Tri-Z mentor group - Closed for Now (Page 8)

So guys, I am seriously feeling exhausted today... dragging butt so to speak.  If you see my log for today, you'll see my swim was el sucko, really had to push myself to finish and not get out and enjoy the hot tub.  I had planned to do a bike ride this afternoon, but it's looking like major wind again today, and I just don't feel I have the energy to get out there and fight it.  I did my strength session yesterday, after a week off, so I'm feeling a little sore too.  I guess I am just having myself a pity party today, and I am being a very lame teacher as I am sitting at my laptop looking at all the cool tri gear I WISH I could buy while I have my students plugged into a movie... I mean, I am seriously TIRED today!

 Have any of you felt like this??  Maybe I've just pushed too hard for the last couple of days?  I sure hope I feel better tomorrow morning, hoping for another double day... swim in the a.m. and weights and treadmill in the p.m. and then back to school till 6:00 for parent conference day.  If I wasn't running low on sick days, I'd call in for this afternoon and just go home and sleep... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 

Just wanted to check in and thank everyone for all the encouragement.

After posting last week, I went to the running store to get fitted for shoes on Thursday.  Yes, my first ever pair of running shoes.  The tears started to well up again talking to the saleswoman but I didn't bolt.

So Friday eve, I got on the treadmill and just did it.  I warmed up by walking for 10 min then started alternating one minute of running with five minutes of walking.  It felt pretty awkward but not completely awful.  And I was damn proud of myself when I was done.  Did it again Sunday night and things felt better and i am planning to repeat tonight.

Thanks again.  Such a great group to be plugged into.  I definitely think this could have waylaid all my plans if I didn't have a safe place to reflect and vent and even cry a little.

-Jenn

Glad things are all good now, Hilde!  It is so great that we are all cheering for each other to stick w it and continue.  Jenn - proud of you too for sticking with it!  That proud feeling and the energy surge that we all experience from working out is one of the reasons why I am addicted!  If I am miserable during or do not want to go get ready for a workout - I think of that feeling and how much better I will be when I am finished.

Something else to check into is what you have eaten the last fews days.  Our nutrition has a lot to do with the slumps that we can get in.  On the flip side, when you have a great workout of swim bike or run, make a positive food log so you know what you have eaten recently and can duplicate it.

Hi Everybody!  Make sure you continue to check logs- we have a few people sick and some injuries too! 

PilatesTri (Lindsay) is doing a 5k on Saturday!  Let us all know how you did and how it felt!

Does anybody else have a race in the next week or so that they are doing?

Okay, so this is a very ambitious goal, so if I don't make it but make my normal goal I will be okay with that. I really want to start working on getting my run time down to 10min  miles. I know that a lot of people start out that fast. I started out struggling with walking 1.5 miles. So to me where I am is an accomplishment, and 10min/miles is a real goal. But I want to start trying to focus in on running while trying to keep up the biking/swimming.

So (attempt at) goal for this week, Swim two days 1000 yards. Gym 2 days, bike 2 days (I want to try to get up to 13 miles hopefully the wind will not be "against me," and run 4 days. I would like to do 2 days of attempt to work on speed with "sprints" 1.5 miles and 2 days of endurance focus working on doing 3 miles. On top of that I want 2 days of rest, and one day as a date day with hubby maybe walking around a theme park. All of my school work is done for the week, and on paper having a couple of very heavy workout days this is technically possible.

You GO Nadine, why you positively sound like a.... like a.... a TRIATHLETE!  I'm sure Jenny will chime in about your running, but here is my newbie 2 cents... I think from all I've read on this forum and in my tri training books, you want to be sure to have a REALLY good running base before adding speed work.  This is to avoid injury.  And supposedly, if you just add a 4th day of running to your training regimen, pure volume will start to bring down your run times per mile.  Increase your mileage to no more than 10% per week (so if you are running 10 miles a week now, only add an extra mile in there somewhere).  I m certainly with you on the getting down to a 10 minute mile, though!  I will be ecstatic the first time I can run one in the 9's or even, dare I say it, the 8's??!

 I am taking all y'all's advice and resting a bunch this week, because I really feel like crap.  The pink eye feels much better, but the cold has now moved into my chest and I sound like a barking great dane every time I cough. 

So I dropped off my bike for it's first tune-up, it will be ready on Wed., but I won't be able to get back down there until Saturday, so there will be no urge for me to get an outdoor ride in this week.  I was very pleased with the running store, and am happy with the new shoes I got.  Turns out I WAS running with the wrong kind of shoes... I had picked some "cute" ones that were the right price from the local sporting goods store, but they were stability shoes and I am a neutral runner!  And they didn't break the bank... I was prepared to spend $140 on the top of the line Asics, but ended up with $90 Saucony's, and they gave me a 15% discount!  The girl really checked out the bottoms of my old shoes, watched me walk in both directions, went and got some shoes and then had me run in them.  The Saucony's really felt the best, and the only downside is that they are red and white and I've been basing my tri wardrobe on blue because it matches my bike.  C'mon girls, matching is important, right?

 By the way, while I am posting here, I've been wondering... what kind of bikes do you all ride?  I have an entry level Giant OCR2 road bike with aerobars, clip in pedals, aerobar water system.  I really like it, but I gotta say, that all those guys that are posting pics of "their rides" has me drooling for a Cervelo tri bike!  And I have no idea if that is even practical for me, they just look so cool, and I picture myself being one bad grandma riding one! 

Nadine - good job with your dedication and time management with trying to plan out your week.   You seem to on a mission and that is awesome!

As for the run, I recommend you continue to work on the endurance before you add in speed work.  If you are running 3 miles 3 times a week, maybe try to add another run in or if you want to stick with 3 run a weeks, just increase the mileage a bit.  (do keep in mind the 10% increase guideline as well)  It is a slow process but there is reasoning behind it all.  You are trying to increase your endurance which should be done aerobically while the speed work is mostly anaerobic.  If you stick with just building the base a bit more, build your endurance and the speed will start to come.    These are just my opinions!

nadine,

listen to jenny's advice.  i've done so and finally beginning to see my times decrease some as well as indurance and mileage increase a lot (for me).  also, try to avoid speed work for now to avoid injury until you have that base established. 

TRUST JENNY---She definitely knows her tri. stuff!!

been quiet in here, so figured i'd say a little hello. just to let you guys know, i had one of those days today where i just didn't have it in me to do anything. put it off all day long and wasn't looking forward to swimming or running tonight.  did it anyway. and feel great about my swim, and the ONLY good thing about my run is that it was with jenny. otherwise i felt elephant-esque. anyway...just a note to say we all have those days as proof of mine today!!

hope everyone is doing well!

Clover girl, I'm SURE you could never run like an elephant!  More like a cheetah!  Everyone's logs are looking great and I'm anxious to get mine looking pink again, but I am not going to rush anything.  Sinuses are draining, now cold has moved into my chest, so more taking it easy till I get better.  Good thing for me is that the week after next is Spring Break with nothing planned so I will be able to hit it hard!  I hope I can start something easy by the end of next week, I'm sure I'm going to have to take it slow and easy before I'm back to where I was.  And whooo hoooo, as of this morning I have lost 40 pounds since last July when I started training for the Senior Olympics!!  I just have to be careful how much I shove in my mouth when my appetite comes back.

 TGIF girls!

40 pounds!  That is an achievement that not many people can do!  It amazes me that you lost 40 pounds and I can tell how much you love the sport too.  I bet you also feel better (beside being sick) now then before!  Congratulations to you.

Hope everybody has a great weeekend!  I plan on riding this weekend with clover and my hubby Sat morning.  Praying that my knee holds up and hoping that the cortisone shot worked so I can run more soon - I love the run!!!

holy 40lbs! way to go...what an achievement. just awesome. very impressed, keep it up and get well soon!!!

nadine,

if you go to "forums" there should be a "florida" forum under "triathlon" and "introduce yourself." you may want to lurk/post in there to see if there are any group runs/rides that you can tag along with. the other thing is go to a local running/bike store and see when their group runs/rides are. we have a bunch of running and bike shops here in the dallas area that host a lot of group "dates."   all of that might help you out...not sure if you've ever checked out the florida forum before.  another idea would be to start a post in there, asking if there is anybody out there from your area who does group rides or is looking for a workout buddy. just a suggestion.

it's very easy for us (jenny and myself) because we live 2 miles from each other. my mom and dad live 2 miles from me in the other direction and we all belong to the same gym. it's a little "compound" esque but it works for us. i do not take it for granted, that's for sure.

i really suggest checking out that florida forum...and the running/biking shops, i think you'll find some ideas there.

ok...i have to go to bed now. riding in the morning.

No fitness background in my family, although my dad was a star college diver for the University of Buffalo.  Mom shattered her ankle when I was 6 months old and it's been pinned together for years, and really redefined her life.  She has never exercised, but diets all the time.  I do all my training totally solo, in fact I will probably do all my racing totally solo too.  I was just thinking about this last night.  Hubby definitely supports what I'm doing, but I haven't brought up whether or not he would actually attend my races.  I can't picture him just standing around waiting for me to finish.  I have a friend that also does some tri's, but she just had sinus surgery and hasn't gotten into her training regimen yet, although she is big on a master's swim team... which unfortunately does not fit with my work schedule.  I think if I had a run buddy, that would really help me, but... if you don't you don't, and I do envy all you Hogan people or whatever you are for you closeness!

And no new wardrobe exactly, I just buy things as I need them, but I know I will need spring/summer clothes really soon!  I had saved quite a bit from the last time I had lost weight (pre cancer), but also got rid of a lot.  I now have bins in my closet that go from size 14 to size 6!  And I'm wearing the size 6's!!  Whoo hoo!!

There might be some tri clubs that you could join normally for about $75 a year that have group workouts.  As Jen said, ask the bike shop or run store.  That might help...

What I have noticed is that the more you talk about tri, the more people are interested in it.  Is there anybody you could "recruit?"   Growing up, my family was not fitness first but my brother has done a tri just because my hubby, Jen and I talk about it so much.   Jen's dad, my father in law, is now very interested because (again) we talk about it so much and he is curious about our addiction.  Exercise can be contagious.

Have a good weekend everybody! 

Anyone got any cool plans/races for this week?