Baowolf's Beginner Banquet -Sorry all tables are full no room.. (Page 33)

My totals are pretty crap for June so I won't even post them   Anyways all this talk about triple IMs, Ultraman and just plain ultras is getting ridiculous haha, interesting but ridiculous.  I have an olympic in August and we will see where I go from there.

This morning I got my two hour bike in for the day and I am hoping to get my 40 min run in later in the evening when things cool down.  So I might have saved a life on my bike ride today, which is kind of cool...  I was sitting at a stoplight and heard this kind of moaning, not the good kind , coming from behind a car in the driveway next to the stoplight.  I looked around and all the people waiting at the light had their windows up and were doing their own thing so I went to check it out and there was the older woman who had fallen off a chair while trying to hang something on the side of the house.  She was pretty out of it but I ran to the door to see if anyone was home and of course there wasn't.  So I called EMTs and they showed up about 5 minutes later after I had pretty much gotten her into a decent position and stayed talking with her for a bit.  The EMTs loaded her up, thanked me and off they went.  Talk about an interesting break in a 2hr ride! 

Marcus

Ceril, happy glamping! 

Marcus, wow, yes definitely an eventful ride!  Glad you were able to hear that poor lady and respond.

Steve, I feel the need for a nap just reading about a swim that long.

Got in a 38 mile bike ride this morning, which is about 10 miles longer than I've ever gone before .  AND, I got a Zoot tri top at REI in Dallas.  Thought it was $29 (normally $70), but got to the register and it was only $15.  Woohoo, love me some bargain!

Happy 4th weekend!

Nice catch there Marcus. 

Grats on the 38 mile ride.. you are going to be looking at century rides soon 8) /evil grin.

We finally got some decent ish heat to workout in so 117 mile ride in 92F heat with some wind today.  Didn't have a lot of umptha but got it done.  I went through 160 oz of water and had nothing left in the multiple drink holders just as I pulled into the driveway.  Dumb garmin battery ran out died just before a 1500 foot climb around mile 100, wanted to get a read on that elevation gain for that loop as I had only done it once before.  May have to get the timex version with the 15 hour battery so I can get some decent stats on my routes.  That 95 to 100F water is just not as refreshing after 6 hours as you think it should be. So 14 hours of bike riding for me this week, and now to get amped up for a 17 mile run tomorrow... before church.  I should run it in the heat of the day, but then I have no time for the family on Sunday so...

We just did the firework thing so off to tuck the yungins in.   Happy 4th everyone.  

Nice, good work on the 38 mile and 117 mile rides!  I hope your run goes well this morning.

Happy 4th everyone!

Marcus

PS Stay safe, keep eyeballs and limbs intact please.

Steve, is that your last long ride before you start to taper?  I hear you feel weird tapering after all that building because your body doesn't know how to react to the lack of abuse.

Everybody doing the group rides, aren't they great?  They are safer, you are faster, and they push you to try just a little harder.

Just in from my 1.2 mile OWS this morning.  The guy who lives on the lake and allows the swimming has a ton of tri friends.  There were probably 20 people out swimming with 2 of them wearing their Olympic suits.  They were planning a bike and run afterwards that I opted out of.  It seems they do this every Sunday morning and some Saturdays.

Yesterday's bike was 47 miles.  There was a large ride yesterday for the 4th and all the local rides cancelled so everybody would ride this one.  over 350 people showed up for it.  Great SAG stops along the way. About 30 miles into the ride I was solo on a long straight.  I saw 3 guys coming up on me, I pushed to gain speed so they didn't fly by me in hopes of drafting them.  It worked and I gained 5 miles of fast riding without killing myself in the process.  I apologized for being too slow to lead any, they didn't mind.

I decided for kicks to run a 5k tonight that benefits St. Jude.  Might not be too fast considering a long run yesterday and a long swim this morning, but I'm hoping to at least do decent.

Dennis, how did I know you couldn't stay away from some kind of race for long?  Good luck in your 5K tonight.  Nice ride for you!  Is that the longest you have gone to date?  Sounds like you have found some great group things in your area.  Having a group to swim with is really nice.  I agree w/ you on the benefit of group rides, but I skipped the one yesterday and went solo.  The group was doing a 100 mile ride with the option to "only" do a 100K.

Steve, nice ride, and I'm glad someone welcomes the heat!  No idea how you fit it all in w/ the rest of life!

We have our normal summer string of high temps, high humidity, and no wind going. Biking early mornings is OK and of course swimming is good.  But running outside right now is getting me down.  Facing 2-3 more months of this stuff is more than I can think about.  This is my danger zone time of year to fade into just walking the dog (what I did this morning).  I guess the treadmill at the gym is calling my name if I want to keep/build any semblance of run fitness.  Someone please tell me your stories of glorious treadmill runs, and how awesome they can be, OK??!

No.  I've ridden with my LBS's B ride twice last month, first was 63, the second 68.  The 68 was a little too long for me.  I did meet a lady from my tri club who rides with the C ride.  She said although the speed is slower at a 15 mph average, they are only riding about 50 so the distance is easier to do.  I told her she had convinced me to drop down to the C.  I can push up my pace the last 10 miles of the ride when everybody goes all out on the return.

And the 100 miler or 100k riders, those people are hardcore.  Their main advantage is most of them are only bikers not having to run/swim the next day.  Trust me, if your group had to run 18 miles like Steve does the next day, they would collapse on the spot.  Is it hilly where you ride.  That's what kills me.  They aren't that tall of climbs, but it's just roller after roller around here.

17 mile run went ok today, first 10 miles were soild, then the next 4 were so/so, then I started fading in mile 14 and 15 but picked up the pace for 16 and 17... 8:34 pace overall.  I was hoping to make it through 17 without fading... 8(.  Oh well we go again next week.  My IM mary pace is 8:30-8:45, with 9:00 being a fall back time, so today's run was alright.  I am carying a lot of fatigue with 27 hours of workouts this week. 

I have one more build week before taper, Swim 5000, 3500, 4100, Run 10, 7, 8, 5, 18, Bike 38, 38, 38, 117 with an optional shorter ride thrown in or not.  

Taper for big races is a bit wierd.  You are hungry but not working out enough to support it, you develope aches and pains that are really your body healing up, but can erode your faith that your body will hold up for the race and you can be ancy, having lots of energy but only doing like  a 4000 yard swim or 80 mile bike ride so you have to find a way to spend all that spare time.  I am fairly low key personality wise so I get a touch of these things, but don't go too nuts.  A first IM or Mary taper though can make you doubt your training with the aches that develop out of nowhere on short runs.  They pass relatively quickly though. 

Fortunately I have pleanty to do on my to do list including moving a couple 20 ton more dirt finish off an archery range for the kids in the pack portion of my yard.  The sprinkler system always has its problems.  It was funny kinda, the grass grew over one of the heads this spring before we turned on the system, so when the sprinklers went on the lawn developed this huge (3 foot diameter) blister of water under the grass.  It may also have a broke sprinkler head as my wife ignores the sprinkler placement and tends to crunch any that it is possible to hit with the mower.  I also found a rock or two with some nice gashes after her last mowing.  I am hoping that is what bent the old blade and that she didn't kill the new blade on the first go.  Then there is the shelving system in the garage that is ... a pile of wood and the youngest 2 are into fishing, so ... I should be able to keep busy. 

I sometimes think about moving just so I can be near a masters swim class, a place where they have triathlons within 300 miles and has group rides, etc.  But, I just spent way to much money building my home into a home fitness center, so we 5 years or so.   

I will run in 100F temps or so here, but I bring 45 oz of water with me.  I don't have any medical conditions that make the heat a problem though. 

Ah the dreadmill.  I have done 20 mile runs on the dreadmill.  I brought in my laptop and played like an entire season of some TV show.  It can be done, just bring a distraction, food and water 8).  A fun game is to count how many times the entire poplation of the treadmill room changes before you are done with your workout.  What is really fun is if someone starts when you do, they finish go to work and come back and you are still on the treadmill.....

Great job on the 5K PR Dennis!  I still find it interesting that S/B/R as opposed to just R can result in faster run times.  Thinking their might be something to this low(er) HR stuff, and much easier to stay there with S/B.  Yes, we have rolling hills here, and also lots of flats.  I need lots of work on the hills.  Learned I was shifting to easier gears too much on them, so trying to hang on a bit more now.  What I think impacts my training ride times too is that at least every mile or 2 I'm either stopping or slowing down for a light/intersection.  Using the autopause now (thanks!), and may have to try changing the settings to set a minimum MPH instead of a dead stop.

Steve, the proper response to your wife hitting sprinkler heads is "thanks for mowing dear....you did an awesome job!".  I read part of your post to my hubby because I have a history of sprinkler head mayhem too.  This week I knocked some cap off the side of the mower skimming too close to the bushes, and gas leaked out everywhere.  Hmmm...I'll have to think up some other games to play on the treadmill since I don't plan to be there anywhere near that long. 

Congrats Dennis on your PR.  It is always great to chalk them up. 

Steve, I applaud you being able to spend that much time on a dreadmill.  That is as great.  I guess the more I get into distance running, the more I will have to learn to deal with it. 

Of the last 1000 miles I have run... I think like 20 were on the treadmill total.  I would much rather go out and run in 100F temps or 10F temps.  I have done 20 miles in the snow also. 

In like 5 years my wife mowed the lawn twice.  Each time has cost me 3 hours of repair and about $60 to 100. 

Oh well 40 mile bike ride down.  Time to try to fix the newest damage to my sprinkler system... and hide the keys to the mower.

Hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend. Family went to the beach twice. Water temp 79* high surf.  I was wishing I had brought my swim goggles to do "just a short 800". Crazy things we think of-like Steve- wanting to move just for TRIs? Now I have heard it all.

Steve-You mentioned the monthly challenge groups here on BT. I've glanced at them before, but was unsure what they were all about. Can you explain? Ultraman? Now there's a goal...but not for me. INteresting to know such things are out there and that people WILLINGLY participate in them.

Ceril-The water temp was 60* Hope you had a wet suit! Hope you enjoyed your vacation and were able to get in some good swims, and clipping practice.

Marcus-Wow! We'll just add "Hero" to your signature line. Way to go!

Carol-So you did the 38m not with the group! Wow, that is a lot on your own, I think.  Good for you.  I know the frustration of having to stop at the lights.  I have two routes that I have to drive to where I can get 25 m in with very little red lights, worth the drive for sure! And I am in agreement with Steve- Dreadmill. Yuck. I have only run once on the thing. One reason, my YMCA has a time cap, they will kick you off if you go over a certain amount of time. Not sure what it is now, but I remember thinking it wasn't long enough for even semi long runs.  I'd rather get up early, or suck it up, resign to run very slowly and go out later in the day than run inside. I love this sport because I am outside.

Dennis-PR! Yeah! Congrats. I try to do the same, leave it all on the course with no sprint at the end. Otherwise I feel I could have given more. I know a lady who qualified for Boston with her marathon run with the run leg of an IM! So I guess there is something about all this extra training, brick work etc.  -Karen

At the beginning of every month someone will start a challenge.  It could be a run challenge, a swim challange, a bike challenge, a workout every day challenge, an all of the above...etc., they are all different.  Basically you state that you want to join, they put you on a team and your team tries to win.  Folks encourage each other and there are some cross team digs etc.  It is just another way to set goals and have people chear you on.  It is kind of like this but 1 month long and you feel worse if you don't reach your goals 8) and good when your team all meet there goals.

Cross training helps with general arobic fitness.  However, if you wanted to nail a marathon you would have to cut your bike and swim back to like once a week and run 6 days a week.  There are definately some amazing athletes out there.  Just the thought of putting down  a 6:30 mpm pace on the IM marathon is inconcievable.  Someone just did a full IM in like 7:45 or some such.  There are folks who do not finish a half in 7:45.  If my swim is 90 ish min, bike is 6:15, then I am just starting the run when these guys are finishing the race. 

Oh well last build week here, should be 25 hours +.   

Karen, what, you don't keep a spare pair of goggles in your purse?  Sounds like a super fun weekend!

Steve, how in the world do you stay awake doing 25 hours of training?  Seems like just one bigger week makes me want to sleep a lot!

Survived the treadmill yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed the built in fan .  I'll definitely be running outside as well, but giving myself a break from the heat once a week or so will hopefully keep me going through the summer better than previous attempts. 

OK, have a question for you guys.  The bike shop where I did my only group ride a couple weeks ago has very recently formed a multi sport club, as well as a bike club.  Costs like $200/yr to join one or the other.  That is beyond my already stretched tri budget for this yr.  Problem is that now I find myself feeling hesitant to join rides and such.  Like they are doing a ride (part of an organized event) this weekend that I might like to do, but looks like it may be more for the club members.  They are very welcoming and nice, and come to lots of events in the area.  I've bought a saddle, bike fit, and tune up at the shop, so doing what I can w/in my budget and needs to support them.  Does anyone know the etiquette on this type of thing? 

Thanks for all the congratulations guys.

Carol - Maybe I'm from a cheaper area of the country, Memphis, but none of the clubs around here cost that much.  The major running club cost me $25/yr (10-15% @ the running shoe stores plus race discounts makes it pay for itself), my tri club charges $85/yr but you get a free club cycling jersey, and the major bike club in town is also only $25.  Have you asked what benefit you get from being a member? 

As far as riding with them, if it isn't a club only ride, then I would think riding with them is not a problem.  Especially if you leave from the LBS on the rides.  I know my LBS does rides so we will always be at the store and buy they large profit items like body glide, gatorade, bottles, cages, etc.

I would just talk with them.  For $200 they may be offering a full tri outfit etc., and they may understand that you don't have the cash for it, but could donate to cover the cost of supporting the sponsored events (like $50) or vollunteer to help with the events instead of paying (like work an aid station).  Feel free to play the I am new to all of this so I am not sure how it all works..... The worst they can say is no and at least they can provide some clarity. 

Yay 8 mile run in 92F temps... getting warmish.  Time to start bringing some water to work for noon runs.  I am glad to get in my acclimation runs now rather than during the race, but it does take a little umphta out of ya.  40 mile bike planned for tonight, will bring lots of fluids.  And then go to bed early. 

This has nothing to do with anything tri related, but I have to ask since "our group" spans the country...has the coverage of the Casey Anthony case been "big" where you are? Since it is only 50 miles from me, the coverage has been overwhelming.  I won't get into the politics of the case, just wondering if it is such a big deal eveywhere else?

Swam only 1050m today.  Hadn't swam in over a week.  I felt ill all last week, nothing I could put my finger on, just multiple symptoms. Anyway, really felt the time "off" today.  Sluggish swim, poor form, just yuck performance.  Thank goodness there was another woman in the lane next to me.  I would have quit the laps at 800, but the competitive side came out, I "had" to do more.

So I called and set a bike fitting for Thursday, $150. Ouch.  Carol, if I have to pay to ride with others, forget it! I'll ride by myself or with friends who are sorta like me! (But what do I know, it may be worth it).

--Side note, remember I've talked about going to yoga with my daughter? Well a few times we have also taken her bff.  Well, yesterday, 4th of July, the bff's father passed in the night.  The 16 year old girl lived alone with her dad, and found him cold in the morning.  I only share this to stress how important life is and how unimportanit the little things really are.  We never know when it is our last day.  Love your kids, forgive your spouses, love your life! --Karen

I swore off TV a few years back so believe it or not, I had only heard of the Casey story 2 weeks ago while in the hospital waiting room with my mother, who filled me in quickly on the case.  I didn't hear of it again until yesterday when my office was all in an uproar about it.  In case you are curious, ignorance of what is happening in the world is total bliss.

On a tri note, took yesterday off from training, and woke up at 3am for my brick.  2hr. bike followed by a 47min. run.  It's not even 7 and I've showed, dressed for work, prepared my lunch, the kids breakfast, and updated my BT training log.  Now to drive in to work and relax.  IT is a wonderful career where nobody knows exactly what you do, they just know they need you there.

Good going on the hot workouts Steve.  Can't imagine NOT taking water.  Do you have anyplace to grab a drink on the route?

Dennis, 3 am, yikes!  Gotta feel good to have your workout outta the way.  Good call on the no TV thing.  I think we would be better off without it.

Karen, So sorry to hear about your daughter's bff's dad.  You are so right about embracing each day.  Casey Anthony trial has been pretty big here too, but I'm sure nothing like for you in FLA.  Glad you are getting a bike fit and hope you feel a bit more pep as the week goes on!  Oh, and here is a race that you would like: http://www.runnersandwalkers.com/ms5k/index.html  A medal for everyone!

Hey there troy, kmatt, and anyone else hanging around .  Come on in and tell us how your training is going.

Thank you Steve, Dennis & Karen for your input on the LBS club thing.  It does include tri top & tri shorts + water bottle, which would be nice, but I already have those.  I'm sure I'll talk to them, though probably skip the event they are going to this weekend.  They are quite aware of my newbie status anyway...ala the clueless looks re: what kind of pedals I had, fixing my bike after the "learning to use the clipless pedals" falls, etc.  OK, think the traffic and breakfast insulin has cleared out enough to go for a ride, so cya! 

This is my first week to normal tri training as well as the P90X.  So far so good.  Still battling with the pool.  I know I do not show any pool workouts here, but I have been swimming.  Mostly technique work.  But no distance worth recording yet.  I am getting closer. 

We have a couple of LBS and also a couple of tri-clubs in the area.   They all have a membership of one kind or another, but all allow for anyone to join them for rides.  In fact they encourage it so that you will get to know people who are already members, hoping that it will help in their recruitment.