grandhavenbill's group - FULL (Page 4)

Brad,

Typically I run on a treadmill and sometimes even add a 0.5% to 1.0% incline...thought it might help with running on actually terrain.  I have been doing more outside, but I REALLY hate the cold here in Indiana.  I never run on a completely empty stomach.  The very few times I have I have been miserable and not felt so good.  I always try to put something "in the tank" about 30 minutes prior. 

I have slowed my pace a bit and it does help.  Basically I'm trying to find my groove...what makes me feel comfortable on the run...or any aspect of the tri.

Yesterday I just did some swimming and took the rest of the day off and got some really good sleep.  I think my body is just getting used to the notion of training on a consistant basis.  I feel really good today.

Drew

Bill,

On average I sleep about 6-7 hours a night.  Sometimes it's good sometimes it's not.  I'm a "stewer" and always have things going through my head...typically about work.

I stay VERY hydrated.  Having been in the Army I know the importance of hydration.  Drink of choice is water.  I think my eating habits are pretty good.  I try to eat 5 to 6 small but healthy meals a day...to include protein drinks.  Sometimes I crave fast food and will go down that path, but that isn't very often. 

Swimming just started this week.  Went well the first session and I think it will continue.  Swimming is pretty heavy in my training regimen because of my lack of swimming in the past...we'll see.

Drew

Good Morning!  I had a great swim today...800 w/o stopping!  This is amazing!!!!! I know I mentioned this before but to all you folks in this group just starting to swim be advised that I could barley go 25 (yes 1 lap) 3 months ago!  stick w/ it!!!  YOU WILL DO IT!!  I know some of you are thinking this too, I have no idea how to do a flip turn so don't think you are the only one in the water that doesn't know how to do em'. 

(The heater was down @ the Y pool so the temp was a cool 78.  Yes its outdoors.  OK I'll stop lobbing shots @ you guys up north)

One observation. I'm trying to learn how to breath on my right side.  I only try this on my cool down because I'm still sucking a lot of water.  Today I did 100 right side only and noticed 50 into it that my left arm was working harder than normal.  Its seems this is a strong indicator that I'm "off balance". Is this correct. 

Thanks!

Drew,

Sounds like you are doing all the right things.  Based on the nutritional info listed in your logs, your carbs/protein/fat ratios look good.  I'm assuming your carbs are complex/real-food based and not coming from pop-tarts.....  ;-) 

With that, agree that the fatigue is likely an adaptation thing.  Keep an eye on your weight too, you may need to bump up your calorie intake if you find it dropping quickly.  This gets to be a delicate balance with tri training, the weight loss is a great side-effect, but you need to stay properly fueled to play effectively/efficiently.  More on that later....

Hey John,

In addition to Brad's reply, your max heart rate (MHR) is what you were born with and, other than the typical reduction with age, will not change.  What does change is your lactate threshold (LT) which is the magic line where lactic acid accumulates in your bloodstream faster than it can be metabolized. 

As noted above, the 180-your age doesn't work for everyone, and it looks like you fall into this camp.  I mention an actual blood measurement to determine LT in a post above.  This can also be fairly accurately approximated using field testing.  Check out the following article from Coach Mike Ricci for the protocol.  Obviously, Mike has some strong feelings about the simple age-based calculation, but they are generally quite close for most (I had my LT measured with the blood test in my first season and it was within 2 beats of the age-based formula!).

http://www.d3multisport.com/blog/index.php/220-age-misconceptions-and-determining-y-1

Also, great job on the swim this morning!!

Oh, this gets to be a fun one.  There are definitely two camps on flip turns.  Personally, I don't use 'em either......

And my warm up this morning consisted of one-arm shoveling of snow off the driveway before I could get to the gym for my "dreadmill" workout.....sigh.

Bingo!  Bilateral breathing is a VERY good thing as you never know which way the waves and/or bright morning sun are going to be coming at you on race day.  It definitely takes some practice for it to become natural.  Total Immerson (TI) has some great balance drills that will help with this.  Check out the "Freestyle Made Easy" book (your library should have it) or even the "teaser" videos on their website:  www.totalimmersion.net 

Keep up the good work!

Oh yeah....well at least we don't have to worry about wildfires or earthquakes!  ;-)

No need to be going hard at this point, this is the time to let your body adapt.  You still have a few weeks before your formal plan begins and there will be PLENTY of opportunities for increased intensity.

Hi Bill

 One more quick question.  I've been reading alot about heart rate zones etc. Do you think (since I am just training for my first triathlon) that I need to worry about heart rates right now?  My main goal is just building good form and better endurance.  I do want to improve my times eventually but do I need to train with a HRM to do that ?   If I feel maxed out is that equal to maximum heart rate?  I'm not looking to make my heart beat as fast as possible but I do want to eventually push myself.  I'm 21 yrs old if that matters at all.  What's your advice?

Bill,

Yes...the carbs are good cards and not from garbage.  Well...we all have a weakness ;-)  I feel better today.  Took the day off yesterday and rested...swam this morning.  Definitely feel lots better.  In terms of weight...well that's a very complex issue due to some health concerns and medications that I am taking.  I'm holding steady around 155 and that most likely will never change.  When I told my physician that I was training for a triathlon he immediately became concerned because of the weight issue.  I have tried to increase my caloric intake, but I'm just never hungry because of the meds.  I have been given appetite stimulants by my physician, but they just make me VERY hungry, and then I eat so much, that I get sick.  So...trying to just find a good balance, increase my calories in a healthy way, and drive the train home to completing my first sprint tri...all we can do, right?

Drew

Thanks Jan,

 I have never worked with heart rate or anything so I really needed some pointers.  Although I've been active my whole life, I've never really done long endurance training (more than a 3 mile run) or more than 30 minutes cardio on a regular basis so this is somewhat new to me.  I'm about to go to a spin class and then maybe a short run since it's actually sunny here.  Thanks alot, - JeanMarie

Hi JeanMarie,

The HRM is completely optional.  It is merely one of the myriad of training tools available and there are quite a few very successful athletes out there who do not use them. 

To achieve your goal noted above (which is spot on by the way!), we just want to make sure you aren't spending too much time working anaerobically.  As noted in many of the previous links/posts, RPE can be used to monitor this as well.  In short, if you can't speak in full sentences and are gasping for breath, SLOW DOWN!!  These high intensity workouts definitely have their place and will show up in your training plan.  For now, don't worry about them...

Enjoy your workout today!  We had 6 inches of snow last night and are supposed to get pounded again this weekend.....

Drew,

Glad to hear that you are feeling better!  You have some interesting variables in your equation for sure.  As the volume ramps up, I'd just recommend that you keep an eye on your weight to make sure it doesn't start dropping too quickly/much, especially with your hunger "switch" being dampened by the meds.

Bill

Bill,

i totally agree and weighing myself daily.  My physician said that if my weight drops to 150 that I might want to think about not doing this, or just train to the point of being able to finish.

If you would like to know more about the specific variables in question please feel free to send a private message...I don't mind sharing.

Also...and will ask my physician the same...but what are your thoughts on nutrition drinks such as Ensure and the lot...?

Drew

Drew,

PM sent.  As for Ensure-type drinks:  I've never tried them, but know a lot of long distance folks out there swear by them as an easy-to-digest pre-race (or workout) fuel.  I'm guessing these are pretty high on the glycemic index though, so use caution if you are looking at these as more of a "mid-day filler" type of thing.

I've always been a big proponent of real food and would lean more towards a homemade smoothie or some granola (also homemade) for some easy extra calories.  Just my $0.02.

Bill,

Sent you a response...please let me know if you don't receive or have other questions.

It's funny that you mentioned granola...I went to Whole Foods last night and bought all the ingredients to make my own.  Will do that this weekend.

I also bought some Ensure just to keep the weight in check.

Drew

Jan,

Thanks...I will search those on the almighty Internet.  It's not really about energy per se...for me it's more about caloric intake.  But I will do some research on those and see what they have to offer.

Drew

Drew, et. al.:

Here's my current favorite granola recipe:

Preheat oven to 350F and mix the following dry ingredients:  3 cups old fashioned oats (not the quick cook version), 3/4 cup wheat germ, 3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, and 1 1/4 cups sliced almonds.  Spread on a baking sheet and place in oven for 20 minutes.  Reduce oven to 300F when done.

In a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup honey (or agave nectar), 1 tablespoon butter or canola oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt.  Heat and stir until well combined.

Mix wet and dry ingredients together with ~1 cup (to taste) of chopped dried fruit.  for "crumbly" granola, spread on a baking sheet (well greased or covered with parchment paper) and return to 300F for 28 minutes.  For bars, FIRMLY pack mixture into a 13x9 baking dish for the same time and allow to cool THOROUGHLY cool before cutting/removing.

The above recipe is for a more crunchy variety.  If you prefer your granola less crunchy, double or triple the butter/oil.  You can tweek ingredients to suit your taste, I typically add cinnamon and a ground flax seed.  Have also used dark chocolate chunks.....

I'm always looking for new recipes, so let 'em fly if you have some faves.

you know you have a cool wife when she walks by the garage and you hum an empty water bottle at her because you forgot to fill both of em' up.  she recognizes that you are doing your best on the trainer, fills it up,  returns w/ it & yells GREAT JOB!!! 

have a great weekend eveyone!

I see all kinds of drills for each aspect but haven't really seen any for transitions?  Are they out there?  do you have any? 

thanks john

Hey John,

Awesome swim yesterday!  Is the bilateral breathing starting to feel more natural?

Support from your family/significant other is paramount to your future in this crazy game!  I, too, am very fortunate.  Although she thinks getting up in the wee hours to swim/bike/run is absolutely flippin' nuts, my wife is VERY supportive of my obsession and was actually the first to ask when WE would be doing another IM!!

Transition training......the only thing I've read (and done) is just to practice it.  I would STRONGLY recommend that you do this at least a couple of times before your race, both so you know what to expect and how you will want to lay out your gear.  Just create yourself a mini-transition area.  This can be as elaborate as you'd like, I know a couple of guys who've actually made their own bike racks to simulate race conditions.

For me, getting from the swim to the bike (T1) was the most challenging to get used to.  You will be pretty tapped from the swim already and running up to T1 can be a challenge, especially if there is any beach involved.  Some considerations/recommendations based on experience:

• If you are wearing a wetsuit, wear your cycling jersey underneath.  Trying to put one on a wet body is not easy...
• Balance your helmet on your bars with the straps draped out to the side so that you can just grab and stick it on your melon with little effort or thought.  Be sure to place it in the proper orientation depending on how your bike is racked so you don't have to fool around with flipping it over/around.  Place your shades inside so those are easily accessible too.
• Consider a bucket or dish washing tub with water to rinse your feet, especially if you will be running thru lots of sand/gravel.  Of course, a towel is a nice thing to have too....
• Open your shoes wide so that they are easy to get on.  If you are wearing socks, roll them into "condoms" so that you can just unroll them onto your feet.  Like the jersey, trying to pull socks onto wet feet = slow and not easy.

Other than the unique experience of running off the bike (MAKE SURE YOU ARE PRACTICING THIS before your race!), the bike/run transition (T2), is pretty straight forward.  Like your cycling shoes, open your running shoes wide so they are easy to slip on.  I am also a proponent of speedlaces so you don't have to mess around trying to tie your shoes.  Not an easy thing to do when you are all amped up coming off the bike....

You will also read about/see athletes who leave their cycling shoes clipped to their bike the whole time.  This can be a time saver, but is definitely something that requires a lot of practice.  Also, some races prohibit it because it can be safety hazard. 

Let me know if you have additional questions.

Bill