mosc11's Group - FULL (Page 8)

well i'm sure you all know by now that the VAMPS were victorious in the challenge.

but the challenge id over and tri season is just around the corner!  i think kristen is the first of us to compete this year, end of march i believe.  so lets keep that positive mojo going!

let us know when you register for a tri.  i have 2 so far...july22 and sept 16 so i have some time before my season begins.

hope everyone enjoys the weekend! 

hope the munchkin is feeling better and you will do great in the swim, actually the whole thing.  adrenaline is your friend!  plus i am vibe-ing you all the good swim mojo i can so no worries!

karen that was quite a ride you took this weekend, then dancing holy cow! 

march is definitely coming in like a lion here but i look forward to ditching the gym for some wide open spaces!  

right now the thing that comes to mind is to take your time and focus during the transition times.  i'm not saying stroll through them but don't get so hurried to shave time off that you loose what you are doing.  true, your total time counts but in my tri i actually saw more than one woman with her helmet on backwards, dangerous and just not necessary!  practice yo transitions, have your gear set up in the living room and run in and try to change...it's important for your mental well being to be prepared.  the official race photographer got some shots of me in T2 and in the shots i am looking at my shoes as if i had never seen them before and quite frankly i felt a little like that. 

those are all the pearls i can muster right now...don't forget that tomorrow night (saturday) i will be at a Q & A with an IRONMAN FLORIDA finisher so let me know any questions you have for her! 

The only helpful hints I can think of right now has to do with practicing your transition too. Practice what it feels like to come in to T1 wet. Last year before my first race I got my race clothes on, had my daughter spray me with the hose and practiced running to my "transition area" and getting changed. I had to throw on a singlet in T1 so I wanted to know how hard it would be to put it on while I was dripping wet and to get my shoes on with wet feet. I looked goofy in the backyard but I was much more comfortable on race day.

Oh, and if you're wearing socks this is what I did: I put baby powder in each sock, put them on my feet and then rolled them down so they were ready and waiting in my shoes and all I had to do was roll them on. The baby powder helped my wet feet because no matter how much I tried to dry them they were still wet when I put my socks on.

That's all I can think about right now and I'm sure I'll have more later!

You asked about each leg so I'll tell you what I know.....

Swim: if you have an open water race, practice first! It's a totally different and a bit unnerving feeling to swim in a lake during a race. You'll feel more comfortable and confident if you've already gotten over that "weird lake swimming where there's fish and things growing" feeling. (although it still freaks me out a bit but a lot less after practice) Also, practice sighting. By that I mean while doing an OWS, practice looking for something to keep you on line and straight. It's best to practice in the pool first and I can't really explain how to do it but while doing freestyle you just move your head so you're looking ahead of you right before you take a breath. You don't have to sight on every breath, probably every 5 or 10, whatever works for you. Oh, and if it's a wave start and you're not confident in your speed, start near the back and to the outside. Doing this will prevent you from getting "tangled up" at the beginning as the faster swimmers take off and vie for the front of the pack.

T1: read my above post for tips on this transition

Bike: do your own race, it's so easy to get caught up in the moment and try to keep up with people that are faster but you'll probably be better off if you keep to the pace you're comfortable with because you've still got to run after the bike! Coming in to T2, watch the volunteers and dismount where they tell you to, otherwise you might run in to someone or someone might run in to you. Watch your balance too, coming in too quickly and having wobbley legs make balance difficult. (I fell at the end of the bike leg at my 1st race last year. )

T2: rack your bike back in your space and watch other people's bikes. There might be people that  have not respected your space but just try to scoot their bike over as delicately as possible. If you have to change shoes, I'd recommend some sort of speed laces, lace locks or Yankz!. They make it so much easier to throw on running shoes because you don't have to worry about trying to tie your shoes because you probably won't be able to, you'll be surprised at how easily basic stuff becomes difficult. (and practice with them ahead of time so the tension is right to avoid problem spots)

Run: This is it, the last leg of the race! Your legs will be wobbley and might cramp, don't freak out! It happens to everyone and it's normal because of the switch from using biking muscles to running muscles. Slow down if you need to, stretch your calves and keep going. Shuffle if you have to, you'll soon forget it when you cross the finish line anyway! I could only maintain a shuffle in both my races last year. The best way to prepare for the bike to run transition is to practice and get your body used to making the switch, lots of bricks!

That's all I can think of for now, probably more info than any of you anticipated!

i thought it was a good question!

and i agree with the answer!

hey, just checking in to see how you all are doing.  i'm failing miserably at being a stay at home mom because i just can't seem to get the stay at home part down.  worked 4 days this week and it doesn't seem to be ending!  its one of those things where you can't say no because you just don't know when the calls for work will stop coming...anyway enough about me and my current juggling act.  how are you all doing?  kristen i am sending you my best and most positive mojo for the next two weeks so suck it all up!

anybody else got anything coming up?

wow the 24th is turning out to be a big race day!  good for you.

my hubby and i want to do something together but the childcare thing always gets in the way. 

_{thats ok... i just thought he was joining our group as well.}

a new member pm'd me and wanted to join our group.  Nate21.  i said sure and told him to come in here and introduce himself. 

just checking in to see how everyone is...two great races last weekend Kristen and Mindy!

I know Kristen you have a 10K this weekend...anyone else have something coming up? 

Way to go Kristen!  Congratulations on becoming a triathlete! Maybe someday I'll be one too.

Things are crazy hectic for me these days.  I'm working (which is wonderful!), trying to finish up all the details for the wedding (which is now only 52 days away!), working with another woman to get a new church started, and squeezing in exercise whenever I can.  So, I don't get on here much, but I'm sending y'all lots of good training vibes!!