tcovert's Winter 2009 Mentor Group - FULL (Page 44)

Jocelyn:  Hooray for recuperating!  Don't force things, now...give the hip a chance to really get healed.

Scott:  Stretching is our friend.  A friend that I neglect before and after biking, I'm afraid...but never before and after running.  (Before if I do some walking or jogging to warmup before the stretch, that is.)

Hey guys. 

I ran 5K Saturday after a 30 mile bike ride.  All went well.  Made sure to eat a banana, drink chocolate milk right after.  Stretched flike crazy. Feel good today after another 50 on the TT bike yesterday.  Today is a rest day, then TTrials tomorrow for the first time.

Hope all is well with you all.  Hope some of you are still here.  Miss you guys.

Ice.

No rest yesterday.  Coach had be ride out to the course to look it over.  Huge wind.  Rough ride but good to see what's in store.

Swam this morning.  Felt great.  Stretched a little before, a lot after.  Have a great day.

Scott

Still waiting for official results.  It appears good for being in a stiff wind, at least for me.  He put me fourth in line, I passed two and was passed by about 8 of the 30.  Several fast people told me they had to hump to get around me.  Good to hear.   I'll post the results.  Hoping for 18 mph or better. In that wind, which was 20 plus for half the course, I'd be pleased.

One thing I do know - the Power Tap measured me at 278 watts for the entire 12.44 mile course.  If that holds after my coach analyzes things, that would be a fantastic improvement from the 225 FTP I had when I started with him in February. 

19 mph on a course where half was into a 20 mph wind.  I'll take it.  Coach raised my FTP to 265 watts.  had a workout at that level last night.  Defintiely a push.  Loving the progress though.

Have a great weekend.

Busy couple of weeks at work have made it hard to train and hard to get online.  Fortunately, I've been mostly recovering from Wildflower and tapering for LA Marathon on Memorial Day.  A week from now, though, after recovering from the marathon, I've got the heart of my IM training coming up, so I'm hoping the work commitments settle down.

Have a safe and sane Memorial Day weekend!

Hi guys,

 Been busy here as well. Scott, sounds like your amazing work ethic is really paying off. Everyone seems to be chugging along getting ready for upcoming races! It's a great time of year! I'm gonna try to get in a few organized bike rides soon and hopefully cross the century mark. I've been doing some walking due to a sore foot (playing it safe), and our local pool is closed for a month. I've been commuting to another town to get swims in, but it won't be for long. The last few weeks have been a little light with life getting in the way, but all in all the training's going well. Some long training days coming up in the next several weeks!

Jake

Race report for LA Marathon is up.

You rock!  Great run!

Thanks!  I hope not...I'm not a huge fan of marathoning and I don't want to spend a lot of time "chasing the dream" (mostly because it wasn't ever really a dream of mine until I put up a sub-4 on my second attempt at a marathon and it suddenly seemed not unrealistic).

I'm conflicted about repeating LA Marathon again next year...won't do it unless it moves back to the first weekend in March, due to my IM scheduled for May 1.  And I don't turn 50--and gain the extra five minutes on the BQ standard--until May 11.  So I may only do a late season marathon (or two) next year.  I'm definitely going to consider Sacramento...fast, mostly downhill, course run in December.

I'm focused on Saturday, but my mind is already looking for more...Olympics out of town, half marathon.  They have a marathon training program here so we'll have to see.  I also don't want to devote that much time to running, but if the IM tattoo ever graces my skin, it will have to be. 

Time trial last night.  Unofficial 35 mins for 12.5 miles.  That's 21 mph plus.  The TT bike fit seems nearly right on.  All is well.  Saturday is nearing and I'm feeling good about that.

I would say, I'm excited.  Haven't slept well two nights.  But, not stressed in a negative way.  More positive anticipation, if that makes sense.  Trying to take care of details.  Raining here and cold but I plan to do the open water swim tonight for the experience.  I rode the time trial last night.  Will collect gear and do a check list the next two days.  Helping to set up the site with the club.  Staying busy.  Any other suggestions would be welcome.  

Good luck, Scott!  (I'm certainly excited for you!)

Wow, it's been too long since I've been here ... apologies to all.  Got some stories for you, but first off, GO SCOTT!

I completely back what Lynn says about the swim.  My first race, it was unusually cold water due to some freak winds the night before, which just added to everything.  I drank way too much coffee before the race, I was nursing a bum left quad and had taken a ton of Tylenol and Icy Hot patches, and I shot out into the water like a cannon.  Big mistake.  I was so worked up that I lasted *maybe* 150 yards.  Cold water got to me, as did everything else, and I couldn't catch my breath.  Had to hold on to one of the lifeguards' surfboard for a minute to relax.  And I'm *good* at swimming!

No, I typically go far off to one side of my wave, and wait about 10 seconds until everyone goes in so I can avoid the rush.  Works great, and I still am able to catch up and do well.  And I also agree that you need to get in the water first.  I try to spend about 20 minutes or so just playing around in the waves and letting some of the water into my suit. Also, and I hate to say it, I pee like a racehorse in the water before the race.  Gross, I know, but it warms you up and gets everything out so you don't have to stop or feel uncomfortable later.  Also a great stress reliever.  Seriously.

Anyway, just really try to relax and have fun.  We do this because we *want* to, not because we *have* to.  Enjoy it!!!

As for me, training has been hard because my wife is still really laid up with her pregnancy.  On the couch now for 2+ months with an IV 24 hours a day, and I feel like I've spent more time in Hospitals and ERs than I have at the gym or on the bike.  I'm playing sole care-giver to two very kids, taking care of my wife, my job, the house ... brutal.  I do insist, however, that every night between 8:30pm and 10:00pm is my time, so I hit the Y.  I did get to go on a long bike ride last weekend with some friends (65+ miles up Circle R Drive!!), and it was a real treat.  Buut that's about it aside from the stationary bike.  Man, I miss it!

As for my last race, I did the Encinitas Sprint.  And got DQ'd!  I had a great swim, decent bike and two GREAT transitions!  Found the trick of taking my wetsuit rright as I got out of the water ... let a little water in the neck before starting to loosen it up, and it just slipped off on shore. Highly recommended.  Didn't mess with socks for the bike or the run, and it really saved time.

Anyway, I finished the run, met up with some friends, packed up my gear and checked out the real time results before leaving ... 4th in my AG! WOW!  Looked online later to see my times and saw that I had run a 13 minute 5k ... which is impossible for me.  Thought back, looked at the course map and realized that I spaced on the 2nd lap.  D'OH!  I contacted the race director annd owned up to the mistake, and I felt like a complete .  Oh well, mistakes happen.

I've got the San Diego Int'l coming up this month, and I know Lynn is doing it, too.  My first OLY, and I ddon't think I'm ready.  I know I can finish, but it won't be competitive and it won't be easy.  I've been working on my running a lot lately, but still not enough time to say I'm really "training".  Definitely not going to be an "A Race".  Don't care, I'm looking forward to it.

Doing Carlsbad Tri in July.  Another sprint, and maybe my last of the year.  I just don't have the time to really get into training and it's bumming me out.  However, I've dropped another 10 pounds or so and I'm LOVING that!  Still can't get rid of the spare tire completely, but it's looking more like golf cart tire than it is a Hummer   To date, that puts me at about 107lbs lost since February, 2008.

So, that's it for now.  GO SCOTT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by Poster Nutbag 2009-06-05 9:51 AM

Below is the email I sent to my bike coach.  I posted the beginning of a RR.  I have to add some times from transitions and the exact times on the swim, bike and run.  Overall was 1:31.  12 minutes swim, 38 minutes bike (20.3) and 35 mins run.  I held too much back.  Here's the email to the coach.  I'll mention more below and in parenthesis. 


"I had a great time.  The path was littered with learning experiences, but that's what I was there for. 

Edited by IceManScott 2009-06-07 9:06 PM

Morgan I so respect you for DQing yourself.  That is top drawer.  I also send you my best on your wife's pregnancy and the challenges you are facing.  Like you, the workouts keep my head in the game with all the cutbacks at the paper from the economy, etc. (more last week.) 

Hey Scott, FANTASTIC JOB!!!   Really, I couldn't be happier for you, and while you know where you think you lacked, it sounds from reading your note that you totally dug the experience!  You're a competitor, no doubt about that.

Only thing I have to laugh at is your Fiber One and yogurt before a race.  Balls, my friend ... great big balls!  I mentioned what I do to get rid of the liquid, but there's nothing in this world that could get me to use a porta-john for other business.  Absolutely no way I'd risk fiber and yogurt

Very, very happy for you right now, congrats!! 

Way to go, Scott!