HILDEKQ'S Magnificently Motivational Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 4)

I gotta say I LOVE that you are all beginning to inpire each other!  The more the merrier I say!  I LOVE to be inspired and I love to give them out too, real morale booster, especially when you have an off day or an off week which is gonna happen.

For those of you that are real newbies to the website, to inpire someone you have to go to their blog... you can either click on the links I posted earlier with everyone's user names, OR you can add them as friends and they will appear in the left hand column next to your blog.  Click on their picture or their name and it will take you to their blog.  At the top of each training day is a blue band (unless you've changed your blog colors!), at the very right is the inspire link.  Click on that and it will open an inspire box that when you write in it and click Post Comment will appear in their blog.

I know I've given directions to several of you how to REPLY to inspires so that they go into the inspirer's blog rather than yours... let me know if you want me to post those instructions here for everyone....

Gotta go... I think my post-race tiredness caught up with me today, couldn't get out of that bed!  So moved this morning's run to this afternoon, or I may do a brick instead, we'll see how the legs feel....  still waiting on race results so that I can post my race report, I'm anxious to see how I did overall!

BTW, thanks Hilde for the BT tips; I've only learned how to use about 10% of the site, so I appreciate the help!

Since we have a few strong swimmers here, I thought I'd throw this out- I am disproportionately slow in the pool, and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I took swimming for fitness in college (swam regularly for a couple of years there), and have been hitting the pool regularly since Christmas, so I'm not a complete newbie. I didn't expect to be fast, but I didn't think I'd be this slow either. I regularly get lapped by 6-year olds and senior citizens. And by friends who don't work out half as much as I do and never swim, so what gives? I met with a coach twice, got some good pointers on technique, and worked the heck out of drills, but I don't think I've improved any except in endurance. I don't work speed drills in any of my sports, but I hold my own much better with the middle of the pack in the other two. My age-group rankings in my one triathlon tell the story: out of 93 racers, I was 51st in swim, 22nd in bike, and 9th in the run. 

I know the kick is one of my problems; my coach said my toes weren't pointed enough. When I attempt to use a kickboard, you can hardly tell I'm moving at all! I can't seem to make any improvements here.

Any thoughts on improving speed? I feel like I'm working hard enough, but I don't get much 'mileage' out of each stroke.

Since we have two Tammys in the group, I'll sign off as

Turtle

 

This group is so cool.  I forgot about he forum part and have been concentrating more on the inspires.  I'm very excited about seeing all the great dialog about training and race experience.  I'm learning so much as a newbie.  The coolest thing I'm picking up here is that everyone has a different mountain to climb but we are all trying to reach the top to meet our own individual goals.....how inspiring all this is.  I'm glad to be part of this diverse group!

"Turtle" as far as the swim - I'm sure Hilde and the other sub 2min/100 swimmers have tips.  I'm just trying to build up endurance right now....I'm a turtle in the pool too.....maybe we should race.. haha.

This group is indeed cool! Sorry it's taken me so long to catch up on getting organized on BT-- right now is craziness time of term, with papers coming in droves and exams needing to be set before the students write them...never mind a million meetings...but today I managed to grab some time, so I think I'm all caught up! I _did_ manage to carve out time for a longish swim yesterday (trying to concentrate on improving my stroke efficiency, so long arm pulls and kicking steadily), and did a so-so interval session on the treadmill this morning. So far here in the Chicago 'burbs it looks like a glorious day, so I'm going to do a couple of errands then take my bike (Arwen) out for her second outdoor spin before traffic gets too crazy. Thanks to whoever posted about unclipping to the left first, by the way-- since until now I've always taken my right foot out of the toe clips first, it'll take some getting used to, but probably a good idea not to go down in front of cars, I'm guessing...

Thanks for the inspires, guys-- now that I've updated my friends list, I can return the favour! Sounds like everyone's working steadily towards their goals-- go us!

Alex

Yeah it's Wednesday!

Like the nickname, Turtle.

I have a question about running. I started on the treadmill using the couch to 5k and thought I was doing really well until I started running outside.  I just cannot control my speed outside. I always start way too fast and am out of breath after about ten minutes.
I know the obvious advice is slow down. I just can't seem to keep a slow and steady pace unless I'm on the treadmill. Is there any kind of trick or anything I can try?

The picture is for you Turtle  

Edited by jordiebrigs 2010-04-21 11:58 AM






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Okay, some swim tips... I am NOT a swim coach, nor do I play one on TV!  So I can only tell you what has worked for ME.

Swimming is mostly technique... of course endurance is in there also, but if you have lousy technique your speed is gonna suffer.  Best way to get tips on YOUR technique is to either get a swim coach or join a Master's team where you will get some coaching.  It is VERY difficult to self-correct unless you have a way to video yourself swimming.  Basically you want to be as smooth as possible in the water, to get the most distance per stroke at the least effort.  It will NEVER be effortless, but it can come close!

Some of the most common mistakes are your arms crossing the midline when reaching forward to take a stroke.  Imagine your arms entering the water at 2:00 and 10:00... it's gonna feel too WIDE, but is probably not.  Your body should not stay parallel to the bottom of the pool, it will rotate as you reach and pull, from side to side.  This should happen naturally so don't overthink it.  Be conscious of not lifting your head to take a breath, turn your head to the side, leaving one goggle in the water.  One side will be more comfortable to breathe on, but try the other side too.  It's really good to be able to breathe to both sides in an Open Water Swim (OWS) due to sun, waves, other swimmers, etc.

If you are a brand new swimmer I would be working on distance.  Swim a lap, rest when you need to and do it again, and again, and again.  When you start feeling better in the water, start doing 2 laps and resting, repeat, then 3, then 4 etc.    Don't worry about speed yet, just get the distance done, I'd say till you can do 400 yards continuously, no matter how long it takes, without stopping.

Once you can do that, I would add interval training to your workouts.... these are shortish swims followed by short rests and repeat.  It gives your body a short time to recover, but not really enough to have your HR fall, so you are still getting the aerobic part even while you are resting.  For your first interval set try something like this:
Swim 50 yards, 8 times and rest :30 seconds between each.  After awhile you will be able to pace yourself so that you are not going too hard or too easy.  You don't want to go so hard that you are exhausted when it's time to start the second one!!  Or too easy that you're not getting some speed out of it.  There are thousands of different interval sets you can do.

Here's a website I use to make up swim workouts:  http://swimplan.com/
You have to do a couple of time trials so they can give you realistic rest periods, but you can pick which strokes you want, the length of the workout and what "toys" you would like to use.

This website has some great videos and tips:  http://www.goswim.tv/

This site will give you great visuals for a perfect stroke:  http://www.swimsmooth.com/

"Toys" you can use for workouts include:
Pull buoy, a floatie thing you put between your legs so that you can use just your arms.
Hand Paddles:  used with the pull buoy, helps correct stroke mistakes and makes your arms work harder, but can cause shoulder injuries if used too much.  Buy them just a little bigger than your hand.
Fins:  I like Zoomers, they are short fins.  You can either swim with them or do kick drills, they make your legs work harder but speed you up so they don't take so long!  Careful not to let them become a crutch since you can't race with them.
Kickboard:  I rarely use mine, I normally just kick on my side and switch sides halfway through the pool.


That's all for now, lunch is over and I have kids waiting at the door!!!  If I think of more, I'll post later!

Thanks for the swim tips and website references, Hilde! I'll be sure to check them out to help fine-tune parts of my stroke that need work.

The bike is my newest (and thus weakest) sport, so I took Arwen (The Random Neuron) out for her second outdoor spin today. I've recorded approx time and distance in my log-- the important thing is that I dealt with traffic and didn't get run over. I managed to remind myself to unclip the left foot first every time, so it became a bit more natural by the end of the ride, too. I do have a question, though: Arwen's my first roadie, and for safety's sake on the busy roads hereabouts I've been keeping my hands in the drops so as to brake whenever necessary. While this is great practice for biking in the drops and thus being as aero as possible (yay!), I've noticed that the back of my neck and my shoulders get VERY tense after a while from looking ahead in such a tucked position. I stretched them when I got home and so far they feel OK, but is there a way to prevent the tensing up in the first place? Some stretches or something I should do at home regularly to make life easier? Or will it get better when I stop being terrified of local drivers?

Thanks for any suggestions anyone might have. Hope you're all having an excellent day!

Alex

In terms of running, while I'm not an expert, I too have dealt with starting too fast and running out of steam. Two things helped me. One was planned walking in the beginning. I.e. jog 9 min walk 1. The second is using my iphone with nike chip to monitor my pace. Then I can tell if I'm going out too fast.

Hope it gets better!

PS Running outside is so much easier for me than inside. Much less boring and more stimulating.

-k

Alex... I find that when I haven't ridden my bike in awhile I get a sore neck and shoulders from being aero... I think that's what's happening with you, you have to build up those muscles too (sigh, like we need any MORE muscles to worry about, right?).  Can you ride on the "hoods", those rubber things that are on top of your brakes??  Then your hands are right there to brake as well, but you're sitting a bit more upright.

And x2, I'm with Kory on the running outside... sooooo much nicer that the DREADmill!

Jordie, thanks for the turle pic- I love it! I may have to change my avatar.

Hilde, the swim sites look awesome. I especially love the videos and animations. I'll give the swimplan a try, too. Maybe if I got in the pool with a plan, I'd see some improvement!

Turtle 

Alex - I am new to biking too and have only had my bike out on the road twice so far. I seem to default to riding on the lowest bars too - I feel safer and more in control there I guess. I keep reminding myself to move up to the "hoods" and although that is more comfortable for my neck and back it wreaks havoc on my nerves. I feel the need to be closer to the brakes I guess LOL!

Hilde gave some great suggestions on the swim stroke. Besides being sure not to cross midline when you enter the water at the top of your stroke and getting good trunk rotation here are a few other things to be aware of:

Your hand should slice into the water at the top of your stroke with thumb and index finger side of the hand first and then you rotate your had inward toward your midline and pull your arm under your body right near midline. There should be minimal to no splash where your hand enters the water and therefore little to no bubbles as you pull your hand through the water. The less bubbles, the more force you have with your pull as you are pulling against water, not air. As your arm pulls through the water under your body, the pull should not be just with your hand but the whole palm and forearm - a bigger "paddle" so to speak. You should never feel your arm slipping through the water (no resistance) if you do it meand that you have rotated your arm so that your elbow is leading the way on the underwater pull instead of your hand/forearm. After you pull under your body (along midline) continue to push the water back toward your hip and finish the stroke with your thumb brushing just past your hip pushing the hand out of the water (like where a woman's swim suit leg holes are) to finish the stroke. If you have any specific questions or want to share some video of your swimming I can to my best to do some internet coaching. (I am a former division I swimmer and high school swim coach)

I'm off to update my workout for today on my blog/workout  - I had a great swim and was able to bring my time per 100 down by about 6 seconds over the last time I timed myself - still seems slow to me compared to my times as a college swimmer but faster is good!

Hilde and Marsha--

Thanks for the suggestion to ride on the hoods-- I was tempted to today for the sake of my neck and shoulders, but was too terrified of the traffic (and dealing with bumpy roads) to try! But I'll work on it, as well as try to find some shoulder stretches and specific strengthening to help with that.

x3 (or however many) on running/biking outside over inside! I wear an iPod for running most of the time and can sometimes tune in to whatever's on the TVs in front of the treadmills at the gym, but treadmill running is a bit of a chore for me. I managed to do my trainer rides this winter courtesy of season 1 of _Leverage_ for shorter rides and Eddie Izzard concert videos for the 1hr+ ones. Still, traffic aside, I'd rather be outdoors when the weather's lovely.

Alex

Jordie - as for the outdoor running pace, if you don't have a Garmin or similar device that will show your pace per mile, I would suggest measuring out a 3 mile course and know the landmarks for where the 1 and 2 mile points are. Run that same route frequently and use your watch to check your time for each mile. Consistency is the key. The treadmill propels you but on the road you have to propel yourself. Keep at it, you'll get better at it!

Thanks for the running advice. Looking for landmarks for miles is a good idea. The route I ran this morning was just a square around my neighborhood and every time I ran by my house it was a mile. Practice will definitely be key here.

Youtube has some cool triathlon motivational videos. Check them out on a down day!
Triathlon Song form youtube! Thought I would share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Fw1GdRKkc&feature=player_embed... />Hilde may write us one of our very own!! Right

Hilde, Thanks for the swimming tips.
Okay I need to make it to the pools one day this week. MMM group memebrs I need some swim motivation. Unless I have a tri on the immediate horizon (like a few days out) I just can't seem to drag myself to the pool. I am not sure what my deal is on that!

Jordie,
Running outside. I think you have to have a loop around your home that you can safely run. Use your car or bike to give you mileage. Mark out a .25, .5,  1 mile and 3 mile. Start out at a power walk until you think man I might as well be running. Then slow jog about 5 min in go a little faster. I at this point i just listen to my body. Unless, I am doing a prgressive run, tempo run or sprints; I don't push to hard. I just go with what feels right. When I run this way I personally have found my times just get faster as I go along naturally with out have to push myself to faster speeds. It is called a negative split in the tri world. When your last portion of the run is faster than the beginning.  Don't be afraid to start out walking then to a super slow jog! Your body needs that warm up. You can plan sprints to work on speed only once a week but on regular run days just relax and go slower. Happy running!!!!


 

Thanks to everyone who has inquired about my logs - or lack thereof - so far.  Please, stay on me!  I will begin logging regular workouts again tomorrow.  There are times when my job is just not conducive to trying to schedule workouts (especially when starting over), and I thought it best to wait until I had that resolved before starting up again.  

That being said, it looks like everyone is doing great!  Hilde, thanks for the swimming tips.  There is a wealth of information in your post and a couple of new sites for me to check out.  Just to add one more, the site that I used when starting my swimming program is www.ruthkazez.com.  There is a zero to one mile program that worked well for me.  

This group is awesome, and I am excited to be a part of it!  

Good morning group!  I spent some time this AM catching up on everyone's posts from yesterday.  Wow what a great group.  I like this!  Great swim tips, good bike advice and awesome running strategies.  I especially like the guest appearance of our resident literary sage Jonathon Swift, too  Cool. 

I would second Hilde's advice about trying to get a swim coach.  I'm now working with my second coach and really feel I have found a gem.  I tried the local masters swim program and found it didn't provide me with enough support.  I really felt I needed the one-on-one feedback that you can get with a coach.  One more thing to add, someone in another group suggested that if you swim enough you will become more efficient at your stroke naturally.  I found this happening with me.  The other tip my first coach gave me was to take my time when I breath.  I was trying to breath too fast and was never taking in enough air.


Janet

Janet! I am with you I have been in two other groups and this one is the best! I love the inspires from you guys and am putting some great info in my belt! Thanks everyone.

Love the song, Jen! That should play on my alarm clock in the morning to remind me why it's going off so early.

Janet, thanks for the tip about taking your time breathing. I always feel a little rushed and panicky when I swim, like I should be going faster.  I'm going to take some lessons, but they don't start for a few more weeks. I definitely need some personal attention with basics.

This is the first morning I woke up and am sore ALL over since I started training a week ago. I'm thinking of taking a DOR. Still undecided. 

Love the word of the day!  Can't wait to use it in a sentence

Oooh-- I might get one of those tomorrow, if my planned training works out! (Quick run, then some weights, then spin class...we shall see!) Always good to have something to look forward to, right?

Alex

I for SURE had a PAINGASM this morning at spinning class when my HR hit 93% of my max and the instructor said only 20 more seconds, give me a little more!

Hi Jordie,

Sorry it took so long to respond but I had work commitments last night and have just signed on.  I just read an article about your topic of the treadmill vs the outdoors. (Can't remember where).  The author pointed out that running on the treadmill is easier as the moving track actually provides some of the momentum so most individuals run both farther and faster on a treadmill.  I personally don't have much experience in this area.  While I used to run minimally about 3 decades ago, it has never been a strenght.  Since I am just starting the couch to 5K, I can certainly relate to the fact that running outdoors is taxing!  Just keep on running! (and swimming and biking)

Carl