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Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED (Page 80)
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 2011-03-09 1:59 PM in reply to: #3390317 |
Master  2236    Denison Texas |  Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSEDaugeremt - 2011-03-09 12:32 PM Jeff, WOW! You're handy. That trailer looks like it's coming together very nicely. Kasia "If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy" We survived the meeting today employed. One employee laid off, we all agreed to take a 3% pay cut and gave up 3 days paid time off. But less is better than none. I may need a second job though between gas prices and pay cuts |
| 2011-03-09 2:12 PM in reply to: #3390154 |
| Member 179 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED Steve, Thanks for the analysis. As for the plan, I went to Beginner Tri and picked the half iron plan. It asked when the race was and so I said June 12 (since that its the HI). I figured that if I followed that plan then I would be ok for the OLY's. There was a tab that asked about level of difficulty but I did not understand how it worked so I ignored it. I get an email nightly and I check out what the specifics of the workout are on line at BT. Since I don't actually know what I am doing, and since I have done 4 triathlons not knowing what I was doing, I figured that some guide would be good. I have a lot of holes in the actual training since I don't always have the time. I must say that a more gradual approach seems more reasonable. I figure that swimming is always a good thing since it is not so hard on the joints and it allows you to burn calories. But Wolfgang (see what you started I'm still confused about weights but the BT plan spells out what they think you should be doing. I ride my bike in the basement and I find that 1 hour to 1:20 minutes is very doable. Should I be doing intervals on these rides? It is hard to get my heart rate up on the bike. I did my planned ride at lunch time today and tried to concentrate on cadence. I think I have ADD because it is hard to keep focusing on cadence. After a few minutes I am back of 80-85 when the plan says that I should be trying to keep at 105 for 25 minutes. Now that is hard!!!! It is actually hard to keep at 90 which I think is a good target. Sorry this is rambling, I'll stop now. There is just so much to consider. When I first started this triathlon stuff I thought that you swam for a while, you ride your bike for a while and then you run. What is the big deal? Now I know. If you want to get better ( and I only mean a little better) you have to pay attention to what you are doing. Thanks for listening. Ellen
?? ? |
) has me thinking that I really need to concentrate on form more than just doing more yards. It gives me something to think about while I am watching the line on the bottom of the pool. | 2011-03-09 3:05 PM in reply to: #3256772 |
Extreme Veteran 371 Mobile | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED Ok another question... When I did road riding back in the day I was told when pushing down on the pedal on one foot, the other should be pulling up. I guess that is still the same technique. If so then Im on the right track and just need to work on doing it. The last 2 months I have been in the gym riding the gym bike that does not have straps or clipless so all I could do was just puch down. |
| 2011-03-09 3:31 PM in reply to: #3390666 |
Master 2236 Denison Texas | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED gdsemiller - 2011-03-09 3:05 PM Ok another question... When I did road riding back in the day I was told when pushing down on the pedal on one foot, the other should be pulling up. I guess that is still the same technique.
Think "circles" vs push down/pull up. You will smooth out your spin considerably |
| 2011-03-09 4:18 PM in reply to: #3390717 |
Champion 10618  | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED KASIA - Oh, those secrets you have kept from me! I had no idea you were an avowed Red Sox hater; how do we move forward from this?!?  Well, thank you anyhow for Adrian Gonzalez! If he is fully healthy, he should pepper the Green Monster but good! |
| 2011-03-09 4:42 PM in reply to: #3390534 |
Champion 10618 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED Ellen - Please don't drift away, as I will be making a few posts to you over the next day or so! Future topics (in no particular order) will be that bicycling cadence and high elbows, both above and below the water. But first -- The thing about swimming a while and biking a while and then running a while becomes a big deal when the races are tough ones -- such as you've chosen at the start of your tri career! The good news for you is that you have survived a couple of baptisms of fire in the form of Columbia, and not only have you kept ticking but you have decided to come back for more. That tells me that you're a pretty tough cookie (or a masochist....but I'll stick with the tough cookie image! I have done maybe 25 different olys, and NONE of them is as difficult as Columbia. The bike has ample challenges, and, well, you know that run. Think Sixth Circle of Hades, and that's pretty close! As for Eagleman, the only thing it gives you is flat. But when the wind is howling and/or the sun is scorching, it can be a very unpleasant course. And thta's what comes after the swim, which has the current to deal with and, when you did it last June, water warm enough to prevent wetsuits. I'm a galss-half-full type of person, so I think those tough aspects have benefits that outweight the negatives, the main one for you being that you haven't allowed yourself time to really eeeeeeaaaase into triathlon. The sum effect of this is that some of those elements become bigger deals just because of the races you are training for. You have done nothing wrong, and Columbia in particular makes a point of acknowledging and honoring people who are doing it as their first race, so you've got lots of solid company! I will say that Columbia can reward people who stick with it for a few go-arounds. The challenging hills can be conquered (or at least attacked more successfully) with each subsequent ride or run of them. so I'm sure it will not seem so aruous for you this year as it likely was last year. As for Eagleman, how one does is so weather-dependent that it's tough to say that it rewards repeat visitors. And then again, it's a half-iron, and the nutritional tricks kick in and can either make or break a day. And when the nutritionals have to be factored into a hot day there, then all bets for improvement are off. (And yet, someone from my first mentor group set a PR there last June!) Doing Columbia and Eagleamn and Nation's ARE pretty big deals, but they are certainly doable -- as you so clearly showed last year. Don't let the big-dealedness of them intimidate you, and as for your training plan.......let's work on that some. To wit........... |
| 2011-03-09 4:56 PM in reply to: #3390837 |
Champion 10618 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED ELLEN again - As for that training plan...... I hate to be a noodge again, but I'm also going to take issue with you riding at a cadence of 105 for 25 minutes. You're right -- that is difficult! It's difficult enough that I couldn't do it without a massive effort and a fair bit of misery. I could pull it off outside.....on a flat route.....with minimal (make that no) wind.......maybe. In fact, I think I will try it tonight and see how far I get! It's an odd requirement, given Columbia and Eagleman. On Columbia, I can't think of any even one-mile stretch where going at a cadence of 105 is feasible, and the only benefit I think it has is limited to a minute or two on one of the doiwnhills that is followed by a flat that leads to another climb, where it might help to slingshot you onto the lower slopes. But spinning at 105 at Columbia is not something this cat would do! As for Eagleman, it's been seven years since I last did it, but flat is flat is flat, and for a course like that I would be pushing a relative big gear, hard. I would be in my big ring up front and my 12 0r 13 or 14 cog in back, and trying to access some decent power. I would be looking at a cadence of 88-94, maybe, but not going wild with a afst spin, which is what Isee 105 as being. Were I to do that in my basement on my trainer, I would not be in my big ring, I'm sure of that. I mean, I could be, but unless I'm mistaken that would make for a much more difficult 25 minutes. (Can you say "sufferfest"?) So, I'm thinking that doing 105 for 25' wouldn't help me at Eagleman, because it's not a strategy I would use in a gearing I would choose. I will add that I sya this semi-speculatively, as I can't go outside and try this stuff out. It's funny that when I am on my bike I know almost intuitievely by now what to do, but when I'm not on it nothing is qyuite so clear. But I WILL get on tonight and see how I feel after a few minutes of doing 105!  I tried a while ago to get to the Gold HIM plans, but either my machine was balky or the site was palying hard-to-get. I will keep trying and see if I can figure out exactly what your plan is. |
| 2011-03-09 5:09 PM in reply to: #3390860 |
Champion 10618 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED Ellen once more - There will be two parts to high elbows; this part will be easiest. Some would see that high elbows out of the water (during the recovery phase, that is) are essential, and there are a couple of arguments to be made about this: (1) When you swim in rough water, the high elbows allow your stroke to not get mired in the high swells. (2) Learning a high elbow recovery means that your arm and shoulder are relatively relaxed - that's why that part of the stroke cycle is known as "recovery". (3) When done correctly, it can put your hand in a good position to plunge into the water at the end of this phase. Those are vaild, but ultimately they don't really help one swim faster. I have done all those triathlons, and only once or twice have I been benefitted by a high elbow working its way around rough water. (Granted there have been many more times in training, but that's partly due to all the open water swimming I do, and the bdy of water I chosoe to do it in, which can be very rough.) And, really, when your arm is out of the water it is doing nothing to help with your forward propulsion. So to think that a high elbowed recovery helps one swim better, well, I just think that's grossly over-stated. I have read in numerous places that expert swimmers have recovery phases that are all over the place, and I believe that completely. Some will be high, some will sweep wide, some will skim right over the surface. (In fact, that's my preferred method, figuring that the fastest one between two points is a stright line, and so I try to keep my arm and hand as clsoe top the water as I can while recovering.) Having siad all that, I almost always do a length or two of fingertip drag every swim session. Why? Well, just because it feels good, and because he gives me a keen sense of the water (just by skimming the surface with the fingertips), and becasue I think there is something to be said for having the arm relatively relaxed during the recovery. Does any of that make sense? I will try VERY hard to get back to you tomorrow morning about high elbows on the catch and pull phases! |
| 2011-03-09 5:32 PM in reply to: #3390502 |
Veteran 358 Taoyuan, Taiwan | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED Av8rTx - 2011-03-10 2:59 AM augeremt - 2011-03-09 12:32 PM Jeff, WOW! You're handy. That trailer looks like it's coming together very nicely. Kasia "If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy" We survived the meeting today employed. One employee laid off, we all agreed to take a 3% pay cut and gave up 3 days paid time off. But less is better than none. I may need a second job though between gas prices and pay cuts
Red Green? |
| 2011-03-09 5:36 PM in reply to: #3390666 |
Champion 10618 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED GEORGE - Jeff advised thinking about spinning "circles", and I have mentioned that her previously. The Holy Grail of cycling is having a smooth even pedal stroke, and while this sounds simple in theory it is difficult in practice. But I will move form the difficulty of pedaling efficiently to the topic of pulling up and pushing down. This can be complicated, so I will try to be breif here and just provide a couple of key concepts. The idea of pulling the pedal up on the upstroke is mostly erroneous, especially since factors such as weighht of the foot and leg, combined with crentrifugal force, work to still applying a degree of downward pressure! So, from about 6 to 8 o'clock on your pedal circle, it might help you to imagine that you are scraping mud off your shoe, or maybe like an animal pawing the ground. When these activities are done, the heel leaves the ground before the toes do, and that's what your foot should be doing on the upstroke -- heel higher than toes. Then from about 1 o'clock to 4 o'clock the heel is lowered and the sensation is one of the foot sliding forward in the shoe. This is the part of the cycle in which greatest force is applied.....butnit's not necassarily pushing down, just as the other part is not exactly pulling up. To push down too hard on the pedals on the downstroke is what is known as "mashing", and it is neither energy-effeicient nor especially speed-producing. This might all seem like semantics to you, but if you work at neither pushing down nor pulling up, per se, your pedal strokes wil be much more efficient. So, your heel is down from about 1-4 o'clock, and up from 5-12 --- give or take. It is at its g=highest at about 10 or 11, and at it's lowest at around 2 to 3. And while you aim to get your heel cooperative enough to flex up and down (which is subtle) per the above, focus on keeping your pedal stroke as evem and smooth as possible. This WILL NOT happen overnight, and even in my days on a CompuTrainer, which was after several years of serious and fairly proficient cycling, the SpinScan feature would clearly shoe that my pedal stroke was not at all even. (And, damn, I coulda sworn it was!!) Please let me know if any if the above made sense to you, okay? |
| 2011-03-09 5:39 PM in reply to: #3390284 |
Veteran 358 Taoyuan, Taiwan | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED augeremt - 2011-03-10 1:17 AM DuncanQH - 2011-03-03 7:48 AM Haha... my Monday evening private lesson just requested 3 extra classes in March (he's preparing for a speech competition) and paid in advance for the month... 300 USD... so next Wednesday my bike is coming home with me.  Duncan! The bike gods must've been smiling down on you. It's now next Wednesday, so I hope to see some pictures when I get to the most recent page of this thread. Sometimes being late to the party is in my favor. I hear about something and there's no waiting period to actually see it...kind of like watching a TV show after it came out on DVD instead of waiting a week for the next new episode in anticipation. Kasia
Not quite yet... my mother in laws B-day interfered with getting the bike last night. The shop is closed today, much to my dismay (But, good news, it's raining this morning so I probably couldn't have gone for a ride anyway!!!) Tomorrow (Friday) I have a private lesson from 7 ~ 8:30, and I'll be leaving that RIGHT ON TIME to get to the bike shop. I asked the guy NOT to put the bike together until I get there, as I would like to learn some of the basics. Then, I'll have him take me through changing a flat and other essentials. Luckily, they are open 'til 10, so I should have lots of time. Then, maybe a quick evening ride, with a longer ride on either Saturday or Sunday. And worry not, the camera will be a snapping. |
| 2011-03-09 6:18 PM in reply to: #3256772 |
Veteran 244 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED George, Check out the below link. I used this to help refine my stroke in my early racing days. It help out a lot. hope it helps you.
http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/perfect-pedal-stroke |
| 2011-03-09 8:38 PM in reply to: #3390878 |
| Member 179 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED Steve, I know you are right about following the plan without any consideration of what kind of sense it makes. I did go to the gym and rode today but I did 20 miles for an hour and then went to the treadmill for 1 mile. I read in Triathlete Mag (either Andy Potts or Tim DeBoom) said that the best thing to do is to ride for 45 minutes and then so 20 minutes on the treadmill. That makes sense to me. I think that the worse part of any race is getting off the bike and starting the run. I always feel like I am going straight up and down and not moving forward. I am going to modify the plan to a more reasonable level of effort. I need to work on technique more than putting in hours of just going through the motions. I figured out what I want to do in terms of time at Eagleman (since I know I can improve in all categories, if I work at it). I actually have very modest expectations but last year was my first, I was undertrained, I swam all over the place and I never expected the heat. The best part was that the race is really well supported (they had Gatorade Slurpees). However, it was easy to walk on the run cause it was so dang hot. I'm rambling again. I am usually more coherent, oh well. Since I did not swim today, I will try for tomorrow and work on my elbows. I never knew elbows could be such an issue. It's good to have something to focus on. I'll let you know what I find out. Ellen |
| 2011-03-09 8:40 PM in reply to: #3390973 |
| Member 179 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED George, Great link. I think that was what Steve was describing. Thanks. Ellen |
| 2011-03-09 8:51 PM in reply to: #3256772 |
Veteran 244 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED How do you guys motivate yourselves to work out your core? I know I need to work on it but I can never get myself to do it. |
| 2011-03-09 9:06 PM in reply to: #3390860 |
| Member 179 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED Steve, I tried to put the link to my plan into a response but I can not figure out how. I'll keep trying. Ellen |
| 2011-03-09 10:15 PM in reply to: #3256772 |
Elite 3067 Cheesehead, WI | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED Page 100 !! wow! I've been MIA lately but wanted to pop in to say HI! More later.... but as always, happy and safe training! |
| 2011-03-09 11:01 PM in reply to: #3256772 |
Veteran 487 McFarland, WI | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED The paddles were interesting. I used the Finis Freestyler paddles. Definitely good for working on strength and form. If I got sloppy with my form, the paddles went all haywire. No problems with my shoulder at all but I only did 350 with the paddles. Friday's swim workout will be interesting to say the least (35 X 50, all with paddles). Steve-any suggestions on easing back into outside running? Not so sure my first run outside should be my long run on Saturday. |
| 2011-03-09 11:08 PM in reply to: #3391157 |
Veteran 487 McFarland, WI | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED LycraCladChamp - 2011-03-09 8:51 PM How do you guys motivate yourselves to work out your core? I know I need to work on it but I can never get myself to do it. I am so with you on core workouts. I did find a relatively simple and quick one that may work for you. I try to do core 2x/week but it sure doesn't seem to happen. I think quick and effective is the way to go! http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7124,s6-238-263-266-13030-0,00.html |
| 2011-03-10 5:35 AM in reply to: #3256772 |
Veteran 358 Taoyuan, Taiwan | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED Steve I have a bit of a strange / lazy request. Some of the articles that people are posting here are good reads, and something that is useful to read again a week / month / year later. My biggest problem is I use about 4 computers on an almost daily basis, so bookmarking doesn't always help me find it when I want it. However, this could also help others. When people post a useful link, could you copy it, and edit your original post that started this thread. Then, anytime one of us wanted to find useful links, they are on the first page, first post, and we don't have to wade through 100!!! (Wow) pages of posts. Just an idea. |
| 2011-03-10 5:36 AM in reply to: #3390973 |
Veteran 358 Taoyuan, Taiwan | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED LycraCladChamp - 2011-03-10 7:18 AM George, Check out the below link. I used this to help refine my stroke in my early racing days. It help out a lot. hope it helps you.
http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/perfect-pedal-stroke Interesting... between this, and Steves post (which was very similar) I guess I have something to think about (along with "remember to clip out, remember to clip out, remember to clip out) when I get my new machine! |
| 2011-03-10 5:37 AM in reply to: #3391238 |
Veteran 358 Taoyuan, Taiwan | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED retiretotri - 2011-03-10 12:08 PM LycraCladChamp - 2011-03-09 8:51 PM How do you guys motivate yourselves to work out your core? I know I need to work on it but I can never get myself to do it. I am so with you on core workouts. I did find a relatively simple and quick one that may work for you. I try to do core 2x/week but it sure doesn't seem to happen. I think quick and effective is the way to go! http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7124,s6-238-263-266-13030-0,00.html Hmmmm, I like this one. I am doing a core workout from Mens Health Magazine at the moment... usually about 2 ~ 3 times a week. Maybe I will incoperate some of these exercises into it. Thanks! |
| 2011-03-10 8:31 AM in reply to: #3390973 |
Champion 10618 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED DANIEL - Thank you very much for posting the link to that article. The illustarion is SO much better than my clutzy attemtp to refer to it as positions on a clock! I have seen illustrations that show about 7 or 8 fot positions on a circle. I suspect these were from Joel Friel, and I should go to his website to see if he has a picture posted there. I'm sure I have seen it in "The Triathlete's Training Bible", but my copy has gone missing. As for the core discuipline, I'm glad others are chiming in. I think I told you a couple of weeks ago that I am lazy about working on my core, and since then I'm sorry to say that things haven't changed for me. I think I should look at the suggestions from Lori and Duncan, too! |
| 2011-03-10 8:35 AM in reply to: #3391295 |
Champion 10618 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED DUNCAN - From my perch here on the lowest branch of the computer-savvy tree, I think your suggestion is a good one. I have to honestly say that I don't entirely understand it......but the snippets I can grasp seem to resonate! When Lynn rteurns from Australia, I will get her to look at it and try to explain it to me. That is, if I can rmember where it appeared on these pages!  (That might be easy in this case, as I think the next post will be the 2000th here!) |
| 2011-03-10 8:37 AM in reply to: #3391543 |
Champion 10618 | Subject: RE: Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED ELLEN - Ha! I haven't had any success getting to those plans, either. You'll try at your end, I'll try at my end, and eventually maybe we'll pound it that Golden Spike of shared knowledge! Onwards to high elbows! |
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