HILDEBEAST'S Mentor Group, CLOSED! (Page 5)

Hooray for signing up for a race, that's what keeps me motivated to train when I have the "I don't wanna" syndrome going on.  You might want to actually go watch one before if there's one nearby, I think it would be invaluable to see transition set ups and watch people go through transitions just to get an idea.  Transitions are easily the 4th sport of triathlon and an excellent place to pick up some free speed!

I think everyone should start their triathlon journey with a sprint, or a super sprint.  In fact, I am a sprinter, that's what I enjoy, I do well at them, it's a hobby, not gonna kill myself at my age to do the bucket list Ironman.  But that's ME... there seems to be an unspoken feeling that everyone should be increasing their race distances the longer they've been training for the sport, but that really isn't true.  Everyone will have a favorite distance, one they know they can do well at.  Some people do great going a little slower for the longer distances where I just wanna hammer out the swim and the bike and hang on for the run and know I'll be done in about 90 minutes!  Remember we do this for FUN!!  So I'd say start with a sprint or two and see if you think you want to go longer... I am actually doing an OLY as my first race this season, but I have 4 years of training under my belt and am actually thinking it will do me good for my sprints later in the season. 

x2!!  There are distances for everyone in this sport.  I really like the Olympic/International distance races.  

Your Olympic will be GREAT for your sprints.  

I started with a sprint.  I picked a local one in August 2009 to sign up for and started training for it in January 2009.  I wanted enough time to get ready but actually felt ready before then and ended up doing my first in May 2009.  Still did the one in August too.  I'm still doing sprints but hoping to move up to Olympic distance maybe next year.

Stan- congrats on signing up for a race!  I think going to watch a race (or even volunteering at one - that's what I did) before your first is a great idea.  Gives you a pretty good idea of how things go, especially with transitions.  You'll feel more comfortable at your race if you've seen the way things flow beforehand. 

So I didn't make it to the pool this morning.  A couple of reasons but mostly laziness.  I will go tomorrow morning though - I need the swim time.

I'm thinking about signing up for a race this weekend.  I have the choice of either 5k or 10k.  Saturday is supposed to be pretty nice here (arctic cold coming next week - brrr).  The race is part of the Ice Carnival down at the Loop.  Sounds really nice but I was hoping to get a trail run in with my new shoes on Saturday.  Now I'm not sure what to do.  I suppose it will depend on when DD wants to head back to Mizzou.  We'll have to see how the weekend goes.

Thought I'd share a blog/site that I seem to come back to quite often for some motivation and inspiration.

It's Mark's Daily Apple.  He promotes "Living Primal in the Modern World".  I don't do the paleo diet but I do read many of his post with great interest.

I also found the BEST snack to pack for lunch on his site:  Sweet and Salty Primal Trail Mix.  I add coconut to it.  If you make this be sure to find some way to control yourself or you will eat way more than you should.  I bring 1 cup to work and 'hide' the rest out of sight each day.

Hope everyone is having a great day!  

Well...I almost didn't make it today.  I'm approaching the last 24 hours of what will be a 96 hour stretch of not interacting with the outside world (National Science Foundation proposals are due this week).  I was up at 4 a.m., but not to work out.  When I go that long without people, the gym is like culture shock, and I whined all the way there.  Today the ladies locker room was filled with 6 to 8 year olds getting ready for swim team practice.  I nearly died laughing when this tiny girl came out of the restroom stall, turned to her friend, and said, "I peed through my bathing suit," and then stormed out to get in the pool.

I opted for the treadmill over a swim workout.

Wow.  The  things kids say!  Good luck with NSF.  I'm sure it's just as painful, if not more so, than NIH.  Classes start for me this week, so I'm just trying to make it through the week.

Decent run yesterday.  Steering jogging strollers is not fun, but it got the kid to sleep = worth it.  I've got to set up some time to plan my year soon.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to do a sprint in September (cheap, long bike and run, close to my parents so they can babysit).  I think I'll see if I can find a cheap short one earlier in the season too.

OK, I didn't make it to the pool again this morning.  Not really my fault though.  My daughter informed me at 8pm last night that she needed to have the car today for an appointment this morning.  There just isn't enough time for me to get to the pool for my swim then back home, get ready for work and have her take me in so she can keep the car without me being late.  So it looks like the swim gets pushed off for another day. 

Still undecided about Saturday.  I'd love to do the 10k but I just got an email from the trail running group about meeting for a run on Saturday.  Same time as the race so I can't do both.  I sort of want to test myself in a race situation (although I know I'm still running slow and will probably finish close to last), but the idea of a trail run with the group is also really appealing.  I have another day to decide.

Wow lots of activity!

Scully - good luck on finishing up the NSF grants.

Janet - trail run and you will get to the pool sometime.

Shadow - sounds like you had a great run today

Jackflash - i will have to look into the speedo pull bouy!

bearhawk - it's great you swam 600 yards!

Andrea - lunchtime swims --- love them

Page - maybe you can describe what goes into a VO2max test?  I've read about VO2 Max but haven't quite internalized what it all means.

Me --- I decided to run to work in lieu of biking due to the threat of snow/rain/ice.  Takes me as long to run as it would be to take public transportation.  We only have one car that works well in snowy conditions.  Tough, tough run.  I felt pretty uncoordinated for most of the run.  Even at times as if my legs were not a part of my body!  Like I was detached from them.  After 5 miles, had to stop and walk/run due to imminent need of restroom facilities.  Finally get to the bike locker room, take care of business, and then....had a major tweak/cramp of left groin muscle.  Took me several minutes to extract myself from the stall and 30 more minutes to shower and get dressed due to taking teeny, weeny little steps to move.  Also forgot my bra.  Luckily...I have several pashmina shawls at work.

Now the question is whether to run to my dropoff point or take the Metro home.

Wow!  Is there BEASTIENESS going on over here or WHAT!!!  Damn, who am I gonna nag to get their butt moving?  You're all doing it!  AWESOME!! 

Today was my Friday, whoo hoo!!  Doc appt tomorrow, long weekend, appt for my son on Tuesday.  For those of you that are new to me, my son Reade is 25, and just over a year ago (Nov. 19, 2011) he was at a party, had some beer and had the bright idea to play with some fireworks.  Needless to say it didn't work out well and he had his right hand amputated at the wrist.  It still hurts to think about it, but he has adapted quite well, BUT, we have yet to get a true "hand" prosthetic, and we're pretty pissed off about it.  He is getting something called an iLimb, a robotic hand, really awesome and insurance has already paid over $100,000 for the thing and he still doesn't have it.  He began fittings for it back the end of August!  So we are going to go through another prosthetic company up in Dallas who specialize in hand prosthetics.  (Hand amputations are rare compared to leg amputations).  And hope to get it all sorted out before his insurance runs out (through my husband's plan) on his 26th birthday, Feb. 11.  I'm excited to get this thing moving again, and hopefully he'll have a hand SOON!  Hardest thing we've had to go through as parents because there is NOTHING we can do to fix it.  So teach your kids to stay away from fireworks!!!!!! 

Just had a nice 3 miler myself, weather finally cracked and we got up over 60!  Shorts again!!

Hilde: Wow.  That prosthetic sounds pretty awesome, but it's not doing a lot of good right now.  My youngest has a congenital amputation just below the elbow.  I can only imagine having to adjust at that age.  Good luck!

Melanie: VO2 (simple explanation): run on a treadmill while wearing something akin to an old fashioned SCUBA helmet until you can't anymore.  If you have ever had a stress test on a treadmill, it's basically the same thing except you wear a mask to measure oxygen uptake.  Basically feels like you're running with a clothespin on your nose while breathing into a giant straw.  They are not most fun thing to do but are much better than a lot of exercise tests.  I should get a good max HR plus estimated lactate threshold level.  Let me know if you more explanation - I tend to get wordy talking about this stuff since it's what I do.

Yesterday, at 5 to 5, I get an email from my boss saying, "let's meet, my office, tomorrow at 10:30."

Translation - New course prep.

Then, this morning, I get an email, "The reality is that I will not be able to meet your relationship expectations."

Translation - I just got dumped over email.

The rest of today will be an oncology appt, followed by a Promotion and Tenure meeting in which they formally tell me I won't be getting a raise or cost of living adjustment (for the 6th year running) and they're giving my lab to a junior colleague.

Translation - Stress, stress, stress,...(sound of brain anyerism).

So, unless somebody can relate another life event that reminds me I'm fortunate to be (semi) whole and have all my limbs, the only work out I'm going to be doing today is swimming...

In a pool of my own tears.

Scully - sorry you're having such a rough week.  I hope things get better for you soon.

Melanie - hope your bike commute this morning went better than your run commute yesterday.

Went to my first yoga class last night.  Felt good to stretch out the body a bit.  Some of the moves are a little hard on my shoulder still, but I did what I could.  And I finally made it to the pool this morning.  It was busier than I've ever seen it for a weekday morning.  Usually there's a max of 2 people per lane (and a lot of times if you time it right you get a lane of your own), but not today.  There were 3 people in 2 of the 3 lanes plus another person swimming around in the open pool area next to the lanes.  I was sharing with 2 other ladies, one of which was doing rehab so she stayed down at one end.  I just did some easy swimming, trying to concentrate on my balance.  I think I lift my head a little too much when I breathe and it throws me off.  Something I need to work on.

Check back a bit and read the post about my son... um yeah, he's missing a hand, so I HOPE you feel glad to have all your limbs!!! Sure sounds like you got hit by the bad news baton all at once, but better to have it over than stay with someone who clearly doesn't want the relationship, and you DO have a job, stressful though it is.  Tomorrow is a new day.... yes, I'm an optimist who thinks things happen for a reason even though we might not know what it is (yet)... Cyber hugs coming your way, Scully!