Gary's Mentor Group - Re-OPENED for Training (Page 71)

I may just try this vaseline trick.  I did go to a different pool today, which was colder than the pool I normally swim at.  Water temp was 72, and it felt cold!  I was able to get used to it fairly quickly though, and would likely be able to handle 70 this weekend.  I'll plan on getting in there a few minutes early if I can.  It really was only the initial shock to my body.

Also put myself on the clock for the 500 yds for the first time.  Didn't feel like I was overexerting, and the time really surprised me.  9:15.  Hoping a few karate kicks to the face and choppy water won't throw me too far off this pace.  I was hoping to be out of the water in 10:00.  Looks like I have a chance.

The Sprint I'm doing this weekend actually had several contests over the past few weeks and gave away 5 Blue Seventy full suits.  I was not a lucky winner.  Found out today that my company is going to reimburse me for my entry fee though!  Considering it a practice run for the upcoming corporate challenge race.

Great job Mike! Love the pic's included in your blog, so peaceful.

Hey all!

Been a bit absent as work has been nuts but getting better.  Week 2 and yesterday had a great swim.  Things are coming together, finally breaking out of the speed plateau I was on.   Nice run this morning and easy ride tonight. 

Summer is definitely on its way and my run this morning was just a hint of whats to come.  I am not a great hot weather runner so it will be a bit of a struggle for me.  One note, I finally got a bigger fan for when I am on the trainer.  It makes a huge difference!

Okay, lets hear from everyone as I suspect we might have lots a couple of folks.

I re-discovered that I need a break after accomplishing something. My plan was to start training hard this week for my sprint on 7/8. I had my workouts all planned with 3 morning swims, and 2 morning strength training, along with 3 bikes and 2 runs, leaving a full day rest on Sundays, and Tuesday golf day with only a strength session. It looks so good on paper ... it turns out I am lacking a little motivation this week, after all, I just set a PB in the 10K on Saturday :-).

I backed off a little and will get 2 swims, 1 strength trainings, 2 runs, and 2 bikes, all in all not a total couch potato week. I will implement the plan starting next week for sure.

Good luck to racers this week, have fun and keep smiling. Happy trails!

Yes you did! and another big congrats to you for it.

Way to listen to your body too.  It'll pay dividends over time and in all sports it's typically the first thing overlooked.  I do need to get used to this triathlon training business.  I still find it awfully amusing when someone has 7 workouts scheduled for a week, but consider it their rest/recovery week.

Rob ... you are including a recovery week in your training regimen to slack off a bit aren't you?  Sounds like your body has let you know it's time whether you want to or not

Hey all ... tough week for me this week with some lingering jet lag and such.  Had a really good spinning session on Monday and did a different type of swim class Tuesday.  The swim class is titled 'swim fit' wherein you mix up swimming a leg of 100,75,50 & 25m swim increments with a leg of burpees, push-ups, frog crunches, more push-ups, squats, et al.  My legs and butt were so sore I could hardly walk yesterday

Have a brick planned for tonight and overall am satisfied with the effort put in this week.  It's really nice to get back to the usual regimen with training.

Race check in today!

Found out waves are going out by age group.  Don't know if this is common or not, but it makes me a little nervous.  My dumb butt will try to hang with some of the guys I shouldn't be.

Since I'm swimming sans wetsuit, is it better to swim topless, or in the tri top?

Where the hell does this rectangular sticker go?

When I was checking in the guys asked me long or short post.  Had him repeat it two more times and finally said, "I don't even know what that means."  Guy next to me said sprint or oly.  I finally realized he was saying long or short course.

My marathon runner friend came with me.  150 people minimum were in the shop.  She remarked that there were probably no more than 5-10 people there that were fitter than me.  I agreed with her, but then told her I would still likely finish 140th or worse if we all lined up right then and there.

I still don't know where to put this sticker.

Wore my swim cap around the house for a minute and my son told me I looked like a funny headed alien.  I had a hard time taking it off.  Not because I liked chasing my son around and growling at him, but because it was actually hard to take off.

Bought Margarita flavored Cliff Blocks, because if I'm dragging that bad, it better at least still seem like a party.

All this silly stuff and and I'm still two days away from race day.  I'll report more silly encounters when I go to orientation and bike drop off Saturday afternoon.

I take a swim class just like that.  Having never lifted or done anything like that, the class kicks my butt! It's also humiliating doing those exercises on deck as a pasty white middle aged guy in jammers.  One night the instructor had me do 171 kettle bell swings as 18 reps with a minute rest in between.  Rep 1 was 1 swing, rep 2 was 2 all the way up to rep 18 was 18 swings.  I was the only one doing them and the people in class were counting and cheering.  For the last 3 or 4 sets, random strangers in the other half of the pool stopped swimming and started counting and cheering me on.  Tal;k about self conscious!  

CC - Yes, swimming in AG's is the most common.  Don't worry there will be all sorts of swim speeds.  Do your own race and don't worry about how fast/slow everyone else is going.  As for top, yes wear the tri top.  Trying to put a shirt on a wet body is never an easy thing.  Good luck, make us proud!!!

Dorm - yep my masters class does stuff like that sometimes, kicks my butt every time.  Towards the end the simple act of getting out of the pool hurt.

Yes all built in, but I have a hard time really taking it easy, so I may cut distance, but if I feel good, I keep up the intensity.  This is where a coach would come in handy.  I think my wife would leave me if I got a coach.  She already thinks I am over-the-top.

Great Post! 

I miss the first one.  I am going to repeat it this year.  There was a woman at my first who rented a wetsuit and put it on backwards.  We all had a good laugh with her.

I screwed up T2 at my first.  I had my race number on a race belt and forgot to put it on coming out of T2.  I ran 50 or so yards and turned around, went back in to transition and got the belt and headed back out.

Newbie mistakes are the norm.  Have fun with it. You will never get this one back, so just enjoy it and know that you are starting a journey that could take you anywhere.

Chris ... sounds like you are uber excited - I'm excited for you right now and I'm sitting at the kitchen table.  Just try to keep calm and remember to soak it all in, especially at the finish wherein you'll want to be grinning, hi-5'ing people down the chute and saying under your breath 'thank God it's over with'. :0

Also ... silly is good - I still do silly. even at age 55.

Oh man.  I love being silly. 

Going over all the information for the race and just noticed no one is entered in the Oly 34-39 AG.  Maybe I pay the extra $25, gut it out, and have a clean slate like Chrissy Wellington!

Starting with my AG makes me nervous because I don't think I'm mentally disciplined enough to hold back if some of the stronger competitors start pulling away.  I think I'll be close enough out of the water to end up trying to stay with them on the bike.  And if they linger around 20/21 mph, I'll be able to.  I just won't be able to run at all and be toast.  If I had no clue who was in my AG, it would be easier for me to just settle in where I think I need to be to finish strong, which is probably around 16 1/4 - 16 1/2 MPH on the bike. 

Headed down tomorrow afternoon to take an easy ride on the courses, and familiarize myself with the transition area, etc... Over 2k people entered.  SHould be fun, and crowded!  Calling for rain overnight now on Saturday.  Slick roads make me nervous on the bike.  By far my weakest discipline as it is.

Took the drunken bet on 1/23.  Started training at 223lbs on 1/24.  Down to 202 and will be collecting $100 on Sunday afternoon, no matter what position I finish in the race.

Sweet!  Congrats on the weight loss and the $100!

Have you had some crazy tri dreams yet?  ?

The one where I win?  Yep.  Several times.  Been to the LBS more times the past two days than I have the past 3 months too.