Baowolf's Mentor Group - Sorry Closed. (Page 36)

Is it March already? Wow, got an opportunity at work that derailed a bit my schedule. Did not meet all planned hours, abandoned the crunch challenge (sorry) and could not keep up with the group. Here are my numbers for Feb:

I thought I had a lot going on, then checked the posts... What stroke me more than the streak of injuries is the group response to it. Great positive attitude, keep it up!

Fred 

To race better in the heat... you need to train in the heat... and stay hydrated and wet for keeping your body temp down.  It takes 2-3 weeks to acclimate to the heat once summer comes. When I am likely to do an IM in 95+ temps I train in 95+ temps.  Middle of the day in the summer.  My wife shakes her head when I tell her I cant go run yet it is not hot enough.  Even acclimated you will lose some speed, just not as much and it won't drop you to a walk on the run.  I learned to wear a hat on the run not because it keeps the sun out of my eyes, though it does, it is to hold water to keep my head cool.  IM often has sponges you can take with you.  In a hot IM I pour a cup of water over my head or down the front of my shirt at every aid station.  I take in water at every aid station but not too much 3-4 oz.  It is really easy to drink too much cold water and get sloshy on an IM run. If the temps are over 100 make realllly sure you have enough water, lots of water and some electrolytes in your gel or whatever your calores are.  Do not get heat stroky.  If you are sensitive to the heat your acclimation may not be as effective.  For most IM's you wont really hit the heat until the run.  If you are heat sensitive there are some gel filed items that have a cooling effect you can use is like a bandana.  No ice in your hat = wicked headache, ice in the shorts .. if you want, if you are gona need to pee in the next mile or two no more ice in the shorts .

Good morning everyone. The day is off to a great start -- woke up early and felt good so I went for a 5 mile run before I went to my masters swim class. Run felt great, as if I could have kept going and going. Swim was good, althought I was a bit time crunched due to some work stuff, and ended up cutting it short at 1700 yards. Pool was a bit murky today and it was tough to see the wall on the deep end, and no chance of seeing the black line on the bottom. Regardless, I feel freakin' great this AM. Just had a big breakfast (veggie omlette, whole wheat toast) and sadly, I'm still ravenous .

Fun thoughts while out running this AM, with one big question I pondered -- why do we do this? Not an unusual question considereing it was 4:30 AM, and I'm out running in the dark on empty streets. I guess for me its about being healthy for myself and my family, truly enjoying going out to SBR, ensuring I can perform on race days, for self confidence reasons, and at some level believing its good for people to think you just may be a bit crazy . One big driver for getting me off the couch 3 years ago was doing something about not wanting to be the 'handful of daily pills to survive guy' when I get older. I NEVER want to be that guy. EVER.  Its so prevalent to see older folks who need all kinds of stuff for any myriad of conditions, many brought on by inactivity and crap eating for years and years. I just can't do that to myself. Anyway, thinking all this out had me burn a couple miles in the mean time.

Tonight we bike! To the Trainer!!!

BTW -- daughter is OK w/ the nose thing. slight black eyes, though, and was getting sick of the 'what happened' questions Monday at school. Some of her friends were at the game when it  happened, so the 'ol text messages were flying as soon as it happened

Steve - Me and heat were not friendly last year. Figuring a bit more fitness this year will go a long way and will tough out the workouts in some heat a bit more. I also thought you said something about building speed before the heat comes. Probably becauselike you said the added resistance to going fast in the heat.

Fred - Glad you to hear from you.

Mike - I was contemplating that the other day when everything seemed to be going the wrong way and I thought to myself It was not worth it. Your big picture look is right on. Whatever life I have, I want it to be healthy. Running in the snow, rain, and blistering sun are just a few perks.

Thinking a bike tonight, run/swim tomorrow, and run Friday. Looking at some historical numbers and I could be close to last July numbers by the end of March. Hope the weather holds out!

Fred - Good to see you

Mike D - Very well said... I want my kids to look at me like I'm superman when I'm 80. 

Steve - Hope all is going well with your recovery

I'm a little sore today, Just getting back into things so is to be expected.  I'm listening to my body and taking the day off.  Not like I'm training for anything so it's time to practice my "smart training"  On a good note I am feeling very positive about my body.  Things seem to be holding up great.  I think from what I've learned from this injury I'm going to be even stronger and faster.  It's all about injury prevention for me and training like a 41 year old and not an 18 year old!

Steve thanks for that little nugget about training for heat in the heat...it seems like it should be common sense but how many of us wait until day/evening when its cooler out.  I'll be taking that advice when I get back to training!

Mike, good question...why do we do this.  I'd submit that we're a little nuts and that we care about our health more than most.  For me, marathons/half marathons got too easy so this was the next challenge.

Joe, looks like 2013 is shaping up to be a good year for you with those volumes.

Mitch, way to listen to your body and be smart.

Steve, for our ladies, I will add the trick of putting ice in your sports bra to the heat coping tips.

Fred, nice totals, and looks like a good balance between S/B/R.

Jay, why does you running in the mid-day heat worry me?  No heatstrokes, OK?

Mike, glad your daughter is coping well with the broken nose. 

And good question re: why do we do all this?  I guess for me there are several reasons.  1.  I really like being outside and moving.  To me there is just nothing better than fully experiencing God's creation.  2.  Having the three sports provides balance that just running does not, and provides options when one or the other sports is not possible. 3.  It is something positive I can do for my health, and deep down I hope that it counteracts or slows down some of the things that type 1 diabetes tends to do to a body over time.  I view training and competing as a victory of sorts over diabetes.  4.  It encourages me to take care of myself in other ways so I can keep working out (yes, circular logic, but it works for me)  5.  It provides a competitive oulet and a chance to be a bit obsessive that is not tolerated all that well in the rest of life.  6.  I like endorphins, and I like to eat!

Thanks for all the encouragement, I sure needed it. This week has started out bumpy for me too, but I'm doing some re-strategizing in an attempt to make my training more feasible. The way I set up my schedule I am doing two trainings in the evening. One right when I get off work, then one in the evening. It makes for full days for me. I was also doing my long rides on Monday evenings because I was using the trainer, but since I'll be able to get outside more now I don't have enough time on Monday evening. Funny story about my ride this last Monday: I had to turn around because I live in Idaho, and in Idaho the chance that a moose will use the same trail as me, is apparently high. He didn't seem in a hurry to move and I realized I wasn't gonna run out of daylight sooner than I wanted. Yesterday was another tough day, then today I showed up for swim class and the gym had the pool closed til tomorrow. All this is pushing me to rethink my schedule and I'm hoping I will come up with a new 'for now' plan that will work for me.

Joe - You are right - it will be epic! You are getting some nice consistent training in. Love the 50+. We are getting some of that here too

Steve - I now see that it will be years before my speed increases, so I can rest knowing everything I am currently doing will get me there eventually - but not by race day...hrmph. Great job pushing your body just enough.

Mike - Yoga can be great, but it might cause you pain the first couple times so don't push too hard if you go.

Jay - Baby steps get babies to the point where they can run Keep it up.

Carol - I have to tell you the confidence I have with water comes from one person....I spent four years working on overcoming fear of water (specifically white water) and I learned how to have more control over my emotions. It was an interesting and extremely difficult process. One of my great life lessons. So looking at the swim start doesn't seem to have too much affect on me. Plus I've been thinking about it so long that I've been applying the same principles I learned the last four years. Yay for trainer rides and movies! Oh, and  thought Premium Rush was a great trainer ride movie.

Mitch - so glad to see you back out there with lots to give.

Mike - running with less clothes is always nice. Although today when I headed out on my run I had to stop and think if I was missing something. I kinda  felt naked (thankfully for everyone else out there I wasn't...hahah) It will be interesting to start in waves, or whatever they are gonna do. I won't have anything to compare it too. I'll have to ask others what it was like for them.

Funny you mention this. I was talking to people at work about my vacation coming up which will start off with the Knoxville Rev3. Everyone looked at me like I was out of my mind. "That would be the last thing I would be doing" and a bunch of other such phrases were said, but they also look at me wierd and joke around when I say no everyday to going out for lunch (except Firdays) and instead eat the veggies and other healthy food in my lunch. I guess its just one of those things that doesn't seem enjoyable to most, but triatholon training gives me a reason to smile after those tough days at work or whatever else is going on - with health benefits to boot. For me its simple, I enjoy it. That makes about as much sense as the theory of relativity to some, but I get it.

Samantha - Although that Moose must have been quite beautiful to see, they are huge and it must have been quite intimidating! Very cool though!

I had a nice workout this morn.  2.5 miles on the dread-mill, some strength/core exercises then a spin class.  Just trying to regain some of my fitness and I feel like I'm bouncing back nicely. 

I do hate the Dread-mill though.  Can't seem to do more than 2.5 miles then my ADD kicks in... I only run on it when I want to do some strength training at the gym so it's kind of a necessary evil when I'm trying to squeeze everything in!

Hope everyone is having a great day so far!

Hey there!

Kate, survivng these last few weeks OK?  Race will be here soon!

Anthony, you are right...it is simple.  Ha, you said in three words what it took a paragraph for me to say.  My husband would just smile knowingly at that .

Jay, I personally cannot imagine marathons not being enough of a challenge.  Boring in the long term maybe.  But I do agree that variety makes tri's more interesting and challenging in their own way.

Mitch, I like the 2.5 mile treadmill rule!

Samantha, that is very cool about your journey to overcoming the fear of water!  Good for you on restructing the training schedule.  Thanks for reminding me re: Premium Rush.  I'm almost done with Hunger Games and need to be looking for the next movie.  Kind of a good game to play by only watching when I ride.  Good movie = want to ride more .

Went to the doc today for my sore throat/cough and got a couple prescritions to try to knock it out before it knocks me out.  Perhaps just coincidence, but I stayed well all year until I stopped running (1st for taper, and now to let the stress fracture heal).  Funny thing is...menatlly at least I really don't miss running right now. 

Turned down a paid job working at the marathon I ran last year.  Part of me really wanted to do it...have always thought it would be fun to actually work in the fitness world in some capacity.  But right now it just felt like spreading myself too thin with regard to some other priorities.  Bike group prep is coming along well.  Routes are set, leaders are on board, first ride is next Saturday, started publicizing it this week, and went shopping yesterday for snacks for before and after. 

Hi guys. I've been lurking this week and in spirit, wishing everyone well in their recovery.

Personally, I've been trying to juggle my last few weeks of build and avoid injury. Everything seems to be going ok. I'm making my last few preparations to make sure I've got everything covered gear wise. I think the lake is going to be pretty cold. At least I am planning for that. 

Thinking about details of the race gives me quite a bit of anxiety for some reason. 

In my head I know everything will be ok. But it's unknown territory so... I'm real nervous.

At this point I feel just plain ready for it to be done. 

Carol, hope you feel better soon!!

Kate, you have done the work and you will do great.  I know it's hard to go from full-speed down to taper and that is why your brain is getting all worried now.  Just get your gear ready and then turn every bit of your focus to resting, the taper training, eating right, and resting some more.  Also...rest.

Mike, I love where your brain goes when you are training.  Below is something I wrote a while back about why I run (and now do tris) and I try to re-read it occasionally to remind me.

-----

Why do I run, do tris, train?

 . to be alone, to meet new people, and to catch up with friends

. for prayer time, for crying time, for time, for me-time

. because I can and others cannot

. to set goals and to either achieve them or to miss them and have to go out another day to achieve them

. health, strength, and confidence

. run til I puke or walk til I can run

. to not care what others think when a 51 y.o. woman is running around in a sports bra and/or tri shorts.

. to know that I can finish it

. for the feeling of casually saying, "I only did x miles today” and watching people's jaw's drop or for the feeling of knowing that I woke at 5am and did my training mileage and absolutely no one knows about it (not even my husband who is at the gym at 5am)

. to set PR's or, after a bad race, still follow thru with training.

. WINE

. because I'm a better person and younger now than I was before I started this.

All of the reasons listed above.  And also for one of the best days of my life.  I ran a long race and then went to my son's baseball practice.  They didn't have enough fielders because of Spring Break.  I grabbed a glove, shagged balls, and had a blast.  I could not have done that 6 months before.  The other players were shocked that a mom is out there, running thru the outfield, and catching their balls.  I felt like a kid again.  Now, when I don't feel like running, I remember that sound of the ball thunking in my glove and I'll go out for a few miles (which usually turns into a few more and then maybe a few more) so I can maintain the level that I've finally reached.

...or, what Anthony said, I enjoy it.

Hi Kate,

so very happy for you. I recall vividly the days leading to my first HIM last year, a mix of excitement and anxiety, mood swinging from full confidence to moments of doubts, then the big day, the challenge, the camaraderie, this feeling of pushing your limits, and the overwhelming sense of achievement when you cross this finish line. Yes this is unknown but this is precisely what makes it so unique. It may sound a bit weird,  but enjoy your present "nervousness", you are building great memories here. You are right to be confident in your head, your training has been very consistent and I envy your "planned Vs actual" graphs!

Wishing good recovery and training to the group, and best of luck to Ken for his upcoming marathon this week-end. 

Fred

Just so you guys know 2xu tights are up to $130 off (pay $49) good deals. 

Kate you have a long bike of 59, long swim 2300, long run 11 miles... you should be alright.  Do not hit any of those 3 hard.. this is like a training day just hit them all z2 moderate effort no fast breathing, hit your nutrition, keep hydrated and you should be able to do it without walking.  Go out too fast and you will be walking.  Either way you can finish it fine. 

Fred, thanks for reminding us that Ken is racing!  Good luck Ken!  Hope it all comes together for you!

Mike, yes it would be great if your BIL can come.  If not this time, perhaps to the next one .  If his kids have bikes, they are welcome too.  Only requirement is a helmet.

Pam, I like your reasons!  Ha, and glad I'm not the only one to use more than 3 words . 

Still sick here, so not much going on.  Hoping to rebound for the weekend.

Happy Firday everyone! Ken, I hope you have an awesome race. Beat that 3:20 time goal that you've been working towards.

At the beginning of the year I set a goal for myself to lose 18 pounds and weigh 190 by March 15th. Well, today is the day. At weigh in last night I was about 196-197. So I got about 10 pounds off and a couple more to go. I can definitely improve my diet some as i have a coke sitting on my desk right now, but I feel good and I'm happy with the progress i've made. 

I guess going back to Mike's question about why we do this, I find wieght lose is another reason for me. Everyone brings up great points and I see myself having those same thoughts and goals. I kind of over simplified my response, but the fun I have is truely the reason why i train. I wouldn't go out there and sweat and push myself if I didn't enjoy it. Anyway, once all this snow melts and we get into some warmer temps around here I will be really smiling as i ride my bike again. I always think of the pig in the Geico commercials as I go down hills. Weeee wee weeeeeee. I just need some of those spinny things on my bike.

Have a great Friday and weekend everyone!

Thank you everyone for your encouragement.  I am really excited about the race.  Going to be fun.

My bib number is 551.  You can check track my progress here.  

http://www.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16247&RId=2012

Ken - have a great race and get to that goal!! We'll be watching, in an on-line virtual kinda way

I just did an hour on the trainer and absolutely destroyed myself with the Sufferfests "The Hunted" cycling video. But destroyed in a hurts and I'm struggling and grunting and really pedaling hard until it almost hurts to breath but its all good way, that is.  Feels great when its over.  Now its time for a big of recovery liquids, a shower, and some sleep!

Ken rock your Mary... 3:15:00 ?  Is my hope for you. 

So my brother moved to Livingston TX which it turns out is 50 ish miles north of IM TX.  So hrm if I ever get healthy I might have to drive by Carol's house and visit my brother to do that race.  Ya not any real recovery going on here, back to very low miles very low everything.  Oh well Dr.s on April 1st ish. 

Sorry for another prolonged absence.  Conference followed by our daughter being home followed by visit to my Mom in Florida, during which I was trying to maintain normal workload.  Travel, however, seems to tip my scales.  All good, and got in a few bike rides in Florida, which was nice.

Hope everyone is healing up at the expected pace.  Ken - good luck in your race this weekend!  Kate, the hay is in the barn, it will soon be time to enjoy the bounty.  Looking at your's and Ken's training, things should go well!

Anthony, just wanted to let you know I did finally sign up for the Knoxville Rev3 (Oly), so look forward to seeing you there.  Now just need to crank up my training a bit between now and then.  Looking forward to it!

On Wed, I signed up for today's Charlottesville 10 Miler - great community race that usually attracts about 2000 runners.  Lots of support along the way with bands, cheering, etc.  A good time for sure.  I hadn't trained enough for it and just drove back 18 hours from Florida on Thursday, so I didn't expect to do well - looked at it more as a hard training run.  In fact, I hadn't run 10 miles since sometime in Sept.  Went out conservatively and wound up about 5 minutes off the last couple of years' pace (finished at 8:31 pace).  However, I did run the 2nd 5 miles faster than the 1st, which NEVER happens for me, so I was pleased with that.  Obviously most of that was due to holding back at the beginning, but I'll take it!  (Gotta find some silver lining)

So, when it was 40 degrees and raining this morning on the start line, I was asking myself "why do we do this?"  But saw a bunch of friends along the way and many smiles.  So clearly the reason I do it is because the shower afterwards feels SO good!

Take care all,

Stu