Dangremond's Group - FULL/CLOSED (Page 7)

I have joined another Feb  challenge.  My goals for Feb are to run 25 miles, bike 70 miles and start officially swimming.  Since I haven't been swimming yet, just starting is a goal.  The goals are meager to some, but they are a consistent increase from the last months for me.  I don't plan on failing.  Plus, I plan on losing 6 pounds. 

I have been struggling with my running.  I don't particularly like to run so it's generally a struggle anyway, but it seems like I suck wind for the first entire mile.  It takes me that long to get into a groove.  I am fighting it the whole way.  Is that common?  Does anyone have any suggestions.  I really wish that I didn't battle with this because it becomes easier once I pass that milestone, but sometimes the struggle wins out and I end up walking for a few minutes.  What's up?

The only thing you can really do to get over the first mile blues is simply to keep at it.  I've faced them too each time I've re-started my running, but over time the feeling goes away, at least somewhat.  Eventually you'll be running 20 miles and be thinking, "boy, that first FIVE miles was really hard, before I got into a groove."

crdvorscak - 2009-02-01 3:31 PM

gcoller - 2009-01-31 3:50 PM I met my fitness goal for this month...I ran 38 miles

AWESOME job!  I'm just hoping to get up to 25 this month. 

I think your goals are great. I still have "join a strength class" on my list just because I know starting that is so tough for me (early in the AM!) ...I began with workout 3X a week one year ago...and sometimes "working out" was 10 minutes on an elliptical or treadmill.  I reiterate that your goals are really great. They're positive, measurable and they make sense for you! I'm so on your team

Where is everyone?  I know there are a few who we may have lost (way at the beginning...please come back by the way) but would love to hear from everyone else.

I ran outside for the 1st time in weeks this afternoon.  It was freezing cold (about 15 degrees) and lots of icy uncleared sidewalks but it was still a blast.  My immediate goal is to get back in the pool tomorrow morning.  Big mental block with me rigt now about the pool.  Got to break through.

I joined a gym and recently started putting some decent time. Hoping to lose some of my winter weight.

I have been focusing on building strength this winter and keeping my endurance base.  I lift weights at the gym 4 times a week and have made progress there.  The frigid morning runs are getting tougher mentally.  Phil the groundhog says 6 more weeks of winter. 

gcoller - 2009-02-11 9:42 PM Mitch! What's the update??  I am finding it more difficult than ever to fit in workouts now that my little one doesn't like going to the Y's childcare center, it is dark SO early, and I live in a hilly/icy area.  I'm doing things like swinging my kettlebell on my lunchbreak at work and dancing with my little one whenever possible.  I usually embrace winter with horseback riding and such but what can one do on ice-covered snow...? Scrape it off and go to the YMCA at 8PM I suppose

Grace - how old is your little one?  I'm certainly not aware of all the particulars of your situation, but we've found that it was in the best interests of our children's sense of independence to push them through the bouts of separation anxiety (if that's the issue).

Also, for running outdoors, have you looked at the yak-trax?  I don't have them but have heard rave reviews from those that do.  They basically act like studs attached to your shoes and significantly improve traction in the snow and ice.

And regarding the overall seasonal malaise - you know you'll feel much better if you can carve out time to be outside.  That's one reason why I steer clear of the treadmill.  Even when it's very cold outside I'll still go for a run, knowing that the sunlight (on the weekend runs) does wonders for mood (and Vitamin D intake).

And finally, never stop dancing with the little one (or in my case, wrestling).

Wow, thanks for taking all of that time to respond to my difficulties, Jeff.  My little one is a 3 1/2 year-old little girl.  She is now in daycare while I teach 8:30- 3:30 (4:00).  Before this year she had 1:1 attention all day from her dad, myself and a very part-time babysitter b/c of my husband's night schedule.

Now that he's on days she is quite needy when not in daycare for mommy and daddy.  Since I have other engagements in the eve. my husband does the night time routine 3X/week and so she really gets upset if I'm picking her up at daycare saying that we're going to the Y (husband's not home 'till 6).  So I just figured I'd have to get up in the AM and workout then. 

So now I'm struggling w/my night engagements to get home and get to bed before 11PM so I can get up around 5:30 at the latest but am finding that impossible!  I'm working on solutions but I love the suggestion about the Yak Trax and I think I do just need to let her (Rose/little one)go to the Y childwatch for a measly 30-45 minutes sometimes and realize that some parents dont' see their kids from 7AM 'till 6 and that she'll be FINE.  It helps to hear if from others.

I also think you're right about the races/goals.  I have a training plan that begins this month on the 23rd (22-week plan) but I'm going to try to be a little more intense than the plan says to be but it will at least be a starting point/motivation.

 I'm sort of envious of you that you'll be doing your first tri SO soon!  Good luck with that..I feel ready to do a first now...but I'll be better prepared by July 12 (my first).  I just took a 10K off of my calendar b/c I was having major anxiety thinking about it. It's a huge pressure race with a huge crowd. I normally eat that up but I heard they heckle and I don't think I could handle that!

Thanks again...you're a super team player and so supportive...with just the right amount/kind of heckling!

Sorry for being scarce the last few days.  Thank you to all who have wished me well after my fall.  My neck was amazingly stiff the following day and is still not quite back to normal.  Right shoulder is still really sore.  But, I had my first session with my 1st ever swim coach last night and it all went well!

I've read tons of stuff on swimming and I guess I finally get what they say that you really need someone who is qualified to look at your stroke, tell you what you are doing wrong and then help figure out what drills to do to fix it.

I started out the session (turned out to be almost 75 minutes in the pool) with a 200M evaluation.  From there we talked about the first two things we were going to fix.  Hand entry (needs to be at 11 and 1 o'clock instead of the 12 o'clock and 12 o'clock that I was doing) and proper pull down the body / elbow positioning.  Apparently swimming is supposed to look graceful (never a word used to describe me in the past) and I wasn't.  We then worked on getting a feel for proper hand entry and pull, did fingertip drills, closed fist drills, catch up drills, stroke counting, pace drills and I think I skipped something in there as well.

The long and the short is that by the end of the first session I was beginning to feel more efficient and my stroke count (counting right hand as one stroke, left hand as another) dropped from 35 for 25M to 23 per 25M.  I can't wait for my next session and I look forward to swimming faster with less effort!

Linda,

Thx for the comment but you would be surprised how little I did and voila less strokes per 25M at the same pace as before.  It was like magic.

Grace - I know that when I was going to the gym (and using their childcare for my two boys), that it always helped if I offered them some kind of reward.  Often that was playing basketball with them after my workout.  Or they're so goofy (like most kids), that a few minutes on the elliptical was a reward.  Or sometimes they just wanted to run in circles around the basketball court.  In other words, make it fun for Rose, too!

P.S. I TRY not to make food a reward for them, but sometimes that's the easiest option.

And remember, you're setting a great example for your daughter!

I'm thrilled that you enjoyed swimming...to me it's the one time that I do feel graceful! I'm getting a bit better with the running and the cycling is still scary to me.  I am still at around 15.8 mph on the stationary (Espresso program w/hills and "scenery" and can only keep that up for about 30 minutes. 

Cool Grace!!  How fun! (he said sadistically)

My half is the 25th - so we'll be e-training buddies!

Great job on your long run this weekend.  Ironically, I was telling my wife the very same thing (about running low on hydration/nutrition).  What's funny is the look you get when throwing out terms familiar to us but not to non-triathletes.  Like "fuel belt".

But, that said, I think that's what I'll need.  I didn't need anything on my 5 miler the prior Sunday, but at the end of the 6 miler yesterday I was starting to crave some water AND some nutrition.  So I think I'll either invest in a simple fuel belt, or plan laps that go past the house.  The problem with laps is a mental one.  It's just so tough to get to the pyschological finish and then to have to keep going.

gcoller - 2009-02-15 6:38 PM Distance running question: (Terps!) How do you stay hydrated?  One hour into my run I stopped at a friend's house and begged for water.  Do you actually carry a water bottle with you?  I never had to consider this before...kind of exciting

http://www.amphipod.com/8400/8400.html

gcoller - 2009-02-15 6:38 PM Distance running question: (Terps!) How do you stay hydrated?  One hour into my run I stopped at a friend's house and begged for water.  Do you actually carry a water bottle with you?  I never had to consider this before...kind of exciting

Grace, I don't carry any water in the winter but when temps rise, I wear a velcro belt with a large water bottle in it.  Sometimes, I will take a bottle and place it by a tree a few miles out, then pick it up and drink on my way back.  The belts are pretty nice but once the water level goes down some, the sloshing water becomes annoying.