Fast Twitch Tri-FULL (Page 46)

BEN -

Yeah........."fun".   Thing is, I usually had to take the "longer" view of that concept, meaning I sure didn't much bask in it during the process, but (a) felt real good about it shortly afterwards, and (b) had a notion of how it would help me in races.  At the time of the suffering, I mostly felt a sense of dogged righteousness, which isn't exactly one's coomon concept of "fun" --- but did well enough as a stand-in during the tough slogging!

I generally just use the regular Ace compression sleeve with the closed patella.  I've tried the open patella ones and while they do a good job of keeping the device in place they're not very comfortable. 

I might try a different compression sleeve, though. 

Actually, knock on wood knees have been behaving the last few days.  They must know we've been talking about them. 

MIKE -

Good about the knees being on their best (okay, "better") behavior of late; may they continue to Do The Right Thing!

Over the years I got quite disciplined about taking not only requisite healingtime off from injuries -- but also a day or two or three more "for good measure".  I guess that was in response to all the many times I stuck to the letter of the down-time recommendation --- only to find myself back to square one after a run or two.  That was a lesson hard-earned, but it has served me well for about 5 or 6 years now. 

I'm on my fourth day of inactivity and I'm feeling bored.  My eyes are clearing up nicely - after my wife poked sticks in my eyes I got better real fast.  My MD says a couple more days and then I can go back to the pool.  I was thinking Wednesday is a couple more days - right?

I was also thinking that ice cream is really good to help heal eye infections too (eating it).

Tomorrow is my next cycling class and I am thinking I could go to that although having just read Steve's comments to Mike about giving yourself a couple extra days healing time, I am "pondering" waiting til Thursday.

This afternoon I practiced my fourth sport "napping".  If only I could do the other three as well. 

GEORGE -

I'm not saying NOT to wait, but to clarify:

I will take an extra day or two when what I might do as a workout relies what strongly on what has been bothering me.  At its simplest, this would be to stay off swimming for a few extra days if my shoulder had been a problem, or giving two or three days more healing to a strained calf before trying my next run.

If you're bored, though, and you think that cycling wouldn't hurt your eyes any and might help your state of mind, then do it.  The only way I could see cycling adding to your conjunctivitis woes (and I have never suffered this) is if sweat drips into your eyes as you're on the 32rd 1-minute repeat in Zone 5.  (And if you get that far........you might be having problems more clearly-defined than sweat cascading into your eyes!)

I'm hitting the pool today for the first time since Friday, I think it was.  But that's okay, as I'm mostly trying to swim no more than 2 or 3 times a week.  Glub, glub!

Been away from this thread for a while now... Not even going to TRY to catch up with all the activity. Wow!

I actually signed up for a couple events this past week.

The first one is this Sunday -- Chilly Hilly, a mass-participation cycling event on Bainbridge Island. As the name suggests, it's quite hilly -- short, steep hills pepper the entire route. Dodging the casual cyclists and those dusting off the bike for the first time since September will be the order of the day.

The second one is in June -- Gran Fondo Leavenworth. 87 miles at least 60% on Forest Service "roads". My first GF, and my first event involving mixed surfaces like this. Should be fun. And with Lisa's birthday that weekend, we're making a weekend get-away of it. ericwjacobson and his family will be there as well, and we'll be sharing a house-for-rent for the weekend.

Other planned events -- 5-Mile Lake spring tri, one week after the GF... I'll do the retro division, but race it this time. Should be fun. And then the Bonney Lake sprint tri on Labor Day weekend. My first time doing this one in the 50+ division. Hopefully will set a new "masters" record...

Writing from sunny FL this week (kids' vacation and visiting Grandma), and it's the taper week - my favorite part of training!  Keeps me wondering why we live in NE, but anyway...

Reading the posts above makes me both more conservative (shoulder) and psyched to get going this season.  It's odd that signing up for a HM and training away for 3 months toward it feels like an off season as it's "just" a run.  

ASIDE: I don't think that it's entirely healthy, mind you - viewing a single sport as a "just."  Reminds me of when people introduce themselves to someone who's an MD/PhD as either "just" and MD or "just" a PhD!  Can't tell you how many times I've heard this one and wondered what they're thinking.   

Anywho, had "the conversation" last night with Kim about what races we might do.  She's not so into pegging to any committed races yet and said to just sign up for the ones I want to do.  Both AWESOME and fraught!  Here's where being reasonable really pays - but can I do it?!?  I think that a two part season with only a couple/few A races will help alleviate the crazy (at least as far as travel and scheduling the race weekends - it'll still be silly lots of time training, but that's something I have to manage against sleep and work - not against my family weekend time... as much).

Any suggestions for a family friendly race season schedule???  (I know, if there were such a thing, the person who created it would be a wealthy person, indeed).  I'm thinking in general terms here, not specific races, although suggestions always welcomed there.  Maybe a sprint or Oly at the end of the first half (sprint fitness test and Oly as A?), then an Oly and HIM at the second half (same approach), or is going OLY/HIM too much for the second season in tris?

Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!  Too many variables!!!!!!   I love it.  

Matt

DAVE -

Welcome back, and congrats on the sign-ups; way to commit!!!

Unlike me, you seem to seek races that aren't the same old same old; I wish i had that courage or that adventuress streak.

GEORGE here did a few GF last year, and really enjoyed them.  However, i'm not sure he ever did one that was mixed surfaces.  (GEORGE?)  Which bike will your use for that?

Reading your mention of people dusting off their bikes for the first time since Septmeber just reminds me how far we still seem to be away from outside riding.  (Well, I could've snuck in a very cold and windy ride last week; at least the roads and shoudlers were totally snow- and ice-free.  But I didn't.)

Anyhow, i'm very envious of you being able to do Chilly Hilly.  Don't forget to post a report-of-sorts here, okay?

Welcome to 50+!  This time next year I will be in 65-69!!...........

I'll be riding the Cross Check for both of those events, though I'll have another set of wheels ready well before the mixed-surface GF (going from narrow Open 4CD rims with 28mm tires to Velocty Chukkers with 35mm  tires -- more meat = more off-road worthy).

Last week, Lisa and I took a trip to Portland for Valentine's Day (kind of our tradition to do a day-long outing instead of the "romantic dinner"), and visited TiCycles on the way. Had some questions about their frame building class, as well as mods I want to make to my TiCycles Softride frame. Well, looks like I'll be able to do about half of my list (which is awesome), so more lax in front, a little more tire clearance in back, but not going to be able to switch to disc brakes -- would have been cost prohibitive. At least I'll be able to rock 28's instead of being limited to 23's... But still on rim brakes (long reach in front, short reach in back). I guess I'll leave the discs to the "next" bike -- the one I build!

MATT -

Yeah, i wish "my people" had had the good sense to migrate across the country, say to CA, OR, WA, or BC.  Probably FL would work well, too.  Anyhow, glad you're having a baskin' good time there!

I'm with you on the thoughts about single sports, and the "just" factor.  I can fall prey to it very easily, and have never figured out why i can't just shuck it aside.  But it does burrow inward, doesn't it?

"Here's where being reasonable pays", you say --- and FWIW, i was never very good at that.  At least i went through my heyday years (say, '03-'05) being totally UNreasonable, and even after that my nod to reasonability was really just a trade-off from expenisve races to too-many-races.  I have continued that trend over the past two seasons.....but each season trying to reduce my races, slightly.  This year as I think of maybe not racing AT ALL --- well, that almost seems reasonable in comparison to my previous 13 seasons!!!!

Anyhow, I'm not really the one to advise you other than to say your idea of having a two-part season carries a lot of merit; let me konow how it works for you!

Seriously, though, it would give you two discrete bodies of training and racing to work on, ansd provide a fairly complete recovery period between the two.  Is there any chance that you can identify an "A" race with which to end both of the two parts?  That would be ideal if it was possible.

As for family-based racing, it's great if you can swing it.  Too often, though, I have seen families at races where, on many levels, it isn't working.  (I can give details, but you can probably guess well yourself.)  BUT!  I have also seen families who have worked it brilliantly, so even without obvious kid-based attractions, it can be done.

I will also think a bit about specific races that work well for kids.  One is Musselman, in Geneva, NY, where the lakeshore park has all kinds of spray devices; kids seem to have a blast there.  (How old are yours?)   The website is www.musselmantri.com, and a sprint is on Saturday and the half-iron is on Sunday.  Friday evening features a very funky event, called Micro-Mussel; go to the website to see how it is described for this year.

Rev3 offers most of its races at or near amusement parks or oceans, including one at Quassy, CT, and another at Old Orchard Beach.  I think their webiste is www.rev3tri.com.  Another set of options would be a few coastal ones in Maine.  One is Mainiac Tri and another is Lobsterman, both in mid-Sept.  Mainiac is a sprint near Saco, and Lobster is an oly in Freeport.......and for Freeport of course there is all of the outlet shopping, if you all like that sort of thing.  Lobster is superbly run, and mainiac is as well -- although when I did it last season, it had to be switched to a duathlon, so i can't comment on how it works as a tri.  but the RD did the switcheroo beautifully, and I doubt any more than a few people left the race feeling too disappointed -- if at all.

I'll be back to you in a few days with some more ideas!

RE:  RACING AND VACATION/FAMILY

Three out of my four scheduled events this year (aside from my crazy indoor one this weekend) are centered around some sort of family trip to the beach.  In June I have a sprint on Sunday (Father's Day), then we'll hunker down and eat some crabs, and then head to the beach for that week.  As soon as I get back I have an A race.  I would've been tapering anyway, so that works out.  In September we're doing another trip down to the oshun (as it's said around here) and I'm going to do a B race Oly "on the way down".

It's a way to thank the family for supporting my, uh, habit. 

I held back yesterday and today choosing to stay home.  Last year I got a basic cold and I made the mistake of going back to the pool too soon and wound up losing another two weeks on top of what I had already missed (to respiratory issues).

I am determined to go cycling tomorrow.  So, tonight I got an email from a fellow in the cycling class and tomorrow will be a time trial day.  Yay!

In our local GranFondo's there was a bit of gravel road in the Kelowna GF but not very far and it was pretty well compacted.  In the Penticton GF there was a 15 to 20 km stretch of really bad ashphalt.  It was hard to go fast there.  I'm not sure how experienced cyclists handle rough roads like that but I think I went through there at about half of normal and I was pushing it as hard as I could.

GEORGE -

Have a fun time trial!!

GANG!

I'm away again, this time until Sunday morning.  Have good weekends, all, and see ya in a few days!

In the pool today It was all I could do to scrape out 1200m in the hour.  I just didn't have the cardio to swim like I want to.  Very frustrating.  I hope I can get past this soon. 

Yesterday in my cycling class we had the 20 minute TT.  I held up fairly well for the 1st half of the hour but when it came time for the TT I knew almost immediately I couldn't maintain anything like my last TT.  In the end I was even slower than my 1st TT last November.  I was disappointed I was so slow but I do know I wasn't fully recuperated yet.

I think I have 3 weeks before our next (and last) TT on the bike so I want it to be my best.  I'm thinking like 10K in 20 minutes.  We'll see.

Who's racing this weekend?

Good luck on the next TT.  Indoor TT's are brutal mentally, I find - ugh...

I'm actually racing tomorrow, but "just" a HM.  38 and POURING rain, with high winds.  Should be awesome (I love the way that weather $uck$)!  Might not get the time I've been hoping for, but I'm going to give it a go.

I've been looking at races for the season and still haven't committed to the skedj.  Just got back from vacation with the family today, so I hope to have a bit more time to line out some races this week.  The prelim look at the USAT site for local Oly's was pretty grim, so I think it'll be a google-fest looking for some.

There's a HIM in June that a bunch of folks are doing, and I keep telling myself NOT to race it!    Kinda want to, just to see, but I think doing an Oly first might be a better idea…  Pretty sure I could finish the HIM, but seems to make more sense to work up to that later.

Anyone else with some "early Spring" races coming up (as in, so early in Spring that it's late Winter)?

Matt

MATT -

HOW DID YA DO TODAY??!?!!?

As for those races, check out www.trifind.com.  Over the past couple of years, that has been far less frustrating than the lists at USAT.

Definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY do one-two-three olys before a half-iron.  Yes, you can finish it -- but at what costs?  I'm thinking not only the nowadays-prohibitive cost of most half-irons, but also the cost of an "upset" to your training plan, as well as the heightened potential of injury.

Just as half-marathons have become more popular than marathons, half-irons are likewise gaining in popularity.  So, they aren't going away, and whichever one you could maybe do in june will be around next year, in all likelihood.  (kind of like the lyrics to an old song:  "Sweethearts and streetcars, don't worry me, there'll soon be another one along".

Half-irons can be trmendously rewarding, but they have the ability to be a cruel mistress at times.  Most of my 16-18 HIMs over the years were very positive, but when one of 'em goes south...................oh, my!!!

There's a big learning curve to HIM nutrition, and one of the best ways to tackle it is to hone your nutritional protocols at the oly distance first.  Now, that said, the plan that works so well for me in olys needs huge adjustments for an oly, so it's not like it's a matter of "Okay, i do this for an oly so i can just sort of double-and-a-half my oly input for an HIM".......but at least racing olys will give you a pretty clear indication of what your body requires when it is working hard for 2.5-plus hours.

Without any more details, i'll just say that if you've kind of "paid your dues" at the shorter races first, your inaugural HIM will be a far more satisfying and successful enterprise.

And about today??????

MATT!!!!!!

You're a studmuffin!!

I found the results at Cool Running, and not only did you post a superb time, but you had an awesome a.g. placement -- like, top 20% or so in a wicked tough EXPANDED (40-49) age group.

You must be feeling great about your race, eh?

  (studmuffin blush)

Yes, the race was a blast!  Net time was officially 1:41:27 or something like that.  Garmin had the course (and across many runners on Strava, not just me) at ~13.3 miles - which really messes with your head while timing the kick!  According to the Garmin (not saying it's right, as this is a sanctioned race, so I trust the distance more than a backyard deal), it was 1:40:09.

Either way, a solid PR for me, so I'm very happy!

The weather was borderline - ~40, pouring rain (rivers and ponds for roads), and strong winds.  Truth be told, though, I kinda like the more extreme weather...  Today, though, I have some blisters on both feet (started at mile 9 - which was good considering my feet were totally soaked through by mile 0.09), sore nipples (ouch!) and a more concerning tweak in my right adductor (started at mile 10), down toward the knee.  The latter had popped up a couple weeks ago at the end of a long run, and again the last 1/2 mile of last week's long run.  Wasn't terrible, but now I have to be pretty careful in getting it healed, I think.  Really don't want it to impede this season, so time to get back in the pool and on the bike and tone down the intensity of the runs for a bit.  

As for the advice on the race schedule, I KNOW what you're saying is right.  But my brain doesn't always seem connected to whatever it is in us that actually makes decisions.    Seriously, though, I agree and think this will be a sprint and Oly season.  I'm going to probably train through a bunch of sprints and target two or three Oly's as A races (well, maybe one as an A at the end of the first half, the others for fun and a local sprint in the Fall that a bunch of friends do as my late season A race - gotta represent!).

The "just going for the HIM" thinking, even when i KNOW that's it's the wrong decision, at least has reminded me of how my tween kids think.  Been a while, but it's good to remember that drive to do what you KNOW is stupid (hopefully the intervening decades has made me able to at least resist!).  

Managed to stay solidly at the upper end of my HR threshold (just sub anaerobic) for 90', about which I was happy (if a bit spent!).  That's one of the features that I like on Strava, for those who haven't used it - it shows where your HR was across the race in a couple different ways (and in ways that make comparison to elevation changes and pace easier than other sites, even though Strava is predominantly a roadie site).

Thanks for the kind words and to all of the Fast Twitchers for advice leading up to this one.  Now back to REDLINING!

Matt

Matt - Congrats on the PR.  I think I'd be more like 2:40 for a HM.  I read your post run comment on the thread about what to wear for a HM - and I have high empathy for what you said on the nips - Yucky!! Yuck, Yuck.  Should I ever do a HM I'll have to be ready for that.

Whoa!  Where's everybody gone??

I've been beset with (a) computer probelms due to our satellite server, and then (b) big outtages last night and today due to a major storm with wet snow and THEN above-freezing today.  It's not like we were all that time without power, just on and off -- enough top make one crazy!

ANYHOW, I was afraid I would come back to a, um, blizzard of posts, but for better or worse --- just three or so in the intervening three days.  Whew!

Now back to Matt's race details.

Training! Swimming the other day and hit a series of 100 yd sprints at 1:14 each late in the workout. Bike is showing signs of waking up again today, finally hitting a decent power number for a 20 min block.

MATT -

Well, given the various trials and tribulations of the day, you have triple rights to bask in teh glory of the PR.  I too love running in crappy weather, partly because I actually like it and know full well that most people don't, but all that aside --- posted a strong time in heavy rains and winds is difficult even for certified foul-weather fans.

The blisters and chafing are problematic enough, but the adductor thing -- a good old worrisome internal situation -- couldn't've been all that easy to work through.  the big question now is -- how is it doing??  It's been four days since the race, which is enough time for it to tip its hand as to how nasty it'll bee......and I'm just hoping it's settled right back down.  Yes?

For foot blisters in rain, I just pre-lube as a way to head them off at the pass.  That is, I'll apply mucho BodyGlide to my feet before the activity, and just hope that's enough to keep blisters at bay.  Remember, from April through October I never wear socks, and so i also BG the insides of my running shoes.  It's been a long tinme since I had foot blisters, so maybe my messy protocol works!

As for the nipples, well, wet conditions and a tech top that is maybe not quite form-fitting is a good recipe for chafing.  I've only suffered it a couple of time sin all my years, but it sure is awlful at the time, huh?  There's a decent product, aptly named "Nip-Guards", that are sticky donut things that are high enough to prevent rubbing.  Depending on how hirsute you are, you might need to shave so the things will stick, but that's probably a small price to pay to avoid chafing.

Neat comment on the correlation between your HIM thinking and the thinking of your kids.  And even though I'm not trying to confuse you or even encourage you in doing the HIM, there is something to be said for doing it just to have fun, test your limits some, and enjoy something in common with your friends.  I just spent way too long taking everything way too seriously, and I wish I just could've eased up some and did things (training and racing) just for the pure fun of it.  At every race I see many people who are wound tight as a drum, and they don't seem to enjoy a moment of it......and then I see the many more who have no real aspirations beyond finishing and HAVING A GOOD TIME DOING IT.  Although I was never in the extreme group, I was always close enough to never really think beyond how I was actually performing.   Too bad, so sad!

I'll also say that yoru running form has to be very good right now, and if you can maintain that into the HIM, well, that's 90% of the problem people face in any HIM, let alone their first one.  You know you can cruise the swim, right?  And then for the bike, you cannot afford to right it hard for 56 miles, so you will need to use some restraint there, anyhow.  So, IF you can stay in good running shape between now and June ---- you might want to explore the pros and cons of doing it.  if the pros outwiegh the cons by two or three, then just maybe........

Finally, huge congrats on staying just below sub-aerobic for virtually the whole thing.  thatwas one of my goals for the last half-marathon I did, and while I didn't have any tech device to keep me there, my RPE told me that I succeeded at it.  I was also pleased that any time I counted footstrikes, I was at 90+, which was my secondary goal.  Ain't it sweet when it all (mostly) comes together in a race????

BEN -

Jeezum, with times like that you can join DAVE and DOUG as the resident fish here!  I have never even come close to 1:14 for 100s, even at the beginning of a set.  I MAy be in meter pools up here.........but that difference between yards and meters doesn't even come close to bridging the gap (okay, chasm) between your times and my best-evver of, um, maybe 1:36.  And once at that??  (Yup, just once.)

Late feb is a good time to start attaining some of thsoe power goals on the bike.  Good stuff with that!