Scottt's Group - Closed (Page 4)

Hey everyone, I'm back! I hope everyone had a good holiday season. I just got my confirmation for the Vineman IM race, so it's on! I'm getting back to my training plan tonight and look to be solid for the next 7 months! I'm nervous and excited! It's going to be an interesting journey!

Hey everyone...sorry for the extended silence.  Long story short...I've been at the house we are building in northern Idaho for the last week.  I managed to get electricity, but internet and heat did not happen, as planned.  It's been and cold and low-tech week.

Thank you for continuing to support one another.  That is the most powerful part of a group like this.

Tip #1:  Consistency  -  Whatever plan or workout schedule you decide to follow, strive to work out consistently week to week.  It is much better to consistently get in 5 hours/week of workout time than 6 hours one week and 4 hours or less the next.  Life happens and we must chose plans/routines we can fit into our lives...consistently.  Often times our eyes are bigger than our real ability to integrate training into our lives.  We start on an aggressive plan only to not be able to really fit all the training into our lives and get discouraged that we end up off the plan.  Remember, this is for fun and fitness! 

Jason,

Whether it is a "plan" or just a workout routine, consistency is still the key.

What type of race are you looking to do...Sprint, Olympic?  With your backgroud, I'm sure either is within your grasp given reasonable training time.  At some point it may come down to making a choice or picking a race out in the future to get you focused and choose a course of action.  Another approach would be to train as if you were "going to do an Olympic in August" not knowing what race or maybe doing a sprint instead if that is what you end up finding that works into your plans.

Jason,

I agree with Jeff, the additional detail included at the Bronze and Silver levels is well worth the minimal cost.  I especially like the detailed swim workouts.  I always have trouble deciding what to do without something more specific.  I also use swimplan.com.  It is a free website which builds workouts for you based upon a few inputs.  I've used it extensively.  If I don't like a particular workout it gives me, I build another one.  I think it lets you do 5 each day.

Shawn,

I suggest picking one of the later sprints as your priority ("A" race) and gear your training timetable around that race.  3-4 weeks is actually idea spacing leading up to an "A" race, as it allows you some recovery and a couple of peak weeks and a taper prior to the next race.

Using an incline of approx. 1% is good practice on a treadmill.  The reason is it forces you to have a slightly more forward footstrike (as opposed to heal-striking).  I generally find running on the treatmil to be harder at a given pace than running that same pace outdoors.  I also try to run outside whenever possible.  With short daylight this time of year, I commonly do what might be a track-based workout on the treadmill instead.

A fluid trainer is a great indoor cycling tool.  They generally are quieter than Mag (magnetic resistance) trainers.  The leaning issue is normally a mechanical issue with the way the bike is positioned and clamped on the rear axle.  Make sure it is not just a setup issue before springing for a new trainer. 

Go Marcia! Giving everyone a kick in the pants....lol.

My A race is going to be Vineman with Oceanside being B. Oceanside is at the end of March and Vineman is at the end of July. Training plan has been picked out for both races and imported into my log, so I pretty much know what I need to do every day until the end of July. CRAZY!

Do we still have everybody in the group? It seems that some people have never posted again after there initial introduction and there are also some that are not logging anything. Perhaps we should have a roll call of sorts...

Train well!

Jeff has a good idea.

I know the following people have been active.
Jeff
Marcia
Fi
Alex
Craig
Jonathon
Jason
Damian
Jay
Jordan
Shawn
Michelle

Can the non-active people please check in?
Catherine
Kevin
Steve
Lynn
Lauren

Thanks

It looks like Alex, Jeff, Michelle, Marcia, Jonathon, Damian, Jordan and Jay all have plans they are working from.

Catherine, Kevin, Fi, Steve, Lynn, Lauren, Craig, Steve, Jason and Shawn have not chosen a plan or schedule.

The best thing to do is to look at your schedule and see what race you see as your priority (A race) and work backwards from there.  If you use a BT plan, it allows you to import the plan based upon the finish (race) date.  The BT plans are a great was to give you a structure to work from. 

As Alex has found, there are many other resources for quality plans, as well.  The key is to have a plan and goals and then where we can really help is with the motivation to stick to your plan.

If any of the group who has not designated a plan is ready to figure it out, let me know. 

Fi, did I hear you volunteer?

"Just curious if anyone lifts weight and finds a benefit from it (speed, power, muscle tone, ect)?"

Jordan,

Sorry it's take a while to get to this...

Weight training is somewhat of a controversial topic within the tri ranks.  There is little statistical proof it make anyone "faster".  The greatest benefit seems to be the stimulation of muscular development and balance (adaptation).  This manifests itself most significantly in the prevention of injuries.  Most of what we do (functionally) is geared toward moving forward linearly as efficiently as possible.  That's great, but is means that the balance in our development gets thrown off.  Weight training is a great way to stimulate the stability muscles/tendon/ligaments on axis that are not developed well in our everyday SBR workouts.

Yes, life balance is really the toughest of the issues we deal with in our chosen sport.  He should feel lucky to be married to someone who has the motivation and drive to keep fit and go after significant goals.  Though written in the context of Ironman, here is suggested reading for him:  "A Word to the Triathlon Widow(er)". 

Is there a way you can involve him in a portion of your training?  For instance, even my 9 year old son sometimes rides his bike with me on my shorter runs.  On recovery runs, I sometimes slow it way down and run with my wife, who is a newbie triathlete herself.

Sometimes our loved ones take this stance because they see it as something they can't do or something that might make you something different that what you are now.  For most of us, we are trying to be something slightly different (in a good way) like get more fit, healthy, live longer, etc.  Hopefully when couched in that way, someone that close to you will see your reasons for pursueing this goal and support it (to a greater degree).  On the flipside, it is incumbent upon you to increase your involvement in a way which does not turn their world upside down.

Good topic.  one that we all wrestle with...

See what I mean!  Simply logging gives us the awareness that some of us need to make changes.  Most of us know the right things to eat.  Portion controll will turn out to be 90% of the issue for 99% of the people.

I agree with Scott.  When you first decide to do this its exciting and scary all at the same time and it's easy to become obsessed - when you aren't training, you are planning your training, reading about it and spending hours on this site!!  (child is sick today so I have been on it ALL day).  It's easy for the rest of the family to feel left out.  My hubby is very supportive but I've had to make some behavioural changes - here are a few tips I learned (the hard way):

-try to fit training in at times that don't interrupt your daily schedule
-when you aren't training or working - be with the family - and I mean "be there" as in attentive, quality time
-have non tri conversations with your partner - its incredible how you can blab on and on about a workout etc and forget to ask them about their day
-if your training happens during family time - ie hubby holds down the fort on a weekend for 3 hours - maybe give him a break - tell him to take an hour or two for himself - and you hold down the fort during that time.
-invite him to join you.  My hubby tried to take up running but has bad knees - it was kind of him (aka selfish of me) to try.  Now I encourage him to get out there and do what he enjoys (volleyball team etc)
-turn tri events in to mini holidays.  If my tri is out of town - we make a weekend of it and ensure the hotel has a pool for my child and my hubby choses the restaurants, we do something for them one day and my tri is the following.

Anyway - good luck with it - it's a struggle we all face!