Alta's Group - FULL (Page 8)

Cold, cold day in WI!  So we didn't have school, and I just found out no school tomorrow!  Yippee!!  So I couldn't fathom getting into a pool today, but since I had a bit of extra time I went to two spin classes.  Maybe not the brightest idea, as now my IT band is a little irritated, but it felt good nonetheless.  Maybe I'll find a Yoga class tomorrow during the day to get me back on track with that.  I have been plugging away at my Grad work since I can't run and with the extra few days off it helps to get ahead.  Itching to get running....although not outside!  Hope everyone else is plugging along!

Hey Crew!! Looks like everyone has been doing a great job! KEEP it UP!! Here is my update/ roll call on little ol me.

For a beginner I felt great for my workouts that I planned for January, and had a little 5k race at the end of Jan, (Jan 28th)!!!! It felt great and I feel great! I took a week off, for the body to rest.. since I have been so non active for so long I needed to shift to neutral and recharge the batteries. Now that rest week is over and I am back at it. I have switched up the lifting part of my workout schedule, and going to foucs on biking more than running for this month. I only have two main problems at this point. First is my right calf has been getting tight on me when I am running of late. I think the week off helped it without a doubt, but I am going to strech the heck out of it now before and after, which I was only sort of streching it before hand. Second problem is my SINKING legs while I am swimming. Last month swimming was about distance, This months focus is on technique and form. My breathing, endurance, and upper body feels like everything is alinged and clicking pretty good at this point for a novice. "well my interpretation" of pretty good anyways.

Everyone keep a look out for the attack of my inspries coming to a training log near you!

Anyone have any tips for stinking legs bring it on, I am open for everyone advice.

As always lets TRI to make this the best February EVER!

LMFB27,

Sinking legs is a common problem. Often since your legs are so much more denser b/c of muscle they have a tendency to sink in the swim. One method of bringing the legs up is the total immersion method of pressing the chest down which brings the legs up. What this means is to not look forward i.e. towards the wall and to look at the bottom of the pool. You almost feel like you are flexing forward at the waist. It's a fine balance between too much and too little. People often describe the it as though you are swimming downhill. The other thing that helps is to make sure that you are kicking correctly. For longer swims you should probably be aiming for a 2 beat kick i.e. a kick that is not too rapid and maintains enough propulsion to keep your legs riding high in the water. Don't kick from the knees. Kick from the hips.

If you can, get someone to videotape you in the water. It's amazing what you think your body is doing...and what it actually is. It's kind of like my golf swing. I think that I'm swinging like tiger woods...when I actually look like dafffy duck Hope that this helps a little.

LOL trimd!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the visual

(On a serious note though...good advice!!)

Hi All!!!

Wow...checking in for roll call...great here...appears that lots of good stuff is going on with everyone! To correct sinking legs when swimming, keep aware of the front quadrant of your body (core and up). Assure that your lead arm is anchored downward and stays extended in front of you as long as possible before starting the catch - glide for a count of four before starting the catch to practice this. Your head should never move and you should be looking down when not going for a breath. Your shoulders, lats move and, most importantly, your hips should rotate you - not your neck. (Total Immersion methods emphasize great technique - check out Terry Laughlin's books or visit totalimmersion.net.)

Here, I've been training for about 20 hours each week. Mostly bike and swim focsued now, and I'm starting to add tempo work. My first 1/2 IM is 7 weeks away then the Boston marathon is in mid-April. Let's keep up the great momentum together guys!!!

HI GANG!!! Feeling really down today, as I just had emergency surgery Wednesday night (appendectomy). Actually got to come home a day early, as I was up less than 12 hours following surgery, walking the halls with my iv stand wandering along with me! I REALLY want to get back to workouts as fast as possible, but also want time to heal! I asked when I could swim/run/bike, and the surgeon just laughed and said "NOT FOR A WHILE"!! arggg, puts a bit of a cramp on my training, eh?? At least I get at least a week off of work, as my job is WAY too physical to go back to it until I'm more able to stand!!! Other than that, no FUN here! So do some extra minutes of workout for me, would you??!! TAKE CARE, and be safe!!

Ridenrundoc-- sorry to hear about your appendectomy...that totally sucks.  However, I won't be able to do anything extra for you as I hardly have the ok to swim right now...still on the injured list and I definatley feel your pain.  Heal fast!

ridenrundoc...
sorry to hear about the surgery. I hope you're back to 100% soon (but don't push too hard on the exercise, you don't want to hurt yourself even more)

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

ridenrundoc:

sorry to hear about this..hey, how long are they giving you for r&r? You hang in here on-line with us. Just because you're not training due to this 'event' doesn't mean your not an athlete while you're healing. hey, there's so many stories you hear about pro triathletes who have surgery and bounce back to better than 'fighting shape' in no time. take time to read up on technique, nutirition, and teach us stuff! take the time to hang with family and friends - hard to do so when training and work take so much time. stay on-line with us, okay? we need you on the team!

trimd: thanks so much for your advice! Seeing as how this will be my first tri - I especially appreciate the advice on transitions. It's nice to have SOME idea of what to expect.

I have been MIA with a brutal flu that took 4 days to shake. Tried to push through it for a few days but ultimately I listened to my body and gave it a rest. Now I feel ready to get back to training and start the week fresh.

riderundoc - sorry to hear about the appendix - best wishes for a speedy recovery!!

Hey, what's the story on Athena (or as Ilike to call it: "Clydes-doll") weight requirement?
Is the weight limit 150 or 160? I'm seen conflicting info but a friend who ran a 1/2 marathon said it was 150. Not urgent, just wondering.

Happy Valentines Day everyone.

Do those of you who have a strong running background just love it from start to finish? This is a serious question. I am really struggling with having to force myself to get on and stay on the treadmill ...I'm doing it, but I'm not enjoying it. Any advice? I know the treadmill is pretty boring, but I'm in the NE and running outside isn't an option right now (slapping on some ice skates might work better!). Help!

Not really a strong anything background to offer up, but will say this: I too hate stationary workouts--treadmills and trainers are hell. To me, its really just a matter of "suck it up and do it." I really think the trainer/treadmill has a lot to do with it. Even with music or a dvd, it still sucks. At least in a pool you can see the tiles going by below you and every once in a while you turn. I dont do spin classes or anything like that: hadnt even had access to any till I joined this new health club.

I keep thinking in terms of payoff: come spring those of us who stuck to it with trainers and treadmills will be ahead of others who did not, and if not ahead, at least on par with ourselves last fall. I dont run with others outside, but I do notice consitent times because of slogging thru the winter. But, I do a lot of group bike rides, and you can really tell in March/April and even May who has and hasnt been on the trainer.

Others may have more insight and invariably suggest varying your routine--hills, speedwork, etc. but in the end, I think its just a matter of suffer thru it till the snow melts.

Kriscrn - About your treadmill training problems - I would definetly suggest using music . No matter what you do running on a treadmill sucks, but with the right play list, it's a lot easier to just completly zone out and get into the mental place where you completly forget where you are and all that is in your head is the soles of your feet hitting the pavement (or treadmill.) I downloaded a nike itunes treadmill training podcast. They say it is scientifically proven to inprove your treadmill performance based on the beat and the songs chosen etc. They also even have an interval trainer where there is the voice of a trainer talking you through different levels and speeds, etc. It's awesome, really, try it. It helps 100%. Makes the time fly by and will really improve how you run. Good luck and I hope this helps!

HEY, Kristen:

YUP, the bane of living in a cold climate!! I absolutely HATE those indoor workouts. I feel like I'm going SO FAR and SO FAST on the treadmill, only to find out a very fat dog and a very old person could easily pass me!! I have always run with music, which I love, and found out that having an 18 year old boy put the music on is great!! STRANGE stuff, but fast paced and fun to listen to! He has also put "books on tape" on there for me, which is a neat change of pace. I ran a marathon, listening to a really SAD book, and had tears running down my cheeks multiple times. Had several spectators yell out "HANG IN THERE, endure the pain"!!! Didn't have a clue what they were talking about until I realized they thought I was DIEING!! I recently joined a health club, and they have those little TV screens on the treadmills, and then you put on headphones to hear the sounds. WOW! It is a HOOT to watch TV, especially the cheesy soap operas. My life seems so dull... I just figure that my reward for doing the boring indoor stuff will be some GREAT outdoor workouts even early in the season. As long as it's above 10 degrees, I'm OUT there! Just hang in there, endure the boring stuff, and DREAM OF SPRING!!!!

Well, its a little after 6 on a snowy and cold Saturday Morning and I am procrastinating ahead of yet another 1 hour or so on the damn trainer in the basement. Have a dvd ready, etc., but is anyone else just as sick as I am of winter? And we have another 4 weeks or so at least before we can ride outside again around here.

ugh. rant over....

Thanks for all of the support and advice guys! It made me feel better knowing I'm not alone. I also decided that part of what I hate is the fixed time/speed in my training plan. Today I had my long run of the week and I just ran as slow or fast as felt right at the moment, and I felt much more comfortable during the run.....not to mention that I even managed to go a smidge faster than I'd ever gone before!!!

Thanks again...and here's hoping we see an early spring!

OK, where has everyone gone?

I have only 7 weeks until my first tri and I am struggling with my run BIG TIME. Prior to committing to this training I was one of those "I only run when being chased" people.

Shin splints, aching knees, sore hips... any tips for survival in these finals weeks?
Any sniglet of information would be greatly appreciated.

Inserts for my shoes? Massage? Transendental Meditation? I'm open to anything!

Sorry it took so long to come up.  I am using a mac at my new job and it doesn't like the software on BT.  I definitely recommend Chi Running by Danny Dryer in book or dvd or try to attend an evolution running clinic.  You might want to tape up your shins to help with the shin splints and stretch, stretch stretch. 

Edited by jlorusso 2007-02-23 8:38 PM

whoa, that was deep.

Running is difficult no doubt. You have 7 weeks and its a 3 mile run--you'll get there. You have a lot of gas in your legs as a hockey player so its a matter of conditioning the running muscles and joints a little more. Hockey (esp ice) is an anaerobic activity--running is not.

Do you have good and proper running shoes? Have you been to a running store to get the right shoes? You wouldnt skate in crappy skates from Wal Mart would you? Get the right equipment if you dont already have it.

Looking at your logs, youre a mile here, a mile or so there, 2 miles there--and nothing in the middle. If you only run 1x/week, its going to suck, no matter how you cut it. You need to start running more often, even if it means running less each time to start. This will help condition your legs to running and strengthen them to take the impact. You want to stay short of injury threshold, but strive to push it back further by getting close to it and recovering.

Try getting more runs in, shorter distances and then gradually add to them. Start real low, like .5 miles, 3x a week-with a day off in between for recovery. Then next week, stretch one of those runs to 3/4 mi and run 2x .5, then week 3, go long run of 1 mile and 2x .5; week 4 go 1.5 and 2x .75; week 5 go 2mi and 2x .5 week six go 2.5 and 2x .75; week 7 is taper, do maybe 1x 1mi and your race. (the same philosophy applies to the bike and swim--do each a couple times a week and, especially the bike, start stretching one session to a long ride, adding distance to somewhere near your event's distance--on an mtb, the bike leg will take you about an hour or so in your race, your logs show intermittent 20, 30 minute rides, start stretching those!)

Theres a "rule" that says you should never increase your weekly milage by more than 10% of total. Obviously, what I suggest ignores that rule. But we are talking about relatively short distances and it is impossible to get you to 3 miles without going over that a bit.

Another thing you can do is run/walk--its a heck of a lot easier on joints, muscles and tendons. Because you are walking and running, you can also go a bit further each time. You can probably easily do 1mi 3x/week if you do run/walk intervals of 3min/1min. Then, like above, just stretch 1 run per week by a half mile or so; so in week 2 you go 1.5, then 2, 2.5, etc. (do keep 2 short runs in the mix--maybe 1 mile each) Adding walking will help you get the distance in, increase your aerobic fitness and give your body intermittent breaks from the stress of running. If youre in this to complete the distance, then run/walk shouldnt be an issue (some people will say its not real running--screw them)

Also, rest is important--don't run on consecutive days, you'll have time to recover.

Finally, stretch, ice and advil. They are all your friends.

...and the foam roller is your friend too.....we've gotten really close these past few weeks.  I'm still not running, or biking for that matter, but without Mr. foam roller I would not be walking! 

Another anticipated snow storm is a day away and 8-12 inches of snow is forcasted....ugh.  It has been nice to feel my hands when I walk outside to get into my car.  Maybe the spring bug will be noshed a little bit and keep me from getting outside and running when I shouldn't be.  This is so hard to sit here and watch my weeks get shorter and the possibility of not doing THE HIM that I planned on doing with my friends who already registered is killing me!  So, instead I'm trying to focus on what I can do right now...a lot of core work, swimming (the tri club that I am starting in my area has its first swim tomorrow morning!), and learning about nutrition and strength training.  So if anyone has any tidbits of strength training or more nutrition ideas send it my way.  My P.T. sent me 8 articles this week and studies on lactate threshold and VO2 Max and improving stride length etc. I'm pretty much through those and could use some more information to keep my brain occupied and my pity me thoughts put at bay.  Plus I'm going to go make a few playlists so I have some new music to workout to when I get the green light! 

trigirl and chicagoMan65:
Thanks for the advice.

I have been sticking the program I originally started and I think I've been afraid to deviate from it. I guess it is time! The swim and bike have been pretty smooth so far, so that gives me a bit of freedom to focus more on the run. My cardio has been coming along nicely too. Good advice regarding the run/walk to help my distance. I think the impact is what I need to adapt to most adn that would be a good way to break me in. Plus I have to admit I have been sacrificing one of my two weekly runs when it falls on my hockey night. Guess I'll need to stop that!

I did go to the local shoe store that fits the runners in my area... so I figured it is not the shoes. But hey... any excuse for a new pair of shoes and I'm on it. If I could just skate the 3 miles I'd be fine!

I'll add in a few shorter run trainings and let ya know how it works out.

Thanks again for the advice!

JT