Baowolf mentor group is [ Closed ] (Page 57)

Samantha you have your long bike and long run in for the week.  I would probably punt on the bike and maybe convert it into a lite 1000 yard swim at a slow pace or just a warm bath instead.  You have put in the work at this point.  So just work on recovery at this point.  If you have a run planned for tomorrow you might want to just walk the whole thing and then see how the next day feels.  Or you could do a bike on Monday, but make it shorter say 15 to 20 miles at a low intensity, just smell the roses for a couple days.  An ice bath or compression leggings would be a good call for recovery from your run.  You might want to roll your leggs today (marathon stick or foam rollers).  So yes take it easy at this point and get all recovered for your race.  (this does not mean do nothing, but it does mean don't do your bike today). 

For me 8 miles at 7:29 pace, felt good.  Swim this afternoon.  I'll do a  long bike run brick. But I don't like to do a long run moderate bike brick. 

Hey all, happy labor day!  Hope you are not laboring. 

Taking a rest day here today.  We're socked in for another 4 or 5 days of high temps (lows around 80 and highs at/above 100), then a cool front is promised by the weekend.  Waiting not so patiently.

Thanks Steve! Took the rest of yesterday off. I took an ice bath then a warm bath. Legs are still very sore today, but the kind of sore that just needs rest. Going to swim today in the lake and limit any leg stuff until tomorrow. Definitely not run if I'm still hurting, but walk my miles like Steve said. Had nightmares about getting to the race site in time to pick up my packet and drive the bike route. In the dream I was not going to get there until after 9pm and I was very upset. Hoping dreams like that don't come again.

Carol - those temps are excruciating. I hope the weather man knows what he's talking about for the weekend.

Happy Labor Day!

Long day today, 35 mile bike, 5 mile run 1000 yard swim mow the lawn nap... Starting that next level of build.. longest bike (80)and swim (3600) of the year this week. 

Good deal Samantha, just keep the body somewhat active, an hour here 30 minutes there, low intensity, pleanty of sleep, fruit, fluids.  You likely have odd soreness over the next 2 weeks unrelated to the amount of workouts you are doing.  It is part of the mending process and unless you pull something, unrelated to any real injury.  It can freak you out though the first time you experience it.

Random thoughts.  I tell my wife I don't want to go for a 75 mile bike ride today, she says "thats ok you don't have to want to go for you bike ride, you can just do it anyway."  I had to smile.  My sweety gets it. 

So I hit something with my tire, never saw it tore a hole threw tire and tube about the size of a pencil jabbed in.  Ya spare had a manufacture error with a faulty seam, yay 35 miles from home.  Anyway my wife tells me that if I were in dire straights I could patch the tube with my patch kit and then use a dollar bill wrapped around the tube at the point where the hole in the tire was to give it support so the newly patched tube didn't squish through the hole and repop.  Temporary fix, but one that could have gotten me home. 

Those bike numbers still haunting me 5000 miles a year considered a beginner for cyclysts.  Hrm.  So I tell my wife look honey that aero helmet I like is $50 off today.  She is all hrm so helmet and new wheels are a 1% increase in speed/reduction in time for your IM and you need to improve 10%.  Why not work on the engine until you are closer?  I respded, because I will look really cool while I am building my engine.. hrm.  Hard to win discussions with her.  She did say that it was my money so I could buy the toys if I wanted to (we don't have one of those relationships where one needs permission to do things like buy an aero helmet (me) or a new laptop (her) as long as my oldest son gets his braces paid for). 

Thanks for all the laughs Steve. Your wife seems to know you well and have some fire in her. So about that aero helmet - are you sure you believe you will look cool? :D You will at least look like you are gonna win. Dollar bills are really quit tough so I'm thinkin your wife had a pretty good idea. Did you actually make it home or call for a ride?

Leg is still very sore and tight today. Took another hot bath and last night I used my marathon stick. Been trying to stretch it, but sometimes I think stretching it might be worse. Any other thoughts Steve? I am starting to feel concerned, just a little. But maybe it is what you are talking about with my body repairing itself. I have many sore muscles right now.

Did OWS today. Second time in my wetsuit. The water was choppy and boat-made waves were coming in frequently. I found myself struggling to keep my breathing calm. The wetsuit definitely creates a squeeze affect. All I could think about was getting done and hoping my race doesn't have choppy water. Not sure what that says about IMCDA next year. I think nervousness is creeping in different ways now that the race is so close.

Gonna do another OWS tomorrow and a short bike.

Joe - how's your recovery week going?

Mike, Jim, Elena - Hi!

Samantha if the leg is so/so I might want to walk 1 mile on it.  the bike ride should be good for working out the lactic acid and such, so your call (but low intensity).  I want you to go lite on it, but not so light that it gets all locked up on you.  Ya don't go overboard with stretching it.  Very light pressure stretches nothing too agressive (like 10 to 30 percent of a regular stretch) just enough to encourage range of motion.  You might consider ice pack if it is localized and or heat pack  or alternate.  What is the location of the soreness you are worried about.  This is the time for big worries to sink in it is all part of the emotional ride that goes with the physical ride.  You will get better in choppy water, the wetsuit helps with it. 

Ya most aero helmets are goofy looking... but folks think that riding a bike in my area is goofy looking as do the cows, dogs, deer and horses.

Poor cows!

It is either my right hamstring or some other muscle/tendon that runs up the back of my leg. It's sorta localized, but it runs from my knee to about halfway up the back of my leg. You are probably right that I'm just getting worked up. I just want to do that right things to get it back to normal. So swim tomorrow and very light bike?

Joe, it looks like your training is cruising along.

Mike, I like your plan.  I am the type of person who likes a detailed plan, and working hard to stick to it.  Right now, for me my plan is basically only run.

Carol, sounds like a great 43 mile ride.  Sometimes distractions help.

Steve, the facts about cycling are scary.  Essentially riding a 100 miles a week is a beginner.  Wow!

Samantha, I'm super excited for you.  I see every thing I went through the last week in your posts.  Working out logistics, worrying about injuries, etc.  I told myself I had done the work, and reaped the benefits regardless of the race outcome.  But the race was awesome, too.

I did a 5 mile run yesterday, and wanted to do it at race pace for my HM.  My goal was 9:09/mile and I did it in 9:03/mile, which I was happy with. 

Samantha, sure a lite bike would be perfect.  I find it hard to work that muscle group with the marathon stick and need to use a foam roller to get at that particular area.  Alternatively you can use a tennisball (triathlete on a budget) or similar ball to get at the deep muscle tissue. 

Larry, 9 mpm will buy you a sub 2hour HM.  It looks like there is a runner in you for sure, you are coming along much more quickly than expected in your run times.  Improving run speed is soo much easier than improving swim or bike times.....

Going out for a run tonight, and looking forward to it. Likely just another 5k thing, but this would mark the first time in, oh, what seems forever I've run 3 days in a row. Yesterday was a good one. Took a couple of miles to get some rust & cobwebs off, but the last mile was pure fun. Ran it in 8:55 which is quick for me. I'm in the process of writing my goals for the remainder of 2012 and will post them up here in the next day or two.

I did end up washing the bike on Sunday afternoon, and now its a mean, lean shiny machine . Can't wait to get it back out and mess it all up again .  

I always hate getting the dried cow dung off the under part of the bike and cables when I clean my bike.... Have I said that I live out in the country?  The government doesn't consider us rural we are in the "unpopulated" classification. 

 The state and federal government doesn't understand us at all, all of their regulations break down at a poplation density of 50 people per squre mile.  We are 1 person per 10 square miles population density. 

You know you are rural when it makes the paper that Joey got arrested for jaywalking, by his brother, officer Joe, but that his Lawyer Joleen argued to their father Judge Joseph that the nearest crosswalk was 50 miles in either direction and that it was unreasonbale to expect him to walk that far on a Sunday before church where his Uncle Jahosaphat is the priest. 

Very nice pace on your 5 miler Larry!  I know you'll put the work in, so am betting on that sub 2:00 HM for you.

Samantha, hope your leg feels better, and glad you are erring on the side of caution.  If it's any consolation, I took a rest day yesterday and had shooting pains down my right leg from a spazzing glute muscle.  Felt fine until I rested .

Mike, nice 3 day stretch of running.  Enjoy that squeaky clean bike!

Steve, where you live sounds appealing and horrifying all at the same time.  Part of me would really love living in the country, but I'm way too spoiled by the suburban conveniences now.  Get the aero helmet and give the few neighbors you have something new to talk about!

T minus 4 days and counting to lows in the 60's and highs in the 80's.  Weather man better be right or be able to run faster than me (not hard lately)!

Tempo run today, 8:17, 7:46, 7:43, 7:31, 7:16, 7:03, 6:48, 7:28, 7:30, 7:36, 7:39, 8:03, 8:00 paces. Some wind still very smokey.  30 minutes of bike hill repeats this evening.

I try to not buy anything that is not around 50%off, so will wait for Thanksgiving sale maybe. 

Mike - Every great run starts with one step.

Larry - Talk about cruising. You are putting in some serious mileage.

Carol - Hurry for cooler weather and nice bike rides. 

Samantha - How is the tapper going? Hope you are getting lots of rest.

Steve - Those bike stats are still very interesting. One thing is the elevation change is constant at about 70' per mile no matter what level. Also the time spent for a super pro does not seem to make sense as it seems to equate to 12.2 mph. Surely they are going faster than that. But your point is well taken, yeah not going pro anytime soon.

Quick 4 miles last night in39:36. I like being able to finish faster but need to work on my stamina. Split 9:38, 9:14, 9:45, and11:45. Looking at a recover 3 possible tonight and an easy 5 Thursday before race 6 Saturday. The weather was soggy last night but I managed to sneak in between the clouds. Looks like more of the same for the next few days.

Happy to report my bike was entirely cowpie free on Sunday when I washed it.

Did day 3 of running last night, and was soaked to the bone when done. Sudden burst of rain about 10 minutes in just drenced everything, but it was kind of fun. The stifling humidity after wasn't so great, but the water cooled me off, and was enjoyable. Going out for another run tonight. I'm doing these at an easy conversational pace while trying to get my 'legs' back under me. So far so good.

Joe, good luck on your race this weekend!  What is your target time?

Mike, sounds like you are being smart about the running.  Great job!

Steve, meant to ask....how many miles per year does it take to reach the slacker cyclist level?

Samantha, how is your leg feeling?

Slow 23ish mile ride this morning, but my couch did not catch me!  I do think maybe it gained on me though.  Thanks to everyone for pushing that cold front our way!  Weatherman is still saying it will be here Saturday.

9 days...whoa! So today something happened and I'm not super sure what to think or do. I was at work cleaning up after lunch and while moving a frying pan from the kitchen sink to the stove I turned and a hot burning pain happened in the middle of my back. Immediately I thought about the impact a back strain/pull/whatever could have on my race. I iced it right away and spent the rest of the day taking it easy. As the day went on the pain didn't go away. Not sure what the best move forward is. With my legs and now this the last couple days have been minimal for tapering. I did a 1400yrd swim on Monday and an 11 mile bike on Tuesday. Tonight I am not sure if resting or moving would be better. My legs are feeling a bit better, but I really want to move. I am currently icing my back and will ice and heat it throughout the evening.But should I go for a walk or bike?

A tri-top was the final piece of gear I needed. Got it in the mail today and am afraid it is a bit big, but I'm gonna keep it since I will be wearing a wetsuit. Since I started this training business last year I have dropped from a 37" waist to a 33". I have to rethink sizing on clothes now.

Mike - great job getting your running legs going again.

Larry - your speed is increasing so much and it is fun to hear about.

Steve - you are still out there killing it. BTW, I do have the camelbak valves on my drink container. I don't think I totally understood the math for figuring out how much to drink. What I did hear was 3 drinks every 20 minutes. I am also thinking I will add an extra scoop since I do seem to need more calories when I'm out there pushing myself.

Carol - I'm sure glad your run in with the other biker ended well considering. I can't tell you how many close calls I have with people out there. I find other trail users do not often consider that people might be coming towards them and need space to pass. There was a lady the other day who was on one side of the trail and her dog, with his extended leash was on the other side. I could have been clotheslined had I not been paying attention and yelled "Coming through".

samantha - hope everything is feeling OK this AM. A bit of taper madness setting in?

I'm just back from my AM run. Very humid outside, and the air is thick with the smell of the ocean. (I live about 1/2 mile from it). Felt great to get out and about. During the run, i was thinking about what "Run lots, mostly easy, some hard" and what it really means to 'run easy'. there is an interesting thread in TT called something like "Lessons learned by a lousy runner" and the poster lists a number of things that they've found out about running while following the 'run lots, mostly...." mantra. One thing he says is 'run slow' is at a pace where you feel you could read a book out loud. What says you, BT Mentor group?

One other question -- I'm putting together my plan to finish out 2012. As I mentioned before, its 5 run, 2 swims, 2 bikes. I'm not sure how/where to place the runs.  My swims are M/W morning (masters class), long run Sun AM, long bike Sat AM. SO where do I put the running? Take Monday off from running and just swim that day, leaving a run for Tu/W/Th/F (or Sat)? I could do something  like:

M: swim

Tu: Med Run/Bike (PM)

W: swim/ short run

Th: Med Run

F: Med Run

S: Bike/Short Run

Su: Long run.

That make any sense? Looking for suggestions. Thanks!

Hey Samantha, so sorry your back is hurting.  Seems like most of the time, mild muscle strains (if that's what it is) will heal pretty well with a few days rest.  As Steve always reminds us, your training is already in the bank, so if this had to happen, it's one of the better times.  I would ONLY do things that don't cause pain (perhaps some easy/short walks?).

Mike, good conversation starter!  As Samantha said, I think reading a book out loud would be stretching it a bit on the easy runs for me.  I often talk to folks I pass, or with a running partner when I have one.  Try to keep talking to myself to a minimum .  I am definitely a lot slower right now anyway due to the heat and up a few lbs.  But to be honest, I'm not sure purposely running a lot slower helps me at this stage.  I do keep the intensity on longer runs down.  But I think when I try to slow down too much, my form is actually worse -- more up and down motion and less fluid.  What really helped me this past year was to add in some strides and various intervals to get my turnover higher, and shake me out of the slogging mode I had trained myself to be stuck in over several years of on-again off-again running.  Not saying that's right for everyone at every stage, and maybe not even for me this year, but it took my half mary times from 2:30 to 1:55 last year.

And speaking of running...called my run at 3.5 miles in this morning.  80 something, sunny, no breeze, and just could not cool down.  T minus 1 day to cool front!  May come with a little rain, and if so, I'll be running in the cool rain this weekend!

Mike - Any time you move, you are better off than when you don't. My daughter is back in school but the last few weeks we were going on some runs and her pace at 14 or so mpm was much slower than i am used to. But it did not hurt my additional running but probably helped me get the mileage on my feet up, increase recovery, and enjoy time with my kid. All around very positive. So run often, mostly slow and sometimes fast. When I try to run fast, it is often a bit self destructive. Early splits that are too fast hurt the finish, and pressing for better times hinders a relaxed running position. Of course my slow may not match someone else's and if someone has built a good base but does not seek to improve then it might get monotinous. Boredom could lead to many bad habits.

Anyway, your schedule looks very full. I like to use swims for some recovery. Now this does not build fitness. It will help you feel better at least until you start building for the next HIM/IM. I also found that a good spin on the bike can improve foot speed on the run. Of course finding time to fit it all in, still feel decent and function at home and work is the real trick. Here it can really vary depending on fitness levels, goals, and your own genetics.

Samantha - Too early to panic but other than checking with a Dr. or other medical pro, I would say light stretching, no bouncing, rest, maybe some Alieve for any inflamation and check back in the morning.

Carol - I think I can get close to 60 minutes for 10K and might beat that on a good day.

I'll have to catch up later.  Lesson for the day, even if you have done a bunch of hill repeats and are dog tired and are riding into the sun making it hard to see too far forward and you are in the aero bars..... you still need to look far enough ahead to see what's in the way even in the middle of nowhere where ther is no shoulder to pull off on or call it and ride home as conditions are not conducive to bike riding or ... yups time to buy a new helmet after all.  People should not park farm equipment taking up a large part of the road under these conditions.  So ya 8 months of training proably down the tubes. I am fine mostly, went down trying to turn harder than one really should, missed everything stationary but hit the left shoulder hard enough to take me out of swimming for a while (1 month i hope, prefer not 2 months, 3 months would drop me completely out of all races for the year who knows).  Lots of bruizes main cut was from the pedal of the bike going into my left ankle.  No tendon, muscle or bone damage there, but maybe 30-40 stithces will count them later. 

The ER doc was funny I had a cut on my right hand he wanted to stitch up. It was only going to require 2-3 stitches so I'm all you don't have to bother shooting the hand with novacane it is only 2-3a stitches.  If you are going to poke me 2x with a novacane nedle you might as well just do the stitches, not a big deal.  He was so freeked out by me not wanting novacane that I let him use it on my leg.  He is all really that doesn't hurt.  I'm all its not a big deal.  He is all really.  Anyway we find humor where we can.

So no biking running or swimming.  I did walk 2.5 miles at lunch, blinding pace of 17.xx mpm pace.  I may walk with the sling tomorrow, the shoulder was worse than the legs.  Catching both aerobars in the middle of your thighs just before you flip over the front of the bike leaves some nice bruizing.  So no running for 10 days, then we see if the shoulder is healed enough to take the jaring or if I can run with a sling and be ok.  I will have to drive 300 miles or 800 miles to take the bike in to a bike shop this weekend and see what they think about the frame.  It has a nice gash in the top tube, but I don't think it is deep enough to cause structural difficulties.  Who knows, but I do need a new front brake, it got demolished.  Areobars are askew but probably just need to be readjusted.  Poor bike.  Oh well, have to catch up on yesterdays work.  

The helmet is good and mashed, went down at 23 mph, 7 of the connector segments were broken all the way through on the left temple area.  If you do nothing else right, do wear a helmet on the bike.  With a helmet my neck is a bit stiff, without... much worse.  

Stay safe and beat my numbers for this month 8). 

Oh no, Steve, I'm so sorry!  Thank God for your helmet!  If you're into watching football, you will have more time to do that.  And plenty of laps, miles and races for when you're ready.  I'm just glad you'll be doing them this side of heaven!  But still major, major bummer.  Here's to healing quickly and well -- you and your bike.

Joe, I think you're right about going sub 60 min 10K this weekend.  Go get em!