kenj mentor group - back for another great season! CLOSED (Page 41)

Question for everyone...This whole threshold thing is still confusing me. I've been training at a low HR, staying in zone 2 with the top HR being 148. Well yesterday I did my first spin class ever and it was with my new group. As you can see from my log, my HR was significantly higher the whole time. (this includes a 10 min w/u and 10 min c/d so the 161 is probably more like 165.) 

How is this going to benefit me especially since I've been told to stay in zone 2? Not sure if anyone has a simple explanation. Another thing is I don't think during an IM I'll really hit zone 4. Maybe I'm just over thinking.

I wouldn't worry about hitting high zones in spinning. Its fun right?  Yes, you are supposed to spend most of your time in Z2 while IM training, but as your workouts get longer, that should be happening.  You'll most likely be doing 5-6 hour bike rides and it will be important to keep moderation.  Your high HR spinning is probably less than an hour.  Also, biking is different than running.  Your recovery from a hard effort is probably easier.  If you are hitting high zones in running for extended periods of time, you're not just taxing your muscles (heart included) but probably pounding some pavement and making for a hard recovery.

You wont race an IM near threshold, but the higher your threshold is the faster you are at xx% of your threshold.

Doing this type of workout once or twice a week on the bike is not going to hurt you at all, if anything it may help some.  Avoiding the threshold type work is a bigger issue on the run where you run the higher risk of injury.  Not to say that all of your riding should be a spin class type intensity, you should still get as much Z2 work as possible in addition to the occasional higher intensity work.

As an explanation, doing 2 hours in Z2 or Z3 is designed to build endurance and over time will increase your power threshold.  The Z5 intervals is designed to increase your Vo2 Max which in turn will help raise your threshold level with consistent work. 

Ken, have a great meet.  My masters group is always pushing them, but I just can't pull the trigger, especially with my swim speeds...

Brian, just when I was starting to think how good it would be to have a coach.... If I did, and he asked me to do 6 hours on the trainer this weekend, then I wouldn't have a coach anymore... You are a Monster with those training volumes.

As for me, a little bike and lot of run this weekend.  I'm supposed to do 21 miles on Sunday, but we'll see.  Today I had some pretty big pains that turned my 11 miler into 1.  I got a new hydration thing today, and I'm hoping it helps.

Haha! you read my mind! Actually alligators scare me more than snakes.  And as long as there are no spiders in the water I should be good.

I just have a short run left for the week and will do that tomorrow - skipped out on a swim today 'cause I don't like driving into town when it is snowing. Other than the one swim I will finish my longest week yet golden - next week taper!

Congrats Becky on a great run!! 

My 5k, 10K and HM pr's all came while training for a marathon.  High volume and mostly low intensity. 

Always good to know a company will stand behind their product and make it easy to get a problem solved!

Usually my problems with equipment are self inflicted, in other words I did something stupid!

You are right though, better during training then during an event!  It sounds like your chain problems are related to the cable issue.

10 mile run this morning, then heading to the swim meet.  Doing most of the freestyle events, with managed expectations of the results.  I look at it as a good opportunity to get some higher intensity work in.

Have a great Sunday and train well!!

jennifer65 - 2013-02-17 9:49 AM

rquinn23 - 2013-02-16 2:48 PM Did a 5K race this morning to test my heart rate zones. Only 16 seconds slower than my 5K PR, which I'm really happy with since I haven't been doing any speed work lately. Perfect running conditions--54 degrees, flat course, no wind. My HR with a half mile to go was 180, and the formula I've been using (with no testing) had me at 182, so that's pretty close! Have a great weekend, all!

Well done on the race. I would love to be only 16 secs away from my pb! Today I went out on my bike with clipped pedals on for the first time. Nothing on the bike broke but I have damaged myself a little. First falling off was at 15 secs - still in car park we started from. I couldn't work out how to clip in second foot and keep moving at the same time. Second fall off came up a steep hill - I ran out of gears (this is not new) and came to a stop. Couldn't unclip in time so feel into a nicely placed bramble. Luckily the people I was with didn't laugh too much. I have a little gravel rash, cuts and bruises - but at least I'm cheaper to heal than the bike!! I think the rest of you work very hard at the weekends. Jennifer

Unfortunately Jennifer it takes some practice and while you are practicing you will have a couple of falls or near falls!  Stick with it and it will become second nature.

When I first started this triathlon thing back in 06, I had lost a bunch of weight and the local newspaper wanted to do a story about it tied to the local triathlon.  After the interview they wanted some action shots on the bike, and I had a clip out incident during the shoot.  Fortunately it was after he had stopped taking pictures and we were wrapping up and they kindly didn't mention it in the article!

Swim meet went ok, managed to get seeded with the F70 lady and proceeded to get soundly beat by her in every race.  I swam in 4 events all freestyle.  I think that I get too wrapped up in the racing and let my form go too much.  Although my paces were faster than my training paces, I sure seem to be working harder then the guys that go under 1:00 per 100 yards. 

And starting off the blocks is an interesting experience!

Well done, Ken! 

I am hoping you all can settle a disagreement I have with my training buddy.  At Master's swim, some people will start using flippers when the intervals are too hard (I'm in one of the slowest lanes, so sometimes we just can't make them, the coach only gives 2 options generally, and sometimes those options feel like "superman fast" and "too fast"). 

I think if the interval is too hard, it is better to just sit one out and take some extra rest.  Everyone else puts their flippers on.  What do you think?

I'm surprised that the coach doesn't have different lanes with different times - to go on the same interval as the fast lane seems silly to me. The point is too make the interval at the prescribed effort.  If you can't make it - it is too fast.  If I can't make an interval I just take an extra break 'cause I probably need it.