Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED (Page 55)

Hey there Gang..

I got lost there for a couple weeks.. =)

Sounds like everyone is doing great with the training..

I have taken yet another week off running i came down with some pain on my left leg on the inside right above my ankle.. hmm

Steve..

If i recall you have delt with some injuries in the past =( Do you know what it could be..
I ran 4 miles last saturday and ever since it has been giving me a nagging pain when i walk.

On the bright side im still in the pool and on the rollers...

Have a good weekend everyone..

No, I don't miss the middle, but with the compact crank I do sometimes miss the top end on a really flat or slightly downhill.
But I wouldn't go back.
Melinda 

A 2x10 is a nice set up,  You will most likely be getting a compact crankset.  The gear ratios should be solid for almost any terrain you will be riding.  Don't really worry about "running out of gears" I spin out when I hit anything over 35mph.  To be honest I would not want my legs moving while riding that fast, as there are too many things to be worrying about.  The Pro cyclists have gearing that allows them to pedal downhill at about 40 mph, and thing over that the are coasting.

I have the Giant OCR1, aluminum frame with a carbon fork, it also has the full Ultegra Groupo.  The main difference between the OCR and the TCR is the frame material.  The TCR will have a Carbon frame allowing for a really nice and snappy ride.  The carbon will soak up a lot of the road chatter.  THe ultegra groupo is a bit excess but I got it with the bike so yah.  However the 105 groupo is going to be more than enough performane.  Most people who race cat 3 or lower run 105 without a problem.  The cat 1 and 2 run Dura-Ace but they are usually sponsored racers so they don't ever see a price tag.

I am pretty sure you will be happy with your bike.  Make sure to get a proper fit so you will be comphy on your bike and keep riding it.

Things to get:
~Surely get 2 water bottle cages and at least 4 bottles.  I have like 8 or 10 bottles, but then again I ride 6 different bikes and I don't always wash my bottles after use.
~Be sure to get all weather riding clothes if needed: bib, jersey, gloves, leg warmers, arm warmers, a headband/cap to keep sweat out of your eyes, socks, shoe booties, and full finger gloves.
~Be sure to ask about a bike fit, most good shops will include it with the purchase of a bike over $1500.
~Chain cleaning kit
~Any repair manual you like, I have the park tool big blue book
~Basic tool kit for making minor repair to your bike, I can do anything to my bike except derailer work or tire truing.  it really help keep costs down.
~I highly recommend ditching the stock saddle because they are usually cheap and don't really fit most riders properly.

MANNY -

You once were lost, but now you're found..........!

Good to hear you're running, but not good to hear you have a niggle in the ankle. As to what it might be? Google posterior tibial tendon and see if anything matches up. The PTT starts, I think, forward of the ankle, then wraps under it before heading up the inner side of the leg. I'm not sure exactly where it starts and where it ends, but I think I have the right critter in about the right place.

If it's a low-grade ache that seems kind of diffuse, PTT might be close. But id it's on the shin bone and is sharper, and noticeably tender to the touch.........well, look at posterior tibial tendon first! Please let me know what you think!

And good, too, on staying with the rollers! I am doing some pretty big bike hours indoors, but all so far have benn on the trainer. No roller work yet this off-season, the latest I have ever gone without 'em. Uh, maybe this weekend sometime?

GEORGE -

That's some fine volume you have there! I knew you've been busy, but didn't know you were THAT busy. I went into your logs, and you keep good ones -- nice detail! I'm still working just to get things there in a timely fashion......but have fallen behind the past couple of days. I just hope that over time I can get in more details, as for now I keep that info in my actual log-log.

I think what you are expressing in your post is typical of most people who are new to this stuff. All of the really big volume seems so far out there as to be unattainable, but if you keep at this long enough, and if the inclination is there, there is no reason you can't or won't hit those numbers; it just kinda creeps up on you!

There is no question, however, that the degree of training for an iron is extremely demanding. It can get very, very consumptive, and shades of burn-out can be felt. Between the training commitment and the post-race recovery, I haven't done an iron since '05. I wnat to do one or two more, but am in no real hurry to go that route.

Half-irons are very accessible. The training isn't over the top, and as long as no injuries happen during the race, recovery is pretty straightforward -- rest a few days, do an easy swim, do an easy bike, repeat those and then add in an easy run......and you're back in the game! Piece of cake!

Again, great work on your enthusiasm and commitment. Impressive!

Finally got back to the pool today and focused on my hand entry and experimenting with hand position and the amount of 'bubbles' I was pulling through the water.   Practiced the 'gently sliding the hand into the coat sleeve' entry and that resulted in little or no bubbles and also kept my hands from crossing towards midline. 

We're picking up the two granddaughters to spend a couple days with us, which usually results in no workouts for me but I'm going to try hard to get at least a run in most days that they are here.  I'm off for 2 weeks and will get a few days in at the pool in my second week off.

Steve/Johanne,
I caught up on some of the discussions and ran across this one. I had ITBS issues over a year ago as well. After some lengthy rehab, I finally have it under control. Interestingly enough, I used to run on the NB 858's. However, after working through the ITBs issues I went to have my gait examined again and found that I needed a more nuetral shoe. I am now in the Saucony Pro Grid Guide 3 and thanks to that shoe....and plenty of stretching....I haven't had any flare-ups (knock on wood). The guy who fitted me say it is common for runners who may overpronate slightly to eventually work itself out and turn into a more neutral type runner (at least that is what I remember him saying). Just a thought!

Another weekend is upon us...did 1500 in the pool and 2.5 on the treadmill last night after 2 nights off! Happy training this weekend everyone!

FYI....the story about the guy who snuck in the fins was hilarious. I've always wondered if anybody would notice if I stuffed a PB down my shorts

David

DAVID -

To paraphrase Mae West: "Is that a pull buoy you have in your shorts, or are you just glad to see me?"

I am sure if you google soemthing like "Finman - Ironman Florida", you can find photos of him walking to the water's edge. I guess I should try to find them myself, just to revisit those thrilling days of yesteryear!

DANIEL -

Good comments to Duncan about bike accessories, with your best suggestion being the one about the saddle. A lot of people are super-sensitive to saddle "irregularities", and I suspect the odds of getting the perfect fit with a stock saddle are extremely low.

When I bought my P2C in '08, I didn't like the saddle so I switched it with the one that was on the P2K I bought in '01. As for that far back, though, I can't remember if that saddle came with the P2K, or whether it was one I had previously. At any rate, I am still on the same saddle since at least '01, and my cycling cleats are from then as well. Yikes?

CATHY -

Two weeks off? Very nice! I'd say "Dig it!", but up here at this time of year that can have all sorts of miserable connotations, eh?

Did you see the post I wrote you about the bubblework I did after your post about that topic? It was from about 12 days ago or so, maybe the 17th or 18th. I'll try to find the page it's on.......but such battles are seldom worth waging when I'm armed with only dial-up. Sigh.

BUT! Sometimes it surprises me, and maybe now will be one of those times. Onwards!

CATHY -

Holy-moly! The stairway to cyberspace this morning is almost like an escalator!

My post to you is on page 52, third from the top. I'm sorry it took a few days to get it posted. As I remember, I did the swim on the Thursday and Friday, and then needed some time to reflect; the coin didn't drop right away!

I am continuing to play with some of the same stuff, and I continue to be pleased overall, with most of my recent swimwork. So, thank you muchly for adding the bubbles/hand-pitch aspects to my own training.

Enjoy the grandsprouts!

I apologize but I haven't gone back to read the several pages of chatter that I've missed. (On the way out for basketball with my son in the midst of a day filled with errands, snow clean up and some rest (been on the downlow for the last couple of days).

Anyhow... Steve - any way to speed healing for tired/sore muscles that you know of? Figured I'd ask ...

My hr was way high during a run yesterday so went to the docs... turns out its my body saying its fighting somehting so today I'm resting...very hard for me to do But I also did something odd to my back...twisted in shower of all places LOL. That is a real pain...literally...and is probably the driving force as to why I'm resting versus my general fatigue issues.
I think as folks interested in triathlon we tend to have a hard time taking it easy - esp. when it comes to gearing down on training. Makes me very appreciative for what my body CAN do and I don't want to lose the ability to use my body as a means of gaining enjoyment thru recreation, endorphine release, etc... 

Steve

I dont think there is a life time issue on the saddles, so you should be okay.

The cleats on the other hand get worn out from walking around on them.  But that also depends on the cleats you have.  The look style cleats wear out the fastest.    I like the SPDSL from schamino because they habe little rubber tips on the areas that you walk on to help prolong the life of the cleat.  The egg beaters and the spd are made of metal so you really dont have to worry about them wearing down.  I have not treed the speed play pedals but have heard great things about them.

Steve,

thanks for the advice i will look into the PTT and see if thats it, from the way that you explained it it sounds right on.

hopefully you got on the rollers this weekend they are a good workout for me.. i bought myself a forstand for my rollers so now i can do the single leg workouts and some sprinting..

thanks again steve..

Manny.

EVERYONE

Thanks for the bike advice.  I've added lots of things to my 'to buy' list.

Unfortunately, new bike is still not in my hands.  It might take another couple months to get there.  Turns out as a typical Taiwanese sales pitch he promised more than he could offer.  Card will only do 3 months for purchases under 2k USD.   Also, wife is against putting it on the card, and keeping her happy is far more important than getting a bike this week!!

Anyway, no big deal.  Because of this I learned a lot about what to be looking for.  I also swung by another bike shop, and found a great deal on a 2010 Giant bike... Options are open again.  Hopefully I'll have all the cash around the end of March, or early April.  'til then, I'll continue dreaming about a new bike, and getting awesome workouts on my 'old as the hills, as heavy as a mountain' mountain bike.

On a side note, while doing some more browsing I saw this bike TCR Advanced SL 100 LTD.  A really nice road bike, with a special commemorative paint job for Taiwans Centenial.   The site is all Chinese, but here is what to do.

1. Click on the circle logo on the lower left side of the big window on front.  This will open a new window.

2. on the top right is a pull down menu, the second option will load a picture of the bike, with all the special 'centenial' features.

3. On the lower left side, pick the small circle logo on farthest to the right, this will load up the bike stats, most of which are in English.  Price; 100,100 NT which is about 3,500USD.  If only.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/zh-TW/

Duncan,

Don't worry about the weight of your mountain bike, mine pushes 48# with 5.5in of suspension travel.  All of my buddies can kick my butt on the up hill, with their 2.5-3.5in bikes.They can not keep up with me on the down hill at all,  I am able to BOMB down the trails where they have to take it easy and back off.  Come to think about it this may be why I have separated my shoulder 2 times already, but I digress.  No matter how "light" your mountain  bike is you are going to feel like you are flying, literally flying when you hop on the road bike; they are so much lighter it is re-donkey-less!

On a more personal note have you gone on test rides with any of the bikes you are looking at?  Many shops, in m area, will charge ~$50 for a full day test ride; however this "fee" goes towards the purchase of a bike from that shop, kind of like an incentive to buy from them.  I know people who have test ridden a different bike every weekend for almost 2 months before buying a bike. Thats roughly $400 which goes toward the purchase of the bike that is the most comfy and best fit is a real sweet deal.

It might be something worth asking your shop about.

DANIEL

Thanks Daniel.  I have asked at a couple shops, and test rides don't really seem to happen in Taiwan.  Perhaps I should be checking out more shops...  Although, the concept of a test drive is also a little lost in this country.  I've purchased a car, and helped a friend, and both times the idea of a test drive drew kinda lost looks from the dealer.  One was a toyota dealership, the other was Nissan.  Taiwan is much more of a buy it, and be happy, because complaining will get you nothing, country.  Sometimes it drives me nuts.  I've got some shocking stories of poor customer service and return policies.

And actually Daniel, what you mentioned is exactly was I was refering to when I talked about my mountain bike.  I am probably getting a much better workout on that bike with all the extra weight I tug around.  During my race I was flying past all the nice fancy road bikes on the downhill... child seat on the back and everything.    That really made me smile.

EVERYONE / ANYONE

I was looking at the website for a local (well, in Taiwan) race and the times were a little suprising to me.  I'm wondering if these are the norm in North America too, or not.  I am pretty sure I can finish in the time provided, but the bike split seemed short... they were as follows.

Swim 1.5km - 50 minutes (this is no sweat, I figure about 2:30 max per 100 meters, so 37:50)
Bike 40km - 100 minutes (I'm not sure I could do this on my mountain bike.  I usually average about 21km an hour...with my extra swim time I would be cutting it pretty close!!!)
Run - 10km - 80  minutes. (This is probably fine, if I ran at the same pace I did in my last race I would finish 10km in 65 minutes)

Are these normal cut-offs???

Sarah,

When my muscles are sore and tired and I start to feel low on energy, I take a rest week.  A rest week has about 1/3 of my normal training volume and a couple of rest days where I don't do anything.  I just finished a rest week up on Saturday.  Today, I am ready to resume my regular training.  I do feel guilty on the days I don't work out but it gives me time to catch up on the other aspects of my life.  Having 3 kids under the age of 8 keeps me jumping. 

After a really hard workout, I usually take ice baths.  I know it sounds really strange but it keeps the swelling down and prevents tissue breakdown.  These really work.  It's not a pleasant experience though. 

Some hints on taking ice baths:
I wear a long sleeve shirt on top to keep my upper body as warm as possible
I have a cup of coffee in the tub with me.
I get in the tub then fill it up vs trying to get into an ice bath.  I let the water fill around me slowly getting use to it.
I only fill it enough to cover my legs. 
My goal is to make 20 mins.  

My kids enjoy throwing ice cubes in the tub. 

On regular workout days, I do a protein shake after a workout and eat a protein bar at work later on. 

Massages help a lot but I have to admit, I don't have the money to be getting weekly massages. 
Hope this helps.

Beat down tired today. I tried to capitalize on yesterday's spring like weather. I only got a 20 mile bike ride in but I put in a full 10+ hours of work on a small camper I have been building. 5x8, in a Teardrop Camper style but not quite so "curvy". I don't trust my woodworking and carpentry skills that far. We are looking forward to traveling to events or just camping in it. It is  fun project. I will fool around with it-tinkering today, clean up my shop and get a 7 mile run in.
 This silly puppy has an uncanny way of unplugging extension cords just as I pick up a tool...adds time to the work.

3 days training in a row... trying to get balanced...  seems to be all or nothing for me these days.  
I did swim today with a snorkel just to try it out.  I was able to swim 300 yds straight without feeling totally out of breath.  I guess that tells me that I really need to work on my breathing rhythm as without the snorkel 100 yds is about my max.  Interesting test... I just need to keep at the pool and figure it out.

What kind of nutrition plan do people follow?  Does everyone plan out there meals for the week or a few days or do they just wing it?  This is a balance thing for me again.  even eating is out of whack these days. 

Hope everyone is training well!
Alex 

So here's an update on my IT Band issue. 

I was on a mission to get new shoes to see if that will make a difference in my soreness. I'm still foam rolling, stretching and seeing my chiro. Steve recommended Fleet Feet to get a gait analysis. I called them and they talked about doing that when I went in. I was picturing that they would have a treadmill set up and either observe or videotape me running. Wrong! They were very nice but when I asked about a gait analysis they said they just have people run up and down the sidewalk outside. Not exactly what I was looking for! Plus, they were short stocked and only had one shoe (a Brooks model) for me to try. They were getting their post Christmas stock at the beginning of February. So since I wanted a few models to try on for comparisons sake, I didn't buy anything there.

I then went to RoadRunner. They just opened a new store locally. They had what I was looking for. Here is what I found from their analysis. My arches are on the normal side and I balance fairly evenly. I put a little more weight on my left foot which is probably due to my right side being sore. Now the interesting part (at least to me ) my right foot plants down neutrally (this is the side I'm having problems with) and my left foot toes in a bit to the right. I decided to get Mizuno Wave Nirvana's. They are still a stability shoe but not as rigid as my New Balance. I'll try them out this week and see how it goes.

Yesterday I went for my long run, 19 miles! That is a heck of a long way to go! I used my old shoes with new Superfeet inserts. I didn't have big pain but mostly a tightness in my thigh and intermittent sharp pain in my knee. Not enough to not run but enough to appreciate the walk breaks. It's funny, when I started running a couple years ago, I didn't have any problems going from walk breaks back to running. Now, I'll feel like I need the walk break but it's hard to get back into the run. It takes me about a minute or two to warm up again and not feel so stiff from the walking. One of these days I'll be fit enough to run the whole way and that'll take care of that!

The best part is after getting out of bed this morning like an old lady, I fell pretty good after walking around. I've been working at my barn this week while the owner is away and I think that has mad a ton of difference. Moving instead of sitting around has helped keep things loose. Just the fact that I feel good after a long run is totally a positive sign to me that my leg issues are more overuse/soreness based than injury based. To me those are two different things. I'll continue doing what I'm doing and I think I'll feel pretty good for my race and then I can move on to the more balanced tri training. I can hardly wait!

Bike question-when Melinda was talking about a cassette, is that something you add to what you already have on your bike? 

Alex, I have a friend who uses a snorkel during races, it's allowable according to the rules. He tends to swallow a lot of water and it makes him throw up when he does so he says he's secure enough with himself that it's worth it to use one

Shannen, my niece just had a bike fitting and can't say enough good things about the outcome. She's training for her second IMAZ and the fitter is going to keep tweaking her bike all year to have her and her bike in prime shape. I think I might look into it later in the year.

David, good to know about your ITBS issues. I was surprised my feet were as normal as they turned out to be. I'd like to get into a more neutral shoe but I'll take it a step at a time and see what my legs tell me.

Sarah, look into Recovery E21, recoverye21.com, and see what you think. My niece is on their tri team this year and she gave me some samples to try. I felt it made a big difference in my soreness. Since I'm always a bit skeptical, I didn't take them for a week and then went back on them. I felt a difference. You usually take 2 in the mornings and then more if you have a long workout. I took 2 in the middle of my run yesterday and 2 more when I finished and I feel good today. Might be worth looking into. If you want to order some, use this 20% off code, mollymc.

Duncan, congrats on the bike.....well the bike of the future.....and have a great New Years break

John, I've done ice baths too. It's hard to get through them sometimes! I put a beanie on my head and anything else around my shoulders to stay warm. My local friends stand in their pools during the winter and that works too.

Jeff, I can picture your puppy unplugging your cords What kind do you have? The camper sounds great too. Makes a destination race fun.

Alex, I try to plan at least our dinners for the week and shop once. That mostly keeps the bad snacky stuff away. Breakfast tends to be the same couple of things and lunch is usually leftovers. 

I stay off the board for a couple days and I can't stop typing!!! I'm off to feed the horses. Have a good rest of the weekend,
Johanne

She is a four month old German Shepherd mix

JEFF -

Smart puppy -- knows enough to restrict its chewing to shoes and their laces, as opposed to the extension cords of power tools!

In our oddly mutual small world, with Allen as it's fulcrum, we can now add a massive story from today's New York Times - "A $60 Million Palace" This piece occupies about 3/4 of the firts page of the sports section, and then sprawls onto the complete top half of the second page. All in all there are seven photos and a map, but still a full accounting of the complex -- stadium, fine arts auditorium, district service center. Hearing talk down thatta way about education cuts makes me scratch my head a little, but the article makes it sound as if Allen H.S. is a pretty decent school. I think all of the NYT stuff is free on-line at www.nytimes.com, and the title is above, and the author of it is Greg Bishop.

How did the 7-miler go today?

ALEX -

Nicely done with three straight workout days! Righteous!

And don't feel bad about "all or nothing" --- that is far more common than you might think. I can get in a great groove (such as recently) and do multiple workouts most days over the course of several weeks, but if I happen to miss a day I find it very hard to get back on track again. I think we are creatures of both habit and momentum, and as long as both of those are aligned, we can keep plugging away at things indefinitely. Now, that may not represent a paragon of balance in the grand scheme of things, but unless it becomes obsessive-compulsive it isn't "out of whack", either.

You mentioned "out of whack" apropos eating, and to answer your three-option question, for me/us it's the third option -- just wing it. However, for a few years starting in fall '03 I became vegetarian, and that was a time when I was eating mindfully, just about every day. I didn't necessarily plan out my meals in advance, but I knew the days in which I would need to cook and adjusting my plans around that. That was what eventually did me in -- all that cooking! It just became too consumptive for two long, and the path of least resistance became cooking simply.......which can more often than not be the case with meat. So, seeing as how my reason for doing vegetarian was NOT out of ethical concerns, I just drifted back to be an omnivore.

Now, for us, it's just do what we can and what we feel like, whenever. Friday I did scallops and a potato dish and something with green beans, and was also going to do a beef stir-fry with snow peas and loads of other stuff, but bailed on the latter. Now, two days later, it STILL hasn't been done; maybe tomorrow? Anyhow, that's how lackadaisical we can be about it -- develop a "plan", then abandon it and just let it drift for a while!

I will be interested to see how others respond to your question, as I suspect you'll get a pretty even tally over the three options. In both of my other groups, there were people who were very meticulous about their meal planning.

Finally, that must be reassuring what you learned from the snorkel swim! I mean, there is still the breathing thing to be worked out, but at least you know there is nothing wrong with your swimming abilities from the neck down! I have no dooubts that you WILL figure it out, and probably sooner than later! And I gotta know -- did you need to use a nose-clip with the snorkel? If not -- I genuflect in your general direction!