SBR Endurance Group - CLOSED (Page 4)

Cool!  In the past I would have got a stocking full of chocolate but this year it was filled with Powerbar gels! 

Hope everyone is having a great holiday!

Mum gave me $200 to pay off my new bike as well as a couple of new running tops, so I'm pretty happy about that.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, enjoy the rest of your holiday season!

Simone :-)

Gang:

I'm looking for a first time wetsuit which won't break the bank.  I've read some of the threads on BT discussing this topic but wanted to get the collective wisdom of my new "training group."  Give me details including brand, full sleeve v. sleeveless, price, upside/downside, etc.

Going to run half mile repeats on the local high school track plus bleachers this morning then long ride on the trainer tonite in front of the tv.

Joe

Joe,

I haven't used it yet and am a complete TRI noob, however here is what I've purchased.  An Xterra Vortex4 full suit for $165 during a fall11 sale where the discount code was FALL11.  Xterra always has sales on their suits as they are trying to put more suits on starting line of major races then all the competition.  I believe it's probably an average entry level suit that will suit (no pun intended) me fine for the next few years.  I understand that as all things in life, when you spend more you usually get more.

Full suit came at the recommendation of a friend who has been doing TRI here in the upper midwest for the past four years and says the extra warmth has been appreciated on many cool swims.  I was concerned about arm restriction (range of motion or just extra effort) due to the full sleeves and was assured that once the suit is on completely and fits well that any restriction is negligible.  At my level in the sport I opted for the most comfort and expected performance I could afford.

Coupon code BT makes a $400 Xterra cost only $189.  Seems like a good deal to me but again I'm very new at all this.  Someone else may chime in with better advice.

Regards,

John

2 of the 7 deadly sins definitely well in place these last two days (gluttony and sloth), but will get back into the swing of things this week. Santa was good, bringing me a new Park Tool bike repair stand. I'm ready to do some serious wrenching on my bike now without the low back pain from stooping over it trying to change out a rear cassette or adjust a derailleur. This has been a recovery week of sorts I guess, much needed though. Looking to make some nice gains in my workouts now, and adding in some strength training to go along with it. Hope the holidays have been good to everybody.

Here's an article/blog post I wrote last summer on bike wheels/tires. Let me know what you think.

http://iamtri.com/profiles/blogs/how-do-race-wheels-and-tire-effect-your-triathlon-race

Roger

Wow, Jaelin, you got a lot of good stuff! And the rest of you too, it sounds like. I asked for a transition bag but my husband must have not understood.

Santa, however, did bring me a TRX type of workout thing. It is a Rip 60 or something like that. It is a suspension thing you can use for workouts and comes with DVDs ets. (me, being Santa in this house for many years, bought it for myself, oh, uh and my husband).

I am interested in hearing about the wetsuit advice. The main thing for me is OWS training, because that will be early spring and the water will be COLD. I have not liked being in a wetsuit at all, I feel claustrophobic and got too hot, felt like I was choking, and this was in a vortex sleeveless. I will need a long sleeve for training I think. But I won't wear one for races unless I have to for warmth. Unless I find in training they help. 

Roger, I will read your article probably later tonight. I am winding down for bed. I work 1 am to 9 am. If it is not too busy that is when I will be posting here, or when I get home and am in bed winding down, about 1000.

Just got back from a wonderful run on the trail and feel so good. I love running. Everything was frosted over and no leaves on the trees. Love the seasons but would move where it is warm all the time in an instant. We do have a long winter ahead of us as Roger said and I glad to have all of you to keep me motivated!

Thanks for listening!

Jan

Merry Christmas!  Now, time to hit the asphalt again!  I got some cold weather running and cycling gear under the tree and tried some out this morning.  

I'm thinking about renting a wet suit or two and trying them out.  My first Tri of 2012 is a sprint in April and the swim is indoors.  I would look kind of stupid in a wet suit!  

I'm wanting to compete in the 2013 Corpus Christi HIM 70.3.  It's an open water ocean swim in February so I'll need something and be use to before then.

Edit: Nice Jan!  Another shift worker that runs when they get home!

Edit2: Good article Roger.  That will be my first upgrade, probably next year though.  

Great article Roger, I will definitely look at getting some race wheels before I do any endurance events. Just wish I could buy some race "feet" to improve my run!

Great feedback on the wetsuits too, I don't own one as yet either, but will be looking to get one as soon as I start doing open water swims. Ocean swims I can handle, but some of the local tris around here do river swims and even in 40degC heat the water is still freezing cold.

I wish I could throw some heat up north for you guys and gals, we've been forcast for 40degC on New Year's Eve, could be a good day for a long pool session I think.

Great article, Roger! I am so impressed and I feel so fortunate to have you for a mentor. I have never really thought about tires/wheels beyond what came on my road bike. This is good information. I am really quite ignorant when it comes to my bike. I went to a good bike store with my husband and we picked out a good road bike with an upgraded cassette-I have no idea what makes it "upgraded" except more expensive. I also have 3 wheels-rings? in the front. My bike is faster than I am. It wants to fly! I am not kidding. I get a little scared by the speed even, although I am getting used to it. It is a Trek Madone-woman specific. Never have been sore once at all, even did Cycle Oregon on it-40-100 miles a day and unbelievable climbs-7 straight days of cycling bliss/torture. Never did get sore in the seat. And I was flying past people. Even had some kind of what do you call it-draft group or whatever ask me to join them. It is the bike. But probably, since I am new, should wait a bit on new tires, I guess.

Any ideas on my wetsuit problems? I feel like I am choking because of the neckline and I feel like I have to work to expand my rib cage. I felt panicky in it. This was during practice OWS last spring and in the pool. I did not end up wearing it in the race and they also announced not wetsuit legal at the last minute. I was not going to wear it anyway. I am sure I will need to wear one and a long sleeve one if it is cold.

Yes, Monty. Shift worker here. Hard to get workouts in sometimes. It is cold, windy and a bit icy this morning so I let my sleepy head go to bed, will see about workout later when I get up. Good night all, have a great day and great workouts!

Jan

I need to wait until I get a bit more competitive within my age group before I upgrade wheels.  Good points made in the article. 

Jaelin -

Good luck in your 5K.  I've been running them for years and have never broken 25 minutes.  I'm envious...

My wetsuit advice:  rent one before you buy it, in regards to sleeveless vs full sleeve.  Both offer great advantages in buoyancy, but some full sleeve suits will restrict the range of motion at the shoulder (which is why many people swear by sleeveless).  I prefer the full sleeve for the additional warmth and buoyancy, but that's just me...

I have rented from a great company called Wetsuitrentals.com.  I rented a suit for my first tri last year, and they applied the rental cost to the price of the suit I just purchased.  In a way, it's similar to a rent-to-own program.  I ended up buying the same suit I rented, mainly because I had a great experience with the suit and the company.

Got a question for the other ladies in the group. What do you prefer to race in? A one piece trisuit? Or tri shorts and a tri top? This is probably going to seem silly, but with my first race coming up I am more nervous about what I am going to wear, rather than how I am going to do. I am still about 50 pounds overweight (it is coming off ever so slowly!), and having always been slim and athletic up until a few years ago, I feel very self conscious at the moment, to the point where this morning I almost talked myself into forgetting about racing until the next season (which is around Sept here in Australia). I've been scouring the net for a one piece tri suit but they are so expensive and I dont want to buy one that I am only going to use for a couple of races, cause next season I plan on being back to my normal weight. Any ideas?

BTW Jaelin, good luck with the 5k race!