Allison and Ryan's Beginner Mentor Group - FULL (Page 6)

Have a great spring break Jeanawright!

5 miles this morning for me. It was decent and definitely felt better than yesterdays run. On tap: Bike ride today for lunch and swim this evening.

Finished Run: Apr 14, 2011 7:35:45 AM

Route: Rolling Hills 5M

Stopped Time: 0:00

Distance: 5.01 miles

Average: 8:44 /mile

Fastest Pace: 7:46 /mile

Behind Best Run: 2:01

Ascent: 34 feet

Calories: 644

So today's swim was weird.  Same workout as yesterday but instead of a 20sec rest between 100s I was only supposed to give myself 10sec (I cheated once).  I dunno what happened but I found myself swimming at a much higher effort than usual.  My workout was a lot faster but I was a lot more spent at the end (duh).  The thing is I felt that I had to swim harder just to stay afloat.  Like somehow my form from yesterday had regressed.  For some reason it just seemed harder to keep my legs up and harder to get my breathing form right. 

Is it normal to have days where things seem like you've gone backwards?

It's normal. I have days like this too whether it's in swimming, biking, or running.  Sometimes we all have "off" days and sometimes it's our bodies telling us to take a day off to relax.  So no worries.

Glad everyone is doing so well! Jeannawright - i also wish you happy spring break! I missed a spring vacation... hoping for a little jaunt away from work in May. In the meantime, work has been intense, but my swim/run day went pretty well. I tried some of the drills that Allison mentioned - on my side kicking; and swimming with a closed fist.

That closed fist thing seemed to tell me something about how you use your whole body, instead of your hand. Is that what it's supposed to do? I found it sort of frustrating, but then it seemed kind of informative.

Mary

Thanks.  I guess my experience is to be expected, especially considering I've never done back to back swims.

So on to my next question.  From within the bowels of the black hole known as my desk I've found an old timex watch that is also a heart rate monitor.  I was even able to find the chest strap that goes with it and lo and behold, after a battery change the darn thing works!  So here's my question, what the heck do I do with this thing?  I've never trained by HR before.  Is it useful? Worth the time and effort? How do I know what "zone" and when to be in that zone? This thing has 5 zones.  I didn't even know it went up to 5.  I just always saw 1 or 2.

So much to learn.  Maybe I'll just stick with my trusty old ironman(tm) timex.  Atleast it can do lap splits up to 50 (not that I'm even close to swimming 50 laps).  The HR one doesn't do lap splits for some reason.

Yes, the fist drill trains you to rely less on your hands to "paddle" you through the water and allows you to focus on your entire arm.  A lot of people rely too much on their hands to pull them through the water.  You will probably be slower when first doing this drill but eventually you will understand how much the rest of your arm plays an important roll in your underwater pull.  Just remember don't change the rest of your form to accomodate your lack of hand use.

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I haven't been online in a while. I've been doing alot of running training and now need some help. I had to go to a running store and invest in a support band for my right IT band. Ran 4.5 miles outside yesterday for the first time. Not only do I have right IT band pain but now my left hip flexor is on fire. It was very discouraging that I kept having to stop and walk b/c of the pain and not b/c I was out of breath. Did stretches and used a roller on my IT band, but does anyone have any ideas for stretching hip flexors???? I desperately want to get back out there by monday, but I'm hobbling around the house like a pirate b/c of all this. Any feedback would be wonderful...

-lisa

Sorry to hear that Lisa, I have sadly no suggestions, but OMG your like a pirate comment has me rolling!

Welcome back Lisa. While you're hobbling around the house like a pirate try drinking some rum. That will both help numb the pain and add to your pirate image.

Have you been properly fitted at a running store for shoes? I used to just use any running shoes that I could on sale and my knees hurt all of the time. And then I went to a running store and they made me run on the treadmill while they watched me run in 10 different pairs of shoes. Now my knees rarely hurt anymore.

You can also try the foam roller on your hips too to see if that helps. You can try doing regular lunges but keep your hands straight above your head (helps to hold something). You can also try reverse lunges.  Hope these help. I am sure there are others out there as well.

I find this to be particularly true if I work the same thing (ie, bike, swim, run) hard for two days in a row. The second day tends to be sloppy and, a lot more work to achieve the same performance.

The guy who leads the spinning class at my Y is also the triathlon coach, and I got a great tip today on my breathing. I have a habit, when I am working hard, of closing down my mouth and exhaling forcefully from the beginning of the exhale. Dude pointed out that I was not getting my lungs empty, so then my subsequent inhale wasn't as good. So he had me work on exhaling steadily (if anything more effort at the very end), and keeping my airway as open as possible. Really helped a lot with the spin class, and now I can't wait to get out and run.

I can understand your frustration.  I have been struggling with sore knees and a calf injury for months.  I hate it when I have to stop running because of knee pain when my legs and lungs feel geat.

I loved this exercise for IT band when I thought that was the cause of my knee pain. Not sure if it stretches hip flexors or not. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlYM3KWwrGY

Jean

I am laughing at my thoughts today.  First day of a spring break vacation and I spent the day doing yard work.  A neighbor said, you probably won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow and I thought, I am a triathlete, she doesn't know what my body can do.  

I have enjoyed changing how I think of myself.  I was a normal person, but now I am starting to feel like an athlete.  The transformation started when I read an email written about me, by my doctor.  He discribed  me as a female athlete.  I thought that was funny, but he said you train and compete.  You are an athlete.

I could turn into an old lady, but I am choosing to become an athlete instead

Hi everyone!  I've been stalking lurking this thread and I thought I would just pop in to say hi...

Allison and Ryan didn't tell you that you got a crazy aunt with their mentor program, but here I am.

The three of us were mentorees/manatees last year and actually achieved the holy grail of meeting each other for a race.  

I don't have a lot more to offer (unless you have questions about racing in costumes) except to say that y'all are really lucky to have joined this group!  Keep posting, stay engaged, ask questions even if you're not sure how it sounds...the more effort you put into being a mentoree, the more you will get out of it.

Cheers!

Q

So what did everyone else do today?

I went for my plan's prescribed 70minute ride today and felt pretty good.  Actually I miscalculated since on the way in it's all a slight incline and headwinds.  All decline and tailwinds on the way back.  I was flying back.  Too bad I got back 10minutes before my ride was supposed to end.  So I thought I'd turn it into a little brick and ran for the last ten minutes or so. 

Ended up going 21 miles on the back about 1 mile on the "run". 

I don't know that I'd call it a run, more like a shuffle. I decided to try out this heart rate monitor thing for the first time and all I can say is that this thing is annoying.  HR to high, beep, beep. HR to low, beep, beep.  Augh...I get it already! Doing my run in zone2/3 and barely felt like I was moving. I wasn't even breathing hard.  Normally I'm taking nice big (but controlled!) gulps of air at the end.

Not short to me!

Actually reading your posts I think we're probably close to the same level with you being a better (slightly ) runner than me.

Q- We have missed you! Thanks for stopping by and feel free to pop in at any time.  How have you been?!