Clyde/Athena Tri-N-4- Weight Loss Mentor Group -OPEN AGAIN!! (Page 8)

Thanks, never thought of using ear plugs, will try that.

I'm a bit late starting my new year: back in training as we has some problems with our heating and sewage systems a couple of weeks ago but I have joined a gym and last week was my first week properly back at it. So far, feeling great!

I had 1 great work out and 1 sub par.

I been running 3.8 mph but today I ran 4.1 mph and for my size its more of a run than walk., and did that for 2.75

evening work out was not as good. I went down to 3.8 and could only do 2 miles. Tomorrow I hope to swim. I would have today but I thought it would be nice to come home because the roommate was home alone all day.

Diablo, I'll be I a similar position here in a couple weeks as my 10k plan ends and I'll have a few weeks before my half marathon plan begins. I will use those weeks to help my legs prepare for going from 3 runs per week to 4. Not sure what your two plans call for, but maybe you can prepare for the increased workload. Otherwise, it would be a good time to focus on any weaknesses and throwing in an extra S, B, or R each week depending on what that weakness is. Just my thoughts.

2100 yard swim tonight. First swim in several weeks and probably the second in 2 months. I didn't lose as much as I thought as far as my splits go, but I gotta get some endurance back.

Thanks DBG and impressive swim! Ok so here is another newb question: The weather here in the northeast stopped me from getting to the gym last night. I had a run on the training plan but no way to do it and while I did a small body weight circuit for the sake of doing something, what do I do with the missed run? Does it just get abandon? Should I put a little run into my swim workout tonight? Thoughts, opinions?

Thanks all

I definitely know how that feels as I have battled it myself! Nice job on the run and make sure to do the PF stretches regularly as well even as it is feeling better!

Nice job! I have found personally that my ability to swim longer distances doesn't diminish quite as quickly as it does for biking and running.

I think it does depend on what is on your plan for tomorrow. What was the planned distance/time for yesterday and what do you have on tap for tomorrow? Also, do you have a planned rest day later in the week planned? If so, you can just count yesterday as the rest day and shift your workouts a little bit to make up. Either way, don't stress over it too much. Skipping a single workout would be a detriment to the ultimate goal.

Todd, thing to remember is that you are there doing it, and you did 2 miles! Hang in there. I know that I have good days and bad days, the key is to just keep moving which you did.

If I miss a workout, I'll look at what that workout was and gauge the importance of it. For example, today I'm snowed in and I'll miss a 20 min easy run. I'm not going to sweat that too much since I got in a lot of steps and 2 hours of snow shoveling. Had my plan called for a long run I would pick that up tomorrow since I don't want to miss a "critical" workout.

If it's not too much I would add a little run before or after your swim tonight.

Better late than never! Glad you're back at it and feeling great!

Here's what I do on coordinating gaps in training plans... I will plan my "1st" plan to end with my first race. Then I will repeat the last few weeks into the next race. For example, I am currently in a 20 week half-marathon run plan scheduled to end on March 30 for my first HM. Then my 2nd HM is April 27. So, I loaded the final 4 weeks of the plan. It works out nicely because week 17 is kind of a recovery week anyway. I'll use 17 to recover, then it build and tapers into week 20.

Now my next task is to load a sprint or Olympic plan leading into May for my triathlon races. I'll probably just load the swims and bikes up to the HM and then I'll add the run workouts in May.

The key is to look at the plans along with your race calendar. Sometimes they fit nice, sometimes not so much. That is one of the nice features of BT is the ability to move the workouts around on your calendar.

Focus on the positive! You're still moving forward, making progress... And progress IS progress!

Roll call! Who's still here? Some of you are quite active and I love that! Others are too quiet! Let us know you're still here, even if you're just enjoying following and reading.

We'd love to hear what everyone is up to!

I am here.

I will I share a rule of thumb I found. Coming from a running background (If you can call it that ) I always want to think of things in terms of running miles. From my own experience and a thread I did on here once I look at swimming 1 mile = running 4 miles and Biking 4 miles = 1 mile running. slow twitch counts swimming 1 mile as 4.2 mile running but I figure 4.0 is good enough.

Last night pool was full so instead of my swim I did 2 miles on the trendmill making it 5 for the day. While I know its not helping my swim I know its helping my heart and that is one of the most important muscles we need to train. I think overall endurance is the most important thing. when you become exhausted it will slow you down much more than hurting legs will.

We had some discussion last week about "tempo" training. I came across this article today @ runner's world.

Hi Jenny, I just read your article, 'What Should I Do During the Off Season?'. Very helpful, thanks! Could you briefly explain to me the difference between fartlek, tempo, and interval runs? Thanks! Mary

Hi, Mary. Thanks for the kudos. Ask and you shall receive: Here is a brief 411 on fartlek, tempo, and interval workouts.

Fartlek Workouts are not only fun to say out loud, but they're fun to run. Fartlek is Swedish for "speed play," and that is exactly what it’s all about. Unlike tempo and interval work, fartlek is unstructured and alternates moderate-to-hard efforts with easy throughout. After a warmup, you play with speed by running at faster efforts for short periods of time (to that tree, to the sign) followed by easy-effort running to recover. It’s fun in a group setting as you can alternate the leader and mix up the pace and time. And in doing so, you reap the mental benefits of being pushed by your buddies through an unpredictable workout. The goal is to keep it free-flowing so you’re untethered to the watch or a plan, and to run at harder efforts but not a specific pace.

Bennies = Stress-free workout that improves mind-body awareness, mental strength, and stamina.

Tempo Workouts are like an Oreo cookie, with the warmup and cooldown as the cookie, and a run at an effort at or slightly above your anaerobic threshold (the place where your body shifts to using more glycogen for energy) as the filling. This is the effort level just outside your comfort zone—you can hear your breathing, but you're not gasping for air. If you can talk easily, you’re not in the tempo zone, and if you can’t talk at all, you’re above the zone. It should be at an effort somewhere in the middle, so you can talk in broken words. Pace is not an effective means for running a tempo workout, as there are many variables that can affect pace including heat, wind, fatigue, and terrain. Learn how to find your threshold and run a tempo workout that is spot on every time here.

Bennies = Increased lactate threshold to run faster at easier effort levels. Improves focus, race simulation, and mental strength.

Interval Workouts are short, intense efforts followed by equal or slightly longer recovery time. For example, after a warmup, run two minutes at a hard effort, followed by two to three minutes of easy jogging or walking to catch your breath. Unlike tempo workouts, you’re running above your red line and at an effort where you are reaching hard for air and counting the seconds until you can stop—a controlled fast effort followed by a truly easy jog. The secret is in the recovery as patience and discipline while you’re running easy allows you to run the next interval strong and finish the entire workout fatigued but not completely spent. Just like rest, your body adapts and gets stronger in the recovery mode.

Bennies = Improved running form and economy, endurance, mind-body coordination, motivation, and fat-burning.

Happy Trails

http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/whats-difference-between-...

I like that rule. That's the first I've seen it. Thank you for sharing.

If you want an interesting conversation, ask Randi about how far a "swim mile" is!

Haha, think you are so funny smartypants! Yes, we had a debate about it because it seems that a mile swim in a pool is considered 1650 yards while an OWS mile is 1760 yards. When a triathlon says mile swim, it is 1760 yards.

But if we're swimming, why don't we swim a nautical mile?

It's because of people like me who mix and match units. 1.5K ~ 1650 yards ~ .93 mi. If only we would just switch to metric...

Strength and run yesterday, swim today. It's almost the weekend!

Good cpl nights of training, had to readjust my schedule to accommodate this stupid weather but still on track. Swam an 800 last night and it felt good, was tiring but not exhausting and as I continue to build distance I begin to build confidence. Have a brick work out tonight, Bike 40mins aerobic effort then run 10 with negative split. I'm annoyed with myself because I recently sold my treadmill but now that I am finally moving forward and committed to this workout it would be VERY helpful to have so I could do my run and bike bricks at home on my trainer instead of the crappy fitness bikes at the gym. Oh well live and learn! So TGIF hope everyone has a good and active weekend!

I will break the swim debate. Its 1 triathlon mile .

Today at lunch I was feeling bad and did only 2.6 miles They might have needed the the trendmill for there class as other people walked in and took the ones they were using.

Now instead of getting tired at 3.8 mph I can do about 4.3 for most of it. I pushed it to 4.5 but I had to back off to 4.0 a bit because of it. My minimum goal is to make 4.5 my all day cruising weight. Spring marathon might be out just because its too big of a mountain to climb but maybe half might be doable. Either way I want to go to do this local one (it has both options) in May. I signed up last 2 years but because of mono and then Gallbladder Disease I had to miss it.

Do it as a team, I did the bike leg for a cpl years with a team before I decided to go it out on my own. You can usually do a 2 person team as well so if there is 1 piece that is a killer for you like the bike or swim get someone to do that piece and you do the rest. Good way to get involved and have the experience but not have to stress about being able to do the whole thing yourself!

Happy Saturday! Another weekend of bad weather forecast here in NJ. We're supposed to get more snow and frigid temps. So, this pushes my training indoors. I have a 45 min run for today and 120 minutes tomorrow. That's a lot of dreadmill time!

What's your plan for the weekend?

CT has the same dreary outlook, so headed to gym for 30 mins on tread the pool tomorrow. As much as I love winter and snow, let the spring come!!!! Have a great weekend everyone!