cayrip's and AbbieR's Mentor Group - Closed (Page 6)

Wow...lots of good questions.  Unfortunately I won't have time to provide my opinion today at work.  I'll try tonight.  Keep them coming.

Cameron

Unfortunately I have not experience with ear plugs and I don't know anyone who uses them.

Cameron

Where is the pain?  In the elbow, at the break, at the wrist?  I'd see a doctor if possible for new x-rays and get their opinion...hopefully a "fit" doctor sympathetic to an athlete's needs.  Pet peeve of mine is to walk into a health care facility and everyone is overweight...here are our health professionals setting a great example for us.

AbbieR - 2010-01-05 12:59 PM

Catalana - 2010-01-05 10:15 AM So, my holiday excitement was that my DH got me a trainer for Christmas, which means as soon as I get it set up I can ride in my basement, instead of going to the club for spin class.  This also means I can get up to 2 hours of time on the trainer in the amount of time it takes me to get to the club, take class, cool down and get home.

But before that I need some advice, because I need to get my bike setup squared away.  I am clueless about bikes and don't really like the bike riding part of this (well, I took a few leisurely 30 mile rides this fall and they were pretty nice, but the actual bike part of the equation is very intimidating).  I have 2 bikes.  One I bought last summer after I got a stress fracture and needed to start cross-training.  I wasn't sure I would be biking more then the 6 weeks it was going to take for my foot to heal.  The bike is a Giant OCR 3 - about the cheapest road bike you can buy (I got it for $350.00).  Then I bought an old bike (probably like 7-9 years old) from a friend for $100.  He did a bunch of HIM on this and performed well, won some divisions.  He thought the bike would fit me but I wasn't sure, it seems big, however I figured with regular pedals my DH could just ride it for recreation and you can't buy anything new cheaper, even at Target    It was a really nice bike at the time, all or mostly carbon, but I don't recall who it by, it has been sitting in my garage this winter).  It has aerobars he added on to it.  

Anyway, I have a very limited amount of cash that can be dedicated to bike upgrades, what I have is pretty much what I have, with the exception that I need to get bike shoes and maybe some smaller items.  My plan was to poach the aerobars and the old pedals (basic Shimano SPDs I think) and have the LBS put them on my OCR3.  But now I am thinking that I might as well take the older bike with me to the LBS and see if they think the fit would work.  If it fits, I am guessing  if the bike was cleaned up it might be a better choice then my OCR3 (which seems fine but the shifting components are pretty bad and make a racket at times).  On the other hand, the great thing about my OCR3 is that it does have a granny ring, which I have used happily (I try to keep high cadence and it comes in handy, although I do think my bike muscles are much stronger after spin classes 3 x a week since fall).  Or is a 8 year old bike just a bad choice regardless?   Any ideas?

Thanks, Cat

If you are more comfortable on the ORC3, stick with it.  You said shifting is not so great, has it been tuned up recently?  Chain lubed?  If you want/need the granny gear, stay with it.  If the other bike fits your hubby, you have an instant training partner!!

Agreed...comfort is the most important part of the bike.  If you aren't comfortable you won't ride.  

Snacks!  A very important aspect when trying to stay fueled and stoke the metabolism.  I will eat just about anything. 

Nuts and chocolate:  When I'm organized, I will make myself a little baggy of nuts measured with two pieces of dark chocolate thrown in. 

Fruit:  Fruit is always good but can leave me hungry again quickly.  Adding peanut butter helps but the kind I like is filled with sugar. 

Sardines:  I sometimes eat sardines which are high in good fats and protein.  The bones give lots of calcium.  The negative is if you get the oil/water on anything, it will stink for weeks and your breath is nastier than one of the little baggies of poop left on the running trails (why bother putting the poop in a bag if you are going to leave it there.  Not only are you breaking the law by not picking up after your dog, you are littering too).  Eating an orange or clemetine right after a sardine helps though. 

Fig Newtons:  If I'm training a lot I will eat fig newtons but they are processed and loaded with sugar.

Chocolate milk or protein shake:  Easy and quick with the right ratio of carbs and protein especially immediately after a workout.  Chocolate milk has been written up in Runner's World as the best recovery drink out there--try it, it works.

That's what I've got to contribute.

Cameron

Challenges!

Part of staying motivated for training, weightloss, or life is to set goals that are challenging.  If they are easy, would they be a goal?  Goals are important and we all have our annual goals set for this year.   In addition to these, I encourage all of us to set small intermediate daily and weekly goals that will stretch, challenge, and improve our lives in a positive way.  They can be simple (get out of bed with only one snooze) or difficult (complete every workout as planned for an entire week).  We need these.  Posting them on your blog will make them real and help us keep you focused.  If they are private, it is easy to put them off or avoid doing them. 

I challenge all of you to pick a goal that is out of your comfort zone, put it on your blog, and report daily or weekly towards this goal. 

I started the Before and After challenge to make myself accountable to my weightloss goals by posting pictures of myself.  I have been so embarrassed about my gut for years and getting into a tri suit for a race has been humiliating.  My man boobs cause a shadow tan if I ever take my shirt off in the sun.  By throwing my photos out for everyone to see, I no longer want to be associated with them and WILL change.  I can't stand to think that my boys see me as that overweight man with a belly (I'm not obese but I still am overweight-roughy 22% BF:  my boys comment about my gut).  I am changing...NOW.  I am posting weekly photos in my blog and monthly in the Before and After thread to keep me going and DOCUMENT my transformation.  In order to complete this transformation I must have daily and weekly goals to complete my training (if only my achilles would heal) for IM St. George. 

Abbie started the Peach Challenge to give us a way to check in daily and challenge ourselves to be ACTIVE every day.  She's been active since 2008!

There are other challenges to join as well but you don't have to do this formally.  Just find something you want but it will take some work to get or do and go for it.  YOU WILL IMPROVE YOUR LIFE.

Challenges!  GO FOR IT!

Earlier we had a brief discussion about working out in the cold.  I want to report on my bike commute this morning because I nailed my dressing and was warm throughout the 3 mile ride to the bus stop.

• Time:  5:30am
• Total ride time: 20 minutes
• Conditions:  -5 degrees and snow packed roads
• Upper body clothes from skin out:  Underarmor, light wind jacket, fleece shirt, hooded polypro shirt, fleece pull-over, lined wind jacket
• Lower body clothes from skin out:  padded big shorts, running tights, track pants
• Feet:  polypro socks, wool socks, leather mountain bike shoes
• Hands:  polypro glove liners, lobster claw gloves
• Head, polypro balaclava, hood from shirt above, helmet

I had a blast and the looks I got from the foks at the bus stop was worth the effort of putting it all on.

Welcome Justin.

So what is cycling like in Taiwan?  Can you get enough open roads to get a good ride in?

My wife's family is from Taiwan, and I visited ten years ago.  It was a blast.

I read the Triathlete's Bible.  It was a good read, though I felt overwhelmed by parts of it.

I'm jealous...let's go riding so I can steal it off your bike. 

160 min bike on sat and a 112 min run on sun.  Good goal and I look forward to the report!  Where are you running?  Loops, long out and back, one long loop?