McFuzz's Mentor Group 2011 - CLOSED (Page 73)

Happy Dance!!  Here's hoping 8 weeks of PT gets you where you want to be. 

H-E-L-L-O McFuzzies

Everyone who is racing this weekend good luck!  Happy puppyness,  and for all the sickies out there I hope you have a healthy/speedie return.

My bike fits now.

Ok, bye-bye - Maria

Yeah!  It's great to find a doctor whose first thought isn't to cut you open. Happy PT.

Ann-Marie

Have this pretty little shiny black Javelin Parma sitting in my livingroom taunting me to come ride, ride, RIDE.  (Thank you Mike for the loan!!!!!)   Still have to get a helmet and the seat and brakes adjusted before riding it.  Not planning on starting riding until after my 5K. 

Problem is I have never ridden a bike with gears for real.  We have a 10 speed from 1990 that I rode once or twice, other than that I've always ridden beach cruisers that have no gears whatsoever.  Any good websites with theory for what gears to use when????

Videos
Basic riding positions
http://www.livestrong.com/video/838-ride-road-bike/

Shifting gears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sJxQrVS0KY

Articles
Sheldon Brown, the definitive word on all things bike
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears.html


Article on gear tips.
http://www.intownbicycles.com/how-to/articles/index.php?a=how-to-effectively-shift-your-bicycles-gears

The key is to start out by not being intimidated.  Yes, there are lots of gear choices, but many overlap so the deal is to keep your cadence high and the chain as straight as you can.   If you have three gears in front, start with the chain on the middle one.  Two gears, start on the little on closest to the frame.   TThe front gears are controlled on the left hand.  The rear gears are on the right.  Right = Rear.  Easy to remember.  I don't know what kind of shifters you have. Watch the videos, they will tell you how to shift the chain to the smaller gears in back to the outside (faster) or to the larger gears in back (climbing and slower.) It's all good and fun.   One ride and you'll have it pretty well, two rides and you'll be an expert.

Wear a helmet, ride with traffic, obey traffic laws.  Have someone show you how to change a flat before you go riding out in the country alone.   You'll do fine.

Morning all!  I'm a little disappointed with myself this morning.  Instead of going to the gym for my swim workout, I stayed home in bed.  And it wasn't because I was tired or went back to sleep either, I just talked myself out of going.  Not sure why I do that - I always enjoy the swim once I get there.  And of course now I'm regretting not going.  Tomorrow's supposed to be an off day, but I may plan to make up the swim in the morning (I'll have to get my DH to kick me out of bed). 

Suzimmer - glad to hear you found a doctor that you like and who is willing to work with you.  Hope things go well!

X2, she said it all,  right?! 

I'm still trying to get my schedule straight, it's hard when I now have more house chores to do but the good weather should help since I can ride the bicycle to the gym the days the wife has the car at work.

Did a few of runs at gym this week, nothing very long or fast, but I'm getting used to the TM and not so bored anymore, also found a good parking lot that is usually empty where I can keep riding in circles keeping my cadence higher. jyst need a extra set of lungs and I should be able to ride longer 

Ah, it happen to me too. sometimes if I dont keep up a certain pace in my morning routine, I can get stuck and start blowing stuff off. I hope this isn't getting too personal or getting off on a giant tangent that has nothing to do with anything, but another thing to look at is your cycle. I dont think a lot of women realize that hormonal shifts during the month can cause wee bits of depressions and/or low energy days that they dont realize is hormone related.  If you are nearing the end of your cycle this could contribute to your energy/mindset. Not that that would be an excuse to not workout but at least if you track it carefully and pay attention, you know what you might be up against, its not just your will, its your biology factoring in.

McFuzzies

Feeling a bit discouraged .... I'm not where I wanna be in my training.  I wanna be faster & better in everything I'm working on.  It just seems like what I'm doing isn't enough to get me to where I wanna be. 

I've always heard that if you train with people who are better than you that it will help you become better??? - Maria

No, you may not be where you want to be, but neither are where you were 6 months ago either.  It's easy to dream about running effortlessly and biking 20 mph.  Not so easy to make it happen.  Enjoy the journey, take pics and maybe journal all of the "longest (swim/bike/run) ever" moments.  In a few months, you'll look back at some of your thoughts and smile. 

I totally agree.  I know there are times that I'm more fatigued or just have no energy.  It can be hard for me to track though since I've never had a "normal" monthly cycle and now that I don't have all my "parts" (I still make my own hormones), it's even harder.  I don't have that flag that says "you're at this point in your cycle".  I have to try to base it more on how I'm feeling.  I'm sure it accounts for some of my laziness, but I can't blame it all on that. 

Mike is so right about this.  Whenever I get discouraged with my running pace (which is quite often), I try to remember that even though it's slower than a lot of other people, it's so much better than when I first started.  When I took up running my pace on the TM was about 4mph (15min/mile) - that's running, not walking  - and I was lucky to make it 2 miles.  Now my pace is 5-5.4mph (11-12 min/mile), which still isn't speedy, but I can do it for 6-7 miles easily and I've completed 5 half marathons.  So even though I'm still not at the speed I'd like, I'm miles away from where I started.  Thinking about that keeps me going with the swimming and biking.  I feel like I'm still at the beginning stages of those, but I know it'll get better - it's just going to take some time and some work. 

Happy Friday McFuzzy Friends!

Good luck to all that are racing this weekend!  Can't wait to read race reports!

Still surviving on my end...life is getting back to normal (as normal as it can be!).  Tomorrow marks 85 days until my HIM...I'm going to start a big daily countdown in my workout room.  I am also going to buckle down on my nutrition...it's really taken a dive over the last few weeks.  Going to do a big grocery shop tomorrow and re-stock and get back to business! 

Have a great weekend!

I completely emphathize with you.  It's tough being a newbie in this sport.  As long as you are putting forth honest effort and sticking to it then what you are doing is enough.  I do find rereading my logs helps put it all in perspective.  Part of the reason I'm so chatty in my logs is so I can go back and read them to see what I was thinking and feeling besides just what I was doing.  Look at your logs from when you started the mentor group.  You are running, biking and swimming so much better than what you were doing before.  Don't let your brain pyshe you out.

As far as training with people who are better than you ...... IMO it just really depends.  Sometimes I find it discourages me knowing I am nowhere near as good as they are, but really it's what works for you.  I tend to do mostly solo training except for fun runs because I don't have to confidence needed to train with people way better than me.  If you can find someone who will push you without making you feel discouraged about it then go for it.  So much of this is mental.

I like training with people who are better them me, it definitely raises my game... along as they arent rolling their eyes. Is the HIM in July you are signed up for going to be your first race?

Good deal on the second opinion.  My cancer doctor was a surgeon who said when you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail.  Surgeons cut.  Radiologists shoot ray guns.  Good to have a broad perspective.  Stick with the PT.  If you remember, I had IT band and followed direction and am back 100 percent. 

As for wishing you were some where farther along in fitness, remember, there was a day in my life I weighed 400 pounds, couldn't walk up a flight of stairs.  I did a half IM in September and will do a full one this September.   A walk of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  It truly is amazing what I see people do...starting one place, following a training program and nutrition program and like a miracle, they are running, biking, swimming.  We have to celebrate the little victories every day.  I wore the same belt for 4 years, no kidding.  I celebrated every time I had to cut a new hole in it.   Incredible fun and so uplifting.  There are a million ways to do the same thing now...shave time off a run or swim, achieve higher watt output on an LT, have my wife tell me how hot I look .  It's all good.  

Also one other thing.  If being down is chronic...we have to look at other things like are we eating enough?  Are we sleeping enough?  More calories and some more sleep do wonders to my perspective.

Have a great weekend all!

Ree - 2011-03-18 6:12 PM

Corncub - 2011-03-18 2:32 PM

Ree - 2011-03-17 9:57 PM

McFuzzies

Feeling a bit discouraged .... I'm not where I wanna be in my training.  I wanna be faster & better in everything I'm working on.  It just seems like what I'm doing isn't enough to get me to where I wanna be. 

I've always heard that if you train with people who are better than you that it will help you become better??? - Maria

I like training with people who are better them me, it definitely raises my game... along as they arent rolling their eyes. Is the HIM in July you are signed up for going to be your first race?

  The HIM in July is my first tri.  I will be running on a relay team in June.  We're running from Madison, WI - Chicago, IL.  200 miles or so.  I think that will help my running for sure! The run is to be completed within 24 hours.

Wow. thats a serious run! That'll kick yer but right into shape; ) Progress is slow and steady, You're still in the base building phase and endurance building, speed will come later. I would focus on training to have a solid race, meaning being able to do it and finish feeling strong & happy (and not totally beat up from the experience). Most people on this website would advise a first timer to start with a smaller race, but if you're going for the Big Kahuna, I wouldn't give myself the added pressure of worrying about speed.

Ree - 2011-03-18 6:17 PM When I went to get my bike fitted on Wednesday, they said that they needed to keep my bike to shorten up the arrow bars.  We just found out that they shortened them, and now can't get them to work right??? Josh and I are on our way down to find out what the hecks going on with my bike.  I might need new arrow bars .... Either way they said they'll have to keep my bike a bit longer, which means I'll have to ride at the YMCA. 

** BIKE UPDATE **

We just got back, and yes I did have to get new arrow bars.  We got a deal on a set of arrow bars, and on a computer for my bike.  Not sure when I'll get my bike back.

Bike fitting, arrow bars, computer .... Awww what the heck it's just money.