Dream Chaser's 'Set a Goal and Capture it!' Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 58)

I freaking LOVED Animal Kingdom at Disney!!  Especially the safari ride!!

OK...one thing at a time here, but I think they're all going to point to the same result (and you probably don't want to hear it ):

1)  "November - Had focused on my running and hit 100 miles of running and felt really great."

Looks like a really solid month, though I would have spread the mileage out a bit, but it didn't seem to affect you and you felt great.  That was great solid base development that will stay with you a while...more on that later.

2)  "December - Started slacking off towards the end of the month.  Barely no running over the holidays."

This was probably a good thing. but  I don't think you took it far enough.  You didn't have an off-season at all.  I looked at your logs since June of last year and you've averaged around 3 1/2 hours of running a week, with a minimum of 1 1/2 hours for over eight straight months.  I think you might need a month of goofing around, not just a week.

3)  "January - basic 20 miles per week - unsure of what plan to follow and just did whatever.  Legs weren't feeling great - nothing seemed to come very easy.  Kept missing my long runs."

OK...warning bells starting...sounds like a little fatigue setting in.  I think you did a good thing in spreading out your running, but you might have jumped the volume up again too quickly.

4)  "February - Feel like crap.  My legs are wound so tightly they hurt.  I've had a couple of massages that were painful - the last one has left me with bruises on my legs.  I've taken some time off to rest them but it doesn't help.  Yesterday I went for an easy 10 miler and had to bail getting only 7 in and my legs are KILLING me.  I went for a swim and my IT bands were actually hurting in the water.  My knee hurt to climb stairs.  I walked a lot the day before but I walk a lot PERIOD.  I'm always on my feet and take the dog out whenever I feel restless or bored. "

UH-OH...STOP RUNNING NOW!!!!!!!  Get in the pool and swim lightly, do a little water jogging, and some light spinning.  Watch those long walks, they aren't as high-impact as running but they're not zero impact.  Use that foam roller, yes, but be careful on the yoga; some of those poses can be really stressful.  I think yoga does a much better job of preventing injury than curing it.

5)  "Anyway - 18 weeks to my HIM and I don't want to rest - I feel the need to ramp it up a bit so I'm feeling a bit panicky.  My immediate plan is to get out my foam roller morning and night and incorporate some yoga/stretch each week.  Is there anything advice any of you can give?  I feel as though I'm rapidly aging and it ain't pretty!!!"

Re: aging quickly:  welcome to the club, sister!!  Seriously, though, you have plenty of "hay in the barn" with regards to your base so you don't need to worry about 18 weeks.  If we were talking six weeks maybe, but you could take a solid month off and finish a 13-week HIM plan.

DO NOT RUN AGAIN UNTIL THE PAIN SUBSIDES!!!  Not even a little bit.  Have you considered going to an ortho and/or physical therapy?  MY PT experiences have been great and they'll let you know for sure if/when to start running again.  I clearly pushed myself too hard in November and now I have two jacked up knees.

Those IT band issues can really be devastating and can kill a whole season.  Nip this in the bud. 

After an up and down first 6-7 weeks this year, I am beginning to re-evaluate my thoughts about how to approach this year.  I spent Oct, Nov and Dec focusing solely on running and felt like I made good progress running 4-5x week.  Then in January, I changed to a run-focused tri plan w/ 2-swims, 2-bikes and 4-runs per week. 

Unfortunately, I tend to slack on my second swim most weeks (i.e. I am about 50/50 as to whether I even go) and trying to find time for one bike ride some weeks is tough and two is proving to be almost impossible until daylight savings time gets here.  Add that to the foot issue earlier this month and a week of being sick, and I feel like I am losing ground on run as well now. 

In a nutshell, I don't feel like I am working as hard now as I was when I was focusing solely on my run, and the lack of daylight hours is making it difficult to think things will change until DST.

My primary goals remain the same:

1.  Sub 30 minute 5K

2.  Build up to & complete an olympic distance triathlon

3.  Build up to & complete a HM

I am considering going back to a run focused plan for the next 4-6 weeks and maybe looking at more 5K's through the Spring.  I talked with a local HS cross-country coach who laid out a weekly plan for me to build speed though long runs, interval work and hill repeats over the next 6 weeks; but it would require me to run 5-6 times a week.  I can still get in one good swim and possibly one long bike ride in each week to quasi-maintain fitness there.

If I go in that direction, my thought would be to move back to a more tri-focused plan around the end of March/early April.  FWIW, the first sprint I am looking at is the last weekend of April; the oly in September and the HM in November.

Thoughts/suggestions/advice?  Does this make sense?

Have you had any experience with the FIRST running plan?  The concept being you run less but focus on intensity and so run faster, but also cross train making it sound like the ideal plan for triathletes.  I've been reading the book and may try it once my legs are feeling a bit better.

On that note - some improvement with me but only because I haven't done anything!!!  It's something with my right hamstring/ITband and where all that stuff connects to my a$$.  How's that for a medical anatomical description????

Stand straight up in the middle of a room.  Lift your left leg three inches off the floor and point it out in front of you. Now, squat straight down six to eight inches using only your right leg.  Can you do that Five times without falling over?  If not, your glute/hip/quad need strengthening and is likely your problem.

David, I have dealt with this all-too familar dilemma for years now - Trying to hit road running time goals while training for Triathlon.  It's a pain in the a$$.  Unless you have a lot of time to devote to both (which most of us don't) you have to pick one or the other.  Yes, you can surely do both (train for a road race and train triathlon) but for must folk (myself included) you have to pick one to focus on.  You can't focus and be good at both. 

If you pick the road race goal, yes - your swimming and biking will suffer, and your triathlon race will be slower. 

Focusing on the running alone tends to be easier (for me) cause it requires less time (no travel to pool, no bike maintenance)  you just grab your shoes and go.  And the run workouts are always more satisfying cause running burns the most calories and is hardest on the body.  The downside is running IS hard on the body and the chance of injury is greater.

This is the great Quest for Balance, David.  Running 5-6 times a week is a bit much, for most folk.  My best guess advice would be train for the Olympic Tri and just be happy with whatever 5k time your throw down, and you may be surprised how good it is.  I would target a goal of Running 3X per week, Cycling 2X per week, and Swimming 1X per week.  Do two short runs, and a longer run.  Do a short bike tempo, and a longer bike.  And when you swim, swim a little bit longer once per week.  And three weeks out from your Oly, throw in 2X swim per week for week 3 & 2, and then 1 for the taper week.  Is this an ideal way to train - heck no.  But after watching your blogs for 14 months now, I believe this schedule would fit you. 

Stand straight up in the middle of a room.  Lift your left leg three inches off the floor and point it out in front of you. Now, squat straight down six to eight inches using only your right leg.  Can you do that Five times without falling over?  If not, your glute/hip/quad need strengthening and is likely your problem.

After some not-very-deep thought I've pulled the plug on Eagleman this year.  The back injury broke the camel's back, so to speak.  The good news is that I'm getting my Supartz injections without the risk of me doing something stupid, and that I've started swimming again.  I'm still probably another month or so away from any real increase in training so I'm focusing on getting my back put together again and getting stronger overall.  The running and cycling will come eventually.  My hope is to have my glorious return to triathlon occur in August at the site of my first (and still only) race.

After some not-very-deep thought I've pulled the plug on Eagleman this year.  The back injury broke the camel's back, so to speak.  The good news is that I'm getting my Supartz injections without the risk of me doing something stupid, and that I've started swimming again.  I'm still probably another month or so away from any real increase in training so I'm focusing on getting my back put together again and getting stronger overall.  The running and cycling will come eventually.  My hope is to have my glorious return to triathlon occur in August at the site of my first (and still only) race. 

I bought a new pair yesterday and will add them to my blog to track them this time.  Although at the rate I'm running - they should last YEARS!!

So it's finally warm here.  Feels like summer already.  On that note we're all off to Cuba for a week but when I get back... it's time to train.  My race is in June.

What's everyone else got on the horizon?  Are people actually training for something now? 

I bought a new pair yesterday and will add them to my blog to track them this time.  Although at the rate I'm running - they should last YEARS!!

So it's finally warm here.  Feels like summer already.  On that note we're all off to Cuba for a week but when I get back... it's time to train.  My race is in June.

What's everyone else got on the horizon?  Are people actually training for something now? 

I'm back!  So back to training.... although I don't feel as though I ever really started so perhaps it's best to say "time to start training".

Cuba was beautiful.  It's a shame you guys can't visit.  It's like stepping back in time in places.  The food wasn't great but the cerveza was refreshing

Congrats on the race George!  Your daughter must have loved racing with you.  Maybe you can convince her to join you for a triathlon

Your schedule is exhausting just to read Bobby but looks like your training is going well.

I did a ton of swimming - some good.  The pool had a decent part to it that was somewhere between 40-50m across so I'd do some laps when I could.  The rest of the time I played with my child but tried to find ways to make it a bit of a workout with water running and sprinting away from her.  She's getting fast!  My leg STILL hurts - tight hammies etc after almost 2 weeks of rest.  Thinking I'll go get it checked out but not sure by whom.?

The weather here was so nice when I left I thought I'd return to spring.  But nooooo... from 30 to 3

I posted some pics in my blog.  We swam with a dolphin named Marina which was really an experience.  If you ever get to do this with your child I'd recommend it.   Maybe because it's Cuba but it wasn't the commercial - take 5 minutes to pet it - we spent a LOT of time with her.  Really amazing.

Cuba then Africa?!?! What's on tap for next year Afghanistan and Antarctica? Seriously, very cool. Glad you enjoyed yourself.

For the second straight year Mr. McDowell has duped me on April 1st. So, once again, I will be serving penance throughout April by sporting the Sidd Finch avatar. Screw you Bobby!

Now on a seperate note, in the spirit of the Easter Season and all the HB eggs in our future, here is a link to the best way to peel a HB egg. This is awesome!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-u7sog6oM8&feature=related