Jackjack's group - closed (Page 4)

That's awesome Cynthia! Great job and congratulations!!

Wow Cynthia - that's awesome : )

Good luck today Jenny!

Cynthia I'm so proud thats awesome!!! That is one of my goals this year too! no walking on my run for a sprint. I'm glad you had fun!!

Also to answer a question from a couple days ago. My classes are over now, but my last final isn't until the 30th. Graduation is May 2nd YAY!!!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Can't wait to hear how the rest of the races went!!

All done with the race! It went fairly well, my ankle didn't hurt at all until the end of the run. I was right around where I wanted to be for each leg of the race, and my practice for transitions definetely paid off! I was the third last one out of the pool, but the second person to get on the bikes for my wave. I'm gonna take a nap, I'll post more later!
Jenny

Wow Jenny - that's unbelievable!  Nice transition.  : )

To answer the same question Rachel just did, I get out of classes on May 23rd.  (That's Friday of finals week.)  So I'm in MA for a while yet.

I finished my second seven mile run EVER today : )  It went well, and felt surprisingly good, minus my right hamstring which just got tighter and tighter the farther I went.  I think that has to do with how short my stride is when I run at a slower pace.  Ick.  It's a gorgeous day though, and I had a lot of fun.

MARATHON MONDAY'S TOMORROW!

Hope everyone is well and enjoying their weekend : )

I love walking around in shorts... with my number slowly fading away on my leg.

It was in the 90's today.  HOT HOT HOT.  I think tomorrow will be a sun-in-sprinklers day.  Wednesday it is supposed to "cool to 70!"  yikes.  what a week it will be!  It's APRIL!  I want moderate temps!!

Thanks all for the good vibes and the congrats.  It was nice to have a nice first tri of the season.  But now I have to wait until June for the next one!  maybe I'll find a 5K to do in the meantime.

Jenny - glad yours went well too!  I'm looking forward to hearing more.

Heidi - listen to your body! wow, it's yelling at you.  I hope you're soon feeling mentally and physically better.  Find another race to put on your calendar and avenge!

Di - 7 miles!  and in 1:10!!  awesome.  can I have your legs?

This was a great weekend for me - I hope the good vibes carry me into the week.  My tri yesterday was a good start and then today was a day-without-kids!  DH and I dropped them off early with friends and then spent the day doing house chores (painting, repairing, building, cleaning) which went oh-so-fast without wee ones.  Our day was started with eggs benedict breakfast out and then greek dinner out to conclude.  Next Sunday we return the favor and take our friends two kids for the day.  wonder if I'll be energetic a week from now

Cynthia- It sounds like you had a great weekend! I love "Kid Trades". Every one wins from them! Here's hoping the good mojo lasts through the week!

I'm looking at my training schedule for the week. I have a 58 minute swim for tomorrow. OUch- That's a long swim for me!

Great job on your races this weekend, ladies!
You have earned some nice down time for a couple of days

Today on my calendar- met some friends to run 4 miles at 5:45 am. We could actually run without our headlamps, so that was a real treat. And I was peeling off layers as the miles ticked by.
Maybe winter is over? A little too early to call that one in Colorado !
Tonight I have to go pick up my road bike at the shop. I took it in yesterday for a free yearly tune-up. I have a long swim tonight - 2000 yards - yikes!

Have a great day everyone!
Dee

Cynthia- Congrats on your race!

Heidi- No worries, we all have races like that. I ran a 5k on New Years Eve when it was below zero outside and the day of the race I wanted to be anywhere but there. The important thing is not to let one bad race discourage you.

I found out I finished 3rd out of 6 in my age group yesterday. I felt really good about the race, especially the transitions. My swim was 400yd which I finished in 8:30, which for me is good so I was happy with that. I made up time on transition (just put on my socks and shoes, threw on my jersey and grabbed my jacket, towel, waterbottle, and race number and ran to the bikes). I was the second one on the bike in my wave, and adrenaline got the better of me so I didn't adjust the seat forward enough and the first 3 miles on the bike just felt like hell on my legs. I finally got my cadence going and settled into a good pace. I took off for the run outside around the lake and actually felt great on the run, I finished the 2.3 miles in 20:15. My goal was 45 minutes, and I was in at 45:43.
The highlight of the day for me though was cheering my friend Ann on to the finish line. This was her first triathlon and especially was great since she is a breast cancer survivor, so I got a little teary eyed as she ran to the finish line!
This week I am going a little lighter on my training since I have another sprint next weekend. This one is an indoor swim, outdoor bike and run. I am excited to race with my new bike for the first time.
Have a great week of training ladies, and to those of us who need to rest and catch up on sleep, I hope this week allows for that!
Jenny

Jenny- It sounds like you had a great race! That's a smokin time for your run! Way to go. It must've been great to cheer your friend on as she crossed the finish line!

Wow, Heidi.  Looks like you had one hell of a race.  Great job hanging in there - hopefully today's run was much better! 

Cynthia - I propose a trade:  my legs for your weather.  (although you may not want them now... they're on the stiff and sore side tonight!) 

Everyone remember to relax on those long swims!  The water can be very soothing, and getting horizontal really helps you stretch out bunchy, tired muscles. 

Great job on your race, Jenny!

Today was... not so great.  I got pretty sick in the middle of the night last night, but thankfully it was quick and I felt better by this evening.  Hit the bike at the gym for a while, but put off my weights until tomorrow.  Did a whole bunch of work, and still am not even close to caught up.  HOWEVER, the marathon was unusually exciting and very inspiring to watch this morning!  They broadcast it live on the internet, and I alternated between reading biochem and gawking at the incredible top runners.  (You can imagine the productivity of this strategy...)  The woman's race was neck and neck right up to the line, with the American runner Kara Gouche falling off in the last 400m, and the Ethiopian runner coming in just before the Kenyan.  Their times were both 2:32:17 something.  Ridiculous.  The men's race was much more spread out (as per usual), but an American still placed third - much better than last year!  What incredible athletes.

Have a good night, all. 

Di- I hope you're feeling better.
I didn't get to watch the race ..work always gets in the way of important things .

But, I'm always in awe of how fast the elite women are!

My run tonight was better. I'm hoping I'll be able to run outside on Weds, because I really dislike the treadmill.

Hiedi sorry to hear about the race. Don't worry about it though. Everyone has bad days. Just stay focused on training and having fun and the next one will be so much better!!!

Jen it sounds like you had a great race! congrats on 3rd in your AG. Thats awesome!

Di i'm so impressed w/ the running! You'll be able to run the 9 miles to the water in no time!!

Cynthia is sounds like your race was quite the success as well. I totally agree i like walking around after a race w/ the fading number still showing. its like a small way of bragging that you just finished a triathlon and your proud to show your accomlishment.

Dee how did the swim go? I agree i think it might be a bit early to call it summer out there. Didn't you just get like 2 feet of snow or something rediculous like that just a couple of days ago? How is the rest of training going? Did you get a chance to ride your bike since you picked it up yet?

For a typical training ride outside what do you normally bring? a pump or co2 cartridges? Spare tubes? wrenches? or do you just bring a phone and figure you'll call someone if something goes wrong and not bother to bring all the other stuff?

Also, i don't have a wetsuit and as much as i'd like to get one i think i may have to wait till next season. If i stick to tris w/ lake swims any thoughts on when it might be warm enough? I know we live all over so you may not have a good feel for that. I'll be racing in New England, MA area.

Rachel,
 This might be one of  those "don't do what I do things" but I just bring my cell phone on rides. I haven't learned how to fix/change a flat yet (it's on my list of things to do). My thought process is that I'd carry my cell for safety anyway, so why weigh myself down with a bunch of other stuff. I know, this is a really bad theory

I don't own a wet suit either. Last year I rented one from Exterra. I was really pleased with the fit, and the customer service for several reasons.

If you are looking to race in Mass, there is a company called "Max Performance" that organizes races in that state. LAst year I registerred for the Buzzard's Bay race with them. They seem to really cater to beginners, sending out emails and newsletters, as well as offering a class or 2 prior to the race.  The race was cancelled due to a hurricane, and Max Performance was great (as was Xterra). They gave refunds quickly, and sent the goodie bags to us. So, I would suggest googling them, and seeing if there's anything that fits in your schedule.

I think any race before mid June might require a wetsuit, but maybe others feel differently about that.

here's my biking saga... the first couple months I rode with just a cell phone.  Of course when I finally got a flat, DH was at the park with the kids so I got to run home with my bike (I ride with cages and running shoes). 

So I kitted myself up for doing tube changes and patching holes and of course the next ride had, uhm, 4 flats.  I had to borrow a tube off my brother who I was riding with.  That was a loooong ride.

As for wetsuits, I don't want to swim in a body of water that's cold enough to require one.  Mentally I think it would be toooo much.  Maybe some point later when I've got more swim confidence and experience and yardage, but for now I'm sticking with pool and warm lake swims.  That does eliminate a few tris for me that have Ocean or bay swims, but I really don't think I'd enjoy attempting them!  Check around for race reports on prior years' water temps for your nearby races, they should give you a sense of whether/not a wetsuit would be needed.  Of course you have to adjust for this year's climate, I think last year IMLP was wetsuit REQUIRED whereas most years (I think) it's optional.

-Cynthia

Cynthia- "IMLP" Is that Lake Placid?
  I don't think I'd want to do  swim that was sooo cold, they required wetsuits!

Yes, Lake Placid.  I think it was that IM that the BTr's last year were kibbitzing about the water temp... booties, neoprene footies.  yeah, NOT for me.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=155635

Final times were just posted online so here's my race report.  I had my bike and run times from my garmin but needed the total time to figure the swim.  T1 time is included in swim time and T2 is included in bike time.  The race did not have timing mats, it only gave final time... that's what a $40 race fee gets around here.  $75 gets the timing mats.

-Cynthia

In regards to the flat tire situation- I have been lucky enough to not have had this happen yet (knock on wood) and about 2 weeks ago I purchased a small flat tire kit that has the CO2 cartridges to inflate the tires along with a patch kit. Now I just need to learn how to change a flat. (I'm actually going to a clinic on Thursday) I do always carry my cell phone with me in case.
For the wetsuits- for me, using a wetsuit is a must if it is allowed. It adds buoyancy in the water, and definetely keeps you warm. (I live in Wisconsin, so water temps up here are never really "warm"). For my first race, I rented one, but since then I actually purchased a lightly used one (the previous owner used it twice) and it works perfectly for me.
I had a really bad day today. Do you ever have those days where Murphy's Law seems to be in full effect? I woke up feeling exhausted. Long day at work, came home and since my ankle is acting up again, decided to bike on the trainer (light snow/rain here today, gotta love Wisconsin!) for 30-45 minutes. Went to set up the bike, and realized my cadence magnet is gone. My husband used my bike the other day to go pick up his truck, so between that or my last outdoor ride, it somehow fell off. I still set up on the trainer, and then my speed sensor wouldn't pair, so I think I am definetely returning this computer and will invest in a Garmin. I've had it with this Trek crappy computer!
I biked for 30 minutes and then started to make dinner- some spicy angel hair pasta thing, and it turned out horrible. It was absolutely disgusting. So I have been scaping together some stuff to eat. I think I just want to go to bed and get a fresh start in the morning- hopefully tomorrow will be a better day...

What are timing mats?

Jenny-I'm sorry it's been a lousy day! There's not much worse than making dinner and having it be lousy. When I'm hungry-I'm hungry! And, I want to eat something good!

I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.
Heidi

Large mats set down at the edge of the water, exit to T1, entrance and exit of T2. Each person runs over them, and they track your time in and out of the transition area.

They serve a few purposes that I know of: First,  your time for each event is more "pure". In other words, a 15 minute swim, is tracked as jus that, it doesn't look longer thanit actually was.

Second, people who are really competitive, or like to play with numbers, can see how long they spend in transition, then work to cut that time down in the next race.

There may be other purposes, that others know of....

Dang Jenny.
Sleep well and let tomorrow be a better day!

-Cynthia