Experior and Slornow's Winter Mentor Group-CLOSED (Page 43)

Had a very good long run today.  Felt really comfortable going at a decent clip.  I think I'm having a small breakthrough in fitness...but considering the training load I've been putting in the past 10 weeks, I guess it's expected.

Off to a BBQ at a friends house to just relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

On a side note...my 2 brackets are looking really good.  I've got Kansas winning one, and Ohio State winning another one...so I'm guaranteed now to at least have one team in the National Championship game.  Only 1 other person took Kansas, and 2 other people took Ohio State, so I should be in the money.  Top 5 out of 45 get paid.  Kentucky (who 19 people choose and exactly why I didn't choose them) looks tough to beat though.  It's just sick when you pick the winner...and still finish in 14th place.

Brian - based on how you are describing your calves at the moment, I would guess you're going to need at least 2-3 massage sessions.  This is just from my n=1 experience, where I had 2 x 1hour about  2weeks apart.  I 'm much better, but still feel I could benefit from one more session to help the right leg.

Rene - I'm sorry to hear you're going to miss your HIM.  No-one wants to do that, but I also trust you know your abilities and what you're training looks like. 

Michael - I actually like to race repeat events.  It gives me an opportunity to see how I fair compared to previous races, and I also know that many of these races are very competitive, so if I can manage a top 5 AG one of these days I'd be ecstatic.

 Another crazy week, I didn't even have much energy to keep up with the group.  Too much reading at the office and running around for various activities for my girls.  I don't see an end to this madness so I decided that I will skip the HIM this year.  I'll do couple of Sprints (first one June 9) and one try-a-tri with a friend that would like to try it out. 

I saw some interesting posts within the group, I'll have to go back and read them.

As for choice of races, I select them based on travel distance and dates.  They can't interfere with vacation and birthdays, other then that I'm not very picky. 

I haven't even signed up for my HIM in Sept yet (but likely will this week) because I wasn't going to do it if the calf issues didn't start to get better - so I know exactly how you feel.

And for my personal rant, I think people go in undertrained too often for an HIM.  (I think more people are scared of and train properly for an IM).  Then others encourage them - you can do it, DNF is better than DNS, you can make the cutoff times, etc.  I personally feel (and have been blasted for it in the past) that sometimes, to not do an event, is the best thing for you.  I personally do not sign up for races to suffer - I may suffer through them, but that was not the original intent in signing up.

Again, my personal view, races are there for you to test yourself at whatever distance, and as much as possible have fun, and for those who care - be competitive.  I would not want to do something just to say I've done it, and suffered miserably because I shouldn't have been doing it.  But again, that's me, and I know others have a different view on this.

Others opinions/thoughts (feel free to call me a goofball for thinking this way, it won't be the first or last)?  Just wondering about the preception of others in the group.

Hey Neil.

My approach is pretty similar.  Sometimes I do races just to do them even though I know I'm not at my best, and sometimes I prepare meticulously and go in very fit (and yes, Randy, even tapered...).  But I wouldn't enter a race if I knew I was not prepared to push reasonably hard, either because of injury or because of lack of fitness.  Like you, I'm not interested in going into the race planning on suffering for the sake of finishing.  That said, I've definitely suffered my way through a race in order to finish it (Worlds last fall is a case in point -- rationality suggested to drop out, but no way was I dropping out).

To others, finishing the race is what it's all about, from the get-go.  That's fine for them.  It wouldn't work for me.  If that were my style I would have done the Columbia Marathon earlier this month planning to finish by walking the last ten miles.  No thank you.

All of which is to say that if I were in Rene's or Sylvain's shoes, I'd have done the same thing.

Slim pickings for races on Guam, so I do what I can, when I can!

As for entering a races untrained, all of this is new to me. I've had many firsts in the last 5 months. Proud of many of them. These successes and failures will set me up to be a better, more knowledgeable triathlete and I'll know when to hit it or quit it.

Great job on all the training, folks! I'm running a lot lately, but that's pretty much it. I really need to set up for bike training at home. I plan on starting swim team up again in April. Just twice a weeks so my kids don't have to sit around and wait for me so much. Training's an hour and 1/2 long. A lot to ask of them to sit around waiting for me.

We have another GEAR adventure race this weekend, but if my partner's not up for it, I have not problem not doing it. We have to use a compass this time. YIKES!

Randy, love reading about your kiddo's accomplishments.

K, back to work. Have a great evening!

Randy - My favorite races are those I do with friends and training partners.  Bonus when it's more of my training partners near my ability to make the competition that much more fun.

Neil - I share your view on racing.  Suffering through a race I know I was not prepared for does not give me any satisfaction.  Basically...it's just suffering.  Some people train for the sole purpose of racing (meaning if they didn't race, they wouldn't train).  I'm the opposite.  I train...and use races to show where my training is at.  If my training is poor, there is no need to race.

There isn't anything wrong with either approach though.  The end result for 99% of us is to just have fun.  People have fun doing different things.  Some people really just want to do the minimum it takes to finish an event because they also have fun watching TV or taking their kids to baseball practice instead of extra hours of training.

But I will agree that the HIM distance is by far the most underestimated.  And I do "shake my head" a little when people think they can avoid suffering by simply going slower and everything will be okay.  That usually applies to an Olympic distance...but things start to spiral downward quickly in a HIM or longer.  If you're not prepared to face those demons...you'll be in for a rude awakening.

Blanda - Sounds like a great opportunity for a new adventure on Guam...Starting your own multi-sports race business.  You can call it Slim-Pickings Multi-Sports.    For a Full Iron Distance Race..what is it 4 times long ways across the island on a bike and about 2 times across (width at widest point) for a Marathon or 6 times across in the Middle.  : )  I'd come!!!

Rene-sorry to hear that you are a "no go" for the race this weekend.  Its a smart decision.  Why risk compromising the rest of the season by pushing through a HIM.

Neil-goes along with above.  I try not to sign up for a race until I have to.  I don't want to do a race when I am not ready.....just doesn't make sense.  That's especially true if I have a nagging injury.  Its one thing to do a sprint on less than top fitness and another to do a HIM or even IM.

Races-Since right now I'm a short distance guy I look for sprint or olympic distance races within an easy drive of home.  If I find a race I like I try to go back.  Always fun to compare results from year to year. 

Brian-hope that calf gets better. I've been rolling mine.  Doesn'r really bother me too much so still planning to race this Saturday.

Randy 

I'm with you guys on not doing a race just to do it.  I left that part out of my message earlier.  I don't have a good base and cannot get any consistency in my training.  16 week training for race without a good base is pain just waiting to happen.  I want to enjoy the race right to the end.  I also want to be able to race it to the end. 

Also, for training without an end goal is difficult for me so I like to train for races.  It gives me a structure to fellow, without it I would not get much training done.  Before I got into endurance sports I played lots of hockey, volleyball, golf, ball.  I was very active, but didn't have to train for it.  There was a schedule and I just followed it.  When I had my first child my activities slowed down to a halt.  I had to do something so I started running with a race in mind (Ironman).  So I started with marathons, following a structured plan.  If I didn't get those free plans I don't think I would have ever ran my first race.  My first plan was "couch to 5K" from BT.  Swimming was "0 to 1mile" plan I found somewhere can't remember.  Now I pay gold membership on BT so I can use the  "custom training plan".  But if I have no race to aim for, I would not train.  For me the race is the candy on the end of the plan.

Neil, thought of Muskoka but with the way things are going and will continue to be I just won't be ready.  Hey, maybe I'll do Tremblant HIM in June 2013.   All I know is that I'll be better prepared for it next year. 

Brian: Sounds like an awesome plan, and the name totally fits Guam for just about EVERYTHING, haha!

I started looking around for HIMs in the area happening about the time I know husband should be home and found one in December in Taiwan. All the talk about properly training for one got me itching to try out a program here to see if I could actually be ready for one by then. Hmmm...

My HIM is this weekend, and all this talk of HIMs and under training freaked me out a little.  I think doing a distance you have never done before is hard.  How hard do you push it on the bike, to make sure you have enough left in the tank for the run?  How do you balance nutrition to ensure you are properly fueled, but not bloated?  And a million other questions....  These are all things I have tried to think through and practice prior to this weekend, but we will see how things go on Saturday.  I'll post my race plan in the next day or two, and hopefully you folks can point out any flaws you see.  Have a good Tuesday everyone.

You could easily be ready for a HIM by December.   If you did decide this is something you want to do, I would start getting in a solid run and bike base now.  Not huge volume and mileage, but just get out there EVERYDAY and run or bike, with a swim or two thrown in.  This will make your body much better prepared for starting a plan, as well as get you and you family in the mindset that you workout everyday.  Missing a day or two here and there is normal, so no worries if it happens.  If you are feeling really motivated, do one of the winter maintenance plans available to BT Silver members (pick the one that is focused to your weak event).  That would set you up nicely for a 20 week HIM plan.  Good luck!

Don't freak out, Bennet! If you're training to the best of your ability with the most knowledge you can gather, then you're gold. Anything you can get from our awesome mentor group after your plan analysis will be icing. 1st's are hard!! Unless you have a personal coach, I can't see someone going into something like this without coming out in the end with a list full of things to work on.

Just came back to inform you that I lied. That Taiwan race is in November. I don't know what I was looking at. Carry on!

Bennet -- I've done 8 or 10 long course (HIM to IM) races.  I think I was dialed in for just one of them.  It is a continual learning experience (as is short course, but one generally has the opportunity for more learning experiences in that case).

How do you determine effort on the bike (RPE, heart rate, power)?  I'm guessing RPE, but correct me if I'm wrong.  In general, especially for a first race, the smart money is on going easier than you think you should.  The correct pace generally feels easier than you'd expect from training.  And the consequences of going too easy are much less severe than the consequences of going too hard.  If you leave something out there on the bike course, you've got 13.1 miles in which to correct that mistake.  If you kill yourself on the bike course, you've got 13.1 miles for that mistake to express itself.  Most important: do not enslave yourself to a particular time.  Here's a cautionary tale.  In my first HIM, I couldn't let go of the idea of going 2:35 on the bike. I managed 2:36, and then I 'threw down' a 2+ hour run, which even at that time was far far slower than I should have been running.  If I had been willing to go 2:45 on the bike, I would have most likely run more like 1:40, far closer to my HIM run potential at that time.

Nutrition -- it is better (IMHO) to err on the side of eating too little.  Again, eating too little is easier to correct than eating too much.  (If you start to feel really hungry, eat more.)

Hydration -- drink to thirst, not to a pre-arranged plan.

Bennet-Michael makes some great points about HIM racing.  I've only done one but enjoyed it very much.  I had pre-set numbers in mind for S/B/R.  Thought I had a "poor" bike because I didn't hit my number/goal.  Turns out the slower bike leg allowed me to run a much better HM than I thought I could in the race.  Like Michael points out very wisely...there is plenty of time during the run to use any fresh legs left after the bike. 

It will go by fast.  Don't forget to have fun.

Randy

Agree.  I've only done one HIM as well, but I took the same approach as Randy.  You can read my race report if you want...it basically outlines how I purposely went out easy on the bike, then basically had the run of my life on a very tough run course.  Guys that blew past me on the bike who looked extremely fit were dropping like flies by mile 3 and walking.

Biking is my strongest discipline...so it was hard for me to hold back.  My mantra everytime someone passed me was "I'll see you on the run".  For the most part...I was right.

Bennet, I really agree with the comments from Michael, Randy and Jason.  I've only done one HIM and a) I wasn't prepared enough on the bike and b) I compounded that problem by pushing on the bike.  The run was a death march for me.  It was also a pretty rough day with high winds (like trees across the road high winds) and heat (during the run).  I'd suggest avoiding my race report until after your race... lol.  And Neil, I would definitely fall in the category of being under-prepared.  I probably have made a habit of that in more things than just triathlons.  Fortunately, I'm not a doctor or something like that :-)

That being said, I'm okay with not being completely prepared for your first race at a particular distance.  I'm not sure you really can be completely prepared on all dimensions the first time in a race.  In my opinion, the first race is all about learning.  You just want to make sure you're prepared enough that you don't do serious damage to yourself or others.  None of my first races were particularly pretty, but I don't think I've ever done a second race woefully under prepared.  In fact, probably one of the reasons I haven't yet attempted a 2nd HIM.  It does take some serious training - more than I've been willing to do up to now. 

Races - I pretty much just do local ones (set-up events - good group) and usually wait as late as possible to sign up (even though I'm already aiming for certain races early in the season).  I like the concept of a destination race, but I just can't seem to get my act together enough to plan it all.  Stuff is always coming up and a local race allows me to get in all in during a morning, so everyone is happy :-)

Picked up the Lemond trainer today.  Will try it out tomorrow or Thurs and let you all know the results!

Stu

You guys are awesome. I'm soaking up every word. Wish I had a mentor group when I first started training for Xterra. I know my results would have been different with more experienced help.

Feeling motivated today. Have a good one!