Mav's Massachusetts Mentor Group/Full for the Season (Page 5)

Happy Monday, Daniel here.

Okay, drinking water.  More difficult than I thought.  Added lemon and ice and that helps for me.

My weight when I first woke up - 237.6.  My long long term goal is 197.  My first milestone is 229 - I have not been under 230 for years. 

Just finished a 6.93 mile run - thanks to my Endomondo app.  Free.  Incredible.  Maps run, splits... I burned 1242 calories.  It was wind chills in the teens and I ran on icy trails.  Ran my Galloway Method 5 Minutes run, 1 minute walk...  Just slowed down because of the cold, ice and snow.  11:30 minute miles average but crazy snow where I was blazing new trails.  My first winter half in a week from Saturday.  My goal is to finish - it is a fun trail one. Funny but from all the water I am drinking felt like I had to pee the entire run! 

Going to the pool this afternoon.  First time in three months.  My goal is to go three times this week and just enjoy swimming 20 lengths - 500 yards each time.  Just easy and get back into it.  So nice to have a day off.

Thank you everyone for your feedback.  I am following the six week beginner's triathlon training from Triathlete magazine - this month's issue.  Switching the days to fit my schedule. 

Just a note.  My heart rate was a little higher today from running in the snow.  I just slowed down.  At my age, 52, the crunch of the snow beats a faster time.  Listened to Pandora "Chicken Fried Radio" - Zac Brown Band.  Good stuff. 

Have a great day everyone.  Drinking water and watching portion sizes are my goal.  Then playing around with this web site to figure it out.

Daniel

WOW you all have been busy!!!! Thanks for posting the links and the tables You are a very self sufficient group!!!

I find that navigating this site is a little difficult at first...I should preface this by saying I am NOT a computer person. Once you play with it enough you learn the little short cuts. I still cannot post pics without help!!!! I know that Erica is very good at the pics!!!!

Membership on the site. This is really an individual choice. I pay for the gold because I feel like this site "gives" me so much it is my way of giving back. I dont really use the advantages of a gold membership. But like Chris said, the descriptions can be found on this site..just search memberships.

I had a fantastic run yesterday outside in very cold weather. The temp said 10* but with windchill it was probably colder. One of my friends asked me if I wanted to join him on a Soup Group Run. I am not a fst runner and just starting back after an injury so I was a little hesitant but thought lets try this! This group started as a few guys who ran together from one persons house and when they returned the wife was making soup so they ate. They had such a good time they decided to do it the following week. A year later they have a running group. There were about 20 people there yesterday. They had 3 routes 3, 5 and 7 miles. They all left at different times so people would return around the same time for soup!!!! Now each week they meet at different houses and someone makes different soup. Its a great idea and could be replicated in any community. Next week we run in a different town. Its fun to see other peoples routes and breaks up the monotony of the same run all the time. For those who think they are "too slow"...think again...I ran with my dear friend who says he "runs the fastest 10 minute mile". We actually ran about 12:30 pace...it was cold and we talked alot....sometimes its not about the speed its about the love of the sport and the frienships along the way.

Nice work Daniel. I too am going to the pool.

I am down ZERO this week. Good news is my weight is not UP!!!!!! Going to really try and control nightime eating this week ...perhaps I will shed 1 pound.

mav - I'm totally impressed that you ran outdoors yesterday; that was the kind of cold that freezes the insides of nostrils when you breathe!

My weight down 1# from last week's average.  I know mine can vary 4-5# from one day to the next, so I've got to take the long view of this.  Spinning at the Y this morning and drinking water today

I got the Silver membership so that I could get detailed training plans and easier logging, and I'm very glad I did it.  It works better for me to have specific instructions for each workout (speed work, hills, endurance, HR zones, etc.)  and the schedule already laid out.  I do switch the days around to fit the family calendar.   I have a very simple Timex HR monitor (it counts and averages, that's it).  Also I use the BT app for iPhone - very helpful for logging workouts before I forget!

Cheers

I'm down 1 lb. for the week.  I tend to fluctuate quite a bit throughout the day, too!  I will make an effort to weigh myself at the same time each day and start logging my weight in my training blog.  I've also started to log my food intake, but it seems so time consuming so not sure how long that will last!

Time to chug some water!!

Daniel here...

Oh my!  Swimming is tough!  It has been a long time.  I followed the Triathlete six weeks to a sprint workout program.  Warm Up    16 lengths - 400 yards

                            Main Set     10x50 Sprints with 1 minute rests between

                            Cool Down   12 lengths - 300 yards slow non stop

Got it done but tough.  Believe it or not, thinking about the group kept me going.  A couple things...  My heart rate monitor does not work in the water so I have no idea calories burned...

Also, kind of funny, to get my 7th graders to read novels, I said last school year I would not cut my hair if the kept reading.  It has been a year - they are 8th graders now but my 7th grade class picked up the deal.  I used to shave my head.  I now have very long hair.  It was all over the place.  May need a head cap!!! 

Enjoy your days...

Daniel

Kristen!

Great job losing a pound!  My long term goal is a pound a week to hit my goal weight next Thanksgiving.  Great job.  I just read that people that log what they eat lose twice as much weight as those who do not!  Keep going...

Daniel

Daniel, You must explain to your students the concept of "drag". LOL

There is a book called "You Are An Ironman" by Jacques Stienberg. It is a book about 6 ordinary people and their journey to complete Ironman Arizona in 2008. One of the people chronicled in the book is my friend and my mentor from BT Bryan Reece. Its a very easy read. I know Erin has read it...its quite a tear jerker in the end. It is very inspiring. I met the author in Arizona this fall. He was intrigued by the sport of triathlon and did the book with admiration for those of us "mere mortals" who sacrifice in order to train and complete an ironman race. I would highly recommend this book...when you are done you can send Bryan a private message with your thoughts...he loves it when people read the book.

Yeah Erin and Kristen. Congrats on your losses!!!!!!!

I have met my water goal today!!! I quite like the Poland Springs Sparkling Seltzer water...it has a touch of lemon lime or orange. Its quite good and zero calories. No artificial sweetners.

Today I did one hour of intervals on the bike, 30 mins in the pool and some weights. I also am trying to do 15 minutes of core work every other day. BT has a great set of core exercise listed under "articles"...they even have a video of a person demonstrating technique. It takes less than 15 minutes to do a set of 10 each...guaranteed to strengthen your core. If you do it each morning when you log on ...you will be stronger by spring!!!!!

For those who are looking for a good mid winter run and live in Massachusetts, there is a 10 miler and flat 5 K in Foxboro on february 19th. You can register at www.active.com/running/foxboro-ma/oldfashioned-10miler-and-fast-5K-2012. Its $25 for the 10 miler and $15 for the 5 K. I think I am going to do the 10 miler. Who's in??? Erica you now you want to!!!!!

I've been thinking about that 10 miler and even printed out the reg form; it would be a good practice before the Quincy HM.  But I don't want to run in a blizzard!   I'll do it if the forecast is not horrible that week.  Yay!  I love having events on the schedule.

So I just rode my bike on my new/used trainer for the first time.  I see how it can be boring, hot, etc,- but I have missed my bike so much that I actually enjoyed it! And it's quite chilly in our basement.  Plus I watched Downton Abbey undisturbed by munchkins     And I confess that I ate horrible snack food this afternoon and felt compelled to burn a few more calories. Now I can sleep with a clear conscience

Thats a Great workout, Thanks for sharing!

Got my run in today, a short cold 2 miles.  but first run after baby! Felt good.

Well, I discovered I am actually down 3 pounds from before I left for Florida. Might be the gin & tonics, but I'd probably chalk it up to the warmer weather since we did eat out a few times. Drank 44 ounces of water today, unless you count coffee and orange juice, and can get in the rest before I go to sleep. Today was a total bust training wise, massive headache, probably from the travelingl. Back to the Y tomorrow morning.

Erin, I also love those British dramas on Masterpiece Theater! Wouldn't it be great if they had those on the TVs at the Y!

I've added everybody to my list; hope I've done it right. This whole blogging and online back and forth is new to me, although we do some pretty technical stuff at work I've been reluctant to actually "chat" with anybody on the computer in the past.

Marianne and Team Mav, what do you think about the Title 9 tri in Hopkinton on Sept. 9? Do you think that would be a good one for me to sign up for? It looks like Danskin Tri in Webster (sometime in July, it doesn't say exactly) isn't ready for signups yet. Marlborough Tri is June 10 which seems like it might be too early for me since I am just starting out and hillier terrain than the others, I think. That's too bad because that's really the only course I am familiar with (as a spectator). Advice from all welcome. A signup will be a good goal.

-- Nancy

Nancy, I did the Hopkinton Title 9 last September...  it was a lot of fun and would be a great one for you to do!  It was very beginner friendly - they even had a beginner wave...  Nice, calm swim in the reservoir at the state park and you didn't have to navigate many buoys b/c it was pretty much a straight swim.  The bike leg had a few hills, but nothing too crazy, mostly flat.  That race just has great energy, I thought!  And Max Performance (they put on Hopkinton Title 9) offers swim clinics the summer leading up to the race if you have any reservations about doing an open water swim.  I went to one of their clinics last year and found it very helpful.  If my schedule allows, I'll do the Hopkinton tri again this year.  I'm just debating between that one and Buzzards Bay which is the following weekend...  I don't think I could do back to back races!  You should totally register for Hopkinton, you'll love it!

-Kristen

I like both these races.

Danskin will open soon. It is a great race for first timers. I will warn you...the bike course has one very big hill. ANyone can do it if they train, but its a technically difficult bike..I think that She Rox series may actually be the race in July and Danskin will be in September. Its the exact same course just different sponsors. Do which ever one is in July...that way you are free to do Title 9 in September!!!!!

Why not do both racesI love Title 9. Its a fun race. Great race director. The bike is OK...some of the roads are a bit patchy. I am glad they are doing it early in Sept, because it can get somewhat chilly after that date

A little advice about trainer rides from a person who dislikes them but they are a necessary evil of off season training. Get a fan and set it up to blow on you. You dont have to turn it on when you first start but when you warm up you will want it. Hang a towel over your bars to manage sweat. Pick a work out and do it...there are some on BT. Jorge's winter bike plan will help you build strength on the bike. If you dont want to do that one make your own. include a warm up some higher cadence and strength work and a cool down. For example...

warm up: ride 8 mins EZ 

main set: next 30 mins do 2 mins hard effort at a cadence of 80 then 3 mins EZ cadence of 90.

Next 2 mins spinEZ 8 mins moderate effort 2 mins EZ x2

Cool down: 10 min spin EZ.

This will give you an hour of higher intensity work rather than just spining.

I have a little table that I set up next to the trainer. I keep the TV remote, extra fluids and my written workout on the table. I watch TV on mute and listen to music(very loud). You should be drinking at least one sports bottle of water for each one hour you ride

All that being said, if you dont have a trainer you can ride a bike at the gym or do a spin class. If you are training for anything over an olympic distance race you will want to invest in a trainer.