Slornow's and Wannabefaster's Summer Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 35)
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BT Development | Mentor Program Archives » Slornow's and Wannabefaster's Summer Mentor Group - CLOSED | Rss Feed ![]() |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Melissa-wow! What a great place to spend some time. Too bad you have to interrupt the trip for a race! Tay-don't get discouraged about speed. It will come. Just keep at it. Eventually you will see your speed creeping up at the same level of effort. Consistency is key! Well, Summer is here in South Alabama. Garmin said it was 87 degrees at 8:00am. Got in a 30 mile ride with a few intervals to see how my legs felt after a week away from the bike. Rest of the day looks pretty lazy! Edited by slornow 2013-06-16 11:28 AM |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Just found out that I would have been able to get a Vegas 70.3 World Championship slot at Eagleman last Sunday. Turns out the slots rolled down past my finishing position of 15th in AG. One of my goals going into the year was to "qualify" for Vegas. I had decided I was not going to go to Vegas even if I qualified. Its a brutal course and I just couldn't wrap my mind around training hard through a long hot Summer to go get crushed in Las Vegas. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Finally got Eagleman race report done. Thanks to everyone for all the support and encouragement: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=492311&posts=1&page=1 |
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Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() OWS at the dam today (Clark's Hill/Storm Thurmond Reservoir). Windy & choppy. Was hoping to go halfway across (1/2 mile out & then back) and back. Sadly, I got to the first buoy and was gassed. Was disappointing. Im finding that I really despise my wetsuit. I feel as though I fight it too much. Once I got back to shore, I took it off & swam another 200yards without it. Was so much easier. Fortunately, most of my tris this summer will be too warm for a.wetsuit. On another note....found out that one of the guys in my tri club edits DC Rainmaker's blog.posts. He's been using this product (http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/06/safer-swimmer-review.html) on all his OWS and it makes a huge difference in visibility. There are a lot.of boats and jetskis where we swim, so being more visible is a good thing. I was watching the 2 mile swimmers come in & there was a huge difference in seeing the swimmer with the buoy. Swimmers without it were almost imperceptible to the eye. |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Randy - good race report. I love reading about how people do at different races - there's so much to learn! This morning I helped out at our local sprint triathlon. I was counting laps in the swim and had a great time. I thought it might be quite intense, but actually once we got into it the role was fairly easy and I had plenty of chance to chat to the swimmers in my lane before they started, which was really fun. The race attracted a lot of first timers and it was very friendly in general. Also my Dad did it as his first tri. I'm so proud of him. Not only did he make it through, but in all the photos he's smiling and he looked really relaxed when he was running into the finish (he finished shortly after we were done in the pool, so we got to see him run into the finish). He used to do a lot of running, and he said that although he felt it was a similar amount of effort to a half marathon, he enjoyed it a lot more because of the variety. And then he was really pleased when I pointed out that there were actually 3 people in his AG (he thought there were only 2), and he'd come 2nd! The guy who came first in his AG was wearing a GBR tri suit, so I figure that's not really a fair comparison. All in all it was a great day. Didn't do any training as it was a really early start and by the time we were finished my husband and I were exhausted (he was doing transition security, so was standing there for about 6 hours in total!). We went to the cinema tonight instead ![]() |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Nancy-thanks for the info on the Swim Safe product. Really interesting and I would think a must have for those doing alot of OWS. Rachel-sounds like a great day with your Dad. Hard to beat those types of experiences. |
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Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Scott - AWESOME job on the OLY! Don't you love it when the pieces just come together! Congrats ![]() Tat - don't worry about your speed. That will come ![]() Melissa - you are just taunting us now ![]() Randy - congrats on hitting your qualifying goal - even if you don't go to Vegas you are still my hero! Nancy - I wonder why you feel like you are fighting your wetsuit - I only fight with it when I'm trying to get it off. When I swim with it I'm definitely faster. I'm sorry I can't offer any advice though. I'm a huge fan of those personal buoy thingys. Rachel congrats to you and your dad!! That's so great. I ended up bagging my trail race. My shin has been cranky lately and I figure it didn't need that added to it. Besides, we've had record rainfall in the last week and to say the course was muddy would be an understatement. I'm sure I made the right decision. 2nd Tri coming up this week on Thursday though. PSYCHED! I hope everyone had a happy fathers day. |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() He's been using this product (http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/06/safer-swimmer-review.html) on all his OWS and it makes a huge difference in visibility. There are a lot.of boats and jetskis where we swim, so being more visible is a good thing. I was watching the 2 mile swimmers come in & there was a huge difference in seeing the swimmer with the buoy. Swimmers without it were almost imperceptible to the eye. That is the same device that I use. We have a lot of boats and jet skis here as well. Makes a very big difference. The nice thing is that you can put some personal belongings in there and don't need to leave anything on the beach. Edited by d3term1ned 2013-06-16 6:44 PM |
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Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Michael....I ordered one today. I have a Garmin Forerunner 410, so can't swim with it, but thought I could put it in the safety buoy & at least know how far I went. |
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Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() For the teeming millions who want the gory details -- my Oly race report is up. |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Great races everyone (from last week and this week)! Sorry I've been out the past few weeks. Last week I was suffering some stomach issues and missed 4 days of training. This week, I got my training in, but work kept me away from the forums. The heat and humidity are taking their toll on me. First few days this week were awful, but it cooled down a bit by Friday and I had some great training sessions. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() 3:30 AM and I can't sleep. Can't remember the last time that has happened to me. A lot of stuff running around in my head. Not the best way to start the week of my early season A race. Remember how I said, your wetsuit almost can't be too tight? Well, the wetsuit I bought this winter, which I am smack in the middle of the height and weight range for this size, is too tight. I mean, it took 15 minutes to get on. I tore the neoprene in several places. It was just not working. Once I got it on and got in the water, I felt fast and OK but when I went to take it off (trying to replicate transition) it stuck everywhere. I now have a wetsuit that I think is too small and I have damaged it too much to be able to sell it to someone else. Bummer. |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I really suck at posting here! My training schedule has changed as I am signing up for an Oly at the end of Sept. This will either make or break me, and I'm trying everything I possibly can to fit training in to our busy life schedules. Last week I did really well. It looks like I'll have to spend some time running on a treadmill, but running is running, right? I have two rides scheduled in my week, one on the trainer and one outdoors if possible. Swimming is going well, although the indoor pool is heated and it's 17 yards. Really messes with my head! The outdoor pool is 25 yards, however, it's outdoors, which means every kid at the Y is in your face, and one end is so shallow that flip turns are not possible and I literally scrap my knuckles on the bottom. The next closest Y is about 30 mins away. If I get desperate, I guess I can go there. Anyway, that's what I've been up to. Here's my updated race schedule: July 27 - Sprint August 18 - Sprint Sept 22 - 5150 Oly Sept 29 - Texas 10 Series Oct 13 - Oktoberfest Sprint (A Race) Nov 3 - Oilman HIM (relay, still looking for a runner. I will do the swim) Nov 28 - Turkey Dash 5k Dec 8 - RunGirl Half Marathon |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Karla-looks like a busy race season for you. Thanks for checking in. Jason-what brand is your new wetsuit? I'm starting to think about a new one and curious about the fit issue. |
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Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Question for all the Maffetone fans - which book would you recommend? The Big book of Endurance training and racing http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-book-of-endurance-training-and-... or The Maffetone Method? http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maffetone-method-philip-maffetone/1... I feel like I'm flailing from event to event and need to find some discipline. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by slornow Karla-looks like a busy race season for you. Thanks for checking in. Jason-what brand is your new wetsuit? I'm starting to think about a new one and curious about the fit issue. Randy, It is a Tyr Hurricane CAt 5. I think it fits right but man is it tight. This months Triathlete magazine has a pretty good review of wetsuits if you are interested. They tested them in a somewhat novel way that I liked being able to look at. |
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Regular ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Scott, good job with the Oly. I have my first Oly this coming Sunday and I'm getting a little nervous but also excited. I would love for my time to be close to yours but I'm going to try to have fun and not worry too much about the time. I got in my second OWS last Saturday and swam without the wetsuit (it's doubtful the race will allow them anyway) and it was SO much easier without the wetsuit. I've never had claustrophobia but I certainly did with my first OWS with a suit 23 weeks ago. I know one is faster with the suit but given my anxiety issue with it, I wouldn't wear it Saturday even if it was. I just need to practice more in open water with it prior to racing. I got in an easy swim and bike this morning. It's a nice taper this week prior to the race so I'm enjoying the extra time with my family. I have to look for more races for the summer since my main race is next Sunday and I feel I should at least get a couple more in for all the training I've put in. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Dave, I'm tapering too. It is so nice to have the decreased volume/increased family time. I defininitely still feel pretty beat up physically so I need this lighter week to be ready for next Sunday. I swam in open water both with and without the wetsuit this last weekend. I am definitely faster in the wetsuit but I am amazed at how much more comfortable I am in the water without the wetsuit than I was even a year ago. Randy has said something about this in the past; I have noticed that I am not much faster but swimming is so much easier/more natural than it used to be. I just feel way better in the water. It is a relief to not be terrified of the swim. I used to be scared at the start of a race but now the swim is just something that I do and don't think about that much. It is a nice change. Speaking of swimming, I just found out that my pool is going to be closed for the entire month of August. Not that that is during my build to IM Tahoe or anything, but it couldn't come at a worse time. I suspect I will be swimming at my friend's house, in the quarry, for the whole month. He may get sick of my car being in his driveway. I think I will order one of the ISHOF swim buoys that everyone else has been talking about. I admit that I swim alone in the lake. If something were to happen I could perhaps use it for a little flotation, or at least they could find me later....... His lake is a no-gas-motor lake so boat traffic isn't such a big deal but I like the idea of a little bit of a safety net. It would probably make my wife feel better as well. Does anyone in the group have strong feelings about swimming solo? This is usually a bit polarizing with people having strong feelings on the matter. I am doubtful that someone could rescue me if we were swimming together so I just swim alone. Even having someone on shore watching you is not that useful, except to document where you were when you went missing. If someone were canoing or kayaking with me, that would be helpful but finding someone to do that is just not going to happen. |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Does anyone in the group have strong feelings about swimming solo? This is usually a bit polarizing with people having strong feelings on the matter. I am doubtful that someone could rescue me if we were swimming together so I just swim alone. Even having someone on shore watching you is not that useful, except to document where you were when you went missing. If someone were canoeing or kayaking with me, that would be helpful but finding someone to do that is just not going to happen. I am not sure about strong feelings but I am of the opinion not to go swimming by yourself in open water. I think I am just more comfortable knowing that I am not the only one out there. All my OWS are done with my training buddy or in a group setting with my coach. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Sounds like we have a busy group racing this weekend. Dave-olympic; Jason 70.3 and Melissa IM France. Anyone else? I try not to do much OWS by myself. Actually I don't do much OWS anyway. I liked the product that Nancy linked on the DC Rainmaker site. Still if its an area with boat traffic I would like a kayaker on someone near me to help with visibility. People just don't pay enough attention to what they are doing. When we go to the beach in July my in-laws place is on a large Bay that connects with the Gulf. You can literally walk 1/4 mile out or more before the water is chest deep. I swim out there sometimes alone but still have concerns about jetskis that may be coming in close to shore. I may order the device that was on DC Rainmaker for those types of situations. There are risks that we take with s/b/r everyday.....guess what I'm looking for is the best way to minimize or control the risk. Impossible to eliminate it. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Here is another question that has been rattling around in my brain. I will have to preface it a bit: This months copy of RunnersWorld has a very in depth coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombings. It is a fascinating read and I recommend it to everyone. They interviewed a lot of racers to get a ground-level view of how people experienced the race and bombings. One of the people they interviewed (and I have heard this over and over in the coverage of the event) said something to the effect of, "My legs were so tired after the race that I was sitting on a curb and contemplating whether I could even walk to my hotel. Then the bombs went off and in the terror of the moment, I was up on my feet and felt like I could have run another 26.2 if I had to......" Pretty interesting. I have read on multiple occasions that as a protection mechanism the brain will shut the body down long before the body gets to failure. That is pretty smart to prevent injury/long-term damage but sure gets in the way of peak athletic performance. I think that truly elite level athletes have figured out how to ignore that 'brain shut-down' and get much closer to their physical limits than the average athlete. I am fascinated by this train of thought. How do I overcome my brain's desire to slow down? Do I really need to reduce my pace or is that just my innner protection mechanism kicking in a little earlier than I want? If I do overcome the mental shut down mechanism, how much further can I really push before I really do hurt myself? Anyone who has done an IM has experience that, "I want to quit" moment or moments and has pushed through. Just really thinking out loud...... |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by d3term1ned Does anyone in the group have strong feelings about swimming solo? This is usually a bit polarizing with people having strong feelings on the matter. I am doubtful that someone could rescue me if we were swimming together so I just swim alone. Even having someone on shore watching you is not that useful, except to document where you were when you went missing. If someone were canoeing or kayaking with me, that would be helpful but finding someone to do that is just not going to happen. I am not sure about strong feelings but I am of the opinion not to go swimming by yourself in open water. I think I am just more comfortable knowing that I am not the only one out there. All my OWS are done with my training buddy or in a group setting with my coach. While I think it's a good idea to swim with someone else it is often very difficult with an OWS. First schedules need to line up which reduces the number of opportunities a lot. Second there can be a great disparity in skill level. If you are not really near the other person(s) because you are slower or faster any distress may go unnoticed. Don't we all concentrate on what we are doing in an OWS? Third, how many of us are trained to do an OW rescue? I have been trained to do that including how to administer mouth-to-mouth in OW. Believe me it is not easy. My wife is a good swimmer if not a strong one. She always goes with me when I swim OW if I am swimming alone, watching from dry land. If I am wearing a wetsuit she could get me to the shore/bank. Without it, no way. |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Scott - great race report. I'm glad your swim has improved so much. It really helps set things up for the rest of the race if you can make it out of the water without any dramas. Sounds like we've got a few big races coming up this weekend. Can't wait to hear about them. I'm nearly into taper, and already going a little stir crazy... OWS - I never swim in OW alone, but it has occurred to me on a number of occasions that although we'll stop at the buoys and wait for each other, if someone got into trouble it's quite possible we wouldn't notice for quite a few minutes, which wouldn't be much use. But, to be fair, it's far too cold to swim without wetsuits here, and everyone I swim with is a strong swimmer, so it's unlikely anything would happen that we couldn't deal with ourselves. For our club swims we have a safety kayak as well as a spotter on the shore. Boats don't tend to be a problem because the lakes we swim in either have allocated swimming areas, or no boats at all. As for the Urge to Quit - I've had that, although at IM last year it never even occurred to me. But my mental attitude was very much affected by crashing so close to the race. Having spent 4 days unsure if I'd even make it to the start line, I was so happy to be there that it really took me through the whole day. It'll be interesting to see how I manage this year, having to get through on my normal levels of determination. I had a complete meltdown last Saturday on my bike ride (I hate riding alone, and I think the combination of lots of training and not quite enough sleep took my anxiety levels way above normal) and despite the fact that the ride itself was going fine (apart from some wind and a couple of issues with my chain) I ended up calling my husband and making him come pick me up. There was nothing wrong with me, nothing wrong with my bike, but I just didn't want to be riding any more. I came home and had a nap and felt much better afterwards. Considering that my husband usually describes me as "hardcore", that's not normal for me. |
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Champion ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by wannabefaster Here is another question that has been rattling around in my brain. I will have to preface it a bit: This months copy of RunnersWorld has a very in depth coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombings. It is a fascinating read and I recommend it to everyone. They interviewed a lot of racers to get a ground-level view of how people experienced the race and bombings. One of the people they interviewed (and I have heard this over and over in the coverage of the event) said something to the effect of, "My legs were so tired after the race that I was sitting on a curb and contemplating whether I could even walk to my hotel. Then the bombs went off and in the terror of the moment, I was up on my feet and felt like I could have run another 26.2 if I had to......" Pretty interesting. I have read on multiple occasions that as a protection mechanism the brain will shut the body down long before the body gets to failure. That is pretty smart to prevent injury/long-term damage but sure gets in the way of peak athletic performance. I think that truly elite level athletes have figured out how to ignore that 'brain shut-down' and get much closer to their physical limits than the average athlete. I am fascinated by this train of thought. How do I overcome my brain's desire to slow down? Do I really need to reduce my pace or is that just my innner protection mechanism kicking in a little earlier than I want? If I do overcome the mental shut down mechanism, how much further can I really push before I really do hurt myself? Anyone who has done an IM has experience that, "I want to quit" moment or moments and has pushed through. Just really thinking out loud...... Have you read Chrissie Wellington's Book-A Life Wihout Limits? She talks about this very topic. I thought it was very interesting and I call upon some of her ideas when the going gets tough. I recommend the book if you're interested. I have never had a point in an IM where I want to quit, even last year with all of the pain I was in. I always feel like if I quit then I have that as an out for any other upcoming race and I wouldn't want to live with that option. I have experienced the strong desire to walk when I really should be running though. I know this may sound hokey, but I learned self hypnosis when I was having a lot of anxiety over swimming and it helps me with this phenomenon too. I visualize the race, points in time where I may falter and then work through them ahead of the race so I can call upon that when things start heading South. Sometimes in hard workouts it works very well, but other times I cave so it is definitely a WIP for me. Edited by SSMinnow 2013-06-18 7:30 PM |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() A very nice swim this morning. If I can swim like that on Sunday I will be satisfied with that portion of the race. I am getting packed up to travel to Mont Tremblant on Friday. It is amazing how much stuff has to come along for a race. Getting it all in to two bags will be interesting. Of course, one of the bags has my bike in it. There is enough room in there that I could likely smuggle my kid on to the plane ![]() |
BT Development | Mentor Program Archives » Slornow's and Wannabefaster's Summer Mentor Group - CLOSED | Rss Feed ![]() |
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