Barqhead's Group - FULL (Page 7)

Pam,

In your opinion, what should I work on in the pool?  I can swim about 3K nonstop in roughly an hour or slightly less.  Should I increase my distance even more or work on getting faster?  I think my technique is pretty solid.  My goal for my HIM is to do the swim in 30-35 min.  I plan to work on my nonexisting kick some today too.

After the pool I was thinking about doing some light upper body strength training, stretching, and core exercises. 

I have a short day today, I have a 26 minute run and my upper body strength training.  I think I am going to try and push the pace since my plan only calls for a 26 min run.  SHould I be trying to build speed on my shorter runs or just enjoy the short run for what it is?  The way I was thinking is that anything I can do to increase my aerobic capacity and push my LT up would be good.  What's your take?

Start with my swim trainer tomorrow.  I am seriously looking for a Tri coach but USAT doesn't have any certified in Mississippi.  Guess that means I should go get certified...lol  How difficult is it to work with a Tri coach over the net?  Not sure what my options are, I would really like to have someone here to physical watch and push me.  Any suggestions?

barqhead - 2009-01-05 11:13 AM

msfugitivehunter - 2009-01-05 11:23 AM

I have a short day today, I have a 26 minute run and my upper body strength training.  I think I am going to try and push the pace since my plan only calls for a 26 min run.  SHould I be trying to build speed on my shorter runs or just enjoy the short run for what it is?  The way I was thinking is that anything I can do to increase my aerobic capacity and push my LT up would be good.  What's your take?

Start with my swim trainer tomorrow.  I am seriously looking for a Tri coach but USAT doesn't have any certified in Mississippi.  Guess that means I should go get certified...lol  How difficult is it to work with a Tri coach over the net?  Not sure what my options are, I would really like to have someone here to physical watch and push me.  Any suggestions?

If you are more than three months out from your first race of the season, I would say enjoy it for what it is at this point. There will be plenty of time to throw in some fartleks and intervals as you get used to running regularly. As far as net coaching goes, my main concern would be personal attention and availability. An internet coach would be able to give you a training plan to follow based on what races (and help you prioritize multiple races) you tell them you want to do. The thing is, most of us aren't "one plan fits all" athletes. That is where the personal attention comes in, even if they can't physically see you, can you call them and talk on the phone or are you limited to just e-mail communication? These are the things I would find out about those coaches. I am lucky as we have a lot of coaches here in the upstate SC area. I will be calling mine today because I'm getting a flippin' shin splint and this a a run intensive week and I don't want this to go into a stress fracture. So I'll see what she says I should do about my runs this week, and maybe shift to a swim intensive week to give my ankle a chance to heal Being able to call and ask is priceless in my book.

That is my opinion also.  I think one on one attention is what is really needed, however, i have been unable to find a coach and the USAT site doesn't list any in my state.  I can find coaches for each indiviual discipline, but putting them all together in one program that will work is the hard part.

Hi Nicoley81, I just thought I would share this article with you from the Tri Newbie website, regarding interval training.....great stuff!

http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_swim/tno_swimarticle_06.asp

barqhead - 2009-01-05 9:38 AM Good morning, group! The holidays are over and most folks should be in the prep or base training phase. Prep still includes cross training with some basic S/B/R activities where base is working your endurance. Lots of long, easy miles on the bike, regular running workouts increasing distance with the 10 percent rule, and lots of drill sets and endurance sets (3x500, 8x200, 10x100, etc) in the pool. I made it to the pool this morning and my ankle is still sore from Saturday. Hopefully I will have time to get to the LRS for replacement shoes What's up with you guys?

Bummer about the ankle.  Hope it heals up quickly.  I'm battling sore legs from the return to workouts after a far from productive December.  I think it was the bike that got me.  Thursday was my first time in the saddle since the Thanksgiving holiday.  I still managed a nice run today - it was cold out but the sun was shining which seems to make all the difference.

Now I'm back at work.  A long holiday break only makes me hate work more than usual.   And in one more week, it's back to school.  It should be interesting to fit training into my new schedule.  I've got the rest of this month to get in the groove then I start my half-mary/oly training in Feb.  I'm already getting excited for the start of race season! 

Your welcome, if you go to that site...they have lots of useful info regarding workouts for all 3 disciplines.

 Just having my first lesson with the new swim coach...not sure what all that will encompass, but I am excited about it.  A little sore today from the upper body strength training session yesterday.

Yep,

I've got that site bookmarked as well - that and BT.com are about the only 2 sites I visit, with 90% of my time here on this one.

BTW, thanks for the info on Augusta and some of the folks down there ... I'm getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger .... and signing up for the Augusta 70.3

I was actually just thinking this morning before I read your post that if I sign up I would be making some trips down there to drive and possibly bike the course to get familiar with it.

I've spent a couple of hours already just looking at the goggle maps on their website and zooming in, looking at the dock areas, the transition area ... zooming in close to get a real good look at the river, etc ... I acutally get those butterflies in my stomach and sweatly palms reading and looking at the info about Augusta 70.3 .... like a kid about to go to his first circus or state fair or something.

Is this normal or am I just going totally mental?

I think it would be great to try and meet some Saturday and do some bike rides or go scope out the area.  It has been many years since I've been in that area (well, not that long as I use to go there some the past few years when my son was still playing hockey and we'd go play teams from Augusta, Atlanta, etc ...)   ... Augusta is about 4-5 hours drive I think.

But, way back when I was in the Army I was stationed at Ft. Gordon for a while, actually 3 times ... my first AIT training ... then as perm. party for a while .... then Signal School again as I re-trained into a new MOS (career field).... so I know the area a little bit ... would be nostalgic to go back and visit ...

..

Howdy ... probably nothing today ... rest day (and using my last exchange ticket to see a Hurricanes hockey game in Raleigh tonight) ...

...but I took your advice and starting putting in some time on the bike, even though just a stationary bike at this time at the YMCA ... put in 50 mins / 16.92 miles last night, followed by "bricking on" a 1.5 mile run on the treadmill ... I started on the last bike on the end next to a treadmill ... so hopped off the bike and right onto the treadmill ... legs not too bad today ... just my arse!!!

When I got off the bike I swore it felt like someone kicked me with sharp, hard, pointy boots or something right in the center of each butt cheek!  Right where my piriformis is I think .... I tried to bend and touch my toes and it hurt even more ... but I stretched about 20 seconds and then hit the treadmill ... after about 5 mins. of running the glutes came back ... but the legs not until about 0.80 mile mark ...

..

It's a gloomy cold day here in Indiana so I put in some time on the trainer.  Is there somewhere I can go to find some quality trainer workouts?  Right now I'm just spinning my way thru some minutes, trying to get my cycling legs back but I'd like to have some more focused bike work once I start my Oly training.  I'm guessing it will be March before I can consistently get out on the road.  It would be nice to ride the trainer with a purpose.

I have to get busy, my first race will be the Mardis Gras marathon....lol, I am only running the 5K portion.  I am mainly going for support of my training partner who is running the half marathon.  His wife and I are running the 5K and will be there to cheer him into the finish.

My first Triathlon is scheduled for March 29th in Oxford, MS on the campus of the University of MS, Go Rebels!  This is a sprint tri and will be my very first, so I am excited!

Well,

At first my tentatively planned races were going to mainly the Oly at Kerr Lake I think ... whatever is ran by Setup Events on April 18th ... with possibly a Sprint before then in late March or early April .. .then maybe the Belews Lake sprint, maybe one other and the Angels Race in Sept .. oh and the one in early May at Tanglewood ...

...but now ....

... I'm seriously considering the Augusta Ironman 70.3, the HIM on Sept 27th.

If that is the case, I'll probably try a different Oly, some time closer around the Jun/Jul timeframe as a good tuneup and to guage where I'm at.

Plus I'd like to do an early sprint this year, also the one in May at Tanglewood ... and if I do this then I'll probably have to drop the Sept 14th Angel's Race ...

... might still try to keep Belews Lake .. even though it is a sprint, it is a full 750m swim and an OWS as well... so good practice to get this in before the Oly and then of course before the swim in the Savannah River should  decide on Augusta 70.3

Whew ... i'm nervous!!!

...

 Got in a tough run in the crazy wind today!  Took it pretty easy (3 miles), but felt like 20 b/c of the wind.  On to Carolina Tri tonight to find out why my trainer tire is getting chewed up along with some core work.  If I can figure out the tire thing, I'll jump on the trainer too.  

barqhead - 2009-01-07 9:56 AM Thanks, Nicole. More useful information! The weather has certainly been challenging lately and we all need fresh ideas for indoor training. The new year is only a week old and I feel like we are already losing enthusiasm! So let's talk about RACES Racing is the reward for the training and it serves as my main motivation for working out. I am one of those people that has to have a race on the horizon to keep my going. I love racing. It is fun, it is a social event, and it rarely hurts as bad as my training sessions. So when is your first race of the year? Doesn't have to be a tri. Please share. I am doing a half marathon on February 7 in either Charleston or Hilton Head. Wanna go with some of my girlfriends and we haven't decided where, but we are leaning heavily toward the Charleston race. I really want to try for a PR, but my ankle needs to get with the program. So, what is your first race of the year?

My race plans are slowly starting to take shape.  I've got a 5-miler coming up in Feb. but May is going to be my really big month.  I'm starting off with my first ever half-mary at the beginning of May and then my first ever Oly a few weeks later.  After that it looks like a few sprints and then another Oly late in the summer.  It should be an exciting year!