konichiwa's mentor group - Are we having fun yet? - FULL (Page 5)

NAME: URGuilty; Charlie Smith, Age 45 (Masters Clydesdale); Married with 4 children (High School, Middle School, elementary school and pre school!!!)
           Profession: State's Attorney


STORY: Football and lacrosse all my life; played College Football; took up cycling afterward and did a lot of rides (centuries etc.) no racing though. Took up triathlon on a bet (almost had to shave my entire body!...one too many beers that night).  Started with first race last year at Columbia MD, then did Culpeper VA sprint and the Nations Triathlon.  Did Columbia again this year and signed up for same races, with the addition of the Eagleman HIM.  Two weeks!!!

CURRENT TRAINING: average about 10-12 hours a week; really tough to find time in a busy schedule but like to get a balanced 3x schedule in.  run is strongest surprisingly; need to get stronger on the bike; pretty decent swim stroke but need to get faster and not sure how.

WEIGHTLOSS: No.  Already went down from 228 to 208 and that's about the bottom for me.

Tim -

What races are you signed-up for and when are they?  Is it possible to focus on the 1 or 2 du's you are already signed-up for and then target a late summer tri?  That would give you ample time to build up your swim endurance. 

Specifically with regards to swimming, I think 3x/week is a good idea.  You could always do 2x per week until after the du's but I would definitely start some swim training now.  If you keep swimming the endurance will come back.  Really focus on the breathing...once you are comfortable with the breathing, then you can adjust your effort and go for a really long time.

Hope this helps.  If you have any other questions let us know.

-Tim

Keri -

I knew you would kill that 5k.  Congrats on the PB!!!

-Tim

Charlie -

Regarding the bike, a road bike with clip-ons will certainly work and the used variety should certainly be easier to find than a tri bike.  The other option is to borrow a bike if you know someone with a similar size.

I actually did my first tri on a borrowed road bike, after training on a mountain bike with slicks.  I loved the tri so much I went out and bought a entry level road bike w/ clip-ons.  Of course since then I've purchased a tri bike and then I upgraded my road bike.  Its addicting!

My only recommendation would be this; if you think that you will really get into tris, this is a lifestyle change and you'll be doing this for years to come, then I would bypass the entry level road/tri bike and purchase a mid-level bike.  I know a lot of ppl who bought entry level only to upgrade a yr or two later.  If you are unsure how long you'll be racing, then I would prob look at borrowing a bike or a getting a used one.  Also, if you unsure how long you'll race, then I would opt for a road bike.  Tri bikes are certainly faster, but not nearly as flexible in their use.  The road bike is better for group rides, centuries etc.

Also take a look at the classified here on ST and also on slowtwitch.com. 

One last thing, I think I have an old pair of clip-on aero bars.  Profile Design.  If you get a road bike, I'll give you the clip-ons.  I haven't used them in years.

-Tim

Charlie / URGuilty -

Welcome to the group.  Talk about an appropriate screen name

Have you done Eagleman before?  It's a great race!  I did it in 2006 and then the bike portion of a relay in 2007.  The weather is always a crap shoot....can be hot, can be windy....will definitely be flat though!

Congrats on the weight loss and glad to have you here.

-Tim

Hey everyone,

I apologize for just now getting back on here.  I just started doing research for my University on Monday and am in the process of moving into a new house so I have a lot going on.  Tomorrow if my first official day of training.  I have a 24 min swim and a 48 min bike.  It'll be nice to be started.  Wish me luck.

Andrew

Hi guys!

Sorry that I have been MIA for a while; I work for a publishing company and was on deadline with our magazine. Its always a bit hectic. Looks like everyone's training is going well. I skimmed all of the posts I have missed; everyone is progressing nicely!

Here is a link to my Race Report:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=162080

For any half IM, the race doesn't start until mile 40 of the bike.  Pace the bike correctly, and things should go well.  Going to hard can lead to a sufferfest on the back half of the run.  Been there done that. 

Here are my half RRs.

Tim,

I have three races planned for the immediate future.  July 5th, july 26th and possibly August 2nd.  I will swim 3x a week while training for the duathlon.  I will also be going to two of the race sites in a few weeks to do the course Swim, bike, run.  That will be the real test of where I stand.  Luckily, the water where I will be swimming is only 5ft deep where I'll be swimming, so no danger of drowning.  I am going to see how I progress and take it from there. 

Sorry to hear about your knee, Joey. I know that rest is hard (I am probably one of the most stubborn people ever), but it truly makes the difference. Make sure you RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and ease back into training when the swelling subsides.

Any suggestions on what foods/liquids I should avoid while training? With that being asked any that you'd suggest? Especically for before and after training sessions.

Andrew -

Here is what I do.

For an AM swim or bike workout, which for me is before work, I'll eat a Clif Z bar or other 100-150cal bar  on my way in.   For an AM run, I prefer not to eat.  That's just me..I prefer not to eat ~2hrs before a run...especially any run that is 45min or longer.

I eat during the bike workouts once it gets to ~1h30m.  For run I'll start once the runs reach 1hr.  I use Hammer Nutrition products.  Heed, gels, Perpetuem and/or Sustained Energy on the bike.  Gels and water on the run.  Again a personal preference.   I know others who use Gu, PowerGel, etc.  It's more a matter of trial-and-error and what works for you.

I would definitely recommend eating soon after workouts.  There is a lot of research about getting at least 200cal in within the first 30min to maximize recovery.  I typically do this for any harder/longers workouts.  You are using this to buy you time until you can get a full (i.e. real) meal.  Time to get home, shower and then eat a full meal.  I use Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite.  Again personal preference.  Others make recovery drink or you can simply find a nice engery bar (Kashi GoLean Crunchy! bar) that has 3:1 or 4:1 carbs to protein.  Low-fat chocolate milk actually is a great recovery drink.  I think 8-10oz gets you ~200cal.

Besides that I generally eat healthly.  Whole grain carbs as much as possible.  Protein with every meal.  Good fats...olive oil, nuts, avacado etc.  I try to avoid processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, fast food, etc.  how much does this really help as far as performance...who knows...its more about lifestyle for me.  I still drink a few beers every wknd, I'll eat out once a week.  Could I be faster if my diet was super strict???  maybe.  Is it worth it to me.  No, I am not a pro triathlete.  Its all about moderation.

Again, if the workouts are short/easy, then I don't use anything during the workout and frequently no recovery type drink/bar afterwards as long as my next meal is within an hour or so.

Hope this helps.

-Tim

Good question. Although it is mostly personal preference and how certain things affect your body, I have noticed that any kind of dairy within 2-3 hours of a workout has a bad affect on me. If it is a cycling workout, I can usually be OK, but if I am running, my stomach will not be happy with me. Therefore, I try to avoid yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese on sandwiches or salads, etc.

As far as fuel for your body, I try to eat a snack between 1 hour and 90 minutes before my next workout. If its a longer session, I go with an energy bar with between 175 and 240 calories. If its shorter, than a piece of fruit is usually my go-to. The key is to make sure that you have some sort of fuel in your body to get you through the work out. Immediately following the workout, I typically have a recovery shake. My preference is Hammer's Recoverite (subtle citrus, yum!). Then, I make sure to have a full meal within 1 hour of the workout.

During my workout, I typically do not take in any calories unless I am working out for more than an hour and a half to 2 hours. If I am biking for 2 hours, I will have one bottle of a sports drink (Heed, 100 calories). If I am running more than 10 miles, I will typically take a gel every 3 miles. This is based on what I have found works for me. I am 135 lbs, so obviously if you are heavier you will need more calories and if you are lighter ease off a bit. I typically run *a little* lighter on nutrition than what I probably should (and what I race with).