Razorxp Group Is CLOSED (Page 50)

The other thing to practice is fogged goggle and goggles that get water in them.  About once a training swim I pretend to fill them with water so I can flip the bottom up and drain it almost in mid swim.  

Another tip for those who have never done an open water swim you need to practice sighting in the pool.  It will feel weird at first  but I have yet to do a OWS with lines on the bottom. Heck the Ohio river you couldn't even see your hand enter the water is was so mucky.

Once you feel comfortable swimming try closing your eyes for just a couple strokes to see how offline you get then pop you head up and sight.  Ideally you will be right online.  If your like my father in-law he can literally swim in a circle and not even know it until he sights again. (FYI thats not good)

Funny you mentioned sighting - I did an easy 1200Y today and figured I would work on my sightiing since its been a while.  I tried to sight 2 times per 25Y.  Its good to work those neck muscles too.

I was having issues with my calves cramping up at end of long OWS's when trying to get wetsuit off.  A buddy of mine who swam in college and also did tri's after college suggested that I try doing a breaststroke kick about 100Y out from end of swim just to use some different muscles.  I tried it twice and it seemed to work. 

Haven't been kicked yet in a swim - but I am super concious of it although last year I stayed toward the rear of the swim start wave.  This year I am going to try and be a little more competative.

Muscle weighs more than fat.  Also, I agree, you may be putting your body into starvation mode.  I know how hard it is to imagine but you MIGHT have to eat more to lose weight.  Starvation mode comes from our days in the cave.  In winter we would slow down and not eat as much.  The body would respond by saving all the calories it could.  It gets stinghy.  Won't let go.  If we eat too little to fuel the workouts the same thing happens. A great logging tool can be found at livestrong.com.  Registration is free.  Under your profil is myplate.  You can list a food, tell how many servings you had qand it will add up your calories every day.  You can set your calorie limit and it will track that for you.  And under the fitness tab, you add what edxercise you do and how long and the program adds those calories in.  The goal is to be about 500 cals a day under whqat you are burning for a one pound per week loss.  Cut more than that and beware of the starvation mode and of general weakness.  You need to fuel to get everything you can out of the workouts.  After dropping to 33 inch waist and 200 pounds recently, I changed from losing to maintanence. I can't eat as much as they want me to in a day.  But I've been eating good breakfast, lunch and dinners and a snack before bed AND fueling before during and after longer workouts. I feel strong and like I'm getting everything out of the workouts I can.  Really haven't felt this good and strong since I started this stuff in 2005.  I've felt strong before, but always felt like I was having to push hard to finish.  Now I have the calories to burn and I can tell the difference.  I will always watch the waistline.  If I should gain, the weight-loss mode will kick in.  But meanwhile, I'm learning to fuel for the long distances and feeling good about it.
 

  

 

 

 

Missed a big swim day yesterday, but I can recover.  I'll only end up dropping a 1250yd swim from the plan this week if all goes well AND still have a day off on Friday.  Two rest days in one week?  Seriously?

And Scott is right about putting our bodies in starvation mode.  I am officially a bottomless pit and eat like a horse.  I've been putting on some muscle while still trimming down.  My fiance, who is focused on losing weight, is having problems because she is hungry but not eating enough to sustain her metabolic activity.  I keep telling her that if she's hungry and super-active, she needs to eat but make sure it's quality calories.

Unlike the tiramisu that we both ate last night

Got my first outdoor ride in yesterday.  Felt so good to be outside again although it was a bit chilly (for me).  Did a route with rolling hills.  I was happy that I still had my climbing legs after a winter of trainer time. 

My first race is coming up on April 17th so 7 weeks away.  I'm losing a week of training in March because we're going skiing but last year taking that week off was the best thing for me.  Before the ski trip last year, I couldn't swim more than 2 laps freestyle without stopping.  First swim after the trip, I could go as much as I needed non-stop. So, moral of the story; if you need help swimming, go skiing, lol.

Seems like we're all doing a little better with the training this week.  Everyone keep up the good work. 

I guess I should have stayed on the slopes a bit longer last weekend damn it LOL. You sure you are not talking about water skiing

BTW - just a bit jealous that you are riding outside already - the only riding outside I could be doing would be on a ski-do

Edited by kcgolf 2011-02-23 3:57 PM

So nice to ride outside! to me in just give such motivation.  Where are you going skiing? 

Rob I killed a whole tiramisu on Monday night with clients, was soooo good.

Come on KC lets go water skiing this weekend Ill pick you up lol.   Why do you think your a slow poke on the bike?



I had a spin class that almost killed me tonight, had approx 15 1min ints w/hills in-between.  Felt soo good wish it was a 3 hrs class.


Edited by razorxp 2011-02-23 8:32 PM

It has been a bit quite in here tonight - thanks for showing up Coach. Have a great night.

KC

Hopefully everyone is out training!

Steamboat Springs, CO.  We'll be there March 14th-18th if anyone wants to drop by



Edited by cspreiter 2011-02-23 10:34 PM

The results of the indoor tri came in and it looks like a) I didn't use my head when told certain things and therefore, b) I followed the wrong strategy on the bike.

I was told awhile ago that distance measured on the bike was a function of RPMs and wattage.  So I tried to strike a balance.  Not true.  It's pure RPMs.  So, the people that placed at the top were coolly spinning away in low gear and I was working at throwing down some bigger watts.  That put me 24th out of 33 participants on the bike.

On the swim I was third for distance and 1st on the run.

Overall, I placed 6th and I'm not going to complain about taking the wrong strategy.  It is what it is.  I think though that if I were to follow that same strategy outdoors that I did inside, there would be significantly different results as compared to just spinning in a low gear.  It makes sense.  If you think about it - if you have a really light gear and are just spinning and spinning and spinning - you ain't going anywhere very fast.

The wheels fell off of training this week and I'm going to have to make some bigger adjustments to the plan.  My volumes on the bike have been bigger in the past than planned, so I'm not that concerned.  I've got a big run and a big swim to throw down before next week comes in.  I think I might sacrifice a bike workout this week to accomodate that - It's LSD on the bike that's going to go.

Congrats on the tri!  I'm sure it was nice just getting out there and competing.  Spring is coming!!

Had a breakthrough swim yesterday!  There was a 300 yard continuous (any stroke) drill in the middle.  So far I hadn't been able to do more than 100 and felt spent after.  So I decided to try for 150 before turning on my back and swim that way to recover.  Felt fine at 150 so I decided to try for 200.  Felt fine at 200 so why note try for 250.  Got to 250 and still felt good so kept going to 300.  The amazing thing is that after 300 I could have kept going!  I was on cloud 9 and almost shpouted with joy after the set!  1600 yatd total workout.  Wish I could get back to the pool today.

Today was a run day.  6 miles on the treadmill at 3% incline.  I was able to do it in 47:23. 

All and all, this week was a success for me!

I am doing Tough Mudder New England to help raise money for the Wounded Warrior project.  If any one would like to donate, even a small amount, please click on the link below.  All money donated goes directly to the Wounded Warrior Project.

https://www.raceit.com/Fundraising/fundraise.aspx?event=2837&fundraiser=1221

good morning everyone.  i have not trained like i have wanted to because of scheduling issues this week.  today is supposed to be a long run and swim. 

i saw a website where you put in your 10k run time, your pool yds per week and your bike watts.  then it gives you your estimated time for completing certain distances.  i put mine in and it said i would complete a HIM in 6:30.  i figured that i coul ddo it between 6-6:30.  i am frustrated becasuse i am so competitive that i want to do better then that.  the main reason i am frustarted is that i started this thing because i wanted to complete an IM not compete in an IM.   now that i have started training i am looking at times and that is frustrating me.  i really want to do this and enjoy it not make a competition out of it.  i guess i am venting about issues i have always had.  i have always been ultra competitive and i am not saying that is bad but i wish there was one aspect (tris) where i did not have to be that way.  oh well enough whining.

Awesome work - way to go - (jealous fo the swim) - keep up the awesome work!
KC

Edited by kcgolf 2011-02-24 9:29 AM

Don't lose sight that all of this is supposed to be fun!  That's what is nice about being a middle of the packer.  We know we're not going to win, so might as well just enjoy the ride as much as we can. 

Rob: for this race your strategy may have been faulty but your right about once you get outside, I want to see how fast someone can go in a granny gear for 25miles. Great job!!

Keith, thats a huge improvement to go from 100 to 300.  3% 6mile is a tough run, good drill to simulate the outdoors is do 1/2mile at 1.5 then shoot up to 5-7% for 1/2 then back down.  That way you get some fatigue in leg and once on flat turnover should pickup.   Keep up the hard work!

Keith, I did my 1st HIM as a CAF and raised money for the wounded warrior fund, had (not positive on his name) but Major Dave (have a copy of his book)???? he was a double amputee that did the race.  Great guy, and such a awesome athlete.

Jason: join the club  I want to be competitive in HIM & IM's but in my AG I would have to go around 4:15 in a half and 9:40 or faster in a full.  Those are just freakish times if you back into them.  My first HIM was 6:05ish and should be if I can train around 5:00flat this year.  So you can make progress, but unfortunately if you can't go 25mph and run a 6mm it will be tough to really compete (top 5ag).  I have accepted that and just race for me and maybe a kona slot will roll down to the top 150 lol....

If I can do this sport long enough maybe I will be fast, I am very competitive against the 75-80yr old age groupers..lol  Heck my most competitive half was top 400 out of 1600 and I was still 56 in my AG, so if your in the 30-34/35-40/40-44/45-50 you better get training. :-) 

Keith FYI that ling just hangs and won't load?  Ill try again later.

I wouldn't worry about times for your first 1/2.  I think it is more important to have a positive experience and finish strong and get a good baseline for future races.  If you go out at a pace you can't sustain then bonk on the run and end up walking most of the time you are going to be completely dissapointed.  Set a reasonable goal for your first one - 6:15 or like that then see how you feel.  There are too many factors such as weather, equipment and health that play a role into your time that it is not worth driving yourself nuts. 

I was shooting for 6 hours last year in Branson - It was 70 degrees for the swim start, by the time I was 30 miles into bike it was 85 and 6 miles into run it was a real feel of 100 degrees.  That coupled with the 6000' of climbing - there was no way I was gonna meet my 6 hour target.  I finished strong though and comletely enjoyed the experience at 6:34.  I felt a little better when people said it was the toughest course on the 70.3 circuit.  Either way now I have a time goal to beat this July and am fairly confident I can.

Setting realistic goals is HUGE in these longer distance races.  Just be smart about and trust what you are really capable of doing.

Nice job Rob!!  6th place is awesome especially with the whole bike issue.