Let's Get It Started! with chrisbowers mentor group - CLOSED and ROLLING! (Page 8)

Okay, good reason. but how do you know you are not getting enough? Increase you green leafy vegetables, fruit... dried fish, nuts etc;. Of all the things I would think you would lack, I am surprised you pick calcium. Please understand I am not criticising you. I am just really curious... I had a quick look and found this, http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile68e.stm . 

The only additives I use that are not 'natural' are protien powder and then I make sure it's not soya. Soya is genetically modified, and if not, it's created by man.. I have heard too many rumours about the changes it makes to your body to take it. So I use dairy and egg protien. While I am allergic to eggs, egg protien seems to have no bad effects. The protien I only take one month in 3. Otherwise I am poisoning myself and I stink... 

Be careful about pills and additives and make sure first of all your diet is giving you what you need. Then your sport will perhaps call for additives.... I am kinda chuffed you dropped the Sunny D though.. well done.. I feel I just changed the world hahaha.

That's a good article Colli.... I thought I was doing pretty good at my numbers but according to the tables in that article, I'm way off!  Thanks for sharing.

I've decided to go in a different direction regarding the Mentor Groups; therefore I will be withdrawing from this forum.  Pleasure meeting you all and wish you success in your endeavors.

I'm not sure how normal this is to everyone else, but since I started training back in November, I've noticed that my legs are sore almost every day.  Not sore to the point where it is tiresome to walk or stand, but I can tell they have been putting in some hard work everyday.  They are especially tight in the morning, but after I stretch and get them moving on the bike or in the pool, they are fine.  Could be that I only have one day where I'm not working them out, but that's not really true because they are kicking in the pool.  Are ice baths necessary at this point in training(maybe once a week)? What else can anyone recommend besides massage and/or a jacuzzi?

OH, and one other question. As a year round swimmer in my past I understood the benifits of shaving my legs, but I'm not sure why cyclists and triathaletes shave their legs. 

 I, myself, shave my legs because they look better

I pretty much have the same question about workout days. My workouts include (each week) 3 swims, 3 runs, 3 bike workouts, and 3 weight training sessions. My day off is supposed to be Friday. This week is a good example of being exhausted and sore on Tuesday night so I took off from weights on wednesday morning and pushed the weights to Thursday. I still did my run Wednesday night but then had to miss swim thursday for work. Inevitably, I have to push workouts to my day off. Should I skip workouts here and there or just find a way to get them all in? I am trying to listen to the body and not overdo it and get injured but I know I need to push a little to get where I want to be by May.

No shaving for me until I go professional and that ain't happenin'

LOL, I would hope you shaved your legs :-)

I was taking one day off per week for about a month, but the legs still felt the same.  I know I "should" take a day off, but then my run suffers with only two training days per week. What's a person to do?!

Make sure your fluid intake is good. I mean really good, we are talking 3 liters a day good, cut out caffine and refined sugars, try skipping wheat products.. There are lot of things that can contribute to pain, but in my book it's a good sign.. but you need rest days. Rest days are when the muscle actually builds up and gets stronger. 

As for the shaving cyclists.... 1) looks good 2 ) feels good 3) when you crash you don't those hairs in the road rash.... 

This week's training has had some highs and lows.  I have a pain deep inside my hip, almost like sciatica but not consistently in that spot.  The run seems to irritate the pain so Tuesday was HORRIBLE!  Walked most of it, and the hill I conquered the previous week killed me and I walked more than half. Wednesday was a bike day on the trainer and it worked out fine.  Last night, on the treadmill and the pain reared its ugly head once again.  Day off from training today and my weekend is filled with bike and swim.  Hopefully, a full three days off the run will help.

Pain is not normal. It's a signal something is wrong. The brain is then supposed to interpret that signal and make the body go to a doc to get checked out, or you could risk severe injury and no sport for a number of months getting into years.

Yeah, I know...BLEH!  No pain today during the swim so after a few days of no running I will see what happens on Monday's run.  If it is still there then I will head over to medical.  Thanks for the input though.

Hey another thing, your description of snapping my wrist down and keeping my fingers pointed to my toes through the entire pull has really helped my swim.  I am not working nearly as hard as previously!  Thanks

Hope your training is going well.

My two favorite run songs this month...What are yours?

"Waiting for the End to Come" by Linken Park http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qF_qbaWt3Q

"Shake Me Down" By Cage the Elephant 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=v27TRan1SBI

What shoes are you running in, what size are your town shoes and what size are your running shoes? Do you stretch? Have you ever had disc problems or been assessed for gait?  

I just found an interesting article in the Feb edition of Triathlete Magazing that addressed my question about soreness of muscles. I'll copy it down for anyone curious about what they had to say....

 "My muscles ache all the time. Is that normal?  Especially at the start of triathlon training, you bet it is. Muscle is connected to bone via tendon. Like a coral reef constantly being made and remade, the tissues of the body, muscle, tendon and bone are always in a state of flux. When loaded over time, through weight training, running, biking or swimming, they build strength. In the case of muscle and tendon, the tensile strength gains take time, often several months. As such, it is perfectly normal to feel a bit like you've been smacked with a 2X4 in the first month or two of training. But if the pain is so bad that it limits your ability to train, it's important to get checked out."

It was a good day. My Ravens won (ugly as it was) and then I had an intense hour-long workout on the bike trainer. Once again, I get off bike feeling bow-legged, butt soreness and leg stiffness and wonder how I will ever run 6.2 after that. Patience....patience.

For me, so far (knock on wood) no real pain, just soreness and a little tired from all the workouts. I feel like I am pushing myself but also being smart and listening to my body. If I feel I really need to rest and miss a workout, then I do it...haven't had to much though. Definitely feeling the body changes weekly.

Have a great week everyone!

Jay