HILDEBEAST'S Magnificently Motivational Mentor Group - CLOSED!!!! (Page 32)

TGIF, everyone!

Cowtown runners: YOU GO, GIRLS!! Get out there and kick some a$$ on Sunday-- it's my birthday, so I hereby give you permission (nay, Doctor's orders! ) to show no mercy to any other runner out there. Have FUN, and tell us all about it!

My sister should be arriving a bit later this evening: fortunately, I've worked out enough to warrant the pizza and beer! Should be a fun weekend-- we're both looking forward to it. And yes, we'll both still be training: she's bringing her running gear with her!

Alex

Hi, all.  Just a little update on my friend who is running across America while hitting all 48 lower states.  He started on February 17th and is averaging about 38 miles daily.  He did have a problem with a flat tire on his supplies stroller, but otherwise things seem to be moving along.  If anyone is interested in checking out his website, you can see where he's at.  I think he's around the CA and NV border right now in the desert.  He is really looking for people to join him for a few miles if he runs through their neighborhood, so spread the word.  Here's the link; his blog is pretty interesting if you feel like checking it out.  He is completely on his own, which really amazes me.

http://willpoweredjourney.wordpress.com/

Sounds like he's going well. I like the idea of a "supplies stroller" too

Ok I'm starting my training plan tomorrow - Micheal Pate's 22 week sprint plan with running ratios from the conservative c25k.

My question is - what sort of drills should I be adding to the swimming? It starts with 150m (50 wu, 50 main, 50 cool) - which I'll probably do breaststroke, free, backstroke - I'm going back to square 1 with the free so I can work on the bilateral breathing but I feel it's too short to get changed, jump in and then jump out so I want to put some extra stuff in - any suggestions?

I have a pull buoy and can usually grab a kickboard, but that's it for equipment if that helps

In my opinion, one of the best drills for body position and bilateral breathing is 6 or 12 beat side kicking.  You are working on reaching, rolling, balance in the water and can breath most of the time on both sides.

1.  Start out on your side with your lower arm extended in front.  Sort of relax your head so that your ear is near your shoulder. 

2.  Kick 6-12 times.  Make sure it's a flutter kick, not side stroke with bent legs.

3.  Pull with the bottom arm and reach with the top arm (face in for a bit), rotating so that you end up on your other side with the bottom arm extended.

4.  Kick 6.12 times.

repeat...

Anxiously awaiting the Cowtowners' race reports!

Suzie- I'm definitely not one of the group swim experts here but one drill our coach has been having me do is swim (freestyle) with the pull buoy between the ankles rather than the thighs.  She says a lot of newer swimmers tend to let their legs flail out when they breathe, and this drill teaches you to keep them together.  It seems to really help.  I'm sure some of the other swimmers can suggest some more drills as well.

OK, for all you bikers I have a few questions.  I'm still relatively new to cycling (less than a year) so still trying to get everything figured out.  I keep reading about power meters and all the info online is overwhelming.  Can someone explain to me in layman's terms  what they are, if they're important, and any recommendations for an inexpensive but effective one.  Also, I have a very entry level road bike with clip-on aerobars.  I would like to purchase a tri bike down the road when the financial situation is better but that won't be anytime soon. So as far as small (100- 200) upgrades, any recommendations?  It is a Trek Alpha 1.1 if that helps.

Thanks Andrea and Erin.

Andrea - if I'm understanding your drill correctly - I do the side kicking thing, then do a normal stroke and swap sides - is that right?

Great job on the race Hilde and Tammy  and congrats on the PRs.

Walking sounds like a great warm up/cool down for it. And there's nothing wrong with going slow as long as you get there.

Me - finally got back to the gym to do the full plan and it went really well. Definitely have better leg strength than upper body - see weights in the ST section of my log - but I'll get there with the upper body stuff eventually. I'm guessing it's mainly cos it hasn't been used much and the legs have - at least in the terms that they've been carrying around my body weight since I started walking,lol which has unfortunately got increasingly higher over the last few years - anyway I had sweat pouring off me by the end of the first circuit - I do each exercise once for the prescribed reps then go back and do it two more times - but I'm not sure if it was the time in the hydro pool after my swim - arm started hurting and I thought it would help - it did slightly, or the fact it was really muggy today - oh well I'll take it - it's probably the first time it's happened after all.

I think I may finally have a decent plan though both food and exercise wise - I'm looking to eat more fruits and vegies + have water during the day with maybe 1-2 cans of diet soda per day and I'll be taking some of the healthier option frozen meals for lunch on uni days.

Oh and I'll be doing walks of roughly 600m twice a day along with 2-3 lots of stairs 2-3+ times a day (depends on breaks and whether I have to leave the class for nature's call) in addition to my normal training.

IMHO --- Don't worry about bilateral breathing.  I do not do this and I get by.  It is hard enough for a beginner swimmer to just keep going without worrying about which side to breath on.  It would be good for you to get some distance in on your swims to build up a bit of endurance.  Even if this is breastroke.   Just my two cents.

Tammy & Hilde - Congrats on your PR's!!  I haven't read the race report but will soon.

Alex - Happy B-day!  Hope your weekend was really, really fun.

Erin - No help on power meter but you keep a really nice pace on your group rides.

Suzie - Way to go on the walks and stairs.  You will reap big benefits from the stairs.

I looked at my training totals and it's clear I need to get in more running and swimming.  My totals are not balanced enough - especially with respect to the runs.

Wow, you all certainly have been busy!  Makes me feel even more like a slug than I felt before!  

Back to the gym today for the first time in about 3 weeks.  Getting my husband ready for his trip to Europe, getting myself ready for my trip to Europe, and then having allergy issues when I got back had me sitting out for a while, but I went to the gym today.  Still coughing and a little stuffy, so nothing too strenuous, but it was something and I feel so much better!  I think I need to find a new plan to follow.  Still looking for a place to swim, but I have it down to a few places, so now it's just a matter of finding the best value.

Oh!  and I am this close >< to getting  a job.  Just waiting on the last call back.  It's not exactly what I want, but it's in the field, and it'll be a paycheck till that dream job opens up.  Keep your fingers ccrossed!

Erin, I have never trained with a power meter... I don't know any of the MMMers that use one.  I pay attention to my cadence, and I really just get out there and ride if I'm outside.  If I do a trainer ride, I try to have a plan to do some type of intervals, or a Spinervals DVD, but I'm basically just trying to increase volume and hoping the speed will come the more I ride.  Sometimes I'll lower my cadence and ride hard, esp. up hills since I'm trying to get better at it.  The power meter question might be one to post on the tri forum, I'm sure you'll get lots of hits on that one.  I think they are pretty expensive....

On the bilateral breathing - I can do it for short distances but not long.

I'm thinking of modifying my swimming to this - short - aka what the plan tells me to do, medium - plan plus drills (I'm thinking of using the ones from the follow up plan I'm looking at - looks like mostly kick and pull but I may do some catch up and one arm stuff too) , long - basically warm up, swim as long as I can, cool down. This'll probably mean doing bilateral breathing on the short and medium days but only doing it in wu/cd of the long days.

 As to the walks and stairs - they're basically essential if I want to get to school as the girl I was getting a lift off each day has decided to stay with her uncle during the week and the lifts at the uni apparently require a key.

 gnome - good luck with the job. Hope you find a good place to swim. And yay for getting back to the gym

 So another question - this time on the bike section:

What's the best way to increase speed/strength?

I'll probably do most on flattish routes - but should I be throwing in hills this early and/or looking to experiment with gears?

x2 on this.

HA, Hilde, that's funny!

I just pulled the trigger and signed up for the local Women's Tri on 9/9.  I wanted to get in prior to the first price increase.  It's a repeat of my first "real" tri last year.  I hope to be better prepared.  Maybe I'll even have a road bike instead of my hybrid.  I'm definately thinking about a purchase of a bike.  Oh and I signed up age group instead of athena.  In this one, athena is usually last with the "first-timers".  I figure, if I start earlier I might have some people to run with as they can't all pass me on the bike.  It was pretty lonely last year, as I didn't see too many runners on the rolling, curvy, woodsy trail run.

Next up is a swim meet on 3/11 then a 5K on 4/29.  I thought about the 10K, but I'm not there yet distance-wise and speed-wise I'd be bringing up the rear of the race.  I'll be near the back on the 5K, too, but hopefully there will be a few walkers.