Mtskibum's Group - FULL (Page 4)

Hey Gang! I've been pretty quiet lately and apologize. I've been struggling with motivation, free time, new job and family responsibilities, not that everyone isn't!

Right now I'm starting fresh for the year and am just looking to get into a consistent groove. I've tentatively picked out a race in May, but that is on hold as a friend of mine is looking to do it as well. We're looking to see what race fits our schedule the best. I think that having someone else training as well will help with my motivation.

I'll try and be better on inspires to everyone as well.

Happy training!

Thought for the day: Functional Training

I've messed around with this idea in the past and today listened to a podcast of a former female pro triathlete that now is focused on functional training and enjoying life. I decided that that sums up where I am at right now.

Last year when I was training for my "A" race ( 5430 Half Ironman) I was having a hard time doing simple things. I remember saying something like, " I can't play soccer for 30 minutes without being extremely sore, but I can run a 10k easily or bike for 2.5 hours without much thought. I was confused as to why this was the case. I realized that I had trained very specifically, but I had noticed what happens when you don't have a balanced training routine. My problem was I didn't have enough time to "do it all" so my training focused on swim, bike, run. I didn't do much strength training or stretching or other forms of active recovery.

Funny thing is, when I started this tri business over 2 years ago, my only goal was to be as strong and healthy as I could be and to finish my first triathlon knowing I gave it my all. As I look ahead to this year, I'm convinced that that needs to be my motto once again. I know I can swim, bike, run, but I want more. I want to be balanced and strong and flexible. So, I'm committing to more flexible workouts. I'm going to work all my muscle groups and try to get strong and flexible. I'm not going to worry about volume. I'm going to focus on quality. I'm also going to focus on things I love to do. Hiking is something I truely love. I've got a couple 14er's with my name on them this summer. Plus, it's a great workout. I'm still going to race this year, but I'm going to try my best to focus more on total body strength and health.

Remember, have fun out there!

Is the group still alive? I've fallen into a pretty good rhythm the past couple of weeks, but I feel like I might be coming down with something.

What's everyone else up to? What's working or not working for everyone? Anybody have any races coming up?

Hey all,

It's been a weird week for me. We had to put our Golden Retreiver down on monday night. That was really tough. I've had no motivation to do anything. I've been eating terrible. And, now I'm starting to feel the effects. Things are getting better and I'm ready to start training again. I have to run tomorrow morning with some other dogs, so I'm going to use that to start my training.

I've noticed that only a couple of us are actually LOGGING workouts. People are posting that they are working out, but aren't logging it in there logs. Let me know if I can help with that. Believe me, logging it in your log is really worth it. Come race day, you'll be able to look back at it and see how far you've come.

Let's all try to encourage the folks that aren't logging. Daily inspires really help motivate me. I'm sure they do for others.

Fifthcircle, I've had problems with my calves being tight a lot too. It seemed I couldn't stretch them enough. I bought a foam roller. I use it now as well as stretching and it helps. The other thing I found was I was using my calves too much. When I started strengthening my quads and core and using those muscles more, my calves didn't hurt as much. Seemed like for me when I run slow, like on the long slow run, I use more calves. When I run faster, I use more quad muscle. Make sure you get a massage once and a while too, especially if you are building volume.

Pat, congrats on your workouts and your weight loss. Keep up the good work! Please post your workouts in your log so you can track them and so we can inspire you.

I've decided to skip the last Chilly Cheeks race in two weeks. My fiance and I are going to Vegas instead. I've never been there and we need a vacation. Viva Las Vegas baby!

Keep training and keep checking in.

Hey!

Sorry I've been awol for a while. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I lost my job, found a job, been starting that, trying to get this wedding planned, working on Pinewood Derby car for the munchkin man, and we started spring soccer. I coach my son's team, so things have been hectic to say the least.

I'm back though. I worked out this morning and am going to run this afternoon as well. I'm going to get back into a routine and lose some weight. My goal is at least 30 minutes a day of training. Hold me to it!

How's everyone else doing?

Happy St. Patties Day!