Sdanaher's HIM or IM Group - CLOSED (Page 5)

Happy New Year albeit belated!  Just got back from sunny humid Queensland, average temperature 30 degrees Celcius or 76 F.  Humidity up to 85%!!!!  We were gone for 12 days and I managed to fit in two 3km swims in the lagoon (can't go in the ocean as it's deadly jelly fish season!).  And I did 3 x 9km runs which practically killed me.

I've picked up some kind of stomach virus and I think today I need to rest being the first day back at work and not feeling one hundred percent.  Will do an OWS tomorrow and Wednesday if I feel up to it.  Plus running/cycling when I can!

Read with interest the out of breath swimming posts.  My coach says you increase your heart rate when you kick for no real return on speed.  He says concentrate on your arms, the kicks will take care of themselves.  Also not many of us triathletes have an efficient kick style due to inflexibility in our ankles so no poi8nt wasting time and effort and breath!

He was very critical of my kick for some weeks and eventually I thought, oh stuff it, I won't kick at all!  In my mind I'm not kicking though he assures me I am and that the result is I am way faster, more streamlined and he never criticises my kick these days!  Swim with the pull buoy to get used to the notion on not kicking.  Also stopped my calf cramps when I stopped the pointless kick.

He has also advised not to get hung up on breathing to both sides etc, just breathe when you need to - as he says you wouldn't tell a runner to breathe every 3rd stride, you just breathe when you need oxygen!  We do drills to practise breathing on our 'bad' side.  the first 1km of our squad is all drills, then we do 2km of solid freestyle.

Anyway - welcome to 2012 everyone!  Next challenge for me is to build my training plan for half ironman distance in June!  No sweat!

Not kicking is a good idea. I might try it the next time I go for distance. Maybe 25-50 with followed be 25-50 without.

I actually did my first sufferfest video last night after I ran 6 miles (maybe not the best idea). Although I felt great.  I chose the downward spiral video which was very intense and fun at the same time. It must be the unusual warm weather we are having this time of year that gave me the extra push to do these together.

So far this year I feel much stronger than last year.

How is everyone coming on their training plans?

Good grief, you did a Sufferfest after running 6 miles? That's pretty rugged. I did A Very Dark Place this morning which is pretty much just 5 x 4:00 max efforts with 3 minutes of rest between each. My wife was afraid I might pass out. But kudos to you if you can do that kind of effort after a run. I hope you're not in my AG for any upcoming races :p

I may be the rebel here, but I have become a believer in kicking during the swim. This was one of the things my swim coach and I worked on last season and it made a huge difference in my swim numbers. I'll admit that when I started kicking I lost the ability to swim any sort of distance at first. It was like I was starting all over with my swim base and endurance. But as we built that back up my speed improved pretty dramatically.  The process was humbling and frustrating at first, but it did pay off. I know this isn't for everyone, especially those who really like to go hard on the bike, but it's something I'll be sticking with.

Way to go Johnny! Distance plus mud plus hills certainly is a recipe  for a big  challenge. I love as you see this as a great work-out as most of the mortals would consider this a lifetime achievment. Did your nutrition belt worked as expected?   Good recovery.

Here I am happy with the first week volume-wise, not sure my running in the cold last week was a great idea thought...

Kicking vs non-kicking.  I think it depends largely on the quality of your kick.  I've heard my coach saying to some of our faster swimmers (Australian Triathlon champion, Czech Olympic bronze medalist....) to use their kick more.  I think if you're not an efficient swimmer or kicker then the gains you make (maybe a few seconds) are not worth what you lose in energy.

If your coach has got you working on your kick then I think he must believe you will gain enough speed and time to make it worth your while.  Everytime I kick harder I seem to go backwards - any work we do with fins/flippers I'm hopeless!

ps - still a bit sick.  First OWS will be Wednesday.  Get back out there!  Shame the weather is due to be really cold and windy, good practice - most of the tri's I've done have been in similar ocean conditions.

I can tell you that I did no strength training last year and decided to incorporate it this year during the off-season. I feel much faster than last year and recovery very quickly. I have also found that my swim technique seems to be more manageable since I started my strength training. My bike FTP has increased 65 watts over last year also. This certainly can’t hurt.  Of course it was not very high to begin with. lol

I am now a firm believer in strength and core training. The only thing you have to remember is that your swim, bike, and run training might suffer for a week or two until the initial soreness goes away, but after that it is all up hill.

Anyone else have thoughts? Shane, do you use strength training regularly?

I don't, no.  But not because I don't think it has a place but I firmly believe in the following statement:

Use available training time for S/B/R and then anything left over for Strength Training.

I just don't have the leftover time between having a 4 yo, work, travel for work, and training time.

I did last winter and I felt it helped me, but I didn't this year and don't right now.

I'm in two minds re the OWS tonight.  I think most except the die hards will bail!  It's about 18 degrees here today, (64F) it's hail and wind like you wouldn't believe!  I messaged the coach - oh yes he says, Jojo it's still on!  I think I will go.  The biggest issue here is water quality after rain can get a bit yucky with the stormwater runoff.  Coach Johnny says that's not an issue coz if you're swimming properly you aren't swallowing any water!  Show off.

anyway I think I'm going to head down to the beach - you can't order good weather on race day so should practice in all conditions!

I don't do strength or core training but I feel I should (though the resistance of the water is pretty good as a start)  Like Shane, I have a young child  (6 year old girl) plus I commute to work an hour each way and it's a full time role.  It doesn't leave much time and what I do have with family is so important that I don't like to use up more than I have to.

Happy training one and all!  I shall update tomorrow on how the swim went!

I'm doing strength training now, but I will drop it 14 weeks prior to my HIM to focus solely on swim/bike/run. I have a 2 year old daughter (this group has a lot in common) and working in my swims is actually the hardest part. My gym opens at 5am, but the pool isn't open until 6:30. This means I can do weight training in the early mornings, and this is actually taking the place of my sim workouts until I hit that 14 week mark.

I do the strength training for a couple of reasons. The major one is that I am trying to lose weight, and adding weight training to the mix really does make a difference in dropping fat. I have a nice combination of weights, intense cardio, and long cardio that keeps the weight coming off and still helps get ready for the triathlons. Also, in addition to triathlons I have started to really enjoy the mud run obstacles courses, and the strength training is pretty important for those things.

In the end if I had access to the pool at 5am I probably wouldn't be lifting two days a week and would be swimming instead.

So after my 'breakthrough' swim last week, went swimming on Sunday.  Unfortunately there was a swim camp on, and about 12 people trying to swim in 2 lanes....needless to say, I couldn't get going for long, so couldn't tell if I kept the progress I had made.  Went out again tonight--supposed to do a 500m TT--and I did .  No stopping, no gasping.  Feels good. 

So now I have a question--what is a 'good' 100m time?  For a female MOP'er for instance?  I have no idea what I should be striving towards.

Hope everyone's week is going well!

Great job!!

That is a huge breakthrough. Keep up the good work.

You'll hear a lot of people put out 2:00/100m (not yard) as a nice benchmark time.  Depending on your AG, it might be above average or slightly below.  But it is a benchmark people throw out.

If you are swimming in a 25m pool it is 30 second LENGTHS.  

So I'm running into some problems with figuring out bike workouts. Biking is by far my weakest area, and I can't get a lot of time on the roads. Almost all of my bike work for now is done on the trainer, but I could use some advice on what I should be doing. My main concern right now is trying to drop weight before I hit the 14-16 weeks before my big HIM (Eagleman). Instead of trying to use race training as a weightloss tool like I have in the past, I really want to be at my goal weight when the race training plan kicks off. Weight loss and performance seem to be somewhat at odds when doing serious training. So, what are the best workouts I should be doing on the bike right now? I've been doing the Sufferfest videos, which are very intense, but they usually only last 45-90 minutes. Today I wanted to do a longer workout so I combined two and went for 1:45. Do I need to be doing other types of trainer workouts, like an easier 2-3 hour ride? Will longer, easier rides now pay dividends later on for my HIM, or is that something I don't need to be worried about right now? Or, is there something completely different I should be doing on the trainer? Right now I'm riding 3 times a week with 1 to 2 hours dedicated to the workouts each day. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

This is a very tough question. Have you tried to use a calorie counter to help with this?

I spent several months with no weight loss success and then I came across an app on my phone called “MyFitnessPal”. They are also online at www.myfitnesspal.com. I was able to lose 45lbs. combining this with my workout plan and seemed to get faster every race last year. The great thing about this is that it allows you to determine how much weight you want to lose each week and then you track your caloric intake accordingly. You input your workouts and your food intake and the program will add the correct amount of calories you need each day (including workout expenditure) to reach your goal weight. I have read that it is important to monitor your weight loss and performance to make sure you are not losing so fast that your performance suffers.

This will be the key. You have to get enough to eat while not overeating. This program is just a simple way to keep track of this. I had 20 lbs. to lose at the first of this year to reach my optimum race weight and have already lost 5 since January 1 using this program. So far I have not seen a decrease in performance.

There are also articles that say for every 10 lbs. you lose you will be 6% more efficient. That in itself has been a motivator for me. Good luck with your undertaking on losing the weight.  Let me know if you find any other tricks while searching for your answer.

 Well swim update below.

That swim last night was brutal, awesome, terrifying and magnificent.  I got down there it's just me and Johnny he said if it's not enough people we wouldn't bother and just go for a beer.  Anyway slowly and steadily they came, the die-hards in their speedos, us wimps in our wetsuits.  I was very concerned coz all the good ones were there, none of my slow standard!  Anyway English Paul turned up so I knew I had someone my level and another girl turned out to be slow too.  All up about 20 mad people on a beach with dark black clouds and waves that looked innocent from the sand but once in were a good 4-5ft high.

Johnny said swim easy out to the end of the pier - easy, er no.  It was such hard work.  We then had to race back.  Obviously being slower I got trampled!  People swimming over me, punching and kicking me though at one point I got hold of some guys speedos (accidentally really!!).  Surf back to the sand.  And go again.  What the!  The second time I didn't seem to swim as straight or as strong, really struggled and race back again - did better on the race back second time and loved the surfing in.  They did that circuit once more but I sat that one out. 

He then walked us up the beach and told us to swim out to the buoy (200m) round it across to the next one (200m) and back to the shore – race pace please (I don’t have a different pace it’s slow and steady as she goes!).  So off we go, it's surfier this side and I'm getting pounded.  Johnny waits at the buoy for me as I get to it I'm literally picked up by a 3m wave and slammed back down - yikes think I.  Just keep swimming he says (easy for him to say!)  Anyway I took a deep breath (and some water in of course) put my head down and swam like mad.  I got tossed around the whole way over to the other buoy - again Johnny waiting there for me and the two behind me Paul and Sarah.  I head back for shore - every wave that took me in then took me back out again.  Exhausted I made it.  Phew - that's my lot.  They did that a second time, me Paul and Sarah sat that one out. Awesome to watch those channel  and professional swimmers in there – made it look so easy.  Johnny said when he did his double Channel crossing the conditions were similar and he was black and blue when he got out.

All three of us slowies were delighted to have done what we had.  Johnny very proud of all of us he said on a triathlon race day in those conditions even Ironman would cancel the swim.

Got home about 7.45pm absolutely freezing.  Hosed myself off in the garden and washed my wetsuit.  Jumped into a steaming hot shower a glass of wine and off to bed for me!

By the way in those conditions any technique learned in or out of the pool goes right out of the window

(1024px-HmvsCerberus.jpg)

Yea, it sounds flat out nuts!  But fun...

Weekend plans everyone?

Wow - that swim sounds crazy!

Planning on a slightly longer trainer ride tomorrow morning (longer for me, anyway) and then a long run (7-8 miles) on Sunday.  I was hoping to get a quick 2mi brick run in after my ride tomorrow, but the forecast is for about 1 deg F that early in the morning, so I think I will pass.  What a slacker.  

I'm also starting an intro-to-sports class with my daughter at the local park district so I'm really looking forward to that.  Plus some football watching and finally a date night.

My workouts are dependent on how I'm feeling - it seems my wonderful daughter has passed her cough on to me and I'm not liking it very much.  So I may just rest although it will take a lot to hold myself back.

Hope everyone had a good week and is looking forward to the weekend!

Frustrating busy week at work, missed two out of my regular 3  work-outs a week at lunch-time! Can I count  shoveling the snow on the driveway as a work-out ?

Activity for the week-end will be the celebration of one of my kid's birthday. There should be 9 children total, I guess I will somewhat be running. Can I log this also? :-)

Enjoy your week-end everyone.

I'm in for a bike fitness TT and a run tomorrow, and a swim on Sunday.  I went to bed early last night so that I could get up early this AM to do my bike ride before work, cause I have had a bit of a crazy week as well (sorry you had to miss your workouts!).  Man, do I ever hate getting up in the morning.  I could go to bed at 6pm, and still have a heck of a time getting up at 6am.  I am just not wired to be a morning person...  Had another successful swim session tonight as well.  If 2:00/100m is a time to strive towards, I have some work to do (currently at about 2:20-2:25/100m), but I'm happy with where things are right now.

Supposed to get some snow here in Vancouver over the next few days, which I like.  I grew up here, and much prefer the snow to the never-ending rain (with apologies to anyone in Alaska...)!

Have a great weekend everyone!

I'm going to try to get a 10 mile run in on Saturday, and if possible throw a swim in there right before. We're trying to sell our house and it's been crazy trying to keep a house cleaned and staged with a toddler in the house all day. So Saturday morning is a lot of cleaning, and maybe I can get my workouts in during my daughter's nap time. Sunday will be a day of much needed rest. I've finally got the speed and cadence sensors setup with TrainerRoad to calculate power, and I will be doing a threshold test on Monday morning.