Asphalt Junkies Winter Edition - CLOSED (Page 5)

Brenda,  I haven't signed up for Muncie just yet but that is likely to be the HIM I'll do before IMWI.  I need to push the button pretty soon so I can at least save a few dollars over the full price.  Some of the Human Motor Works teammates are doing Steelhead so that is somewhat a consideration but I think it's just a little to late.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying my cycling recovery week!  Despite being a recovery week I've already gotten 4 hours of riding in but it'a ll been pretty easy stuff.  I am planning to do another 10 mile TT for the team on Friday if things work out.  The last time I was able to turn 272 watts on the compu-trainer on some really tired legs.  I'll be anxious to see if I can perform a little better this time.

Tony we have been getting hit with the snow all day.  Hoping it stops soon as Im getting sick of shoveling, lol.  Hopefully some of it melts by the weekend so I can get out for a nice long run.  Last one till after the Tour of Sufferlandria.

Brenda, the Games are apparently quite a good time.  Id most likely only compete in Triathlon however I have given thought to competing in the cycling TT event as well.  It looks like it should be fun and visiting Washington has been on mine and my wife's travel list for some time.  So it should be a great family vacation.

Winter Cycling - This should get you there but I am unable to open the plan because I am not a paying member right now.  You have to be a bronze member at least to use the plan.  

BTW, I see you guys are having a bit of chilly weather down there.  Our corporate meteorologist sent an alert to our Texas group warning of some cold temps and ice accumulations.  It sounds like a good idea to ride that bike indoors.

Joanne,  I could adapt to that schedule for work pretty easily.  I could have a couple of workouts in before I had to be at work.  I imagine you can get used to it pretty quickly unless you're used to staying up late and sleeping late.  I cannot sleep past 7 AM on most days so I'm in!! for a late workday as long as I get off by 6 PM and I keep my 4 day work week.

Derek,  I've seen the PD FD games on ESPN in the past but it has been some time ago.  I am most familiar with the FF Challenge which, when I was a FF, looked pretty fun but I never competed in any of the events.  I suppose it would be fun to compete in that event still but any of my skills would be rather tarnished at this point.  

About DC, DON'T PLAN TO DRIVE!  It is a train wreck unless you know the roads well.  I have heard little good from tourists driving around in DC.  Between traffic and the road system it can be torturous.  I have been there multiple times and I've not driven in the city at all.  I've been on a tour bus or used the subway system to get into DC proper and then walked around.

Thanks for the advice on driving Dirk.  The actual games are in Fairfax, Va., from what I can tell, it is just outside the city.   I do plan to drive down but I will have to check out some other options for getting around the city and sight seeing. 

As for the games most of the events are pretty competitive.  I check out the results from the 2013 games in Belfast and the winner of the Olympic Tri was sub 2 hours I believe.  My PB time would have put me in around 100 out of 170 I think.  As participants have to pay their own way I'm sure being in Ireland limited the participant pool for most sports.  I'm sure the 2015 games will have a much larger field.  I've kind of set a goal for my self of trying to go sub 2:20 by then.  I think this is doable as I feel I have the swim and the bike fitness to do it, it will just come down to the run.  As for right now Im just trying to get faster this season and then ill see what I need to work on for 2015.

I'm confused about the Tour of Sufferlandria, DEREK so can you explain it to my pea brain?.   It looks like you need to own each of those 12 downloads, is that correct?   And then you just do them during those 9 days in that order and chat about it on-line (well, if you're part of trainerroad then you post there too) .  Right?    Forgive my ignorance since I'm a newbie to Sufferfest.   It looks like a fun challenge but I only have 1 of the downloads that's being used.

Oh and FYI to  DIRK and JOANNE - Wisconsin Brick Adventure just posted the dates they're doing the weekend - it's August 1-3.  That's later than I was hoping but it's still doable for me, I believe.  

I think there are many aspects of my swimming that are getting better, many of which you're mentioning, but a better fitness is certainly part of the equation.

On the subject of stroke rate:  I think definitely aspects of cadence and power related efforts on the bike can be similar to stroke rate in the water.  But there are certain costs either way.  For instance, when pedaling a lower gear you have to use more muscular power to drive the pedals at a given wattage.  Conversely, pedaling at a higher cadence is less taxing muscularly (causing less burn) but the respiratory exertion seems to increase.  Thus stroke rate would appear to be similar;  A higher stroke rate would seem to drive us deeper into the oxygen deficit, causing us to want to breath more frequently.  While the longer, slower stroke rate would seem to require more power and muscular development.  (I suppose one of the reasons a longer stroke seems to work better for me is strong shoulder and back muscles, theoretically.)

You mention being gassed and wanting to breath more frequently, thus shortening your stroke.  I usually fight this (I am becoming more conscientious in my efforts) by taking more breaths overall.  For example, I am a bilateral breather making this a bit easier for me.  When I am doing hard efforts or long efforts at an uncomfortable pace, I'll usually breath an extra time for a given length.  It's done in this fashion: Normally breathing every third stroke, I alternate sides, but as I drive myself into oxygen deficit, I'll add one extra breath (or maybe 2 if I'm thoroughly gassed) by breathing on the second stroke.  So it would look like; right, left, right, left, right, right, left, right.....  I can do this for 2-3 lengths during a 500, usually done at the 50% or 75% complete marks, and catch my wind and not lose much in the order of clock time.

Finding the sweet spot:  As with cycling cadence, I believe each person has a sweet spot to find.  Each of us has an ideal numeric range that we can perform best within.  This takes time to develop and a strong conscious effort to determine.  Data can provide the easiest paths to this number but the mental games that must be played over time can wreck a persons effort if they're not determined.  I mention this because we tend to get into a groove and feel one thing or another is "just the way it is" and we become complacent and just keep doing it like we always have.  A person has to be very decisive about the way they will swim at a higher effort, higher stroke rate, longer stroke, etc. to find their personal sweet spot, and I think it can become pretty physically and mentally hard because efforts increase or decrease through the testing.

• Efforts increase because: you have to swim harder at a higher stroke rate and/or shorter stroke.  This discomfort can tire us out more quickly causing us to give up and just get the workout completed.
• Efforts decrease because: the need to stretch your stroke seems to make things easier on your body, causing us to feel like we need to swim harder, sabotaging our testing a longer stroke.

Data provides the visual reference points to determine where we can be, however RPE plays a very important role in this determination.  In my case I felt like a I had completed a moderate effort for a 500 and came in at 7:15 and a reduced stroke rate.  While this was not a PR for the distance, it was a pointer toward similar efforts with a longer time AND higher stroke rate;  Leading me to the conclusion that a lower stroke rate combined with a longer stroke is better for me..........But, my experimentation will continue.

Hi Junkies! I've been trying to run 3 days a week even though the cough has not gone away. I did get to spend a little time on a bike this last Sunday too. I still haven't gone to see a doctor about the cough yet. I'm really reluctant to spend the money to have a dr. say "its a cold, go rest" The plan is to run the 2 mile Frosty Fun Run tomorrow morning with some friends so we'll see how I do in that situation.