Ryan and Mike's beginner group - CLOSED (Page 6)

CliffK110 - 2011-01-14 6:03 AM I wear the Garmin 405 and I like it for its features.  There are some problems that I have with it though.  Its not waterproof. The touch dial is sometimes affected by sweat coming down my arm.  These are terrible cons, but if you are going to do tris, I would suggest finding a watch that is a multisport watch.  Im looking at the Timex Ironman series right now because it is capable of counting swimming laps as well.  The face is quite large, but if it serves its purpose, I think I will be able to let that slide.

ransick - 2011-01-14 10:52 PM So what is everyone planning on doing this weekend?  I'm planning a long run one day and a long ride the other.  Besides that I'm hoping to watch some football.

bigr82 - 2011-01-14 8:24 AM

If im not mistaken the 310 is the most expensive but seems to have alot of offer a triathlete.  They have a candence meter for the bike, shoe pod for the treadmill, and a few other nice doodads.  Now if I can actually figure out how to use it haha

paygilr - 2011-01-14 10:32 AM I did take a power nap at work the other day and it did seem to help.  I am going to have to take a certain time each day (yes I am bad at not taking my lunch) and geting a power nap.  Thanks for the advice!

MarlaS - 2011-01-14 8:40 PM

PT cleared me today for spin class, so I'm aiming for a FUN Sunday morning spin if I can survive the slumber party tomorrow night with a dozen pre-teen girls. So, a weekend filled with non-stop endurance activities for me.

Get in some extra running for me please Mike....!

ransick - 2011-01-14 7:52 PM So what is everyone planning on doing this weekend?  I'm planning a long run one day and a long ride the other.  Besides that I'm hoping to watch some football.

ransick - 2011-01-15 5:26 PM I don't do strength workouts, but I think they would benefit me.  I subscribe to the theory of making sure you get your s/b/r workouts in and if you have time left over, do strength.  I think if I made time for strength training, I would have less back problems.

For swimming, I've never used paddles (the glove things) but I did use flippers when I was starting out.  They allowed me to feel what it was like to swim faster.  I see a lot of serious swimmers doing drills with flippers so I figure I should too, but I don't.

When I first started, I did use a pull buoy a lot.  It really helped me swim level and feel what that felt like.  It also allowed me to swim longer.  I would swim a couple laps without it, then when exhausted, swim a couple laps with it.  I kept alternating with and without it to give my upper body a full workout until my lower body caught up.

How was the butterfly house?

CliffK110 - 2011-01-16 6:31 PM

I just finished a hour bike ride at 17mph and immediately ran 4 miles at 8:10.  felt great!

CliffK110 - 2011-01-16 5:31 PM I am a firm believer in strength training.  I workout with my trainer at least 4 times a week.  We always perform a circuit style training system.  We usually do 20 reps of three different things repeated 3 times with light weight.  We do that a total of 4 times which makes it 12 different things that have been completed and I am exhausted.  I feel that the strength training (expecially core training) is essential to give my body the ability to b/s/r with better form and strength.

For the swimming, I will use a buoy rarely.  I usually just freestlye or breaststroke.  I feel like if I use the flippers, fins, etc. I will get used to the feel of having them, and I will not be fully prepared for the "real" swim.

I just finished a hour bike ride at 17mph and immediately ran 4 miles at 8:10.  felt great!

MarlaS - 2011-01-16 12:53 PM RE swimming doo-dads... my kick absolutely sucks - swum all my life & i just don't move when i kick - so i've loved having flippers to have the benefit of some kicking action while actually moving forward. I use zoomers - think you can find those at swimoutlet.com - bc they're short, so legs still have to work hard. they come w/ varying amounts of stiffness that give you more or less acceleration boost.

i also use the hand paddles as part of workouts, usually on my own. might do a lap (2 lengths) nice & slow with the paddles and really focus on my form & stroke, and then pull them off for a couple laps to try to really replicate the motion, then repeat the cycle a few times. i've been a swimmer my entire life, but find that the older i get, the more likely i am to ache if my mechanics are off, so using the flippers & paddles in isolation help me to focus on form.

RE strength training, I'm all for it. i also happen to enjoy it, which helps. I think it also helps me to avoid injury and/or recover faster (says the woman with the ankle sprain) bc it keeps everything strong - i do a lot of lower body & core work (abs, hips, glutes, quads, hamstring, calves) bc it all makes my knees and hips hurt less (had arthoscopic surgery on both knees last Nov & Dec, then started running 3 months later). Upper body work - especially delts & back - keeps my shoulders from hurting during swim. I try to do 3 sets of 15 reps of whatever I do, pairing reps of different muscle groups; for example, might do a set of 15 tricep presses followed by a set of 15 leg press/calf raises, then repeat that cycle 3 times. I use as much weight as I can manage to do fairly fast for that many reps, so I get some cardio benefit too. Try to do w/ various combos of muscles 2-3 days/week in a perfect world, but have slacked off the last few months (and feel it). Love working with a trainer when I have the $ bc he thinks of exercises that use unique combos of muscles in ways I'd never think to do (that and he totally kicks my butt).

_T2_ - 2011-01-16 10:56 PM I feel like I'm getting better at swimming.  The ear plugs worked great.