tcovert's Winter 2009 Mentor Group - FULL (Page 7)

I don't mind product plugs at all.  I find them helpful.  I'm in the midst of a discussion with myself about whether to spend the money for a new tri bike or to equip a road bike with aero bars.  Anyone have thoughts?  Also, I haven't watched it yet, but I just noticed a video on the BT home page on this very topic.   

Have a LiveSTRONG week.

Iceman 

Scott,

Right now, there is no discussion for me ... a tri bike just ain't happening!  Aero bars are my only option for another year or so, but so far I'm loving them! 

Okay, goals for the  week:  None.

I've got a trail race (10k) on Sunday, so I'll do some running and a long bike ride early this week and will taper a bit towards the weekend, but no set criteria.  I want to swim ... but it's cold and I'm a baby and unless I just have to get out of the house, I probably won't get to the pool this week.

So that's it, almost ... I've got a 12 pack of good beer being shipped to me from Belgium, so my other goal is to make it last.  Save one Westmalle for after each race this year.

Hi everyone! Happy Monday! Well, I totally sucked as far as last week's goals. Didn't train once. I've been so unmotivated and so frustrated with it. I really need to pull out of this. The good news is that I did train today. Had a great run and did some walking. Then I did core training and some lower back exercises. Hoping to follow it up tomorrow with a bike ride.

As far as goals for this week, I just want to do some form...any form...of aerobic activity for 6 of the 7 days. If I feel burnt out on training, then I will just get out and walk, or play soccer with the kids or hike or something. I gotta get that consistency back!

Have a great week, everyone!

First off, Susie, I'm sorry for your situation but I guess a new year is as good a time as any to make a fresh start.

My goals this week: Did a run today already. Add at least one more and then a long run on Sunday.

Swim 2x before Sunday -- one of them being a Master's session

Bike 1 or 2 x

Core work 2 x

Stay positive/spend some time with my family and appreciate what is.

Maybe write a little summary of my last year with regard to s/b/r.

Hi all!  Sorry for the lack of logging, inspires, and forum checking... I was out of town for pretty much all of last week with very limited access to the internet.  The good news is that I got to spend a loooooot of time with my family and friends... the bad news is that I barely got any work outs in.  However, the better news is that I PICKED UP MY NEW ROAD BIKE!!!  I am soooo excited... it's a 2008 Fuji Roubaix Pro!!!  I am still working on it (attaching the cyclometer and clipless pedals and I am ordering a new seat) but I can't wait to get it out on the road.  I am going to put some clip on aero bars next month or so (I have a gift certificate to a bike shop in Northern VA so I will get them from there the next time I travel up north!).  Needless to say, I am excited 

So I looked at my planner and I realized that my half marathon training starts this week (the runs are extremely short though)... I can't believe how quickly time flies by!  My goals for the week are to run three times, bike twice, and swim twice... and get lots of core work done in between. 

Thanks to all of you for the inspiration.  I'll try to do better about posting on yours. 

I started the week Sunday with a swim, bike (indoors, winter sucks) and a 5K run.  I biked indoors on Mon day.  Swam this morning with the Masters, Tuesday.  Kathy plans to meet me at the gym after work so I should have enough time to run and bike indoors.   Off to a good start.  But the gyum closes early on NYE and we have dinnner plans.  Gym is closed totally on NY but weather should be good enough to run outside, though cold.   I also have to finish out Christmas visits on Friday which requires a lot of driving.   

My weekly goals are to finish with 3 swims, 5 bikes and 3 runs.  I should get it done with th start I've had.

Congrats on the new road bike!  I love new bikes.  Still trying to figure out what to do about the tri bike versus road bike thing.  I know if I get into this tri thing big time and want to do a half or even full iron, then everything I've read and been told points to a tri bike to try to save the legs for the run.  But as a friend my age who has done several ironmans says, you ride 112 miles and your legs are toast no matter what you do.  I already know I'll be doing the marathon in a run/walk style of an ultra marathoner.   

I second the thumbs up for WW.  I lost 100 pounds on it once..no exercise so I put it back on...and then some.  This time I did high protein, low carbs and lost a bunch, then added fuel as the exercise increased on the bike.  Kathy is using WW now and I'm on it too for support to take off the last few I want to drop.  We are using a points system that like last time really gives a well balanced approach of vegetables, grains, fruits and carbs in moderation.  I never skip meals and I never feel hungry.   The cross training really accelerated the loss.  It will stay off now because of the total lifestyle change toward fitness. 

 Good luck and stay with it.  Figure out lots of small rewards and celebrate often.

Looks like I'm preaching to the choir here -- but Weight Watchers works. As long as you approach it as a lifestyle change and not a "diet." I lost 30# 8 years ago (hubby lost 50#) and have kept it off, which was always my challenge. Between my activity and watching and monitoring my food intake and choosing healthy, ,filling (read low point) foods I can keep the hungries away. I also find that eating several smaller meals a few hours apart really works better to keep your metabolism going and burning fat for fuel. I also decided to work for WW part time and have been there for about 6 years so if you have any questions, I'll be happy to help out. It's really an honor for me to watch and experience the weight loss journey for people who come in. I watch them go from the proverbial caterpillar to butterfly. Another key is to stay connected to the program -- attend meetings once reaching goal and/or stay connected to friends/family who are supportive. Also, remember not to deprive. I also learned that I ate not just for hunger but for comfort and emotional reasons so understanding what I was really hungry for became an aha moment for me.

Okay -- I'm off the soapbox!

 Btw-- I had a most excellent "hard" day today -- rode with DH about 27 miles and hills. There was one hill that was about 2 miles long and at one point was 11% grade. OMG. Of course I was watching my DH getting smaller and smaller up ahead, but I just kept plugging away and made my world really small -- which means I didn't look too far ahead and just focused on getting up this monster incline. Then, my swim tonight was great. Got some nice feedback regarding my stroke from the coach and I'm okayed to use some paddles now. He thinks my stroke is pretty "dialed in" to use his words. I've been working so hard on technique I was beaming.

On a totally unrelated subject -- Anyone seen Benjamin Button, the new Brad Pitt movie? We were thinking about going tomorrow.

I was going to type something about the weight loss discussion....started looking for a place to set my pie down so I could type......dang you irony!

My two cents on the tri bike discussion. Biggest argument against one to me is you can't ride them in many group rides/races etc. That's a deal killer for many people. Biggest argument for one is that they are designed to be ridden in the aero position. Their geometry is such that you will use muscles differently, and generate more power, thus be faster in the aero position.  That's a lot of boiling down, but I think those, for me, are the primary issues.

It's a hard time of year to stay consistant in training, with all the travel, company out, etc. Enjoy, it's almost over and time to get to work. (Yeah, I just gave myself a pep talk out loud)

Jake

To tell the truth, the Benjamin Button previews didn't look too enticing.  We went to Seven Pounds on Christmas Day instead.  It was OK, just OK. 

I agree totally on WW having to be a lifestyle change and not a diet.  Diets seem like punishment.  Lifestyle changes are much more positive.  I can't just stop bad habits.  I have to replace them with good ones.  It was a balancing act when it came to riding long distance. How much to eat and still lose?  I started to watch calories in versus the estimated calories out at 400- to 500 per hour.  Seems to work.  No bonking. 

Also, another key has been hydration.  I always heard eight 8 oz glasses of water were enough.  Not for athletes.  My nutrition coach bumped me up to 80 to 100 ounces a day minimum.  I worried a bit as a prostate cancer survivor about incontinence.  But no problem there and I've been doing it, feeling better and body functions are all A-OK.   

Thanks for the advice on the bike.  I've got two great road bikes.  I built a LaMond Ti with Dura Ace, my first build up.  I previously bought a Giant TCR C1 with Ultegra. (The performance difference between Ultegra and Dura Ace is so minimal it can't be distinguished.  Dura Ace is just shinier.  Don't spend the extra money.  I did only because I got a deal on eBay.)  

Both bikes are great.  The Giant is faster.  The titanium is more comfortable than even carbon.  So I have bikes for group rides.  The issue only is whether the money invested in the Tri bike would be justified in saving the legs on long distances if I go for a half Ironman or a full one down the road.  I'm 57 now.  I'd like to compete into my 70s.  Hey, the longer I go, the more competition dies off so I'll have a better chance to place.   

If you can't beat 'em, outlive 'em.

Happy New Year everyone.  It's 10 o'clock, I took the wife out to the best restaurant in town, we had sugar free cake and strawberries when we got home and now I can't keep my eyes open.  I hope you all have a wonderful night and a great 2009. 

May all your goals be met and exceeded. May all your troubles become merely challenges that offer opportunities for growth.   May you see love everywhere, because in the end, that is all that really matters.

Happy 2009 Everyone! We were supposed to go to a "kid-friendly" New Year's Party, but it was called off today because the host was sick. Oh well! We ordered pizza, watched movies, made some ice cream then made a lot of noise at midnight to annoy our neighbors!

Hope everyone is having fun tonight!

I ran an hour non stop for the first time ever today.  At least, the first time in the past 40 years.  Seems like ever.  I saved the run to today because the gym is closed and running is somethng I can do outside.  The ice is gone, but still about freezing.  I went to the rail-to-trail and started with the plan to run the hour.  I just kept going, turned at 33 mintues and came back.  Stopped at an hour, gave myself a round of applause, walked four minutes and then ran the 5 minutes I still had to get back to my pickup.  I was very pleased.  That's a long way from the one minute run, four minute walk I did when I started the couch potato to 5K program in August. 

I'm really thinking I might be able to do a half ironman by the end of 2009.  The swimming is coming along great, the bike should be my best event and the running is coming along. 

Friday is an enforced rest day as it appears now.  I have to make a road trip to see people to finish Christmas up. I'll probably bike and swim on Saturday, then run and bike again Sunday.  I with it would stay in the 40s, I might be able to ride the bike outside.  I envy you folks when I see the training logs with weather showing temps in the 50s to 70s.  Winter in Illinois is just not that way.

Congrats, IceMan Scott on your long run. That's really great to see progress. Isn't it?  I predict you will do that HIM this year. ..no crystal ball required.

Great goals Susie. That seems like a lot of changes all at once. Take it easy on yourself, okay? 

BTW-- I agree with you about Benjamin Button. It was very Forrest Gump-like and I guess they had the same screenwriter. It covers the years 1918 to about the mid '70s.  I'm not a big movie-goer. It's hard for me to sit for that long and this movie was almost 3 hours including all the previews. It was a good thing to do with my cold. I forgot how miserable you can feel with just a silly cold. I am feeling better today and really want to run. I did nothing much yesterday and even took a nap. I do kind of like these holidays.

Hope you are all enjoying these last days of holiday time.