SWBKRUN MENTOR GROUP - FULL (Page 7)

Yeah, I planned on 4 to 5 miles...I only ended up having time for 2. Oh well, better than nothing I guess.

Weekend update:

 Curling was successful yesterday and came away with four steaks (we won the high one game prize of 4 steaks each member of the team).

Today did 900Meters in the pool. First time since the fall that I had swum so felt awkward and slow, but was glad I did that much. Total time was about 30 minutes.

Edited by richtherunner 2007-01-21 2:16 PM

It'll be a few months before the BBQ is started. The steaks are frozen, so should last until a spring Barbie.

I had a nice treadmill run on Friday night. I was surprised that the "pain" or maybe negative thoughts and doubts left after warming up properly and getting through the first few minutes at a faster pace. I tried my best to slow down and walk when I found myself out of air. I traveled a total distance of just over three miles with a combined effort of running, jogging, and walking. I know that I need to get this endurance level up and hope that logging time will do the trick.

**I seem to get shin splints with almost every walk/jog/run I attempt. Some are very subtle and some last for a few days. I have read the article on this site but wanted to know if any of your with running experience have advice.

Saturday Morning I picked up my new trainer (Cycle Ops II) and accesories. I do not have a DVD in the room it is set-up in yet so I was unable to use the video. I used the trainer to get used to clicking in and out of my pedals and get a good feeling of how they work. I need some assistance with the proper way to train and the types of "cadence" I should be averaging for a total newbie. I worked out on the trainer for an hour at an average cadence of 68-72. I tried my best to shift through different gears to get a feeling for how they worked and what it would feel like. Are there any specific routines that you use?

For all the swimmers out there, check this guy out:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070119/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_swimmer_amazo...

OMG!!!  My skin is crawling.  The man must have some pretty big cajones to attempt that!  I hope he's successful.

He's either got cajones, or he's an idiot. Didn't he see that movie Anaconda?

I am going w/ the later of the 2.... He's and idiot.

Here was my weekend..
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=4h8po5r...

Hope you all had a great weekend as well!!!

I'd say that's one heck of a way to improve your swim time. I guarantee that if I had a school of piranha or a shark after me, I'd log my personal best swim.

Forget the pirahna or sharks, I'd be a lot more scared of the toothpick fish. I shudder to think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru

Hey Rich you have an 8k coming up this weekend? How are you feeling for that? 9pm Curling? That is a late start. How long does it last?

Holy crap am I ready for the snow to melt! I need to get outside and run! The main roads are almost cleared off so hopefully within the next few days I can go!

Should I even mention that I'm looking forward to the "cool front" we're getting this weekend? Low of 52 tomorrow night! Woo-hoo!


ok, so I can't really complain... I don't love it, but South Florida does have a few perks...

PIPE DOWN! THAT IS BS

I got this from Joel, but thought it was very useful to those just starting out w/ a HRM.

Let me know if you have any questions.
Heart Rate Training:

Heart rate monitors are a relatively inexpensive tool that can be used to help guide our training. The old saying "no pain, no gain" is only partially true. Sure, there are times when you need to push yourself into that discomfort zone and it may even become painful (in a good way of course ) but the majority of triathletes and endurance athletes should be spending a significant amount of their training developing a solid aerobic base rather than logging copious tempo runs and interval sessions at the track. Yes, these workouts have a time and place but they also have a relatively high cost in terms of recovery. They are best used sparingly during the build and peak phases of training. As triathletes I think we collectively have a problem of being too motivated to push our limits. Chances are even an "easy" run is typically at too high of an intensity to serve the purpose (developing base or recovery) unless we have something to guide us. Enter the heart rate monitor...There is no cheating when that display strapped to your wrist is telling you exactly how hard you are really pushing.

One of the most confusing things about using a heart rate monitor during training is how to establish heart rate training zones. Google "heart rate training" and you'll find a lot of different opinions about how to set up training zones. A number of formulas have been developed to estimate training zones based around maximum heart rate...Age-Adjusted Method, Karvonen Formula, Leger Formula, MAF Method...but these formulas are estimates at best and can be 20, 30, even 40 beats off for a given individual. A much more precise method for establishing training zones is to base the zones around the lactate threshold, sometimes called anaerobic threshold (AT). Lactate threshold is the highest intensity at which your body can recycle lactic acid as quickly as it is being produced. As endurance athletes knowing our LT is extremely important for both training and racing. A well-trained athlete can sustain LT intensity for 60-75min before overloading their body. Lab testing of LT is the most accurate method for establishing zones but many athletes either can’t afford this type of clinical testing or don’t have access to facilities with the necessary equipment. Luckily, there are ways to estimate your LT by performing field tests that require nothing more than a heart rate monitor. Many coaches have found that the field test method produces results that are very consistent with lab testing and have concluded that field tests are a perfectly acceptable alternative.

Testing Protocol:

Make sure to warm up well for 10 to 15 minutes before starting out. The field test is going to be an individual time trial of 30 minutes. The effort should be very hard, but not so hard that you slow down at the end, think race effort of about 10k running or 30k bike time trial effort. It's best to do this on a track in order to control for hills and avoid changes in effort that could be associated with external factors such as traffic. Another good option is to find a 5k, 8k or 10k race (which ever you think would be closest to a 30min all-out effort). This can actually produce better results since you have the motivation of the other runners to keep you going. Again, the goal is to go as hard as you can sustain for the entire 30min without slowing and finish with nothing left in the tank.

Start the time trial and make sure to press the start button on the heart rate monitor. After the first 10 minutes press the lap button, and then press the lap button again at 30 minutes. Cool down 5 to 10 minutes very easy. Your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes is your estimated lactate threshold.

This same protocol applies to the bike as well. It's important to test both the bike and run because you will have different LT values for each. As a general rule of thumb, your bike LT will be ~10bpm lower than your run LT but this could vary from 5-15bpm so it's best to test and make sure. For the bike I think it's even more important to perform the test on a trainer or closed course (think time trial) unless you can find a stretch of road or loop that you can ride hard for 30min without any stops or slowing for traffic and turns. Some people will argue that testing on a trainer isn't ideal because you race and train outside. I agree that the trainer isn't ideal but I believe that the control over your testing conditions and focus you can have on a trainer outweighs the negatives of not being outside. If you do use a trainer be sure to have a big fan directly in front of you to help cool your body.

These tests are fairly intense so I would suggest taking at least 2-3 days of easy training and/or rest between the bike and run testing. You want to be relatively fresh and well rested so you can give it your best effort. Once you have estimated your LTHR for both bike and run we can establish appropriate HR training zones for each.

Training Zone Descriptions (from Mike Ricci, D3Multisport)

Zone 1 – This is considered aerobic and a very easy effort. So easy, that you feel guilty.
When to use Zone 1: Recovery days.

Zone 2 – This is an easy effort but not quite as easy as Zone 1. This may be twenty-five beats lower then LT.
When to use Zone 2: Long rides and runs.

Zone 3 – In this training zone you are neither LT, nor aerobic. This zone should be used for longer training sessions only, such as ½ Ironman and Ironman training.
When to use Zone 3: You may use this during Ironman training sessions or you may creep into this zone at the end of long rides or runs.


Zone 4–5a - This is a training zone that is called LT, or lactate threshold.
When to use Zone 4-5a: These are the workouts that are our ‘hard’ session during the week. The Master’s swim workout, tempo runs, or the "hammer session" group ride – these are all LT workouts. Studies have shown that training at, or below, LT creates the greatest benefit as it allows the body to recover quicker then if we train above LT.

Zone 5b - This zone is still LT but it is above LT and it hurts like heck! It could mean five to ten beats above LT. Most athletes will do very little training in this zone. An example would be shorter track intervals with long recoveries. Too much training here leads to over training according to Joe Friel.
When to use Zone 5b: Not often, but if you do, this would be at the end of a long hard set.

Zone 5c - In this zone you are going all out for a very short period of time. According to Friel, this zone, in general, has limited benefit for the multisport athlete. The exception is those who are lacking the capacity to develop muscle mass or recruit fast twitch muscle fibers.
When to use Zone 5c: Seldom, but if you do, they are short fast explosions. The recovery time between these intervals may be long, and a few days will be needed after one of these sessions to help the body recover.

RICH,
I will be moving tomorrow and the majority of the weekend so I won't be on line that often, so good luck on your 8K run. HAMMER IT BABY!

As for everyone I hope that you all have a great weekend, and looking forward to hearing about what exciting plans we all have!

Thanks, I'll post a race report later on Sunday.

I'd like to find a group around here. Sounds like a good way to have accountability.

I registered for my 1/2 Marathon Relay yesterday. This will be the longest I have ever ran. So, I'm in it now. This weekend I'm planning at least a 4 to 5 mile run. Yeah, yeah, I know I said the same thing last Friday, but I really gotta do it this weekend. So come rain or shine, I gotta run. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

It's Friday!!!! YEAH! WHAT IS EVERYONE DOING THIS WEEKEND?