The Mac's training group - CLOSED! (Page 5)

WOOHOO Bryan! 2x200m? That's huge! Seriously! Congratulations. Bet the lifeguards totally ignore you now.

Joshua, hang in there. Sorry 'bout the pool.

Both of you need to kick my butt to get in the open water ... I live 2 blocks from the ocean (very swimmable ... site of LA Tri's swim) and I am a CHICKEN about the cold water. Got to remember ... a lot of triathletes would kill to live where I do ... be grateful, and get my damn feet wet!

Supercheers for Boneboy! You are definitely the cheerleader and affirmation guru of the group. Don't know if you'll read this before tomorrow, but I (we!) are throwing such joyful thoughts your way. No matter what happens, the important thing is that you have put yourself out there in training and in the race. For that, and for the constant inspiration for others to do the same, you are already a great triathlete to me.

As for me ... I've really enjoyed my recovery week. Phew. I sure needed a rest! And today ... LOOK MOMMY, NO HANDS! I actually and unintentionally rode the bike hands-free for a few seconds today ... my jersey had bunched up so I pulled it down ... and realized I did it with both hands! A couple of weeks ago I couldn't take ONE hand off the bike, which of course made gears and nutrition difficult. Not that I plan to do a lot of handless riding, ha ha, but I am developing "bikefeel." Yay!

In the vein of gratitude ... I will never know why some of us get to be here (in the world) and some of us leave early ... I don't know if this is a metaphysical or just a luck-of-the-draw thing ... I don't know why some of us have able bodies and minds and some of us don't ... all I know is that every day I'm above ground and sucking air, I feel like I have won the lottery.

Edit P.S.  Bryan--those before and after pics are incredible (he posted a link in the "one year later" thread). You don't look like the same person at all. Super congratulations on all your hard work and your generosity to our little training group. Anyway, this week being your anniversary and Boneboy's imminent triathlon de-virgination has been such tremendous inspiration.

CONGRATULATIONS BONEBOY!!!!!

You are so my hero.

Happy Hump Day, all!

I've already had a momentous week ... first group ride, first master's swim workout, first ocean training swim (details in log). I love being a newbie to tri ... so many delicious firsts! Guaranteed PRs on everything until I repeat a race or a standard distance (and even then, a course PR)!

Hey Pete, I did the Triathletix ocean circuit this morning--were you there? You're right, the water temp was great!!! And nice ride on your log yesterday. Were you one of the tight tushies receding into the distance? I was on the Playa Ridazz ride ...

PJOinSM - 2007-07-31 2:13 PM heyas, Yeah I was there last Tuesday, but missed the OWS due to work meetings early AM. I am the one that is clearly a clydesdale in the group and also the only one without bike shoes/clipless pedals (maybe this weekend I will finally take the plunge...). The playa ride is great as you will get faster in a hurry. Week 1 I was dying and struggling to keep up and now I can stay with the middle sprint group (about 22-30 mph, depending on wind) on that sprint after the left turn. Try to keep going if possible as it will help out your bike skills, the people are very nice and of course you get to ride near the beach

Ha ha ha, Pete--I'M supposed to be the clearly-an-Athena (not so clear anymore, though, I'm joyfully told) without bike shoes/clipless! Set off to go there this morning with my training partner but she blew a flat before we got there. We still went in case any late stragglers but wound up doing the ride ourselves; it was very nice. Probably better I had an easier ride since still recovering from a 14-mile run over the weekend.

I just went clipless and I HIGHLY recommend it. I was also terribly afraid of cost but the shoes, pedals, a computer, water bottle cage, installation/labor of all and bike fit ran me $150 at Helen's Cyclery in Marina del Rey. Of course, you could do that all yourself, but those guys are the BEST. (Don't go to the one in Santa Monica. I have not heard good things about it). I also have the LA Tri Club discount, though. 

Bryan, super good luck on your tri!!! Thanks for checking in, it's always really encouraging when one of us posts on here.

Boneboy, we are sooooooo proud of you. WOW! Congratulations!!! Now you're irreversibly one of "us," yep, the "Pod People," you are not the same man anymore and never will be.

Kudos especially for attacking all the gnarly hills. 

Lompoc Tri?! Came so close to doing that but signed up for Pendleton instead. Yeah, I know, a bit south for you! But Lompoc seems like a wonderful race, and hey, pool swim--can't beat that!

And a thought regarding running ... one that a Bone Doc might appreciate ... while the running purists thumb their noses at me, I can easily do a 12-min mile on a 1:1 run/walk ratio (although when land running, I train at a 3:1 13:00, which theoretically places me as an 11:00/mile marathoner. Theoretically.) But in any case, run-walk ratios save my joints and ultimately make me faster since I don't tire out or cramp up. Having had multiple stress fractures and a plethora of other impact/overuse injuries, and wanting to run for another 70 years or so, God willing, I am very interested in saving me ol' bones! 

Hi everybody! Checkin' in and wanting a spot of advice.  I'm doing my third sprint this weekend--yay! exciting! it'll be my first ocean-swim tri, first clipless-pedal tri, and the bike leg is 18mi.

BTW super good luck to Boneboy who is doing his second tri this weekend!

The taper just feels weird after the big volumes I've been doing lately. The plan (mostly based on what was possible acc. to my work schedule):

Monday--nothing (I did this very well. Okay, a few miles of brisk walking)

Tuesday--30-40 min. on a stationary, with a few "hills" (up resistance) and some 30-60s "sprints" (actually about 80%) to keep my legs fresh, then an easy 3-4mi run

Wednesday--OWS, 1500-2000m

Thursday--morn: 45 min. on real bike, flats, with 30-60s sprints, then a super-easy 30min run. Eve: 2000-2500m long easy freestyle swim, probably some rests, probably some kicking, a teensy bit of I.M.

Friday--nothing.

Saturday--RACE DAY!!!

Does this seem reasonable? Any thoughts?