grandhavenbill's group - FULL (Page 8)

I'm not going to make the trainer ride, time to catch up on family stuff. Planning on a 30 min ride and 30 min swim today, followed by a 6 mile run tomorrow. It's supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow, so I'll be running outside again. Ran outside last sunday on the beach. That was blistering cold.

All is going well trining wise here. Can't wait for the snow to melt to get on the road!

Brad,

Good on you for keeping those priorities straight!!  We will be doing more trainer rides real soon, will keep you posted.

Amen on the warmer weather.  Went out this morning for a run with just a base layer and tights, felt AWESOME.  It is said when anything above 30 feels like a tropical heat wave....

Hey Bill & group:   I think i "hid " this in a previous post so I thought I'd re-ask.  Do you use fins in the pool during kick drills?  I've tried w/ no fins but seriously go nowhere so I use the regular old scuba fins at the Y.  I see some folks talking about Zoomers. 

I also wonder what ya'll where in the pool?  I wear a jammer.  But another guy told me he wears baggy clothes to increase drag during training.  I searched the forum on this and didnt find anything.

Thanks!

Hi all. Had a great run outside Sunday. Felt like summer time running in 39° weather. Off to the pool for masters tonight.

John - congrats on the HIM entry! Looks like it is in the end of June? Mine is August 1st, so we should be only a little off on our training schedules. I'm with you on the kicking, I don't move without fins. I don't really understand why either. My legs are unproportionally strong compared to the rest of my body. We do a drill in masters where you are on your back, hold a kickboard straight up above you and kick. Everyone is really slow and complains about this drill except me. I'm fast and don't get tired doing it. But when I kick on my stomach, I can barely make it to the other end. I'm obviously doing something wrong. So yes, I use fins when kicking.

I wear a jammer in the pool, but not for performance. I wear it cause I look so good......

Thanks Brad.  What training program are you using?  I'm using the tri-newbies simply because it has distances for the swim and bike rather than time.   Lets keep in touch through the training.  btw, i told my wife you look good in it so she might be calling you.  i sure as hell don't look good in it.

i wore a jammer to the pool for the first time in november.  i mentioned to this guy on the pool deck that it feels weird wearing one of these things.  he's like "aw man don't worry nobody notices"  so i get take my shorts & t-shirt off and as brave as i could walk to the side of the pool.  just before i get in this guy yells at the top of his lungs, hey everyone look at john in his new tight swimsuit. everyone started in w/ the cat calls and clapping for me.   it is really really hard to embarass me.  he did a great job of it.

I'm doing the beginer HIM training plan here on BT. It doesn't start until March 15. I've kind of created my own to get to the starting point. I will also be adapting mine a bit because I will be doing a 25 k run in May. I've kind of merged a couple of plans together leading up to that race.

I told my wife that I look good in my jammers and she laughed hysterically in my face. So, maybe I do really wear them because they are faster. Actually, when you swim as slow as I do, I'm not sure wearing a tube sock over my bits and pieces is any faster than my beach bathing suit. Oh well. If any of my friends ever see me in my suit, I will not live that down.

Congrats to both John and Brad for joining Jan in taking the HIM plunge.  You guys are going to rock!  We need to start chatting about hydration and nutrition as your training volume will soon start to ramp up quickly.  Stay tuned.....

I, too, am a horrible kicker......and do wear zoomers for most kick drills.  My swim coach says this is because I keep my feet/ankles very stiff when I kick which is VERY common for runners/cyclists who then try to learn proper swimming technique.  Instead, allow them to be relaxed and fluid.  Think about a dolphin or whale's tail (or even the movement of scuba fins) as they propel themself thru the water.  Try to mimic this with your feet. 

That said, I've been working on this for a couple of years and am still a horrible kicker.....

I also wear jammers in the pool and will occasionally threaten my wife that I'm going to wear them to a family swim.  Kind of like bike or tri shorts, it's just not a good look.....

You can indeed increase drag by wearing baggy shorts and/or a sleeveless t-shirt.  However, unless you REALLY want to become a competitive swimmer in a master's program, I wouldn't worry about it.  Remember, of the 3 disciplines, swimming is the shortest and you are getting plenty with your current workouts (my opinion).

Hey Jan:  I can't believe you live in SD and are running on a treadmill!!!  

The first thing I'd rec. is go print out that Vineman registration and tape it to your bathroom mirror.  If you don't want to run thats fine,  but look at your registration then explain it to the person in the mirror why you don't want to. 

I looked at your logs and it seems one of the challenges you are having is simply opening your front door.  You will be amazed how quickly you will go from "this sucks I hate it" to this isn't so bad within just a few minutes.  Just get out the door!  

How about running clubs in your area?  

Hey everyone, hope everything is going well.

I made a training plan by combining the beginner swim program on here, a 5k running program by Hal Higdon (to make your 5k faster) and also I've been doing spinning classes 3x a week.  I am starting to wonder if this plan is going to end up with me being burned out.  This a typical week:

Monday-off  

Tuesday - Swim (form), Bike (spin class 1 hr), 3 mile run  (done all together for time sake)

Wed:  Run (usually 400's or tempo runs) and weight lifting

Thursday: Swim (endurance), Bike (spin class), 3 mile run (i do them all together for time sake)

Friday:  Swim (form and endurance), Bike, weight lift  (done all together)

Saturday: 3-4 mile run

Sunday: 5-7 mile run

 Do you think this is a good regimen or is it too much for a sprint race this summer? I am starting to feel like I can't keep up with this everyday!  Please let me know your advice and what you guys do! Also- with regards to the swim, I am having goggle issues.  Water constantly gets in my goggles no matter how tight I make them sometimes.  Do you guys wear contacts when you have your goggles on?  I am having problems with my contacts getting messed up when water gets in my goggles.  I might buy another pair.  Please let me know if you have any tips, I've been having a really rough training week for some reason!  Thanks, -JeanMarie

Good advice from John.  What is it that you don't like about running?

I, too, absolutely despise the treadmill and find it mind numbing.  I do, however, REALLY enjoy running outside.  Between kids, work, and other life stressors, I've found it is the only solitary "me time" that I have and use it to unwind or ponder "stuff."  I've also found that I really prefer to run in the pre-dawn hours.  Something about starting in the dark, running thru a sunrise, and then coming home for an enjoyable "refueling session" then going thru the day knowing that my workout is behind me.  As your mileage ramps up, hopefully you will find the "runner's high" that most of us experience.  For me, it usually starts at about mile 5.  I've never experienced it on the "dreadmill" however....

Running with a group is a great motivator and I think you will enjoy it a lot better than going solo.  You might also start signing up for a 5K or 10K race every few weeks to help stay motivated. 

If all else fails, you can always fall back on the "suck it up, buttercup" mantra that is often used in the main forum! 

JeanMarie,

With this schedule, you are essentially doing 2 sprint tris per week with additional training mixed in!!  5 runs per week on top of your biking workouts....I bet your legs feel like lead!  I'm not a coach (yet....), but I think this is indeed way too much.  It sounds like your body is starting to confirm this too, and you should definitely listen.

I would recommend a sprint tri-specific training plan from BT, tri-newbies, or one of the other sources.  If nothing else, drop at least one of your runs and re-structure the week so that you are giving your legs a break.  Here's what I was doing for the build phase of my IM training last year:

Mon: Bike, run

Tue: Swim, strength

Wed: Swim, run

Thu: Bike, strength

Fri: swim, run

Sat: Brick

Sun: Off

Yup, ill-fitting goggles are no good.  I'd suggest you go to your local swim store and start pulling different brands/styles out of the package and trying them on.  It is critical that the seal around your eyes.  If the are the wrong shape or size, it won't matter how tight you pull the straps.  I think I mentioned it in a previous post:  I'm 6'0", weight 175 pounds, but wear junior sized goggles.  I also wear contacts and have no problems (as long as my goggles don't leak!).

OK friends, here's my diatribe on hydration/nutrition:

First, the disclaimer:  We are all different and what works for you may not work for others.  It is VERY, VERY important to nail down a fueling strategy in training and stick to it on race day.  This is especially important for those of you who will be doing HIM's in a few months!! 

A quick reminder on the basic calorie balance:  if you consume more than you burn, you will gain weight.  If you burn more than you consume, you will lose weight.  Remember, 3500 calories = 1 pound.  This gets to be a delicate balance as you start to go long as you need to stay properly fueled.  If you are trying to lose weight while training, and this is definitely doable, I'd suggest you carefully track your calorie intake and monitor your weight.  A 500 calorie per day deficit will have you shedding 1 pound per week.

I would STRONGLY recommend that you all measure your sweat rate, both on the bike and the run.  This will determine how much fluid per hour you will need to consume to replenish your hydration level.  This is a very simple test:  before your workout, weigh yourself naked.  Do your run/bike and record the amount of fluid that you consume during the workout.  After your workout, dry off and then re-weigh.  Take the difference and convert to ounces (1 pound = 16 oz).  Add the weight of the fluid that you consumed.  Take that total and divide by the duration of your workout to come up with an ounces per hour rate.  This will become your baseline hydration rate.  Obviously, you will want to do this during a run/bike of at least moderate duration to come up with an accurate number.

Example:  Your workout was one hour long.  Your pre/post workout weight change is 1 pound (16 oz) and you consumed 16 oz of water.  Your total sweat rate is 32 oz per hour.

For workouts/races longer than 90 minutes, you will need to start adding electrolytes to your hydration.  There are a number of popular choices out there including gatorade, heed, infinit, and a number of capsule based options.  You will need to experiment to find out what works best for you.  I've found that I do well with Gatorade Endurance and HEED.  I absolutely cannot tolerate regular Gatorade or anything else with high fructose corn syrup as it wreeks havoc on my GI system.  I will alternate between my electrolyte fluid and water with big gulps every 15 minutes.

Nutrition is even more personal.  Your body is only capable of storing enough glycogen to fuel you thru a moderate level of exertion for about 2 hours, 1.5 hours if you are really pushing it.  And this is true only if you go into the effort with a full fuel stores which most of us "weekend warriors" do not.  Without refueling, this is the point where you start to bonk.  Trust me, this is NOT a fun place to be.  There are some coaches that take their athletes to this state on purpose so that they can recognize the symptoms.  Kind of like putting your hand on a hot stove to learn what a burn feels like....

The average person is only capable of processing 250-300 calories per hour during moderate to intense exercise.  You will likely be burning around 700 calories per hour during this same effort.  Do the math....it is all about "controlled chaos."  As you continue to train long, your body will become more efficient at tapping the fat stores for fuel, but you will bonk if you don't maintain a steady stream of calories coming in.

Fuel source is highly personal, but the common thread is easy to digest carbohydrates.  Some folks, including me, mix in some protein for long workouts (> 3 hours).  Popular choices include gels (Gu, Hammer Gel, PowerGel, etc.), powerbars, fig bars, snickers, payday bars, PB&J sandwiches, bananas, and uncrustables.  Again, you need to determine what works for you.  I swear by Hammer Gel, fig bars, bananas, and PB&J.  I absolutely cannot tolerate PowerBar or PowerGel, it makes me REALLY sick....Also, what works on a nice 65 degree day may not sit so well when it is really hot on the course.  Be sure and test your menu in all conditions!

Start with 250 calories per hour and adjust as required.  Remember, your electrolyte drink also has calories, be sure and include them in your total!  I know some guys that will use one source exclusively during a long effort.  For me, variety is the spice of life, I like to mix it up.  I will also carry more than I need as I've found what sounded good before a long ride did NOT taste good at mile 80.....

Some folks, including me, have really good luck using caffeine on the course.  This works much better if you do not have a 5 cup a day Starbucks jones with a huge tolerance level.  Other than training/races, I do not consume caffeine.  So for me, it provides a very noticeable boost.  My favorite "secret weapon" is a Starbucks DoubleShot espresso-in-a-can when I start to get into one of those "what the hell am I doing out here" valleys.  Magic stuff!    WARNING:  some people have nasty GI reactions to caffeine under stress.  Be sure you try this one BEFORE race day!

As an additional reference, check out Hammer Nutrition's Fueling Handbook available for download on their website.  It obviously pitches their products, but includes some very helpful info as well.

Hope this helps my friends.  I'm sure you will have questions.  As usual, let 'em fly.

Time to hit the rack, I'm running tomorrow morning!

Bill

Hey friends.  Just a point of clarification on my "novel" re hydration/nutrition.  This applies to workouts/races longer than 90 minutes. 

I also forgot to mention recovery.  There is a 30 minute window after your training/race that your body is very receptive to replenishment of the glycogen stores.  Taking advantage of this, shoot for 300-400 calories of a 4:1 fast carb/protein ratio post-race treat.  There are a bunch of commercial drinks out there, but a tried and true (and my personal favorite) is chocolate milk.  Cheap, easy to make/digest, perfect carb/protein ratio, and tastes AWESOME after a hard effort.

So what's on tap for the weekend?  Long trainer ride tomorrow and a long-ish run on either Sunday or Monday.

chocolate milk

45 miles on the bike one day

7 mile run the next

i'll know when i wake up tomorrow what i'm doing when.

ok just in from a 10k.  i'm pounding a big glass of chocolate milk.  if i puke i'm posting pics!