left.right.repeat group -closed - Full of a bunch of winners...YEAH! (Page 36)

Speedboat - aka mav - don't know if you remember this from back on page 6...

Hey Bryan,
Thanks for the encouragement.I was pretty psyched about my swim. My new goal is a half mile in under 11:00. Lofty but somewhat reasonable. This will put me in the top of my AG in the tris I plan on competeing in(for the swim only).

Mission accomplished.

All - anytime you are going to set up anything overnight put it all in a trashbag.  Then, race morning just take off the bag and everything is dry.  Between rain and sprinklers and dew your stuff will get wet overnight.  I even put a prior event swim cap over my seat.  I do that for the drive to the event too in the event of rain (or sprinklers) I have a dry seat.  I also don't pump up my bike tires until race morning - weather variation can burst tires and I don't want to change a flat before I ride.

More to come - you all are amazing...

One more thing - Leston - I will kick you a$$ if you quit swimming - we have worked too hard on that....and as far as the HIM goes...the swim is only a few more yards than the Oly...Seriously, keep swimming once a week or so, that way you will not lose the balance and stroke work you have done.  I would hate for you to start all over next year.  A half mary in August is pretty quick but your fitness base is in place - I think you could do it but it may be a tough last few miles.

sTRIve

By the way....one more thing

I have found (for me) that to have something on the calendar is the key.  It is very easy to slack off on the workouts but when I am TRAINING for something on the calendar, it is much harder to bag the training session.  I think I am scared that missing the sessions would make the event harder and I personally think they are hard enough as it is.

So, my advice, always have something on the calendar - whatever it is - to keep you TRAINING.

sTRIve

I absolutely LOVE when I check our LRR thread in the morning and there are lots of posts to read !!!!

Mav - I am THRILLED that you commented on Prince Edward Island being famous for spuds. Second only to tourism in terms of the Island's economy. As for me, I am a potato-holic. Baked, mashed, boiled, french fried, double-stuffed ... you name it, I love it.

For your viewing pleasure, here is a very typical scene from my beloved PEI. Yes, the soil really is red.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE click on the following link and listen/watch one of PEI's (and Canada's) most iconic performers, Stompin Tom Connors singing "Bud The Spud".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNEg65rlnu4

PEI is also famous for the story, Anne of Green Gables written by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

 Mav - you are truly a racing machine. I can't tell you how impressed I am with your abilities and dedication.

B-man, great to have you back in the loop. I 100% agree with your comments that having an event on the calendar (and one that you have already paid the entry fee for!) is the best way to stay committed to your training. Leston - I hear you on the need tohough to balance things with homelife. My wife is very supportive of my pursuits but does frequently note that my household productivity levels are pretty meagre. There are two or three outdoor painting projects that I swore I would get to after my Tri was done but they are still awaiting action.

Dan - a relay with the youngsters sounds GREAT. I am working on my own kids to think about doing a relay next year.

Got in a decent run yesterday on what was (for us) a rather hot and muggy day. Did 5k ending at the site of the Highand Games, stopped and listened to the pipes and watch the heavy events (caber toss, etc.) then I ran 3k back home.

Good idea - will do.

FBP

Just got back from the LBS where I had a thorough fitting done. Wow !! A lot has been changed in my set up. After doing a bunch of body measurements - inseam, reach, height, etc. he entered my stats into a program that then produced 5 variations of a set up secific to my Trek 1000 from "Comfort" to "Race Pro". We decided to go with the middle version "Sport". This then produced all kinds of measurements for him to go by.

Adjustments that have been made include:

- leveled the seat

- raised the seat

- slid seat forward on the rails

- shortened the bar stem from 120 to 100

- mounted the stem in a more upright direction 

Even just on the short 15 minute ride home I could feel a huge difference. I was way too stretched out before so now should have less back/neck strain. Hopefully too the "boys" will now remain awake ("Numb is Dumb" on longer rides and my butt won't get nearly as sore.

Best of all, they didn't charge me a penny for all this. Support your local sheriff and your local LBS !!  

FBP- only thing better than a bike fit is a FREE bike fit....just to give you an idea of the value you received....I paid $250US for mine and it was worth every penny.  We have continued to tweak some adjustments so don't hesitate to go back if something doesn't feel right.  As far as the "boys" - you need a new seat.  I am currently riding a profile design seat with a cut out but I going to try a Mo Flow from Blackwell Research.  I will let you know how it feels.

Mav - swim girl swim...I would say you rock but rocks sink and you definitely don't sink....so I guess it's "you float girl" or "you glide"

Dan - I agree - that article made me sad...I will think of that family as I do my tri this weekend.

As far as my HIM....it is 66 days 9 hours and currently 24 minutes....give or take....HOLY CRAP that is quick.....I need to go for another run today.....

Rock on Turtles....

sTRIve

FBP - I do get congested from time to time swimming.  I have some allergies and it doesn't seem to matter if it is a open water or pool swim.  I figure that it is just me - I usually have the opportunity to clear most of this congestion on the bike.

Mav - the scrap book is a great idea....kudos to Mr Mav for the effort.  I have bought a couple of the shadow box frames and framed the race number, a couple of pics and my medal for my first tri, my first half mary, my first oly, etc

sTRIve

A story that was in our main national newspaper this morning:

Calgary triathlete rescues storm-stranded canoeists

 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080731.wrescue31/BNStory/National/

What a great story....but I am glad I didn't have to swim into that frigid water....brave young lady...

sticka - did you hear about the guy doing the long swim at PEI?

sTRIve

Is this the story you ar referring to Bryan:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/07/25/6266926-cp.html

OMG mav - Manny is now a Dodger !!!!

Worry not though, you are getting a fine Canadian boy (Jason Bay, formerly of the Pirates) in his place.

Enjoy the game and make sure you cheer LOUDLY for the Canuck when he steps to the plate !!

Well folks, today is my last day of work before two weeks of vacation at our cottage in PEI. I don't anticipate having much internet access so my posts will be few and far between but that doesn't mean I won't be thinking of you and I will be catching up on all the writings when I can!!

I've made a decision NOT to participate in the Sprint Tri that I had pondered doing on Sunday in PEI. No wetsuit and less than stellar training over the past three weeks has made the decision pretty clear.

That said, I'm taking all my gear and am going to get in some real quality swims, rides and runs over the next two weeks. I may do a 5k fun run or something too.

TTFN

Pete

FBP - have a great trip...that is the story...it was a female not a male....why should that surprise me....Mav (aka speedboat) check out that story...there's a hurdle for you to go over....

Mav - ManRam needed to go....I agree - I have always felt the Sox have too much class to put up with that kind of crap

This weekend for me is a 7.5 mile run tonight, a 25-30 mile ride tomorrow and a sprint tri on Sunday...should be a great weekend.

sTRIve

Mav - for fog try a little and I mean a little shampoo in the goggle....rinse well....without rubbing of course and it should fix you right up.  Spit doesn't work really well for me but a little shampoo or liquid soap does the trick.  Not too much or it can get in your eyes....you want to rinse to just a little film on the goggles.  I also used to use gel toothpaste but it is hard to find a good gel toothpaste these days without something abrasive in it which obviously will scratch the goggles.  I have never tried No More Tears but that would probably be great.

Wimp shrimp.....in other words....wimp nothing --- a mile swim is a mile swim and in the ocean it is a long mile.  Plus you had already done more than most of America and Canada will do in a week.  Give yourself a break.

As far as rough men....give ME a break.  I have never hit anyone.  I have slapped a few ankles but I really think most of those (women included) who swim over someone have no idea where they are and they are just trying not to sink (there are excpetions but they are not all men).  Try to get in your head that you are going to get jostled around some and view it as an amusement park ride...you never know where it is coming from....you are one of the strongest swimmers out there...don't let stuff like this bother you at all...just....left.right.repeat

sTRIve

I raced (and I use that term loosely) the Jack's Generic Triathlon today.  Jack's is the product of Jack and Adam's shop in Austin - a great tri and bike shop.  Their place is actually where I bought my QR.  This was also the first triathlon I ever saw last year, other than watching Ironman on TV.  It was about a week before my first sprint and I wanted to see what the heck people did and how this whole thing worked in reality, not just reading about it on the web.  They put on a heck of a party and I said last year that I would be back to race this year.  So here's the report...

Alarm at 4am...ouch.  Left the house a little before 5 for a 45 minute drive to the race site at the Texas Ski Ranch.  I got my packet, race number and chip, got marked and moved into transition about 6.  I was set up by about 6:30 with the race start at 8.  My wave started at 8:20. 

The water smelled horrible and tasted worse...we both know you can't help a little taste here and there.  The swim went well for me, it was 500 meters (give or take) and I came out of the water in 10:40 - a pretty good time for me.  I got kicked in the head at the beginning and then got kind of caught up in a pack that I couldn't seem to get out of...finally, mud under my feet and out of the water into T1.  T1 was 2:35.  I really simplified my trasition area today.  I went minimalist and I really liked it.  Very clean and simple.  I should have been fast in transition....that's free speed.

Hit the bike with a bit of a higher heart rate than I wanted but my plan was to push the bike pretty hard and just see what happened on the run.  There were quite a few rolling hills on the course and it was pretty windy and exposed in a couple of areas.  The final mile or mile and a half are downhill so that was fun...I was up in the 30s realizing that at some point I would need to stop and get off that machine.  A good dismount and cruise into T2.  Speed on the bike averaged 18.6mph.  T2 time was 1:28.

My legs felt really good leaving transition.  I hit the road and really wanted to get done.  I ran a 29:05 run which for me was a great time for a triathlon run.  I am not fast...will never be accused of being fast....but maybe someday someone will say I am half-fast....

Finished 324 out of over 800 finishers.  22 of 38 in my age group.  I did, however, look really good.

A great triathlon, a great party and a great group of people.  This one will definitely be on the 2009 calendar.