jsnowash's training group - FULL!! (Page 7)

Thanks everyone for the well wishes, I am back and in one piece!!  First I drove around the whole park and examined the road for any large craters that my city is renowned for, it was fairly clear, just a few holes but quite a bit of gravel on the sides.  Then I parked and rode around the parking lot area (with my 8yr old son so I wouldn't have to look stupid alone lol).  After lots of practice I finally did a loop with shoes clipped in.  Figured out exactly what not to do on a close call and remembered it every stop after that.  The aero position was scary to say the least, and I really didn't expect the speed I would get out of the bike with such little effort - it seems as though the trainer takes far more energy than just getting out there and biking.  Also, time and distance goes by way quicker when you're actually moving the bike somewhere.  Anyway, I would say this was a biking success.

Tomorrow is swimming.

Hey Lovey,

I did Nation's last year. Despite what everyone says about swimming in the Potomac, I didn't think it was bad at all. Nation's had a rectangular out and back swim, though, which meant one direction you were swimming into the current... Nation's was well run. Huge, but well run. I'm sure the DC Tri will be a well run event, too.

Yay! Sounds like a success!! By the way, what kind of bike did you get??

training is going well overall.  I guess I am lucky that I don't have to squeeze swimming in at this point!  Hubby and I ran 5.3 the other day and it felt pretty good - there were hills and even a portion without sidewalk that we had to do on grass - seemed like good training!  Biking is going well too but I do get a bit scared when I pickup speed going down hills:-)  I am also really enjoying reading other's stories and adventures in training - quite inspirational!  (BTW my return key doesn't work which is why this is one long paragraph).  Much of the training I am doing during the week is indoors b/c I get up early and am a little nervous about running outdoors in the dark.  I am trying to get outside on the weekend and it's helping a lot in "getting to know my bike" - just the few long outdoor rides have helped tremendously with shifting/breaking.  Hope everyone else is doing great too!  Happy Tuesday:-)

I can totally relate!  I don't have clipless pedals - just cages, but I have always ridden a mountain bike.  The road bike is borrowed.  My first time out, I rode around our small neighborhood repeatedly trying to get used to getting my feet in and out of the cages, and being low on the handlebars, instead of upright.  I was so nervous that I never changed gears at all.  Just pedaled harder!  I felt like a kid learning to ride without training wheels.  My kids found it hilarious.  So happy to provide them a laugh!

Well I am back among the living!  I have a light workout planned for today - just 7-8 mile ride on a trainer at lunch time, but I can't wait! Assuming I feel fine, I will be back in the pool tomorrow. 

I don't have a ton of gear, but what I do have, I love:
HRM -- wrist watch type Polar.  For biking I use it just for HR, for running it does HR plus distance, pace, etc.  I can't actually get the regular clock set correctly tho. 

Bike Computer -- I have a $20 thing that I got from Sports Authority.  Nothing fancy, just distance and rpm.  I installed it myself though.

Running Shoes- Asics Gel.  Love them.

Tri Bag -- Got this one for Christmas. Has tons of rooms for everything, and pockets, for the little stuff that always ends up at the bottom of the bag.  http://www.tribug.com/rocket-science-sports-real-joe-and-jane-bag-p-93.html

Goggles - Aquasphere Kaimans.  No leaks!

Sprint distance triathlon in Luray, VA.  Running is my toughest hurdle.  I've had archilles tendonitis before and am trying to gather as many tips on how to avoid it again...besides never jog or walk...gee, whiz, that's no fun!   I am not a speedy, delicate nor graceful runner...we're talking 9-10 min. miler here.   Thumpa, thumpa, thud!  i just got properly fitted in a sweet new pair of Brooks and I'd love to chit-chat for success tips!

9-10 min/mile is pretty respectable. I just came back from a 50 min jog with my wife @ 10 m/m pace. It was kinda tempo for her and 75% HR for me. Not that I'm a good runner like those 5-7 minute people, but I've been at it for 5-6 months now...so thats pretty good.
BTW legs felt better today but tomorrow will be my forced rest day since I'm on call.
I guess my goal for this week will be to try to put in as much time as I can since I have a call day and a boy scout weekend camping/canoeing trip with the boys, so I can only w/o 4 out of 7 days.
Peace 

What's the differetn between full sleeve and sleeveless? Water temp? I have a sleeveless and I thought that the water temp wouldn't bother me that much. I hope I am right. I shouldn't bother me on shorter swim (700 yds) but I wonder now about a longer (2mi) swim. I worry about fatigue. The rubberized suits seem to produce less drag but more fatigue in the arms. Any input on this Fernando? Jenny? ?Anyone else?

Race report is up! WHEW!

Swim was hard but I knew it would be as I haven't been getting the time in. I just wanted to try out the wetsuit and see how it went. The water started getting choppy and a freakin race boat sped by in the distance but of course made the waves worse. I had an anxiety attack I'm pretty sure because I could NOT get a decent breath in not matter which side I tried to breath it was water in, more water in. So finally I just flipped over and did back stroke. I tried a couple more attempts at freestyle and a couple of times if I were Aquagirl and could breath underwater my stroke technique would've been sweet because I felt like I was rotating and moving. But then I'd get water up my nose and in my mouth..so 95% of the 1/2 mile swim was backstroke. Still, for not having much swim time I came in at 28 minutes so pleasantly surprised.

Bike was rolling hills with crosswinds for 12 miles. I felt good about it but saw my time later and a little disappointed but happy with the overall performance. Need to push it more. HIM in June is flat but windy from what I hear. Positive is that only one hill I had the front gear on the smallest crank (link, gear..whatever it's called.good lord, drawing a blank) rest of the rollers it was either the middle or big gear. I even passed a few people..SWEET!

Run was good. Took me about a mile before I started getting into it and one of the running coaches at the running store told me to push my pace the last 5 seconds of my interval run and I'd cut my time down. I took his advice and had a 5K run time of under 45 minutes so I was ecstatic because the past few sprint tri's I've done I'd peter out too early and end up with close to an hour for just a 5K!!!

Final time was 2:11:57...my aim was to come in under 2:15..I had really hoped for < 2 but with the swim being crappy I'll take it!!

I'm looking for a transition bag also. With the wetsuit now I can't fit everything into my backpack and it is getting a bit cumbersome. I need some decent tri shoes since my bike shoes are more road biking shoes, I left the clip undone for Sunday's race and that seemed to work ok.

I have 2 different pairs of Aquasphere goggles, sorry, can't remember the models. I used to love them but lately they seem to annoy me and one pair seems to leak so I might try a smaller model. These look more like a smaller swim mask, which I love for the vision but I'm always trying new things!

I have a hybrid Trek 7.6 FX bike I LOVE! I've had it for 3 years and last year put some Profile Design aero bars on it that I'm still getting used to..I have horrible balance problems since shattering my ankle 6 years ago but I did spend a couple of minutes in them Sunday..LOL

I just purchased the Aquacell hydration bottle with the dual chambers so I'm looking forward to trying it out on my 75K ride this weekend!

I wear Brooks Ariel shoes because I have really flat feet that over pronate. This is my 4th pair and now I've got orthotics in them. Don't really like them but not having the knee & hip pain that I was experiencing kind of outweighs the weird heavy feeling they give them.

I'm liking the HEED electrolyte drinks and sometimes I'll have the Honey Stingers chews, those are tasty and occasionally if I'm going to have a gel I'll have GU Chocolate Outrage..the only flavor I can tolerate.

Jenny, What's this barefoot running? What's the purpose? What distances do you run? Tell all about it. Is it really that beneficial for training?
----
Jeff

Gear,

Swim: Speedo swim shorts with legs grips, TYR goggles-light tint (thinking of moving to the relective lens for the open water), and TYR silicone cap. Wish list: Ear plugs and under water mp3 player.

Bike: SPecialized Tricross. I originally planned on cyclocross, but it turned into "I like tri better". I put a dual bottle cage on the seat and one on the frame for 3 bottles. I have tiagra components. WIsh list: aerobars, a tri bike. SPD pedals and Specialized cycling shoes

Run: Desoto tri shorts, some breathable thingy shirt (no nipple rub, gah I hate that!), Brooks Trance shoes.
____
Jeff.

Edited by StrayDog 2010-04-20 8:43 PM

Expounding on what Fernando is putting down...I had a major Bonk on my run the other day. It was a 10mi run and I only completed 6. I think I fouled on the nutrition part. I did not hydrate well the day before but didn't think it was a big deal. I had water with me but it didn't seem to be enough.  I Recognized my legs as being at Lactate threshold and didn't want to push (the last time i did that it was a 4 day recovery)Any suggestions on hydrating the day before and/ or on the actual run? I am really striving for learing this nutrition thing as I see it is huge in importance for endurance on longer runs and bike. Are there timing tricks for fatigue? Etc...? Ok , so there you have it ...your homework is assigned...now I will go have a tomato/ avocado sandwich and a beer.

Jenny=
No one took us up on the Kona thingy (or they are still thinking about it) looks like it is just you and me.

Hey Gang!

Sorry I didn't have much time to post yesterday. I got roped into attending a class field trip at the last minute (roped isn't the right word - I actually enjoyed the trip a lot!), and was busy driving the mommy shuttle bus to and from after school activities in the afternoon/evening! I did manage to get a short run in yesterday, though!

A few replies....

Elena Good luck getting to know your bike! The more your ride, the more comfortable you'll get. I absolutely LOVE the feeling of flying fast downhill on my bike! Makes me feel like a kid again! My top bike speeds on long screaming downhills are in the upper 40's. I guess I try not to think about what might happen if I went down at that speed - LOL!

Marla So glad to hear you're feeling better! If and when you get ready to go clipless - you'll never go back! I actually find it easier to get my feet out of clipless pedals than than toe cages....

Kim I'm not a particularly fast runner either... it's probably my weakest tri leg. But I agree with Fernando that 9/10 min miles is a pretty respectable pace! I'm going to respond to the comment regarding running without injury in a separate post, because I have a pretty lengthy response......

Jeff

Wetsuits Full sleeve wetsuits generally give you a little more of a speed advantage. It's partly due to a little more flotation and streamlining, but also because the sleeves help provide a little more resistance and power during the catch phase of your stroke - kind of like swimming with paddles. The sleeves themselves are very thin, and don't actually add all that much in extra insullation. In a properly fitting full-sleeve wetsuit, mobility shouldn't be an issue. It might cause a little more shoulder fatigue if you're not used to the extra resistance. Doing a little bit of swim training with paddles can help simulate that. But use paddles sparingly, because they CAN cause shoulder issues for some people.

Barefoot Running I'll respond to that one separately, too, because it's also a pretty long answer.....

Your "Bonk" Will also respond to that separately....

Kiwi Congrats on a great race! Sounds like you met your goal, and improved your run quite a bit! Way to go!!!

How do you find aerobars working with a hybrid bike? I would think it might be tough to get good aero position on a hybrid. Do you feel really stretched out when you're in aero position?



I have a short bike (maybe spin class, maybe outdoors - haven't decided yet!) and short swim planned today. Have a good day, everybody!

Okay... This is the promised reply to Kim's question/comment about avoiding achilles tendonitis as she begins building up her running again..... Sorry, this is going to be kind of long... feel free to skip it if you don't feel like reading the whole thing !

I really think the key is smart training. It's really easy to do too much too soon when it comes to running, and wind up injured. IMO, the key is building a good solid running base with LOTS of running at a VERY EASY pace. This allows your muscles, tendons, joints, etc. to really adapt to running, which, let's face it, is a pretty high impact activity.

DISCLAIMER ALERT! The following advice is just my personal opinion on the best way to build up your running safely, and is based largely on my own personal experience..... There are lots of other opinions out there.....

I think the majority of running injuries result from either a) trying to run too far too soon (adding VOLUME too quickly) or b) trying to run too fast too soon (adding SPEED too quickly). It's certainly something I've done in the past, but I think I'm finally learning! Improved running takes a lot of patience.... unless you're gifted with good running genes, it takes many, many, miles of running, and months or years (not weeks - sorry!) of running to see real improvement.

So, my recommendation would be to begin building your running volume by slowly adding time/distance each week. I find that I do better both in terms of running speed and avoiding injury when I run more frequently! I know from an injury standpoint that sounds counter-intuitive, but it all comes back to the body being adapted for the activity. The more frequency, the better adapted our bodies become, provided we're not putting too much stress on it by adding both frequency and speed too early in the game!

So, let's say you're currently running 3x per week, 2-3 miles per run. The first step would be to add a 4th run each week of 1 or 2 miles. In the early stages, ALL running should be at an easy pace. A pace you can hold a conversation at, or low zone 2 for you HR monitor users. If you have the time and inclination, I would suggest eventually adding a 5th run per week. I know this is more running frequency than you'll find in many of the on-line training plans, but I find it works well for me.....

The next step is to pick one of these runs, and slowly begin to add distance to that run. So, weekly runs might be something like 2, 2, 3, 2, 2. The next week runs might be something like 2, 2, 3.5, 2, 2. Then 2, 2, 4, 2, 2. At that point, you might begin to stretch out a second run. So it might look something like 2.5, 2, 2, 4, 2, etc.....

When adding time/volume, try to keep in mind the 10% Rule - avoid adding more than 10% to your total run time/mileage per week, and adding no more than 10% to the time/distance of your long run each week. I personally also like to keep my long run to < 50% of my total weekly run volume, and actually prefer to keep it more around 1/3 of total weekly volume.

When you build up to the point where you've consistently been running somewhere in the area of 20 miles per week for a few months, then you can start thinking about adding some minimal speedwork to your run work outs. To start out, you can add a few strides or fartleks - just some random short bursts of faster running during your regular run with plenty of easy running recovery time in between speed bursts. Eventually adding a tempo run would be good, and eventually more structured interval workouts can be added. I tend to save the interval-type work for the 4-6 week period prior to a key race. Those speed gains made by interval training are relatively short-lived, and IMO it's best not to include that kind of stressful training year-round....




Re: Achilles tendonitis specifically.... Kim - make sure you are including adequate stretching of your calf muscles in your training. Never stretch a cold muscle. Make sure you are warmed up before doing any stretching. Any stretching I do is usually at the end of a workout.... I'm also a big fan of Yoga for improving flexibility/range of motion. If you have access to yoga classes at a local gym, and have the time to check one out, it's well worth it!




Okay - sorry for the novel..... I hope some of you find it helpful!

Jeff -

Sorry, gotta get the kids off to school..... I'll post about barefoot running and nutrition a bit later in the day!

Jeff: At our local tri a couple of years ago the water temp was in the 50's. I didn't do it but have heard from a lot of people what a shocker that was, to the point of being unable to breathe. I'm pretty bad about low temps, that was kinda my biggest drive to get long sleeve.
About barefoot running, I'm sure Jenny will share a great answer, but all I have to say is read "Born to Run". If you are into endurance sports, you will love the story. I couldn't put it down...read it in a couple of days.
I just discovered this feature about our site: On the training log page, on the right hand bar, if you go to LINKS and press on the + sign you can customize blogs. Cut and paste the URL for this blog and it will be at your fingertips whenever you want to visit it (If you already knew about this disregard the message...I'm kind of slow)
Fernando

This is a little late on the gear but I thought I'd add what I use. 

I'm using the BT 20-week(I think) 3x olympic plan.

Bike: I have a Giant OCR 2 with Tiagra components.  No aerobars.  If you're not familiar with the model, it's a step above entry level.  So if you don't have a fancy bike, it's ok, I don't either but it looks nice.  I have a Polar CS200 bike computer/heart rate monitor.  I really like it.  I was a pure roadie for about 3 years before I got into triathlons.  This is my first bike.

Run: My running shoes are Mizuno Wave Inspire 5.  This is my first pair so I don't have anything to compare them against.  They're working so far.  I use my IPhone and the MapMyRun app to track my runs.

Swim: I have a cheap pair of Nike goggles and a regular swim suit.

Misc Gear: I have a pair of Pearl Izumi tri shorts and a Zoot tri top that I used in my sprint tri.  I like Pearl Izumi bike shorts.  They usually are well made and have nice padding.  I have a pair of Triposi cycling glasses.  I absolutely love these.  They have interchangeable lenses so I can pick one that fits the weather conditions. 

I've tried to keep my gear purchases minimal until I've done a few races and decide that I'm sticking with this (pretty sure I am, just got to convince the wife, lol).

I hear ya, Caleb! You don't really NEED a lot of "stuff" to get into triathlons.... the most expensive piece of must-have equipment is a bike - but really any bike will do. But there is so much out there that we COULD spend money on! It would be easy to drop a ton of money on this sport (if I had a ton of money to drop!)

Okay... finishing my thoughts from this morning.....

Barefoot running -- this is a somewhat controversial topic in running circles. Some people swear by it, some people say its a bunch of baloney. I think I come down somewhere in the middle....

One of the benefits of incorporating some barefoot running into training is that, if a runner has any issues with running form, it help correct some of those issues. One of the main mechanical problems many new runners have is "over-striding", or landing on the heel with the foot extended out in front of the body's center of gravity. This can cause runners all kinds of problems. Well, it's pretty much impossible to over-stride if you're running barefoot.... Barefoot running promotes a more fore- to mid-foot landing, and landing with your feet beneath your center of gravity.

Here's are a couple of good articles on some of the alleged benefits of barefoot running:

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100127/barefoot-runnin...

http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm

Another benefit, IMO, is that being barefoot, either for running or for just walking around the house, helps to strengthen the muscles of the feet and ankles. The general idea is that when we wear shoes with lots of artificial support, the muscles that used to do the job of supporting the feet have nothing to do, and they sort of begin to atrophy.

So, I said I come down somewhere in between.... I don't see myself becoming a complete barefoot runner. But I do try to incorporate some barefoot running into my training. Just a few miles per week.... I have, however, switched from more highly engineered running shoes to essentially racing flats. They have very little heel lift, minimal padding, no arch support, and no "stability control". I have to say, I have had MUCH fewer issues with my feet and ankles since switching to these more minimalist shoes..... I switched over very gradually, by the way, by adding a few miles per week in the less supportive shoes until I switched finally over completely.

I'm not saying this approach is for everyone. But if anyone has any injury issues, it might be something worth experimenting with....

Jeff -

Nutrition and hydration are certainly major factors in our performance in endurance sports. However, I don't think there is really anything special you need to do the day before a planned long run. Just make sure you're drinking enough to be well hydrated (urine is clear or only slightly yellow).

My guess is what happened to you the other day was either just a bad day (it happens sometimes), running in heat when you're not acclimated to it yet, or perhaps trying to push your running volume up too quickly. If your logs are correct, it looks like you've done a few 5 mile runs in the past several weeks, but nothing longer than that. Jumping up to a 10 mile run if the longest run you've done is 5 miles is probably not a good plan .... It could be some combination of the above.

For nutrition, the generally accepted wisdom is that our bodies store enough glycogen to keep us going for somewhere around 90 minutes (of course it varies by person). When blood glycogen is used up, we need to supply glucose in the form of whatever sports nutrition we choose (drinks, gels, etc.). Caleb - as a nutritionist, if you have anything to add here - please do!!

For me personally, on runs longer than 6 miles or so I usually take water. If it's longer than 9 miles I usually take water and gel as my carbohydrate supplement. I like to carry a gel flask. This is the one I have. It can clip onto a hydration belt, race belt, etc. I squeeze one or two gels in there, and add a little water. I find them easier to get down that way, plus I don't need to take a whole packet at once if I don't want to. For longer runs, I'll usually take a drink every 15 or 20 minutes, and start taking in gel at somewhere around the 30 - 45 minute mark, and then every 20 min. to half hour after that. It's somewhat dependent on weather, course, how I'm feeling that day, etc. Everyone's needs are different though, and it's something you kind of need to experiment with to figure out what works best for you....

Biking is different, for me anyway... I find that I'm usually fine with just water on most bike rides up to 2 hours or so... Beyond that, I use a sports drink for carbs & electrolytes.

Just would like to add two more facinating facts.
When you excercise for a long period of time at a modest level of effort (i.e. HR Zones 1-2.5, which is usually your long distance pace), the main fuel you burn comes from fat. If you think about it, you are burning anywhere from 500 to 1000 cal/hour depending on weight. 1.5 gelpacks/hour would never supply enough fuel for that effort (only 150 cals). What gelpacks allow us to do is to maintain a steady supply of a small amount of glycogen in the blood which is necesary for your system to burn that fat. If you run out of glycogen you cannot tap into your fat supply, which is usually in abundance (at least in my case). Running out of glycogen is what athletes sometimes call "hitting the wall". Everything just shuts down. Glycogen supplies need a few hours to regenerate.
This is different than the phenomenon of exceeding anaerobic threshold (i.e. sustained high effort or >HR Zone 4 for a prolonged time). When this happens, lactic acid accumulates, and everything hurts....."carrying the gorilla on your back"
Fernando.

Edited by guticur 2010-04-21 4:28 PM

Pain in my butt, literally.

Mine is on the bottom of my butt (right cheek), especially when sitting, and while waliking around at home or work I get pain that radiates from my butt into the upper back part of my leg where my butt and thigh connects. The pain doesn't go all the way down the back of my leg just radiates in that one area, and I have no back pain. When it happens as it did several times today when I was walking in my office, I would stop for a few seconds to let the pain pass. When I am sitting, the area just feels sore.


I looked online and it seems like its piriformis syndrome/pain.

Anyone experience this before?

Lovey

Lovey - I think I've experienced that before but think it just went away..sorry, not much help huh?

Jenny - I've only been down in position on my aerobars maybe twice and not for very long, still getting used to the sensitivity of it. But I haven't noticed my back and positioning being really off. I don't like the curved bars on the road bikes because I feel like I'm too low? Does that make sense? My next handle bars will be the bull horn type bars I think so a type of modified straight bar with the aerobars and gear shift at the edge.

Bought an aquacell Monday night to have the dual chamber hydration system and I'm excited about it...am I geekish or what? Hopefully easier than reaching down for my water bottle in the cage and it will remind me to drink more often. I think I might try some Perpetuem in one chamber and water in another.

Looking for a transition bag next. I brought my backpack then a cheap little plastic beach bag into transition for my wetsuit. I want everything in one bag!