ChrisM's Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 8)

That's on my wish list.  I hear it is a great marathon.  Thing is, everytime I run a marathon I tell myself I am not doing another. 

Congrats on the HM!   Well done. 

I decided to do mine as well.  Slowest HM i've done, but I have tons of excuses      My goal was to make it a training day, and I basically ran my training pace so nothing to complain about.   Quite happy that I didn't walk any of the numerous hills on the course, even though I planned on doing so.

Great job Hoots! Congratulations

Sorry for not being around as I had hoped to be.  You would think that being unemployed I would have all sorts of time to get to the computer...but its just not so.  I do most of my logging off my phone these days. 

Anyways...Had a most awesome week! No running issues...YAY! Discovered a new trail running place complete with stream crossings and log hopping! And today i just ran 45 minutes and I feel great.  There is a slight tweak behind the right knee but nothing too major.  Time for some foam rolling!   I also discovered Pack Monadnock in NH this week to ride up.  The summit road is 1.4 miles long with an average grade of 12%. The last 200 or 300 yards or so is a 20% grade.  So every Thursday you will know where to find me. Race day T -35 days.   Yesterday I rode 42 miles and rode it 4 minutes faster than last week!

I have one question if anyone knows:  My Garmin 310XT will sometimes read a  negative grade even when I am riding uphill.   Anyone know whats up with this?  It makes getting an accurate grade on something a little difficult.

Great job to all that raced this weekend.

Welcome back!

Yeah, for all it's greatness the FR does two things horribly.  Anything related to elevation and calorie expenditure.  You'd think they could throw out a firmware update for that second problem but there is nothing you can do about the first one.  I think there is some mathematical formula you can do though.  Ride it again and hit lap as it starts and again as it ends...hum, maybe you need one more thing.  I could tell you how to do it on a compass with a mirror.

Thanks guys!  I was afraid it was something like that.   When I bought the 310XT I wasn't sure exactly what I would need but it looked like the best out there.....Thanks god for websites that give grades for hills!

Everyone have a great week!

You are quite the jet setter! Great job on your ride and good luck next weekend!

Thx you!!!  I appreciate the thoughts!

Original plan was to get a couple hours in yesterday (Sunday) on the bike with a friend, to loosen the legs up.  Woke up to the sound of rain.  While I would have liked to see my friend, staying cozy in bed on a Sunday morning with the wife was a better option.  Ate too much at a BBQ then a b day dinner for my wife...

Back at it today after work

Anyone ever volunteer at transition for a tri before?  I'm volunteering on Sunday for a local tri (I'd have entered but I don't do pool swims).  Expecting a fun but busy day.  Although I have to be down at the university by 6AM.  Ugh.  Tri's start really early here.  One of the few things I miss about Oregon.

Course this means I have to figure out what to do about my long bike ride and my medium run scheduled for Sat/Sun.  I might shift my medium run to some time later this week and do my long bike Sat along with a shorter run.  This time of year I don't run in the afternoon if I can avoid it.  The sun automatically makes it feel 10 degrees hotter, and that is on top of the 90 degrees already. 

Jennifer - I am doing Redondo as well.   It was my first, did it 3 years, volunteered for 3 years, now back to racing it.  Racing is easier than volunteering     As for later season races, sprint distance?  Take a look at my race log, over the years I've done almost all of them, other than Carpinteria and Catalina.  Playa del Rey in Oct is a great little low key race, and mostly flat.  I hear good things about Carpinteria and might do it this year.  If you have any questions about them, please ask....

Brandon - Yeah, today is the first day I am not feeling sore.  Funny how I can do a half mary on Sat, take Sun and Mon off and feel like a slug....

Kim - See comment above re volunteering vs. racing     Just be open to doing whatever they ask you to, and seek out the newbies to give them tips/encouragement, etc.

Kirk - we had that kind of rain Jan - Dec this year and it truly sucked....

As for me, I got home last night and had to prep dinner before getting on the trainer.  I feel bad when I get home before my wife, and she gets home later and there's no dinner and we still have to cook....  So I try toget things ready so all we have to do is turn the burners on.  Started watching the Tour of Calif. though, and that was all she wrote.

Honestly, the thought of sitting on that Adamo on the trainer makes me want to throw up, it hurts so bad after a while.  Think I just need to put the Fizik back on, or ride the road bike on the trainer.....

Man I feel so behind this year.  Our weather in Illinois has been crappy with rain, cold and wind.  I am also fighting bad calf strains after my marathon last fall that I am just now getting some miles in but continue to be paranoid that will come back (stabbing soleus pain that I have had weeks of ASTYM therapy on). 

Any ideas on balancing pushing yourself and not destroying yourself.  The doc and PT guys say I have big scar tissue knots from overuse and not listening to my body when I have pain.  I came from the old school of no pain, no gain but am beginning to that is a flawed mindset at 45.

I have an OLY in July and want to squeeze in a few more between if my legs can handle it.

I am not familiar with ASTYM but have you looked into ART?  One of the things ART does is break up scar tissue.  It's been very good for my issues

My calves are sensitive.  Every time I've tried upping mileage too fast one of them will go.  I try to not do all my runs in hills.  And my ART guy saves me, like Kim mentioned.  He's an ultra runner and does 50s and 100s.  He also said he foam rolls basically every day, he has gotten to the point where he can tell while rolling if something is "off," or if there's a knot, and he'll change his run plan accordingly to get rid of it first.