Dream Chaser's 'Set a Goal and Capture it!' Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 56)

Good Morning & Happy New Year to Everyone!

I had a BRUTAL run this morning.  I'm trying to get my body back in to a routine of three sports and it is NOT happy.  Oh ya - and it's so not cool running with a muffin top!!!  So I'm also grumpy as I try to dial in the eating again.  I've been SO unmotivated that I even joined another mentor group (the HORROR) in an effort to raise the momentum. 
On an upside... I think I have some new goals.  So... without further delay...

In 2012 I will:

• be good to my body - eat clean, limit alcohol and make it stronger (resistance) and more flexible (stretching)
• train smarter - train for the races I'm participating in.  Be more strategic.
• make an effort with my swim.  Historically I've done the time, the minimum base amount to get me through it.
• finish a local HIM
• run a full marathon 
• RACE a race.  None of this touristy "la dee da what a beautiful day and a well run event" crap.  I will sweat and push my body to the finish line.  ** Note this won't be at the HIM or marathon **

Anyone else got plans?

My 2012 goals, courtesy of my chiropractor, neurosurgeon, orthopedic surgeon, family doctor, shaman, witch doctor, and priest (note:  not necessarily in order of importance ):

• January:  fix my back mess that I've gotten myself into, swim where possible, let knee(s) continue to heal
• February:  start a modified couch-to-sprint plan (I'll probably start at a little higher volume that walk 5 minutes, but you get the picture); build a strong foundation for training through yoga, strength training, and flexibility; get a really good, dialed in bike fit subject to back and knee limitations
• March:  see if my body can take upping the volume (which apparently in December, it didn't)
• April 1st:  assess fitness level and race goals to see if Eagleman is even a remote possibility (I doubt it will be, unless there are any 12 week "couch-to-HIM" plans )

Ahhhh this must have been disappointing for you.  I hope all works in your favour and you can do Eagleman.  If you can't - and it's non-refundable - you can send me in your place   I'll make you proud!  At last check registration was CLOSED.

You're timing is perfect!! I'm in the middle of writing a book about my training plan in painful detail. Well maybe not a book...kinda more of a well organized journal,  no not really a journal either...let's call it a pamphlet...scribbled notes on a sticky pad? Screw it, I'll send it to you in a text! 

I'm not convinced that they'd believe you're a Clydesdale. 

I actually can get like $150 of the entry fee back, so it's not a total loss if I bail.  I know I can always walk the HM part if I'm under-trained, but you can't fake a 1.2 mile swim and a 56 mile bike ride.

Well actually.... after the holiday eating I did...

My 2012 checklist:

[]  "A" race is the Chickamauga Battlefield HM in November.  Stretch: Finish under 2:30

[]  "B" race is the Tugaloo Tri (Oly) in September.  Goal:  Finish

[]  Run all 4 races in the Locomotive Series (5K, 10K, 15K & HM)

[]  Complete a Sprint in under 2 hours

[]  Complete a 5K in under 30 minutes

Awesome goals David - the kind of stuff to keep you motivated and working hard!

I went for a nice run this morning.  The weather is SO wonky here.  It was beautiful.  I was supposed to run 11 miles but a girl I met at a triathlon last summer - who lives close and I've bonded with - invited me to run with her so I only did 8miles but it was worth it for the stimulating chat.  I've never trained with REAL (vs. virtual) people before.  Very motivating!!  What's more is she's now committed to doing the same half iron race as me.  She also did Muskoka last year and so we're both being very strategic in how we prep for this race.  Now our goal is to get stronger and get all three sports back in to our lives.  My body is a bit tired but I'm having a good week so far.  Now I just have to keep it up!!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!!

Great goals posted so far. 

Mike - Good attitude, and great approach with getting a new bike fit after the knee and back heal enough for you to get back out there. 

David - If you keep running like you are, sub 2:30 HM in the fall is NOT a stretch.

Marseeeeyah - local 70.3 eh... 

Ted - yeeeah... Ted. 

Where is everybody else's 2012 Goals.  C'mon kiddies, let's get this homework done!

Here are my 2012 Goals:

Train SMART.  Limit Risk.   

Focus on my Limiters: Cycling & Swimming; focusing a majority of my time and effort on my biggest limiter - the Bike.

Lose 20 lbs by July. 

Go sub 11 hours at Ironman Lake Placid

I'm not sure what goals are past my Ironman race.  Maybe a half marathon, or another 70.3  but definitely NOT a Marathon  

WoW.  Freaking crickets in here.  So let's TURN UP THE MUSIC!!  This video is painfully bad.  But the chorus is catchy. 

Oh, boy.  Big time ear bug for the day.  Uh...thanks, Bobby?

That video was painful indeed.  I tried but could not make it all the way through.

So I'm sitting here in pain.  YUP!  I put in two solid resistance workouts this week and muah!  Even though I TRIED to keep it light and not get shredded, my legs are in SO MUCH PAIN!  I knew I was tight in the lower body so went for a massage and that may have been my downfall.  I walked away feeling like everything from the waist down was bruised.  My ITBs were screaming as were my calves.  Definitely made me realize how much I needed to start stretching.

Then I did dead lifts yesterday and ya... lower back, hip and hammy pain.  I still forced myself out for a run today and now I'm hobbling like a 90 year old lady.  And I feel like it too!!  I've been working out with a new tri-buddy and she's 29 - I'm 41 - and while we run/cycle at the same pace - she recovers SOOOOO more quickly!!

I have to say though - it's very cool to work out with someone else.  Today was cold (-15C) and the snow and ice made running tough so after we were chatty for the first 6miles we just tucked in single file to avoid the icy spots and ran the same pace for the remaining 2.  Was nice to even run with someone but without the pressure to chat all the time.  It's very cool too to work out with someone who will race the same race I am doing.

I met the owner of the cycle gym we go to - big time triathlete and he will introduce the two of us to two other girls that are at our level to ride with over the summer.  Cool.  Amazing how your life changes at times.   I actually woke up at 5am on Saturday to get a ride in ??!!  There was a day when I would be crawling in to bed - wasted - after a partying til 5am!!

I've also decided not to do the half mary in February.  It was a goal at one time but now that I'm back doing resistance training I'm VERY aware of how weak I am - poor balance etc.  And so I've decided to focus on strength training so I am nice and strong come race season.  I'll continue to build run volume but will hold off specific training on that for a while.

So David - I'm down one swim this week.  As I committed to 2x/week I will try to fit an extra one in next week to make it up.

Interesting things on the work front for me but don't want to chat about them online until it's sorted out but ya
I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T-I-N-G along the lines of things we've chatted about before!

Hope everyone has had a good week.  Anything big on the horizon? 

Bobby our wonderful mentor is yet again imparting useful advice in his blog - NO CROTCHPOT COOKING BOYS!!!
Hit the showers after your workouts

Crotchpot cooking.  That's an interesting way of putting it. 

Marcia, good call on the half mary.  Even if you are 'physically ready' if you're not 'mentally ready' no sense doing it just to do it. 

I should be seeing Ted not this weekend, but next weekend for a 10-mile Brew Run.  I'm in it for the 10-mile race; NOT the brew.  But it'll be nice to see Ted.  And I'm going to hopefully get and give 'scary voice' encouragement on the out & back portion. 

Going to hit up a Swim & Run today.  27 weeks till my Ironman and I gotta start getting in more two-a-day workouts. 

Crotchpot cooking?? EWWWWWWWWW!!!

As for Ted, it appears that is he is faithfully following his patented "Races Only" training plan.  You might have to encourage him along with that beer.

Why mess with something that's so effective? 

My 'scary voice' may be a bit slurred but it will be good to see Bobby. I'm leaving to go skiing pretty much right after the race so I'm saving my legs for the mountain and not taking this too seriously(well, even less seriously than I normally do).  I know Mike, I'm a wuss

Take it easy out there Bobby, don't go screwing up your groin before the season even starts.

Dream Chaser - 2012-01-26 12:52 PM Just wanna give a thanks, shout-out, kudos to Ted for transferring his 10-Mile Race registration to me.  What a generous man.  Thanks Bro. 

NP Bobby, it's the least I can do after all the time you've given to me over the last year.

I'm just disapointed I won't get a chance to smoke see you this weekend . Maybe, I'll have to reconsider running the KP 15K this year.

KICK SOME A$$ at the Brewery Bobby!

Soliciting feedback:  So as many of you probably know - Bobby ran an amazing 10-miler this past weekend and in his blog wrote, "It's amazing how much easier a flat race is on the body than a super-hilly course. " and it got me thinking about my own race this summer. 

Last September I did Muskoka which is a really hilly bike followed by a hilly run.  To prep for it I headed for the hills as much as possible in my training.  This June I will do Welland which is a flat and reportedly fast course.  My plans are to still train hills - I figured they would make me stronger and I may want to do some hilly rides in July & September.  The tri I'm doing in July is also flat though so I'm just wondering if my approach is wise.

If you were training for a flat bike/run course - would you still train hills?  Or would you focus on speed interval training?

PS - hope everyone is doing well.  Pretty quiet lately but I figure we're all just trying to resist the urge to hibernate!  

I would train hills into March or early April then focus on speed as you get closer to your races.  Hills build strength and make everything else easier.

X2.  Hills are speedwork in disguise.

I would train a mix of Hills and Flats.  And then a month to month and a half out from the event, I would exclusively train Flat.  The reason being, flat races are more about "quick cadence".  They are more about using the "same muscle group", and maintaining a "constant steady state rythym".  When we race or train hills, we are mixing up the muscle groups that we use.  We also get to Recover on downhills.  With Flat Racing, again, we're using the same muscle group for an extended period of time and holding a steady effort; very little spikes.  It's good to get the body to acclimate to this.

The closer you get to a race, the more you should try and mimic those Race Day conditions in training.  If it's going to be hot & flat; the last month try and just train hot & flat.  If it's going to be hilly with cold water swim; train hilly till the end and get some cold water swims in.  Etc...  I'm coming to find that Specificity is truly key.  But we don't have to focus on Specificty in the beginng.  For instance, I'm mountain biking a lot and pool swimming right now.  They are helping me to maintain some cycling and swimming fitness, but are not Specific to my A Race.  The closer I get to my A Race I will do Open Water Lake Swimming in a wetsuit and I will ride and run bike courses that closely mirror Lake Placid. 

That is all