Let's Get It Started! with chrisbowers mentor group - CLOSED and ROLLING! (Page 4)

New Year's Eve 5K race review:

• Never try anything new during a race - yes even a small 5K.  Wore some new, capri style, running pants that I received for Christmas. Good news, I am officially wearing a medium not a large...these were large and I had to hold them up the entire race....ooohhh maybe even a small!
• No snow this year, but it was still cold out there.
• I have always wanted to work so hard I threw up and I accomplished that this race. Strange goal I know but for a mental midget I was a giant!
• I don't think my time is much better than last year, maybe two minutes or so but I gave it my all! 
• Learn from the elderly.  Some man, 20 + years my senior, dressed like he just got done feeding the cows, wearing wrangler jeans and a Carhart jacket left me in the dust. He said he runs a lot...ok I will run a lot.

Sounds like fun (except the throwing up part )  Congrats on finishing the race. Happy New Year!!

I have a pair of the five fingers.  I do not use them to run in.  I read an article that for runners who have a certain running style it takes a while to get used to them.  I have been getting over a plantar fasciitis on my right foot and these shoes sure seem to make it hurt more.

I read up a bit about this. Basically this is my take on going Aero! A professional cyclist, with an Aero helmet and bars gains roughly 3mins over a 40k distance if the road is practically speaking level. So we are talking about a 3 min gain over an olympic distance race for a professional cyclist. Now going aero apparently requires strong core, and good fit for your bike. If you have the strength and can handle the bike in the aero position then sprint is what those bars are made for. Trying doing it over 180km and I think it's a waste of time effort and money... I am yet to proved right or wrong though..but very few long distance IM are flat.

Collie is right on with his comments.  Even if you can power through the swim, you're going to spend way too much energy doing it.  Even though I was comfortable in the water, after my first "training session" in the pool I knew I needed help.  I got some beginner lessons and it was the best money I ever spent!

Lack of Finances used to be my main limiter for swimming lessons; but you all are starting to convince me that maybe even a 'little' bit of professional instruction would pay dividends.

On an unrelated note.  My Polar Bear Challenge swim, benefiting the Idaho Make-A-Wish Foundation raised over $40,000.  This was my 5th consecutive year.  And even though Boise had some unseasonably mild weather (30 degrees, no snow), the water was still a bit.....numbing.  Should I log a :30 sec swim in my training log. 

Mt. bike ride in the plans for this afternoon. Have a great day

Congrats on your polar bear swim Jeff. I have some friends in Boise and have visited there a couple of times, seems like a great place to live.

I did my first brick of the year, 30 min trainer ride and then jumped on the treddy for 5 minutes. Not a great one, but since I am rebuilding some lost fitness due to this injury, I was very pleased.

So now to wreck your heads... In the swim, the head position should be ..slightly tilted. if you were to stand up, it would be the equivalent to looking across the street at a second floor window ( probably). The water line in the pool would be between your hair line and your eyebrows. 

Your hand once it enters the water , and you stretch as far in front of you as you can reach, should snap down so your palm is always looking at your feet. Your palm should look at your feet for the whole stroke under water... 

Lift your hips.... 

Work on your core muscles a lot to be able to lift your hips in the water... and maintain a straight body... 

Thats the theory, and these are all my weak points..... 

No training today..My chest sounds like there is skeleton party going on inside...and it ain't fun.

My daughter said it was quite a sight!  

There is a fear I feel deep inside when I realize I am pushing myself, as if my mind and body start telling me, "Don't do it; we have never been there, we don't know what to expect.".  But, this time it was different, I could not just shuffle through this race. Ok, it may still look like a shuffle but to me I was all Chariots of Fire out there. 

I will remember that from now on; I should run 5ks as fast as I can!

For me I look straight down while swimming in the pool.  During a race I do several strokes looking straight down then sight.  I have one race that we do in a pool and there are about 4 to 5 of us in a lane, yes it is  chaotic.  In that race I have to keep sighting the entire swim.

Collie,

Thanks for this tip, "Your hand once it enters the water , and you stretch as far in front of you as you can reach, should snap down so your palm is always looking at your feet. Your palm should look at your feet for the whole stroke under water... "

I tried this snap and felt he water just push through, it was the, "like pulling through pudding", that Terry Mclaughlin speaks of in his video found on this site.  Way cool.  I was off balance while trying this new snap and was kinda all over the place but I hope to figure it out this weekend on my next swim.  What a difference it made in my glide during the catch. 

Thanks again,

Cynthia

My first day of real training; swam 1600 yards and then a 40 minute easy run...very easy, ran about 3.5 miles. 

I have two broken bones in my left foot though not a limiter, it does cause a lot of cramping in the pool.  It never hurts so bad I cannot do my training but I do need to keep it stretched and lose.  Inner thighs were pretty tight after the run too...that does not usually happen.  Lots of stretching tonight.

What is your favorite stretch?

Cynthia

Great link for swimming...thanks. I am going to try some of those tips on my swim tomorrow during lunch. I also have my first indoor bike training class tomorrow night. Now, the real work begins and I am excited about the challenge ahead!

Jay

how much attention do you all pay to diet... 

What about your sleep patterns? 

Back online here for the first time in the new year.  Spent the night out in the desert and rode all day (sidexside) Sunday so got back to training yesterday.  After working on moving around a bedroom and Ironing, I went on a 2mi run.  It was the first real run since Thanksgiving when my back went out.  Today is 15mi bike and 750yard swim.  I will probably swim closer to 2000yards, but thats what my plan calls for!  Excited about getting back into the swing of things. 

A Few New Years Resolutions:

• Be Happier and more comfortable with myself
• Find a new Job
• Stick to training plans
• One Soda/Week
• Half Iron Aquabike
• Beat my friends at Tri Rock San Diego Olympic Distance (A long story, they beat me last year in the sprint race and I want to step it up this year)

Hope everyone had a great weekend and Happy New Year!

I pay a lot of attention to diet.  I have lost 35 pounds since July.  There is an app called "myfitnesspal" which is really good for watching what you eat.  If it has a bar code you can scan the nutritional information straight into the program.  Highly recommend.

On sleep patterns, I used to never have any problem sleeping, but over the last 6 years, I have had long periods where I get up for a couple of hours every night.  I have been settling back down since my daughter's health has improved.  My diet is more consistent and predictable when my sleep pattern is more consistent.

Ken

ONE SODA A WEEK?  I try to limit myself to one a day which is really good since I used to drink 6-8 a day.