Scott's Mentor Group-Closed (Page 32)

Nice job Gareth!

I made up for all my slacking yesterday and it's only 9:40

It was a cold bike ride, though and I almost ran into a car (yes, it was totally my fault). Glad it was a short ride because I underestimated the cold and didn't wear any gloves. Brrrr. Happy training, everyone!

Garth,

Congratulations on your brick today. I've noticed several times on bricks that my runs are faster than I thought.  I'm not sure why that happens.

Nicole,

Way to work through those nagging bicycle tuneup issues. My bike is in the shop right now getting tuned up as well.  Be sure to stay safe on the bike.

Today I went for a mountain bike ride 1:52. lots of hill climbs.  

I was planning an open water swim for tomorrow.  However, is very cold and I'm not sure I'll be able to pull it off. It may be a good day for the pool instead.

Enjoy your Saturday night everybody.

CN

Howdy peeps!!

Just a quick fly-by, as I'm in between my long run, loads of laundry, and a few errands to run. But had to share my enthusiasm for this morning's run. Very much the confidence booster! I'm 4 weeks into my 12 week marathon plan, and it's progressing very well.

My intention was to head out for my scheduled 18 miler and just let it come as it wanted ... thought I'd target somewhere between an 8:15 and an 8:25 pace. Well, it was one of those runs that just kept on giving, and the paces just kept on opening up for me. Ended up with an 8:02 pace with a very solid uphill for mile 17 and a 7:05 for the final mile. Hopefully, this trajectory keeps moving in the same direction!

Have an awesome close to your weekends everyone. 

Congratulations Troy...

I have had a similar experience today, but not anywhere near as good as your times or distances!! I again ran my normal route (3.05 miles), my race is a sprint tri that has a 5k run, and I amazed myself, I felt really good during the run, so kept on pushing (ran on my own) to a point where I was heavy breathing, and my time was 26.36, that is a huge (well huge for me) 70 seconds quicker than I did on my previous best run!! Don't think it will become a common trend, but now I know that I have it in me, so can push myself every so often!

Hope you all had a good training weekend!

Gareth

Troy, awesome run buddy way to go.

Nicole, we all have days like that. In fact, my swim today was similar. It seemed every stroke took a ton of effort.

I had an open water swim scheduled for today. However, the ocean swells were running 6 to 9 feet. So I opted for a 1550y pool swim instead.

1x750

8x100

Since today is the first day of the month, I've listed my March totals below:

Monthly totals:
S:  9200.00 Yd - 3h 27m 48s 
B:  68.56 Mi - 9h 16m 38s 
R:  26.69 Mi - 5h 56m 37s 
Sp:  30m 

 Let's all have a great week.

CN

Wish I could log runs like some of you guys!

Eventful weekend - hopefully will be kicking the training up a notch now that we are in April - had a good start today and a busy Monday planned.  Hoping Easter (I will be on the road and at in-laws) can be productive with some nice long runs during the 3 days away ...

I started a blog - when I figure it has some content worth reading I will share it with you guys.  Basically will cover training and races and random stuff from now until the big Half Ironman day ...

March results:

Swim - 14,412 yards - 4.6 hours in the pool

Bike - 188 1/2 miles - 13.44 hours in the saddle

Run - 54.4 miles - 8:27 hours on the road

The bike results are the biggest thing for me - I did not road train last season more than 100 miles TOTAL - and most of my cycling was off road on trails (mountain bike).  I still pushed out decent times last year in my two tris and one du - all with my 1982 old steel beast ... I can't wait to see what this year brings on the bike!

Today (April 1st)

Did a 36 mile bike in a new spot - pretty much even terrain - flat and fast out and backs - headwind at one point but nothing that could not be easily pushed through.  I never cranked at all in the high gear (a first for me) stayed mid gear and worked on leg tempo (guess thats what you all call cadence) - and maintained a steady 21 mph except on sections through the woods and the turn around points.  The woods when we started were packed with deer/rabbits and we both figured a hit at 15mph would be better than a full barrel collision (neither of us crashed) but it was definitely something new for me.

Had planned a 9 mile run after but I was tight as hell and at around the three mile mark felt like I would crap my pants - tried three bathrooms all still locked for winter.  MAde my way back to the car and clinched my butt until my brother finished his loop.

We'll see how tomorrow pans out - I am hoping to exceed last months run and swim numbers - not sure if I will get there on the bike again - have two or three races this month and will most likely lose the post race days as recovery.  Need some Troy like running days (miles wise) if I want to improve on my half marathon, my next one is on May 6th.

I'm not feeling well this morning. I'm not sure if it accounts for my crappy run yesterday or if it's a result of it. I'm supposed to swim this afternoon. The plan this week was to ramp up my swimming. We'll see how today goes. I reallly want to go because if I miss it I may not be able to make it up.

Good morning, all!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend! I just caught up on all the posts and it looks like there was good training going on! Good job to all!

I didn't have any hardcore training over the weekend- no laps or miles to log Saturday. I worked on my in-laws' farm most of the weekend. It's not tri training but still a heck of a workout. I like to take one day a week off for mental/physical rest but then substituted it with farmin'!

I came home last night and wanted to go for an easy run. Rewind two years- My wife and I bought a jogging stroller before our son was born and I had never logged a single mile on it jogging. I only took it on walks. Those days are over. My wife suggested going for a jog with the stroller and it sounded revolutionary!! Why had I not thought of that? It's a whole new way to train and be with my son! I had no idea what kind of pace I could do pushing a stroller. How far should I go? How exciting! Do people compete in this? Is there a beginnerstrollerjogger website? Well, I hit the road and started running. I ran 3.2 miles and averaged a 9:42 min/mile! That is a PR since I never attmepted it before. Now I am going to try and add in 1-2 stroller runs a week. You have automatic resistance of atleast 50 lbs (stroller and kid). I'll fly when I go alone!

Below are my totals for March. My numbers are down a tiny bit in running and swimming. I was really focusing on race distances the last two weeks of March prior to my race so totals are a little low. My biking was up so I was happy with that.

April Goals- I wanted to take one day a week off for March. I ended up with 7 (including sick days)! Thats a week! I need to do better. I want to start movning towards the 5 mile run mark. I'm also going to start addind endurance in the pool. Overall, I'm happy with where I am and where I am going.

Confession time- we all know how expensive this can be and how fun. I have become obsessed with many aspects of this sport and have busted my budget. Sometimes I need a reality check and need to understand that I am not sponsored and this is not my full time job. I think I was super anxious for my first race and wanted everything perfect.

I made up for no posts over the weekend! Have a great week everyone!

March Totals:

 Now that I'm into the thick of it with my marathon training, time in the saddle is taking a bit of a hit. I know I need to get better at keeping a balance between the three endeavors ... thankfully, I still have more than a year to figure out just how I'm going to do that before I'm into my training for an IM.

Outside commitments kept me out of the pool last week ... so I'm a little bummed I didn't cross the 30k threshold. Maybe April will bring that milestone. I am definitely itching to get back into the pool tonight. Hopefully, a week off hasn't cost me too much swim fitness.

Very pleased with the run numbers ... especially considering the quality of my run workouts lately. My current A goals are both running related, so I suppose this is where my focus should be. 

Well, today's run was really bad. I think I'm going to chalk it up to a hangover effect from the hill work on Friday and Saturday (Friday running and Saturday riding). Every step of today's run felt like I was wearing ankle weights. I actually had to do quite a bit of walking for the first time since probably January. The only good news was my heart rate monitor and tracking software both malfunctioned so I have no evidence of how bad it really was.

Perhaps my body is telling me I need to take a day off.

I hope you all had a better training day today than I.

CN

Hey Gang,  I've been away for a few days.  Sounds like everybody is still hitting it hard.  I had a rough month, for me, training wise and so I will continue to move forward.  Today was my first workout that was assigned from my coach.  

2000 yds total

300 wu

4x50 kick

4x 50 drill

100 focus on distance per stroke.

100 as 50 easy/50 hard

3x300 descending

4x50 swolf.  

Felt good.  The flow of the workout was different than what I am used to, but my arms felt heavy at the end.  Really happy to see everyone sticking with it.  Keep it up gang.  

Howdy, ya'll!

I hope everyone is having a good week. I hit the pool yesterday for a swim to see how I could go for without a break. I'm hitting the 1/2 mile mark but then feel like I start to flail. I try to change up what I am doing to stay interested. Being outside for runs/rides makes me feel refreshed and wanting more. Going inside to an indoor pool and looking at the bottom for 30-60 minutes makes me not want to be there. I would like an outdoor pool just to give me a change of scenery.

I don't know. I have indoor pool blues. I have a bike ride today- gonna try to get in 25 miles. I love outdoor training!

I decided to listen to my body and took yesterday off. I actually do feel quite a bit better today. Unfortunately, I have to drive 3 hours after work today so I won't get a chance to fit a workout in until tomorrow morning. I'm not sure I would be up to a run today anyways but a swim would've been ok.

Bring in the noise. Bring in the funk.

(I approve)

 

Had a very encouraging session at the pool tonight. 2600 total. The 2nd to last set was 600 yd continuous with the 1st 25 of each new 100 as Catch Up drill. My time for the 600 was 10:34 which is approximately 1:47/100. I could have gone a bit faster had I not been doing catch-up drill for those 25s, and I had plenty left to where I could have held that pace. I'm very encouraged. Hoping I can continue this trajectory, but I'm a little worried that my time with the Master Swim group is up at the end of next week. So I'll be self directed for a while ... most of the spring/summer actually.

That is some amazing progress Troy.  You are self-motivated.  You should have no problem keeping it up and continuing to improve.  Most of your run training is self-directed, you should be able to translate that to your swim.  

Pretty freaking hard trainer session tonight.  I had 9 20 second intervals that were 160% of CP.  Painful.  

I came across this video on head position while swimming.  It's a two part video.  Gary Hall Sr. is a very knowledgeable and talented swimmer.  Worth a look.

http://www.theraceclub.net/videos/secret-tip-head-position-1of2/

I say anyone who can put up with the enthusiasm and lunacy of me, Scott, Ashley, Troy, Paul, Tim, Nicole, Kate and Gareth is welcome.  

Kinda reminds me of what W.C. Fields said, "I wouldn't want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member" 

After my lousy run yesterday, I decided that I needed a day of no training (I wouldn't call it rest, busy work day).

However, I spent a perfect evening with my son and mother.  We decided to cook a Hawaiian dinner of grilled chicken, rice and island salad.  We ate watching a slide show of the photo's we took of our vacations in Kona during the IM World Championship the last two Octobers.

And just a short brag moment, my wife and daughter are in Belfast, Northern Ireland where my 15 year old daughter is competing in the World Irish Dance Championships.  Her team is expected to medal.

Tomorrow back at it.  I promise.

Craiger.

Sounds like an excellent evening, Craig ... and good luck to your daughter!

***********

Just in from my mid-week medium long run. 12 miles. My early morning rise was rewarded with a brilliant moon setting over Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. I love my solitary morning hours ... feels like I have the streets (and the bike path) all to myself.

Craig that is great about your daughter.  Hopefully you will fill us in on the good news. 

I let the moderators know that we would like to be moved up to the main forum, so I will let everyone know when that happens.  

I have an easy run scheduled for this evening.  Good, because my body is reminding me this morning that yesterday was pretty tough.  Good training to all.  

Yeah, let's shake things up in here. Bring on the new members!

Ugh, I woke up with a rattle in my chest. Seemed to clear on coughing so I ran anyway. Back to my old speed, though.

Craig, That's very cool. Congrats to your daughter!