Eriq's Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 4)

Cool. I'll take a peek at your log when I get some more time. 

Not 100% on this but I believe the footpod calculates your speed (and thus distance) by using your avg stride length when outside using GPS. Takes your overall distance and divides it by how many strides you took according to the pod's accelerometer. Then it uses that stride length for when you are indoors. So on a treadmill, it cannot tell the speed of the belt so just assumes the stride length is the same whether you're warming up or sprinting. I think... 

HOW TO DETERMINE GRADE USING GPS INFO: Another way to calculate grade is to you your GPS watch info. Check out the workout below and click one of the 30 sec laps. They all read .09 miles, so about 475 ft of distance. Now zoom in one of the bumps on the green line, you can see that difference between the bottom of the hill to the top is about 28 ft. So 30/475 = .059 or 5.9%. You can do this with any hill that you may consider doing sprints on to find out its grade.

Sample Hill Sprint Workout

From a very high level view, it looks like your doing work in all the sports so that's always good. Given your times and the average distances of a sprint tri, 1:30 doesn't seem like much of a stretch goal.

The avg sprint I see is 500m S, 10 mi B, 5k run. So being very conservative with time estimates here, 15 min swim, 35 min bike, 25 min run, and add 5 mins for transitions, that's 1:20. Without seeing the details of your workouts, at your current fitness level, I don't see why you couldn't hit 1:30 if the sprint were the distances as I assumed.

Now that this group is closed what can we expect from other members and what can they expect from us?

I have added my TP log into my signature. I am getting the hang of it still and will likely exclude dietary info from there because I am eating all day long, and just keep it to actual work outs with a brief description.

Everyone is pretty quiet today. And I hope you are quiet for 1 of 2 reasons.
1) You are busy training.
2) You trained so hard that you are napping/sleeping to get in some extra recovery.

I guess that means I get a break. But I like to chat and I like to share and people say I can be long-winded so here I go typing something up.

It is the off-season and many people are building a base. For those of you whom already have a solid base, you should be aiming to gain some speed. Turn up the intensity since you don't have to turn up the volume.

As for me, my legs are jelly. I've been on a constant rotation of power intervals on the bike and hill or 200m sprints. Today's PIs were tough. Pushing watts at 30-40% over my LT was painful and a lot of cursing was involved. Toughened up. When my mind was telling me that I couldn't maintain the effort, I told it to shut up and kept pushing.

PIs - 10x1min PI, 2min RBI, 10x30sec, 30sec RBI

KEY LESSON THAT I'VE LEARNED: You have to push yourself in training if you expect to be able to push yourself come race day. Days like these are not only about the physical part, but also the mental side. Sometimes it's more about the mental side of things than the physical! It's days like these where you have to dig deep and push through those imaginary boundaries and limitations you set in your mind. Days like these are building blocks and confidence builders for the future. You'll build and build on this confidence and develop that inner strength to do more than you previously thought possible, to do more than people tell you you are capable of. It's that voice that will quiet the doubters and the disbelievers.

And in the end, this will extend to all facets of your life, much beyond just training and racing.

While I do not understand the watt output simply because I have never used a power meter, I must say that looks like an kicking work out.

I am thinking of trying an indoor tri before tackling the real deal in June. any advice with indoor?

From my understanding, this program was designed for mentors (me) to help other, more than likely newer, triathletes (you guys) with a multitude of things. I'm here to share my experiences and knowledge on everything and anything. Training, racing, equipment, planning, focus, motivation, etc., etc.

I believe I already shared some things you can expect from me, but if not here we go.
- Open to questions and a timely response. Ask me anything. If you're looking for an opinion, advice/suggestions, experience, etc, ask and I'll do my best to help you out.
- I'll probably be posting weekly topics (like my goal setting and training plan post).
- Training accountability. I'll keep my training log current and I ask that you do the same. I will check your logs weekly and see how your progress has been. I'll do my best to hold you accountable to your plan and keep you motivated.

What I expect from the group?
Stay active in discussions. If you have opinions of anything that anyone posts, even if you don't agree, please post. I don't see this as Eriq's thread, this thread it to help you guys. Please keep everyone updated on your progress - hardships, wins, challenges, learnings, tips/tricks. This group is a support system and I believe there is a ton of value in sharing your journey with everyone.

Many of you are newer triathletes and the more info can absorb early on, the better. Triathlon can be extremely overwhelming. I'm going on year 5 and been on an AG podium and hell, I'm still overwhelmed sometimes. Hopefully we can lessen the that and the steep learning curve that comes with doing tris. My goal is to have you enjoy preparing for and race your races. Enjoy the journey as much as you enjoy the finish line.

Watt output is simply a measure of energy you are exerting. It's a truer measure of exertion as opposed to heart rate. While you cannot measure watts to watts when comparing different people, but for an individual, it is a great metric to measure the work that is being done and gains that have been made in fitness.

Indoor tri - do you know the format? Fastest to cover a given distance or most distance covered in a given time?

In this format just go as hard as you can for the time. As far training, it would be the same as training for any tri.

One thing I would note is get used to their spin bikes and treadmills. Find a seat height that suites you and make sure you are accustomed to it come race day. And since it's all about speed, find the right balance of resistance/cadence that will help you max out speed. Usually on a spin bike, a higher resistance and lower cadence will get you a higher speed, even though this is not necessarily true riding outdoors.

Get used to the treadmill. Some hate treadmills, hence the nickname dreadmill. Get used to running at whatever incline will be used. I usually run at 2.0 so 0.0 incline would be odd for me. I find that I can run faster on a treadmill due to not having to fight wind resistance at faster speeds.

For the swim, to get the max distance in the given time, practice flip turns and get a solid push-off and streamline off the wall.

I was quiet today because I was enjoying my next-to-last day of vacation by spending the morning doing my own mini-tri. I only done a few brick workouts, and never done all three, so today was the day. Except I forgot my goggles/swim cap on the way to the club and had to turn around to get them, reducing my swim time from 45 minutes to 20. Which was fine, since I am just like Nicole (NoBadDays) on here-after swimming 1650 yesterday, I was so proud I could swim 200 without stopping today! I have tried doing some time tests, but I can barely get the 100 done! (2:30 is the current average time, ugh, I feel so slow and I work so hard!) So after my quick but still hard swim, I did a group ride of 30 miles in nasty wind, not a very common occurrance in AZ. Still averaged 17 mph, and worked hard most of the 1 hour 45 minutes. Then tried to run 3 miles, but only made it just under 2-so windy and I didn't have enough fuel with me.

So, lessons learned today? This is a journey, and while I have had some success in my running (usually place in my AG), this is helping me to throw out my ego (a little!) and be teachable, be conscious and enjoy the process, be willing to try hard, be disappointed, and then get back up and go at it again. On the more practical side, lessons learned-fuel properly, keeping working at the swim and bike, and continue to seek out group training rides/runs, etc. I thrive on being around others and can push myself much more than I would on my own. 

Next week I'm back to work and coaching (our junior high cross country season ends beginning of February) so planning my own workout time is quite a challenge for the next 6 weeks, but in keeping my SMART goal in mind (slight negative reaction-we have to write SMART goals at work!!), I am just keeping my focus on my first sprint at the end of March, and pick up my training for my May olympic once my coaching responsibilities are done.

Thanks so much Eriq and everyone else for your posts. 

I agree with Eriq's comments on the bike and dreadmill.  There's definitely alot to learn by doing it, so good luck, and let us know how it goes.

There's alot of issues that you'll face on your first outdoor tri (that you won't indoors), so as the time gets closer to your outdoor sprint, check back with Eriq and the group.  Race day is alot of fun, but it can also be quite confusing, especially for a first timer.  I made a bunch of mistake on my first tri, so hopefully the group's collective knowledge will help your sprint race day go smoothly.

awesome job! for those who've never raced a tri before, i would recommend doing a mock one just like Danelle did. Do your best to simulate race day, keep transitions as short as possible. You'll learn a few things that'll help you come race day.

Danelle, fueling is a process. I still haven't dialed in my long course nutrition. But instead of getting bummed from bonking or not doing what you sought out to do, learn from it.

I've never done an indoor tri, but I'm sure it's a lot different than doing one outdoors. I've done a handful of events and I still get confused.

During a race last year, I was using a sign that was posted to identify where my spot was. I guess they moved it sometime after T1 because when I got into T2, it was gone. I couldn't find my running shoes. I walked my bike up and down transition for a minute trying to spot my freaking shoes. HAHA!

Quite a few of you are interested in swim stuff so I'll probably write something up this weekend related to swim workouts. I'm thinking about including what I've learned on improving your swim, my experiences in the pool, structure to workouts, resources for swimming. I'll read through the thread and try to answer most of what has already been asked in previous posts.

QUESTION FOR THE GROUP: what would you like to learn about the swim?

Swim questions:

Breathing

 - Exhale via nose or mouth underwater

  - Exhale completely before turning to inhale?

What is optimal sprint workout to establish a good base?  My first sprint tri is early May and will want to do a quarter in under 7 - 7:15ish - did 1,000 yards yesterday

 - 300, 200, 100, 100, 200, 100

 - average pace was 1:50 a 100 across all segments

Want to work up to 1600 a session then add some speed work once yardage is there. 

Thougths?

Then rode for 40 min easy. 

Jeff

PS (will install aero bars for review......)

I get what your are saying about the mental side of training. I've started to notice that there are times my mind is telling me I should slow down or ease off but then I realize that my muscles aren't sore or fatigued and I'm not really exerting myself that hard. I find that happens more with my indoor training on the treadmill or stationary bike, I think it's because I get bored and need to focus on something else.

John

I typically goto the pool 2x per week when I'm in regular training.  No flip turns.  I typically do a long set focusing on form, and then at the end do some speed work.  That said, I'm not sure my speed work has really produced any results.  I think the biggest impact on my swim speed is working on proper form...I still have a ways to go in that department, but I have lowered my 100 speed down to 1:40-1:45ish.  That's not "great" yet, but I'm fairly happy with the results so far.  

A tri coach told me a few years ago that in terms of the swim leg, you can't win a tri in the water, but you can lose one.  In other words, you can spend way too much energy in the water trying to be fast and have relatively little left for the bike and run, so pace yourself in the water.  

Thus, my approach to swim workouts is to generally swim distances of my next race at a good pace, and not exit the pool too winded.  

Of the three legs, my run and bike are comparatively better than my swim.  I hold my own in the water...front of BOP type speed, and then try to pick up the pace for the bike and run.  From a time standpoint, I think focusing on improving my bike and run speed and endurance has pay more dividends than trying to shave off a few seconds in the water.  

That said, I'm sure some of you are comparatively faster in the water, so if that's the case, then perhaps working on speed might make more sense for you.  

I'd also be interested to see what the group says....

Hello all,

Looks like I am the last one to join this mentoring group. I've tried to take a quick read through the earlier posts and get myself up to speed.

So, a bit about myself....I am a 34 year old mother of two (a 9 month old and a 3.5 year old).  I am currently on maternity leave, but will be going back to work full-time in early April.  I have been running and doing tris on and off since 2006.  I did my first HIM in 2010.  I have signed up for the Mont Tremblant Half Ironman at the end of June.  I am also planning on doing an 8k race in April and a half marathon at the end of May.  I'd also like to get in a short triathlon prior to Mont Tremblant; however, since I am located in Ontario there really isn't anything before June.

When I did the Muskoka HIM in 2010 my times were:

1900 m swim - 44:04

94 km bike - 4:00:32

21 km run -  2:23:55

So, as you can see I am definitely not fast, but really I can only get better right?

My goals for Mont Tremblant are:

1900 m swim - 40:30

90 km bike - 3:40:00

21 km run - 2:10:00

Consistency in training is my major problem.  I find it easy to just say "I'll skip today".  I hope being part of this group proves to motivate me and make me accountable for my training.

I end up doing a lot of my training indoors - we have a fair bit of snow and it is cold outside!!!  Also, since I have two little ones it is easiest to go to the gym and put them in childminding for the duration of my workout.  I know this is not idea; however, it is my reality for now.  My training log is not very up to date for 2012; however, starting 2013 I'll try to keep it up to date daily.  I am planning on using the BT HIM training plan and will be starting the official training February 4th.

I am looking forward to working with you all in reaching our triathlon goals for 2013!!!!

Stephanie (one last thing, my name is Stephanie, but my screen name is "SweetClaire" because my daughter is Claire)

Hi Stephanie - aka Claire,

Welcome!!!  Speed isn't the only criteria - you did it!!!!  That counts.  Great goals for next time.

Jeff

Thanks for the bio, Stephanie. Grats on your HIM and grats on committing to going faster this year!

Consistency is what will get you to your goal. But I can see how having 2 kids might interfere with that. I definitely cannot suggest anything there as my wife and I only have 2 dogs. =P

Hopefully the group can help motivate you to stay consistent and maybe you'll also pick up some good advice along the way to help you to that sub-6:30 HIM.

Thanks Jana for the info on the free TP plans. If you do not currently have a log, I highly suggest using TP. I've used numerous logs online and excel-based stuff but I love TP the most.

I think I'm going to end up writing a lot of stuff on swimming so I'll save most of what I have to say for later. But some quick thoughts. To improve your swim, 2x a week minimum, but highly suggest 3. And due to not having the impact on the lower body as running and biking, I usually use a swim between a run and a swim as a recovery day. I've found that for me, I can swim hard one day and it will have zero impact on whatever run or bike workout I have the next.

To practice OWS in the pool... close your eyes. Seriously. You'll find out if you have an uneven stroke and pull to one side. Then you can work on this to help straighten you out. Usually there'll be something that stands out like a crossover and/or scissor kick that needs to be worked corrected. Also, this will force you to practice sighting and not just sighting on race day.

If you have a bike and indoor trainer, use this over spin class. That way you'll be riding YOUR bike that you will be riding on race day. You'll get used to your saddle and your position. Also used to your gearing, crank length (if non-standard 170mm), bars, etc. Plus, the muscles you use in training will be the exact ones you use on race day.

But if you don't, a spin class is a good option. Try to set your saddle height and handle bar reach to replicate your bike position as best as possible. If they are very different, the muscles recruited will also be different and can effect things like flexibility. So just be cautious of doing all your bike training in a spin class.

I ride almost exclusively on my trainer. Controlled environment not having to deal with wind, road conditions, cars, stop signs, etc. I also leave a chair near by with extra nutrition so I can mimic race-like conditions by not having to stop to refill bottles. Also, takes less time to just go downstairs and start riding. Only leading up to a race where I have long, long rides of 60-100 miles will I ride outdoors.

Man I type a lot...

Jeff, I always learned to exhale via mouth u/w, and to exhale completely before turning to inhale so I can minimize how far my head is out of the water.  I always learned to just have 1/2 my mouth out, not my whole face.  I figure the idea behind this is to keep yourself as streamlined as possible - as in, head down means hips up, as athletes are usually low body fat and therefore sinkers in the water.  If head it out of water too long, then the hips sink, and that throws off the stroke.  I'd love to hear if this rationale is correct, Eriq.  For me, having reasons of why I should do stuff a certain way helps me remember to do it. 

I have no clue about your 2nd question but look forward to hear Eriq's response.  

Eriq, I love the suggestion to swim with my eyes closed to mimic OWS.  Awesome. I will try it tonight. I'm afraid, and I'll be sure to not get an end lane lest I crash into the wall!

What are everyone's favorite trainers?  I need to get a new one.  I used to have an old cheap one that I used for my mtn bike in CO for staying conditioned in the winter months, but it was heavy and very loud (probably bc of the tires) so I gave it away.  It annoyed everyone - including my dogs who would bark when I'd ride.   So once healed, I need to buy a trainer - oh, and a bike to put in the trainer bc I only have a mtn bike right now.  I'm looking at a Specialized Dolce or something in that price range (approx $1000).  I've been fitted and test road it 3xs at 3 different shops in CO last year, along with the Cannondale Synapse (same class), which I didn't like as much.  The bike store guys were telling me to put more $ into the bike - that the bike was the area where most of my money should go, and while I agree that a great bike is a great thing to have, I really can't afford much beyond a $1000 bike, so that's just going to have to suffice.  I'm not planning on winning anything any day - this is just something I enjoy.  Hell - I did my last tri on a crappy no name mtn bike with 5 working speeds in the Caribbean - a 40 mile ride around the island (it was a make-shift tri (2.4 mile swim across channel from one island to other (snorkel and fins were allowed as water was choppy, lots of sharks), then 40 mile ride around island, then a 10k run that I had to hike a lot of bc it was so friggin steep! All in the hot sun).  It was a blast.  I didn't win.  I didn't AG. I wouldn't have won with a $1000 bike, and certainly not with a $5k bike.  I am not sure I would have had more fun, either. 

Another question - does anyone else have the Garmin 910 and use it in the pool?  If so, how do you like it?  I have one, but I haven't used it for swims yet  It seems pretty clunky for the pool.  It's as big as my scuba diving wrist computer.  I'd imagine it changes my stroke some.   Is the data you get from the swim good and helpful stuff?

Thanks! Maureen

P.S. I think this is longer than your post, Eriq, so don't feel bad.