Scott's Mentor Group-Closed for training. (Page 33)

I use a camelbak backpack for anything over an hour or so in the summer. In the winter I can go almost 2 before I use it. I have been purposely leaving it at home this summer because I'm trying to acclimate a bit to the heat but my longest run has been around 1:05 and by the time I'm done I'm so thirsty I'm really wanting to drink from puddles. I like the Camelback a lot because I don't like to carry anything in my hands when I run and it's nice to have everything right there. Also, It's a little backpack so I can put my keys and cell phone and whatever else in there.

People getting ready for races - love it!!

Thanks for the feedback - I have been working on increasing cadence and doing well at 100 - 102 but now I will shift gears and hopefully help my run times.

LOL - I logged on as I do most days but I sit in the Charlotte airport so I can enter, well a 50 yard walk down the hot sweaty jetway.......nawh that is not valid, or the bicycle motion I was doing as I fell asleep as the plane took off at 6am this morning....Naught.

Well - just a rest day and fun reading the post!  Keep training and visualize the race!!!  Do you believe and practice visualization.......???? To practice your events?

I use the Ultimate Direction handheld on my runs for hydration:

I used to use a Camel Back that strapped around my waist, but I never really liked it. I have two of these for very long runs when I don't think I'll run by a water stop (long trail runs). I also have a Nathan Hydration Vest that I haven't actually used.  Before I got injured last Spring, I was going to begin training for a Rim2Rim2Rim Grand Canyon run and knew I'd need a lot of hydration. 

I really like the handheld, and the pouch allows me to carry my debit card, a camera, or some gels.

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I went into last night's trail run with fresh legs hoping to perform better than I had two weeks prior. I was holding the pace I wanted when I had to back off after another ankle scare at about mile 2. I was able to avoid any serious re-injury, but wasn't able to get my pace back after that. I finished 8/47 in my Age Group, but think I could probably be top 5 on a good night. Definitely felt the trail legs returning a bit more last night. I just need to get a bit more mojo back. We ran 3 miles warm up and another 3 cool down for a total of 9.

Legs were pretty fried this morning, so I opted for a rest day. I'm driving my daughter and her boyfriend to halfway to CT tonight where they'll be picked up by his father prior to a trip to San Francisco.  So no evening workout either. The rest day will do me good.

Scott ... would love some samples, but I'll grab them from you in person. I'd love to consider a swim this weekend, but will have to let you know if for certain once we decide if we're heading up to Montreal. 

Good morning, tri junkies.

Scott, congrats on your new team. I can see the smile on your face from here in KY. How did the intitial conversation get started? How were you "discovered'? Did the Team Aquaphor leader go, "Hey, team. Who is that guy on the cervelo that just burned your toast?? We need him!".

Nicole, you run with a camelback full of water on? I'll bike/hike with a camelback but run?

Matt, your first race morning is better than Christmas day!

Lots of thoughts running throught he old head this week with race day coming up. My first race went very well. I set a modest goal based on my training and crushed it. Now the bar is a little higher but am wondering how realistic it is. There is no way I have regressed since March. I need to consider how much difference to consider when racing at 48 degrees vs training at 92 degrees. I don't know what to expect come Sunday morning- weather, adrenaline, and random things. I rode and ran yesterday short distances and averaged 17 mph and 8:39 miles!! That is slow and destined for last place! Is it heat and late in the day with tired legs? Don't know. My race in March was 20mph on the bike and a 7:54 mile. I am puzzled....

Gonna rest the legs a bit today and go for a swim. Gonna do 1000 yds non-stop. Do any of you ever sit in a sauna?

I signed through Active Ambassadors.  They let me know of companies that are looking for athletes to sponsor.  Team Aquaphor signs on only 200 athletes for 6 mos. of the year.  I applied and they liked what they saw, I guess.  So I will be representing them until December of this year.  

Got my first tri this Sunday, the Philly Olympic. My goals are to survive the swim, finish the race, and do it all within 3 hours if possible. Starting to get the pre-race nerves though and I'm convinced I missed something in my training. I guess this is what makes racing more fun than training though . 

- David 

Good luck this weekend Ashley and David!  

Float

Hammer

Jog

Crush Dreams.

I'm planning an OWS in Lake Champlain this weekend but on the NY side. It's about 10 miles between Port Douglas and Perkins Pier in Burlington. Want to meet halfway?

Is Montreal just a day trip? I'll be there for a couple of weeks soon. Really looking forward to it.

Tonight I swim and then tomorrow I'm travelling. I plan to do a couple of extra miles on the bike on Saturday after my swim to make up for what I missed this week (I went to NYC yesterday to see Phantom of the Opera-Awesome). I did do a quick run very early yesterday morning before heading out but, yeah, it's not been the best couple of weeks for getting workouts in. It was expected and life gets in the way sometimes. What can you do?

Scott, what kind of difference do you see in your training times/distances betweeen mid-winter and mid-summer?

Troy, do you see slower running times in the summer when it is hotter?

I wasn't running last summer so this is all new to me. I find it hard to swallow that I ran 3.1 miles this morning at the same pace, 25:20, I ran my first 5K in February! The course I did this morning had some hills but still....I can't be getting slower. It was 75 degrees this morning and hot. I ran at 7:30 which is about when I'll hit my transition Sunday.

I need to readjust my goal if these times are accurate..

Ashley,  I may not be following you correctly.  It sounds as though you are saying that you ran a training run this morning at the same pace that you raced back in February.  If that is the case then I would suggest that you are actually getting faster.  Training runs should be slower than our races.  Race intensity should be a small part of our run training.  The bulk of which is meant to strengthen our aerobic engine.  If you are training at the same pace at which you raced back in Feb.  Sir, you are ready for a PR.  

This past winter was not typical for me because I was injured, but I would normally have continued to build a strong base while competing in a few local 5k races.  Right now my volume is higher than it's been in over a year.  I have just started adding in some tempo intervals.  Last night's run:

10 min easy warmup

5x2 min at threshold pace (1min easy run rest)

10 min cool down easy.  

Most every other run that I have been doing is easy self selected running pace.  

I hope this helps.  If I'm misunderstanding, let me know.  I'm sure Troy will chime in as well.  

Phew! Still recovering from a run this morning! Got in a full 10K but holy cow was I sweating. Probably dropped about 5 lbs! But fortunately I had a cold 1.5 gallon of water sitting in my fridge waiting for me ... it didn't make it past lunch time!

Then I got in a quick swim this evening which I'm hoping will pay off on Sunday. Swimming with 4 other people in one lane was a little nerve racking, but getting used to swimming in the pack I'm hoping will pay dividends. I made sure to keep my stroke steady and not get too amped up to pull away from the others. Got in my 1100 right around 20 minutes which is what I'm shooting for on Sunday.

So things I've picked up on here for my first Tri:

1. Stay calm in the water and don't try and start off like Michael Phelps!
2. Swim AROUND the boueys - do not try and cut the angle and get in the scrum!
3. Speed laces = good

Things I've picked up elsewhere:

1. Transition is meant to be FAST, don't stop for tea and crumpets! Move your big butt!
2. Helmet on and buckled, Helmet on and buckled, did I mention Helmet on and buckled? Before thinking of unracking the bike and running it out of T1.
3. No drafting! Keep 3 lengths between you and anyone in front of you on the bike! Unless you can get by them in 15 seconds, then have at it!
4. Stay right at all times unless passing!
5. T2 is drop everything (helmet, bike, shoes) and take off! (just make sure you get your bike back on the rack)
6. Save something in the tank for the last mile on the run.

Did I miss anything?

-Matt

It will actually be 10-you'll have to swim home after.

Good morning peeps ...

Got out this morning for some open water swim practice. I'm guestimating I was somewhere around a 2:00/100yd pace, but it's just an estimate. Marianne (my wife) came along and did her yoga/boot camp on the shore.  My sighting was terrible on the return to the beach. I need to work on that. 

Those are the best.

Finish with a smile, or at least an attempt to smile.  Don't forget to thank the volunteers.  Good luck and rock it!!!

Matt

I asked a similar question a couple of weeks ago before my first tri, the key message was smile, have fun and thank volunteer marshalls and spectators who are encouraging you.

I did all of those things and enjoyed the whole experience. I found that if you gave back to the spectators, they gave you more, which in turn gives you the energy and motivation to push harder or to help you get through the tough times.

So my response is, have fun, smile and say thanks

Good luck with the race, hope you get out what your training deserves and update us on how it went

Gareth