SBR Utopia ---- Permanently OPEN!! (Page 51)

No, because I already had that feeling before getting into tri. I've always dislike missing workouts because those are often one of the best parts of the day.

Hey Jerry, welcome to the group!

I apologize for my delayed welcome. It's hard posting from my phone.

Very cool that your daughter is setting the bar so high for you!

Hey Matt it takes a lot of discipline (more than to complete a tough workout IMO) to take rest.  It’s OK rest is always good.

It seams that people with high training discipline always struggle with this feeling.  IMO just to cma……

 I could always tell you to HTFUAR……

Wellllllll, at least James didn't refer to you as "cupcake."

Ha, warped perspective, most certainly. But I think it shows a lot about your training "maturity" to take an unplanned rest day. So, really, great job!

Good thing, too.  I prefer "buttercup."

Thanks both.  It's good to always be learning, but can be a painful process!   Getting there, I guess…  

Matt

After my boo-hooing about missing the 5K over the weekend my coach is having me race a 10K. On the track. It will be an opportunity to qualify for T&F Nationals (which are conveniently hosted here this year.) 

At 25 laps, it will certainly me a mental workout.

Annnnnnd now I'm nervous. 

That's why we race, isn't it?  I LOVE that feeling!  Wish I could do it every weekend.

GL on the qualifying race - see, you get to have your cake (race) and eat it, too (quals).  

I am so impressed by your formatting prowess, Dale

I'm not even going to attempt to quote that.

Nope, not cutting mileage, I'm going to train right on through.  I won't be able to get a ton of mileage in race day but if I follow it up on Sunday with a nice LSD, I can get close to 75-80 miles or so I think.

The standard is at @ 39:50

Good luck!  For some reason running a 10k on a track doesn't seem like it would be something that would bother me.  I've done 5k a couple of times and didn't hate myself.

Yeah, that is an interesting question.

I think it all depends on what you need in order to recover. Thinking about that should probably also dictate the distance and the way you "race"  your B race.You absolutely need to allow yourself recovery, but that doesn't necessarily mean days off. I can definitely recover more quickly from the shorter distances, so, depending on the purpose of the race I would tend to do a distance I know won't take too much recovery.

For me, with respect to the marathon, I typically keep my volume and frequency relatively high after a race and just drop how ever many intensity days I need. It allows me to recover well and supports my ability to jump right into the hard sessions right after I am recovered. 

I think that a huge bonus that you have with triathlon is that you can probably train with some intensity in the other two (low impact) sports fairly quickly.

PS you only had 3-4 hard miles in a HM? I'm impressed  

Sufferfest is awesome. Nice 2 x 20', hitting 346 & 347.

hHey Jerry - let me first add to the chorus of late "welcome to the group!" Next let me say how crazy you are for jumping right in to the ironman experience. Now that THAT is out of the way, I will add that I also think it is fantastic that you have taken it on with your son. You just cannot imagine what this year will bring. There will be very high highs, and quite possibly an occasional low low. I have no idea if you will be able to finish (heck, just getting to the starting line healthy will be hard in enough from many of our own experiences) but do know that to experience it all with your adult son will be once-in-a-lifetime, irreplaceably priceless. In 2011 I had the great fortune to follow along the Kunst family via an Ironman group right here on BT. the two grown sons decided to challenge each other to Ironman Lake Placid and their mother and father (Chris and Tom) jumped in with them, neither having ever done a triathlon of any sort prior. Chris was 58 at the time if I recall and she KILLED it by laying down a 7 hour bike (incredibly good in her AG on that course) and a 5:15ish run if memory serves. I do know she finished 8th in her AG, hampered only by a sub-par swim and a really slow T-1. I remember those distinctly simply because had they been just a little better she would have beaten one of the sons. Tom also finished, but with only about 10 minutes to spare before the midnight cutoff - it was a real nail biter for the family and all of us watching. One of the coolest things was that we could pick them out all over lake placid because they drove around in their car with four brand-new, identical P2s on their car - they looked like a pro race team!

So let's get on with it -what are the factors that limit your swim to only half what your plan calls for?

My right hip flexor just seized up reading that. I would never survive all those turns....

Fred - I hope that means the work issues may be righting themselves somewhat. A very welcome back.

hi James - glad to read that you are coming in to racing form. I too am starting to feel very good, but I did blow a key workout on Sunday. I had a duathlon-specific race-effort brick which was designed to be all about executing the second run well. I over-shot the first run pace by a full 20 spm(!) which had me in a huge hole on the first bike. It was all I could do to get within 5 seconds of the prescribed pace on the second run, and then the final bike leg was, well, ugly. I was supposed to have another one on the schedule this weekend, but I noticed this morning it was deleted. Coach says that the last one was actually wildly successful in that he is pretty sure I learned everything I really need to know for race-day and that another one would not teach me anything new. I do believe he is right.

Oh, hey, yeah. Good to see you're getting out and around!

Warning - injury rant to follow:

Well, you'll now have the chance to keep me honest…  Did my run yesterday - a bit over an hour with 4xZ3+ efforts, so not hard intervals, just "muscular endurance" pace (juuuust slower than or at HM pace).  Felt fine running, as I hadn't run since Saturday and took Sun/Mon off (except a recovery swim Monday - no kick sets).  Thought, "Great - I'm soooo smart.  I rested and now I'm good to go - a nice, moderate run and it all feels good.  On to race-specific training!"  (cue the smug look)

Within about 15' of getting in the house, though, it was painful to walk - not terrible, but definitely there and not just a sore muscle.  My right hamstring started hurting and still does.  I think it's the same spot as last August (tendinous insertion of the biceps femorus, but as I'm poking at it feels like it could be gluteal?  I'm going with hammy, as it feels like last summer).

So, I'm going to try the bike on the trainer today and see if, like last summer, I'm able to still bike without pain.  The Better Half suggested (and I like the way she thinks) not doing any intervals for a bit and, if it feels OK, trying running slowly.  That's sure better than an injury, but two problems:  I like to run faster ("mostly slow" is mostly boring for me, although I know it's also good for me) and I'm in the "build" blocks for the race season!  

ARGH - this was really shaping up to be a good early season, and I admit I'm now kinda angry (not at anything in particular - I know it's silly, but there it is).  If a new job starts soon, it feels like this will be the only time to take advantage of the base from the last few months - I can't imagine I'll be able to fit that kind of training in again for a couple years.   ARGH!  ARGH!  ARGH! (OK, now I sound like an angry pirate)

Self-centered rant over, but I figure y'all have been there, so I could vent…

So, anyone else ever have a hamstring strain "up high" and could you run easy with it?

Matt

Ugh Matt, that sucks!  I hope it's just a tweak and doesn't amount to anything.  

I think the better half may be onto something.....

Thanks Arend.  Frustrating, but what can you do.

To the bold above:  It's a great and terrible fact of our marriage that the Better Half is, in fact, right about nearly everything (except directions)!    So, I ignore her advice only at my peril...

Did a steady, fairly easy spin on the trainer this morning.  At least that didn't make it feel worse (the couple times I pushed a bit, I could juuuuust feel it and backed off immediately).  So, I'm going all sunshine and light and gonna say that this is my chance to work on the bike after a good run block.

Now, if I could just believe that would get me where I want, I'd be set, but life is the art of the possible...

Matt

Ahem. After a very hard race effort you are a lot more susceptible to injury (and sickness!) Which is why it really is important to take the time to recover. Don't get sucked into the idea that you are 'losing' anything. Again, recovering doesn't  have to mean days off. You've got to learn to find the joy in the easy paces. 

Hang in there and take it easy until this thing passes. 

I'll let your better half do the scolding