Team KiterChick - CLOSED (Page 4)

Welcome to the group! I'm also signed up for the Hy-Vee triathlon. I did a couple oly's last year and am confidant I can complete it in a reasonable amount of time. Best of luck to you!

Welcome to everyone new!  Looking forward to working together as a group so we can all improve.  I'm yet to do a triathlon like I mentioned, but I'm planning on doing an Olympic distance in June.  I'd like to do a sprint or two before then if I can find some to enter.  

I noticed something while on my tri bike using the trainer tonight.  It feels like when I'm at the top of my stroke, I'm opening my hips up a little bit each direction as I pedal.  I don't notice it on my road bike.  I would think I'm losing some efficiency by that little bit of mechanics.  Both bikes were fit by the same bike fitter at the same time.  Is this something I just need to be aware of and break the habit?  Or is there something else going on?  Or is it something that I don't need to worry about?  I've only really noticed it when I'm down on my aero bars more so than when I'm upright.  

Also ordered a Timex Global Trainer and foot pod today so that I can start run training with heart rate and cadence.  Hopefully that'll help me improve my run!  Always good to find sales and a little bit of Christmas cash!

Merry Christmas to all!  Stay safe and enjoy some family time!

Shane

Welcome Paula, Brett and Chris! It was suggested when I opened this group that I take on 10-15 people, and this now puts our little group at 15. As a result, our subject line will now say CLOSED.

Paula, always nice to have a fellow member from MA. Will is from MA too. It sounds like you've got a great attitude, and am glad you're enjoying the sport so far. I did Title 9 last year too. It was one of my favorite races!

Brett, it sounds like you have an incredibly strong support system for this, not to mention that you're clearly not exactly a slouch yourself if you've already done an IM. I may have to come to you for advice in the near future!

Chris, congratulations on your soon to be newest family member. That must be exciting! You'll certainly have to see what your schedule is like after the baby comes around, but don't discount that time stuck inside on the trainer. Trainer workouts, if done right, can sometimes be more beneficial than actual rides, since you're always working against a constant resistance. They're aren't quite as fun as outside rides though, are they?

Shane, since road and tri bikes are designed with different geometries, your body will be forced into a somewhat different position, so this may just be about adjusting to the new fit. That being said, if it's actually making you uncomfortable in any way, you may need an adjustment. Unfortunately, fitting isn't an exact science, and what looks good on the trainer in the shop may not translate well 50M into an actual ride. I'm not sure about your shop, but most fitters I've dealt with have been open to being notified if something is off, and would likely welcome you to bring it in to have it tweaked a bit. Good luck!

Great workouts for everyone who posted recently. I suffered through my impromptu trainer workout yesterday (who knew taking two weeks off was going to be so rough?), and am planning to head out on an easy paced 7M loop here in VT when I'm done here. We got a few inches of snow and the sky is bright blue, so it should be very picturesque!

Here's my full info, sorry for the delay!

NAME: netzer0 / Dan

STORY: 28 year old computer/home theater geek from the Dallas area.  I was never athletic growing up, never played sports in school.  At about age 25 I realized just how overweight I was (6'4" 250lbs) and joined our local LA Fitness gym and got in shape.  I utilized a personal trainer and worked out consistently 6-7 days a week for about 5 months, dropping down to 185lbs.  I felt and looked great, and was in the best shape of my life.  Right about the time I hit the goal I had set for myself of reaching 10% bodyfat I got promoted at work.  With the change in schedule and responsibility (going from having 30 people under me to 170) something had to give, and it was the gym.  I maintained a great diet and kept my weight for about a year before the diet slipped as well.  3 months later I was up 30lbs.

Without looking for it, I stumbled upon this crazy thing we call triathlon.  I remember the exact moment, too.  I was talking to someone in my office when they mentioned that a friend completed the Galveston Half Ironman.  I had never even heard of it, and remember how crazy I thought someone who did a 70.3 mile race was.  That was it, though: I couldn't get the thought out of my head.  I pretty much immediately began training for my first sprint at that point.  I found it all to be so much more meaningful because there is an end game.  For me it's all about being the best prepared I can be on race day.

I've worked through several injuries already including IT Bands on both knees and achillies tendon issues in my left ankle.  Currently (knock on wood) completely healthy!

CURRENT TRAINING: Really focused on running right now because it is my weakest of the 3.  I have had a ton of injury issues in my running, so I am working on building mileage and staying healthy.  I am really starting to miss the bike, however, so I'll be getting back on the trainer soon while it's cold.  Swimming is my least favorite and I am taking the winter off from it!  I am pretty good for a total novice, and have averaged under 1:50/100m. 

THIS YEAR'S RACES: I did 2 Sprints and a 10K this year.

2012 RACES: I have a number of races already lined up and a few more that I'm considering depending on how the season goes.

1/1 - New Years 5K
2/26 - Cowtown Half Marathon (may have to make this a 10K depending on how training goes)
3/11 - St. Patrick's Day Sprint Triathlon
4/21-22 - MS150 2 Day, 150mi charity ride from Houston to Austin
5/20 - TexasMan Olympic Triathlon
<insert a couple possibles here, have to see who I can con into racing with me lol>
9/8 - PraireMan HIM - this is a maybe, not sure if I'll be ready to tackle this distance this year
10/21 - Monster Sprint Tri - did this one this year and had a blast!

WEIGHTLOSS: Currently at 195lb, which is about 10lbs above where I was racing at this year.  I'm sure I'll be right around 200lbs when the holidays are over.  I'm not concerning myself with diet right now, but I'll get back on the bandwagon in January.

The motion doesn't cause my any pain or discomfort, it just doesn't seem like the most efficient motion with my hips opening at the top of the stroke.  I'll take a ride over to the shop one of these days and see if it's a small adjustment that needs to be made.  It could also be the few pounds I've put on over the winter in my stomach that I need to take back off causing it to happen since it is a lot more aggressive than my road bike even in the drops.

I also might change some of my race plans.  The sprint tri series I wanted to do all of the events for has the first one at the end of May.  Right before I planned on doing the Rev 3 Olympic at Quassy.  I might skip the olympic since I'm new to Tri's and do the sprint series.  Then train really hard over the summer with the intent to do the HIM at Old Orchard Beach in Maine in August.  I realize it'll be a long tri, but my goal is to establish a baseline that will allow me to improve upon in future events.  Think this is a good idea?  Or skip round one of the series and do the Olympic?

Merry Christmas!

Shane

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I suppose the holidays aren't completely over until 2012 arrives, but that's right around the corner at this point. My run on Saturday was beautiful, if not cold. It was a harsh reminder that I need to get back in shape though. Who knew there were so many hills around here? Took yesterday off, but will be back on the trainer for another workout later today.

Shane, as for your potential race plans, here's my two cents. Beginning with sprint level races is great, as it will allow you to experience transition areas, and to get a feel for what it is like to work your way through all three events in a manageable package. Jumping from sprints to a HIM, however, will be significant. This is mainly due to the time differences involved. Things you can get away with in a sprint, such as pushing too hard and not paying attention to nutrition and hydration, will be detrimental at the longer distances. The benefit of doing an Olympic, is that it gives you an intermediate distance to get a better feel for this. I did two HIMs my first year, so I'd be a hypocrite to tell you that you shouldn't aim for that, I'm just letting you know that the jump from sprint to HIM may be a bit of a shock!

I was looking for feedback from someone that's done them before, so that's exactly what I wanted.  I might try to find an Olympic distance in the end of June or sometime in July that I could do before the HIM in August.  Glad to hear your training is going well too!

I'll be down in Florida for six days, so my training might be broken up a bit.  I'm bringing my running shoes with me though so hopefully I can squeeze in a few 3-5 mile runs while I'm down there.  That way I don't feel like a total slacker. 

Shane

Hi everyone, hope you had a great Christmas.

This morning I went for my body composition test and the results were pretty close to what I guessed beforehand. My body fat is at 16%. My goal is to be between 8 and 12%, so I need to lose between 8 and 15 lbs. I am pretty sure I can get there in a few months. 

I have been pretty good with my training during the holidays so far. I did 3000m in the pool this morning after the test and in the afternoon I am going for a run at race pace. 

Enjoy your day!

Sarah,

What "Season Opener" sprint tri are you talking about in your bio?  Is it the Ashland Sprint? I'm looking for an early local sprint tri to sign up for.

Sebastian, thanks for sharing the body composition test results. That has to be encouraging to see that you're getting close to your goal. I've always been curious about those myself. I've only been on one of those scales that measure body fat. Needless to say, I was NOT happy with the results and am curious how accurate they are. Was this one of the ones where they dunk you in a tank?

Paula, no it's not the Ashland one. It's run by Max Performance (http://maxperformanceonline.com/events.html) and is actually the same course as Title 9. The two major differences are that it's in mid May, and as a result, the water is pretty chilly, and it's coed. As I mentioned in my bio, it was my very first race, and I did terrible. I already know from Title 9 that I can do much better, so I'm looking forward to getting another crack at it!

Hi Sarah,

This is a test in which they use a very similar method to the one in which the dunk you in a tank, but instead of using water, they use changes in pressure within a pod. You can see a brief explanation here:

http://floridafitnesstesting.com/index.php/testing/about-the-bod-pod.html

Ohh, btw, they also give you your RMR based on the results of the fat free mass and fat mass. If I lead a very active lifestyle, which training 8 hours a week, you could say I do, I need to eat 4164 calories a day to see no weight change. If I base it on active then it's 3483. Right now I am usually eating somewhere between 3200 and 3800 calories a day (though I am not tracking rigorously, I have done this for some time, so I can estimate it pretty close). I have been losing weight at a rate of about 1/2 pound per week, so this tells me that the 4164 is probably pretty accurate too.

You're supposed to eat over 4000 calories?!?! I'm jealous! I'm probably only half of that. I had to eat a lot more this summer, but that was when I was putting in 15 hours a week. You men are so lucky!

I feel your pain, brotha... 6'4" + Texas

Hi Dan,

Glad to have another guy here that has to deal with the same challenges. Before starting triathlons I never wished I was 5'10", but now...

Hey again,

I changed my schedule a bit for the summer.  I'm going to do the Lake Terramugus Sprint Series (6 events starting at the end of May).  I think I'm going to do the Lake Delta Olympic Tri in July since this will give me some time to get used to doing the tri's.  And then in August I'll aim to do the HIM at Old Orchard Beach.  If I don't feel ready for that, I can always do the Olympic there again.  This will give me a chance to get settled in my transition from undersized football lineman to oversized triathlete.  The bike will definitely be my strongest event.  

Now by definition I'm eligible for the Clydsedale class.  I currently weight 215-218.  In the spring I'll probably drop back down to 205-208 consistently once I can get out and do longer rides and runs.  Do you think I'm better off to enter the clydesdale class?  Or enter my age group of 30+ (I just turned 33)?

Just looking for some input!

Thanks,
Shane 

Shane-

Just my personal opion is that you should race in what ever class you feel the most comfortable in. Now I can race either in my age group class or in the Fat Girl class. Personally I feel more comfortable in with those of the same size as me. This is mostly becasuse we start later in the swim rotation and not being the strongest in the water I feel more at ease not trying to get run over by the class behind me.

It also gives me a huge boost in confidance when I pass those in my age group on the bike and am able to hold my own on the run. Nothing like getting passed by a fat girl! Anyway, just my two cents on the matter.

On a different note I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with friends and family. I got to spend some much needed and sought after one on one time with my son, who by the way is making a wonderful recovery. Thank you to everyone for your thoughs and prayers.

I'd go into your local bike shop and ask them if they will fit the bike for you. If you're all fitted properly it shouldnt hurt that much. That said though i did have to buy my first pair of nappy pants the other day so i could push past the 40km length rides without ...ummm....numbness

I agree that a bike fit is probably the best remedy for most of those issues.  

As for competing with the Clydes, I think you should go for it.  It will definitely give you confidence.  I am one of those little guys who can't put on weigh no matter what I do.  Not that my nutrition/diet is anything to speak of.  

Shane, your revised race schedule sounds great. You should definitely be ready for the HIM if you follow that. As for Clydesdale versus AG entry, you should do whichever you'd like. Ultimately, the only differences are separate award groups and swim waves. As Hubbie mentioned, the separate swim wave can be nice. Also, if you're not anticipating a possible AG podium finish, there's really no reason to feel compelled to enter that category.

Hubbie, glad to hear your son is doing well. Happy to hear you got to spend some real quality time with him too. That must have been nice.

Scott, while I can't help you in the "gentleman parts" department, I agree that a bike fit would be useful in general. That being said, there is an adjustment period where things will be a bit sore regardless. I can't remember how long it took to pass, but know that it will. Frances mentioned bike shorts, do you have a pair? If not, you should get some. Actually, what you should get is triathlon specific shorts or a trisuit, as this is what you will race in. They have a thinner pad than bike shorts that's designed not to take on a lot of water during the swim. Otherwise, you'd feel like you were wearing a diaper for the bike/run!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!  

I am super frustrated.   I have had ongoing achilles issues - last fall I did a round of PT and was better at the end.  Of course I was not running.  I was okay when I started back for awhile but after a few months they started to both me again.  Certain shoes were better, but those tended to cause heel pain.  My goal was to get through my HM and then try to address my issues.  My sports medicine doctor and PT are both runners/triathletes and specialize in runners.  I started PT 2 weeks ago and hip imbalances and ankle instabilities.  I am starting to work on those.  As I am fixing one issues, something else starts to hurt.  Even though he warned me it will happen, I feel like I am going backwards.  I am allowed to run, but only very slow and easy, focusing on my mechanics.  That's not making it fun   I would really like to be able to run and not be in pain.