Hokies 1st Timer's Group - FULL (Page 4)

junthank - 2011-01-03 10:40 PM Since I said no question is a dumb question - what is ST (strength)?

jamesjong - 2011-01-03 2:19 AM Yes, International!! I should have perhaps said or greeted everyone with a "G'day and hello from Australia!!".

Thanks Mate.  sorry couldn't resist..

Yup Jeff, everything in kilo's (kilometers, kilograms, grams and meters). So the race is 300 meter swim, 10km bike ride and a 2km run. PW = Per week, as opposed to per workout but i guess per workout is where i would like to be eventually. So when applying this to the workout's that i've done so far generally speaking I cover between 15-20km on the bike per session (2-3s pw) and 4-6km in a run per session (2-3s pw).

So you should feel really confident about the bike and run because you routinely cover the distance of the Tri in your daily workouts.  That's good.

I also try to do something similar to a brick but maybe with slightly more rest than i should in the transition (20-30mins) but it's all contingent on the time i have that particular day with work and other commitments. So this will be from say pool to park if i do SB same goes for BR (so this RI or transition will be when i walk from the pool to the park which is about 10mins walk, so by the time i hop out of the pool, get all my gear on, walk to the park and start ridding i would say it would have been 20-30mins).

Same for me..  I don't run from the pool to locker room, change, and run to my bike.  I just take my time.

The swim will be in the ocean, starting on a beach or bay then out to sea. So yes, potentially the seas could get rough, which for some reason doesn't worry me right at this point in time. In my training I am also trying to build my confidence in the OW by heading out to swim in little bays once a week (Clovelly is an example, you guys might be able to look it up on google maps, the first of these sessions was on saturday the 1st of Jan) that are enclosed partially but not entirely (if that makes sense). I'll try to describe it, its like a canal that starts at a beach with two concrete banks that run at 90 degrees to the beach out to sea that are about 30m's apart at the mouth of the canal where it meets the ocean. It opens up to the sea where waves occasionally come in. I've been trying to swim back and forth between the banks at the mouth of the canal, in order to get me comfortable with being in the sea where a can't stand (its deep down there) or hang on to things (just because i feel like giving up) when i am between banks where i can do in a pool. However despite this the thing that i am still not confident about is covering the distance out at sea.

That is smart of you doing OWS's prior to having your 1st OWS as a race.

Confidence - I had the exact same feeling my 1st race.  The distance was 400 meters and when I started my training I had no idea how I was going to make it.  To gain confidence I would gradually extend the distance of my continuous swims.  First 50 meters and hang onto the wall, then 100 meters as 50 meters freestyle, 25 meters sidestroke, and 25 meters freestyle.  Then 150 using the same pattern, etc...  until I covered the distance.  Then I did the same thing in an OWS environment.

Another thing that made me feel a bit better about my 1st OWS swim was the race had race staffers in the water for help.  People on surfboards and jetskis.  If I needed them I knew that I could swim over to a person on a surfboard and hang on for a break.  You might want to check this out with the race you are entering.

Jeff, that's a really interesting concept i never thought about, an alternative stoke as a "pool wall", I do have the dog paddle but i find that i can only do that in spurts because its so taxing or it is taxing when i do need to go to it. Though to be honest i've never really tried to do it for say 50m.

Also there was another thing that i noticed when i did jump into the sea, that I struggled with breathing, my nose and mouth got a little irritated from the salt water which distracted my breath and concentration (which made me panic a little while in the water). This is of course a lot different form swimming in the pool where i don't get that irritation and hence have less to worry about which then allows me to concentrate on my technique (breathing, stroke, kick, head position etc etc). Do you have any suggestion or should this go away once i get a couple more sessions under my belt?

I've never had this problem.  My nose does get really runny after a salt water swim though.  You might want to ask this question on the main board here at BT.

I rest as long as it takes me to catch my breath (or until i don't feel stressed in the lungs) generally speaking this will be btw 1-2mins, but i have noticed that it is shorter at the beginning of a workout (10-15secs) and longer towards the end of my workouts (1-3mins). So i noticed that i can get through 200m in about 7-8mins but finish 400m in about 15-20mins.

Btw, forgot to mention you can all call me jongers or jimmy if you would like, that is what i am affectionately know as to my friends.

J

barbsduck - 2011-01-03 9:20 PM I had a good bike workout today at the gym -- 14 miles in 50 minutes, which definitely got a sweat going.

I was supposed to do a swim today, but I have an eye condition and went for a treatment this morning at the doctor's.  Can't swim for 3 days after a treatment, so I adjusted my training plan accordingly.

Tomorrow is my first try at wogging, and then I'll do some ST.

jamesjong - 2011-01-03 2:29 AM You guys can perhaps fill me in on all these in's and out's on what i think is college football? We don't get much coverage here in Sydney, but it sounds exciting...Btw, looking forward to training with you all!!

atlveg - 2011-01-03 8:39 PM To those who asked about the Total Immersion (TI) program -- it is a book with optional DVD (which I do not have) that walks you through a series of drills with the ultimate goal of a very efficient and effortless freestyle swim technique. The first few drills have you working on balance and buoyancy and movement while on your back. Then you move over to your side, and finally onto your stomach with each drill progressively adding a new portion of the stroke. I have only gotten to the side drills so am no expert, but I like it so far. I am taking the swim very slowly because I want to make sure to have good technique from the very beginning.

I am more than happy to help and give advice about running, because that is my strength.

I am brand new to cycling but I think swimming will be my most difficult sport.

junthank - 2011-01-03 10:21 PM Did my 1st swim in a long time today and it was not pretty.  I've been doing a lot of running recently but they have all been "fresh" runs.  Run today after the swim felt much different.

junthank - 2011-01-02 10:24 PM

Very exciting.  I preferred it over professional America football.  Probably not as exciting as Austrilian football though!!