Baowolf's Mentor Group- Closed (Page 51)

I hear that MITCH!!!!!! How close are you we are 11 days from the due date. She is already dilated 3cm!!!!!!!

Hey Jared. You are right there! We are due Oct 2nd, but she thinks any time now.... Docs appointment tomorrow so we'll see what's happening.

Very exciting! You think Ironman training is hard. A newborn will definitely get you!

I guess now that our group babies are so close to being born it's time to have our online "Welcome to the world of being a first time dad/ I have more than one kid now club". Hahahaha. You don't have to join the party if you don't want to; however, since most of you have kids you'll have the advice that comes from experience and might actually be beneficial. I, on the other hand, will give advice that works in theory. So I will set the party date for Saturday september 28th. Post as much or as little as you want to that relates to being a dad/parent, or anything else that seems pertinent. For example, I bet there are things current dad's have learned about how to take care of the baby or more importantly, take care of the wife. I think you get the point

Went to the doc today to have my wrist checked. Two more weeks of restricted work and PT 3x/week. Very thankful to still be working, but I'm ready to get back to my other gig.

Steve - how the heck are you?

Elena - hope you have a nice bike race this weekend.

Carol - I think you shuould tell Kerry (sp?) how important Idaho is for you to see at least once before you die. Or twice depending on whether you've been here or not. You know what I'm tryin to say here

Jay - So glad you are at a place where you can stop worrying about your weight. I know how challenging it is to manage and it can by so consuming. Sit back relax and enjoy!

Mitch - You do tread a thin line with a very pregnant wife and IM plans. Though it'd be great if you made it up!

Oh, and I didn't know this until today, but they moved IMCDA forward a week, which potentially means better weather. CDA weather typically starts getting really beautiful around the end of June/ July 4th. Which, I think it is important to point out, that CDA is a spectacular place to be in the summer time for vacationing purposes. Stay through the 4th of July and you get to watch an amazing fireworks show over the lake.

Just a heads up for the Napa HIM, the water will be low 50sF and there is a significant 10 mile hill in it of continuous climb, air temps cold in the morning 30s max daily temp probably 50s to low 60s, very hilly run with 6 climbs of um maybe 200 feet in the out and back for the HIM. It is beautiful, but bring a wetsuit, wear gloves and jacket on the bike and maybe on the run. It reminded me of a baby Tahoe.....not as steep of a climb but is an effort, similar to my hill of pain (6 percent slope fairly continuous).

Jay I would recommend an Oly for you early summer and a HIM in the Fall and possibly an IM the following Fall if you wanted to go that way, definitely not an IM for you next year until you get solidly healthy, you have plenty of time. Focus maybe on 1 pound per month for weight loss, nothing too drastic and just drop 10% of your calorie intake (the stuff you snack on not the meals). If I were your wife I would probably say 3-4 years before you do an IM and make you volunteer at the run finish before letting you sign up. I would want your swim to be really solid at the 3000 yard range in open water as well as swim has been iffy so far for you. (yes this is all conservative).

I walked 2 miles yesterday some twinges, nothing significant, walked 3 miles today (got snowed on). So mild stiffness here and there with the usual thing about not raising my heart rate up or my body will just say no. I can tell whether there is a downward slope to sidewalks pretty well still, but my walking pace is usual not Frankenstien ish. So I don't need any pain IBprophin or anything. I just need to rest both knees and calve for 4-6 weeks and I should be gtg. No one would know I did an IM by looking at me walking around. It is the backhanded benefit from being forced to go so slow on the run.

Edited by Baowolf 2013-09-25 9:13 PM

Quick post because I'm exhausted.

Samantha, I heard that Idaho is gorgeous!!!!!! Esp CDA. I know the small part that I have seen is stunning.

Mitch and Jared, Yay, it's almost showtime with those baby girls!

Ok, not to keep repeating over and over, IMFL sold out last year in about a minute (or maybe it was 52 sec). But volunteers get first option. I'll be volunteering so anyone here who wants my option, speak up. It does require that you be in PCB bright and early the Sunday morn after the race. Hubby will also be giving away his option but I don't know if he has promised it to anyone else. So anyone who wants......

TX, FL and AZ all nice options for IMs. I have relatives in the Boulder CO area, but it kind of doesn't exist anymore after the 500 year flood they just had last week. I will have to look at times of year and stuff. My work has some impact on my time away to go play at IMs. And I am not fond of flying with my bike either, they might break it or charge me $500 to transport it. I know many folks UPS their bikes to the LBS and back. And I might hit CDA again another year for those who want to build up to it more slowly 8). It is the closest IM other than Tahoe.

Edited by Baowolf 2013-09-25 9:29 PM

Pam - one day I will visit those places you speak of...the ones with sandy beaches, warm weather/water, and umbrella drinks. Someone ought to use your volunteering to there IM advantage.

Steve - how do you feel? Can you walk? I could barely walk, or maybe rock back and forth with straight legs, for 3 days. Guess all the extra years of training make a difference.

Ya Samantha I am feeling fine, just a little stiffness. I just have those muscle spots, tops of knees and calves to a lessor extent that I will baby for a month or so. And I wont do anything out of Z1 for at least 4 weeks. It is odd, but the longer race at a slower overall pace left me less abused. Other than those key stress points.

So, Carol, why isn't IMTX sold out already? What about the race makes people not want to do it or is it just too early in the season? Now that I am not doing IMLT next year I am stuck with trying to find a 2nd IM or wait for the following year.

glad you are feeling OK, steve. How far of a drive home did you have?

I've been using some lunchtime at work to do my walking run ramp up work. Need to bring my running shoes for tomorrow as doing some walking in work shoes is not overly foot friendly . Leg is OK today, but a bit sore from PT last night.

Samantha, I'll work on it . As you know, I'm a sucker for mountains, cool temps and scenery!

Steve, I think the issues with IMTX are primarily heat/humidity, and yes, that you have to hit the training in the colder months of the year. Not real scenic compared to a lot of IM races, and water is murky at best. But, it's in a fairly small body of water, so no big waves to contend with, flat bike, good course for crowd support. I'm having breakfast in the morning with a friend who raced IMTX the first year they had it, so I'll try to remember to ask her for more details. After IMLT, I think it would be a layup for you.

Oooh....babies are getting close to making their debuts! Exciting times! I'll try to think of some advice to share, but like Samantha's it will be based on observation, not experience. Off to see my friend in prison again this weekend, so may be later in the day on Saturday before I can post. 30 miles of "just get out and ride" this morning in very pleasant temperatures. Have some tenderness in my left arch that even walking is aggravating, so laying low on running...again....sigh....

If I want to get in a 2nd IM next year it is probably IMLT again (brr) or IMTX. If I did IMLT with the same weather forecast I would have a backpack for the bike, do full windproof leggings, full winter gloves, perhaps a down jacket with liter jacket in backpack, rain cover on the helmet and just plan on reducing clothing as needed into the backpack on the bike. I would do the same thing clothingwise on the run. Knowing that they have to change the bike it could be a better bike ride, but could be really cold or windy nonetheless. The care drive is a bit farther to TX (by like 2000 miles). Lake Tahoe is like a 3.5 to 4 hour drive. I would love to hear what your friend has to say about IMTX.

Edited by Baowolf 2013-09-26 7:30 PM

Oh Steve, next year, IMLT will prob be 95 degrees with no wind. You know how it always happens that way. You plan for one thing and then...... Last year, for my marathon in Jacksonville, I had PERFECT training weather. Perfect for 20 weeks. Race day temps were 22 degrees. {Ok, some of you may not realize what 22 degrees means to Floridians. I'm 51 y.o. and have prob experienced 10 total days of 22 degrees or lower. No, it's just not something I can do. 45 is freezing to me.} My running partner was from Alaska and her parents were texting that it was warmer in Fairbanks than flipping Jacksonville FL for that one day. Yea, I thought it was real funny that day.

Carol, hope your weekend is great!! Not too much longer for your friend, right?

Jared, during my run tonight, I got the feeling that you are having Avery right about now. Am I right?

I had a GLORIOUS tempo run tonight. Just wonderful. On the cooldown tho, uh, I'm hoping I didn't overdo it. My body says that I've got to watch out and go very easy this weekend.

Edited by Pink Socks 2013-09-26 8:42 PM

I guess they have to change the bike, but not sure how they will change it. (IMLT). Very ambivalent about signing up for that one again. But driving 2000 miles then doing an IM and driving home not so appealing either. I might have to do that drive alone as it would be during the school year and then I would have IMCDA 5 weeks later...

Steve - that would be pretty intense and the stiffness from the drive would probably be a bum deal, but IMLT...again...really? Well, I'm sure Pam is probably right about the weather being perfect next year. The question is: do you wanna test the theory?

Carol - it sure would be great to meet you and your husband. Maybe TX will be in my future since I know more people there right now than I have ever know there in my whole life, and I live further away now than I did growing up.

Pam - You make running sound delicious! And 22 is really cold even for us notherners. I lived in Canada for a while and it got to -37. wow was that a shocker.

The babies are coming and I'm getting excited about it!

Hey, Carol -- I'm going to be back in Southlake next May, so lets plan on a ride or two!

Awesome! Come on down to Texas, y'all!!! Mike, be great to ride with you. And maybe we could finally drag...er...entice your BIL to come with us! Samantha, I would so very much like to meet you. Come down in May, ride with us, and watch Steve at IMTX .

As for IMTX report, we ran out of time at bkfst before we could talk much about it this morning. She confirmed what I thought though....the negatives are environmental (heat/humidity; murky water, and wind), but she really loved it....great course for crowd support. Anyway, she said she will send me a list of the good/bad/ugly and I'll pass it along. Sure you can't fly? And doesn't your brother live close to the race site now?

Pam, yes, my friend should be released sometime in November. She still doesn't have the date that she will go to the halfway house (mandatory even though her sentence was short, she's got plenty of life/job skills, a place to go, etc.). Things within the prison system move at a glacial pace, so she may not know until shortly before she goes.

Our big news is that the plumber is finally coming to fix our hot water slab leak. Water was off completely for 1.5 days, then we confirmed we could turn it back on and just shut it off at the water heater except when we need hot water. When we turn it back on, there is only enough to get 1 shower before it runs out again. Don't take your hot and cold running water for granted folks!

The younger you are, the more genetically gifted you are and the more you have a previous history of being a college level or higher athlete in any of the three sports, the fewer hours you need to put in to complete an IM. However, slower, older, no history of prior competative swimming, biking or running = more training. If I had gone into IMLT with less training, I would have for sure DNFd on the bike. It really comes down to how much of a margin you want in case things go south a bit and how fast you want to go. If you plan on 16 hours on a flatter course that is different than trying to go 11 hours on the same course.

So I was talking with my wife about IMLT for next year as all the other are sold out and IMTX is 5 weeks from IMCDA, which she agreed was a bit too close that she would be fine with doing IMLT again, and tenging again... especially if we get a tent heater. Yup, picked a winner to mary that's for sure. Although without the tent heater she spent a lot of time on my side of the sleeping bag.

I could shift to an IMTX and IMboulder IMs for 2015 though... hrm. That would also give me marathons in 2 more states.

Steve, you do have a winner of a wife! Funny, hubby and I were talking about that 30 min ago. He had a ultra runner in class this week whose wife is not exactly supportive. Hubby thanked me again for being supportive of his fishing, his weight lifting, and now his tris. And I LOVE him for supporting me in my running and sometimes tris. It's wonderful to have supportive spouses!

"However, slower, older, no history of prior competative swimming, biking or running = more training"

You rang?? ??

Off to the pool with the wife....

Good morning everyone. There are some interesting topics going on in the last few days and I have some thoughts

First off, Steve, I suspected you would give me a timeline similar to what I read. When it comes to IM training, I've learned that you are very conservative...and understandably so. Having said that, I still have a goal that I want to meet....become an Ironman at 40....that gives me about a year and 9 months to get it done. Obviously, my AT injury really hurt because it took away my HIM race for this year but I'm learning that I was pretty fortunate. I was watching the Red Sox game last night and they were discussing AT injuries because David Ortiz has dealt with tendonitis for over a year now....announcers were talking about people they know struggling a year post surgery....I thanked God for his healing hand right then and there! I'm taking some time to see what my plans are for 2014 but I suspect my first race will be the Patriot HIM that Mike has done the last two years...its only 15 min from my house and the course is where I grew up. Another thing I have to keep in mind is my wife wants to try a sprint triathlon next year....I need to find out if she wants me to watch or stay with her to help her finish.

On the baby front, I hope Jared and Mitch's wives are doing well with the home stretch of their pregnancies. Something I just remembered today was that I should've mentioned baby bootcamp to Jared. Its a course that's done at local hospitals that is done by all fathers. There is a class that is done that gives good information and fathers who took the class previously bring in their kids and allow the first time dads to hold their kids, feed them, change diapers etc. It was a big help to me before we had our son.

My wife and I just celebrated our 13th year of marraige on Monday and I really appreciated the supportive spouse posts Steve/Pam made. I did a run a few days ago with a friend who's going through a divorce; a big strife in their relationship was he didn't support her running. When you have a supportive spouse, its easy to take it for granted but its not as common as you'd like to think.

Sadly, my diet is going under the microscope once again. I bought my wife Insanity for her birthday (she asked for it!!!) and that comes complete with its own meal plan. She is doing some soul searching to see what she wants to do (dietwise) with Insanity. We both like the low carb lifestyle but we also know that its not ideal for intense training. The one thing I got from my doctor during my visit is that he does Paleo and he uses a juicer to help get in his fruit/veggies. I bought a cheap one yesterday and I'm going to try it out....I think my wife may come on board too because we really respect our doctor. I've also found out from the nutritional cafe section of BT that there's a Paleo for Athletes book (maybe a message board too) that helps you stay lower carb while fueling enough to do endurance training/racing.

Finally, I'd like to request some prayers for my wife. On Monday, we get the results of a biopsy that was done on her thyroid. She has a thyroid condition which is going to eventually result in her having it removed but we find out on Monday if there's cancer in it or not. The endocrinologist is worried it might be cancerous because of the levels he found in her lab work this summer. I hope not for obvious reasons...its been a tough stretch healthwise for my wife between the hernia surgery, car accident, and this.

All the prayers and good vibes I can muster headed your way, Jay!!!

Did 2200 yards in the pool today and could tell it had been a while. Weather here has been perfect lately, so I'm heading out for a long walk later today, and a nice bike tomorrow AM. Can't wait!!

Jay a year and 9 months is very duable for an ironman, espeically if you pace properly like Samantha did and aim to finish rather than set any world speed records. That said with that amount of training you can put in a very respectible showing if you stay healthy. One thing to keep in mind is that 40 years old is an arbitrary number that your body may or may not respect. The reason I tread conservative is that injuries suck and really derail your training for like a comple months to a year. I think some key take aways from this year for you Jay are to start slow and build conservatively. Like all those kungfu movies, where the aprentice is doing all this slow stuff for months and complaining before being allowed to do speedwork and then by having that base already in place his training takes off. It is like Pam's running. She did a lot of slow base work and now can increase her pace by 1-2 minutes per mile reasonably fast.
So both dieting and training will be more of a building pyramids without heavy equipment than doing the Indy 500. If you could find a swim coach or at least get in really consistent swim work, life will be much better for you. You need to get past the swim to enjoy your IM. Samantha had a good swim and it set her up for a great day. My swim also gave me some buffer to survive the bike of my IM.

So looking at my options I went with CDA and IMLT for next year, hoping to shift away from LT for the following year to a flatter, warmer race. Ideally I would like to go sub 13 hours at CDA and sub 14 hours at IMLT. My strategy is to build a really big base and work the bike a lot once I got those muscles healthy over the next 6 weeks. For IMLT I will probably have a backpack for gear changes during the bike if the race is anything like it was this year. Then I might shift to IMTX and IMboulder for the following year. I would really like to get some marathons in different states for a shot at that 50 marys in 50 states thing after I retire (or not hard to say where life will lead).

I have 5 kids, so for those about to be dady's, training is probably a back burner issue. If you can train early am and during lunch break that is probably fine, things will depend on how well your child sleeps. Take care of the couple relationship first, it trumps all and enables everything else to work out. My wife and I have been married 24 years.