Gray Guys/Girls Maturing Triathlete - Always OPEN (Page 7)

Thanks Nathalie - I don't say I starred in the video as much as I was the comic relief.  I am shocked to say I enjoyed the experience.

My weekend is fairly modest.  I have a 90 minute Indoor Cycling session with about 30 other athletes (it's their company that keeps me spinning through the winter).  Saturday rides are mainly Zn 2 & 3 intensity.  Then if weather permits I'm hoping for a 30 to 50 minute run in a big fluffy snowflake snowfall.  Sunday is my favourite day of the week.  Pancake breakfast, real maple syrup and my recovery day.  I may not win the weight loss challenge because of Sunday.

Hi Rob, welcome to the group.  This is a really good place to ask your questions.

I saw your inspiration, "Run Fatboy Run" and enjoyed a smile.  I enjoyed the movie quite a bit and relate to the weight issue.

It should be fun following your journey up to your race.  Already looking forward to your race report.

Hey Rob.  Welcome to Gray Guys/Gals!

We have a great group here and we seem to be top heavy in runners!  (With a BQ in your past you're one of those runner types ).

Using a run/walk strategy is an excellent way to proceed.  I encourage every athlete I work with to use a run/walk strategy for their HIM or IM races as well as long runs in training (possibly all runs depending upon the athlete).  On an open run the focus is generally to go fast while on a triathlon run, the paradigm is a bit different - don't slow down.  Run/Walk helps to meet that goal and it helps avoid injury by controlling pace and offering short rest/recovery opportunities.

You have enough experience you undoubtedly know to focus on avoiding injury.  I have a saying, "You can't PR if you don't finish. You can't finish if you don't start, and you can't start if you're sick or injured."  Good call to avoid the injury a couple years ago.  Things might be a LOT different today had you not recognized what was happening.  A LOT of people wouldn't have had the courage to stop.

I'm willing to wager a fairly significant amount that "top third in the swim, top half in the bike and blow up on the run," has absolutely nothing to do with body composition.  I'll leave it at that.  It'll be a good topic of discussion when we get to race time.

Again, welcome.  Everyone here will be happy to answer any questions you might have and provide an endless source of motivation.

Also, we just started a weight loss/workout challenge - our first weigh-in way yesterday.  If you'd like to join us, hop on a scale and jot down your weight.  We will be posting our first progress reports next Sunday.  You can find "the official rules and guidelines" a few posts back.

Glad to have you in the group.

Hey Bryan,

I think I've probably tried just about every different diet method that's out there - from low-carb diets like Atkins, to full on keto diets, low fat, Paleo, ultra high protein - pretty much if you can dream it up, I have tried it at one point or another.  The thing I have found with "diets" is that they aren't sustainable.  If you want meaningful change, there needs to be a lifestyle change.  Part of that lifestyle change will undoubtedly require a close look at nutrition.  Absent some underlying medical issue, it all comes down to a simple equation:

Calories In - Calories Out = Weight Gain/Loss

"Calories in" should generally be in the form of natural foods by which I mean unprocessed.  Shopping around the perimeter of the store will typically result in fresh food.  Eliminate sugar, eliminate soda or other sugary drinks, eliminate "the white stuff" - milk, white rice, white bread, etc.  Most experts recommend taking in calories within 30-minutes of getting up in the morning to rev your metabolism then grazing through the course of the day with 5-6 small meals rather than a couple of larger meals.

That's sustainable.  It's also harder than it looks.  The experts are generally in agreement that you work up to a lifestyle change.  Begin with the easy things - eliminating the soda, then work on culling out the processed foods, etc.

More often than not, embarking on a "diet" is setting yourself up for frustration and failure, while slowly changing your lifestyle is a pathway to success.

Just my two cents.

I don't think I will lose much weight, but with such a nice coffee mug up for the taking I logged my beginning of the  Gray Gays/Gals Weight Loss Contest last night.

Hi Sarah,

Welcome to Gray Guys/Gals.  We have a great bunch of people here ranging from just starting out to seasoned veterans with dozens of races of all lengths under their belts.  Everyone will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

We just started a weight-loss/workout challenge last weekend.  If you'd like to participate, hop on the scale and jot down your weight.  Next weekend we will have our first "progress" weigh-in.  You can find more details about the challenge several posts back.

Again, welcome.  I look forward to getting to know you.

Welcome to the group Sarah.  You'll find we're a pretty supportive group.

Congrats on adopting the two boys.  It must have been quite an adjustment for all three of you.  But, very impressive.

I wanted to ask you about your races.  Are they pool or open water swims?  Also, about when can you get in your local open water in your area?  

At this point on the calendar, I imagine most of you have figured out your race schedules for the upcoming year – possibly even registered for one or more of those races.

The question I’d like to pose is, “Have you set a goal?”  I don’t mean something like – “Complete my triathlon.”  I mean a true goal.

Having a goal can be the first step towards achieving excellence.  It can also help you deal with adversity and keep you focused.  Here’s some thoughts on developing specific goals and making sure the goal(s) is/are realized.  Since most of us are participating in the weight-loss challenge, I’ll use weight-loss as an example of goal setting.

First consider what it is that you want to achieve, and then commit to it. Set SMART goals that motivate you then write them down to help make yourself accountable to them.

SMART Goals

A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic:

• S – Specific – What EXACTLY do you want to achieve?  The more specific your description, the more likely you will achieve your goal.  S.M.A.R.T. goal setting recognizes the difference between “I want to lose weight,” and “I want to lose 21 pounds before April 1^st.”
• M – Measurable – Measurable means that you identify precisely what you will see, hear, and feel when you achieve your goal.  It means breaking your goal down into measurable elements. You need objective evidence of progress.  Being happy with your progress isn’t evidence.  Lowering your intake of sugar is evidence.  Eliminating processed food and eating healthy, fresh food is evidence.
• A – Attainable – Is your goal attainable?  Answering that question requires you to investigate what it will take to achieve your goal.  You weigh time, effort, and cost it will take to achieve your goal against the benefit of achieving your goal.
• R – Realistic/Relevant – Do you want to lose weight because YOU want to lose weight or because “everyone” says you should lose weight?  If the goal isn’t relevant, if you aren’t doing a goal for YOU, you will likely fail.  Is your goal realistic?  Can you realistically achieve your goal?  A goal of losing 50-pounds in 60-days sounds impressive – but losing 0.83 pounds per day is unsustainable and unhealthy – so probably not realistic.
• T – Timely – A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs., when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” won’t work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, “by April 1st”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

Using weight-loss as the example, instead of having "I want to lose weight" as a goal, it's more powerful to use a SMART goal – "On April 1st, I will feel stronger and more full of energy at XX lbs. by counting calories, eating smaller, healthier portions and by working out for a minimum of XX minutes four times a week.”

Define the Steps to Your Goal

A goal without a plan is just a wish.  After you have your goal, form a plan and commit to the steps to achieve your goal.  Your plan may have a single step, or it may have multiple steps in the case of more complex goals.  In any case, write the steps down and cross them off as you achieve each step.

Athletic Goals

As your thoughts turn from a weight-loss goal to your athletic goals, there are a couple things to consider.  There are three basic types of athletic goals –

Outcome Goals – Outcome goals revolve around a specific outcome – "I will win a National Championship."  The problem with Outcome goals is you do not have control over everything that goes into an Outcome, for example, you have no control over who you will compete against.  Outcome goals are best used as long-term goals with Process and Performance Goals used as intermediate steps.

Performance Goals – performance goals define a specific standard to be achieved.  “I will complete a 140.6 triathlon in under 12-hours.”  Performance goals are used to set a personal standard so aren’t subject to the performance of others.  However, performance goals can still set you up for disappointment if not used in conjunction with process goals.  If your goal is to complete a 140.6 in under 12-hours, what happens if the weather is extremely hot and humid?  What if there are thunderstorms and heavy rain?  There can still be factors outside your control.

Process Goals – process goals deal with the technique or strategy necessary to perform well.  You have complete control over process goals.  Examples of process goals are:

• Remain aerobic during the swim
• Begin my nutrition plan within 10-minutes on the bike
• Maintain a 10:00/mile pace on the run

Process goals can help focus your attention and are very effective in helping to control race day anxiety.

Goal setting isn’t just about determining what you want to achieve but also how you will achieve it (process goals) and how you will measure the achievement (performance goals).

Hope that helps a little bit as you begin to consider goals for the season.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately.  Goal setting was a big part of the mental training program that I did over the last couple of months.  I have several goals for Gateway in May - all performance related.  Some I still need to refine a bit (finish swim in x:xx time, bike in x:xx time, run in x:xx time) but my main goal has to do with the bike leg.  The course is all flat except for one hill.  It's not a big hill, it's relatively short but steep.  I don't do well on hills .  So my goal is to make it up that hill without having to get off my bike and walk it up.  I'm hoping to get in some solid hill training outside once the weather warms up so that it won't even be an issue.  Also, the super sprint that I'm doing 2 weeks before has some hills on the course so it'll be a good test to see how things will go for Gateway.  

Janet