Beer Drinkers Appreciation Society (BDAS) 2022 Mentor Group - ALWAYS OPEN (Page 37)

@Nicole:  nice work on the FTP improvement!  Keep at it and you'll crush a bike split next year

@Dave:  when do they think you'll be able to have the procedure done?...and how's your journey going after passing your first test/goal?

@Andrew:  no worries on the confusion LOL - I though you meant traffic was horrible not the line but my thought remains - no way I'd do that

@Nathalie:  feeling any better? 

@Gretchen:  I need to quote this last part " I ended up in the slow group today with the 80yo who couldn't feel her shoulders or upper chest today. It was kinda a stroke-watch situation, which I was fine with. I was tired today--too many beers yesterday and up too late watching football."  First...stroke watch...is that a normal thing where you swim???    Second part - that was me on Monday.

@Jenn:  like Nicole said - where are you?  Don't make us needle you on Strava! 

RE:  Andrew's question on strength and flexibility...after the 10+ years I've had since my back injury I could write a dissertation on it, but the short version is:

• the strength / stretching components of my week become the top priority; so my other stuff is maintenance or the warm-up and cool down to get through/to the other stuff; it's really time-consuming so it's really hard to focus on gains anywhere else
• I don't mind gaining weight during this block...in fact I'll need to; expect a strength focus to beat you down a little and in different was than SBR
• body weight stuff would include:
  • squats, static wall squats, kettlebell swings (you can use whatever you have as weights like a gallon of milk or something)
  • walking lunges, both forward and side
  • step ups on stairs, can add weights here too
  • standing calf raises
  • push ups, knee and regular
  • power yoga poses like the warrior ones, one-legged balancing ones like balancing stick or one-legged squats (can add weights here too), downward dog
  • planks!!!!  elbow, pushup, side (static), side (with hip dips)
  • back bridges (static or with hip pulses with feet on the ground, or with your feet on a fitball or chair)
  • you can also do the crossfit-type stuff like mountain climbers, burpees, etc. but I don't because I'm worried about that dynamic movement screwing up my back
• I get all of my power "gains" in the gym:
  • lower body:  leg press, leg extensions, hamstrings curls, lunges with weights, "the sled" leg press, roman chair
  • upper body:  assisted pull-ups and dips, bench press, cable curls, dumbbell curls, presses, and upright rows
• for flexibility, I used the Sufferfest yoga videos by Abi Carver - she's on youtube as well and has a bunch of short ones there; I have a couple of the routines from the SF memorized so I don't need to pay Wahoo anymore to get through it

Good morning, all.  Got in a 2000 yard swim this morning (a nice, round number for you, Gretchen...).  In the spirit of strength and speed training, my main set was all fins, paddles or sprints.  Felt pretty good considering I hadn't really been in the water in three weeks.  Short jog planned at lunch as I have an easy schedule most Fridays and can get a double in.

@Nathalie:  your entire post made me laugh; glad you nailed the COVID test and you're getting your S&F training in first thing ), and that you're on the mend

@Andrew:  you're probably in the wrong part of your training plan to bail on SBR anyway; IIRC Friel has the strength priority in Base 1 which is like 4-5 months out from an A race; I'm almost eight months from my next A race with us heading into winter now up north; nice work on the FTP test - those ramp tests are tough and likely your endurance fitness helped you get through the first harder steps without any fatigue building...I should probably do one at some point again (Strava is estimating mine at 262, so I run with 265 in Zwift/TR)

@Gretchen:  +1 on Andrew's comment - hope you have (or had) an uneventful flight and that your bike plan works out - check in with us when you can

Love the pain cave, Andrew.  So bright - ours is a dungeon in a basement room with literally no windows.  Does the trick, though. Having a treadmill right there is a big deal to get in some run frequency.  You could also get a quick mile or two in before riding.

Nice job on the weight loss, too, and your plan for introducing the strength and flexibility is very solid.  Mine aren't that much longer than 15-20 minutes most days (except for Bikram, of course).

I had a good first week and hit all of my planned workouts, swapping out a Bikram session for a long walk yesterday to take advantage of the really nice weather.  3 swims, 3 bike sessions, 3 runs/walks, a Bikram session plus another hour or so of strength/yoga work.  I'm focusing on speed on the bike and in the pool, and just jogging the runs.

OMG, Gretchen.  Be careful out there.  Cancun is like that, too, with the crazy sidewalks.  Glad you got to Cairo safe and sound.  Careful with the mag trainer...they're kinda weak and IIRC many are loud.  So no standing sprints for you!