Tri-Wog StL's Group - FULL UP, Sir! (Page 4)

Nice job Mandy!  Honestly, reading about your workouts and training inspires me!  I'm in good shape as far as lifting weights and hitting the gym, but I was never much of a cardio guy until I started this a few weeks ago.  Oh man, when I first started, I felt my endurance was so bad.  Reading about all your training and how you've managed to do a HIM and are working on your first IM is inspiring me.  I know I'm still at least one or two seasons away from that, but its something I want to try for depending on how my first sprint tri goes this September.

Don't worry about being slow.  When I first started working out, the best advice someone gave me was not to compare myself to anyone else - just do what you do and push yourself a little at a time.  I love your attitude about staying healthy and injury-free... I'm jumping into this thing but I know in the back of my head not to push myself too hard and over-train. 

Spent an awesome holiday weekend at Yosemite National Park.  Did some easy running in the mornings and some hiking during the afternoons.  What awesome views.  I used to go all the time when I was a kid, but I never appreciated it as much as now (I used to hate the long car rides).  I met a triathlete on one of the shuttles who was based in SF, and we talked for a while about different races in California, and now I'm getting pumped about what to do after my first tri in September... anyway, hope everyone else had a great weekend.

This week's goals - focus on swimming longer distances and keeping a steady pace to build up some endurance. 

Its been such a busy week for me, I've really had to squeeze things in.  This weekend, I should be able to get in some longer workouts.  Last weekend was tough because I think I over-trained and didn't get enough sleep, so I got a little bit sick.  Feeling better now though...

Oh, and I bought a road bike for $220 off of craigslist.  Its a vintage 1980's one, but it should work for my first triathlon.  Its been kept in really good condition.  Now all I need is a helmet and some other gear - stuff is on the way, so I'll hopefully be going for a bike ride this weekend!

Hi there! Hope you had a good vacation. I have had a pretty easy past couple of weeks. I've still been keeping some volume there - I think I had 2 weeks that were 400 minutes and 1 week that was 600 minutes. And I am really trying to focus on biking and lay off running to make sure my running legs are all healed up and ready to go, and lay off swimming because I was honestly just burnt out on swimming and needed a break. My IM plan starts exactly 1 week from yesterday. Then I'll be at it full swing again. I plan to really really make an effort to get in every IM workout unless I really have a good reason not to and to be accountable for my workouts. I have been giving myself pep talks about this. I am ready to get started.

 Since I am hoping to learn some things from this mentor group, I am going to ask a question for answer and/or discussion every now and then, hopefully this is ok. Today's question is actually several questions but has to do with the heat. Where I live in NC, we have had a week of over 100 degree heat (and high humidity here too). It is a killer. First question - do you find your workout times naturally slow in the heat? Second question - do you find you need more sleep in the heat? Third question - other than more fluid and electrolyte intake, do you alter anything else training-wise because of the heat? Last question - how do you decide your electrolyte/fluid intake? Do you do the sweat test I have heard people talk about?

Good to see everyone back on the thread! I felt like I was talking to myself for a while.  Anyway, to answer some of your questions Mandy...

I hate working out in the heat.  It *really* slows me down.  I'd rather run hills and trails than run in the heat.  I haven't found that I need more sleep, but it does tire me out more, so maybe that's it.  I try not to do any running in the heat.  Its starting to get hot here in Southern California as summer is pretty much here, so I end up running before the sun gets up or after it goes down.  If I'm going to do something in the afternoon, I'll swim. 

I don't know what the sweat test is.  I drink a lot of water/fluids before I work out.  I pretty much can tell how hydrated I am by how clear my pee is.  If it is too dark, I know I need more fluids.

So my short update:

I joined a tri club.  LA Tri Club.  They're really big down here and very active.  I think I can mostly train on my own and I'd be okay, but I was talking to someone else in the Bay Area who was part of a club and he said the benefits would be really good for someone like me.  I know that I'll have to work on open water swimming, and doing it with a team would be safer and easier.

So I went on my first real bike ride yesterday.  Took me a little bit of time to find the entrance to the bike path around here, but once I found it, I rode it a couple miles before turning around and coming back home.  However, my butt was really sore on the ride home, such that whenever I saw a bump coming up, I was getting out of the saddle to ride across it.  My butt is still a little sore today... I was hoping to go for a ride this weekend.

I did fine spinning at the gym, but now that I'm going for rides, I'm assuming its going to wear on me more...

Question for you more experienced bike riders: Is this something that I'm just going to get used to after more riding?  Is it my saddle?  Clothing?  Combination of all of the above?

FYI: I bought my bike used... its an older road bike, but its been well-maintained and the (replacement) saddle isn't really a racing saddle or anything, but I'm assuming even those are even less comfortable?

Haha thanks cmoe for quoting info I should already know.  I guess I was just excited to get out and ride.  I'm taking it to the LBS later this week to do this now. 

On another note, I ran over 11 miles this morning in a longer training run.  Feeling great! 

Wow, 11 miles! Grats! One day I will grow up and get my big boy legs! Till then I will stick with my 30 minute gasp/run/puff/walk/stagger/cry sessions. And glad the info helped.

Cheers,

        Collin

 I've always had a problem with the sore butt (and sore girly parts even more) on the bike. Some of it will go away after you get some more miles in on the bike. Part of it could be solved by a fit by a bike shop, and ask them about your saddle and if you should look into buying a more comfortable one. I went through a lot of saddles before I settled on the one I have now which isn't great but it is acceptable so I decided not to mess with it anymore. I don't know if oyu are male or female, but if you are female, check out the Terry Butterfly saddle. It has been recomended to me by lots of people and when I go out on group rides, I'm always shocked to see how many people are using them. That is what I'm using now and it is better than the others I have tried.  

Hello mentoring group!

Just wanted to give you all my weekly update.  As some of you may know, I recently joined a triathlon club here in LA, mostly so that I could do some training with other people.  So yesterday (Sunday), I did my first open water swim ever!  Now I've done plenty of swimming before, and I was a club and varsity swimmer back in high school, so I consider myself a decent swimmer, but I was scared to go in the open water by myself.

I was given a brightly colored swim cap and one of the club members even let me borrow one of his extra wetsuits, and it fit me pretty well.  It took me a while to get into it, with the help of lots of Body Glide.  Once I got into the water, it took me a little bit of time to adjust to the waves and the fact that I couldn't even see where I was swimming.  But after about 10 minutes or so, I think I was okay, and I was able to get into a regular swimming stroke.

We ended up swimming for about an hour and going a little bit over a mile total, by our estimates.

Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm happy that I got that out of the way, and it looks like I might be purchasing the used wetsuit for use in future open water swimming workouts.  For whatever reason, open water swimming has been a big mental block in my head because of the temperature of the water and the waves and stuff.  But I think after a couple more of these workouts, I'll feel a lot better during my race.

So that's my update.  I set a personal best in pacing during a 5-mile race last week.  I also ran 14 miles on Saturday as I'm building up a good endurance base in my running for my marathon later this year.  So overall, its been a great weekend for me.

Hope everyone else has had a great week!  Happy summer!
 

Congrats Paul!  One question though... You couldn't beat 12 hours?  Geez...

646     12:09:32 SCHON, PAUL            SAINT LOUIS   MO  USA      61/205 M45-49

I would like to join your group if I could...
I am new to this site, so I hope 'Full Up' doesn't mean it is full, if it does I am sorry!

I tried to do a Sprint Triathlon last year but it was down-graded to a Duathalon due to weather... I did finish though, 2 hours... I am 250 and female so quite over weight but still very active.

My father passed away in on October 13 2007, and it amazed me that after years and years of just dreaming of doing a triathalon, I actually forced myself to do it, and my father was there to great me at the finish line.  Unfortunately he died soon after... and that is when I started to seriously consider the Ironman.  Although I have a LOT of work ahead of me, the Iron Mna 2012 is on the exact date of my fathers death, October 13... and the 2007 Ironman was also on the exact date of his death... it has motivated me like nothing else... but God knows I will need help!

I am doing a Try-A-Tri in Sept, I just finished a 5km, and I have a half marathon at the end of Sept...

Like I said, I can use ALL the help I can get! 

I know, I suck....:-(....really have been reeling ever since TTT...just this month has life and training begun to be real again........

For all of you wondering.....TTT is a bit close to IMCDA unless your build is already done....there is no way to recover from TTT and then get your final build done and then taper....too much in too few weeks!