Julia's Group - Full (Page 6)

I agree about just packing your stuff wo you are ready.  I usually have running and swimming gear in the car.  Even if the weather is bad, I make myself take that 40' between drop off and the first match to get my run done with.  Then you can feel healthy for the day  

It is GREAT to get out on the course that you will actually be riding or running.  I almost always check out the course.  Even if I get in the day before, I will take a short bike - usually I'll BIKE the RUN course so I don't have to run a whole 10k, but I will have a good idea of the course.  Also, I will drive the bike course if I can.  The local races, I will go and ride the course SEVERAL times in the weeks/ months leading up to the course.  Most races post the course on line, and if not, you can probably talk to someone who had done it and get directions.  That way you can also mentally prepare with visuals from the actual course! 

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I'll check by all of your logs today!!

Yes, they are not as flexible, but also , they tend to take in a little more water and may not fit quite snug enough to avoid drag.  Usually with a surfing suit it fits for comfort and a racing wetsuit is not necessarily comfortable when you first put it on.  There are a TON out there and you can chack on Ebay and Craig's list, but I have to say the most important thing in a wetsuit is - FIT (yes, just like the bike!)  You want it to be VERY snug out of the water.  when you get in the water it won't seem as tight.  If it is too big, you will notice drag and you might not like it   (speaking from personal experience).

Don't get too woried yet.  I would say you should go by percieved rate of exertion for now.  If you can EASILY talk while jogging, that is zone 2.  Still able to talk, but with a little more difficulty breathing is typically zone 3.  When you get on a hill - ESPECIALLY with the added weight, you will pop into a higher HR zone.  NOT TO WORRY.  Just so you get an idea, I usually bike in the 160's.  My run today was up to 185, which is the top of my zone 3.  My max HR is 210.  People used to always say "You're working out to hard" but they didn't understand that my HR is not 'average' for someone my age.  To keep my HR at 150 I would almost have to walk.  Then others would say "You must be out of shape" but guess what - NO WAY - it's just that everyone's HR is different and your zones and fitness will change throughout the season for many reasons. 

Another key is how quickly you recover.  Once you top out that hill, how long does it take to come back down??  I certainly would not worry about spending 10% of your workout pushing a little harder.  It is true that in the base phase you should train mostly in zones 1 and 2, but until you can establish your actual zones, don't let anyone else tell you what they are.  Don't go kill yourself every day but don't be afraid to creep up on a hill or during some of your workouts to test your speed.  Just don't do it every workout, every day

Yeah, unfortunately, you will also void your warranty on a tri wetsuit if you surf in it.  Or waterski or anything else.  Tri wetsuits are kinda touchy and delicate and the materials are really not made to rub on anything like a surfboard.  It would break down pretty quickly.  The materials are really to keep you bouyant and resist drag so they aren't made for anything but swimming...  I tried the same thing.

Comparing your HR to someone else's is fine, but it doesn't give you much information.  It's like comparing apples to oranges.  I personally am an orange   The important thing it to continually compare your own HR on different runs.  For example at this time last year, my HR at Lactate Threshold (LT) was 191, now it's 193.  At 191 last year, my pace was around 8:30 miles.  NOW, it's more like 7:30 miles (at my last test, however earlier this week I ran 7:30 pace for several miles and kept my HR at 185)  So I am seeing HUGE improvement over a year.  You can also tell when you are overtrained and tired, or coming down with something.  IF you HR is exceptionally high, you might be coming down with a cold or be very tired.  If you have trouble getting your HR up to your normal range, you might be overtrained or physically tired from other exercise.  But HR is like a fingerprint - everyone is unique   You should see less spike on HR over hills and such in time.  Also, with less weight and less work to do.  IF you are recovering quickly, you're not as out of shape as you think! 

That is a nice Valentine's Day present!

I mostly like to listen to upbeat pop music or hip hop when I work out, especially the cheesy stuff that I wouldn't listen to normally. On my mp3 player right now I have Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson. Giant Panda is a group I really like that does upbeat old-school rap. I need to mix up my playlist so I'd like to hear other people's ideas too!

I like the idea of adding classical music, that would be nice for longer runs outside when you don't want to be too distracted by changing songs, etc.

For running I sometimes listen to podcasts, they're not as good for getting you moving as music but they help me get my mind off of my own whining when I have a bad attitude. Most public radio shows are available as podcasts, I like This American Life and Good Food. I had a German language one that I subscribed to but there hasn't been a new one in months.