danielle860's group - FULL (Page 4)

Hey Tara - We owned a condo by the Thames Barrier basically by London City Airport. We sold it though and moved out of London when we had our daughter, London is no place to bring up small children. we moved to Hertfordshire in the country.

I loved living in London.........so much to do..

James - be happy that you are close enough to New York to visit!  It's about two hours from my area of Connecticut, so there's really not very much to do up here.

Yeah - I hear you it is a little quiet where we are, but very beautiful and idylic for training. I work in Stamford and have to go into NY for work every second week or so. So get my fill of the city.

Good training week all....

Hi Everyone,

I have a question. I'm getting cramps in the bottom of my feet when I get really tired during a swim. I usually just pull my toes back (while I'm swimming-very inefficient) and they go away and are more bothersome than anything.

I also got some huge cramps in my calves at the end of yesterday's bike ride.

I stretched very well after warming up during both exercises. Any ideas? A highschool kid at the pool (looked like a swimmer) explained the lactic acid thing and suggested I try eating a banana about 1/2 hour before I swim. I'm going to increase my Propel consumption BEFORE I work out. I usually just drink it during a bike ride or afterwards.

Thanks,
Tara

Tara - Are you swimming with Fins on to do drills? If so I would take them off until you get stronger or reduce the time in them. This will 100% cause you cramps in your feet it always does for me until I get fitter.

Hey there,
No, I haven't tried fins yet. I think I might have overdone the distance. I cut back yesterday and didn't get any cramps at all. Plus I drank some Propell before I swam, hoping to get some electrolytes in my system (postassium). I'm not sure what worked but it did.
Thanks,
Tara

PS-My mom's flat was one block from the Thames (the part where it drops to the furthest part South). It was beautful. We'd go down to the locks for tea and to feed the ducks. Great place!

Tara - hydration could be an issue, especially since you say you are getting calf cramps.  You should be drinking water throughout the day (if you aren't already).

Sports Nutrition for Endurance athletes recommends 24 ounces an hour before exercise, with an additional 8-16 ounces 30 minutes before.  They also recommend 60-80 ounces total in a day.  I usually manage to be good about drinking water until 9pm or so, then I get tired of it. 

Edited by danielle860 2007-01-17 7:50 AM

I am definitely really bad about drinking, especially during my activity. When I'm at work...I can probably get it in if I am concious about it. But during my activities..if I drink 4 oz of water for every hour, I'd be shocked!

You can check on several websites how much you should be drinking before, during and after.
http://www.propelfitnesswater.com/propel_your_workout/hydration_cal...
http://www.gatorade.com/hydration/hydration_gameplan/

For work - those 32 ounce Nalgene bottles with the measurements on them are great.  That way I KNOW I am getting the water in.

Laura - I don't know about you, but I am really bad about drinking on the bike.  It's a pain in the butt!  I plan on getting the water bottle that fits in your aerobars for the summer.

Edited by danielle860 2007-01-17 8:29 AM

Thanks. That might be the key. I'm good at drinking while I'm on my bike believe it or not but I really haven't been drinking that much at work - just while I'm on my way to work out (swim or bike). I'm gonna look for one of those Nalgene bottles too and I'll check out the website on nutrition - good suggestions!

Tara

My drinking problem is during my long training runs (10 miles +). This past weekend, I ran 2 x 6.5 mile out/back with a Gatorade station at my mailbox. It really was race-like conditions in that I managed to choke on the first sip. The problem is that I don't really enjoy running the same segments over and over and breaking a long run into 2 "laps" takes some of the exploring out of the run. I run out in the country and the only things resembling a water stop are the horse troughs. The animals get a little skittish when I stick my head in their water supply. The farmers frown on it too. Any suggestions?

oops... signed in as my boyfriend.

Edited by steven_lohmann 2007-01-18 6:41 AM

^^^ sorry that was me signed in wrong.
Anyway, For long runs I use a FuelBelt.  www.fuelbelt.com
It's the belt that holds 8 ounce water bottles on it (mine holds four, but you can get more).  Also has a little pocket for Gu and phone and stuff.  Some people like the Amphipod belt system better, because the bottles attach differently and they are a little larger.  Something else that looks cool is the UltimateDirection belt, which holds one big bottle behind you.  Haven't tried that but when I see it on people in races, it looks pretty comfy.

I think you can find all this stuff at www.roadrunnersports.com

Edited by danielle860 2007-01-18 6:43 AM

Hi I use a waist carrier that holds a 24 ounce water bottle, takes a little while to get used to it. Encourages you to drink to get rid of teh weight you are caryying.

I use it for short and long run.....really good piece of equipment..

Okay - now that we're on the subject of drinking, I'm bummed. I love beer and I love dark beer (hate the light stuff). My husband makes beer! I usually drink 1-2 each night but I think I'm realizing that the beer has to go if I really want to get fit. It seems to be keeping the weight on in my mid-section. Is this true or my imagination? I know its all about calories in/out and I'm realizing my need to really have proper nutrition. Any other beer drinkers out there that struggle with this? Bummer! tara

I love beer............I don't drink between Sunday - Thursday i.e. only Friday/Saturday or if big sporting day NFL on Sunday, I will swap Friday for Sunday.

Yes beer is fattening - I have tried to cut out other things first i.e. Junk food, my cappacino a day which is 300 calories a day. I also now drink light beer which is only 120 calories per bottle.

If I get to say April before race season and haven't hit my weight goals then the beer will go as a last resort.

I love beer too much to give it up, all about moderation...


Hope this helps...

Alright... beer is a subject I can talk about.  I also LOVE beer, and only drink the good stuff.  Since I've been curious, I've been researching its effects on athletes a little bit.  Here is what I learned in a nutshell.

Alcohol gets metabolized in your body as fat, and yes, you are not imagining the effect on your mid-section.  It's also a diuretic, so if you are trying to remain hydrated, you need to drink an additional 8 ounces per drink.  Also, if you drink after a workout, the process your body starts to get rid of that alcohol takes away from the muscle recovery process.  And if you hear anyone say that beer is carbs and therefore you are carbo-loading, they are WRONG!  You don't get many useful carbs from beer.

I think it's a choice.  Personally, I am not going to cut out the things from my life that I enjoy in the name of triathlon (I'm way too slow to be that serious about it), but I will keep in mind what I have to do the next day and take that into account.  Generally, I wait a few hours after working out before I have a drink, and also am sure to get properly rehydrated after my workout .

Edited by danielle860 2007-01-18 10:01 AM

Ah ha - seems I'm not alone in my love and despair over beer. I'm going to moderate my intake. Hey, thanks for the info on hydration too. I tried drinking the 60-80 ozs. today and my run felt a lot better. I ran about the same as last night but yesterday hadn't had the chance to take in as much water during the day and my legs almost knotted up. Not tonight! I think this was a huge factor - muchas gracias to ya'll again! Tara

Oh Sh*t, just read your posting on beer Danielle, I have just burnt 800 calories on my long run and have refuelled by having a bagel and two Heineken light beers 8-)...


Damn..Damn...8-)

James,

Everything in moderation. As long as two beers is moderate (and you have my vote), then you're good to go!

It will not be moderate this afternoon, I have friends around to watch the Patriots game.....

Going to be an awesome game, I know Danielle and I wil both be cheering on the Pats given we both live in New England.

Some good news I am down to 202 pounds today.....Have lost 13 pounds since moving to the States. Given I am 6ft 3 I am actually within a healthy body weight range for the first time in a long time......To be honest I feel Blo*dy great.....It is a good feeling.

Congrats! Its especially praiseworthy since most people gain weight after moving to the Indulgent States of America! Way to go!!! Tara (You've inspired me to keep on perserving on the weight loss effort).

Hey Danielle,

I noticed that there are a couple of invactive folks in our group. Maybe they're just not active now and will be some time in the future, but, I was wondering, if they are inactive indefinitely is there any way another person could get in our group? I have a friend who is 65 and she wants to do the sprint tri with me in May and I told her about the website. Just wonderin' if there's any way she can get in our group. If not, no problem, I'll refer her to another but thought it might be fun for her.

Thanks - hope everyone's having a great weekend.

Tara

James - congrats on the weight!  I remember too well how good that feels!  Chances are that you'll easily meet your goal once the weather warms up and you can get in some good long rides on the bike.  I'll have to check out the game tonight... kind of embarrassed to admit that I'm not much of a fan so I actually forgot it was on.   

Tara - Tell your friend she's welcome in the group, always room for one more

Hope the rest of you group will come and update us on how you are doing soon! 

 

Edited by danielle860 2007-01-21 4:59 PM