The Second Wind Group - CLOSED (Page 5)

Glad to hear your scan went well Otter...praying for good results.

Good that you got your workout in Gomesbolt. Colds while training are not fun!

Looking for opinions on weight lifting and triathletes. Does anyone weight train? How do you fit it in?

Anyone care to share their trianing schedules?

Right now I try to run 3x, bike 2x, and swim 2x. In June I will be running 3x, bike 3x, and swimming 4-5x.

jwoody- Marty Freeza, a longtime triathlete who has run 30 Ironman races, multiple ultras, etc etc told me once that squats were the only weight training he has done for a long long time.  He said your quads, glutes, hammys kick-out growth hormone when you work them out and it benefits your whole body.  I'm not questioning him on this one...haven't even bothered to look it up because he's 68 yrs old and can still run a sub-3:30  marathon.

The idea I had recently was to buy an EZ curl bar, 4 35lb plates, and keep them in the garage.  The night before my morning swim workouts, I could hit a few sets of squats, lunges, and then some curls (just for doing the gun-show for my wife and kids...I don't think you ever really use your guns in a tri).  3 sets of 20 reps would take about 30 minutes.  Hit the hay, next morning get up and go swim with sore legs.

Training sched right now: run 3x, bike 3x, swim 2x.  I'm fortunate in that the Lord made me a good swimmer.  Running is another story...

Gomesbolt - I strongly recommend that you pick up some Lecrae...gospel rap in general is awesome (if you can stand the style).  Since it's word-based there's so much more doctrine that is presented and for working out...it gives me a boost, at least.  My wife hates it though.

I have been doing quite a bit of strength training for the past few years.  I've done several rounds of p90x and other very intense workout systems.  When I got the crazy idea to "tri" I've basically not touched my weights since.  I do plan to start working push ups into my runs soon, though.  For me, since I'm brand new to this I and pretty anxious about getting "up to speed" to be able to finish, I've gotten tunnel visioned and worked exclusively on tri stuff.  My 1st race is in mid June and has a 7 mile run.  I'm basically busting my behind to be able to run that far (since I never have) and then once I get there I'm sure my training will change quite a bit.

For me personally my schedule looks roughly like this: run 3X, bike 2X, swim 2X, with at least 1 brick in there.

After I get  a few races under my belt I definitely will get back to adding more core and then strength training into the mix.   Most of my strength training recently has been fast-twitch stuff and I don't see a direct correlation to achieve my short term tri-goals.   I think core strength is very critical for a tri-athlete too so I'll move back to adding that in first.

dprocket- Running farther is a funny thing.  If you set-off on an 18 mile run, you'll feel like stopping at mile 16.  If you set-off on a marathon, you feel like stopping at mile 22.  If you set-off on a 3 miler, you want to stop at mile 2.5.  If you want to train for distance, pick a day and say "I'm running 9!" and then just go out and run 9.  There's much to be said for taking it at your pace, but I think there's more to be said for just doing the longer distance and skipping the stuff in-between. 

I run longer runs with a credit card and ID so I can stop somewhere and get a gatorade or something.  That removes the concern about getting dehydrated and I don't have to carry a lot of stuff.

One last thing.  Ive been reading "Born to Run" by Chris McDougall and, while I don't recommend ditching your shoes and running the 7 miles in bare feet right away, I'm sure a few of the concepts really pay off in distance running. 

Stuff like speeding-up your cadence.  That in-turn makes you land on the forefoot/midfoot which in-turn prevents stuff like Runners Knee, Plantar's Facitis, Shin Splints, and Achilles problems.  The thesis of the book is that Man is a natural Ultramarathoner and we've gotten worse as distance runners since Nike put a cushioned heel on our shoes.  It makes for an interesting read and it gives you something to think about as you're running "Cadence, foot strike, etc etc."

It's interesting when you consider nearly all the best distance runners currently come from nations where people wear sandals at best, and go barefoot for most of their childhood.

Prayers going out to Chick who's racing this weekend!

Prayers also to all you guys who crashed, got too busy, got the bug that's going around, or just need the Lord to reach down and pick you up right now!  All things great and small.

GomesBolt - Thank you for the prayers.  I will need them tomorrow.  

Hard to believe the race has arrived.  It has been a long 18 weeks of training.  I feel I am as ready as I can be.  A good friend is going with me and offered to drive for me.  Hitting the road at 2:30 am to head to the site as packet-pickup starts at 5:00 am.  So, definitely an early start!  

I have been spending this week focusing on hydrating.  The hydrating is even more critical as the temps are forecasted to be 90.  For me, that means the run will be tough.  I am not the fastest and it will be around 11:30 am when I probably start the run.  Just when the heat arrives.

If anyone would like to track my progress, there is live timing available.  Select this link (http://setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=live_timing&eventID=1924).  I am bib number 260.

Also, I wrote an article that was posted yesterday on the Second Wind website about my preparation and thoughts on the race.  You can read that by select this link (http://thesecondwind.net/2012/race-week-ironman/).

Have great weekend of training and racing for anyone that has a race.  I will provide a recap about the experience in the coming days.

Good luck Chick and thanks for the live links! I'll check them out if I'm home in time.

dprocket - did your get your GPS watch yet? Thoughts? Can you use it for swimming too. I'm looking for something I can use to swim and is also a GPS. Any suggestions?

Going out tonight to check out the setup of a triathlon I might want to do next year. Looks like a decent course and it's close to home. Can't beat that!

Running a 5k tomorrow. First one since June of last year  I ran a timed test mile last night and my time was 11:28. Last June I ran a 5k in 33.38. (10.50) pace. Don't think I can come close to that yet this year. I was sick and seriously slacked in my training over this winter and it shows. Hoping to get back to speed and even better than last year!

Good luck in your training and races this weekend!

J1woody - I did get the Timex Global Trainer. Amazon has a great price on it.  It works very well and I'm pleased.  I've been using it daily for about a month now.  You can look at my workout logs and those are basically an upload from my watch.

As far as using it to swim....that's a bit of a trick.  All GPS systems lose their connection to the satellite about 3 inches under water.  Therefore, the watch will not track you while you have it on your wrist.  I have, however, seen that people fix this problem by putting the watch in a swimmers cap.  It may look a bit silly, but evidently putting it in the cap allows the GPS function to work very well.  I have not done this yet because I don't wear a cap in the pool but when I do start open water swims in a few weeks I'll give it a try.

Hi everyone.  I'm also a co-founder of The Second Wind (along with cup06champs) and have been competing in triathlon for about 1.5 years now.  Just did my first race of the season last weekend-- a sprint distance nearby where I live to check my training progress.  I'm working towards an international distance race this season in September and will tackle a few other races along the way.  I thoroughly enjoy swimming and biking and am learning a ton about running. Looking forward to connecting with and encouraging others within the group!

JP 

Congratulations on the Half Iron Man chick!  I tracked you a bit in the morning on Saturday morning and was praying for you.  Isn't it great to achieve goals.  This morning I'm talking with my class about Philippians and when Paul says "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" I'm reminded that Christ is the source of all growth in our lives in the past, present and future. 

Have a great day today everyone!

Welcome back stegaman.  Glad you're back on the horse.  I'm sure the first run back is the toughest.  Before your crash your workouts were looking pretty good!  

This weekend I did a brick workout of 26 miles + 3.5 mile run. It was over 90 degrees and very humid here in KC.  I really struggled with my run, far more than I expected.  I'm wondering if I've bitten off more than I'm ready for.  I have had a goal of trying to do a HIM in September, but I'm wondering if that goal is too aggressive.  Any thoughts?  I only started this sport about 1.5 months ago.  Does anyone have any thoughts?  

Thank you David for your prayers and everyone else who said a prayer for me this past Saturday.  What an experience that was.  Definitely the hardest physical and mental challenge I have ever done.

It was a long, hot day.  My wave started at 7:05 am.  Swam the 1.2 miles in 39 minutes.  The first 600-700 meters was difficult as everyone was jockeying for position.  Once we made it to the turn buoy, I was able to get into a decent rythm.  My transition was pretty good after the 300 yd run from the lake to T1. 

On the bike, I was feeling great through 25 miles.  I have a road bike and I was getting past by all of those competitors on those fancy tri-bikes, but that did not matter.  When we made a turn with 30 miles to go, we had a headwind for the rest of the bike.  I was toast after that.  Try to work into that headwind was tough.  Time on the bike was 3 hrs 17 min.  Once I made it to T2, I knew the run was going to be difficult. 

At this point the temperature was 90 and bright sunshine.  No where near the conditions you want to run in.  I just knew there was nothing I could do and I simply needed to embrace the conditions.  I changed into my Second Wind shirt that has Isaiah 40:31 on the back.  Just praying that God would use me for His glory and allow that verse to be an encouragement to fellow competitors on the run.  I had about 5 interactions with competitors who thanked me for having that encouragement on my back.  There were aid stations every mile and with the heat, it was a blessing they were there.  They provided cold, wet towels that you could put over your head or wring the cold water out over your head.  That felt great.  Anything to keep the body temperature down.  The stations also had water, Heed, Cola, orange slices and salty snacks.  Because of how spent I was from the bike, I could not get my legs moving.  I had to walk a lot.  Regardless, I made it to the finish line with a total time of 7 hrs 4 min 11 sec.

Again, an amazing experience.  Thanks again for all of your prayers and support.

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Ditto Welcome Back Stegaman!  You and me both have our Olys coming-up fast (June 2nd right?) so we need to push each-other to get ready.

dprocket, great brick! There's a ton of posts on the Triathlon Talk section about the heat so I think everyone is facing that at this time of year.  I think anyone can get to an HIM in 4 months, but will you have fun doing it or will you be forcing yourself the entire way?  I think you're off to a good start with the brick you ran.  That's a great brick workout.  But do you have the time to dedicate to a 56 mile ride followed by a 13 mile run?  That's why I'm figuring I'll have to stick with Olys for a while.

Chick! Great pictures and looks like you were running strong at the end.  I tried to track you on my ipad but it didn't work. 

I'm fighting off this bronchitis/cold/thing and I really wanted to keep going with my long run/long brick workouts but I had to force myself to do nothing this morning.  My kids were awesome last night.  I took them on a 1-mile run around our block (our block is exactly 400 M around) so we ran 3 laps and I said "one more is a mile" and they took-off!  Pretty awesome.  They were actually running too.  Probably a 10-11 min pace.  With water breaks, I gave myself a 12 min 1 mile last night on my training log... Have a good week everyone!

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Thanks stegaman.  One of the biggest lessons that I learned is you can never be fully prepared for what comes your way in regards to conditions.  I know what the weather forecast called for.  It was a whole different story come race day.  It was an extremely hot week here in NC leading up to the race.  To the point where it was just barely wetsuit legal (78 degrees).  Then on the bike, the final 30 miles were into a headwind with guts.  That took a lot out of me.  It was the run that was to toughest.  It was 90 degrees when I started.  Made for a long, long 13.1 miles.

I did well in the swim and felt really good about that.  Felt really good in the first 25 miles of the bike, then the headwind hit.

I felt my nutrition plan worked well.  About 3 hours before the race had 2 bagels with peanut butter, banana and accelerate.  Then 20 minutes before swim start had a Gatorade perform.  On the bike I had 5 GU's and 2 bottles of accelerate, along with a couple of water bottles at aid stations on the bike course.  Then on the run, took fuel at every station (water, Heed, cola, orange slices and cold/wet towels). 

I am working on my detailed race report to post on The Second Wind site that I will also share here.

Next up for me is the continue of training of the group for a 5K.  We are in week 5 of 12.  My next event is a sprint on June 2.

Congrats Chick! Looks like you did well! At this point, I can't even imagine doing such an event!

Ran my 5k in 34.05 - 10:50 pace. Not my fastest, but pretty good for me.

Still deciding if I need a GPS watch. I really like the idea of knowing exactly how fast I'm running at certain times, but don't really need all the fancy data it gives. Kind of an expensive toy. Not really sure if the investment is worth it.

Ran on the treadmill last night because of the weather. Wow, I am super slow on it. I felt like I was working really hard, but my time was awful. I've only run on one a few times and I can't seem to run at my regular pace or anything even close. Thoughts?

I added weight training in this week. Planning on doing it 2X/week. Also added in some yoga.  Feeling pretty fatigued from it though. Going for a swim this morning and probably skipping my bike workout this evening. Trying to up my workouts to swim 2x/week, bike 3x/week, run 3x/week, weights 2x, and yoga 2x. I'm keeping the weights to a few key exercises and the yoga to about 15 minutes.  Day off tomorrow!

J1Woody, 

I have a treadmill in my basement and when I was training for my 1st tri (an indoor sprint) that is what I trained on.  I have an ultra-marathon buddy who told me at the time that he had a hard time running on a treadmill and hated it.  I hated it too but thought it was just because I kind of run like an elephant.  Since I've been training more seriously I've been running outside and extending my distances.  On Monday I had to train indoors so I got on the treadmill again for the first time in over a month.  I ran 2 miles and it felt like I was going to die.  My pace was off.  I realized what my ultra-marathon buddy had told me was true.  I really had a hard time getting into a rythem.  So I don't think your experience is unusual.

Regarding the GPS watch...I'm kind of a gadget junkie, so to me I would hate not having it.  I also needed a good heart rate monitor so the $120 I spent for the watch, HRM and the website to analyze all of the data was a pretty good value.  

Hey guys, I hear you about the treadmills.  What I've started doing when that's the only option (hotels for example), I do hill workouts on it.  Run at a very steep incline for 10-20 seconds quick and then slow it down to a flat walk.  Then again steep fast for 10-20 then flat-walk.  Do a few of those and you get a good workout.  It's still pretty miserable.

Question for J1Woody.  Do you have a bike computer?  If not, the garmin/timex/polar gps-enabled watches double pretty well for both bike computer and running watch.  I don't have a bike computer because I have the Garmin.

I made a countdown to my races this year on an xcel spreadsheet and I send it in an email to my colleagues who are running the race with me.  It counts down to the week/hour/minute/second.  They always have a snarky response like "Thanks a lot for reminding me that I am running out of time to get in shape."

Good Morning everyone.

If you are interested in reading my race recap from the half ironman this past weekend, you can read it here.

http://thesecondwind.net/2012/white-lake-ironman-race-recap/

Enjoy and have a great day of training.