enginerd's geek heaven - FULL (Page 7)

I bought my trainer off of Craig's List for $75 this fall. It's a Cyclops II Fluid trainer and has been worth its weight in gold. I have logged a LOT of 5:30am rides in the dark/cold/snow this winter. Sadly, I've done some 3:30 and 4-hour long rides as well. Those are good for mental toughness, IMO! I watch The Biggest Loser when I do the long rides -- had never seen it but I've Tivo'ed up the old seasons and just plug away. Anytime I'm feeling like I want to stop I tell myself if THOSE people can workout for hours on end (which I've heard they do), then I can keep my booty on the trainer. It is different from riding, but I have to believe it beats not riding at all in the winter.

I've also loved being able to do a workout when my kids are home sick or on break or whatever. They are too young to be left alone, so sometimes it's my only option!

Whatever you do, DON'T get a wind trainer!!! I had a friend loan me his while I was recovering from heart surgery (riding on the road was too risky, don't want to split the sternum back open!) last year and the thing sounds like a freakin hurricane! If you want to use it while your kids are asleep, definitely go with something quieter like a magnetic or fluid trainer. I did enjoy it while I had it, I was first learning about cadence so it was a good opportunity to work on that a little, I've always been a pedal masher.

Thanks, Donato and Ronen! I have been told that I am improving with my 'uphill swimming' and regularly use the mantra, "my face is not a plough." I would expect that the difference between the much easier pull would be legs that are low but I am not sure that it is the only thing. Our coach has done some video and it didn't seem to be a huge problem. Could it also be that I am more comfortable with the roll and balance with the pull buoy than without and therefore swim more flat without?  

Worked at the campus bar all through university but not a drinker...something about being asian, and not having the ability to process alcohol makes it kinda like an allergy of sorts. So I save in calories and am always the DD. Give me a shout if you need me!

Not a lot of soda....except for the occasional ice cream float. So caffeine comes from coffee and tea. Cappuccino? Latte? Americano? drip?  YES please!

Training- water or add Nuun/Gu2O which are both electrolyte additives.
Recovery- water, chocolate milk, Endurox
Racing- water and whatever is on course- usually Gatorade/Cytomax

Just a couple of other notes regarding yesterday's training question....

For swimming, someone had suggested to me the 0-1650 program which has really helped me to increase distance in the pool...I didn't say anything about speed...just distance.

For running, as I believe Baowolf mentioned, count your foot strikes (easiest on one leg)- you should aim for 180 total, or 90 on one leg in one minute. Also, if you want to feel what it should be like to have a mid-foot stirke, find a track and run a couple of laps either bare foot or in your socks- even if you are a heel striker, you will likely not heel strike without your cushy shoes on.

I'm off into the Grand Canyon for 6 days, be back late Tuesday. C'ya all then!

Have a great time!!

I also have the Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer and I love it!  Since I live in a small apartment with relatively thin walls, trainer noise was a huge factor, and I've never had any complaints from neighbors.  And trust me, if they heard it, I definitelty would have heard about it by now.  It can definitely get boring some days, so I usually put on some music, tv or pop in a dvd.  The time also goes by a lot faster for me when I'm following a set workout, rather than just pedaling away.  This has been a great investment!

Thanks everyone for the advice on trainers. Sounds like a worthwhile investment, especially when I look ahead to next winter (which I try not to do if I can avoid it). I'll check craigslist and go for quiet so I don't wake the kids and so I can hear what they're saying on Lost.

Also, 4 hour workouts on the trainer? Are you guys crazy?

Eric, have fun in Grand Canyon! 

Four hours on the trainer IS crazy. I think I may have topped out at 3:30, but if I had to do 4:00 and the weather didn't cooperate, I certainly would. It makes the outside long rides such a treat! The hardest part about long trainer rides (aside from boredom) is that your gets really sore!!

And I agree that doing a planned interval workout makes it go much faster. If I need to do a *quality* workout I go for the radio or mp3 as it keeps me more focused on the task at hand.

hmm, everyone is quiet today.. Well, I am taking the day off work tomorrow to go bike riding. It is supposed to be 70 around here which is a real treat.

What is everyone planning for the weekend?

Enjoy your bike ride, Mauro. We're heading to CA a week early (Big Sur next week!) for some vacation time with the grandparents. Could have timed it better - I'm not far from Chicago, so we've had the same rainy cold weather this past week and now I'm skipping town just as it's getting nice! I'm not complaining, though, it's going to be warm and sunny in CA, too.

Well as we're supposed to get about 20" of snow I think I'll play it by ear. Possibly my first Master's swim class on Saturday and then nothing. Well maybe a run. Depends on the weather. Last time they predicted a blizzard we got .25" so I'll wait and see.

Friday = 40 miles on the bike
Saturday = 40 miles on the bike
Sunday = 40 miles on the bike

Swimming all three days as well.

Although on Saturday my tri club is going on a 10k climb, I'm tempted to go but I don't think my legs are quite there.

It's supposed to be 70 here as well for today and tomorrow!  Now, if only it would start staying this warm.

Today is my (much needed) rest day.  After work I need to get some laundry done and should probably think about some grocery shopping.....exciting Friday night, I know   Tomorrow I have a 36 mile ride, and Sunday is a 10 mile run.

 Mauro, hope you are having a good ride!

Eric, have fun in the Grand Canyon.  Sounds great.

Jules, enjoy CA.  Weather is going to be amazing this weekend.  Enjoy your taper.

Erin, snow, yikes!  Good luck and hope you get some good workouts in!

Eric, some nice riding (and swimming) you have planned there.

Kelli, enjoy the good weather.  Sounds like you have some good stuff lined up (er, minus the laundry  )

For me, probably run and swim (plus my bike commute) today.  Big ride probably on Sat. and mediumish run Sunday.  The weather is supposed to be great so I'm looking forward to it.

I do my "weekend" workouts on Thursday and Friday so I can have more family time during the weekend when the kiddos are home from school and hubby is home from work. I did a 36-mile easy ride yesterday and have a 90-minute low-key run on tap for today. This weekend will be shorter runs and rides (plus a baseball game for my son and a birthday party for my daughter). I actually rode my bike in SHORTS yesterday! Long-sleeved top still, and it was a bit brisk in the shade, but what a treat not to have 2 layers of gloves on plus toe covers and everything else that goes along with cold-weather riding.

Happy trails to all!!

Hrm,
TH 23 mile bike ride with 3x 5 min LT level bricked with 6 miles with 6x2 min LT level run. 
Fri 3600 yard swim with lots of complicated speed work,
Sa 60-70 mile bike bricked with 4 mile run last mile at race pace. 
Sunday specific zone workout run in zone 1 2 3 4 followed by an hour bike ride. 

So that's it for me. 

Just been running and teaching spin.

25 miles running so far. Perhaps 11 more miles in the morning.

Swimming in the pool always seems to give me a runny nose all night long, then fine in the morning.

I need to get outside more and bike, and probably swim some.

Hrm could have done without the headwind for the 2nd 40 miles of my 80 mile bike ride and that 4 mile race paced brick run has left me um ready for bed.  Very nice weather though 70's sunny. 

Edited by Baowolf 2009-04-18 8:22 PM

Work has been brutal of late so I'm way behind in the thread. I biked 88 miles with Donato today so I'm actually surprised I'm still awake. Anyway...

For drinks, I'm surprised at how many folks bike/run with just water. In the mornings that I bike before work, I'll eat breakfast then chug a glass of sports drink (current drink of choice is Cytomax). That's to replace the glycogen deficit from overnight. I eat first so that I don't get hit with the insulin response. I've recently started experimenting with drinking coffee/expresso before a ride. Caffeine is supposed to wake up the neurons or something like that (Donato explained it to me a few times). Maybe its psychological but it seems to help.

For my ride I typically have Cytomax in my water bottle, but I've been experimenting with Accelerade which has carbs *and* protein. They say protein improves the body's ability to absorb the carbs. But I ran out of Accelerade before coming to a conclusion on that. I've tried biking with just water and my performance noticeably suffers.

As for the trainer, I have a magnetic something or other, and I much prefer riding outside. But when its cold or rainy outside its sometimes good. I use mine mostly to work on cadence drills and "interval" work. I also hit the exercise bikes at the gym, which has variable resistance for "hills" etc. The longest I've been able to ride those things is 1.5 hours. I read somewhere that for a trainer, the equivalent time is 1.5 times outdoor riding. They say its because on a trainer you can't slack off and cruise. One thing though is that I have a harder time getting my HR up on the trainer.

11 mile run on Saturday. Ran before eating. Ran with one water bottle, probably drank 16 ounces.

Week one long run.