Experior and Slornow's Spring/Summer Mentor Group-CLOSED (Page 56)

Welcome, Nick!!

-Nate

OK, so yeah, probably just a case of a little too much too soon.  If you don't already, give your tush a break during rides by standing for a few pedal strokes every once in a while.

Do you ever get numb hands, or do your hands., arms, or shoulders, get tired at all when riding?

Only at first did I get soreness. But that was just common muscle soreness brought about by participating in a new activity. No numbness in any upper body extremities. One time on a particularly long ride, I experienced numbness in private region (TMI?). Guessing I was sitting on a nerve that ran up that way... I'll try standing every once in awhile to try to alleviate pain/symptoms.

Thanks again for the advice!

-Nate

Welcome Nick, this is a great forum!

It's been raining all day here so looks like a bike trainer in order.  Actually its the first real rain we've had in a long time and I'm kind of enjoying it - not enough to get all wet on the bike however.

Question for runners:  I greatly desire to get faster but also one of my goals is to be able to not have to walk at all during the run leg of an IM.  I've heard many people speak on minimum run volumes.  I know it varies person to person, but am curious what type of run volumes others do where they see a greatest increase in their endurance ability (not necessarily speed).  I have been averaging about 110-120 miles a month this year, although last month was a low of 79 miles.  I know there is no "one fits all" formula, but please share your experience if this question makes any sense.  Jim

Hey all,

I really appreciate, Randy, as well as the rest of the group allowing me join the already cohesive group. 

Name: Nick 

Age: 27

Location: Jacksonville, Florida (originally from West Palm Beach area)

Athletic Background: came from a very untraditional triathlon background...8 years ago I weighed close to 255 pounds, got introduced to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and made a concious effort that I was going to eat much healthier, and really transform my body. Something internally was different this time around as I had the most amazing self-control. Anyway, I participated in MMA for just about 5.5 years or so, and was around 175-180 feeling very healthy. I seriously hurt my neck in August 2010 and was forced to either get surgery, or leave MMA and rehab it. I chose the route that would require no surgery near or around my neck...

I had done a 15k (Gate River Run 15k) in March 2010 as a test to see how my endurance was. I really didn't train that much, but I felt as if it would be a fun challenge. After I completed the race I really didn't think about it too much other than the fact that I would want to do the race the following year. Fast forward a few months (December 2010) I decided I was going to do a 13.1, and during that time I started surfing YouTube for motivation videos, and 'it' just kind of clicked that I should try a triathlon. Bought an entry-level road bike in February 2011, and started riding. I felt great after the 13.1 and felt accomplished, but I kept wondering could I ever complete a marathon/ironman/etc. A few weeks later I went back for round 2 of the Gate River Run, and PR'd by 15 minutes (2011, 1:12:50; 2010, 1:27:54). With that momentum I decided I was going to do a triathlon. Starting off slow, doing a sprint series held locally in town (May, June, and July) and eventually did an Oly in August, and in turn decided to do a HIM in September (Augusta). Originally my plan was to do a HIM in 2013, but that was quickly moved up once I got the cycling down. This was in large part of the fact that after my first (humbling) triathlon, I was being passed by everyone on my entry-level road bike, and in turn liquidated some old toys (surfboards, kayak, etc) to get a decent tri bike (Felt B-14, known as 'Frank').

While I am not the fastest athlete, I am hard-working, and am proud to say that I am starting to finish FOP in a majority of races, even earning a spot to USAT Nationals after racing St. Anthony's. I am now currently trying to work out the fourth and fifth disciplines of triathlon: nutrition, and the mental game. 

If you have any questions, let me know. Look forward to meeting/talking with everyone!

@Jim 

I was under the same notion in terms of being against walking in a marathon...however, I changed that tune during my 26.2 in February when I was getting passed by runners in the Galloway pace groups. If you haven't heard of this, it is essentially a run/walk interval (varying on fitness levels). I know many people are against this, but honestly I feel as if I could drop about 20 minutes from my marathon time with this method, especially in an IM or HIM setting. The walk intervals help reduce the fatigue of your legs, and you don't seem to hit that 'wall'. That is my opinion on such, but I am also very hard-headed, and don't want to be the guy walking. But one thing I noticed in doing the pace group is that the people that would pass us when we were walking, we would catch up to several times once we were done with the 30-40" walk (and eventually wouldn't see them the last 10 miles or so). 

Disclaimer: I am not a glorified runner, nor a Boston qualifier. Just someone who is speaking their mind; Don't Hate me!

The reason I asked about upper body issues (hands/shoulders) was to see whether maybe you are not well balanced on the bike.  In other words, you might be putting too much weight 'aft and not enough 'fore'.  If so, then in time, better balance will come, but you can hurry it along.

Try this experiment:  Sit on the bike and put all of your weight on the seat -- your hands can still be on the bar, but use your core to take all of the weight off of them so that it is all on the seat.  That is one extreme.  Now shift all of your weight to your hands.  Your rear end can still be on the seat, but there's no weight on it.  That's the other extreme.  Go back and forth between these two extremes a few times to see how it feels.  You might be riding with a little bit too much weight on the rear end and not enough on the hands.

Of course, it could also just be that you need more time in the saddle.

As you get more powerful, you will also find that there is less pressure on the rear end, simply because you are pushing harder on the pedals (hence in effect 'lifting' yourself partly off of the seat).

For me, more is more.  I'm struggling with injuries and intestinal issue right now, so my volume is pretty minimal (for me).  But here's an experience that I can relate.  Last summer I decided to test my ability to run high volume, and I managed to get up to 100mpw for I think 4 weeks.  Of course, on the way, I was running increasingly more per week.  In other words, I put in a LOT of miles from early spring to late summer.  It is really hard to say what sort of speed gains I made, if any, because it was hot, i was always tied, etc., and I got injured in the fall (not related to the running volume).  However, one very clear effect of the high volume was exactly what you are after -- an ability to hold pace for much longer periods of time.  Indeed, I credit my ability to get through the run at worlds after being sick and slaying myself on the bike to that run training -- without it, I would have had to give up.

In short, 15 mile runs felt like 6 mile runs use to feel -- routine.  So yes, I would urge you to give thought to increasing volume (conservatively).  You WILL have to slow down.  You WILL be tired.  But you've trained for IMs many times before, so you understand fatigue from training load.  

A little too fast?  Lol.  Been there...   Nice job getting it done.

Kids are resilient.  Hopefully this one overcomes the faults of the parents.  (I don't do dope while my kids are at swim lessons, but I've got my own faults, and I hope my children can overcome my faults....)

Haha, you don't need to worry about me...just don't pass me

In other news, have a 'training' race this weekend. I am looking forward to it as it has been a long few weeks of training, and this OLY (and I love the 51.50k distance) happened to fall into my recovery week, so naturally I had to do it. 

I am also going on a training-cation, aka bringing my S/B/R stuff on a road trip to Iowa to visit the S.O's family. I am looking forward to it, especially training in a new environment, and utilizing some of the amazing bike trails that Iowa apparently has. Anyone else racing this weekend? Any big training rides/runs/etc? 

Knocked out a solid swim this AM, and did a quick 30 minute run after with some bursts (6 x 30' at 105% 10k pace, with full recovery). Legs felt good, and am anxious to see how everything goes tomorrow. Time to hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate. Did I mention I need to drink some water?

Easy spin @4:45 this morning and 3000 swim planned at lunch.  Headed to the beach for the weekend....so I'll be limited to checking in via phone.  Tempo run tomorrow morning and then I'll do my bike/run Sunday evening when I get home.

Rene-we have been getting tons of rain here as well.  Lots of places really need it but I could use a break from it for a few days.

Randy

Training-cation coming up for me too.  We go to the beach every year for a week with my wife's family -- all 40 or so of them.  I am NOT a group-hug lets-spend-a-week-in-close-proximity sort of person, and she knows that, so for me, it's a tough week but she gives me a lot of freedom to get away from it.  That's the deal.  Her cousins have VERY different parenting styles from us, which also raises all sorts of difficulties.  So for the sake of my sanity, I have a green light to train as much as I can during the week and you can bet that's what will happen.  Beach training camp here I come!  The rest of the time will be spent explaining to my children why they cannot have ice cream and Coke for dinner and why it's not OK to light random stuff (bushes, tires -- I'm not kidding) on fire...

I will try that! Great advice, thanks a ton!

-Nate

Nice easy run for me tonight (even though, if you believe what you read in the forums, it was worthless, lol), then a nice dinner out with the family before the storm of 40 in-laws for a week.  I'm so glad I trained my children how to behave in (and enjoy) a nice restaurant.  They've gotten old enough to absorb that training and enjoy good food, and it was a wonderful evening.

I've detected no racing this weekend (correct??) -- so everybody train real hard, OK!  For me:  Long run tomorrow and long bike Sunday.