McFuzz's Mentor Group 2011 - CLOSED (Page 78)

I'm icing my left knee again...pain sucks.  Same reason I'm told.  I do what is in front of me to do and my 59 year old body rebels.  It's the run with me.    Got to figure out how to train for the run without getting hurt.  Might be a tough job.  Fact is I can get my goal done, finish an IM, by doing a 1:45 swim, a 6 hour bike and pretty much jogging a marathon.  It might come to that.  My coach has been preparing me to bust it...  Problem is I may be the one who gets busted.  Have to play it smart. If I cross at 16:30, I am totally good with that.

Time Flies! 

It's hard to believe how much can change in 3 short months! 

We've had a number of people set PR's already this year.
We've had a few people do their first race (ever) or first race of the season.

Congratulations!! 

We've had a few people experience injury-related setbacks. 

Remember, nothing is a given.  Cherish the opportunity to be active, to swim, bike, or run.  You never know when you won't be able to (and hopefully, it's temporary). 

We've had a few people re-assess goals and priorities. 

Nothing wrong with taking a periodic inventory of what you think you want to do with the precious moments we have on earth.  The reality is that we often have to pick and choose what to invest our time and energy doing.  While it's possible to defer some goals, see the above. 

You (collectively) have swam, biked, and ran a LOT!  There have been a few pounds shed (but nobody is owning up to how much).  Hopefully, this is a lifestyle.  As the weather warms, it'll be easier to get outside and continue the workouts. 

Hopefully, you've managed to connect with a few people.  People you'd like to stay in contact with over the year.  Ask questions.  Commisserate.  Inspire.  Be inspired by. 

Take a few minutes, and reflect on the good things that have happened to you in 2011 and maybe dream a bit of what is yet to come this year. 

I'll continue to monitor this thread.  Hopefully, I'll be able to visit logs periodically too. 

Congrats Enrique and Janet on your PR's!!!!!

Makes me want to get out and race, alas I have another month to wait

I put up my race report.  It was really a great one for me.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=246388

**** You did GREAT .... CONGRATULATIONS!!! ****  YOUR AWESOME!!!

Say it isn't so!   Is today our last official day of the group?

It was great meeting everyone and watching the progress. Continue with your training and have a fantastic season.  Good luck everyone!  

Thanks to everyone for the comments here and on the RR.  I had fun writing this one.  Wasn't sure I should put the part about my MOFO moment but I thought it was the truth so why not.   

Ahem...NO!!  Today is NOT the last official day of the group!  (Tomorrow is...). 

Now is a time to reflect on your successes so far this year and what your new goals are.  (Some because they've met their goals from the first of the year, others because circumstances have changed and the goals are no longer appropriate. ) 

It's easy to get caught up in life and never stop to celebrate the accomplishments.  Please, please, please don't do this to me (or yourself).

Here's my challenge to everyone as we officially "close the books" on this mentor group:

Go back and re-read your introductory posts, the first 10 posts you made to this thread, and your blog entries from December and January.  Reflect for a few moments on how far you've progressed since then and what notable accomplishments you've had so far this year (and they don't have to be tri-related). 

I'll start with a couple things worthy of celebration:
I swam a 15:58 Time Trial (1000 yards) a couple weeks ago. 
I ran a 1:45:43 half-marathon! 
I've dropped 5 pounds (and several people have commented that I look like I've lost weight)
I've averaged about 30 hours of training a month in spite of some ugly weather and chaos at work. 

I'll also celebrate people in the group who have already completed AMAZING races this year.  I've seen some "PR's" thrown around and some "first-ever's" too. 
I'll celebrate that our ranks of non-smokers has grown. 
I'll celebrate that some people haven't shared their weight loss successes this year because "they're still working on it" 
(celebrate anyways!  what makes you think losing 10, 20, 35, or 50 pounds is only worth a single "WOOT!" ? ) 

I plan to hang around.  I'll continue to answer questions and hopefully inspire people to dream and take a few risks in life. 

It's hard to believe it has been 3 (or more) months since the McFuzzies formed!  Unfortunately for me, those months have been more about injury and readjusting my goals then anything.

My marathon turned into a half marathon.  On the sort of plus side, although not a PR, I ran a pretty good time (1:54).

I've had to back way off running because of a possible meniscus tear.  My run fitness has really tanked, but my knee seems to be healing.

I bought a new bike.

I've gotten to be part of others' successes and have been the recipient of many kind inspires.  On the downside, I wish I had  inspired others more.

Thanks for a fun 3 months!

Ann-Marie

Time flies when we are having fun right?!?!?!

It was a really good 3 months and I think that this group helped me to keep running and riding the bike, I know discipline isn't my strong suit but I'm working on it.

It was really nice to see so many people getting their goals and see that it IS possible to get there.

I still have 2 more races this year one coming in May and another in October.

Good Luck to all McFuzzies out there, 

Who would have ever thought, huh?  I felt the exact same way last summer when I started training for the IMKY.  By far my favorite of the three is swimming.  In fact I love it so much that I have started looking into marathon swim races around the country to shoot for next year.  There is nothing cooler than telling people that I swam almost 100 mile last summer.

Take it from me, Ice...  If you finish in 13:30 or 16:30 in a few months later when you tell people you did 140.6 miles, they are just as astonished no matter the time.   Finishing the race is just the icing on the cake.  The real reward is the road to Ironman.

From all my training I fully expected to be somewhere around 14 hours... Ended being the very last one allowed to cross the finish line with a time of 16:35 right at midnight, and it was one of the proudest moments of my entire life.  A "Finish" is a win in the world or Ironman.

If you are interested, see my Race Report here:  http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=227055

No sure if any of you have seen on the national news this week, but we had group of four high school seniors (football quarterback and others) on their way home from spring break that were hit head on and killed on I-65 in Alabama.  Been a pretty tough week in our small town, but we are all pulling together amazingly well.  I have personally made 1,400 window decals for all the students, and adults affected to put on their vehicles (In loving memory style) It has been a long week and I am glad we are past the hump.

BUT - as of tonight at 8:00 I have decided it is time to change my focus!  My first race of the year will be Saturday.  It is an indoor/outdoor sprint at Purdue (swim in the pool, then ride and run outside).  I just installed a new hitch style rack on our G6 to road the bikes with and it is time to go racing!

HERE WE GO RACE FANS!

(188765_1964614512312_1151343445_2490401_4860431_n.jpg)

Just reread my introductory post -I had 5 goals when this group started and I've met 4 of them.  The only goal I have not met is the weight loss one, which isn't quite as important as I've toned ALOT.  Was only able to run one mile without walking when we started.  I have now run a 5k and do 4 miles on the weekends without walking.  That's adding one mile a month   I did have a set back on the quitting smoking, but my original goal was to cut it in half and I have done that.

I added swimming which was not part of my plan and although I'm still not there yet and still plugging away at it.

My continued plans are to run an 8.25 mile trail run in October, swim 500 yards by the end of the summer, quit smoking again, and enjoy the bike as much as possible.  I plan on meeting 41 in the best shape in my life and celebrating the last year of change and success

Good luck to everyone else on their goals for the coming summer and remember the one thing I have learned from all of this.  Doing something is better than doing nothing and baby steps will get you there (ok two things I learned)

Sorry to hear about that tragedy.  That's terrible, but glad you are doing "good" in the midst of darknes.

Good luck on the race!  Rock it!

Sorry to hear about the accident.  It is a horrible thing.

Enjoy your race!

THANK YOU for playing!!  You can stay!  (You could stay even if you don't play, but it's nicer that you do.) 

(This is exactly what we need to do periodically for the group to continue) 

Hey guys!  Hard to believe it’s been 3 months already.  I’d like to still check in here once in a while.  I know I don’t post too often, but I do check in to see how everyone’s doing.   It helps to get me out the door some days. 

I met a few of my goals this winter/early spring.  I did well in my half-marathon (not a PR like I had hoped, but still a good time for me), I set a new PR in the 5k, and I’ve decided on a couple of sprint tri’s to do this summer/fall.  I’m still not doing as much biking and swimming as I would like, but hoping to pick that up once the weather settles down – snow at the end of March just isn’t normal for us!

So I’m thinking about not doing the 10k that’s on my schedule for the end of April.   I’ve done this race for the last 3 years and enjoy it, but there is a bike maintenance class being held on the same day, at the same time that I’m thinking about going to instead.  I’d get more out of the class than I would out of doing the race and I could always find another race to do on a different weekend.  The main reason I do this race is because it’s sponsored by the college where I work (and the fact that I like 10k’s and we don’t have too many around here).  I just think my time would be better spent learning how to take care of my bike – including changing a tire, which I still don’t know how to do.  That info may come in handy someday. 

Josh – sorry to hear about the teenagers.  I saw that on the news.  Thoughts and prayers going out to you and all the family and friends.  Good luck on your race this weekend! 

Also, good luck to anyone else who might be racing this weekend!

Oh geez, having just come through a tragedy in our small town, I can totally relate.  So sorry and prayers out to your town.

Wowwww!  Three  months here and gone!  I've learned so much from all of you in this mentor group--I've been given great advice, support and many 'atta girls' in my Inspires.  Thank you McFuzzies!

If there is one thing that I'm most proud of over my past three months is my consistency and discipline.  I have not shorted or skipped a single workout.  I've done the time and distance and fought through some "I wanna quit" times.  I've had to juggle the schedule a few times, but I still hit every workout.   I've been working harder than I ever have at something and I love every minute of it!!!  I will be turning 41 on May 10th and I feel and look better than I have at any other time in my life.  Could tri training be the fountain of youth?   Oh, another plus...injury free through everything so far.  My left hamstring is tweaky from an old overuse injury, but it hasn't slowed me down at all!

I will most certainly continue to check in with my McFuzzies.  I've joined the Beginner Half Ironman group now that I'm getting closer to the race (73 days but who's counting?) and my questions are becoming more HIM specific--but would still like to count on the collective wisdom here!

Thanks too to McFuzz for being here for us!