Asphalt Junkies CLOSED AND GETTING OUR FIX (Page 84)

bswcpa - 2012-07-13 9:41 PM Busy group the last few days and I've just now caught up on reading. You'll be proud of me, Warren because it seems I've done nothing but train the last few days trying to get my miles in for the TdF challenge. I'm also looking at a possible 140.6 in 9 weeks. I don't know if I'm crazy to try, but my friend, Karen, wanted to do an IM this year but can't afford the fee and travel costs so her hubby is designing a home course and she asked if I and another friend wanted to do the 140.6 with her. I've been mulling it over and talked to my hubby who gave his blessing. Karen's hubby (who is also my daughter's track coach) is no stranger to IM events - he still holds the Vineman 140.6 course record of 8:50:43 in 1997 and has raced Kona multiple times. I know the course will be well thought out. I'm not totally committed yet but it sure sounds fun and low-key to be able to get a 140.6 sticker if I can do the distance. The most exciting thing would be having my family be support/aid stations along the way. As I said, I'm still mulling it over because I don't know if I can do it on limited training and I'm fearful I'll fail. I know I've built a great base for 6 years but don't know if it's sufficient to see me through a very long day. It wouldn't be a matter of racing the distance, but rather just doing the distance. Thanks for letting me ramble. I'm exhausted from my long brick today and need sleep so I'll stop. Good luck to racers this weekend! Keep on moving forward, the rest of you.

Brenda I think this a really cool idea, what better way to find out if you could really do an IM? It would be a great way to do it without all the pressure and cost of the actual event although 8 weeks isn't alot of time to prepare. I also agree with Drik if you decide to do this I am not sure how you'd be able to do the Rev3 Cedar Point race. You'd pretty much have to pick one or other. Either way let us know if you decide to do it.

I got the low down on my bike. The part was ordered but looks like the earliest I will get is Thursday but more likely it will be Friday or Saturday. Better to have it happen now then the week I really need it.

Well another note I did manage to get a 12 mile run in this afternoon. I really did not want to do it and knew I needed to get a long run in this week so as Warren would say I HTFU and got myself out the door. It was a rough first 4 miles even though I was running at an easy pace. It was hot and I did not seem to have any legs today. Things got better for the next 6 miles and I ran pretty well but those last two miles especially the last one I basically had to will myself to finish. Now this may sound sadistic but I really love workouts like this. You know we all have them and they are not particularly fun when you are in the moment and you just want to quit and call it a day but there is always great satisfaction when you can push through it, keep moving and finish up. As much as I wanted to quit I just knew that I could keep going and finish it out which I think is important. While I know I am much stronger and in better shape this year than last year I am also much stronger mentally. Today's run was not my best but I think it was great mental training for me. I know that I am going to feel like this at times during a race and it is reassuring to know that I can fight through it when I need to.

Stan sorry to hear that you are unable to do this Tri. It sounds like you had your heart set on doing this one and really put in the work and effort to prepare for it. While I can feel your disappointment hopefully you can take that hard work and effort and focus on your next upcoming race.

These kind of WO's are just you said, really good for mental training.  I absolutely hate when these things are going on but after they are over it provides a glimpse into the world of what your mind can accomplish when you won't allow your body to run your mind.  Warren likes to say that I have the mental part of racing down, and if he is correct (I'll allow others to make that judgment), then I believe the very WO you are speaking of is why I can perform when my body screams to quit.

I also think that during races and training to a degree you need to train for a purpose or a cause.  For my first marathon I ran for the Marines in the family and other service members that are willing to place their live on the line.  During the brutality of that race I reminded myself of them and what they do.  Because of this I was able to brutalize myself for the last 4-6 miles because I was thinking of them.

Run, train and race for a purpose.  Find a cause just as Jonathon did recently.  Allow those thought to invade your mind during the battle within yourself.

It sounds like a great run Tony and a solid effort.  Great job!

Matt congrats on the great finishes for both the 5K and the Oly tri. Those are both great times and it must have been pretty nice to get the 3rd place finish in your AG for the 5K. Sounds like you are having a great weekend glad to hear it.

Sounds like a pretty awesome weekend of racing and great family time.  There's nothing like combining the 2 for a full weekend of activities. 

It doesn't sound like you slowed down at all for the Oly today and when your getting ready for a HIM in 6 weeks that probably a good idea.  You had a pretty impressive weekend full of PR's and placements.  Congratulations!

Great races everyone!

I had a good 83 mile group ride yesterday after work. My legs are a little tired from the TdF challenge, but nothing major.

So last night was date night w/ the wife (have one every week) and when I woke up this morning it feels like I pulled a glute muscle. At first I thought it might be training related, but I felt good all day/night. No pain at all. But this morning...  Of all the ways to pull a muscle. LOL

Anyway, going to lay off the bike today (except to and from work) and see how it feels tomorrow. I hope it isn't anything major.

Great races everyone, and congrats on the bling Matt.

Stan, TMI - I got a nice chuckle out of that, just don't let it interfere with the training!  Seriously, awesome that you do a weekly date night.

Ha ha ha, same thing I was thinking . That really is a good idea about date night. My husband and I really need to do that. My kids can't stand to let my husband and I even carry on a conversation - they think they need ALL the attention ALL the time.

Sounds like a really great weekend! I'm impressed how much you can race and always perform so well. Great job!

Hopefully things will work out for the muscle thing but I have to say TMI as the others have said.

The date night thing with your wife is something that Lis and I have done for some time.  For a while we were able to get our date nights in on Friday morning and afternoons while the kids were in school and since I don't typically have to work on Friday's.  We seemed to always find the time to do that once the girls were in school. 

Dina, maybe you and your husband could appropriate some time similar to that in the coming years.  I know all too well how your life feels right now.  For the first 5-6 years of our girls lives we didn't do ANYTHING together without the girls.  All of our family's live in Ohio and we were somewhat left on our own to find babysitting but had no connections outside of work and Lis wasn't going to let many people watch the girls at that age.

Sorry about the TMI, but I guess I could have lied and said I was on a brutal 5 mile - 3,000ft climb and I pulled it. LOL

Ya date night is really important with my work and training schedule. Time has to made for each other to keep the life in tune. Even if just means going to the movies or a picnic at the beach.

So, I tried to get out and ride after work to see how bad the pull is. As long as I keep the mileage on the flats, there isn't too much discomfort, but if I hit any climbs, it's all over. Walking/running is the worse! So, it looks like I need to keep my bike rides on flats (which isn't easy in the mountains).

I'll be seeing my PT this afternoon to see if there is anything to do about it to speed up the healing process.

Hopefully this is something that you get past quickly.  Good luck.

Totally agree on the date night discussion.  We've been trying to do at least every other week since the first boy was born 15 years ago.  Oddly, we were very consistent when they were younger but hadn't been so consistent the last few years until recently.

On the training front, I started really hitting the hills the last month on the bike.  Jonathan got me started with that climbfest, and I haven't looked back.  I did a TT this morning that I've been doing since I started riding a few years ago.  This is a course the people from my previous job would would race once a week, and happens to within a mile of my house, so I've done it a TON.  My previous PR was a 43:23 during a race, and I typically hit about 44:15-44:45 on my own.  This morning was 41:49!  Wow, all the hill riding seems to be working for me.

Just to continue this theme, I had the same experience Saturday morning when I met my daughter and a local triathlon club for their brick workout.  I arrived late and had to meet Jordan on the course (out and back).  Once I met her I continued on 2-3 more miles before turning around and trying to catch her.  BTW, this ride was on a great parkway with low speed limits and no intersections for hundreds of miles.  So I used my Tri bike (that's about the only location I feel it's safe to ride that thing).  So I got 21 miles in, then she and I did a 5 mile run.  Did I say that she had done 30 miles?

It was her first brick!  She hated the first mile, just like I said she would, then she felt good, just like I said she would.

And then I had to stay after school in detention, for being late: I did another 20 miles on the TT bike.  So 41 miles that day which is the most time I've spent on that bike and it felt just fine.

Now for the tie-in with this line of discussion...The entire time we were being rained on.  There were at least 3 times during my workout that the rain came down so hard as to pool on the road and make it nearly impossible to open my eyes to see forward, but there was something really cool about 30mph in the driving rain!

And I can't tell you how proud I am of my daughter for taking it like a soldier.

Plus I saw deer (almost ran them over, had to yell to scare them out of the road), a whole 'flock' of Turkeys, and a skunk (15 feet away).  Loads of wildlife out there.

TMI?  What are you all talking about?  So the guy pulled a muscle going to the restaurant?!?!?  Getting out of a car and pulling a glute happens, don't hate on the guy!

Here is a Race Report for your reading pleasure.  I tried to get as much detail as possible but I really cant remember what happens during a race, something about lack of oxygen to the brain leads to memory loss

Dirk/Jeff:  You guys are crazy for riding in heavy down pours>  When I ride I always look for the closest area to take cover if things go south.  Always figured I would rely on a strangers kindness to let me sit under a garage or something.  but now that you 2 have taken the hardcore route I may just have to suck it up if I get caught out in the rain.

Matt - Great race man, and great job adapting to having no data. You have to wonder whether having the data of the garmin would have caused you to over-pace and go slower :-P

Dirk & Jeff - Riding in the rain is awesome, if sometimes painful. I'd welcome a storm on some of my more humid rides to cool it off and rinse me down!

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Personal training stuff - I've got plenty of workouts in over the last week (finally), although my bike volume is still lacking due to time constraints (seems like I can only really get an hour and a half for a ride...). HIM is still two and a half months away, and I'm planning to complete the distance, but getting a little concerned about the volume since I've never done over 30 miles straight on the bike.

Couple of quick questions though (on random topics).

- Does learning other strokes help your swimming, aside from making you more comfortable in the water? My thought is that break control transfers, but do the other strokes (breast, back and fly) work complimentary muscles that help your freestyle stamina/speed?

- What should we do differently when its hot out to prepare and recover from a workout? Obviously hydration is very important, but I find I'm more tired after running/biking in the heat than when it's nice out, even if I run slowly (more slowly than normal).

- Do frequent short rides help develop bike fitness - like 5-10 miles and about 30 minutes. I feel like they'd have the same effect as short runs, but since biking carries less risk for injury it would be better to get a longer and more intense ride in.

Thats it for now!

I'm with Matt that I'll usually set the trainer up if the rain is coming down hard, though I've been caught out in some nasty downpours this year.  For me it's more of a safety thing as most of the roads I ride are shoulder-less so you're completely sharing with drivers, and I think in heavy rains the visibility for drivers is less and I worry about them more.

But it's important to at least be out a few times in rain since race day could bring rain and it's nice to have the confidence that you've been out in that environment before.

I think short rides can help, albeit less ideal than longer rides.  If you only have 30 minutes, I'd say warm up for 10 of that, and then really work your butt off for 15, then cool down for 5.  That 15 could be climbing (for strength), or some (nearly) all out intervals.  Maybe like 30 seconds all out with 1:30 rest, or something like that.  There is evidence that pushing your top end does have some trickle down fitness benefit for all your systems.  You could also use some of the time to practice high cadence pedaling to get your stroke smoother.

I'd highly recommend not skipping the warmup.  Get your muscles good and ready before hammering.  I know being warmed up is important for a hard effort, but I have been amazed at how long/hard the Tour guys warm up before their TT rides.

In my opinion...

If you're short on time, I think the best way to make the most of your time is to practice freestyle, as opposed to other strokes... and "they" also say drills are good use of your time.  (I say "they" since I know I should be doing drills, but don't. )  It would probably be the equivalent of should you strength train.  Sure, it could help, but if you are already straining to find time, you're probably better off doing the actual discipline/style itself.

I can't really offer any hot weather tips other than what you've mentioned.  I just make sure that I take in water every now and then during the run/bike if it's hot out.  (My rides/run are generally less than an hour or thereabouts, and I usually don't take in any water if it's cool.)  After coming back from the heat, I tend to drink multiple glasses of water immediately... and even then I don't think it's enough, so I make the conscious decision to have the glass of water by my side for the rest of the day/evening. 

I've had a pretty good last couple of training weeks!  For the most part, I've been keeping up with the schedule I created for myself, although I have been making some modifications, etc. at times.  But overall, I'm pretty happy.  Although, the swimming!  That's still the one part I feel I'm lacking.    Oh well.  I've also been making stretching a priority, and I do think that's helping the hip situation.

Also, we did find out about the Jeep contest that you all were so awesome to vote for... it went to someone else, but like I said before, it was a good experience, and we hope to build from it!