kenj mentor group - back for another great season! CLOSED (Page 36)

I'm not a fan of the stages PM.  It reads power off one side of the crank.  Which means if you have a leg, which most people do, you're going to have a lot of inconsistency in readings.  I don't believe they've dialed in the accuracy on it either.  It kinda looks to be a mess, which I think is why its so inexpensive.

Ken, on the new quarq models......what's the deal on those, anything new really or is it the same technology/product really with different names.  I can't see any difference from the old ones.

Looks like I am going to need to buy a TT saddle for my new road bike - so Gals - what saddle do you have and do you like it?  DJ - I think you have an Adamo - what's the word on it?

2 hr trainer ride today - will have to do it on my old bike and without the aero bars to lay on

I have the Adamo. I like it. It took a few rides for my sit bones to get used to it but my girlie parts were happy

kenj - 2013-02-05 9:53 AM

acv - 2013-02-05 9:18 AM

ramiedd - 2013-02-05 8:41 AM

bdenehy - 2013-02-05 8:33 AM

jennifer65 - 2013-02-04 3:17 AMSo, in all I am making improvements - but they are small and slow in coming. I am beginning to resign myself to the idea that I won't get past the swim in my HIM, but I will be fitter than I've ever been at that point..and there is always next year. On the whole I am fairly happy with everything. Jennifer

Jennifer, like has already been said, there is time to build the swim endurance. 4 months, right? With working on form and getting in consistently, swim endurance can ramp up quickly, especially for those of us who started swimming later. In a year and a half the distance that i can move forward continuously for has increased by about 100x. Can't say that for running or biking :-). You've got a great attitude and you've already signed up. So as long as your concern is finishing before the cutoff, and not a concern of covering the distance, you'll be fine.

I agree with Bill in how you should approach the swim. Last year leading up to HIM, I only went to the pool a handful of times. Really did not have the time, so my goal was to understand the distance and gain some confidence. In other words, we went to the lake in order to visualize the distance, and swam half of it one time and 3/4 of it another time. This gave me the confidence that I could finish within the time cutoff.

Jennifer,

For my half iron man last year I did a 9 week training program and only swam once per week.  I started around the 50 minute mark and built it up to 1:30 over 7 weeks. I wanted more endurance during the swim and felt I was weaker on the bike at that point so I loaded the program for biking and running to help build my legs up again. 

Keep at it you have plenty of time!

Adam, good to hear from you! How have you been?

Hanging on but I think I'm going to be back in action soon. I had a little knee problem flare up. Too fast and hard on the treadmill......uggg

kenj - 2013-02-06 6:41 PM I just had to get to post 4100.

Oh ken, you could have at least thrown "bike fit" in there as a non-sequitur. and that makes 390 for me .

I have the Adamo on my tri bike now. I have had it on twice before but ended up taking it off due pain I was having down my inner thigh. I think it has to do with the width of it. I just had a different person fit me or a saddle and after trying numerous saddles, he put the Adamo back on and made adjustments  that have me sitting on it a bit differently. I love the cut out and the fact that it doesn't have  nose. I too have had a ton of "saddle issues" and the adamo is a huge help with that.  I want it to work so badly but if I still have the same problems that I have had, I will have to move on to something else.  The width of it seems to be an issue for some people. You can get a demo saddle to try. I think Trisports.com has demos.

You guys east of us have a little snow coming I see.  I hope it isn't too bad!  We are supposed to get some but not from that storm I guess.  Another of the race series Saturday morning so I am hoping we don't get as much as advertised as I would rather run outside this weekend. 

Train well today ! 

*pokes head in and waves*

Hi all!

I haven't been around much lately.  I just finished PT on my foot 2 weeks ago.  It didn't go as well as I had hoped, so I have been rather disappointed and feeling sorry for myself lately.  I think that is why I wasn't posting.  I know that is ridiculous! 

I decided to drop down from the full marathon on May 5th to the half.  As much as I didn't want to admit that I wouldn't be ready for the full, I think doing so has really changed my outlook - in a very good way.  I was so nervous about the full and thinking I had to do it, which led to how I had been feeling.  I feel so much better about where my training is at right now (which isn't very much - but I am okay with that)!!

I also signed up for a mud run the weekend after the HM.  It looks like so much fun, which is what I need right now!

I am going to try to catch up with everything that has been going on here, but I may seem clueless for a while.

Hope everyone's training is where they want it to be!

Karen

Welcome back Karen!  No worries about catching up, were just having a little fun!

bdenehy - 2013-02-06 6:58 PM

kenj - 2013-02-06 6:41 PM I just had to get to post 4100.

Oh ken, you could have at least thrown "bike fit" in there as a non-sequitur. and that makes 390 for me .

Your seats too high!

Saddle - I love the Adamo on my tri bike.  I guess you were asking the ladies, but I don't seem to agree with a long nosed saddle either.  As for the width of the front, I squeezed the front together just a bit and ziptied the rails together at my shop's suggestion.  I think its the Adamo Racing that I have, but the idea is the same for all of them.

Training - eh, off week.  I overslept twice and just had to do a evening run.  They just don't feel right, but it is what it is.  The coming snow will probably keep me inside over the weekend and I'll miss my long run.  I tried to tell myself that this is a recovery week anyway.  But a "recovery week" in my current run plan is 55 miles of Z2 running, and I won't even be close.  At least I can get reacquainted with trainer when not shoveling...

Be safe out there folks!

Thanks to all the suggestions on saddles - I will try a few during my fitting next week and hopefully take one home for a trial period.

Off week here too!  Both kids and I have sinus infections.  I have had a kid home sick for the last 4 out of 9 school days. Skiing into a public use cabin tomorrow for the weekend  - we will be taking our medicine cabinet with us on the sleds!

I have aero bars on a road bike. my previous bike set up wasn't very aero, though I liked having the option of different hand positions.  My new bike will *hopefully* be more aggressive and I will actually notice a difference in speed.  My fitter was saying on Tuesday that besides a little extra free speed, that being in aero works different leg muscles and keeps your running muscles less fatigued going into the run. Anyways it is a much cheaper option than buying a TT bike - just make sure you get fit for a TT style riding as your position on the bike will be different

A beginner's take on a tri bike...

I only started riding a bike about 2 years ago.  I got a road bike I love and was happy.  Then last summer I started wondering if I could get a little more speed in the aero position.  I tried to put some aero bars on my beloved road bike, but I was just too stretched out on the frame for it to work (I have freakishly long legs and a short torso, so bike fitting is always a little challenging.)  I decided to take the plunge and get a tri bike(Quintana Roo Seduza).

My relationship with the tri bike is...complicated.  I do get about a mile/hr increase in speed on the same routes in aero.  But the bike handling is squirrelly, and I still find I have to pop out of aero for significant curves and some steep hills, negating a lot of that effect.  The brakes are a long way from the aero bars for me. 

Hopefully these issues will continue to improve with practice and as my core gets a little stronger.  Overall, I think the flatter, longer, and straighter your race course is the more benefit you get from aero bars.