McFuzz's Mentor Group 2011 - CLOSED (Page 38)

I've become a Peets drinker. I like their beans much better.

I did 1:45 o the CT tonight with 3X  50-60 rpms @ 90 to 100% for 15 mins with 5 min recovery inbetween.   


Before/after





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Don't go overboard... if you are anything like me, you will throw down a pile of cash right befor and then again after the race.  It's like a sickness I have.  I see something cool at one of the booths at a race, and I MUST OWN IT in my size.

Funny thing, last night I had a dream that I was watching you beat Paula Radcliffe in a Olympic Half Marathon, and at mile ten you stopped and made BOTH OF US a grilled chicken sandwich!!!! You went on to win the race with the biggest smile on your face!!  Ha,ha,ha... I loved this story, and wanted to join in.  Thanks for sharing it!

I don't know if you are square but I will say you are missing one life's finest pleasures if you have never had a Starbucks extra bold vente (20 oz) with one of those pieces of chocolate cake they have at around 11:30 pm after the late movie gets out and you are driving home in the snow at around 20 degrees in January.  Just sayin :/

You can have my quota of the xtra bold or any other coffee.... I'll stick with the Chai tea latte my poison of choice

I completed my first swim workout of the new year and of my journey towards an Olympic Distance Triathlon!  1000 yds in 26 min.  It is not fantastic by any stretch, but I cannot complain. 

I am thinking that I may be able to approach a mile open water swim in 45 minutes...Definitely by August.

Strengths through Week 2:  I had 10 training days over the course of 14 days.  I have not accomplished that since I was an athlete in college.  My weight is going down at a fairly rapid pace, I think.  I am down to roughly 262lbs, getting back to fighting weight. 

Need to still work on:  I still am looking for a beginner triathlon bike for this spring and summer.  Does anyone have any recommendations on the starter of all starter bikes?  I am looking for something under $500, if possible.  I went to a local bike shop this afternoon, and they said it would be difficult to find a new one for that price.

What brands are out there that you have had successes with throughout your training careers?



Edited by infu5229 2011-01-18 9:05 PM

Glad your back, and had a great time.  As far as what to do .... Pick any you have THREE to choose from.

First swim lesson tonite ... went very very well. 

I received a "very good" for my Dead Man's float.  Was able to relax completely thanks to some helpful visualization advice from McFuzz.  Found myself having to manually relax my shoulders each time I went into the water to swim from one side to the other.  Tonite was swimming on our stomach with arms arrowed above our head.  Thursday swimming on our side.

Still gradually increasing my distance while decreasing my time.  Started swimming lessons.  Down to 4 cigarettes a day from 18.

Most of all, still enjoying this ride towards getting fit.  Having the time of my life and trying all sorts of new things

Here is me at a golf fund raiser in 2009 then me about two weeks before race day a year later.  Went from 200lbs in January down to 181 on raceday in August.  This is no contest winner, and it is nothing I would send in to The Biggest Looser, but I was very happy when I signed in for IMKY and the lady told me my fat index was 8.6% when I stepped onto the computer.





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Congrats!!  It won't be a problem going from 1000 yards to 1 mile, just takes more time marinating. 



Good also!  It can be a bit surprising to look back and see how much you've done. 



Tri-bikes are a relatively small market, so even used tri-bikes tend to be a bit pricey.  IF you're mechanically inclined, you can pick up an old road bike for quite a bit less than that.  Even if you're mechanically inclined, a fresh set of tires, tubes, and brakes will set you back $50-100.  Add another $40-50 to have the mechanic at the LBS give it a once-over (make sure there isn't a crack or corrosion that causes it to come apart on you).  If you're not mechanically inclined, you can easily spend $300 cleaning up and making a $100 bike serviceable.  If you're looking at used bikes, look for wheels to be true (no wobbles, up/down or left/right) and the wheels, crank, handlebar to turn smoothly. 

Other options for <$500 include a "fitness bike" or "flat-bar bike" or "hybrid."  These bikes will usually come as a steel frame, flat handlebars (duh) for a fairly upright riding position, and 700Cx38 (or similar) wheels with relatively smooth tires.  You might get a carbon fork, you might also get an aluminum frame (as you move from the $250 version to the $500 version).  You'll give up a bit of speed and efficiency since these are still relatively heavy bikes, but they're good choices for all-around riding if you're only going to have *one* bike.  There are a few people here on BT who've bought from bikesdirect.com and had good luck.  Like I said above with used, not bad if you're mechanically inclined, but you'll spend (most of) the difference in assembly and a basic bike fitting. 

On a new bike purchased from the bike shop, you can expect the price to include assembly and 15-30 minutes helping get seat height adjusted and a few other things to make it fairly comfortable.  Most shops also include a tune-up after the first month or two (sometimes tune-ups for the first year) after cables set in place ($20-50 for this if you purchased the bike elsewhere). 

You'll need a helmet to race (good idea for training rides too), and the bike might not come with pedals (fitness bikes probably include platform pedals, road/tri bikes would come without and a set of clipless pedals is $30-100 plus shoes...which can be another $100+).  You'll probably want a spare tube, pump, tools to change a flat, a bag for the tools, and a cycle computer. 

LOL!  I can totally relate.

Great work so far, McFuzzies!

Strength:  Yesterday I took the back tire off my bike and practiced fixing a flat.  I know it sounds silly, but this was a big accomplishment for me.  My training has been going great.  I feel really strong and healthy.

Weakness:  I need to get out on the road more on my bike.  I don't mind running in the rain, but I hate biking in it, which is a problem in Portland in the winter.  

And here's my little Starbucks gripe: At my neighborhood Starbucks they don't list the 8oz or 12oz sizes on their menu anymore.  They still have the cups, but you have to ask. 

Here are a couple of pics... I think I've mostly lost my beer belly.  The pic on the right really looks pretty depressing doesn't it?  It's not as dramatic as IceMan's transformation though.     (Good job btw!) The before pic was taken in 2002 when I weighed 184.5 at age 32.  I actually got up to 192 lb by 2006, but I never took another picture.  Then in 2007 I had a reawakening and started running.  The after pic was taken mid 2010 (41 yrs old) and I weighed 158 lb in the middle of the race season. 

YAY! 

Starbucks new drinks are just for the cold ones, with ice. Apparently by customer demand...the ice displaces a lot of liquid so I guess it makes sense money-wise. When I want a treat, I do a vente soy latte, extra hot. I buy Starbucks beans, grind, and use a french press. I like my coffee bold, dark almost chewy.

Since I spent the first 2 weeks of 2011 as a sick person, I guess it's good I'm back at it. Getting better at being up early. It's 6:10 now and I decided not to do the track workout this morning with the team, I need miles for my half so I'm going to the treadmill at 7:00.

Weaknesses... I'm just not doing enough. I have all the time in the world, but lack motivation. 

Good morning!  Happy Hump Day McFuzzies!


To chime in on the Starbucks discussion...in my small little desert town in the middle of nowhere we do not have a hospital, a bowling alley or even a Walmart.  We do have, however, a Starbucks.  It's actually in one of the casinos.  I have a confession to make...I've maybe had Starbucks five times in my life.  I'm just not a coffee drinker.  I have narcolepsy so if I mix caffeine with my narco meds I'm like the Energizer Bunny on crack.  I could get decaf I suppose, but I figure the coffee habit is one habit I don't need...I have plenty of others!

Wowzers on the before and afters!  Amazing job!!!

You guys who have lost weight, great going.   You guys still trying.  Keep at it.  It's all about everyday choices.  Log food. Log exercise.  LiveSTRONG.com is free and they have a great calorie counter and fitness tracker under "my plate."  Still smoking?  They have a challenge for that there too with forum support.  Keep trying.  This is all about changing lifestyles.  Not easy but worth it.

You all have a great day.  Back pain today.  Will work through it or go to the chiro.  All good.

Ice.

Enrique,

Nice transformation!  You look a lot happier too. 

One thing I noticed when I got started with this is that motivation breeds more motivation.  Once you get started a little, just a bit, making it a routine 6 times a week to do something, anything, whether you want to or not, soon it becomes such habit that you don't even think about it.  It becomes something you just do. I don't know how it's been for others, but that's how it's been for me.  The more you think about it, the more you can talk yourself out of it.  So even on mornings when it is frosty, I find myself getting up at 4:20 and headed to Masters for a cold swim...its just what I do Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I sometimes tell Kathy the night before that I may sleep in the extra hour in the morning, but she knows better than to even listen.  I go ahead and set the alarm and go.

Keep at it, it will come.  Stay positive.  Stay happy.  Think about the goals.  Visualize crossing the finish line. The race doesn't start the moment the gun goes off.  The race starts when the alarm goes off on another training day.  The race is just a celebration of all the great work you do between now and then. 

Look at the smiles on my picture, Enrique's.  I wouldn't change this life for the world.  And that doesn't mean I don't grumble now and then.  I swear out loud when I have another hard interval coming and I think I just gave the last one all I had left. But I know that sweat beneath the bike is just the price I pay for a better me.  I can do more than I think I can do.  It was just getting started.  It's been all downhill since then.   

You'll do great!  Have a terrific day!  I'm into exclamation points!

ice. 


 

 

 





Edited by IceManScott 2011-01-19 8:47 AM

Absolutely not silly - one of my biggest accomplishments last year was learning to change a bike tire.  It was a huge mental hurdle and I feel more confident now on longer rides. I decided to learn after a 4 mile trek back to the house after a flat and I couldn't get a hold of any friends to pick me up. Interestingly not a single person stopped to see if I needed help. Just glad I wasn't any farther from home.

Enrique - awesome job on the weight loss!!!

I hope everyone has a great day - I am trying to get motivated to go for a run in the snow (never done it before).

Edited by robingray_260 2011-01-19 9:28 AM