Meulen's 'Let's tri this Thing!' beginner mentor group-CLOSED (Page 55)

Meulen - 2011-08-14 10:00 PM Michael. 1:08 is strong, I can't deny that. I'm totally stoked I laid down that time while I was sick! I was 1:09 last year. So I know my training is paying off. I bestowed years time b a minute while I was sick. My swim was better and my run wasbetter. My bike wasa little slower but that could have been the wind. I know I'm a lot faster than last year and what I'm capable of. One of these days things are going together for me. Anne did great too! She was top 25 in her AG. She also broke 30 minutes in the 5k which is a PR for her!

Tell Anne congrats from Erin and I!  Someday you will hit that perfect day when it all clicks for you!  At least you did do better than last year.  There are always so many variables coming into play in a tri...

Awesome goal!! I definitely think you can do it.

I'm not doing Cedar Point this year (no way would I be ready! well, physically I think I could be ready but mentally I'm not there yet)....I'm definitely doing it next year though. It most likely will not be a pretty race though because I'm most likely going to be 'training through' it  on my way to Ironman Arizona and it's going to be more of a big training weekend than an A race.

Mission accomplished!!  Well, not y me, but I am supposedly registered now.  There was no numbers at all on the site, but Erin became quite the investigator and tracked down the race director through a series of websites and links.  In the end, she called and straightened it out.  I still have to take the confirmation sheet to the race but she said that it will be worked out.

Now all I have to do is race!  Just checked the weather and it is supposed to be nice now.  Originally they were expecting thunderstorms, but now it is supposed to be in the low 70's.  I am excited to try my first ow swim, and I am doing this one without a wetsuit.  The biking and running are both flat, so that will also be to my benefit.  My bike workouts have been going very well and I have really settled into my bike.  Depending on winds, I have been averaging around 19/20mph on my 15 mile rides.  Running will definitely be my week spot, but oh well.  I will post up the reports when I come home Saturday night. 

Good luck at the race!!!!!!!

I have some bad news...I won't be racing. My grandma had a stroke last night and is not doing very well. I can't leave my family right now and I am in no mental state to race. I'm really bummed because I was looking forward to doing this one but it just was not meant to be.

I can't wait to hear about your race though! Swim/bike/run extra fast for me!!

Family is definitely more important than racing.  Or prayers will be your family during this time.

I have my race number, packing my bags, and starting to get that racing feeling.  I will update after the race....

What an incredible day!  I know that this is not up there with the results that you have seen.  My first OW swim had it's ups and downs.  I am happy with the time, and it ranked up in the top quarter of the race,but it did not feel very comfortable at the time. It was very disorienting and just felt strange. 

I also accomplished all three of my goals!  I finished in under 1:30 (1:28), finished overall in the top half, and finished with an average bike speed of over 20 mph.  I have been smiles all day since the race, and even more so as I enjoy some beer while watching the Steelers win  

It was great to get back in the saddle and see the hard work pay off.  The bike was so much fun because I passed people from the two heats in front of me, but I was never passed.  I will attempt to paste the link to the race result that I posted.  Thanks for all of the help and advice over the past many months!!

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=266356

Meulen - 2011-08-27 10:30 PM Great work Michael! Congrats!! You'll find a 20mph+ bike will put you well into the upper ranks of the bike in most races. Hard work paid off, enjoy it!!! We are stating downtown right now. Anne is doing her first oly in the morning!

Tell her good luck from Erin and I!! That will be a great accomplishment for her!  Make sure you let us know how the race goes...

Brian - I hope that Anne had a successful race this morning.

I have a quick question for the few that have survived this forum.  What kinds of pedals and shoes do you use?  I would like to work on my transitions and the first step is to look at my shoes and pedals.  I have currently been using SPD's.  My shoes have been mostly comfortable, but I would like to try going sockless next season.  I guess that my second question is do you wear special tri running shoes or just regular shoes?  If you wear regular running shoes, how did you begin the process of going sockless? It's never too early to start looking at gear for next year....

awesome job everyone on your races!!

for pedals, I agree with Brian...I have shimanos and they are great. I have a pair of shimano tri shoes that I love. They just have one velcro strap so they are really fast to get on and off. Also, they are made to wear sock-less, they have a nice cushiony liner and are really comfortable. They also have a little slit at the bottom for water to go out so if your feet are wet from the swim the water will roll out and you won't have soggy feet the whole ride!

For shoes, I wear Newtons which are also are cushiony and made to be worn without socks. I have never ran more than 6 miles in them but I've never had problems with blisters. These shoes take a little bit of time to get used to anyway, since they are very light and not very supportive, and really promote mid-foot striking because they have a little raised section right on the ball of the foot that sort of pushes you forward. They are not racing flats though---you can train in them. You have to start out slow to get used to them and avoid injuries and just work them into the week with short runs and progressively build. In Pittsburgh only Mojo Running and Multisport (formerly Second Sole) sells them. I highly recommend them!