2010 Molly's Mentor Group - IS ALL FULL UP (CLOSED) (Page 4)

That's a great article, thanks!

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope everyone had a great week and accomplished your goals including your training goals for the week. Don't forget that NBC is airing Ironman World Championships today. It's on here in Vegas at 1:30 p.m. Have a great weekend.

Hi Molly, I am not sure if anyone can offer some advice but I am finding that certain workouts will take a lot of steam out of me, for example this week's run and today's run have me feeling like I ran a marathon. I wonder how I am going to increase my training when I get so zonked after a simple workout. Any ideas? My health is fine as is my nutrition. (I think)

Great question and a scenario I often struggled with alot during my first season of triathlon. First, you need to consider your fitness level. You mentioned that you are a short distance, somewhat recreational runner. With that cross training into cycling and swimming may take more out of you faster  than running simply because you haven't established your base in those two disciplines yet. Second, not every workout needs to be all out. Make your easy days, super, stupid, distigustingly easy. On easy days focus on good form and enjoying the time (sometimes group workouts or going with a friend where you can chat help or trying out new music on your ipod, etc.). If you are going longer and trying to build distance, go easy. Work on distance over speed if you are trying to build up to a certain distance. Get the distance first, the speed will come later. Third, speed days or hard days should be hard. Of course, you want to stay injury free, but interval training and workouts that get your heart rate up towards your LT will be harder, but will also make you faster. Fourth, and the absolute hardest thing for me to do, is take rest days!! And rest days don't mean running 2 miles at a slower pace than your other workouts, it means resting. Your body needs probably at least 1 if not more than 1 day a week to recover. Also, with resting, make sure you are getting enough sleep at night. Of course, I don't think anyone in this group can say they are getting enough sleep period, but sleep is important and will help your body recover. Finally, make sure you are exercising proper nutrition. You are working out and burning calories and you need to fuel your body in order to recover and prevent injury. Nutrition is a big part of triathlon and I would like to cover this in more detail at a later date. For now, you want eat healthy and make good choices about food. You will need to increase carb intake while training as your body needs it as a fuel source. You also have to be careful to avoid the "I deserve" attitude - for example, I ran 3 miles today so I deserve 4 chocolate chip cookies. A big problem for me too especially during IM training.

Don't worry, you will get there. Listen to your body. If you are feeling zonked today, you are probably in need of a rest day and a little fuel.  

Edited by molly@rosenblumlawlv 2009-12-19 11:56 AM

Two questions:
1) Anyone used the yaktrax for running in the winter when the ice and snow is around?
2) I usually exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach because I get cramps. This is obviously not optimal and I would like some ideas on eating before a workout so I can workout at different times of the day.

I have used those shoe things - can't remember the brand - they fall off a lot, so their irritating. I'd love to try something else, though. I read one person's report that they had used an old pair of shoes and put tiny wood screws in the soles, and that seemed to work.As for eating - nutrition is also my achilles, I think. I've started making protein shakes in the morning, which makes it easy to workout and I'm not hungry again until lunch. I use a scoop of protein powder, a cup of blueberries (frozen) a banana, orange juice, pomegranate juice and flax seed oil. Delicious. I'm still working through long workout nutrition...usually I drink to thirst and then take a gel every hour.

Thanks for posting this! I have lost 3 days. Friday I got sucked into an office party, Saturday recovered from said party, and then today was so promising and then we found ourselves at a friends house all day. I did chase the kids during snowball fight, but I don't think that even equalled the extra cookies. I'll have to do something this evening at home after the kids are in bed. 

I am happy because tomorrow is the solstice and the days will get longer again, which will make training so much easier. 

I have never tried yaktrax, but this was a topic of conversation with the local tri club this week. If you go with yaktrax, use the YakTrax pro, they have an extra strap across the top of the foot that the yaktrax walkers don't have. I have heard that they work well on ice/snow, but not so much on dry roads, so if it's a mix of snow and dry spots on the roads they might not be the best. I have heard of another brand called STABILicers which are basically a rubber sheet that slips over the shoe and has screws to dig in to the ice/snow. Word on the street is that they are a little easier on dry roads than the yaktrax, don't come off as easily, but are much more difficult to get on over your shoe. I think I saw both brands at REI a few days ago.

I have a question about uploading a training plan.  I wanted to upload mine and it's not letting me.  Keeps timing out.  It's my own that I developed and it's an excel file that I saved as a .csv.  I'm a free member, not a paid member.  Is it not letting me upload because of that??   Anyone know?

Thanks!

Sorry I cant answer that one.

Hey guys, check this out, I got the goosebumps, we may not be in Hawaii but we are superstars!!(at least I think so )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IROsDCzDRRI

Edited by striving 2009-12-21 7:09 PM

You can import to "actual training" only as a free member.  You have to be a performance member to upload to the "planned training".  Also, you must follow their template that can be found under the help section.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1066

 

Edited by wkirbytri 2009-12-21 8:07 PM

Thanks!  I just finally joined, so now I have access to all kinds of things!  

says video not available when I click on the link??? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROsDCzDRRI

Try this, it wouldn't let me paste yesterday and I probaby typed it wrong, it's great!

Love the video...very motivating. So what are everyone's plans for after the new year? List out your race schedules...for me:

3/27/10 - CA HIM
5/1/2010 - IMSG
Probably some sprints including Lake Las Vegas (have to go for the title this year - I lost it last year in the last 1/2 mile of the run) and Pumpkinman
11/9/2010 (?) - Silverman HIM 

Molly, I haven't decided on any races yet. I am planning on joining a triathlon group in the spring and I will see how that goes.

Two questions
1) I workout in the mornings and I often get discouraged the night before knowing I have to workout the next day. Does this happen to you?

2) When do I know that I have to start increasing training?

Great Video!

Here are my planned races -  I may or may not do the Oly - it depends on how I'm feeling in the spring, and whether I'm feeling over-planned.  There aren't too many options for Olys up this way, and I'm trying to stay somewhat local (except for the MD one where we're going to see friends for the weekend too).

5/23 - ND Hospital Sprint - Stanfordville NY
6/13 - Williams Lake Olympic Tri - Rosendale NY
7/18 - Hudson Valley Sprint Tri - Kingston NY
8/15 - Northeast MD Sprint Tri - Northeast MD
9/11 - Vassar Bro. Sprint Tri - Freedom Plains NY

I too workout in the morning usually, particularly when I am not training for an IM because during IM training it's pretty much workout, sleep and eat and work and that's it. Do I get discouraged before a workout? Not usually, for me it's usually excited or nervous depending on what the workout is for the next day. Sometimes I will dread a workout though knowing what I have in front of me the next day. For me, it's usually a swim ladder. I am a decent swimmer, but HATE getting up in the morning and getting in that freezing pool and it's freezing outside and then knowing that the ladder is my least favorite of the workouts. Here's how I deal with it - (1) I am a HUGE starbucks drinker and fortunately for me there is a 24 hour starbucks in the same parking lot as the gym. So before the workout, I stop at Starbucks and get a drink accomplishing 2 things - first, my reward for getting out of bed and heading to the pool before the sun is up and second, warm drink will keep my insides warm in the cold gym pool. I also try to set up a lunch date that day at a decent restaurant - again my reward for doing the swim in the morning. I will also get something after the workout like a bagel or a good snack as a reward for finishing the workout. I have other things that motivate me in the morning too, but these are the things that work for me. 

The real question is to figure out what is discouraging you the night before? Is it the particular event you have for the next day - swim, bike run? Is it the type of workout you have scheduled? Is it the time of day you have to get up? Is it lack of sleep the night before? It might help you to figure what is the source of the discouragement. Also remember that this is supposed to be fun. If you trained with a group or a friend, you might look forward to the workout more. Mixing it up might help too - maybe train outside if you haven't been out in awhile or go to a different gym to workout for a change of pace and environment. One of the things that works for me is to focus on why I am doing triathlon. I enjoy the competition and I know locally who my competition is so I tell myself (especially when I roll over and hit snooze) "Kimn Jefferson isn't hitting her snooze button this morning. Kimn Jefferson is getting out of bed and getting in her swim. Are you going to let Kimn Jefferson beat you in the last 1/2 mile of a race again because you decided to sleep in today?" Also, I enjoy the health benefits of triathlon so I know that if I do a workout I can maintain my weight and eat a little more whereas if I don't routinely exercise I have to be extremely careful with my diet or I gain weight fast.

When you increase your training depends a lot on when your race is and what your goals are. If you have a race in 6-7 months, right now, I would say enjoy a healthy lifestyle and try to establish a decent base in each discipline - have fun, get out, get time in the pool, on the road and in the saddle. Join a tri group, running group, master's swim class, take spin, do what makes it fun and keeps you interested. As you get 20-12 weeks out from your race, consider switching to a training plan which will steadily increase your time, distance and speed for your race. A training plan is good because it will vary the workouts and goals for each workout as well as increase your intensity and distance over time which should leave you feeling good for the race, well trained and not injured. My personal feeling is that if you start packing on tons of miles or time or go all out at every workout right now and you don't have a race planned in the next 20-12 weeks, you will burn out, get injured or both. Of course, this is from my personal experience, but I can tell you that last season my first race was March 26 and my last race was November 22 and it was LONG season. By the last 4 weeks of IM training, I was totally over it and I think I could have gone faster at IM if I hadn't been training since March and taken the time to enjoy just working out. 

I really hope this helps. 



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I'm not sure how many of you have open water swims for your races. If you want I can post a few suggestions about open water swimming. I attended a series of open ocean swim clinics in So Cal this summer in preparation for the Sprint National Championships and it was worth every second. Let me know if this is a source of concern.