Super Cats Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 8)

D001 - 2009-04-20 10:21 AM

Sulcus - 2009-04-19 7:50 PM

kaqphin - 2009-04-19 7:28 PM

Ok - Im now off to what is meant to be a 3 hour meeting... play nice til I return ok?

Aww ma, do we have to?


One thing I forgot to add to the bike conversation until I actually did it yesterday (which I read here somewhere) is that you can get a rough ballpark of your sizing by placing your heel on the peddle.  This technique combined with a curb worked nearly flawlessly for me.

(I dunno. Do you think she's gone now? We've got THREE whole hours to ourselves. Imagine all the havoc we can.... Uh wait, is she peeking in on us? ) Wait, I'm confused.... How does putting your heel on the pedal give you an idea of the sizing? :-/

Aaaw you were all pretty good I was expecting madness with Dee and Shawn!

Do yuo want another Cat spiel on bike fit?

Basically there are four areas considered for fit:

1) Theoretical fit: this is all the measuring etc that people get into. Can be as basic as inseam height or as complicated as measuring ALL the angles on your current bike. Its a good place to START...

2) Functional fit: Finding the position that allows you to be the most powerful/fastest etc

3) Aesthetic fit: What do you actually look like on the bike... se your weight too far forward, does your body look crunched up? Is yuor pedalling even and smooth?

4) Comfort: Not to be underestimated! Are you hitting yuor tummy with yuor knees when you pedal, can yuo breathe? Are yuo getting any pain or hot spots?

All four areas need to be taken into consideration - what gives you the most power might be incredibly uncomfortable so you wont stay on your bike long enough to take advantage. Or it might push your body weight forward over the front bracket which will make steering and even staying on the bike really hard....

madkat - 2009-04-20 10:23 AM

D001 - 2009-04-18 10:55 AM Question for the group: How does everyone keep themselves motivated and avoid getting stuck on a plateau? Does anyone have some "unique training tips" or "mental games" that you use to make workouts more interesting, or to push yourself? For my motivation --> I like the team challenges here. But lately, with work and life being crazy, I find myself putting off my workouts, and not pushing myself as hard as I should. So I need to correct that problem. (Hence my questions above.)

OK, so the very best motivator for me is a race day like today. I went into it knowing I was under-trained. So guess what? It sucked. I never really felt good, and found myself constantly reminding myself that I can't really get upset since it was my own choice NOT to do the workouts.

Seems it's been enough time since the last race like this that I've kinda forgotten how bad they are.

But, that said, it wasn't awful. I didn't cry on the run course, like I have in the past. I just sucked it up and kept going. All while vowing to actually train before the next race.

Way to go getting out there!!!

Ive cried on the run course... its not fun so well done holding it together!

Recover well - your body might be in a bit of shock from getting back into it! Then I look forward to seeing you back into training

D001 - 2009-04-20 1:10 PM

kaqphin - 2009-04-19 10:58 PM Aaaw you were all pretty good I was expecting madness with Dee and Shawn!

The group is shiny and new. We're still on our best behavior.... Give it a few days. LOL Actually, I have to say --> I've learned a LOT in the last, um, however many pages we're up to. Thanks, everyone! Oh, and I did the 15 min trick tonight. Ended up turning it into a 30 min session.

WAY TO GO DEE!!!!!

D001 - 2009-04-20 1:05 PM Question Time! What pointers do you have for someone contemplating their first 5k run walk? The weather forecast says it'll be about 55 F (13 C) that morning, with isolated t-storms. What do I bring along? How should I dress? (It's only 5k, but I'm a cold weather wimp.) If I preregister, packet pickup will be at 7:15 AM. The race starts at 8 AM. What happens during packet pickup? Should I be there earlier than 7:15 (bleh!), or can I push it closer towards the start time? What ELSE should I know? (But don't even know to ask.) Thanks!

Ok how soon is this 5k Dee?

Pointers: Warm up before the race...a bit of walking is fine, its just to get you warm... this is especially important if you have a few injuries like me

Dress: Layers are AWESOME. I would suggest base of some running tights/pants(3/4) and a tshirt style top. Over the top a water/wind proof vest would be excellent - something light and easy to remove if you warm up. Wear a cap to keep your head warm and sunnies with light lenses to keep the rain out of your eyes. If you really feel the cold layer a long sleeved top over a short top as you can always take off the long sleeved top and tie it around your waist while you run...

An alternative to a tshirt top would be a cycling jersey if you have one, or something similar with a pocket in the back so if you take off your vest you have somewhere to stash it!

Have a warm dry jumper ready to throw on over the top at the finish if you can (in your car, with a friend or in the bag check... not always possible I know). If yuo stuff a bit of cash in yuor sports bar or pocket you can always go straight for a hot choc or coffee when you are done!

You want to be a little on the cool side when you start the run because you WILL warm up!

Packet Pick up: Get there on time - you will be gettting your race number, timing chip (if timed) etc and any goodies they may be giving away. You do NOT want to be in a long que 5 minutes before the race start because everyone thinks they can get there just before. Its stressful... it also gives you time for a nervous trip to the ladies.

What else yuo should know: Check if there will be water on the course, find out the number of people involved... if yuo are driving to the race start find out how close parking will be and what the road closures will be. Oh and dont underestimate travelling time to the race - it will only stress you out, something you dont need!

Always take some ID and cash with you. If you can find a way to carry your mobile phone take that too (I cant run with mine i have nowhere to stash it so thats completely personal)

I was just reading the new nutrition article that went up from Nancy Clark about Athlete guidelines for 2009.

Because I dont track my nutrition at the moment down to ratios or anything (plus if I have to think too much about it I just get stressed) I just take what I need from it but there was a great final paragraph that says:

"Final words of advice: If you can make time to train, you can also make time to eat well and get the most out of your training. Optimal sports performance starts with good nutrition!"

Here is the article:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1734

Just wanted to share in case someone else found it interesting!

D001 - 2009-04-20 3:16 PM

kaqphin - 2009-04-19 11:21 PM Ok how soon is this 5k Dee?

Ummmmm.............. Next Sunday. One week from today. Thanks for all the advice, Cat!!!!! I just found out about it today. It's the FIRST time they're organizing this, so I expect there will be some bumps along the way - for them, as well for me. I think it'll be OK as long as I can walk most of it. (I emailed the race coordinator to ask about cut off times.) I think there's parking along the street, so if I get there early, I should be able to find a spot. (But good point about road closings, because it will probably affect the parking locations, too.) Great idea to bring extra clothing. Also, I'll bring extra water, just in case. In fact, I'll toss a cooler in the car, and bring a snack too. I don't have running tights, so I'll check the weather that morning, and decide whether to go with sweatpants or shorts. I do have a lightweight waterproof jacket; that would be good for keeping me warm and dry. (And if I get warm, I can easily take it off and tie it around my waist. Thanks for that idea!) I've got a visor and sunglasses..... I have a fanny-pack somewhere. If I can find it, I'll be able to carry my car keys, ID and cash. (I wouldn't have thought to carry ID even - and yes, I definitely SHOULD have it!) I'll do a drive-by after work this week to get a feel for the course. And yes, there's a timing chip. I guess I'll have to figure out how to put it on. LOL! (I'll just watch everyone else. Or, I'll ask someone who looks like he/she knows which direction is up. LOL) Whew. And here I thought I could just show up. Sounds like I need to take a little time to plan this out, even if it is just a 5k! Thanks for all that great advice!

Well since yuo are a lady I have a tip - your sports bra is great for stashing some bills and your ID You can also get little runnign shoe wallet things but Ive never tried them!

The timing chip will come on a strap you just velcro around yruo ankle (in Aussie its your left ankle but Im not sure about in the US)

Shorts or sweatpants will be fine. My running tights are all about mid calf length and cost next to nothing from target. If you plan on running through winter next year you might want to try and get something CHEAP if yuo can spare the cash.

If you dont want to run with a visor thats ok - I just suggested a baseball cap as it keeps some of the body heat in your head which is the place you loose heat from the most. You could we a beanie or something but if its 13 degrees (celcius) it will be too hot for that probably!

You can just show up and you would be fine... but a little pre thought will make it a much better experience for yuo! SOunds like FUN

D001 - 2009-04-20 3:27 PM

kaqphin - 2009-04-19 11:29 PM

I was just reading the new nutrition article that went up from Nancy Clark about Athlete guidelines for 2009.

Thanks for posting that! There's a lot of good advice in it. Also, I tend to log directly onto my blog, so a lot of times, I forget about the articles and stuff that are available on the site.

I will keep an eye out for other things i find interesting here on BT and elsewhere!

Is also like to encourage everyone else to keep an eye out too!

Awesome goals youve got for the week!!!

Hope you are recovering well from the race...

*Bump* in case anyone missed this over the weekend... let me know if there is anything else yuo would like to see.

Additions to the list above include:

- Run training - structure (ie workout options etc)

- Cycle training - structure (I will bug CG if I run out of ideas on this!)

Hows everyones weekend gone?

Weekend went great!  Partied like a college kid on Friday night, Chilled like the 30 yr old I am on Sat. night, Helped my BIL kill a Half-Marathon on Sunday. Things were good!

Hi all!  I normally don't get on the computer much on the weekends since I work on one all day.  But, now that I have read 5.5 pages from our group, I'll have to log on a bit more often.  I love all of the info that is flying around...Cat - you are a wonderful mentor.

I took the new bike out for a spin yesterday.  Just a little over 6 miles, so no long distances..  It was crazy  crazy windy, and I thought the bike handled wonderfully.  The biggest difference was the smoothness of the ride.  I was on a Dolce and absolutely love love loved it!  But, this Giant carbon frame absorbs the road way better.  I can't remember what components I had on the old bike, but the 105s were a very nice upgrade for me.  I just can't imagine what Dura Ace / Ultegra would feel like!  I'll probably put a new saddle on (it has a Fizik), this one was pretty uncomfortable, but I'm going to give it a few more rides.  The only fit issue is the reach.  The hoods seem to be about an inch or two too far away.  I'm use to a bike that was just a tad too small, so I may just need to get used to them. 

Well, I'm headed out to buy a new swimsuit.  The pool ate mine.  Anyone else have that problem?  They don't last very long before they are thinned out and see-thru!

EDIT:  I just had to go with the chunky kitty for the group list

Sulcus - 2009-04-21 6:29 AM
Oh - the new bike sounds great and completely exciting!  I'm counting down the months until I can get one too (I had to promise to actually do a few sprint triathlons before I could make a big purchase like that).

What's wrong with a see through swimsuit?  That's how I often get my own lane at the pool. 

Own lane? At a pool? What is this ficticious occurance you speak of?

The best lasting swimsuits i have had are: Speedo and the $20 cheap ones from Target

Ummm does someone want to draw me a map?

Im sorry about your knee Hope some rest and ice does the trick...

Get to a doc as soon as you can at this point. They might have some techniques such as taping or accupncture that will get the sweeling down and recovery on its way daster!

Sounds fantastic!!! Hows the body recovering?