tjtryon's Group - Closed (Page 4)

My thoughts were either your hiking or hydration/electrolytes.

Hey guys. I had an awesome race today! Better than I expected. Remember my goal time from the other day was 1:23, well I finished in 1:19:19. I was 135th overall out of 358. I'll fill out my race report later, but here are the times:

1/4mi swim - 9:00
T1 - 1:28
12.4mi bike - 39:13
T2 - 1:04
3.3mi run - 28:33

I was really psyched about my swim and bike times. Was kind of spent on the run but was able to pick it up a bit the last mile and then at the end. Overall, had a blast.

Hope everyone else either had a good race today (Jerry) or a good workout. Talk to you later.

Dan

Edited by dwort 2007-08-04 7:17 PM

Wow congrats Dan!

You killed your goal time and it sounds like you had an awesome time!!
Your swim and bike times are friggen sweet!!! I can't wait to read the race report!

Today was my first group ride EVER, and it was awesome, although the pace was too slow for me, the distance was great!!! Lots and lots of hills too!

Anyways, enjoy your evening off from the tri and Congrats again Dan!
And Jerry, can't wait to hear about your race either!

Derek

Congrats Dan. You rock!! That's got to be exciting. Way to go.

On another note, has anyone ever had a stress fracture? Today while I was running I noticed a clicking feeling in my foot and it started to hurt a little bit. I run on the sidewalk. I hear of my friends that have ignored the pain and then they find out it's a stress fracture and they can't exercise for months. Any advice?

The last time I had a stress fracture in my foot was in the 9th grade. It's hard to know whether that's the case or whether it's just something like a strain or bruise. Do you have gel inserts for your shoes? If not, I would recommend going to a sports store and buying some. They are designed to give you much more cushioning than the regular shoe will give. This will help. Also, if you haven't already done so make sure you ice your foot. If you can find a park to run in that has grass or dirt trails, that would be good too. I need to do that more often myself. How much are you running? If you don't run that often then maybe your foot just got a little sore from the running. Try running easy again and see if it hurts. If it persists to the point where it's very painful to run, then you may want to consider going to the doctor. Are you still planning to do a Tri this Sunday? If so, good luck and have fun. --- Dan

Well I hope everything went well in everyone's tri!!!

I thought I would revitalize the group while I am getting prepped for my tri on Sunday!!! This is the real test of my bike and run fitness that I have been working super hard to really ramp up!!

I'm just tapering up right now, but still getting in some workouts of course!
Just thought I would let everyone know!!

Hope everything is well with everyone!

I've been burried at work, but it looks like it is once again going to ease up, so I may actually have a chance to breathe, let alone train and post on BT ;-)

Good luck on your tri! I had 2 newbies do their first ever tris last weekend, so I spent the better part of last week getting them prepped, practicing transition, etc.

My next event is a local sprint tri series on the 25th, and then I am a swim official for IMKY on the 26th. I'm trying to get all my guys together for one last tri of the year @ Mississinewa, on Sept 8. As of now, getting to the Disney Tri on September 23 is looking iffy, due to work/family, so Mississinewa _may_ have to be my last tri of the year.

Then starts running season... (Indy 1/2 Marathon in October & a buttload of 5k & 10k races.)

Congratulations to your two newbies to Triathlon!!! They must be so happy!!

How is your training going for the sprint?? Hopefully well, and that's unfortunate about missing the Disney tri!! Sounds like it would be a great season ender for sure!

I know what you mean about work, but I'm only working full-time for the summer, doing daycamps and teaching swimming lessons/lifeguarding.

I cant wait to do some more running races (half marathon on September 23!!!) because I just want that little bit more experience racing in each discipline seperately (well except for swimming of course, I really don't want any more experience racing swimming individually )

Now, I dont know if there is an answer to my next question but here goes.
I am seriously considering doing Ironman Canada next year (2008). Originally I wanted to just do Half-Iron distance and Olympic distance tris next year, but realized I could still do 3+ half ironmans, and still be in great shape for Ironman. I'm really stuck with what to do, and I know that I would be able to motivate myself for it, NO problem whatsoever.
I've become extremely dedicated to my training and I know that with a year to train, I will continue to become more and more dedicated.

Tj, I know you're a coach, so this question might be something you deal with quite a bit, so any advice or suggestions you have would be EXTREMELY appreciated.

And if anyone else has any advice it would also be GREATELY appreciated!
Derek

Derek:

Wow! I'm encouraged by your dedication and excitement to the sport. I'm sure TJ will offer his opinion/suggestions to your question about Ironman Canada, but I wanted to offer mine as well. First of all, have you ever done a HIM? If you haven't, you may want to focus on taking the next step and doing a couple of those next year. Then work on making the next jump to Ironman the following year. The training for an Ironman is considerably more than for a Sprint or Olympic and you don't want to try and do too much too soon. With that said, however, if you have the time available (not sure whether you have any family committments like I do) and you can realistically train for it, then by all means go for it. There are alot of good training programs available here on BT, I'm sure you could find something that works for you.

I'm still plodding along in my training, but I've lost my swimming location (local pool closed for the season). I'm hoping to find some place soon as I want to do one last Tri next month....the same one TJ is planning.

Keep up the great work!

Dan

Derek-

The simple answer: Your training logs for the last few months show you have the determination to do long distance, you would just need to get on a structured plan - typically this would be a base/maintenance plan for over the winter, and a IM specific plan "x" weeks out from the race, where "x" is usually a plan of 20+ weeks that build you up to the distance and then taper for the race.

Providing your HIM races fit into your IM training plan, by all means, do those as well as a "b" race for experience.

The more complex answer: If you are currently racing sprints and Oly's, next year you should plan on building for a HIM, with a IM in 2009. This will give you a couple of year plan, allowing you to build at a decent rate, without overtraining, and hopefully without burnout.

Is it possible to jump up 2 levels in distance? Sure. Just make sure you have a solid plan for it.

Wow thanks for the awesome feedback guys.

I completely agree with all of your points which is why I am in a pickle. I KNOW I would be perfectly happy doing just HIMs next year (and some olympics) and having my A-race be a larger local HIM, and I know it would be so exciting to watch/volunteer at IMC the year before I race in it (which I can't do this year unfortunately). This, along with Tj's point about burning myself out by overtraining also scares me a little.

On the other hand, I KNOW that I could easily push myself to do those 5 hour weekend rides, or those 3 hour runs every so often. Swimming isnt so much a worry But I know I would find a way to get to my goals (time and finishing) through a thorough and structured training plan. It excites me incredibly that I have this much passion for a sport, and I guess for me, the event (possibly the only one for me) that could absorb all of this passion and dedication, and throw it back at me in the form of rigorous racing, exhilirating sport, and a finish I will never forget, is Ironman.

That's why I'm so conflicted.
But now I'm asking myself why I can't wait another year?
There's no reason not to wait, considering I am still a relative newbie to the sport.

Time to ponder more!
Thanks so much again guys
Derek

Just keep in mind that they have run the IM for nearly 30 years, and, with current participation, I don't see them going anywhere.

Several of us are doing some field tests with a few different hydration/nutrition/recovery options. I'm currently sucking down a bottle of peach Accelerade - nasty! I think I've had GI issues from all the Accelerade products so far, though I do fine with the Endurox recovery. Any experiences with Accelerade?

Next up for me, I am going to be testing the Clif Endurolyte Drinks, as well as the Clif Recovery drinks. Thoughts? I'll be starting with the Clif products after the races this weekend.



Speaking of races, I'm doing the Indy Sprint @ Eagle Creek this Saturday, and I am the Swim Marshal for the IM in Louisville on Sunday. Anyone going to be at either?


So far, I have nearly all the guys I coach already signed up for Mississinewa - we're going to have a good showing there. Anyone else to add to the roll call for that one? I did it last year, it's a fantastic venue. If you plan on going, and have not signed up, better do so soon, as I already have over 1% of the entry slots filled just with our crew. If you get shut out, let me know, I know Larry Brown, the RD.

I was tentatively going to do Peru, but I may end up finishing the season with a Duathlon over in Ohio that day. I'll be near there on Friday the 7th so I'm thinking about just staying over. Besides, the pool I've been swimming at this summer has closed up for the season and I haven't had a place to swim. We're planning to get a YMCA membership soon so then I'll have a consistent place to swim.

Hey guys, sorry I've been off the boards for awhile. I think I'm having some motivational issues. Here's my deal. 1) I've been vacationing every other week almost since early July (my last triathlon) so it's hard to get any consistent training in. Then when I go for a run/bike/swim it just feels like crap and it feels hard and it gets me down a little bit. 2) I downloaded this plan from this website supposedly for beginners. Yeah right. It's one of the worst plans I've ever seen. It increases volume by 10-30% within a given week and between weeks. I've had to modify it and it still has me "training" 400-500 minutes a week which is insane for a beginner. So no matter how much I train I feel like I'm not doing what I'm supposed to so that gets me down. I think I'm going to go back to the one that I wrote for myself before my last triathlon. 3) I'm starting to worry that I'm going to go slower at my next tri than my last one and it's getting really hard to look forward to that "push-yourself-to-your-threshold-and-hold-it for 90 minutes" feeling.

I think I need some brief words of wisdom or something?

Also, has anyone done a triathlon that has a pool swim instead of a lake swim? I am so curious as to how that works. I try to picture it in my mind and nothing coherent comes out.

Hey guys!!

Sorry I havent been around for a bit, but I had my last race of the season on Sunday! It went AWESOMLY and the race report has been posted for your viewing enjoyment!

Lisa, out of the 5 tris I've done, 2 of them have been pool swims. I didnt like it a whole lot, but I am much stronger in the pool, so it worked to my favour for sure. Usually, they would set up a friction mat (astro-turfish) that led from the pool to the transition outside or in the lobby/arena of the pool. One of the races I did was just 500m in a 25m pool doing a circle, like normal swimming laps, and the other I had to flipturn every 100m (50m pool) and veer to the left to go under the lane rope. It actually worked quite nicely!

So anyways, my first tri season is over! I think I've made significant gains since March with regards to all disciplines, not to mention preparation and mental state towards Triathlon. I'm totally addicted, and now I have all winter to hone my skills (and race TONS of running races, beginning with my first half-marathon on September 23rd).

I hope all is well in your worlds!
Derek

How many people were in your lane in the pool swim? Did you find that you constantly had to pass people?

As far as training, frankly, you are the only person to make sure you get consistent training. You don't train during vacation?

I love training while out of town, especially if vacationing, and no work I need to do. I kicked off my season this year at Gulf Shores. Treat it as a mini-spring training camp, beat yourself up for a 4-6 days, and then look forward to relaxing a couple of days. On our "Spring Training" sessions, I typically do a bike, a swim and 1-2 runs of varying length each day for 4-7 days, and really beat myself up for the week. It gives me a great sudden improvement in my endurance capacity, and a good motivation to start the season. It is definetly not for the faint of heart, and definetly goes against the 10% rule - but I make sure I get plenty of rest afterwards, and take very good care of myself for the week. After sufficient rest, I start my regular training program.



No two people work out the same, and no workout plan is good for any two people. Any of the canned training programs are great places to start. Take a plan, modify it to fit your schedule, distance and intensity. If you need help with this, be sure to ask. If you are doing sprints, you can probably do just fine with less training time and more quality workouts. For sprints, depending on your schedule and needs, training weeks could very from 4 - 6 hours. Sometimes it is about quantity, most of the time is about quality though.



Sounds like a bit of burnout. Back off the longer workouts and add some speed workouts and intensity. Again, if you are getting bored, change it up, add some quality, cross train.




I did one early this spring, it was a 400 meter snake swim in a 8 lane 50 meter pool. Down lane 1, back lane 2, down lane 3 , back lane 4, etc. They seeded people according to estimated times, and it did get a bit hairy. There was actually quite a bit of passing, and I did swim over a few people, and foot grabbed a couple who wouldn't let me around.

Hey Tj,

So I've FINALLY gotten a heart rate monitor watch as a birthday present from my triathlon-addiction-supporting girlfriend

I went out for my first run with it today, and made sure I stuck in Z2: 120-140 BPM the whole run as a recovery run, since my tri was only on Sunday. Now, I know everyone who gets a HRM probably complains the BPM ranges are too low (120-140 felt like SLUG pace for me), but how do I customize my heart rate zones for myself?

I'm going to calculate my resting heart rates to get an average over the next 3 days, which I hear is the place to start.

Any other pointers you can give me regarding heart rate training?
Thanks a ton!
Derek

Edited by DerekWL 2007-08-21 11:54 PM

Which HRM did you buy? Best thing to do is to do a lactate threshold field test both running and biking. Protocol is simmilar: 30 minutes total, 10 minutes warm up, LT is the average over the last 20 minutes. You should almost wanna hurl after the run, which is where your effort should be.

Once you have your LT, you can calculate your zones easy enough. There are several spreadsheets on the internet, as well as several threads here that have links. Do a search. If I get a chance, I'll post some of the links.

Derek-

Funny this came up here, it came up apparenly in another thread today:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp...

Hey Tj,

Thanks for the advice.
The HR monitor my girlfriend bought for me is the Timex Bodylink, which is awesome because it's waterproof, and I can get the footpod for it for speed and distance measurements!

I tried it out for my interval workout today and it went great!!!
The thing is, my maximum HR according to the age-adjusted method is 200, but I have been closer to 215 in the past, and 210 about 2 weeks ago. I think I need a different method. I havent had the chance to do the LT test you suggested yet, but will get around to that next week, considering this week I am only going to get the chance for an Endurance ride and probably a long run on Sunday (gotta get into the habit of putting those long runs on Sunday!)

I am super excited for my long ride (76km) tomorrow so I can ride according to the HRM to make sure I don't go anaerobic!
Thanks for the feedback TJ!
Talk to you soon!
Derek

Hey everyone!

Just thought I'd check in and say hi!

How is everyone's training going and is there anybody still doing a race this season? I'm done for the season, for Triathlon at least, and have signed up for my very first half-marathon on Sept. 23, as well as another half-marathon in my home city in Victoria on October 7th which I am very excited about.

Is anyone else racing anything soon?

Hope all is well!
Derek

Seems like the group is kind of dying!

I just thought I would let you know I did a LT for my biking, and came out with 183, and I can finally start using my HRM for more use during cycling!

Next step is the run, and I think that will happen on Sunday!

Anyways, I'm doing a sprint tri on Sept. 16th just for fun with a friend, which I am really excited for, and should be a good warm up for the half marathon the next weekend!

Just thought I'd update on everything!
Talk to you guys soon!
Derek

Sorry, I've been hiding out trying to get rid of this damn cold again. I've had it off and on for 6 weeks now, and it tends to peak mid week before my races - which has made for some rough races. Trip to the doctors last week, slow race last weekend, maybe I can get past this once and forall.

Maybe we can get this group revived again. Is anyone else signed up for Mississinewa?

Lovely wife bought me a new pair of running shoes for our anniversary, which she gave me a few days early (this afternoon), as I started my 8 week countdown for the Indianapolis Marathon, which I am doing the 1/2 option. I started ramping up the miles for that this week - a real structured training plan for the race. If you are interested in seeing my training plan, it's at http://www.coachtj.com/wp-content/2007/08/tj-running-schedule.pdf As it is a running schedule, that's the only thing listed. Plans are to cycle/swim on the off days, with at least 1 double a week and 1 day off. I'll be doing the Hilly Hundred the week before the 1/2. It'll be fun.