Benihana's Group - CLOSED (Page 4)

benihana - 2010-06-09 11:30 AM That is funny...and a good reminder to make sure your air pressure is up as it not only slows you down, but also puts you more at risk for a flat. Thanks for sharing

GorgeousGeorge - 2010-06-09 11:55 AM



So yesterday I rode 51 minutes on the bike trainer and then ran a 5k to see where I'm at speed wise.  It really made me realize that I like the longer distance stuff soooooo much more.  I ran the first mile in 5:53, then 6:40, then 7:20 for the last 1.1.  the last 1/4 mile or so was uphill, but that split b/w my first and second mile seemed way off and I was struggling.  I'm not used to running short distances for speed so is this something I need to start working on?  I haven't really been doing ANY speed work, just trying to build volume.  I have had some days where I will run 5-8 with negative splits but its generally just tempo work.  Suggestions?  Any experience with Yasso 800s?  Or do I need to start doing sprint work?  My end goal is a half IM at the end of the year and this is my first tri season. 

benihana - 2010-06-09 1:01 PM I think speedwork is extremely important once you have the adequate base. When I ran the Twin Cities Marathon 1.5years ago the Yasso's were my main focus of speed work, but now I have incorporated 100m, 200m, 1/4, 1/2, full mile speedwork into my workout schedule. Again, just make sure you have the base, and then focus on the speed. As far as the HIM goes, while the speedwork seems insignificant due to the event's length, it is still as important as other workouts to continue to make yourself faster

benihana - 2010-06-15 10:30 AM Sorry to hear that there are so many idiots down there. The best thing for riding, is getting out and riding. Are there times where there are less cars on the road that you would be able to ride? Are there any bike trails that you can drive your bike to, and then bike on those? As far as things to read, you can try try googling different things, I wish I had a better answer but I don't. Good luck, and stay safe

TriKirkland - 2010-06-17 12:07 PM Okay…sorry for the long delay.  For my first race I feel that overall things went well.  I learned a ton that will help me get things in line for my next race in the hope of improving and continuing to build my skills.  Pre-Race – Was not really sure what to do, how much to warm up etc.  I basically set up my transition area and threw the wetsuit on.  I did warn up a bit in the water before the race to try and get used to my suit, but more on that later The swim-  After my warmup I was feeling pretty good although I did have some nerves that was shooting my heart rate waaay up.  I started near the back of the pack as there was about 20 of us that seemed to keep moving backwards as the rest crowded the start line.  After the start I paused a few seconds to let the main group get a bit of a lead and started in.  About 3 strokes in I found myself so short of breath that I could not swim properly.  I had no ability to put my face in the water and swim like I had done for so many hour leading up to the event.  I think there are some obvious causes for this.  When you combine first wetsuit swim with first open water swim and first race…something is bound to get fouled up.  I made it though the distance with terrible form and mainly focused on not drowning rather than actually swimming.  My terrible form with my head bobbing from side to side in an effort to take in air made me incredibly dizzy upon exiting the water.   I had to take a full minute before I could even enter T1.  The Bike- One my head was a bit less scrambled I got into a grove on the bike but found myself pushing much harder than most of my training rides.  I think I need to really build up the intensity of my rides.  My legs felt good although I was limited in some regards and was not able to push my average past about 18 mph for the race.   The course was not difficult and was dead straight so with some more power I should have been able to push more on the flats.  The run- I think all of the activity caught me a bit and I don’t think I consumed enough, early enough in the race.  My times were slow and I was pretty gassed (I think a function of pushing on the bike and maybe a little from the overworked swim) but overall I was able to finish.  Overall my largest problems were with my heart rate.  I did not wear the monitor but I could tell I was maxed on the swim and run.  I think my air on the ride was about right, my legs just needed more energy to be able to push larger gears.  I have not really focused on this much so it’s not a huge concern and with some intensity, maybe starting with my shorter rides each week I think will help a bunch.  I think they cumulative effect along with some better caloric intake early will help the run by proxy.  Sprint, .5 mile swim 11 mile bike, 3.1 mile run.  And my times…. Swim     16:11.1   T1           2:35.4Bike       37:14.8T-2          1:23.7Run        25:31.9Total      1:22:56.9

benihana - 2010-06-30 3:33 PM For training purposes, how quickly do you need to go from Bike to run to consider it a brick workout? - As quick as possible. I would reccomend nothing more than 5 minutes if possible. You could always stash you bike back in your car and then go for a quick run (3-5 miles). Be careful in doing that long of a workout (mostly the run portion of the brick) You really just want to get your legs moving, I would say 6-8 miles would more than give your legs enought time to figure out what they are doing, and the rest of the milage should be doable based on your training Should I start to incorporate some speed work? - Yes, but no more than 1x/week per discipline. Most popular is the run, and doing half mile repeats. get a good 10-15' warm up , and then start with 3-4 repeats (1/2 mile fast/1/2 mile at your warm up pace), then repeat. Each week, add 1 more repeat My flexibility is abysmal! What type of class should I take and how often? - If you feel a class will keep you motivated, then I would reccomend Yoga, but I try to stretch after each workout, and that seems to be enough. You could always work on stretching for 10-15 minutes before you go to bed each night in addition to after each workout.....that will most likely be moer than sufficient