Baowolf's Mentor Group- Closed (Page 66)

Oh No, I hope I didn't miss the chance to tell Steve (the best mentor in the world!) Merry Christmas! Hope you have a nice trip.

Well, I guess a lot of people might be off the grid duriing the holidays so I will wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy New Year, safe travels, good training, and patience with family!!!

I haven't posted in several days because of shopping, wrapping, work, general bitchiness, other issues, etc. My workouts have been non-existent for several days but then I decided "Enough". Taking a page from AA and I'm gonna Fake it till I make it. I started back with the stretches and realized they made me feel so much better. And then I just made myself go for a run just now and it was grand. So the resolution is some thing every day.

Got my stitches out of my arm yesterday and it really looks good. I still have to take it easy for 4 more weeks regarding lifting (Ha, like I can lift anything heavier than a grocery bag.) so still no planks, pushups, or light weights. I still have at least another week of the Carac cream on my chest, neck, and shoulders and while I look hideous, I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

I'll still be checking back in but I may one of the few still online for the next few weeks. But I'll see all of you next year when our group opens up. Again, I hope every one of you have wonderful holidays!

Dang Steve, those are some speedy run intervals! And wow, it's finally happened, I "might" be able to keep up with you swimming. Well, OK, only for 100 yards or so, but I'll take it. I can't sustain the 1:45 either, but I've been hitting it at least for a few 100's even after finishing a longer set. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

Pam, so glad you are back out there generating some endorphins! They do help . Sounds like you are healing up well, and that is even better news.

Hope each of you have a great holiday!

Finally got some open water swim have to catch this weather in 70s and water is in 60s
i think i cant keep up catching a better weather all the time may have to take Carol's advice and renew and my pool membership!


Edited by strykergt 2013-12-19 6:47 PM

Hi everyone! I just wanted to drop in and say happy holidays to all. This has been the busiest month of my life with the new baby and my business is just blowing up.

I still managed to run a holiday 5k. 22 minutes as well. Much faster than I thought I had with only about 15 miles per week of training.

Getting ready to start my IM Couer training. Already got back in the pool and riding with Jim tomorrow!

I hope everyone is having a very safe and happy Holidays and I wish you all the best!

Is our Mentor group going to be re-opened

Yes, it will be re-opened. BT appears to open only a few groups every few days. Yep, I know it's scary because last year I contacted Steve via PM and asked to be in the group and he said yes. But then I kept seeing other groups open and I started getting scared. But you are fine. Wait for Steve's group to be added to the list and then join them. Even if you are off the grid for a few days, Steve still accepts anyone who was formerly in his group and wants to return. So you are fine.

Oh Folks, I honestly don't know where I am with my training. This pre-cancer skin lotion really kicked in now and my face is hideous and burning. I fight with the discomfort all day and then by the time I get home and need to go running, I'm out of patience, mental toughness, whatever. When I do go running, it feels great and then I die. My face begins burning even more when I'm sweating and it just plain hurts. Whine, whine, whine. But I'm hoping that once I stop putting poison on myself, those trudges will pay off. Thankfully only a few more days of this stuff. Hopefully my 20 miler next weekend will be without the effects of this stuff. I just keep hoping that if I make it thru training with this stuff, my mary will be a piece of cake.



Edited by Pink Socks 2013-12-22 7:59 AM

Pam

thanks for the affirmation. Godbless! to your healthy recovery!!!



Edited by strykergt 2013-12-22 8:44 AM

Howdy everyone! Do you all still remember me lol. I'm just stopping by to wish everyone a Merry Xmas, Happy New Year, Happy Holidays and anything in between that we may celebrate.

I've told a few people privately but I've been taking a little time away to get my head straight. Real life has needed my full attention and everything should wrap up nicely a week or two after the New Years.....then I'll be back and rearing to go

Hi Jay! I just came back too. Hope everything settles down for you soon.

Carol - go for the boot camps. I love them, but then I'm struggling to transition to being an endurance athlete.

Workouts sporadic but did more than last week, and feeling good about it. Keeping it casual until I begin my sprint plan, then my oly plan - so will be for months to come.
Think I'm getting a snorkel for the holiday, which excites me as I think my kick is non-existent and want to do endless laps with a kickboard without hurting my neck.

I feel so stressed about what to say to people for the holidays. We don't do Christmas as the important religious holiday it is (I'm Jewish, hubbie is Buddhist), but my in-laws celebrate it as a family/consumerism day and hubby loves having a Christmas tree.
When someone wished me a Merry Christmas, even when it irked me a bit, I took it in the spirit it was intended. Now that it's become such a battle I feel like some people say it with spite and I feel like I'm betraying progressives if I say Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. It doesn't help that Hanukah fell on Thanksgiving and is now past so it is only Christmas, except for New Years Day.

Thank you all for always including me in your holiday wishes - Merry Christmas to you all.

Mitzi

Hey gang just checking in here. Our 700 mile drive was uneventful. I have submitted a request to re-open the group for the next round, so it should go live over the next week or so. Don't worry about that at all.

It was a blazing hot 40F this morning in Santa Barbara, It was a tough workout 4x 30 sec strides at 4:30-5:00 mpm pace, 4x 1 mile at 7:00 ish mpm pace. It went well, but ya took some mental focus for those last two miles. It is amazingly hard to be all coordinated with my running once I get faster than 5:00, the timing and everything is all funky, but ya doing it is how you get better at it and I surely can't hold that pace for too long so short bursts as part of every run.

Pam, pain sucks, just get in what you can, take care of you. At this point it is really all about just getting you healthy. You can walk the marathon if you need to (I just did for IMLT).

Holidays are hard for workouts, just get in what you can, take care of your families and get ready for January mentally.

If someone wishes you well during the holidays, just take it as them wishing you well. Also, keep in mind that the very best way to irritate someone who is insincerely wishing you well is to thank them with all your heart.... it will irk them to no end. And you can just smile inside and walk away. Doing anything else lowers you to their level and the worst case is that they really did mean you well and you took it wrong and go off on them. That leaves a bad taste in people's mouth.

Anyway everyone take care, the group will reform and we will all survive for next year. Take care of you and yours. Marry Christmas, X-Mas, New Years, free day off, family time... whatever you want to call it, that time to take a break focus on your family, drink some eggnog or your preferred beverage and try to not take family too seriously in their social issues during a complex vacation season.

Edited by Baowolf 2013-12-22 1:55 PM

Hey group! Sounds like everyone is sliding into the end of 2013 pretty well.

Karl, I'm sure that 60 feels pretty cold. Yes, a nice heated pool is good!

Mitch, glad baby and business are going so well. Very nice 5K pace!

Pam, ugh, so sorry that the treatment is dragging you down. But repeating to you what I tell myself...take care of your health first. Your body is telling you it needs the energy to absorb the treatment. I would also definitely take Steve's advice on keeping your long run to 3 hours, regardless of whether you hit the 20 in that time or not. Arriving at the start healthy = goal number 2, behind goal # 1 of being healthy overall.

Jay, liked your lead-in of "howdy"...you sure you don't have some Texan in you? Here's to a healthy balanced 2014 for you!

Mitzi, I really appreciate you sharing about how the different greetings are a challenge. You can tell me if I'm missing the mark here, but it seems like the Jewish holidays tend to keep the focus on the religious significance over the consumerism aspect. When the time comes, I hope I can wish you a happy Purim.

Steve, I really liked the juxtaposition of your words here: "drink some eggnog or your preferred beverage and try to not take family too seriously in their social issues during a complex vacation season." I have this vision of your legs flying off in the middle of one of those sprints, so don't do those after the eggnog, OK?? Hope you can find a pool while you are in civilization!

Steve and fellow Mentorees

I am currently in a dilemma. I am currently trying to get ready for a fun Marathon this Jan.12 as part of our family vacation. I almost forgot before we have a local Lottery Marathon(Biggest Marathon in Texas) i registered way back early this year. I never thought i would get in , well i did and its scheduled Jan.19. There it is i have two marathons seven days apart during my training before i was able to do one 20 mile and one 21 mile 7 days apart no injuries. I am very tempted to do this, but i am also training for IM (April 27) and i dont know how much big of a hole it will do to my training.

Fellow group mates explain to me the repercussions and bluntly give me advice and suggestions before i do something AMA and Turn into Type 3.

Sincerely





Edited by strykergt 2013-12-24 1:35 AM

Karl, are your logs up to date? If so, I think you are pushing it to run one marathon, much less two in January. Potential up side...you do both and have a great time. Potential down side, you wind up not just down from training for a few weeks to recover, but down for the season because you injure yourself. Not sure how old you are, or your history of running marathons. Perhaps your body is much more resilient than mine. But if it were me, I would probably run/walk one of them, and skip the other one. By skip I mean do not participate....not skip the whole way . You said be blunt...so there you go!

I love you guys! Thanks for letting me gripe and complain the other day. I didn’t mean to be a Debbie Downer – but I was. I really appreciate all of the great advice tho.

Mitzi, I understand your conflict about the holidays – especially because of the gross commercialism that is rampant. For my Jewish friends, I tell them Happy Hanukah because I want them to have a joyous religious holiday. And they usually tell me to have a Merry Christmas, because they want me to have a joyous religious holiday. I don’t like Happy Holidays as a normal response because it’s watered down and doesn’t acknowledge any religious holiday. But I will use Happy Holidays for the people I’m not sure of their religion. But the people who turn away from God the rest of the year but want to celebrate the commercialism, I tell them Merry Christmas because I want them to realize that it’s about something – not just gifts.

Karl, I concur with Carol if your logs are accurate. I did two marathons three weeks apart one time and thought I was smart. I used the full training plan for the first one and then thought I could recover and do the second one. It wasn’t pretty and I was down for about 6 weeks after that. I’m afraid that two marys in Jan could really affect your IM training. My opinion only tho. Let us know what you decide and we'll cheer for you whatever you decide.

Ok, you lovely people, time for me to give my dog a bath. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday and it’s perfect for each of you.

@ Carol and Pam

i am almost there in deferring the 2nd Marathon. The first one is only 6:30 hrs. to Fin. i believe i can recovered fast if i go 14:30 min/mile. I already factored 2 weeks extra in my 2 weeks in my 20 weeks training plan so its actually 22 weeks including my recovery. I informed the RD for the 2nd marathon about deferral they will keep my lottery slot, but they will not refund the payment and i have to register again. Its easy to decide but hard to do. Thanks for the advice its easier if a 2nd party says so.





Edited by strykergt 2013-12-24 2:53 PM

Hrm not good news if those logs are up to date, 50 miles in November and 74 miles in December... those are kind of off season training distances. So... if you really wanted to do both, it would be like a 4 minute walk 2 minute jog (not run) the whole way for both of them max. This will probably knock 1 month to 6 weeks out of your training and with an IM in 4 months, 3 months with taper and minimal base fitness..... I wouldn't want to be in your shoes for any of the 3 races. I did a rushed IM build this year (5 1/2 months) and well it was IMLT so hard to say, but that was tight with tons of fatigue. You have 4 months, 3 weeks taper, 1 month to 6 weeks gone to marathons leaves you what 2 months to build into IM shape. Your IM will also be walk 4 min jog 2 and all 3 races will feel crappy unless you are really good with accepting smelling the roses through all three races. So have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Anyway, ya it is possible, but you will be pushing 5:30: 00 to 6:30 marathons and probably 16:00:00 + IM. Unless you are young, genetically gifted and recover really well. Is there a posibility of turning the Marys into half mary's because you could do that.

So swimming in a 50 meter pool with 6 to 8 people in a lane (salt water) was um different than swimming at home by myself in an endless current with digitally set pacing. And lots of folks had fins, snorkles, masks, pullbouys, kickboards. Not so many people just swimming. And only 2 narrow windows to get in a swim. The daily temps are a pleasant 65 F ish though which is really nice for running.

Did my Christmas shopping for 20 people, biked 21 miles, ran 2, did some tube work, watched 2 episodes of Leverage and then went to 4pm Christmas mass, off to wrap some presents. Some sucky K-mart to parkinglot transitions, but made it up in the shopping lanes.

Thanks Steve First of all Merry Christmas to you and your Family.

I wish i can turn the first Mary to Half Mary , I could do it to the Second Mary, but i really want to that one full so therefore decided to skip it totally and do the full the following year. I ill do your advice on the first one to just walk it halfway and jog half way which pretty much is 14:30min-14:45min/mile. I think i can recover fast after that. Maximum i have done is 21 miles.http://connect.garmin.com/activity/356442299
it only took me only one week to recover.My preparation for the mary are as follows:
12-25, 8mi run
12-26, 8mi run
12-27, bike
12-28, 19 mi run.
12-29, swim
12-30, 8 mi
12-31, bike
01-01, 8 mi
01-02, bike
01-03, 22 mi run.
01-04, rest
01-05, bike
01-06, 6 mi run
01-07, bike
01-08,13.1 mi jog
01-09, bike
01-10,,6 mi jog.
01-11, rest
01-12, 26.2 Jog/walk Raceday

My past 6 months Running mileage are: Dec.74mi,Nov.52mi,Oct.67mi,Sept.60mi,Aug.81mi.,July.85mi.
Let me know if theres more i can do to lessen the impact f the 26 mile jog/walk and hopefully gain fitness from the event.


Lastly Merry Christmas Everyone Too many nice people to mention here individually . Happy Hanukkah Mitzi. Happy Giving Day to All!!!!

Thanks for the warm welcome again and looking forward to a wonderful season.


Cheers


Carl



Edited by strykergt 2013-12-25 9:40 AM

You do realize that you are not running enough miles during the week to support your long runs right? Your training plan is kind of a poster child for how to do a long workout that is not supported by weekly miles and races that are beyond your training, sorry. Ideally your long run is about 30 to 40% of your weekly miles, but no more than 50% max. I hope you read my walk jog to mean within each mile you walk some jog some, not run the first 13 miles, then walk the last 13 miles+ miles...Also you are not going to gain fitness from a marathon...and you don't have time to gain any run fitness between now and your marathon.

2-25, 8mi run
12-26, 8mi run
12-27, bike
12-28, 19 mi run--- you don't look ready for 19 miles and 55 percent of weekly miles and too close to your mary, this is max 10 miles.
12-29, swim

12-30, 8 mi
12-31, bike
01-01, 8 mi
01-02, bike
01-03, 22 mi - no reason to do 22 miles as part of mary training, 58% of your weekly miles, you wouldn't put a 22 after the 19 and too close to mary, this should be a max of 8 miles.
01-04, rest
01-05, bike

01-06, 6 mi run = 4 miles
01-07, bike
01-08,13.1 mi jog --- not enough time to recover for the mary this should probably be 6 miles
01-09, bike
01-10,,6 mi jog. --not enough time to recover for mary probably 3 miles
01-11, rest
01-12, 26.2 Jog/walk Raceday

Doing a Mary on 3 days of running a week is really not recommended and building safely to twice your weekly miles is recommended. So ya lots of walking on mary day and it is just gona suck and you are gona recover longer than you would like. You probably will not be recovered from your 19 mile run come mary day and you will not be recovered from your 22 mile run. You don't want to come into a mary on undertrained and not yet recovered legs. Your long run should not increase by more than 1 mile per week and you went 8, 10, 13, 16, planning 19, 22. That build should take about 18 weeks to do safely, not 5 weeks.

It sounds like you wan't to do this, but it I am like the doctor saying ya its certainly not recommended. Your current training/racing plan means a really really high risk of an injury that will take you out of all run training for 6+ weeks. This doesn't mean that you are 100 percent going to get injured, but you are doing all the things that do get folks injured.

What is your race day nutrition/hydration plan, what is the likely temperature, how hilly, all pavement or some dirt, all dirt, trail run?

Edited by Baowolf 2013-12-26 1:32 AM

Steve

If i pull this off to run two half marathons 7 days apart will that help me gain fitness? I dont want doing a mary if i am not to gain any fitness at all?
worse comes to worse ill just downgrade to half iron next year.

Let me know

thanks





Edited by strykergt 2013-12-26 6:22 AM

Steve

I am already decided i will just down grade to Half Iron on April 27. I am really afraid might get a DNF. What are my chances in pulling off the marathon on Jan.12 and still doing a Half Iron on April 27.? I do get what you mean about Jog/walk per mile Zero Running at all!! i just want to finish.

Sorry for bugging you during your holidays but reply whenever you can, take your time.

Sincerely

*crawls out from under his rock*

I can feel myself getting ready to come back because I'm reading things and am motivated to post again!

Carl, I know you don't know me all that well yet but you remind me of me.....very stubborn. Its a trait I admire but I assure you Steve will beat it out of you...with kindness but he will.....he has done it with me! (kind of)

Two marathons within a few weeks is not the best idea I've ever heard. I remember doing a mary a few years back and a friend suggested running a mile or two the day after the race to sweat out some lactic acid. I did that and that mile was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I wasn't running hard but I was huffing and puffing....I could feel the lactic acid pouring out of me....it was a very surreal feeling. It did help me with my recovery from the DOMS that you naturally experience when doing endurance racing....I just don't know how you can bounce back to do another race so quickly after that.

Now, you asked about the fitness benefit. One thing I've learned this year is that a race doesn't improve your fitness level. A race is a test of how well you trained your fitness level; there are exceptions...sometimes we have bad days but in general, the race is the final exam and the training is the studying leading up to it. With that said, I don't think doing 2 marathons is going to improve your fitness level much. What it will do is give you a cool story to tell people....Yeah, I was crazy enough to complete 2 marathons in 7 days! There are other benefits. For example, I did 2 triathlons 5-6 months removed from achilles repair surgery. I wasn't trained well enough to compete well but I finished a sprint and an olympic. The events didn't get me in better shape BUT the olympic was a huge milestone for me. I'm not comfortable with my swimming so being able to do a .9 mile swim was huge for my confidence as I try to work up to a HIM and maybe a full IM in 2014.

Mitzi, thanks for the welcome back! I'm glad to see that you've returned to us again! Just remember, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to get up after we've fallen down and try again. That's what you're doing by coming back and I admire that!

Carol, alas, I don't have any Texan in me. Maybe the howdy was some of my Arizona time coming out!

I hope everyone enjoyed their day yesterday! My kids are fired up about our trip to Disney next Sunday....I'm fired up too because that is the end of the roadblocks that have been in my way. I also got a new pair of bike shorts, tri shorts, and winter running shirt...so I'm getting ready to go. I decided to get Kiley the Eat to Perform ebook I've mentioned off and on for a few months; she's happy and I think she may have finally found herself. She is unsure of doing a sprint tri in 2014 but she wants to be a strong girl (her words) not a skinny girl. I've read the ETP ebook and the book lines up with her goals perfectly! (and my mantra of focus on fitness level/performance and let everything else fall where it may)

I haven't signed up for any races yet in 2014. I'd like to do the Patriot HIM and meet Mike but if its sold out when the time comes.....I'll just have to find another race. I'm not going to register for anything until I'm ready to!

I am already decided i will just down grade to Half Iron on April 27. I am really afraid might get a DNF. What are my chances in pulling off the marathon on Jan.12 and still doing a Half Iron on April 27.? I do get what you mean about Jog/walk per mile Zero Running at all!! i just want to finish.

No worries at all. So if it were me and I were being smart, I would do both runs in January as half marathons and then do the April race as a Half Ironman, then build to a full marathon in the fall followed by an IM April the following year (not doing any marathons between October and April to allow a full 6 months to build to your IM. That would be ideal. It will take you about 3 weeks to recover from a marathon, 2 weeks to recover from a HIM and 4 days to 1 week to recover from a half mary.

Viewing traithlon as a lifestyle, you can build safely and race safely. Races will always be there waiting for you. I am just really worried about what your race schedule was, really just concerned about your health. I am not a coach, not your coach and you don't have to listen to me. I stated one way you could do your schedule, but I would put money on that it would be kinda sucky. I don't always listen to people who give me advice, so you can experiment with what your body can take or go more conservative. My goal is to take care of folks in here so that if they do something kinda risky they at least know that it was risky so they can decide whether they want to take that risk or not. My feelings wont be hurt if you hit all 3 races. So all decisions are up to you. There will be no I told you so, just advice on how to recover if you do get a pulled muscle or what not. I have been there. I have even gone against what I knew was a bad idea and often, ya it was a bad idea. So hang in there, new group should go live within the next week or two and we can just carry on from there. You can do a half marathon tomorrow if you wanted to, and a HIM in 2 months is not a problem given your current fitness. It is the jump to the Mary and the IM that is really big, it isn't twice as hard it is 4x as hard. So peace in whatever you decide, the gang will cheer you on either way and be here for ya when you get back.

What is up EveryBody!!!!!!!!!!!!! Merry Christmas!!!!! I have taking a 3 month slow down from Posting but I am back!!!! I have been doing some like biking and good steady running!!!! I have had the best 3 months with my little princess!!! Being a dad is the best thing ever!!!!

I am pumped and have already scheduled 4 out of the 5 triathlons I will do this year.

March Half Marathon
May Local 10k
May- Memphis in May Sprint
June-King of the Hill Sprint 800 yard swim, 20 mile bike, 4 mile run
July- Heart of Dixie triathlon 850 yard swim, 27 mile bike, 7 mile run
August 16- Toughman Alabama Half- 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13. 1 mile swim
October Boondock 63 mile fun ride
October Shakerag Half-Marathon

What yal think!!!

Been thinking a lot... if you did the 2 half marathons, you would recover fast enough to build the run for the IM, you also have time to build your bike from where you are now. I don't know enough about your swim to know if you can build that in time. So bottom line is that if you do a mary it probably toasts your IM, if you do 1 or 2 half mary's you may be able to do the IM in April, but it will be somewhat tight. You could also do a long run of 17 this week 10 next then half, half, 8, 13, 15 and be good to go for run training, but you need to probably add a 4th day to you run training for an IM even if it is only a 4 mile run. Then you will have to get the bike and swim back in there so .... 2 bike 2 swim 4 run/week until after the 2nd half mary then 3 swim 3 bike 4 run or some such into an actual IM plan. Your bike could build 75, 85, 95, 60 105, 110, 65, 115, 60 40 race. Run would be 2nd half mary, 8, 13, 15, 16, 9, 17, 18, 10, 18, 12, 8 race, and swim not sure where you are that will be the killer, longs of 2500, 2800, 3100, 3400, 2600, 3800, 4200, 2800, 4600, 3500, 2500 race... or some such. It is really really tight, but if you are good with 16 ish hour IM and your body tollerates that you could do it (getting in the other workouts to support the longs. Even 1 mary though will trash that completely. You also probalby cant "race" the half marys, but you can hard jog them, lite run. Oh well that's the best I got. You are going to have to decide what is most important and how close you want to get to the sun with those wax wings. Alternatively you could do a half in April and a full IM 2 to 4 months later when you will be solid for it this year or again wait until next year and do your mary this year.

Steve Thanks for the realization.
Guys and Gals thanks for all the advice.

I contact the RDs of the races to turn everything to half. I plan to just doing the Redman Full on September 20. Thats 8 months after the two running races, and the april 27 Half Iron is 5 months before Redman Full raceday. I will still be following the Be Iron Fit Intermediate plan, Should be enough time to start over. No more Shenanigan races in between.

Happy New Year in Advance to Everyone!!!!!
*** No Sect Affiliation to New Years so everyone should celebrate*****


Carl








Edited by strykergt 2013-12-26 11:05 PM