LaurenSU02's group - CLOSED! (Page 55)

That's good that the fast ones turn-around and cheer-on the slow ones.  We did that in the Corps all the time.  It seems that the fast ones in Triathlons typically go get the free stuff at the finish line usually.  I always go back to the finish line and cheer-on anyone who finishes after me.

The Triathlon Life (USAT magazine) that just came has Laura Bennett who I guess is from here (North Palm Beach) and she is actually still a member of my racing club.  Pretty cool.  Her old track coach is in Beijing right now with her because she still gets training advice and stuff from him. He usually runs our track workouts on Thursday AMs.  Oh man! if he's not there, that means Erika is running it in which case, we'll be running 400s until I puke.

I registered for a race on August 17th.  So I'll have a race next Saturday and then the following Sunday.  Those are the last tris though.  After that, I go into full Marathon only mode.  Well for racing at least.

Sounds like eveyone is doing reasonably well.  That's good news!

Sorry I haven't been around.  I still need to catch up on reading some race reports and such - so sorry if you feel ignored!

Question for the Group:

-Would you rather be a naturally gifted Runner, Swimmer, or Cyclist?

Reason I ask is that I am fast in the water and decent on my new super-duper bike, but I think the biggest benefit is in being born a fast runner.  Thoughts?

I think that swimmers have the overall greatest advantage in that its alot harder to become a great swimmer if you weren't one before.  Only thing there is that the swim is by far the shortest time in a tri, and therefore can't improve your time all that much.

I am a really good swimmer, a decent biker, but I suck at running and that destroys my race.  I would love to be a great runner, but I wouldn't trade my swimming skills for anything.

I think my body was built for running.  It seems to respond well to it and I usually do OK in running races & on the run portion in the 2 tris that I've done.  I've been running casually since May of '07 then steadily increased my mileage for my half marathon in May of '08 without following a specific plan & still did OK in the half.  I'm really excited to see what happens now that I'm following an actual plan for the MCM.

I don't think I'd give up the running mojo to be a better swimmer or cyclist so I'm going to say runner   Then again.... I also LOVE running and don't really feel the same way about the bike and the swim (yet.)

I'm a runner and I'll keep it that way.  If I put more effort into my running (after recovering from shin splints) then I think I could be pretty fast.  The only problem is that I'm not built like a runner.  I wish I was.  Most people think I look like a swimmer.  Ha!  So far from the truth!  I love cycling but it will never replace running.  Great question, by the way!

Shin splints are doing great!  Absolutely no pain after yesterdays treadmill run!  I want to run again today but I need to take it easy on them.  I wanna go run around!!!!

I think that's a hard one to answer. If the "biggest benefit" is getting good times in triathlons then I would vote Cyclist. But if the "biggest benefit" is from being happy with yourself for your improvement, then it could be any of them.

I've been running since I was a kid, so even though I would call myself a runner, as an adult my times have only slowed down from the times I could hit as a teenager. This means that it is often hard to feel good these days about what I can accomplish as a runner.

On the other hand, I never was a swimmer. I just got into this a few years back and I am thrilled about my progress with this.

I was going to respond earlier - got tied up....

RIGHT NOW, I wish I was a better cyclist.  But that's because it's me week point.  I have always been good in the water, so I don't even think about it.  However, I have seen some pretty poor swimmers, and I would bet they would say swimming is the most important.

WAY BACK, the theory in triathlon was you found a good swimmer and taught them cycling and running. 

It may be different these days.  Find a good cyclist, teach them enough to not lose it on the swim and survive the run...

I did read the book. It is quite interesting and very convincing. However, the more I learn about physiology, the more I believe that all those types of running - Chi, Pose, Evolution, etc., are more just fads or whatever.

One's natural running stride has a lot to do with how they're built. A lot of being a heel, mid- or forefoot striker comes from one's natural hip tilt, and messing with that can cause a lot of other issues. Just as a heads up, Chi (or any of the other running types) have never been independently researched (at least they hadn't as of a year ago and I haven't heard anything new). So all the claims they make are just that - claims.

But, I am not by any means knocking it. I know it's worked out great for a lot of people. If you try it, let me know how it goes. Just make sure you ease into it.

I think I would rather be a naturally-gifted runner. Of course, swimmers do tend to have an advantage, but my running is just awful and I struggle at it. I find that the "natural" runners tend to be faster, injure less, and recover more easily. I'm not natural at anything. haha.

I just read the penalty link on the Forums.  It's pretty funny if you get a chance to check it out. 

One of the things that is on there though is "unauthorized equipment" i.e. ipods...

I wear mine all the time when I run and when I don't, I see a significant drop in performance.  But I know I need to stop wearing it to get ready for running for 4.5-5 hours with no music or conversation.

I was wondering if you guys know why it's such a hard and fast rule with USAT and with USATF? It seems that you could gain a little awareness by not wearing it, but I've almost been hit by cars a few times while running and every time it was a case of the driver looking to the right while they were turning left.  Never has it been me running out in-front of a car that I didn't hear coming-up from behind.  Any idea why that's the rule?

I don't know the real reason why that is the rule. But I can tell you that I have seen people break the rule in marathons. This is what I've witnessed:  Wall to wall with people at the start, some people wearing their iPods. Then we start moving in the mob at a shuffle pace. Someone drops their iPod, and bends down to try to find in in the middle of the crowds trying to push through the crowds running. People trip and collide into each other. It becomes messy fast and someone can get hurt.

I have done all of my marathon training runs with music on and I had no problem at all without it in the race. Many marathons (especially MCM) have several bands on the course playing for you, people cheering for you throughout the whole course, and other runners may talk with you as you go.

That's a great point Claire.  Hadn't thought about it that way.  But I could easily see someone saying "I don't care if I'm in your way, I have to get my ipod!!!"  Afterall, those things with all the songs, videos, etc represent some serious $$$.

That reminds me unfortunately, of what I did last weekend like an idiot.  I was test-riding the Orbea and I had my garmin on my wrist to just see how fast I was going when I was cruising along.  So I reached-over to turn it to face me and it fell on the ground right in the middle of the road.  So, I turned around to go get it and saw a few cars coming right toward me but I wasn't going to just let them crush my garmin... So I kicked it out of the road and drove into a driveway at the last second.  Yep right...idiot...

Garmin was o.k., cars actually slowed down but it was still stupid of me...

You almost ended up buying both an Orbea AND a new Garmin!

Lauren,

Thinking about the IM plan of attack.  Since the main goal is to finish this first one, I'm thinking to use my energy on the bike during the climbs, and recover on the descents with some easy spinning and/or free wheeling.  I'm also going to slow the swim down to something really comfortable, like, say 2:00/100 (normally I'm around 1:30-1:45 in a race).  I REALLY want to save the legs for the run.

During my HIM attemps, I have spent a lot of energy on the climbs, then really tried to keep the HR up (in zone 2/3) on the desents as well to get that extra speed.  Maybe spent too much energy?

I guess what I'm trying to ask, is I feel like I'm taking the conservative approach on the swim AND bike to be able to run the entire 26.2, but could I be going TOO conservatively?

I know IMLP was pretty hilly too, so I'm wondering what you did.

DO NOT use your energy on the climbs and recover on the descents. Take the climbs nice and easy. Put it in a comfortable gear and just spin. Then, pedal the descents, take advantage of the "free speed" that comes with it. Don't ever kill yourself at all during an IM (especially your first one). You (meaning first timer, just trying to finish, etc.) should probably never be going into Z3 during your IM unless it's needed to get yourself up a hill. The recovery benefits of resting on the downhills do not at all counteract the fatigue that comes with pushing yourself up the hills. You'll pay for it dearly during the run.

The entire ride should feel comfortable to you.

Also, just take the swim comfortably. IM is really about "going easy" all day. Hold any effort you know you can maintain for 2.4 or 112 miles, and still feel good afterwards. You have a few hours of running left to go .

Lauren/Aikidoman, I think that theory about climbing hard and recovering on the descents is from pure cycling.  I saw that during the TDF.  But an article I read said exactly what Lauren said.  It's just expended energy that you can't get back in an Ironman and the key is just keep moving at a pace that will get you to the finish eventually.

Lauren,  That race report was great.  Awe inspiring.  I especially like the soggy fig newtons comment.  Reminds me of a week in Quantico where it was 36 degrees and rainy the whole week.  At night, the rain would freeze on us in our fighting positions.  We did some really gay stuff to try to stay warm (cue "I don't see nothin wrong..." and we had Fig newtons in an MRE and they were all sog but I was so delirious that I put them in the MRE heater with my Country Captain Chicken and warm, wet, fig newtons are quite disgusting especially after they mix with the noxious fumes from the MRE heater.

Personally, I would love to race in a cooler climate even if it was a little drizzly, but every picture I've seen of IMLP looks just miserable.  Good on your folks too for being out there with you.  That's a long day for them too.

I'm going to go out and do a practice run of the entire course for my next race tomorrow morning.  We've got 4 first-time triathletes (but they're serious runners-Big Sur, Palm Beach, others) so we're doing the swim, then I'll wait, the ride, then we'll wait, then the run, then they wait on me.

I'm going to test-out my nutrition too.  Originally, I was just planning to do a 10/3 brick fast but I think this works out pretty well.

I may have not been clear.  I don't plan to hammer the climbs (out of the sadle efforts or anything higher the Z3).  It was more of a comments of not resting the legs on the descent as in the past (not letting the HR drop into zone1 or 2).

But I do like that approach.  Maybe spin up the hills like a nice sunday bike ride, and then hammer the downs.....  I'm sure I would only be 20% slower on the climbes, but could be significantly faster on the down if I pedel.  I'm going to try that this weekend and see what my pace is.  Maybe try the opposite next weekend and see if there is a difference.

Hey guys,  well thankfully the x-rays didn't show anything. (although I kind of figure that if it was bad enough to be seen in an x-ray then I would likely need crutches to get around). Now I wait and hope I can get an MRI, but I did get one last year so the insurance may or may not let me.

Anyhow, hope you all have a great weekend! Happy training!

That's great/bad.  Now you know it's not blatantly broken, but you don't know what it is and neither does the doctor.  Funny thing about this sport of ours.  If you go for more life insurance do you mention that you run triathlons or not? The risk analysis dudes would probably look at that in one of two ways 1) you're more fit than the general population, or 2) you have a higher chance of getting heatstroke/hit by a car/hypnoatremia/drown/shark attack/myocardial infarction/choking on a soggy fig newton/etc.

So that ties in here because if the medical insurance people view that you are injured more often because of your training, will they consider you at risk (MRIs cost $4,000 last I checked) or will they consider you less at risk (diseases stemming from obesity must cost much more than $4,000).

Hopefully you get the MRI and whatever is wrong with you is clearly visible.  And then they MRI your knee as well...

Happy weekend everyone! Set a PR in something this weekend! Anything.  I'm going to aim for hugging my wife as many times as I can...She's had a rough week.  Details to follow next week.

I set a PR yesterday.... 3 unassisted pull-ups! (with 30 sec rest between).