kenj mentor group - back for another great season! CLOSED (Page 48)

I ran 20 miles continuous yesterday, yes I freaking did. Long slow distance.  Sub 10 min miles like the coach wanted.  25 degrees, 15 wind chill, icy snowy trail.  He thinks I'll do 45 secs to 1:30 better on a marathon than that.  HAHAHAhahahaha.  But he can dream.

Turned around and had a really good bike today.  Short and intense. 

I got a new book Swim Speed Secrets.  The author is all about the catch, propulsion. She says we have the technique at this point probably but we lack propulsion skills.  Good stuff really.   I took lots of semi private swim lessons with a triathlon coach here over the last 6 months and my technique is much better.  But I want to go faster and that means better propulsion.  Working on it. 

Just ordered Zogg's new photochromatic Flex Reactor goggles.  Pricy but I can't find an Aqua Shpere cheaper that fits right consistently and what the heck.  I wear them a lot, might as well be comfortable.  They dim with sun, clear with shade so no decision-making race day on what lens to wear.  Also anti fog.  I need all the sighting help I can get.

Central Illinois is supposed to be due for one last storm tomorrow and Tuesday, then climb slowly through the 40s into the 50s in two weeks.  I can't freaking wait. 

I have that same fan. It works great!

HAPPY TRAINING!

Bill-  I always sensed you had a little "bad " in you!  Thanks for your service!  Congrats on your run progress too.  Seriously fast!

Becky, my garmin does that when the speed/cadence sensor battery is going bad.  Congrats on the wheels!  Those are super cool!  I love those greyhounds, always wanted to rescue one.  We have a whippet that we absolutely love.  She looks like a mini greyhound at about 35lbs! 

Here is how I spend my summers, cruising in my Acura NSX. It is my only car in the summer so it has to get me to all my triathlons and MTB races. You should see the looks I get when I pull up in it with a bike on the roof.

Ali,

First, I am still and think I always be a fan of HR training and am definitely not recommending ditching them for anyone else.  The last 2 years of training religiously by HR for running (and to some extent, biking) not only got me safely to an IM finish, but it made me way faster at the same time.  It helps me moderate efforts, especially when conditions change (hills...) so I don't burn too many matches when it comes to training or racing.  It's especially helpful on the bike in a tri as its my weaker leg and I don't want too hard of an effort to kill the run.  In short, the HRM helps me race according to my fitness level, which everyone should probably do more of.

The problem now is that I picked an arbitrary (but important to me) time goal for a running race.  I'll probably be walking a fine line of racing beyond what my fitness would call for.  Also, there isn't a lot of leeway to slow down during certain portions of races and still make the overall goal.  If I had moderated effort on hills yesterday, I would have missed my pace goal, so FOR NOW, I'm dropping HR for running only.  Another thing is that running zones aren't perfect.  I think my zones are good, but not perfect.  Just because my zones show me going above threshold and "burning matches" at certain points in a run, maybe they are off just a bit and I'm not doing as much damage as my zones would indicate.  Either way, I made this goal and don't want to be playing "what if?" the next day.  If I was handicapping the race now, I would give myself a 30-40% chance of hitting a goal of 3:10, but if I don't because I went out too fast or any other reason (potty breaks, weather...), I won't care whether my time is 3:10:01, or 4:02:58 (enough for PR at this distance).

Non-tri related commentary: we have 2 dogs, 6 chickens, a turtle and a salamander.  My husband and I decided we'd start with houseplants and work our way up so we could figure out how to keep something else alive and train it, before having children.  As the 3 and 5 year old are currently healthy and pretty polite, it seems like it was a good plan.  Once they start school in a few years I might have time for some other hobbies, but right now my life is work, family, triathlon, which means my conversations revolve around poop, heart rate, and foreign objects I've recently removed from bodies.  I've noticed this doesn't get me invited to many dinner parties.   

Disneyworld was the most exhausting vacation I've ever been on.  Honestly, I think trekking through Nepal would have been less tiring.  Sooooo happy to be back home, eating and training and sleeping a little more normally.  Now if only I didn't have all these shifts to make up...    I planned a 2 hour bike ride for today but of course now that it is my day off, we've got some major wind.  Trying to adjust my plan to a trainer ride but feeling unmotivated.  I might need a solid kick in the pants.

Trust the plan and you should gain a lot of endurance over the next couple months leading up to race day.  Not to mention, I have to believe that there is still some residual fatigue from last weeks race.

Nice run though!

I have a cat you can use.

Good thing my wife doesn't read this forum too often!  Actually, me and the cat are buddies as there are many mornings that we are the only ones awake for several hours. 

Sounds like a tough weekend of workouts!  I am coming down in a couple of weeks and bringing my bike so warm it up please!

Omahabritt - 2013-03-04 11:47 AM Happy Monday! Ok, some non-tri related info, we have one dog (13yo Siberian husky), with 2 kids that's all I can handle! I love horses & had one when I was younger. My goal is to get another one someday (still have my English saddle in my garage). I love being outside, can't stand beets, & can tie a cherry stem w/my tongue. March goals-focus on my weight. As I increase workouts, I'm obviously hungrier & usually make good choices bit I've got some weight I would really like to get off. Despite being sick for the 1st week of my IM training plan, I was able to make up all the run & bike workouts (I just had to do it) these last 2 weeks. I'm adding an extra swim workout the next 2 weeks, so I'll be all caught up. Regarding what kind of surface I like running on...I'd have to say concrete. I'll enjoy an occasional trail, but that's few & far between. I'm always suprised at those running NEXT to the bike path, for me that's the worst. I last about 10 secs before I get back on the concrete. Iceman, way to go on your 20 miler, that's awesome!! Robin, did you watch the Iditarod in person? My husbands aunt & uncle used to live in Alaska & race it. We've got a red lantern in our basement that supposedly you got if you finished last in a stage. Bill-I'm curious, why are you ditching the HRM? Way to go everyone else, it seems like you're all doing a great job!

Great start to the training cycle Ali!!  I don't mind the concrete for running as I did a lot of it out in CA and when I run at home in the morning it is in the dark so I am on the sidewalks there.  I like the rail to trail beds with the cinders, but they can be kind of boring and flat unless it is a group run.

Sometimes vacations can be a lot of work!  Especially at a place like Disney!  But you will always remember the good times you had!

Now get out there and pedal!!

Chickens are awesome.  My husband built a small coop and we have had 6 chickens for a couple years now.  They eat our leftovers plus commercial chicken food, and up until last summer we were getting about 4 eggs a day.  The eggs are fantastic.  I almost can't eat store bought eggs anymore, they just don't have any flavor.  They are not much work.  We were clueless when we started and just got a book "Chickens in Your Backyard" by Luttmann.  Our ladies are a little old now and they are not laying many eggs anymore, so as soon as we come back from the Skinny Tire Festival we are getting some more chicks.  Our dogs would probably eat the chickens, so we lock them up in the house when we let the chickens out to play.  We even had an infestation of tomato worms in the garden last year, and the chickens ate them all up!

-Jaime

I'm with Eddie!  NSX is one of my favorites!  I love the new one too!  Acura's are incredible cars.  I use our MDX to haul our bikes now.  I love it!!!!

Becky-  Our whippet was a rescue.  My wife adopted her out 4 times to other families while working at a humain society.  She kept coming back to her.   Nobody could handle her.  She was 8months old when we decided to foster her.  The dog hated me.  I wanted Anne to take her back.  She wouldn't let me near her, or my wife for that matter.  It took another 6 months to house break and train her, but we stuck with it!  She is now the sweetest dog!  The picture perfect man's best friend.  She greets me when I come home, and just a few hours ago she chased me to the door to try and get me not to leave.   She's active and high strung but also cuddles with you on the couch.  Just the perfect personality for us.  We love her!

Omahabritt - 2013-03-04 10:47 AM Happy Monday! Ok, some non-tri related info, we have one dog (13yo Siberian husky), with 2 kids that's all I can handle! I love horses & had one when I was younger. My goal is to get another one someday (still have my English saddle in my garage). I love being outside, can't stand beets, & can tie a cherry stem w/my tongue. March goals-focus on my weight. As I increase workouts, I'm obviously hungrier & usually make good choices bit I've got some weight I would really like to get off. Despite being sick for the 1st week of my IM training plan, I was able to make up all the run & bike workouts (I just had to do it) these last 2 weeks. I'm adding an extra swim workout the next 2 weeks, so I'll be all caught up. Regarding what kind of surface I like running on...I'd have to say concrete. I'll enjoy an occasional trail, but that's few & far between. I'm always suprised at those running NEXT to the bike path, for me that's the worst. I last about 10 secs before I get back on the concrete. Iceman, way to go on your 20 miler, that's awesome!! Robin, did you watch the Iditarod in person? My husbands aunt & uncle used to live in Alaska & race it. We've got a red lantern in our basement that supposedly you got if you finished last in a stage. Bill-I'm curious, why are you ditching the HRM? Way to go everyone else, it seems like you're all doing a great job!

We went to the ceremonial start in Anchorage - which is really fun as the mushers aren't racing yet and it all about the high fives!  My daughter was super lucky - she got a ride on one of the sleds and then later got her picture on the iditarod website with her "huskies".  I will see if I can repost it. That is cool that you have family that have raced it - there is no way I could do it - those dogs are A LOT of work!

It seems like most of my hobbies disappeared with children and then triathlons.  I used to do a lot of gardening back in Wyoming.  Since we rent here in AK and any summer weekend that is nice you want to be out exploring, hiking, fishing - not gardening. 

No pets, though we have had rabbits in the past.  I would love a dog, hubby not so much!

I had an awesome run today in the Chugach mountains - trail was a bear, but it was a beautiful day. I took some pics, If I have time I will post them! I am going to be soooo ready for concrete/dirt when breakup hits in another month or so!

Family leaves tomorrow for spring break.  We are going to Juneau then Sitka.  Not particularly warm, but my hubby has some work down there so it will be mostly paid for. I will try and get some running in - I am the worst about getting workouts in on vacation!

Sweet ride!!