southwestmba's group - full (Page 4)

What a game last night!  I don't remember a game that I enjoyed that much.

I have another crazy week this week but would love to talk about swimming.  Prior to this weekend I would have said I dread going to the pool.  However I did the TI workshop and what an eye opener.  I learned so much and although I have a ways to go, I know I will be swimming efficiently and faster in no time.  Can't wait until Wednesday when I can get back in the water.

 Steve

Yeah, my first race is the MIT in March.  I officially signed up last week.  I'll probably end up doing a couple sprints in mid to late summer and hopefully another olympic distance at some point.  There are some good 70.3 events down here late in the season, but a) they're pretty expensive and b) I don't think I'll have free time to train properly with my work/family schedule.

Didn't train at all yesterday which is kind of a bummer.  Sunday is my only day to get a long ride in.  After a rare late night out Saturday the 5:30 AM alarm got the permanent snooze.  I had to take inventory at the shop yesterday so by the time that was done the daylight was done and the game was starting.  I didn't overindulge food or drink wise and got to bed right after the game, but I was absolutely beat this AM.  Got my kids to school and had to run a few errands that I couldn't get to yesterday, so no workout this AM.  This is gonna put me in a serious training deficit this week.  Hopefully I can man-up tonite and fit in a quick run, just to get the blood pumping.  With only 6 weeks to go before my oli I need to find ways to get more training volume in, not less.

 What's  TI workshop?  Sounds interesting.

I did the Hills too on Sunday, and another 50 min on the Bike.  I think I was really dehydrated by yesterday morning as I "low carbed" during the neighborhood Superbowl party (which btw my daughters and wife won 3 out of the 4 quarters in the pool!)

I was really feeling it inb the legs last night, and was scheduled for a swim. My wife told me to take it easy I decided to skip the swim until tonight....that being said I absolutely HATE not having an entry in the log so I did a "power walk" at lunch.  

I'm thinking about joining a gym.  More accurately, my wife wants to join the gym and I'm thinking about piggybacking on her membership.  The gym is having a "Valentine's Special" where a couple can get an annual membership for $800.  

I'm getting the job done on the road right now, but the appeal of the gym is that I might be able to sneak an extra 60-120 minutes a week in.  With my race less than 6 weeks away I could probably use that extra volume.  When the weather's bad it'll be dry in the gym, when my workouts are unstructured or I'm unmotivated I can always jump in a spin class.  I'd also have the chance to try some of the treadmill ladder workouts Andy's been writing about, or do bricks with a minimum of equipment change and wasted time.  Lastly there'd be a little variety for strength training other than my dumbells and trusty sandbag.  Am I talking my self into it by writing this paragraph?

My other motivation for joining the gym is that it would give me the opportunity to encourage/nag my wife into working out.  The gym is her idea, but I know she *hates* to exercise.  The great irony is (and it's not lost on her) that despite my regular exercise routine I'm borderline obese on BMI while she's sedentary and smack dab in the ideal BMI range.  Still, she's getting close to 40 too and could stand to build a little muscle and get her HR up a few times a week.  I know how much better I've felt since getting back in to exercise a year ago and she probably doesn't know what she's missing.

 I've get a day pass for tomorrow so I'm gonna check it out and report back.

This weekend is supposed to be very nice, 50 degrees, my daughter said try and do all three in one day..I am tempted, it would be kind of reverse, I'd bike 7 miles to the Y, swim, bike 7 miles back and then run 3-5.....what do you think?

 That sounds like fun, actually.  That's a solid double-brick with the swim-bike-run segment heading home.

I worked out at that gym this AM.  Had a pretty good workout with a 40 minute ride on a spin bike followed by a 40 minute run.  The spin wasn't as fun as a ride, but there were some benefits to the treadmill when it comes to pacing, watching HR and doing a fast brick.  It did seem like a lot less effort than actual running, though.  10 minute/mile pace felt a lot easier on the treadmill than 10:45 on my feet.  This has to be a weight thing because it's one thing to be on a treadmill where my upper body is stationary and my legs are moving to keep time with the belt, compared to the road where my legs have to push 225+ around.  More motivation to get lighter, I guess.  The cool thing was I could maintain an even pace and really get my HR up without quitting.  There's no way I would kept up that pace on the road but when your feet *have* to move to keep you upright on that treadmill you just can't quit.  

A couple other cool things about the gym... I met one of the trainers there who is multiple IM finisher with two IMs and two 70.3 on his schedule for this year.  Could be a good person to hook up with for longer rides or maybe glom some free training advice from.  Speaking of trainers, some of the female trainers there had physiques that were beyond amazing.  Not sure if that will encourage or intimidate my wife.  She's trying the gym out at lunch today so I'll find out what her experience was like.

So I guess I've talked myself in to joining.  It was a good facility with enough variety to keep me interested.  One thing I took away from this one workout today is how different my abilities are after a year of beginner endurance training.  In all the years I belonged to gyms and lifted weights or fought jiu-jitsu I'd struggle to do 3 miles in 30 minutes, and today I did 80 straight minutes of aerobic work with no problems.  I feel pretty good about that.

Not to be presumptuous, but what is your stretching routine like?

Got a question for you Andy...

 I'm a little more than 4 weeks out from my first Oli distance.  As opposed to the first sprints I did where I just wanted to finish, I've set a time goal for myself on this one.  I have no worries about finishing; my goal here is to push myself a bit and try to get it done in a time that would feel competitive for my size, age & experience.

What things were you doing in the month before your Oli races?  Is it about intensity, volume or both?  I'm wondering what I ought to be doing for the next 3.5 weeks before I taper.  And how important is a taper for a shorter race like this?

 Pete

It is a tough call. I haven't trained in 3 weeks as I have caught something and can't shake it. And my body and mind are in full agreement on the decision to refrain. There have been other times when I have been sick but have pushed through but I have learned to gauge when the training is not likely to further complicate things. During those times I am usually experiencing a few symptoms but my head is clear. I might lighten the training or do some low key strength training as endurance type exercises are very hard on the immune system.

In my unprofessional opinion, if you are generally a person who is not prone to making excuses and have a pretty good track record for training then I would say listen to your body and give it a break. Our bodies are always talking to us and telling us very important things - we just have to learn how to listen and interpret.

Garfield

Here's my new baby:

 http://www.bike-alog.com/bikepedia/Helpers/thumb2.aspx?w=800&h=800&filename=09_COMET.jpg

On a slightly different sport note...

https://www.ktrakcycle.com/index.html