were referring to packs that had been open a day or two and not necessarily gels in general. I am looking forward to trying the chocolate ones.

2009-03-03 7:43 PM

in reply to: #1993925

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

SAX -

Another fine schedule! I especially like the structure of your Mondays, which provide superb recovery benefits without and hint of slackness!

My only concern is the lead-up to the 1/2 marathon, especially the Thursday bike and the Friday swim. If you are aiming for a best-perfomance effort at the 1/2, I'd be wary of 90 minutes of hills that close to it. I guess it depends on how hilly the hills are. If they're really rollers, that would be fine, but if they require lots of out-of-the-saddle grinds, that might take a fair bit out of your legs.

The 4km swim is a little less risky, but could still be an energy-sapper. How about 2km, keeping around what - about 45 minutes?

The last three runs are great -- 45 min. temp, 3mile, 2 mile. Nice way to ladder down to race day!

Poisoned by the Pacific, eh? It just shows that ya don't know what you can trust anymore!

2009-03-03 8:44 PM

in reply to: #1995324

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

Two hours on the trainer this evening, and all of it supported by "athleteic-based" viewing!!

To wit:
(1) Watching/listening to discussions leading up to the NHL trade deadline tomorrow.
(2) Part of the Chelsea-Portsmouth soccer game.
(3) Bits and pieces of "American Gladiators".
(4) 3/4 of "Kill Bill".

So, hockey and soccer players are athletes, the people on "Amer. Glad." are athletic, and - special effects notwithstanding - Uma Thurman performs in a very athletically.

See, falling off the wagon last week and groveling in the slough of junk TV was just an anomaly!

2009-03-03 9:12 PM

in reply to: #1995324

Master

1547

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

stevebradley - 2009-03-03 5:43 PM SAX - Another fine schedule! I especially like the structure of your Mondays, which provide superb recovery benefits without and hint of slackness! My only concern is the lead-up to the 1/2 marathon, especially the Thursday bike and the Friday swim. If you are aiming for a best-perfomance effort at the 1/2, I'd be wary of 90 minutes of hills that close to it. I guess it depends on how hilly the hills are. If they're really rollers, that would be fine, but if they require lots of out-of-the-saddle grinds, that might take a fair bit out of your legs. The 4km swim is a little less risky, but could still be an energy-sapper. How about 2km, keeping around what - about 45 minutes? The last three runs are great -- 45 min. temp, 3mile, 2 mile. Nice way to ladder down to race day! Poisoned by the Pacific, eh? It just shows that ya don't know what you can trust anymore!

Good points. The goal for the half mary was not to PR...but we all know how that usually goes. With that said I could scrap the race and just do a 14 miler and have a chance to squeeze in that 70miler on the bike on the Saturday. I havn't paid for it yet...hmmm.

On second thought i think I need that race. After my Carlsbad try I kind of want to get a good performance under my belt before the HIM. I will give it some thought.

2009-03-04 6:56 AM

in reply to: #1995574

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

SAX-

As I was reading your first paragraph, I was thinking about what you ended up saying yourself, five seconds later, in the second paragraph. I guess that just goes to show that great minds think alike!

For me, confidence-builders are important -- especially when they follow confidence-sappers. I'm sure that if I had had your Carlsbad experience I would want to atone for it sooner rather than later.

One way to think about Carlsbad, however, is that as a PR-type marathon it did not work according to plan, but that you did whatever distance you actually covered in very good form. What did it end up for you -- 23+ miles? And I remember thinking, once I learned what all had happened, that you were running really well in order to keep pace witth so much of the half-marathon mob, once they "caught" you.

So, if you really want that 70-mile ride in there, and if your running has been solid of late, and if you can look back at Carlsbad and feel that you ran well that day, then the 1/2mar might be expendable. Remember, these plans are not exactly science, and that there are more than one way to constuct a successful plan; I think you have a couple of likely-to-succeed plans from which to choose.

2009-03-04 7:38 AM

in reply to: #1994502

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

TREVOR -

I aploogize for not getting back to you last night. Lynn needed the computer, and that was that.
But now she is at work, so while the cat's away the rat will play!

About a bike!
Well, yes, the differences are quite noticeable. My racing bike for my first season was a decent road bike that I had retrofitted with a few tri toys, namely clip-on aerobars and a geometry-altering seatpost (more on those somewhere below), as well as modest aerowheels. I then bought a Cervelo P2K before my second season, which at that time ('01) was the middle of their three bikes. The diffs between that and the Aquila were pretty significant, just in terms of weight and designed-for-triathlon features; no need to retrofit much of anything!

That bike served me extremely well until this past July, when I noticed a crack low in the seat tube, and this rapidly began affecting performance significantly enough that I had to get a new bike - Cervelo PC2. Whereas the P2K was aluminum, the P2C is carbon, and even though the P2C is the direct descendent of the P2K, the difference between them is vast. Anyhow, I say all that just by way of pointing out how differently different bikes can fell and perform.

HOWEVER --
The points you raise about your bike and the Portland course are very accurate and very valid. And, without getting into all of the anal, obsessive-compulsive, bike-geek stuff, you've pinpointed the two main differences - hills vs flats.

Most people will never ride "aero" when climbing; they're almost always on the hoods. That's where leverage comes in, as well as better accessing the muscles useful for climbing. And, while some people will get aero on descents, that is not always the safect way to travel! So, on a hilly course, you will be spending a lot of time on the hoods or drops, and therefore a lot of the advantages of a tri or time-trial frame will be lost. In fact, you see a lot of people who post about whether to use their road bike or their tri bike for hilly courses, such as Lake Placid, and many experienced, successful triathletes will opt for the road bike.

The advantages of tri-bike geometry are best felt on flats and in windy conditions, or, really, where spped counts. And once off the bike and on the run, the transition is easier coming off a tri bike than off a road bike. A tri or time-trial bike use the quads more, with less use of the hamstrings and glutes, which come into play much more when sitting up, as on a road bike.

I mentioned this to Jess last week, but you also might want to look into a couple of adaptations to make your "trusty old school ride" a bit more aero. One is clip-on aerobars, and the Century model from Profile Design is now $90 at www.tri-zone.com. Also at Tri-Zone, and also from Profile Design, is the Fast-Forward seatpost, for $55. THese two items could combine to give you the advantages of both worlds - speed and aerodynamics, while still allowing you to climb with your hands on the drops or hoods.

When getting aerobars, however, something else has to change - either your seat has to move forward, or you need something like the Fast-Forward seatpost. Otherwsie, you're just going to be too stretched out, and your back or sacro-iliac joint will protest mightily. The advantage to moving the seat forward is that it is awfully inexpensive; the advantage to the seatpost is that it goes quite a ways towards achieving tri-bike geometry.

Let me know what you think about this and that, okay?

2009-03-04 7:59 AM

in reply to: #1994392

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

TREVOR again -

About those gels:

The big advantage to gels is that they are a "guaranteed" source of carbohydrates, usually to the tune of 20-30g per packet. The sugar sources for this vary, with maltodextrins being most common, and then some with fructose and glucose. Maltosdextrin is a complex carbohydrate, so thats why it is the preferred source.

Beyond that, things change. Sodium levels vary quite significantly from one brand to another - the seven I have in front of me have sodium (in mg) levels of 60, 35, 125, 45, 40, 50, and 100. Potassium is another biggie, and for those seven, respectively, potassium levels are 15, 65, 55, 0, 40, 50, and 40. (Note the 0 there - that's for Hammer Gel, which doesn't have many electrolytes because they want you to get them via their Endurolyte capsules [there is some sense to this, by the way]).

And beyond all THAT, some gels will add some amino acids, others will include a few viatamins, some will add caffeine, and the odd one, such as AccelGel, will include some protein. It is maybe worth saying that, through all of these differences, calories are pretty consistent - usually 90-110 per serving.

The carbs are the big thing, though, and that's what makes them a go-to item. SOMEhow, carbs have to be added back into the exerting body, and gels are a good, reliable way to get this done.

Did you see the long post I made a week or two ago about carbohydartes and the glycemic index? I'll try to find the page* that is on; maybe some of the stuff in it will make all of the above a bit more clear.

Happy slurping!!

*It's on page 29, about halfway down. You'll be tested on it Friday.

Edited by stevebradley 2009-03-04 8:06 AM

2009-03-04 8:02 AM

in reply to: #1994732

Champion

10618

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

TREVOR once more -

I love your line:
"I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE IN TRYING TO MAKE 2 HOURS OF FRANTIC EFFORT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN 8 HOURS OF METHODICAL PROGRESS."

Amen, bro'!

2009-03-04 12:16 PM

in reply to: #1996020

Veteran

481

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

I wish they would stop messing with the message count per page! I thought I had somehow missed 10 pages of discussion again!

Edited by mindymcc 2009-03-04 2:32 PM

2009-03-04 2:11 PM

in reply to: #1896958

Master

1547

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

Current Workout:

cough, cough, flem, cough, headache, cough, blow nose

repeat x 3 days

elindquist

2009-03-04 2:27 PM

in reply to: #1896958

Member

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

Steve, et al-

I'm going to be checking less and less on the message board for a while. I haven't had much to contribute, but enjoy reading the posts. I'll still be doing the Timberman in August, don't worry about that. My next race is a 6k run in Nashua on Mother's Day.

My email is: [email protected] if needed, and on Facebook as Eric Lindquist in Manchester, NH.

-Eric

2009-03-04 2:31 PM

in reply to: #1997265

Veteran

481

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

Eric - Good luck with your races! We'll miss you. Mindy

2009-03-04 2:36 PM

in reply to: #1997226

Veteran

481

Subject: RE: stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL

sax - 2009-03-04 3:11 PM

Current Workout:

cough, cough, flem, cough, headache, cough, blow nose

repeat x 3 days

Neil - Don't be tempted to exercise or those repeat x 3 days will likely turn into a week or longer. Better to get it out of your system and then get back to exercising. You will not lose much ground, if any.