Disturbed275's Group - FULL!! (Page 6)

Hello team,
How is everyone doing? Well I think I will give my body a few rest days for the holidays. The training will probably be light over the next 2 weeks.
Happy holidays to everybody and I wish for a terrific 2010 triathlon season.....
See you in 2010....
Luc

I have never heard of this particular technique and would not recommend it.  While mass starts can be frenzied I've never been so disoriented that I didn't know where I was going, which is what I'm assuming closing your eyes is trying to accomplish.

Like Carrie said, I would definitely practice sighting.  Every few strokes lift your head out of the water and look ahead.  At a tri you'll have a line of buoys to keep you on course.  You'll want to be sure to sight often as it's very easy to get off course.  I will usually sight every 3-6 strokes at the beginning of a race, and gradually reduce to 12 or more if I feel I am getting into a rhythm and holding a straight line.

The bottom line is, there is no real good substitute for being in open water.  If you can get a chance, practice it.

If you want to really simulate a tri start find some buddies to do this.

This is a very good question and one which there is no real easy answer.  For you, coming into this as a pure runner, I would definitely focus on the 2 new sports.  If this means scaling back the running somewhat that will be okay, just don't cut it out all together.  You'll be able to make some decent gains in the bike and swim area since they are new.  And you may even surprise yourself and not lose all that much run fitness.  Once you get comfortable with the new sports it may be worth stepping back and assessing what needs the most work, and then moving your focus there.

For me, I started out as just a runner as well.  Early on I focused on the bike and swim until I felt comfortable with both and knew I could complete the distances I needed to.  After that the majority of my focus was on getting faster on the bike.  Most triathlons the majority of the race is on the bike so it seemed only logical to focus on that aspect.  I try to keep my training pretty balanced during the season, but if I stress anything it's the bike.  I will ditch a run or swim workout before I ditch a bike workout.  Now that it is the offseason though I am focusing on my limiter, which is the swim, and allowing the other two to slide a little.

As you progress into your multisport training you should get a good handle on your fitness levels and how adaptations to your training focus affects them.  It really is a fine balance.

That was a great video and thanks for the laugh!  I can be somewhat similar though

How do I copy and paste the group list to my dashboard.  I saw that Luc did it, but can't figure it out and I have to keep scanning the formum to find out thread . . . HELP

Just highlight the list and right click to copy it. It looks like you only highlight the text, but when you paste it, the background goes with.  Then go to you log, and click the edit link, and paste the link.

Hey Carrie -

I was having the same issues as you were, but I figured it out. The browser I was using was Google Chrome and the copy and paste wasn't working. I switched to Internet Explorer and then it worked just like James described. Now that I'm on Internet Explorer it is letting me format to my text instead of just giving me a box to type in. It even lets me do colored text, if I choose to.

So, I'm not sure what browser you are using, but you may want to give that a try. Worked for me!!

Hope everyones training is going well and don't bindge too much on goodies this holiday season!! Get ready for the mad house at all the gyms after Jan 1st!



Edited by Amber871 2009-12-22 7:27 PM

Got it thanks!

I believe the link to mine is wrong..

Good catch!  Here's an updated version:

Disturbed275's Mentor Group

GROUP THREAD

Disturbed275 - Neal fungi32 - Kip Jarahn - Jen DeputyAndy - Andy Amber871 - Amber Leegocrap- Chris thebrayon - Luc shutupandrun - Ashley randomguymike - Mike Carrie639- Carrie James89 - James michwea - Michelle Jacklcm - Jack ncSwede - Christer Lukasz - Lukasz jammers - Jim

 

Edited by disturbed275 2009-12-23 6:18 AM

Luc, enjoy your break.  I've been on an extended break, lacking motivation, since doing a half marathon in November.  And even then, I was only focused on running for a couple months.  Back to swimming, biking, and running in January.

Happy Holidays everyone. 

I have also been a holiday slug, no motivation. thats why I am here to be motivated.

I figured Christmas week would be so hectic I might has well ease off my regular training a bit... get totally healed up and ready for IM program to start Jan. That said, I plan on getting an hour and a half on the trainer tonight before celebrating Festivus.

Same sentiment here.  I am just going to enjoy the holidays and not worry too much about training.

I'll start biking again in January and hopefully I'll have clearance to start running again by February in time for the IM training plan to start.

No time for taking weeks off for me. Pushing through the holiday week on the normal schedule. I'm not going to take an off day this week and try to take both Thursday and Firday off next week, maybe, to facilitate drinking. The more I do the math, the more I fear finishing close to DFL in my Feb sprint.

I'm going through the holiday too! I feel I'm going to need all the training I can get between now and when its actually tri season!

Swimming is the only thing thats preventing me from actually signing up for races as of yet. I can go 50 yards just fine, but after that I am so out of breath. I've read a few online articles that say it may have to do with my feet sinking, lifting my head, breathing too much, not breathing enough, going too fast, ect. I've tried breathing every 2, 3, and 4 but either way it doesn't seem to help. Today I focused on going as slow as possible, kicking softly, long stokes, and not fighting the water. It seemed to help a bit, but I was still breathing hard after 50.

Does swimming just click at some point that makes it easier to go further without stopping or is it just that I'm out of shape when it comes to swimming?  

I'm in my third week of my 20 week plan for half IM, and beginning to pick up the volume. My main motivation that keep me going these days is that I will be joining a paid tri training group in Feb and I want to be ready. Been to busy to get and give updates I got a few minutes so here goes.-Swimming after doing some reading I'm trying to learn to flip turn and some breathing on both sides. I do both mostly during warm-up and cool down but last swim I did almost half my main swim flipping. It a little funky but I seam to be getting it. Breath on my right is a challenge but after my last race where all the turns were to the right I'm going to keep trying.-Riding - stuck inside with snow, but last week I started doing the winter outside riding in the cold (30s)and dark. I have a safe place to ride (two lanes in an undeveloped business park with lights) it a six mile ride. I got my front bright light and back flasher with extra reflective take. Found out that two pair of socks was not good enough and the wind was whipping through my shoes. I had to duct tape them to finish the ride. Got some shoe covers yesterday. Stuck doing spin classes this week and trainer (hate that).-Running - Week 7 or 8 of a run class put on by a local training group. I focused last year on just getting the milage up but I went slow. The few times I tried to go fast I hurt my right calf. This running class teaches you to run leaning forward - no heal strike. I was excited last Tues when I did 1200 yards at 8 min/m pace and then two more at 830 pace with no pain, but on my long run on Sunday my right calf started hurting bad. Forgot to ice it too. Ran this Tues night in the snow with the group and it wasn't too bad. The nice part was I was able to ice it right away since there was snow everywhere. I hope everyone in the group has some time over the holidays to spend time with your family and friends to enjoy whatever holiday you celebrate. For me that Christmas and it is a very special time for my family. As the new year comes take some time to reflect on how great a gift it is to have a body that lets us train and attempt these races and what other great stuff you can do since you havea body that is capable of doing so much.Got to get a swim in before the family gets up.Jack

Edited by Jacklcm 2009-12-25 6:54 AM

Hi Amber, for me it just clicked.  I was getting pretty frustrated and down on myself, and then one day I jumped in the pool and just swam without my usual struggles.  It seemed like a huge improvement all at once.  I had a nice streak of going 3 days a week instead of two, the breakthrough happened after a couple weeks of that.

Amber,

I had the same problem with swimming initially.  Alot of what took it out of me was technique.  After I went to 1-2 masters classes she changed some pretty major things that gave be some efficiency and used alot less effort.  MY first time trail was somewhere in the range of 48-58 minutes for 1 mile in the pool (before ever seeing a coach).  After these couple of master classes in a few weeks already had it down to 38 minutes.  Can't stress the classes enough, if for nothing else but technique.

If you are not already doing these drills, try them:
-  standing in place put your hand by your side and slowing bring your arm up past your ear with your thumb touching your ear and then to a straight arm above your head.  Keep you hand next to your body the entire time.  YOu should feel your elbow bend as you do this.  In the water this would be known as high elbows.  YOu want to keep your elbows as close to your body as possible to use the least amount of muscles.  If you are not already doing this, it will make a big change and give you some of your energy back.
-  As far as your legs, if you are kicking primarily below the knee you are not getting enough out of your legs.  You should be kicking from your hips and using the entire length of your leg in your kick.  If you are not used to doing this, this may take awhile to develop (I am still working on it).
-  If you are doing the above just fine, SLOW DOWN. Just like it takes me time to develop running fitness and running muscles it takes time for you to develop swimming fitness.

If there is one thing I have learned, and still continue to, is that training and results requires patience, of which, I don't have alot of.

Good luck and let me know how this goes.

I think some things that can help with swimming (at least towards the beginning and if you are doing it on your own)

-Breathe when you need to, not when you get to x strokes.
-Breathe out with some force, but don't "explode" out
-Learn to float well. Floating with no effort is step one to swimming better
-SLOW DOWN. Check your watch on a regular 25m, then when you are trying to slow down make sure you are... I used to think I was slowing down A LOT but ended up only 2-3 seconds slower per 25m.
-Drills. Drills. Drills. Drills.


I think it all comes down to balance in the water. Balance is key.

I agree with Chris.  Slow down, and learn to float/find your balance.  Wish I could give some tips on how to do that, but for me I think it was just repetition and getting comfortable in the water.  It'll come though. 

Thanks for the tips!

I think a class may help me out greatly since I can't see myself swim I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I guess patience is the key to this one.  I have seen improvements in myself, but they aren't coming as quickly as I'd like. Time to remind myself that I've only been swimming for a few weeks and not years like others in the pool. It will click someday and I will be able swim faster/longer then all of them.  

Anybody got any early Christmas presents yet?
I got home from work (boo) today and had 2(!) UPS boxes waiting.
In one, a set of Dura Ace shifters
the other, 21 DVD's of 80's cartoon goodness!

Merry Christmas to all