Pilgrim's Group - Full (Page 7)

Welcome Back Maree. Let's see, surfing for a week. That sounds like plenty of training. Arm Training, Lung Training. Depending on how big the sharks were, it could've been run-training as well since I would run across the top of the water if I saw some of the sharks you guys have down there. I saw a huge white-tip from a few hundred feet away when I was diving in Guam--visibility was incredible that day and he was 170 feet below me on the surface.

Well, I did it. I consulted with the wife, she approved it so I went ahead and ordered the Garmin Forerunner 305. I got some of the accessories through Amazon. I'll tell you all how that works out. I swear that's the last charge. Isn't that the sign of addiction? saying something like that?

Rode into work today. Problem is, I didn't bring clothes to ride home in so I'm going to be wearing wet trishorts, sweaty shirt and sweaty socks. Can't really lay them out in the office since my CEO's office is 200 yards away. Oh well.

Hope everyone's having a great week. Don't know if I mentioned it, but I'm running pretty high since my project for next year is a go now and that means I don't have to go face the poor farmers and tell them they're not getting turbines. One turbine usually equals better than any crop they can grow in 1000 acres. We also give a lot of tax money to the schools and counties. It's one of the best parts of the job. I can tell you more about it if you're interested but for now, I'll end it with "I love my job."

Happy Training.

Welcome back from your surfing trip!

I want to provide you with more wetsuit information. I copied the following from a wetsuit website that sells wetsuits for all kinds of sports. http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/

Here are the highlights:
1. Triathlon wetsuits are VERY different from all other wetsuits.

2. Triathlon wetsuits are highly specialized and can not/should not be used for anything but swimming.

3. Triathlon wetsuits are designed for speed and buoyancy. It sounds as if any other wetsuit will be uncomfortable and is likely to slow you down.

It’s important to remember that triathlon wetsuits are different! First time triathletes know best that Surf and SCUBA Diving wetsuits just don't cut it for competitive swimming.

There are 4 major features that differentiate tri suits from other suits.
• Triathlon wetsuits are made out of super buoyant neoprene panels that actually help you float in the water
• Tri suits also feature a "slickskin" exterior that allows you to glide through the water without any friction.
• Additionally, these specialized wetsuits are cut differently to minimize restriction. Legs are cut above the calf, armpits are wider, and necklines are specially designed to provide the ultimate range of motion.
• Lastly, all triathlon wetsuits are made out of high grade stretch neoprene to ensure a glove like fit.

Type: Triathlon wetsuits are available in “Full” or “Long John” styles.
Full suits are warmer and more buoyant, for water temperatures below 60 degrees (depending on your tolerance for cold). Since there is more rubber in a full suit, it floats more. If you’re balanced and higher in the water you’ll swim faster. Additionally, full suits let less water in at the seals, which reduces weight and drag.

Long Johns are sleeveless wetsuits designed for water 60 degrees and up. The main advantage of a long john is increased flexibility and mobility due to the sleeveless design. Long John wetsuits also are easier to remove during the transition to your bike.

Buoyancy Factor: This is a snapshot of how the wetsuit floats in the water. Adding more buoyancy to the suit makes your swim easier and more efficient.
• Good: Buoyancy panel is located on chest
• Better: Panel extends from chest to thighs
• Best: Panel covers chest to ankles for maximum buoyancy

Inner Lining: The inner lining -or- jersey of a wetsuit directly impacts the flexibility and stretchiness of a wetsuit. More stretch equals more flexibility.

Please Be Aware these feature packed wetsuits cannot be used for any other sporting activities except swimming. The coated neoprene is delicate and will easily puncture if diving or surfing.

I still feel like I should stress that you are probably fine borrowing a non-triathlon wetsuit for your first event so long as you keep in mind the drawbacks. If you really feel you want a tri specific wetsuit for your first event see if you can find someone to loan you one or look into renting one. If you have the spare cash and want one then by all means get one.

Sarah, my hip wasn't actually completely broken it was fractured in two places and yes, it was breathtakingly painful to run on. Fortunately or unfortunately I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. I didn't run at all between events and so by the time another event came along I was feeling ok. I did 4 events on that hip and each one got worse. The first two I was able to fend people off and win my division, Clydesdale. The third event I came in 3rd and was passed in transition from the bike to the swim, it was a reverse triathlon run-bike-swim. It took me about 3:20 to hobble through transition. The last race I did on the hip was an Olympic distance race. After the bike and the swim I was leading my division by 20 minutes and then came the run, which was excruciating. I was passed by 5 other clydes during that run but since they split the division into over and under 40 I was able to walk away with a 3rd place finish. Maybe I have a picture of me in that race that I can post, I'll look but it isn't pretty.

Matt, you are going to LOVE your Garmin 305! Mine has completely changed my whole attitude about running. I used to get bored and burnt out running all the same old courses that I had measured and I would resist going out to measure new courses because of the time involved. Now I am free to run wherever I want and automatically have everything measured. It is also nice to know how different kinds of terrain impact your pace while you are running. All the data you get is awesome!

Pilgrim...I have a question for you and anyone else that wants to chime in.

Training - how to make the most of little time?!

Its difficult for me to do 2 a day (one thing in am, another in pm). Has always been. What I used to do was extend my time and do longer workouts or split up into 2 within one time frame. I do only one day now with 2 a day (only because I sneak that second workout in after I finish working at the Y). Recent job has curtailed my am workout time allowance.

My current training entails usually 6 days a week - 2 swims, 2 bikes, one short run, one long one, and depending on time - another short run or another bike. I also usually have one day that entails a deep water aerobics class which I view as 'weight training' but in all honesty its a social thing too. Am I better off trying to get in shorter times to get a higher quantity of workouts in within specifica sports OR should I extend some or all to get longer workouts in and forego overall number per week? (and I realize the H2O class will have to hit the road as the season progresses and I near my Olympic higher volume or I find a job that starts later to allow more am training time OR use that day as an 'active rest day".

It's tough to get it all in to maximize our athleticism while maintaining home life, family, work, chores etc...  How do you all manage?

Edited by BbMoozer 2008-01-30 3:12 PM

Hi,
Here is a checklist that I saw. I placed a star near the ones I use.

Warm up Clothes
Trainers
Socks Tri Specific *
Sweats
Long Sleeve T-shirt
Hat *
T-shirt
Gloves
Stocking Cap
Head Band
Tights
Arm Warmers
Change of Clothes *
Spare bike shorts

Swim
____Goggles (2 pairs) *
____Swim Cap *
____Ear Plugs
____Speedo’s (2 Pair) I use a swimsuit with built in bra
____Race Chip *
____Wet Suit *
____Non stick spray
____Sunscreen *
____Anti-Fog *
____Warm swim cap

Bike
____Bike *
____Water bottles *
____Bike shorts *
____Jersey *
____Helmet *
____Race belt
____Sunglasses *
____Extra tube *
____Extra tire
____Tire derailer
____Bib and Bike numbers *
____Bike shoes *

Run
____Flats *
____Water bottle holster
____Heart rate monitor
____Watch * I have one that counts laps for swim, Bike and run I logg it as a lap.

Nutrition
____Recovery drink *Gatorade
____Energy gel * GU
____Caffeine tablets
____Crackers *soft oatmeal bars
____Sports drink * Gatorade
____Sea Salt
____Anti-Gas tablets
____Salt tablets *

Misc
____Wallet and cell phone *
____USAT card
____Towel * I bring 2. 1for ground space and 1 for after the swim.
____Bike tools

I plan my days a week in advance, I plan my workouts. I let my friends and family know that from this hour to this hour I am busy. Thats when I am working out.

When I work long hours and train I use a crock pot to cook my dinners. I place it on a low setting and it cooks during the day and when I come home dinner is ready.

Some gyms offer free or reduced babysitting rates. You can also do a babysitting co-op where you volunteer hours in return your children are also babysat for equal hours. Sack lunch or dinner comes with the child so there is no argument about money spent on food. Just need to heat it up and serve.

IMPORTANT READ ME:

This is the best online tool for training and traveling. The best map and ariel hybrid on the net, and it counts miles and calories too. It's even international!!!!!!

G maps pedometer


www.gmap-pedometer.com

Sarah,
I can completely sympathize with your time crunch. When I was a senior in High School, I got a job at the Nautilus Club and thought I'd get to work-out more. Turns out when I showed-up to work out, I got put to work or someone from work would come down and get to chit-chatting with me and I'd waste my workout time talking. Now I'm kinda anti-social when I work-out.
I had an expression that I used to tell the Lieutenants who worked for me. "If you make it a ritual, they'll respect it more." What I meant is that if everyone knows that Xtime-Xtime is workout time, they respect it more. It's easier I guess when X-time falls during most people's sleep time so I work-out almost entirely before 7:30 with the exception of a walk with the whole fam or a run with my son in the jogger.

Thanks Jeanette for the list. I was just getting ready to ask for that.
Thanks also for the Gmap recommendation. Does it do elevation profiles and stuff. I guess I'll go check-it-out.
Happy Training everyone!

It is difficult to get in the right kinds of workouts with family and work and all. I have some friends who would like to try an Ironman but simply could not spend that much time training, up to 25 hours per week for most age groupers.

If you are pressed for time I would go for more frequent, higher intensity, shorter duration workouts, about 30 minutes in duration, and try to get in the longer moderate effort workouts as you are able.

The short, high intensity workouts keep your VO2 max higher, it actually doesn’t vary a great deal, and it keeps your tolerance for high output higher. These are both very important in sprint and Olympic distance races. The other benefit of high intensity workouts are that they improve efficiency in movement if you are focusing on your form.

The other tactic is to incorporate as much of your workout as you can into your general lifestyle as opposed to having workouts be something that you do IN ADDITION to everything else you have going on. For example, I will often commute to work on my bike. I ride easy on my way in so I don’t get all sweaty because I don’t have access to showers. I keep a couple pairs of pants, a couple pair of shoes, some deodorant and cologne and a blazer or jacket stored at work and I have a fanny pack that I will carry in my shirt and tie and lunch and whatever else. On the way home I will usually do intervals so I get a high intensity workout. I have even been know to catch a ride in to work with someone else and then run home and that gets me 14 miles. On the days when I ride to work I get up a little early and swim before I ride in and I ride from my gym. For me at least commuting on my bike only takes about 15 minutes more than using my car.

Granted, this approach is difficult if not impossible in the winter depending on your weather but much of the year it works well.

Great checklist! Thanks!

I like to use www.sanoodi.com for my route tracking.

As far as training times go I have found that letting everyone know your training schedule is important, and plan it ahead just like a drs. appt. so you know what to expect for the week. Not sure how old everyone's kids are but I will sometimes pack my bike and/or running shoes and squeeze a ride or run in around the soccer park. Most parents are just sitting there waiting for the practice to finish but this gives me an hour to get something done

Have a great rest of the week!
Juls

Juls, your comment about getting in a workout while the kids may be at practice reminds me of something I read once that an ultra-cyclist does with his family. He schedules family outings to fit with his training so if he has a 100 mile ride scheduled he may meet his family at a park or something 50 miles away. He will get up early and ride to the meeting point and when they meet up have a picnic or visit a museum or do whatever they had planned and they he will ride home. It breaks up the ride but he still gets in the mileage and gets to spend time with his family.

Actually, ultrarunner Dean Karnazas does the same thing with his family sometimes. He will lay out his route and the family will drive along meeting him at various points along the way to refuel. He will try and make these stops at places that may be of interest to the family.

I only have one kid left in the house and he is almost 17 so he is quite happy to do his own thing and my wife is also a triathlete so we are either training together or are sympathetic to each others training time needs.

Thanks for the great list! That will help me with my planning. Also, I read somewhere that people will put balloons and such at their transition station so it's easier to locate. Do you guys do that?

The info on the wetsuits is very helpful as well. The estimated temperature for my open water swill will be 70 degrees. I'd love to have something designed for it, but will opt for the scuba suit if the budget doesn't permit.

Also, discovered my mountain bike actually does have those metal spikes on them for gripping. So, I'm going to have to do something about that. Going to make my first round of purchases (shoes, tri-shorts, etc.) next week. I'm sure I'll feel like a kid in a candy store.

Mark E.

Mark, before changing out your pedals you should ask yourself if you really want to go to a clipless pedal system for your mountain bike or if you want to stick with what you have.

I want to apologize if I automatically go to basic but you just never know where people's level of savvy is when it comes to equipment and I want to err on the side of assuming that nobody knows anything, which is exactly how I was when I began.

A clipless pedal system consists of special pedals that a special cycling shoe clips onto. It is confusing that they are called "clipless" when they in fact clip but they are called clipless because the old pedals with the straps and cages came first and it was called "clipping in" when you used those cage systems. It is still called clipping in but I digress.

Each style of clipless pedal has its own special attachment that is screwed to the bottom of the cycling shoe so what you buy is a pair of cycling shoes and a set of clipless pedals. The attachment that will go on your shoe comes with the pedals.

There are a variety of name brand clipless pedal systems you can go with but different pedal types are better suited to different tasks.

For mountain biking you go with an SPD pedal. These pedals allow you to clip in on both sides of the pedal making it easier to clip in fast in case you come out of your pedals during a jump or if you are rounding a tight corner and unclip to use your leg to help you hop around the corner.

For road biking you can also use SPD type pedals or pedals called "Egg Beaters" that allow you to clip in on 4 sides but most people go with an SPD-SL pedal, also known as a "Look" type pedal because the company Look first developed them. With he SPD-SL pedals you can only clip in on one side but they have a wider platform so they are more comfortable over longer distances and probably have better power transfer. There is another kind of pedal commonly used on road bikes made by Speedplay and they are referred to as Speedplays. Speedplays have a fairly small round disc as the pedal that allows you to clip in on both sides and it has a large platform that actually attaches to the shoe. It is supposed to have the best of both the SPD and the SPD-SL but I have never used them so I don't know.

In any case, while you can use SPDs on either a mountain or road bike you can not use SPD-SLs on a mountain bike. Further, the better mountain bike SPD pedals will also have a ring of metal teeth, making them inappropriate for a triathlon. Also, the cycling shoes that are best for mountain biking are different from the shoes that are best for road biking and triathlon.

So back to the original question…ask yourself if you really want to go with a clipless system for your mountain bike. I would recommend against it until you have completed your first triathlon and decided what you want to do. If you were starting with a road bike to begin with then I would probably say go ahead and get the clipless pedals if it is in the budget but when you are starting with a mountain bike and are planning on getting into road triathlon as opposed to Xterra I would pass because for right now you are looking at deciding if you like the sport enough to go out and purchase a road bike. If you do like it enough to go out and get a road bike then you are going to like it enough to want to make sure you have the right pedals and shoes too.

In the mean time simply go to a good bike shop and let them know what's up. Tell them you have a mountain bike but you can not use the pedals in a triathlon. Let them know this is your first triathlon and you are just out to see if you like it. If you do you will probably be looking for a new bike set up but for now all you need is any set of platform pedals that do not have the metal gripping teeth. A pair that is probably more suited to a cruiser. The bike shop should have a few cast away pedals laying around the shop and should just give you a pair and change them out. They should at least loan you a pair but I guess it is possible that they don't have any laying around so you might have to buy a pair in which case I would find out what size bolt fits into your crank and go get a cheep pair from Wal Mart or somewhere like that.

Anyway, the bike shop should recognize that you are a customer who could potentially be spending a few thousand dollars with them in the coming months so they should be quite happy to help you out.

Sorry I missed your other comments, I got stuck yacking about pedals.

If you do go with buying a wetsuit just go with a short sleeve because you will be able to get it cheaper and even a lower end suit will not impair your swimming like a low end full suit can. You wont necessarily be sorry to have a short sleeve around even if you want or need to upgrade to a full suit later but you probably will be sorry to have a low end full suit around that constricts your breathing and shortens your stroke.

I believe I said it in my earlier discussion about wetsuits but if you go with a full you probably will want to spend a bit more money to get the middle of the line suit or better.

Some people will take a helium balloon and tie it to the rack where their spot it transition is located but it is not really all that common otherwise every transition area would be a sea of balloons and that would defeat the purpose.

In an Ironman event with 2200 or so athletes you will see maybe 5 balloons, maybe fewer. Now it is cool when someone else happens to have a balloon near you at an Ironamn but like I said, few people actually do it. At a smaller event it really isn't very important. However, it is a good idea to take a jog through the transition area before the race so you can get a sense of where your bike is located after you depart the swim.

Some people also use crazy colored or patterned towels to set their gear on.

Hey Brian,

You are safe to assume I know little or nothing about any of this. I take no offense and would rather not take anything for granted. I'll read the pedal post several more times before I go into the bike shop.

I am anxious to get some type of suit and get some open water practice in. I loved swimming in Hawaii, but have not done much in the way of lake swimming (especially when you have to keep tracking of where you're swimming). What's a water temperature that I should consider decent for open water training? I recall reading that you froze your face in one race, so please put that in the context of a newbie like me.

All this being said, I'm not phased. The race is still 3 months away. That will give me several opportunities to get out to the race site and do a mock tri. In retrospect, I think I should have considered volunteering at this first race so I can get a better look and feel for the big picture.

Mark E.

Had an interesting problem last night on the way home. My front brake tilted and the brake pad was basically locked on the wheel. I got it resolved quickly, but decided to take my bike for that service afterall. Guess what...He did exactly what you said Brian, he told me if we get a shorter stem, it would make the bike shorter and it would fit. He's re-cabling, re-taping, and leaving a space for my new garmin mount on the handlebars. Good stuff.

I came across this website and wanted to share the site. You may see these guys at some of your events. http://www.oohrah.net/teamsemperfi/?C=D;O=A

Thanks for all the info on wetsuits. I had no idea it was so complicated! The water temp for my first race will be around 66 degrees- so I guess I better try and borrow one...

OOOOOOH I saw this shortie hybrid wet suit!!!!!!
It is like a surf wetsuit, more streatch in the arms and the slick smooth surface(I think the same as a tri wetsuit) on the front only. Heavy Zipper on the back with pull line. I don"t remember the name, but I will find out by next week.

Matt-
I saw the web page you reccomended.
Check out:
http://dvice.com/archives/2008/01/bluetooth_prost.php

For Triathalon I am thinking carbon with a device like the Cochlear implant for hearing except it would be for mind/leg controll.

There ia an underscore between bluetooth and prost that didn't show onscreen.

For the rest of US:

Titanium Spring-Loaded Insoles Help You Combat Earth's Oppressive Gravity
Remember Moon Shoes, those crazy floating-inner-bucket booties that were cool in the '90s? These Titanium Spring-Loaded Insoles are kind of like the adult version, promising to make you feel as if every step is considerably lighter.

Each insole has five quarter-inch titanium springs on the heel that are said to not only cushion your footfall, but recoup some of that energy and transfer it into your stepping off, a bit like how regenerative braking allows electric cars to store and release energy.

The insole also features a honeycomb-padded surface designed to improve circulation, and an extra seven springs under the ball of the foot for a smoother step.

Titanium Spring-Loaded Insoles are supposedly small enough that they are great for your everyday shoes, sneakers and work boots. And they're only $30.

However the article does not say where you can buy these. If anyone knows please let me know. I would like to try them.

I don't think sandooli has ariel view. I am a landmark person and need to know where things are so I know to turn near this building, etc. It also has topography. Was the hill reallly that steep?? kinda thing. Plus you don't have to sign up, you can just use it.

Its cold and snowing here! So I am using the computer a lot. So I will say have a nice day to All!!!! Type to you latter.

Ok, random responses and remarks time to try and address some of the recent posts.

I’m not sure you can really get a sense of triathlon by volunteering. I think you just need to get in there and do one. However, volunteering is important so I encourage everyone to volunteer at an event if you get a chance.

Competitive open water swimmers do not use wetsuits even when they do cold water swims. You can train yourself to swim in pretty cold water, certainly into the mid 50s. If you are nervous about swimming in a non-triathlon wetsuit and have ready access open water you can start practicing open water swimming when the water warms up to maybe the upper 60s. It will be tough though. You might prefer to just practice swimming in the non-tri wetsuit and get used to it. You should be able to hit the water in a wetsuit with water temps in the upper 50s though it will be cold.

Matt, I think earlier you asked if your swim start would be a mass start or in waves. For the most part the only triathlons that have mass starts are Ironman triathlons. Any triathlon that is sanctioned by USAT will have wave starts unless the race director asks for special permission to do a mass start, which they usually don’t. The waves are broken out is any one of several ways depending on how large the event is. Sometimes it is all men and then all women. Sometimes it is by age group with men and women together or sometimes by age group with men and women separate.