GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 89)

TRACEY -

Are you registered for Timberman? And do you live in Carver?

If the answers are, respectively, no and yes, then have a look at www.amicatriathlonseries.com. This is a new series, with about 10 races spread across the U.S., each with a half-mile swim, a 16.1 mile bike, and a 3.1-mile run. It turns out that the one that is billed as "Boston" is actually in Carver, on August 21. Tempted?

Yeah, Carver is to Boston as New London is to Hartford --- which is how they bill the CT race on July 25. They call it Hartford, but it really happens in New London. What is that -- about a 75-minute drive (traffic included)? And Carver from Boston - about 45 minutes?

Info is still being built for the Boston/Carver race, but who knows -- it might all be up there by the time you read this.

Just so you know!

Kasia,

Good luck!! Like SteveB is a running shoe geek and got into tri's from a running background, I come from bikes and am learning about them as I go.

My foray into the bike store on Sat had them telling me that I'd want at least the 1.5 but more likely the 2.1 with the full 105 drivetrain. Or the equivalent Gary Fisher as those are the two brands the shop sells.

I should have put quotes around easy, BTW - as in, yeah, right. Easy. Ha.  Good luck with your decisions!

A triathlon in tiny little Carver?? Well it's not so tiny. Kind of big actually, but mostly filled with cranberry bogs. I'm already registered for the Timberman, but I'm going to have to check this out! I'm not aware of any swimmable bodies of water in Carver (at least nothing I'd swim in!)

Carver is about 50 miles southeast of Boston so 45 minutes to Boston is about right if there's no traffic and you drive at a speedy clip. If there's traffic? Forget about it! I know this from too many years commuting to Cambridge.

Thanks for the info!

SteveB:

Here's my schedule for the expo on Saturday: I am now registered for the first-time triathlete's seminar at 8:00, the TI efficiency tuner at 10:00, the TI speed tuner at 11:00, and the Chi running clinic at 2:00. I'm also going to try to make the Natural Running Form & Biomechanics presentation at 12:15. Ya I'm going to be tired that day.

Tracey

Wow, lots of posts to catch up on.


Will keep this one kind of short:

Long ride Saturday in San Diego - went MUCH better this time.  80 miles in 5 hours (real-time).  About 4:40 if you take out bathroom breaks and me staring at maps wondering where the road is that the map says is supposed to be there.  LOL.  Anyway, rode from San Diego to Oceanside and back down.  GREAT ride, followed by a few miles on the treadmill as a semi-brick.  Felt really great the whole ride.  Was much more flat than what SG will be, but had a few little climbs in and around Torrey Pines.  MapMyRide link:  http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san-diego/2331268674... />
Long run Sunday:  So, I get home with Maggie on Sunday at 3:00 thinking a nice 2.5 hour run in the Sherman Oaks area to find that we left her car at my office in Beverly Hills.  So, now the run is 2.5 hours over the Hollywood Hills - climb up to Mulholland and then back down to BH.  Link of that run is attached as well.  All I can say is that I LOVE uphill compared to downhill.  By the time I got back on flat land, I was begging for the downhill to be over.  Things got pretty sketchy around mile 12, as the thighs were seizing from the downhill pounding.  Thankfully, IMSG has nowhere near the downhill punishment that this was.  Overall though, was very pleased.  Cut the run short at 1:50 or so, but did the 13.1 miles in that time (8:39 min/mile pace) and that was on the hilly course, so I fell good about that.

Today is a rest day to let the thighs and knees recover (ice bath and ice packs last night didn't help as much as I had hoped).  This week is a hit it hard week, with the St. George scouting trip part deux this weekend.  Goal is to do 100 miles on the bike then a minimum of 8 and up to 13 miles of the run course. 

Time to peak!

SHAUN/STEVE B,

Was reading the exchange and reflecting on some thoughts I had over the weekend about training time.  (Note: This is coming from a place of very little perspective about other time obligations and such, and is one of those "in my case only" kind of things...)

Anyway, was thinking out loud to myself on my run:
Headed uphill, feeling tired:  I can't WAIT to have some free time once May 1st is done and be able to just chill out on the weekends and during the week. 
On the flats, feeling much better: I can't imagine not spending several hours each weekend doing this. 

I've found in the past year of training (wow, it's been a year since I started training for last year's OLY race) that all those time destroyers that I used to do have fallen off my schedule, making room for the stuff that really matters to me.  I can't remember the last 2+ hour TV viewing session that didn't take place on a trainer.  I can't remember the last time I drank so much that I couldn't get up the next day and ride/run the plan (granted, sometimes there was a teeny-tiny hangover - lol). 

Long-winded way of saying take a look at the schedules that have you saying, "no way I have those hours" and give it a shot.  You may find that you begin to really focus your time on the stuff that matters and creates value for you most, and the rest will truly slide. 

OMG.

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OMG!!!!!

SHAUN -

That's a nice endorsement of Matt Fitzgerald's book. If he felt his ears twitching/tickling a bit earlier, we know why!

It's also a nice endorsement for where you've gotten yourself when you talk about other plans being a step backwards for you. Just keep working hard and thinking that way, and your ears can get twitchy, too!

I can never remember the figures, but the % of runners each year who get sidelined with one or more injuries is staggering. Add to that the ones who simply PERSIST, running through pain with the aid of straps and braces and splints and god knows what else, and it's sort of de riguer to get injured every now and again. Well, at least it's cold comfort to know that You Are Not Alone when it happens! I certainly hope you never get injured, but I guess you can kind of brace yourself for soemthing at some point, and just learn to rest and recover, rest and recover, rest and recover.

Every year I find some of my triathlon peers who are conspicuous by their absence in race results, and I always wonder if they have been laid low by some serious injury. Guys who were once both active and successful......nowhere to be found on the race scene anymore. Push the miles long enough and hard enough, and it's silly to figure that we WON'T get injured at some point. But being smart is a huge step in the right direction, and for probably 75% of my injuries I could tell you a parallel story about something I had done in training that wasn't the wisest of moves. You know, it's not like people are coming up and pole-axing me, so in the absence of bodily harm from vicious assaults ------ it seems I am my own worst enemy!

You've been very smart and judicious so far -- keep it up!

---------------------------------------MID-MARCH RESOLUTION-----------------------------------------

I hereby resolve to proofread my posts more carefully! I see in Steve's post above, where he takes a block of one of my posts, that there are two dopey letter inversions (many = mnay; ANYthing = NAYthing).

For a two-fingered typist, this shouldn't be happening - especially as I must make eye-contact with the keyboard! But I do try to be quick as six bunnies, and therein lies the root of all my typos. As my father used to preach to me "Haste makes waste."

I will make an effort to proofread effectively!




Edited by stevebradley 2010-03-15 4:42 PM

TRACEY -

Three things:
(1) I like the look of that schedule for Saturday. And yup, you should be tired that evening!
(2) The Boston news tells me that it hasn't just been big rain for you today, but three days of torrentiality. Again, though, the dire conditions seem to be north of you, more along the lines of my former stomping grounds -- Middlesex and Essex counties.
Holy high water, Batman!
(3) As for you not being aware of any swimmable bodies of water in Carver........remember, the world of triathlon doesn't necessarily require that bodies of water be conventionally swimmable. Sometimes any slough or quagmire will do just swell!

It'll be worth it!  Sounds like a great day of training and learning.  Hope it's a great experience!

STEVE -

Good ride, GREAT run! Even on flats, 1:51 total and 8:39 miles for 13.1 is terrific. Add those hills and --- sure you aren't in peak form right now?

As for having to stop during the ride and figure out where you were, as long as you weren't in Tijuana at the time, you were mostly okay. And if you found yourself on the shores of the Salton Sea, then you'd know that you took a wrong turn somewhere along the line.

Getting back to the run, some of your route sounds like what one of the guys in my other group, Neil Saxon, describes for his runs. He lives in Hollywood, so he has lots of the ups and downs to deal with. On Sunday he will be doing the L.A. Marathon; just so you know!

Your comments about finding the time are oh-so-true. Some of the junk time I jettisoned was going to hockey games, which is definitely a time-waster. More tragic was the loss of hard-core reading, and that's something I have been working very hard at for the past six months or so -- fitting in more time for serious reading. But making a commitment to this stuff definitely requires a reorganization of priorities, and this often involves a reassessment of basic values -- never a bad thing, I guess.

At the heart of it all has to remain family, and over the years I have had to make some adjustments in my schedule to satisfy Lynn. The big one was eliminating evening swims*, which was slightly hard while I was still working......although admittedly pretty easy these days/years!

* Including drive time of 35-40 minutes each way, this was close to 3 hours a couple of nights a week....and then again at least once on the weekends, but during the day instead. (The irony to this is that Lynn now spends a couple of evenings herself in Ottawa, while I just stay haome and keep the home fires burning! )

So what are you doing in the second week of October? If you've got family in Knoxville, why, that's not all that far from White Lake, NC, where, Triple-T is happening. You should do it! At least consider it! Think about it!

Yes, they're having some major flooding issues north of me. It's been crazy rain for the last 3 days!

Yes, I'm really looking forward to it and hope to get some good tips out of the clinics, especially the running one.

Steve, you are a sick, sick man.  Unfortunately, that sounds exactly like something I'd do to myself. 

Lots of catching up to do for me. After I saw STEVE's race schedule, I just got too tired to go any further!

Last week was a really tough week for me.

My 80 yo stepfather found out his lung cancer has metastasized and is now stage IV ... and he's opted for chemo which I think is going to be very tough on him (starts on Wednesday). When he was originally diagnose about a year ago, the MDs told him chemo wasn't even an option because he was so deconditioned.  (He retired at the age of 55 and has literally done nothing but sit at the breakfast room table reading and working crossword puzzles for the past 25 years ... finally went to the MD when he couldn't walk across the room any longer).

AND, my DH's job wants to transfer him to Oklahoma City ... so, we've been "house hunting" online to see if it would even be an option. Lots to think about, as I'd be leaving a great job that pays more than his; and leaving all of my family ... I'm a native Houstonian.  His job here will likely be eliminated in the next 6 months, but he would be eligible for about a year's salary as severance.  But, he can take retirement at the age of 55 (3 1/2 more years).  His bosses has been asking him for about 4 months if he'd be interested in moving up there and he's been telling them that we can't make a decision until we see the actual offer ... guess that will be coming in the next week or so.

Missed two of my training days and was feeling badly about it, until I finally convinced myself it was okay ... then proceeded to work about 17 hours in my yard over the last three days ... had to take a mental health day off from work myself today!  ... but my yard/gardens are looking great and I'm feeling much better and ready to get back at it! And my pool has warmed to 72 degrees, yay!

Keep up all of the good work everyone!! Glad to hear that it seems like most of the injuries are better! Need to go find out what Fitz has in store for me this week!



Edited by lufferly 2010-03-15 7:55 PM

Wow, can't believe how much activity there is with this group!

Lisa, I am so sorry about your step-father.  Sounds like it will be a tough time for him.   And you have several other major issues on your plate at the same time.  Sounds like you definitely needed that mental health break. 

SteveA, some very impressive training!  Sounds like you will be ready for your race later this month.

SteveB, can't believe the schedule you're contemplating, and that it is a light schedule!  Yikes!

Did my volunteering at a sprint tri yesterday.  It was pretty interesting.  Worked the water station on the run course which limited what I got to see, but my volunteer partner did two Ironmans last year and was very helpful with lots of tips and more than willing to answer any of my questions.  And it was very fun to see my trainer race!  My initial reaction was that there was no way I could do this when I saw the early runners come through.  But by the end, I figured I could make it with some of the people near the end.  All in all, it was a great experience.  But I need to attend one more as a spectator before my first so I can see all phases.

The bad news is that the water station was on a grade and standing on the grade for several hours triggered my sciatica again which was not fully healed.  Had a session scheduled with my trainer today so she just worked on my back but it isn't good.  She was shocked at how it reacted when she worked it.  She doesn't think I should run at all this week until the race on Saturday and just get through it and focus on the tri in May.  That means I will not have done a long run in four weeks and only one short walk/run in the last three.  I suspect I will end up walking most of it.  So I don't think I will be feeling very high about completing my first race.  Clearly I'm really going to have watch this with care until it is fully healed.  Very disappointing and not what I wanted for my first race.  The timing is very frustrating given I made it through six months with no issues at all.  And the worst part is that it wasn't caused by training but by spending a weekend painting on a ladder.  In retrospect, I gladly should have paid a painter to do the work.  Oh well, upwards and onwards with the focus on May.

After a rest day - back to the grind.  Good workout today.  Swam an hour and covered 3,250m.  First set was 50 laps (personal best for me) and then three 5-lap cool-down sets.  Tomorrow the goal is to get in another swim at the outdoor pool (which opened again last week) which is a 50m pool.  It'll be interesting to see how the body responds to the longer pool length between turns.  We'll shoot for 25 laps and see what happens. 

Boiled the Frog on the run today.  Started at a 6.6mph pace and alternated increasing incline/speed every new song on the iPod.
New song - increase incline .5%
New song - return incline to 1% and increase speed .1
New song - increase incline .5%
New song - return incline to 1% and increase speed .1
Kept that up until a great U2 song came on and jumped it up .5 then returned to the pattern.  Paid for it after that, but it was worth it!  LOL.

Only other real note today - While swimming and then running, I started to visualize coming out of the water and then down the run chute at the event.  Just kind of popped into my head - hadn't happened until now.  I think I'm starting to believe this is gonna happen.  :-)

Steve A - yeah it is! You are doing awesome.  Keep it up, I can't wait for the race report.  How much longer?

Cheers,
Mandy

Hi Steve and everyone else -

I have a few questions...I don't think they have been answered here yet - but if I am wrong and missed it looking through archives, just let me know and I will search again instead of having folks repeat themselves.

1) What do you carry with you for a repair kit (flat kit) on the bike during the race?  Any certain repair kit or is it just a jumble of stuff you threw together yourself.  Where do you store it? Bag under seat?
2) I need to get new tires, the trainer has killed mine.  Any suggestions for a tire that is tough and maybe a little flat-resistant since it takes me about an hour and 3 tubes to change a tire.  Ha. Really though, I know I need to work on that.
3) Best pump?  I am looking at Blackburn Tower, but was also wondering about on the fly - do you carry a smaller hand one on the bike?  I mean, one that actually puts air in the tire?  If yes, what kind is it?
4) Aero water bottle? Seat water bottles? Cage? Both? Neither? What has worked for you?

I will stop there for now.  Any recommendations that you have on this are much appreciated.  Also if you can teach me to unclip from my bike without crashing, that would be cool too.  At least my neighbors have something to talk about.

Thanks!
Mandy

I have a followup question to Mandy's on the water question.  SteveB, you previously mentioned the handsfree water system but from what I have seen online they only work with aerobars.  I very much doubt I will get comfortable enough on my bike to go with the aerobars this year.  In the meantime, is there any way to do water handsfree without the aerobars?

SteveA, you are kickin' it with your workouts!  WTG!  You will definitely be ready for this race!

What a coincidence.  Even as I write this, my bike is at the LBS getting new flat-resistant tires put on.  I'm so paranoid about getting a flat in a race - I'm same as you - I can change a tire but it takes forever.  My LBS guy says these work really well - he has them (good sign) and he's ridden over glass and not flatted.  I don't know what kind they are but I'll post when I pick up my bike.

I carry a tube and those little changer tools in a bag under my seat.  I have a small hand pump but I'm ditching that for the CO2 cartridges - it just takes seconds to fill the tire.

I don't have aeros and I'm one of those people who can't reach for and drink while riding so I just don't hydrate while riding in races.  I stop and drink when I'm training.

Tomorrow will be my 1st outdoor ride this season - and my 1st with clip-ins - I fully expect to fall a lot.  I'm thinking about padding my elbows and knees for this 1st ride - haha

Denise