Baowolf mentor group is [ Closed ] (Page 63)

Samantha, yes I try to maintain perspective.  I got my 2nd swim of the month in tonight, first after the crash.  I am already feeling the neck rotation, but will be fine.  The shoulder was a bit tender but better than expected.  After the collarbone break it was much tighter and with less strength.  I am iffy about a bike ride tomorrow knowing what it did to my knee last week.  I will probably resuract the old bike and just hit the trainer for 20-40 miles.  1 week to the half mary and legs iffy.  I will see how Sunday's run feels. Lots to do around the house.  It is important to keep in mind that we are not the boss of our lives.  It sounds odd, but I was "called" to do triathlons for some greater purpose, sounds a bit out there, but there it is.  I do not know what that is yet, but I will just plug away at things and see what happens.  If I can get my knee to tollerate biking again and my shoulder and neck to tolerate swimming I can start building again and see where it leads.  For now I am in a day to day or mile to mile mode.  I may start wanting to do 8 miles and end up with 4 run and 2 walked.  I have mostly let go of worrying about it at this point and have landed on acceptance.  Just following the path through loss even if it is a minor loss to resolution.  Fighting it doesn't help so like an ocean wave, you let the emotions flow oever and through you knowing that when the strength of the wave has passed you can swim to the surface and face the next challenge.  God will not hit us with a wave that is beyond our ability to handle.  But we do have to be careful to avoid the pull of the couch.  Each lazy boy comes complete with 1 blackhole to gravity pull you into it.  Peace.  Enjoy the last month of good weather, at least for us.  We will be running in the cold in no time. 

No guilt Samantha you have some well earned recovery time and pleanty of time to build for next year.  Start back up when you are physically and emotionally ready to... as long as that is by January 1st 8). 

Hey Samantha (waving crazily!), glad to see you!  Yard work and pets...hmmm...sounds familiar.  Well at least the pets part. I've successfully put off the yard work. Glad you are getting back out there, and sorry about the funk.  Aside from whatever life is dealing up, I think it's pretty common to feel in a funk after a big race like that.  Praying you find new joy in each day.

Mike, I agree.  We are all pro's at juggling life and health.  I was talking to a couple out running a month or so ago.  She was training for a half ironman, and I asked him what he was training for.  He said "life".  I liked that!

Larry, sounds like you are solid all the way.  Yes, definitely a pro!  Funny you would mention that quote.  Our pastor mentioned that same thing this weekend....and used this one "As a dog returns to it's vomit, so a fool repeats his folly" (Prov 26:11).

Steve, sorry about the HM.  I'm sure you've thought about it, but could you possibly turn that IM into a Half IM?  Once you get back to fully functional...work on topping off the speed in lieu of the super heavy mileage?

Hit my first 10 miler of the season on Saturday.  Otherwise, I've been numbers focused obsessed lately as I pass a few milestones.  Samantha, yeah, I really thought last year was some sort of a peak, so it's nice to know I can keep it up in the longer term.  I Hit 300+ miles biked and 100+ miles running for September, barely....had to ride and run a little bit yesterday to get there because 294 and 98 just were not acceptable numbers (see obsession) .  But what I'm really pleased with are my bike and run totals so far this year:

vs: Last year's totals for the ENTIRE year:

Also anxious to get to 1,000 miles run mark for 2012, which I should hit in my next run.  Missed that one last year due to an injury in December, so very happy to finally almost be there for the first time ever!  Maybe my numbers obsession will end there.

Steve - Great perspective. Getting through it is never as easy as talking through it so hang tough. You are making a pretty remarkable recovery.

Carol - Ew!!! I like Larry's version better but it certainly illistrates the point. Great numbers! You keep cranking it out in remarkable fashion.

Samantha - I am fascinated by how big hills look when viewed from the top of the previous climb and when you reach the "hill" it becomes not much more than a bump in the road. Enjoy the accomplishment before you look too far ahead. There is plenty of time to tackle the next hill when you get there.

Ok Totals: Sept.

Bike - 21.9 miles   Swim - 2 hrs    Run 95.96 miles 

The run totals are insane numbers for me. The joint have been feeling it some but the recovery time does seem to be improving. Last weeks long was 11 followed by a very tough 5 miles the next day. This Friday was 12 miles long followed by 5 miles not nearly as tough. The run focus will continue for this month. Recovery week this week, followed by something in between for the half mary oct 14. I am registered and think this might be fun. Steve any suggestions for mileage next two weeks before the race?

Joe, great job on the running.  I know where you're coming from with the soreness. 

Carol, I love the puke analogy.  It is memorable.  Also, great run with consistant pacing.  Wow!!

Ran 5 miles on the treadmill around 9:30 pace.  I hate the treadmill!!!!

Joe, great job on the running!  Volume and quality are looking really good, and bode well for your HM.  Fun when what used to be hard starts to feel easy.

Larry, you are continuing to rock it as well.  How are you liking the new shoes?

Finally felt ready, so threw a few 1/2 mile intervals into my 5 miler this morning. Surpassed 1,000 miles run this year! 

Starting to look forward to that trail 20K later this month.  Kerry & I are taking our bikes and going to ride the canyon park roads the day before.  No time goals for me on the run, just to have fun and take it all in since it's my first experience with trails.

Carol - you are so hardcore. You are truly a model of consistency sprinkled with reality. So happy you surpassed last years numbers and now have passed the 1000 mile mark for this year. That is remarkable. What a great scripture to highlight a real principle for the life we are pursuing.

Joe - so impressed with your splits. You are really getting your running nailed down and I think you will have a great HM race.

Steve - Perspective will make or break a person, I think. I agree with Joe, or was it Larry, that you really have made a remarkable recovery at an amazing pace. I think letting go of the HM could be the ticket to get you to the IM start. I also might be more interested in you getting to race your new bike than completing a HM Is she still smiling at you every time you walk by?

Larry - you rock!

However slowly, I am moving in the right direction. Went out on a short ride yesterday. It felt good to hear the whirring of the wind and road noise as I cruised along. Stil haven't taken the time to figure out my maintenance plan. I am trying to get my finances all figured out: budgeting, goals, etc. I think I have a good base set up and can move on and focus on training again. Gotta get the cobwebs out and remind myself why I train.

Bike saga continues.  So a week ago I drove down to get my old bike (300 miles) thinking I could put in all new cables and use it on the trainer until I got the parts for my new bike for the trainer.  I get home and the cable cutter is gone.... I looked everwhere for it, just gone.  Sigh.  So then this week I get the new part for the trainer put it on start pedaling look down at the speedometer... 0 mph.  I am all really... ugh they put the sensor for the speedometer on the front wheel... darn flatlanders.  Oy now I have to rework that.  On Friday I went for a swim and found that having the PH way too low is bad.  It may have been the 3 months of fires and some ash settled into the water lowering the PH.  Ugh my lungs were hurting for 3 hours and I only swam 1500 yards.  My neck was um unhappy with me, somewhat.  So Sunday I emptied 2/3 of the pool/swimspa and refilled it and spent 3 hours scrubbing off 2 years of water deposits, some material from the tilework that the workers didn't bother to clean off etc. 

I just took yesterday completely off as I could still feel my knee from Sunday... a different part of my knee.  So today was a 4 mile run without issue.  No it is not making me reconsider giving the HM a try because I know that everything is not better ... well maybe it is better, maybe I finally turned that corner and everything is back up to snuff and I just need to start rebuilding endurance, 3 build cycles...   Ya I had considered dropping the full IM to a HIM.  The race director is pretty cool and would probably allow it, need to get some real training in before I can consider anything though.  No the idea that I might not be able to even do a HIM is not making me moody why would you think such a thing 8). 

Ok numbers:

Great job everyone still getting after it.  Time is oh so short lately.

This morning did 9 x800 at 3:56 pace, with one jog lap between.  I'm down to one more day of these, thank God.  It was a mental toughness day today.

Here are September's totals.  Mostly running and lifting.

Hey there,

Looks like everyone is plugging away at either recovering or preparing for the next round of racing.

Steve, sorry you are in the valley of equipment woes and recovery.  Know you will bounce back from it, just don't know when, which is always hard.

Larry, you're repeats look great!  Keep up the good work...ok, not too much more of that particular thing, but you know what I mean.

Samantha, glad you are getting out there.  Just getting outside and moving always makes me feel better...well...unless I'm extremely sore or tired...you know what I mean .

Joe, getting excited for your HM!  Fun going in feeling prepared.

Mike, no idea how you juggle the work and kid stuff to make it happen.  My hat is off to you!

Elena, you still out there?  Miss you!

Think I've decided on a marathon plan and target race.  Going for the full at Cowtown 2/24.  I'm doing at least the HM there anyway to get my fifth year medal, and the timing is right...about 20 weeks out.  Looking at the Pfitz 55 plan (18 weeks).  My mileage this week just so happens to be the week 1 mileage on the plan, but there has been no quality to it thus far.  I'm at the bottom of the food chain for such a plan, so will really have to listen to make sure it doesn't overload any body parts.

Larry, if your race is coming up in like 9 days it is time to back off on the harder stuff.  I wouldn't do more than 8 miles for your long run this weekend and I would not do 800 repeats next week.  Take at least 2 and maybe 3 days off next week with like a long of 8 on Sunday, Monday off, Tuesday 3-4, Wed 4-5, Thursday 3-4, Friday off and then if the race is on Sat you are good.  Or whatever your plan says.  You won't gain fitness at this point and your body all set for your current speed/fitness.  So just need to keep the body moving and get rested up for race day. 

Carol if you are doing a plan that is questionably above your ability, you can see how it goes and if you are smoked drop one of your lite runs that week or drop an intensity workout to a steady state run until you are recovered again.  If your times are getting slower over days or weeks, you need to back off and recover and then pick it up again.   

Hey all. My totals for September, 2012 and 2011. I am pretty stoked to see how much I have increased my distances this year over last. Not very surprising bceause things are so different this year. Maybe I will get 10 times more miles by the end of 2012. I did a 26 mile bike yesterday and pushed myself the whole time. I pulled an av. of 17+mph, which is faster than I have ever done on the same route. It's fun to see my strength building.

Steve - any news from California life and training. Are things leveling out yet? How about the aches and pains?

Larry - excitement building for you?

Joe & Elena - how goes it?

Carol - 2/24...that sounds perfect. Glad you have a goal and cooler temps headed your way!

Temps here are starting to drop finally. I'm torn between loving cool temps and not loving the sun going down so early and being cold while training. After my bike yesterday I was so chilled I took a very long, very hot shower. Headed to Montana again this weekend. Wondering if there will be snow on the passes.

Thanks very much for the advice Steve.  Need those reminders that the plan is just a guideline, and backing off when needed is much preferable to being sidelined for the longer term.  Last year I kind of fell backwards into idea of doing the marathon and had a pretty compressed ramp up.  I'm hoping that going into it earlier with more of a plan this time will yield better results.

Simulposting edit:  Samantha, seeing those totals is amazing.  You have come such a long way!  Kinda makes logging worthwhile to be able to see the improvement.  Really, nice ride!  You are making that new bike hum!  Have fun in Montana.

Carol -- its called 'getting up at 4 AM'. thats how it happens

Swim tomorrow, then away for the weekend. Hope to run a couple times. Have a great one everybody. Brutal core session this AM. Those workouts are tough.

Larry --- you are primed to crush that HM. Good luck!

2013 season plans: March: Half Mary June: HIM  July: Oly (hope to get into NYC Tri) Aug: HIM, and a long vacation. Sep: couple sprints, sign up for2014 Ironman Louisville.   Oct: Half Mary.  Nov -- start getting ready for IMLou.

Mike

Steve - My HM is about 9 days out. Thanks for the suggestions. No plans to break 2 hrs but still would like to make it under 2:20. Tough but doable. How about you? Sounded like you were headed in the shorter runs with increased frequency plan. Any progress running?

Samantha - Nice totals and the year over year increase is impressive.

Mike - Enjoy the tourney. I find much of this staying in shape stuff is to make the time with the kids more enjoyable. Her 2 hours at the pool 3-5 days a week become my workout times. Last night she seemed to be having some problems until she saw me back from my run and headed into the pool.

Carol - The added fitness you have accumulated should leave you in great shape for the marathon.

Larry - 1month to go and looking soooo good.

Yesterday was fun dispite the humididty. Rain showers passed before I got home with a comfortable temp. So drop the kid off at swimming and went out on a 4 mile run. Completed it in 38:37 with some decent splits. followed that up with a nice swim completing a 1/2 mile swim at about the same or slightly better time than my sprint race swim time. So I left feeling pretty good last night. Of course I was finishing the run at dusk and soon will have a hard time running outside. Come on daylight savings!

Opps I mixed up who was doing what when.  You are good on the repeats then.  I wouldn't go 10 that last week before the race, I would do 8 max.  You do want that recovery time and you are primed for a very nice HM.  You should have the endurance to stay on pace for the entire run and with your pacing strat have a negative split.  You could even start out a touch faster.  You will be suprised what going in to a HM with decent run fitness will do for you. 

Me... ya so my garmin strap broke last night, have to replace the strap now.  I'm still on the fence about tomorrow's HM.  Every long run for the past 5 weeks has resulted in walking after 5,6,7,6,7 miles so I would be going in with my most recent run over 10 miles being 9/1 ish.  I compltely dropped the bike for this week and was able to run 5,6,7 without incident T,W,TH.  Other complications are that the run is 1 way and my wife was going to drop me off at 1 end and pick me up at the other end.  Now with 2 soccor games and my son's SAT test on Saturday it looks like I will have to bike back to my car after the HM if I do it. 

As far as the swim goes, my neck remains very stiff for the swim and though my pull muscles are ok, the stabalizing muscles that keep you balanced and one point on the right shoulder not so much.  I did get in 2000 yards lastnight, but threw in some breaststroke to distribute the muscle use for some of it.  I still have a scab on the ankle cut.  I will start biking again this weekend and see how the knee holds up.  Looks like I still need more king's men.  Hopefully I will be solid in another month which would put me 4 weeks out from the IM or HIM or movie night, depending.    

Joe looks like you are in the 2:05 to 2:20 range for your HM just looking at your last months runs and not noing quite how hard you were hitting things.

Larry you are still in the 1:50 to 2:00 range, don't overcook those last 2 weeks. 

Well of course the garmin strap broke! The kings men and movie night comments are pretty funny....glad you are able to step back and laugh at the situation.  If you do the race, can you think of it as a training run and not be too tempted to ruin yourself?  As for riding back to the start, maybe you could hitch a ride back instead?  The HM I did in CA last yr is the one place where we have picked up "hitchhikers" for a ride back to our hotel.

Went for a ride with a friend out at Texas Motor Speedway today, and also rode on my own yesterday.  How's that for starting a marathon plan?!  Wouldn't have missed the ride today...really enjoyed the camraderie and the temp was just perfect for riding.  Also nice to ride in a more controlled enviornment.  5 mile loops around the road just outside of the parking areas, so not much traffic.  Only a few times we had to stop for stop signs/cars.  Anyway, goal for tomorrow is to actually run.  12 miles on tap. 

Joe, you are more than ready for your half.  Looking forward to your race report!

Steve, did you do the race this weekend?

Had a really nice 12 miler today in 1:58.  53 degrees w/ a brisk north wind....just perfect.  Weaved in and out of neighborhoods and parks, so the wind was never too much for too long.  Nice negative splits without really trying, and feeling strong at the end.  The negative splits may have had to do with the cinnamon roll I promised myself at the end .