Matt Gilmartin's 2nd Quarter Group- back in the pool! FULL HOUSE (Page 7)

Sorry to hear that Gator...I hope that with the exercises and rest you will be able to get a handle on it before it gets too out of control!

Fish - That's pretty smart re: setting up and practicing transitions. I wish I had practiced more as I think I had the slowest times out there! I think it's normal (at least for me) for our legs to feel heavy on the run - you are using different muscles to run and they have been sedentary for the past hour+. Make sure you hydrate well and are good and rested before your event. Good luck and I'm sure you'll do great!

What an AWESOME sponsor for your tri! Bet you will have an awesome treat somewhere - either in your SWAG bag or at the finish line!!

We checked out the bike course a week before my ride and it scared me out of my mind. It was super hilly (at least to me) and most of the roads were chip-seal and many of them didn't seem very conducive to riding in a car, much less a bicycle, however, things were fine. The hills were manageable and I finished happy.

Don't worry about the course - come race day you will be so ready to go that nothing will matter. Let the RD's worry about the construction on the course and going through a suspicious neighborhood should give you some incentive to HURRY!! 

In all seriousness, just concentrate on your abilities and do the best you can given the circumstances - I believe in you and know that you'll do great!

Thanks for sharing such an awesome awesome story!!

I had a nice little run yesterday, and had an epiphany!  My IT bands (both left and right) started to tighten up after only about 1/4 mile.  I started to do what I do best, analyze.  I realized that they didn't bother me on the bike, or while swimming, why? 

I realized my running form was flawed!  When I cycle my legs are spread around the bike, and when I swim my legs spread out naturally from my hip. While running I was carrying my feet almost directly under my body, far inside of my natural hip width.  So much so my knees were brushing together.  I made a concentrated effort to move them more towards shoulder width, and my IT bands loosen up!

With my feet so far under my body I was over stretching them, causing them to tighten/rub on my knee joint.  I felt like both a genius and an idiot at the same time!

Now I know I need to focus on strengthening my lateral hip/quad muscles to get myself to keep my legs apart comfortably.

Is anyone else having nagging injury problems?

Nice job on figuring that out. That's interesting how much form can impact the body. I sympathize with your nagging injury. Luckily I don't have an ongoing injury problem, but I am very prone to bad sinus infections that put me on the sidelines for a couple of weeks because it gets in my chest and I can't breathe. It's so frustrating to have a goal or a race coming up and not be able to train. At least I know my infections will go away with antibiotics though. I wait until the last minute to sign up for races so I know I won't have a sinus infection. It's just harder this time of year with allergy season in fulll swing. Best of luck with the IT bands and you new form! 

Sounds like you might be on to something Gator...sounds like an easy enough fix! Hope your next run proves your theory is correct!!

Did a half marathon this morning.  Wasn't quite ready for it, but decided to do it.  Was not feeling well last week or the majority of this so I considered scratching because I just hadn't been putting in the miles.  Luckily I survived to tell the tale.

Race report here.

The gym I belong to started a tri-training group.  We have a ride planned for tomorrow afternoon, so I will be doing some active recovery.  If it wasn't for them I'd probably be on the couch all day. 

Hope everyone is having a productive weekend!

Christian, every time I click on that race report link I get logged out of BT.  Really odd- I sent a note to the admins, looking forward to seeing your report.  What was your time?

I love active recovery- you get so much better the next time out.  

Seriously, this is so weird- I get:

A registered account is required to view this page.
Recently registered? Your account may be pending authorization.

Then I have to login again.  Anyone else having this issue?  Google chrome/Windows 7?

Hmmm...  Never had an issue like that with race reports - I use Firefox.

Half marathon time was 1:51.  Would have been faster had I not stopped to walk 7 times. 

Hey everyone!

Sorry for being MIA over the last few weeks.  I have been away at chemistry camp (AKA University) with labs and exams (scoring 98% and 100% for my exams   followed by a little road trip (300km). I took my bike with me down to uni but wasn't able to get a ride in due to pouring rain and horrid red dust in my chain.  I did get a big walk in though - does it count that I walked from town back to uni after dinner and drinks with a guy from my lab?

I am back home now and getting back into it.  A walk/run home from work tomorrow afternoon is on the cards.  Our tri season is over for the winter so I am able to focus on weight loss and strength training for the next few months.

So happy reading everyone is training and racing hard.

Catie

Had a very disappointing first OWS experience today. I bought a wetsuilt because the OWS for my May 12 tri should be in water about 65 degrees. I bought the full suit. It felt very constricting and hard to swim in. I felt so slow! I don't have a tri suit, so I was wearing bike shorts and a running tank underneath it. Maybe that just made it too tight? And the arms, maybe I just can't pull the suit/fabric up enough and it gets stuck around my butt and the padded shorts so that there's not enough left at the shoulders, but It was like wearing rubber bands on my arms that made it difficult the more you tried to extend your arms. They were so tired when I got out of the water.

I followed Xterra's size chart and checked 5 pounds below and above my weight to make sure the recommended size wasn't on the border. I'm 5'4 130 pounds and that was the women's medium suit. I am going to try it again in the next few days, but I'm wondering if I should get a sleeveless instead so that my arms can move better? Plus I had a hard time getting out of it, but I don't have any body glide or anything either. What am I doing wrong? I am really rethinking this May 12 tri now. I would be so exhausted getting out of the water that I would have a terrible bike and the run would be a walk!

The good news is that I was definitely warm, and the water was 63 today. And my goggles didn't fog and I am better than I thought at siting. Have to focus on the positive!  

Catie- glad to have you back!  I think you'll get a lot out of us here in North America... our season is just getting underway

Jen, 5'4 130 is right where you should be for an Xterra medium suit.  First thought is that you didn't have it pulled up enough- was the suit pulled fully up to your crotch?  I've seen folks struggle on the swim and it's because they have a ton of slack in the lower 1/2 of their wetsuits.  Definitely, definitely definitely get bodyglide too- that will help immensely!!!!

Glad you are staying focused on the positive, too.  Give it a try again this week and report back.

Matt

Sorry to take up space here, but I'm starting to get a little desperate    I need to get to $250 in pledges by this weekend, and I'm sitting at $126 right now.  For those of you who are new, I'm running the Chicago Marathon in October for the American Cancer Society.  Even a donation of $5 makes a difference if you can support me.

https://secure3.convio.net/tacs/site/Donation2?df_id=1009169&PROXY_ID=26495672&PROXY_TYPE=20&FR_ID=42914&1009169.donation=form1

I promise I won't post about it here again. 

Thanks Matt. I think that's what the problem was. Going to get BodyGlide tomorrow hopefully. Forgot to ask, my calves were pretty fatigued afterward and I barely used my legs. Is this normal?

We can donate anytime this coming week? That's awesome that you are running for the Cancer Society!

Hey Matt,

Great cause!  I hope you make it over the $250.  All money raised for a cure / prevention of cancer is money well spent.

Sorry to take up space here, but I'm starting to get a little desperate    I need to get to $250 in pledges by this weekend, and I'm sitting at $126 right now.  For those of you who are new, I'm running the Chicago Marathon in October for the American Cancer Society.  Even a donation of $5 makes a difference if you can support me.

https://secure3.convio.net/tacs/site/Donation2?df_id=1009169&PROXY_ID=26495672&PROXY_TYPE=20&FR_ID=42914&1009169.donation=form1

I promise I won't post about it here again.