left.right.repeat group -closed - Full of a bunch of winners...YEAH! (Page 9)

Wow Marianne! You ROCK, girl! I'll trade what I know about computer programs for your ability to run! First, I simply CAN NOT imagine running when it is THAT COLD! How do you even get your muscles to warm up before the race? UNREAL. And then to run that thing in an hour?! Ok, yeah, there were a lot of "fast women" there and you were one of them! Woohooo! WTG! I'm so proud of you! Proud and inspired... thank you for that!

Way to go mav !!! I have been waiting up to read your race report before I head off to bed. My wife and kids tease the life out of me about how early I "hit the sack". Normal night is 9:30 - 10:00 but Sunday is often by 8:30.

You ran a GREAT race. That time is awesome for a 10k. Like you, I absolutely LOVE the feeling that you get from being in a race. The volunteers, the spectators, the feeling of satisfaction from achieving a goal, etc.

You mentioned you might push back your half to April or so. Why not think about the National Capital Half Marathon in Ottawa at the end of May. It's not all that far to drive from MA and it is an awesome event. My wife and I are planning to do the Half there as well as my brother and his wife.

You are officially the Race Queen For The Day  

I am so amazed at each of you....that's two more finish lines for sTRIve....yippee.

My count is that is 6 for the team.  Who's next?

Mav and FBP...congrats...you both rock...and we will make you the sTRIve official record holders for indoor tri held in Feb 2008 and 10Ks run on the weekend of 2/23-24/08. 

Swimming...the second twenty five is always harder than the first.  The third easier than the fourth, the fifth easier than the sixth, etc.  The first thing to notice is how fast you recover so the 1st, 3rd and fifth is easier, the second lengths have you a little gassed.  I am thinking some is a perceived lack of air which subconsciously makes you carry your head a little higher.  I am going to suggest you do open turns to get a little more air and maybe hold that form longer.  I swim some with flip turns but as Flipper was told earlier, you don't flip turn in open water so it is not critical.  Also, here is the focus for the second length of each of your 50s (that's the coming home leg of the lap) - on the first 50 think of lengthening your vessel, becoming more torpedo like, swim through the smallest tube in the water - really reach with that catch hand - get it out there and it enhances your body roll.   Then on the next 50 - focus on pointing your nose at the bottom of the pool, look straight down, point the top of your head at the wall you are swimming toward.  This will help on the streamlining.  Then on the third 50 focus on pressing your weight into your lead armpit, think of weighting your chest, some people call it swimming downhill, but the more you balance your body, the easier it is to swim.  Then repeat these three focuses for as many 50s as you swim.

Here is a fun workout for the week.  On one of your workout days do a 20-30 minute bike ride with a 10-12 minute run off the bike.  We want to start the legs understanding what you are going to ask them to do.  You can also do the run after spin class for those of you up north but I would suggest doing it after an endurance class rather than hills or speedplay.  If you choose to try this, spin in a light gear for the last couple of minutes on the bike, this gets your blood flowing through your legs - then as soon as you get off the bike, change shoes and get to running...no dawdling here...we want this to feel like you are moving into the run off transition.

By the way, if I haven't said it I am proud of each of you and I am honored to be here with you.

sTRIve

B

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Well, it seems we have all had a little sTRIve love fest....everyone happy to be here and all that....now let's get to work....there are finish lines waiting.

Who has the next event?

Give the old bike ride/spin class to run combo workout sometime this week and let's check out some feedback.

sTRIve,

B

Dan - sounds like a great swim workout !

Juanita - great to hear you are back into the groove !

Last night was my weekly swim class. We started with 200m warmup then we were divided into groups to swim 800m. We could choose to do 1x800 or 2x400 or 4x200 or 8x100. I chose that last option. Took a 15-20 second break in between 100's. Man, 800m is a LONG way !!! I got it done though alternating crawl and breast stroke every 100m. Next we did 1x100 kick only. Then we were divided into teams of 4 and did a 4x50m relay race. My team won after I opened up a MONSTER lead for us on leg 3 . We finished off the session with an easy 1x100 arms only.

You guys are AWESOME!!!!

I can't get over where you are today vs where you were when we first started this wacky group just over a month and a half ago.  Go back and read some of those posts on page 1.  You are all pros now.  Keep sTRIving.

Swimmers - you are all doing very very well.  Keep up the work - you are all going to be fine.  It is amazing to me that several of you are swimming 100s and 150s already at this stage of the year.  Keep up the great work.   As far as the kick goes, we kick to rotate our body and that's about it....save the legs for the bike and run.

Runners - I want you all to keep your focus on not over-doing it.  Extend by 10% a week in duration and intensity and NO MORE.  I don't want any stress fractures or other overuse injuries keeping any of you from your goals. 

Recovery - remember your muscles repair themselves during recovery.  You MUST take at least one day off a week.  If you are racing, take 2 days.  Be rested on race day.  No exercise the day before a race.  Only a brief warmup - either a 15 min spin, a 5 min run or a few laps at the pool - like 5-7 that's all.  And then stretch.  That is IT!  You cannot train or improve your time the day before the race - you can only make yourself slower.

Bricks - As you say Dan, the legs sometimes feel like mush.  It typically is most mushy when you have pushed hard on the bike.  At this time of the year all the distances should be LSD (long slow distance). 

Injuries - from my research, we typically get hurt when we are pushing - either speed or distance.  Be careful, build gradually and sTRIve like a turtle.  The journey begins with one swim stroke, one pedal stroke or one stride.

Great job,

B

NTR - Not Triathlon Related

My wife just dropped by my office to invite me to lunch to celebrate that she received a job offer this morning. Last April she lost her position as a job placement counsellor in a "reorganization" at a local for-profit career training college and ever since she has been looking for a suitable full-time position. She was getting very discouraged because much of the work here in Fredericton is government oriented and has a bilingual (french/english) requirement.

So, guess I'll be skipping my lunchtime swim session today and maybe, just maybe, this will foreshadow a roadbike in my future...

That's awesome news, Peter! I'm so happy for you both!  

FBP - congrats to Ms. FBP....did she take it?  What will she be doing?  Most excellent.

 Isn't it interesting that we all joined this group to be tri training buddies and learn about an event and we are actually becoming friends learning about life together.

I really feel sorry for those who are not part of this awesome group.

Now let's go shopping for that road bike....smile

sTRIve,

B

Snowing (again) here too mav. Short run planned this afternoon (3-4k) and long run (10-12k) tomorrow.

Mrs FBP's new job is in the accounting department of a company called Liteco - an electrical supply firm with 13 locations around the maritime region of Canada. Realized at breakfast today that this likely means we won't be able to travel to Ottawa for the HalfM as planned since she won't be able to take time (would require a Friday/Monday to drive the 600 miles from here to there) off so soon after starting a new job. Not to worry there is a HalfM here in Fredericton the week before.

She and I are heading out to look at a bike this morning - yippee!!!