kaqphin (Super Cat's) Mentor group - CLOSED (Page 39)

This is one of those questions where everyone has a different answer.... so I have heard everything up to about 10 seconds per km... which over the IM distance is about 30 minutes? That is probably a bit extreme if you ask me but obviously the time saved makes more of a difference the longer the distance you are racing...

But over HIM/IM races you could potentially be talking minutes... but they are those nice to haves and obviously no substitue for upgrading the engine

I talked to the guys at the Tri-Shop/Bike Shop that I took my bike too for adjusting yesterday (put the seat higher to prevent some knee pain that was starting, I think I am getting more extension now).  I asked about race wheels and power meters, and here ae some of the thoughts I got back from them:

Power meters for training are great IF you know what you are doing, have properly calibrated equipment, and best case scenario have a coach that can help decipher the data and build you a training plan on it--but they must know and understand the concepts of training with power (or you must know).  Power is a long term training progression--it's something I'm sure I'll go to someday, I just don't know when.  You have to not just get the equipment, most likely the coach, but also the right software for it too. (according to what they told me)

Wheels-- he said if you're already somewhat speedy--like 18-20mphs--then race wheels can be a very good added benefit like Cat mentioned.  Of course different wheels offer different advantages, and dependent upon your size, capabilities on the bike, wind element in the areas you'll be racing (discs and really deep wheels can really catch the wind).

I will say, from reading tri-talk and talking to others, the first aero improvement, aside from power and wheels, and cheaper than both is an aero helmet.  Apparently it has the most bang for the buck (again, just speaking from what I've read here) overall.  I got lucky with the Team ZootGu stuff and got a 50% discount on the new Giro Advantage 2...so I bought one and used it the other day.  Only one time out--so I can say if it "helped" but it was windy and I was getting some good speed for that route.

Lots to learn, no quick purchases here (besides the helmet, at $75 that was too good to pass up cause it'll last a long time).  Too much money not to read up on it more!

I couldn't tell you about the short term though with TT's...I know I like the endurance piece of it and suspect I'm going to enjoy (after the pain goes away) the HIM distance this year, and then tackling the IM distance next year, I'll take some seconds that add to minutes over a 6 hour+ bike ride!!

wow, 10 seconds off a km.  that's way more than I thought!  I am used to competitive swimming where it's all about shaving 10ths of seconds so I was figuring 10-30 seconds over the course of a TT. hmm.. this makes me wonder what my 20km tt would have been...

I would agree with the bike shop guys that you have to understand how to interpret the data to get the most out of it. Reading the book, there is a lot of equations and math to apply to the data and lots and lots of crazy looking graphs! So you would have to invest some time to really learn it and apply it.

No, with my math skills I'd DEFINITELY need a coach that can do that for me!

Or the software... you can get  some that does most of the hard work for you I think!!!

Well my friend who got me excited about the power tap found a deal and was ordering race wheels for himself and his friend and next thing I knew I bought a powertap and am having a set of road bike wheels built...

Also completed my first century today. 103 miles, 4100 ft of climbing, averaging 17mph. Whew!  went with some BTers who are training for Iron Man up Mount Baker in Washington and they kicked my rear on the flats, but I held my own on the hills. It was definitely a challenge mentally and physically but I did it!!!

Great ride!!! keeping up with the IM ers huh? Does this mean yuo have some Big plans?

I have to be able to run before any big plans

But I am discovering that I am more of someone who gets their high from the training more than the actual racing, so I am so glad I found BT and met the people and get do do stuff like this.

You have some AWEOMSE places to ride!!! it looks so pretty

Finally get a chance to post in here...busy busy busy me!   It's all good stuff though.  Muddy Buddy was a fun time this past weekend--not really what I'd call a race, just fun! I can't wait for the fun official pictures. I am about to have a few days of workout hiatus due to the wedding in Seattle--Alyssa--if everyday wasn't packed with activity I'd stop in, but alas, I'm bridal party and it's a lot of PARTY!   When I get back it's full steam ahead in prepping for the HIM at the end of June.  Today I ran here in Houston and it was hot and humid--not Iraq hot, but still, I've acclimated back--and I thought that I must have truly gone INSANE to sign up for my first HIM in Lubbock, TX in the middle of the summer.  I am going to have to HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE.

Jeni- I am INCREDIBLY jealous of where you get to ride--awesome job on the Century distance. I am contemplating a Century in late July--but it'd be the "Katy Flatlands" haha.  I also look forward to hearing about your Powertap experience.  I am sure I'll probably look at it one of these days...but am most likely going to look at wheels first, we'll see!!

I got it... I got it... I got it...

yup.  my power tap.  This was my first ride... crazy looking eh?

Yellow is power, blue is speed, green cadence, pink torque.  I held 827 watts for a second and average wats was 161 since I was drafting a lot. Our ride was constant fairly short hills which you can see in the graph.  An uphill, the yellow goes up and the blue goes down, a downhill the yellow goes down and the blue goes up.

It was fun. I rode with my friend who convinced me to get it so he gave me a power lesson.  He asked what I wanted on my on bike display and when I said watts, speed, cadence, he said, "you don't need to think about speed anymore, it doesn't matter, it's all about power."

So I have to say the best part is that it really shows you on hills.  The idea is to maintain constant power whether you're going up, down, or flat so it really trains you to use your gears.  It also totally reveals your tendency to start out hard at the bottom of a hill and loose it at the top. I suspect it can reveal the same weakness in time trials such as going out to hard.  On hills for example I started our last climb at 350 watts and it went down to 220 half way up. 

It was fun riding with my friend for the first time cause he didn't know what I could do so on the hill he was riding behind me and could see the power produced since he had his power tap so he got excited to see me hit 350 then half way up the hill he yelled "come on girl, you knew what you were doing at the bottom with 350, now give it!" which of course got me to bump up the power. but the power lesson was that it would have been better to use my gears and ride the hill maintaining sub 300 and then powering up to 350 over the top. So like my friend knows he can ride any terrain maintaining 320 watts for over an hour so approaching this hill he knows he can climb it at over 400 watts and be strong a the top and all he thinks about is getting his gears to optimize his cadence to keep those watts and more often than not if someone like me bolts at the bottom of the hill, he knows maintaining his power he will catch them before the top.

Jeni- wow, that is a lot of data!! What type of power tap did you get? Are you doing all the interpretation yourself, or just using a program, do you have a coach to help you understand it all?  Way curious to see how this works out for you.

I am back after the most consecutive days not working out in who knows how many months! But, I'm back in the swing of things and headed to swimming tonight and have my second 100k bike ride this weekend.  It's one month and 2 days till my first HIM so I need to kick it in gear.  I have my longest swim EVER on the plan this week--4000m, holy cow! Anyhow, glad to be back, and had an incredible time at the wedding.  Look forward to having my own someday...need to date first though!

Hey guys, yes I am back again.  I know I just fall out and pop up more than anyone.  LOL  I had to pull out of my next try because I just fell off the wagon with training and nutrition.  But, the next tri I signed up for is on Aug 23rd, in exactly 12 weeks and I refuse to pull out of this one too.  So, I joined a weightloss challenge and imported a 12 week training program.  The goal is to have consistent 12 week training and lose 15-20 pounds.

I have been catching up on the reading, it sounds like everyone is doing great!  Sorry I have been so random about checking in.  Hopefully this time I can stick with it.

Hey Dia, glad to have you back in and looking forward to seeing your progress with the 12 week plan! You can do it!!

We've been a quiet group lately---can tell we're all busy and enjoying the prolonged hours of daylight.  I did my second 100k yesteday and did a 30 minute run afterwards and man did that kick my butt.  The wind was really rough and some of the road was HORRIBLE, but it was a good strong ride in general.  I can't believe it's June and I have my first HIM this month.  I haven't raced a tri since end of March now--lots of training though.  The 1/2 Mary after the bike is what I think I'm most intimidated by. I know I can do the swim just fine, and I know I can do the miles on the bike, but I have no idea what it'll be like running that far after riding that far...plus it's going to be HOT in Lubbock, TX in 29 days....I need to start hydrating now!

Good luck to Pam during taper week this week!! Don't go too crazy!

If you can run for 30 minutes after 100k.  you can run a half marathon   just figure out your nutrition.

 I did my first road race today.  I finished, and I wasn't last.  but I did get dropped on the hill on the second of 4 laps. It is such a different racing experience than tri's since your so concerned about what the people around you are doing.  I'm not sure which one i like more. But there is definitely a steep learning curve for road racing. So it's a challenge of a different kind.  I'm not sure which I like more.

Lyssa - Looks like a nice ride!  That is very exciting, congrats.    Enjoy the new bike.

Jeni - awesome on your road race.  Yes, I have heard they are very different.  I don't know how people do it, it freaks me out when people get close.  LOL

Britt - sounds like you are working just as hard as ever.  You are going to be more than ready for your HIM. 

Glad to see everyone is doing so well.

Lyssa-- yeah! New bike!!! Like Jeni said, so long as you fit it, you'll do great!! So excited for you, and as Pam said, I wish you many happy miles together!

Pam--totally rooting for you and looking forward to any HIM tips and lessons learned you get from this one. I absolutely wish you sub-90's.  It's only June 2nd at it was 103 in Lubbock yesterday. That is not encouraging for me end of the month.

Tip to everyone--NEVER EVER GET OC PEPPER SPRAYED!!