GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 88)

SteveB,

Yowzers on the schedule!! Do you ever slow down and maybe rest???

Serendipity is about right. I'm always looking for some good car books and some that are out of print. Stumbled upon Fitz's and wasn't going to let it go!! Soon once I set my early race schedule, I will have to have a look at what plan I want to do. The structure would probably help me to some extent.

I'm not sure how much 'going long' I'll be doing. At this point I believe if I can get to the point of being able to run 13 miles then a HIM is do-able. As for doing a HIM 'fast', that's a topic for another day.

Well I at least (and more like all of us here), appreciate you taking time away from serious training to spend it with us. You've been a great mentor and inspiration!

Less than bionic? I don't believe it!!

Long run went well for a total of an hour with a 5 minute walk break in the middle. Total distance of 6.4 miles in 75 minutes. Everything feels good!!

Kasia,

How's the bike shopping going???

Since the weather was crappy here yesterday I went for a looksie at one of my local shops. I know what I'd be getting if I had $1500 or so sitting around with nothing to do!

I have my fingers crossed as there is a 2007 Felt Z80 on a local craigslist site for half of retail. This is slightly amazing since most people selling used road bikes on craigslist seem to think they only depreciate about 5% per year. Then once they hit 15-20 years old somehow their value starts going up again....

My bad, having some internet issues and ended up with a double post...

Edited by smarx 2010-03-14 3:58 PM

Hi all-

I am back from Baxter Park - my last trip in there and the weather was phenomenal.  We walked in, it wasn't ski-able.  But still, it was a nice 6 miles with a few dicey pond crossings.  I wish I could post a picture here easier, but tomorrow I will do a report on my blog if anyone is interested.

Holy cow, I have some catching up to do - but I must say - STEVE - you are taking it easy this year with three possible schedules of 10 races each?  Ha, that is awesome.  I vote for Schedule A because that means you will be at Timberman! Yeah.    Hope all is well. 

And STEVE A - great news on your foot and knee!

That is as far as I have read.  More later! 

Cheers,

Mandy

I hear you Steve!

By the way, don't worry about making an appearance at the expo. I totally understand!

Tracey

Edited by midlifeinsanity 2010-03-14 7:40 PM

Steve,

Amazing schedule you have there! Decisions decisions for you...

Hi Steve
I'm in week 3 of the 16 week plan. I was able to time it so it ends with my first A race of the year on 6/13. My only dilemma is that there are 2 races that weekend and I'm interested in both. One is called Trinona-Battle for the Bluff (http://www.trinona.com) and the other is the premier Iowa race, Hy-Vee Triathlon (http://www.hy-veetriathlon.com). Both are Olympics. The Trinona race has a HUGE (for me at least) hill, a mile+ long at 9% grade. I'm intimidated and intrigued at the same time. I have some locals tri friends who have don the Hy-Vee race and they say it's great. I'll probably opt for Trinona mainly because it is less money, so if somethings happens and I have to cancel at the last minute I won't be out as much.
Had a great day out on the run. It was sunny, but a brisk north wind kept it cool enough to require a couple layers. I was glad to see I was able to maintain my 'base pace' on an outdoor run, w/o the aid of the treadmill.
Hope everyone else was able to get outside today.
Mark

Edited by midlifeinsanity 2010-05-24 9:48 PM

M - Sounds like a beautiful trip! Please send some pictures

Shaun,

Still shopping. I'm 99% sure I'm getting the Trek 2.1, especially since by now I've read up enough to know that the better componentry (I think that's a word) is worth the higher price tag. It just feels so much better and smoother to ride.

There's one more bike (Giant Avail 1) I want to test ride and it just came into the shop yesterday. I'm probably going to check it out tomorrow since it's been raining all day over here, and then finally make a decision. I can't wait!

I totally understand what you're saying about Craigslist. It's crazy what sort of prices people put up on there. Especially with the old bikes. Geez!

Edited by augeremt 2010-03-15 12:22 PM

I've been pretty good following the Level 2 Oly Fitz plans (yay!) and luckily the weather has cooperated enough to be able to consistently train outside. Today is an exception, so I'm going to sit it out and rest a bit because I'm incredibly sore.

I marched with my team in the St. Patty's Day Parade yesterday and we did some lineout lifts during the route (kinda like lifting cheerleaders but grabbing quads and butts instead of feet to get people up) and I'm unbelievably sore. Because of the shoulder issue, I haven't been using my upper body for much lately so I guess doing those all afternoon was kind of a shock for my body. But, as Shaun put it, I'm feeling "Pleasantly uncomfortable, but enjoyable."

Other than that, the training's coming along. I'm improving my swim times, albeit very slowly, and getting out on longer rides. So all is well

Edited by midlifeinsanity 2010-05-24 9:48 PM

ANNE -

Thanks for the thoughts on the HSBC races - much appreciated!

I don't think I need glamor (see below), but I do worry about sameness -- same procedure, same basic t-shirt style (see below), same post-race food. Part of the fun of these is the Forrest Gumpism of not knowing exactly what you'll get with a new race, but that can be offset some by having a known commodity that serves you well -- which is how I view HSBC.

I've done a few, and have probably told you this. Cobourg oly in '07, and I LOVE that bike course! The late Calabogie, Toronto Islands, which became a du the year I did it. Wasaga, also turned into a du the year I did it. Last year, both days of Lakeside I. Everything worked well at those races (well, except wild water causing the two duathlons), and I appreciate that they listen to people and make cahnges, such as eliminating the long beach run that was part of Wasaga '07. But as for Wasaga last year(which I did not do), it's hard to see how they could've mismeasured the run course by as much as they did. Doesn't GPS make that nearly a no-brainer? of course, I don't understand GPS for neither love nor money so I shouldn't be saying a damn thing, but I was very surprised when I read their apology about the run course being so off.

As for glamor, nowadays that comes with a big pricetag, it seems. M-dot races have gotten out of control, and the real tragedy is their younger sibling - the 70.3 races. Only a couple of years ago, a half-iron over $200 was a rarity. Now, every 70.3 race is over that, and many into the $250-$275 range. And of course that has created a sellers' market, and many other half-irons aren't far behind the 70.3s; it makes one pause before hitting "submit" on the registration link!

I used to love the bells and whistles of races like Eagleman and Timberman -- great expos, fine pre- and post-race feasts, lots of pros to ogle at. But at the cost of those races.....and as I have no interest in travelling to Clearwater for the preposterous draft-fest it is.....I'm not sure why I should do those any more. The list of amenities at Timberman is staggering, but seeing as how I don't want a Sunday evening lobster feast, or have kids that can benefit from "Timbercamp", or enjoy fireworks displays, much of that is lost on me.

Further (don't get me started! ), I just hate seeing hard-working race directors get kicked around by the swaggering corporate power of M-dot/70.3. Several very good independent irons and half-irons have died over he past few years, unable to compete with M-dot/70.3. And then the latter engulf some of the survivors, which then cause the fees to be jacked-up overnight. Mooseman is now in that category, as is its two Texas-based siblings -- Lone Star and Longhorn. Both of those have new corporate names, I believe, which is kind of unfortunate. I wrote to Keith Jordan (the RD) about LoneStar, kind of jokingly asking if the race logo would still feature the intrepid little armadillo, and he wrote back saying that it would still be on some of the clothing but that "Some things are out of my hands." I KNOW that Keith will continue producing awesomeaceous races at Timberman, Mooseman, and the two Texas ones.....but I can't help feeling that something has been lost in the process of him aligning with 70.3. On the other hand, I have enough faith in him and his integrity that there must be really good reasons for him to choose this path. It's all so confusing!

There are lots of 70.3 that I would love to do at some point, just because of great courses ---- and the admittedly definite buzz that is at these races. Argh! Added to this is that I can do lots of smaller races........and find that I am the only M60-64. That's always a letdown. But if I go to a 70.3 with its masses of people, then I know I will have many guys in my cohort group, and that's always fun --- even when there are guys there I can never beat!

Detouring back to my original thoughts, or your original thoughts, I will probably avoid casting my lot with HSBC for '10. The sameness is worrisome, as is the too-frequent drives down the 401 (urp!) or across the hinterlands and through the main Algonquin cooridor (ack!) to get to their races on a regular basis. But at some point I do want to do Gravenhurst!!

ANNE again -

Ah! T-shirts! I referrred to t-shirts in the last post with a "see below".....and then in the course of my rambling rant forgot all about it.

ANYHOW, the Trisport t-shirt art has been posted and as usual with them it is a remarkable mixed bag. The teacher in me wants to assign grades, so here it is:
Victoria's: B+
Milton: C+
Guelph 1: C-
Muskoka: B+
Belwood: A-
Peterborough: D-
Niagara: D
Orillia: C
Guelph 2: B+

Random thoughts:
Guelph 1 - blah.
Muskoka - I have no idea what the green thing is supposed to be, but it appealed to me right away. When I showed it to Lynn, however, she said "Stylized Christmas Tree?"
Belwood - Catches my eye
Niagara - Agitates my eye
Orillia - Huh?
Milton - I wish the footprint was proportionately smaller
Guelph 2 - Weird water pattern, and the 2 is too prominent, but overall it works
Victoria's - Like the colors, also approve of the image of the woman

...which leads me to...

Peterborough - Dopey and cartoonish, and were I a woman I wouldn't be keen on wearing it, depicting as it does a guy only.

So many races do this, and it makes me nuts. I mean it's bad enough that so many races are "- man", and even though I have some intuitive grasp of the concept that we are all of the broad realm of huMANity, I still don't know why so many races insist on using that suffix. But then to add to this is the prevalence of male images on t-shirts; why, why, why? A race in PA, Steelman, had a t-shirt a couple of years ago that had three images on it -- a male swimmer, a male cyclist, a male runner; why, why, why?

For a breath of fresh air, go to www.citytri.com and check out the logo for Bassman. He has had that same image for three years now, and I'm sure that women are happier with that on a t-shirt than a picture of some guy. Maybe not, but that's what I think. (Of course, the race is named Bassman, so there is that pesky suffix again!) Also notice the logo for Tuckahoe -- a man AND a woman! Whadaya know! Was that so hard to do? Didn't think so! So.....why do so many race logos feature men only?!?

Goodness, I'm a grumpy old man today, aren't I? Have a good day, and a hope I haven't ruined it for you already!

SHAUN -

Fabulous long run you had! You've come a huge way in just the past month, it seems. You've gotta be very thrilled by your progress!

As for "going long", well, there is no really sound reason to do that. It's just another breed of cat, and I firmly believe that someone is just as much of a triathlete doing sprints only, as someone who does only long stuff, or diversifies, or whatever. It takes markedly different skill sets, doing these differnet distances, but the basics are still there. Using two analogies, first think baseball pitchers. There are starters and there are relievers, and while one counts on pitching 6+ innings and the other 3- innings, they still have to throw a ball and put some "stuff" on it. Any of them could strike me out in a heartbeat! Second, getting closer to home here, think runners -- sprinters vs marathoners. Or cyclists -- guys that excel in the mountains vs those who nail flat, white-knuckled sprints.

Anyhow, enjoy what works for you in the here-and-now, and keep in mind that these races aren't going to go away any time soon. So even if you set a timeline of, say, 2016 for a half-iron, you won't lose any sleep worrying that by then there won't be any more half-iron races, antwhere. They are here to stay!

I would agree with you that the structure of a plan would probably help to some extent --- although i will be quick to add that you seem to be doing a great job of motivating and structuring yourself. But having something there to keep you accountable is a good thing for most people, and it would likely work that way for you, too. Plus, you seem to be a solid candidate for a plan; that is, as you have said yourself, you don't have any huge family commitments. I know you have some work decisions looming, but overall there is nothing to pull you away from a plan -- no three kids that need to be driven here, there, and everywhere, right?

When I say I'm not bionic, I'm referring to injuries. My injury history is quite lurid, and I always feel as if I'm one small movement away from some injury that will put me on the shelf for a while - again! People talk about "limiters" to performance, and I have two -- my swim, and injuries. The swim is what it is, i think -- something I do well enough, but when up against the very best triathletes in my age group, they can open up huge ground on me in the swim. I think that's just the way it is. As for injuries, that's just regrettable. Some people can train mega-hours and never get injured.....but that sure ain't me! And it's not as if I'm an obvious biomechanical mess ---- it's just that I'm injury-prone. So it goes? Well, it's a tough pill to swallow, and it keeps me doing less than I might otherwise want. Poo.

"Do you ever slow down and maybe rest?", you ask? Well, that's been a problem of sorts the past three seasons -- racing very heavily. Sometime I will outline a 7- or 8-week stretch I had in '07, which was a hoot at the time but kind of nutso in hindsight. I really shouldn't ever do it again.....but can't make any guarantees! But a telling point came towards the end of last season, which featured several races in the space of just a few weeks, when I realized I was very tired of "putting on my game face". I had never felt this before, but it got to the point where it became mentally/emotionally exhausting to show up at a race, look around at my compettion, and get myself psyched to "do battle". I still don't quite know what that was about, and even though I ended up doing well at those races, it still took a lot out of me, headwise. I wonder if and when it will surface this coming season. Hmmmm.

Finally, it is completely my pleasure to take the time to communicate with all of you. This is more fulfilling and inspiring to me than is my own training and racing, I think, and I am just very, very glad to be of some use, at some point, somehow!








Edited by stevebradley 2010-03-15 8:24 AM

TRACEY -

Still scrambling to try to make Multisport World work! Still, still, still!

MANDY -

"Dicey pond crossings"? As in thin ice? (What's another term - is it "pancake ice"?)

Baxter in mid-March, not ski-able? That's not my grandfather's Baxter!

Climate change....global warming.....whatever it is, it's some weird stuff ---- but it should allow me out on my bike later today! Praise be! One person's melting icecap is another person's outside ride!

M -

Did you remember to give my regards to my gawky kin?

I love your description of the sound of cranes -- "....a cross between a warble & a honk with a little hint of blues". Also, there is your dscription of their movement: "They fly in ribbons and then swirl like a tornado." Imagery and you work well together, don't they? Serious question -- Do you write in any serious way? Poetry? Fiction? Personal essays?

Red-wings laid seige here in a big way this weekend, a sure harbinger of a very early spring. Plus, i heard a killdeer last week, and they are another spring habinger. No robins yet, but that will likely happen any day now. We heard one note of the call of what is almost certainly a white-throated sparrow, a third early-spring bird for here. Grackles are back, accompanying the red-wings. A red-shouldered hawk was ditzing around, being hectored by a bunch of crows. Spring has sprung!

I love abandoned rail lines --- partly because of the recreational offerings they provide, but also because as a boy I was a sucker for trains, and so enjoy imagining what any given rail-to-trail was like back in the day when trains used it. I find them bittersweet (with the emphasis on sweet).

Pouring rain here this morning... so I guess it's another dreary treadmill run for me. At least I have some good tunes on my iPod.

Adding to the bird conversation... we now have some little birds living in the birdhouse my husband and son made last summer. They are both very excited! I wish I could tell everyone what kind of birds they are but I'm not much of a birdie. (I would like to be though because I love birds!) All I can say is that they're grayish-brown and small.

Tracey

MARK -

You're not alone! Just about anybody would be intimidated by a hill that is over a mile long at 9%!! But I also understand the "intrigued" part, as that is the effect those types of topography have on me. Dealing with them comes down to three things: suitable gears, successfully spinning "small circles", and the mindset of "I THINK I can, I THINK I can, I THINK I can!" A fourth thing would be a bit of practice there, if it's close enough to do a pre-ride. Short of that, gettimng there the evening before and just riding that one hill will help hugely. And short of that is just driving the hill, even on the way to the race.

One of the races I am considering for this season (and which I didn't even put on my lists of proposed plans! ) is North Country Triathlon, and it has a mega-hill that clims up and away from Lake Champlain. It is murderous......but I do so want to get back there and try it again! The good part of that hill is that once you peak it you get to turn around and go back down it.....but the bad thing for me when I did it is that my front wheel hadn't been trued properly and I had the speed wobbles so bad I thought at one point that I was actually honestly going to crash and kill myslef. i was petrified, never felt so out of control in my life. So if I do it again, I will make REAL sure that my wheels are trued to perfection the day before!

Hy-Vee had a big ad full-page, I think) in the most recent issue of Triathlete, I guess it was. But I love the subtitle name "Battle of the Bluff". I suppose the big climb is up one of the huge loess slopes climbing up out a river valley --- or maybe just a loess bluff out in the middle of a world of loess bluffs? I vote for Trinona for you!

Nicely done on that run, especially keeping the base pace. My last few rruns have been in shorts, which is a real treat. I chickened out the past two days because of high winds, but will return to the fray today -- it's currently warm, sunny, and fairly calm. Piece of cake!

Stay healthy!

KASIA -

Well, THAT sounds like a viable form of cross-training! But to what team are you referring? (I feel I should know this, that you've mentioned it but it's slipped my mind.)

Very good on the longer rides, and DEFINITELY good at the swim times improving. Don't worry at all about the "slowly" part -- just take great encouragement from any improvement, period.

And good too on inching closer to the bike purchase. Decisions, decisions for you, too!

TRACEY -

"Grayish-brown and small", eh? Well, that narrows it down to about 68 species!

They're back there already? My guess is gonna be some kind of sparrow (thus narrowing down to about 9 Massachusetts species), as it's pretty early for wrens to be back. Flycathers? I don't think they do houses. Give me some more specific diagnostic characteristics, and I'll be happy to try some more intelligent guesses!

Happy treadmilling!

I must be a grumpy old woman today.    Just had a look at the T-shirt designs and I really find them quite boring.  With all the artists out there, you think they could come up with something creative.    We must sort of have similar taste because the only 2 that I found OK were Victoria's du and Guelph 2.     I think we need to start giving them some feedback.       I think you were generous in your grading.  

ANNE -

I was never known for being generous with my grading, so along with being more grumpy I must also be getting softer, more gentle and kind. The horror!