QuincyF and Oriolepwr's Magical Mys-tri Tour for Newbies Has Begun (CLOSED) (Page 5)

Let me know if this makes sense.

I did 3 days of 1 hour bike trainer avg about 12.5 miles.  I've got my cadence upto 80+ (haven't seen that number in a long time)

I took sunday off, and I plan to ride sometime Monday with my couch to 5K starting on Tuesday.  I plan to start swimming in February, that is due to money that I need to join the county college athletic facility.  They have a 30 m pool there.

In the mean time, as anyone ever heard of using a Nordic Trak cross country skier as a substitute for swimming?

Tom

Got in a 3.18mi run this morning...brrrr...cold and windy!  Skipped yesterday...decided to have a jammy day.  Saturday, though, did a long NYE workout to justify the lasagna and cocktails I had planned for the 2012 celebration.  Did 3.23mi run and then a 90 minute spin class. 

A few of you have mentioned adding each others as friends so you can share training logs.  How do you do that?  I'd like to as well.

Also interested in any basic tips you all have on nutrition.  For the last several years I've followed Weight Watchers on-line on and off and it's been very effective when I want to drop a few pounds.  But, I think it probably isn't the best option to just count "points" when I'm working out so much.  Thoughts you have or resources you know of?

Happy 2012 Gang!

Jacki

Jacki,

Great double... you got me committed to one too. Weather is warm (32F, balmy for me) this morning in the "Great White North". Got to clense the NYE excesses!

Friend list add:      top of page >settings>training blog customization>friends   then add the names (e.g. Michel.Sutton) and click on "update friends". Hope this helps

Happy New Year to all of you!

Jacki

  www.myfitnesspal.com   is a free site.  For all of you apple product fans, its also an app for Iphone and Ipad)   of all the log your food sites out there that I have seen, this one seems to have the best food database.     Another great thing about it is that it does subtract out what you have burned in training.     Both me and my DW  use it.   YES They even have Kirkland brand items in there.   hee hee

  And Happy 2012 to you too!

Hey Tom! 

  While I have heard that cross country skiing can be one of the the best all around workout you can do, I have not heard about it as a swim substitute.   But I have to think it helps.  So why not?   ya go for it.

*WARNING-DAVE THEORY*     You mentioned increasing bike cadence.   One thing I try to incorporate in cycling is the concept that higher cadence helps,  wait for it.............  MY RUNNING SPEED!      See there is a correlation between cycling RPM and running foot strikes per minute.    They are very very similar.     So I like to think about that whenever I'm on the bike.  spin faster=Run faster   am I right?  I don't know really  but I'd like to think so.     In the mean time, congrats on getting your cadence up! 

Nice run Matt,

  Dreadmill, Satan's Sidewalk,  rodent wheel etc are some affectionate names for the treadmill.   I really like running on the treadmill and I don't get bored with it at all.  Hardly anyone will agree with me but I might actually even prefer running on the tready. versus outside.   ESPECIALLY on garbage day in the summer!      Now I do manage to get bored in the pool....  So need a lil help there. 

Peter,  You are an amazing dude!  that is incredible.   And I agree with you, that bike will be a great starting point.   many times a new cyclist or Triathlete  will right away try to get the best bike they can afford.  its a big mistake.    You really cannot know what you are really comfortable on and what features you really prize  until you have been at it for a good long while,  only to find out that you need a different bike.   THEN WHAT well you have a lot of $$$ tied up in it and of course despite it being in perfect condition, you can't sell it for what its worth.  So you stay stuck in a bike that is not the best fit in the world for you.  (Oh wait a sec that's my story)     well just know I think you have the sensible approach there.

Sean,

My husband and I did P90x last year (oops- 2 years ago now) and we loved it. It was tough and the first week or so we could barely walk- lol- but it was a great workout. We both really toned up doing it and I lost a few pounds also. It was during my weight loss time frame though and I was doing other things so I can't say it was definitely the P90 but I think it contributed. We also didn't do it 100% hardcore because we couldn't guarantee 6days/week workout. We averaged 4-5 days per week, and we don't have a chin up bar so we made modifications for that. We both really thought it was a great program. We are looking into getting P90x2.

hth,

Shelly

Congrats on your 5K! I'm with Dave, that's AWESOME! Don't worry about your Garmin...you probably just ran a slightly more efficient course. As you race more, you'll encounter people who "run the tangents" which means they try to run a series of straight lines through the course instead of following the natural curves of the route. Makes the course shorter for them...I find it exhausting to work that hard but on a big long curve sometimes I'll do it...

And I wanted to show you guys the red font it Shelly's post...it's called the sarcasm font and you can get it if you click on the styles drop down box in the tool box (it's the first of four drop down boxes)...

It's for something you want to say in a joking manner and it's supposed to help avoid those misunderstandings that arise from the lack of non-verbal communication in electronic 'conversations.'

Q

Lauren, I am trying to catch up with everyone's intros, and I just wanted to say that a marriage between two forensics professors must produce some EPIC arguments!?! 

The second week of June is a big weekend of triathlons in Chicagoland...I think there's a women's tri in Naperville and I have done Batavia the last two years...the hyperlinks are to my race reports. I use race reports on this site a LOT to decide what races to do and what races to avoid. I also try to do race reports for most of my races...it gives back to the BT community and if I don't Dave gives me a super hard time. For those of you new to the site or working on your homework assignment (research and pick out some potential races) it is the BEST way to learn about a certain race, and if you read a couple you will start to get a bigger picture of the racing scene in your area (popular races, bad race directors, course characteristics, etc). If a race had a bad year, it will be reflected in the race reports...so be sure to check out if it is a race that has continual problems or just had one bad year (messed up swim, bad weather, etc.)

I bolded the part about your friends at work because this is your absolute BEST bet to build support...seriously if these people are like the triathletes I know you will find yourself with an instant network of workout partners, rides to races, corporate knowledge, and gear lenders. Find out what races they are doing and see if you can join up. I really, really LOVE to do races with my buddies...in fact last year I did one by myself and it went ok, but it was so depressing not to have anyone to hang with after the race, so I have resolved not to race by myself anymore...

Anyway, we can help with midwest races too, so you can bounce any questions you want off of us when you start to get an idea of what you might want to do...

OMG, a NEW BABY!!! Be sure to post pix as soon as you get it!!!

Congrats on the lifestyle change! Which Rochester in the world do you live in (learned my lesson with the Hammond debacle).  

My husband is an ER doc, so I am familiar with the Trauma/ER lifestyle challenges...it makes it even more remarkable that you've changed your habits like you have...I'm impressed.

Congrats on signing up for the biking events...I like the organized rides in particular because they tend to be grass roots efforts put on by a local cycling club...cycling races and rides tend to be less "corporate" than running and tri events...a nice change once in a while...

Mark, it sounds like you have a good start to achieve your goals...I would love to see you complete an HIM!

It sounds like you have the right attitude about your family...they WILL come around if you stay the course. 

It can be tricky to train AND lose weight...how did you go about your initial weight loss?

I think I'll go for a walk...(good job on the movie quote!). And really, I think I'll go for a walk...no running for me (which is a serious bummer...it's 70 and sunny here)...

I'm sure Mark will be along shortly to give you his take, and Dave has done some P90x as well. I did it last winter and didn't lose much weight on it, but was in it for the core and strength aspect, as well as a break from s/b/r (I'm not a year rounder yet...I tried this fall and winter but that got derailed). I also liked being able to do it at home any time...

It's fine as long as your goal is to increase your strength and flexibility for a break from s/b/r or a way to supplement your s/b/r. All of us in the over 40 set as well as women of any age should definitely try to maintain a maintenance regimen of strength training, but for that P90x is over the top.

One huge benefit for me was using the bands for weight lifting...I really feel like they helped work the small muscles in my shoulders...I swam pain free last season after p90x which was probably a combo of better form and more stable shoulders. I also liked having a new set of exercises to use in my weight training regimen (during the season I do a short all body circuit for maintenance).

Anyway, rambling here! I am sure other folks will chime in with more thoughts...

my initial weight loss was done as a eat less and exercise more kind of thing.  Then the eat less went effectively out the window, and it was recently that I read soemthing that made total sense to me that I just never thought about before.  It said, "you can't out exercise a bad diet".

With the new year, my goal for weight loss will be not not toss the eat less part (perhaps eat less is a bad way to say it, but rather eat more useful, or more healthy).

At any rate, thank you for inluding me in your group, and I iwll track things and I would absolutely LOVE to do a HIM, but I am not sure I am capable of it yet.  But no time like the present to start making myself capable.

Where do I begin, what must be done?

i am a newbie as you suggest.

Mark W.

Ybeal - 2012-01-02 2:13 PM Hi all, hit the gym today (with thousands of others lol) did a 30 min run/walk on the treadmill, halfway through the couch to 5k program. Also did a short stint on the bike. But best of all, convinced dh to join the gym and start training for a sprint tri!!!! Yeah!!!!!Looking forward to really getting back into training but have to see about getting some new orthotics first because I am NOT getting injured this time!!!Yvonne

Getting your DH in on all the fun huh.    It's a really great way to keep motivated!  Is your DH on BT as well?

Rock n Roll  Yvonne!  that's a *Dave*  term for a brick workout.   Oh  what's a brick workout?   Typically that is a Bike workout directly followed by a run.  why is it called brick?   dunno   but your legs feel like  a brick when you come off the bike.   so that could be it.      I actually typically do a reverse brick in training.   (run then bike)   not for any good reason other than its when I get to the gym.  hee hee  

Mark -   Pretty much sux, but you are 100% correct.  I do know a couple of people that ran 4000+  miles last year.  <whew>  I wish I could do that!  anyhow,  like you said  "you can't out exercise a bad diet"    These two do not eat much more calories than a typical healthy weight person.    If they eat poorly  they gain weight despite the avg 12+ running miles per day.    

And one other thing,  when you actually do your half iron, we will all be as excited about it as you are!   (ok maybe a little bit less than you, but its close)

What you should do now is friend everyone.    Michel  posted how to do that a few posts ago.    Log your training.  Check up on the training everyone else in the group has been doing by checking their logs.     toss an inspire someones way.   Just noodle around getting the hang of the "BT" site   

Race reports as Q mentioned has to be the best source of information to help you on your journey.   Without them, you just sort of assume that everyone knows exactly what they are doing.   Read a bunch of race reports and you will find that  hardly anyone actually feels like they have all of this mastered.    I sure don't!!!   lol     The race reports lets you "in" on what other think about while they are racing. What's happened, and how they adjust.  Mistakes/lessons learned.  What they felt great about, and what they learned for the next race.        I do give Quincy a hard time when she does not report, cause  her reports are some of the best/entertaining reads out there in Tri ,  y'all have to check them out.     Seriously you need to write a book about all of this!!       

Matt, I'm with you on the snorefest that is the treadmill. Coupla years ago all my runs were inside til I broke the platform for the 3rd time and my wife banned my fat a$$(her exact words ) from using it anymore. Best thing that coulda happened. I run outside in pretty much any condition now, actually love cold NY runs.

Is there a particular reason you can't run outside?

Mark,

Like you, I'm a newbie, though I have cycled off and on and off again for the last 20 years.  My goal has always been to do a tri.  But I always thought is was like a full tri like in Hawaii.  Once I found out there were shorter distance ones, I realized I could do that.  My goals are at least a sprint and/or an Olympic this summer.

I took Sunday off because of sore feet.  It was worth it.  Today: 1 hour on the bike again, 13.2 miles.  Tomorrow will be the first day of couch to 5K.  I think I will do the walk/run first and then finish on the bike when I get back.

Let the games begin!

Tom

Well, time for my check in. Looking at a combination of Aggressive Couch and Beginner exercise program, starting with walking/running, adding in weight training and yoga for stretching. Have yet to lay it out, but that's the goal for this week before classes start up again next week. Trying to find out where I am at physically to set goals going forward.

I ran 6.5 mins of a 30 min "walk" today plus yoga after. I was trying to add in 30 sec sprints a few weeks ago, but today it was a slow steady jog for 45-60 secs, then walking to recover and heading off again.