TexasMPGal's Motivated Mentor Group (CLOSED- TRAINING IN PROGRESS!) (Page 9)

I am so aggravated today!  I was scheduled to have a Section 504 meeting at the school for Cole today.  I have been in a battle with the school to provide him with services he needs but they don't seem to want to provide and today was the day that we were meeting for them to agree to at least evaluate him or provide the service.  But noooooo, it has to snow.  The canceled school.  So, my meeting is canceled.  I'm wicked annoyed.  It's not even a slippery snow, you can blow it off the sidewalk.  It is supposed to stop by mid morning too.  Why not just a delay?????  Now I have to wait for tomorrow to hear when they will reschedule.  Grrrrrrrr.

On top of that, now that the kids are home, my training plan will have to be rearranged.  Hopefully the Y will be open and I can drop the kids off and run on the treadmill (yuck).  Better than nothing, I guess.

Ugh, Erica....I'm sorry, that is so frustrating.  I again applaud the fact that you do balance your life with workouts and kids---same goes for all you parents.  Having a job and trying to train is enough to keep me busy.  I am highly impressed with the dedication and juggling act that y'all do.

I get to reap the benefits of being a service member this weekend--thanks to the Federal Holiday of MLK Day on Monday, I get a 4-day weekend.  Army civilians don't get Friday, just Monday, so it's nice to have.  Granted, I did 27 months (12 and 15 respectively) without any holidays, weekends, etc...so I sort of feel like I've earned it, so I'll take it! 

Clipless pedals will help a ton! Your stroke will be more efficient because you are moving the bike on the "up" and "down" stroke. I bought some relatively inexpensive road shoes from nashbar.com two years ago. They were like $40 and they are fine. The better ones are easier to walk around in, but I usually take em off when I am walking around. I am not flexible enough to take em off rolling into T1 anyway!

You will be fine on whatever bike you bring to a sprint. I am a big fan of being frugal with this stuff. Unless you are going to win, and lets face it most of us aren't (maybe Britt) you can enjoy training and racing with "ordinary" equipment.

wkirbytri - 2009-01-15 1:44 PM Enjoy your long weekend! I'll be working on my "honey-do" list this weekend... can't wait Have a question regarding bike pedals/shoes. Right now I have "toe clips". Has anyone ever used the "campus" style pedals that have a double sided design - works with both regular shoes and cleated shoes? Maybe one of the days when I get a real road bike I will graduate to road pedals, but in the meantime I'm thinking (and hoping) that any pedal I can clip in will help. Next question: Shoes, do you guys wear road shoes, triathlon shoes, ....? I have several more questions about gear/clothing, but that can wait for another time. I only have so much $$$ to invest at a time or my wife might kill me :-) --- Wes

I have a friend who has those type of pedals on her road bike and she likes them.  I'm pretty sure they are used more on mountain bikes but not positive about that.  

I have mnt bike pedals on my bike with mountain bike shoes.  The cleats are recessed so the shoes are easier to walk in.  They are easy to clip in and out of.  I have yet to fall (I know, it will happen) in my year of using them.  I like them.

Congrats to Brittany!

If you haven't read Brittany's log today, do so.  Nice to see someone rewarded for all their hard work. 

---

Wes

Wes--big thanks, seriously, I appreciate it.  To those of you up in the northern cold...looks like I'll see you in 2012 and get to bemoan winter weather with you! Haha!  I am serously ecstatic as this is a dream come true.

I am unfamiliar with the pedals you're talking about, but I can definitely say that if you get something that allows you to clip in, it helps SO MUCH. I never realized what a difference clipless pedals could make.  When I got my tri-bike, I got the pedals and was SCARED TO DEATH.  Needless to say, I have had my falls (all at 0mph) and have learned that triathlon humbles you (0mph spill at an intersection in town, wearing lycra!!).  It truly does economize your efforts and lets you put out more.  I encourage any of y'all to try clipless pedals. I practiced clipping in and out on the trainer a bit before heading out onto the road...but now it's pretty natural. Don't be scared of them...everyone will fall on them or have trouble clipping in...heck, watching Kona this year, the women's Champ--Chrissie Wellington gave me some serious confidence when, after she had a flat and was getting going again, it took her a bit to get there and clipped in!! Haha!

Happy Friday!!!

Well shoot, it's been over 24 hours since anyone has posted!  Hope everyone is having a nice holiday weekend.  It's pretty quiet here.  I got my run in this morning and had to hit the grocery.  Yuck.  Then Liam had a birthday party.  Ugh, a bunch of pre-schoolers running around.  Crazy times! 

It's supposed to snow again tomorrow.  I swear every few days it's snowing again.  Tomorrow is a rest day so it won't affect me too much.

Anyone racing this weekend???

Hey crew!  No racing for me this weekend.  There was a 5k on post...but I have learned that this year I must suppress the urge to race all the time in trade for the training I'm doing.  Thankfully, I have also found I'm not that fond of 5ks.  BUT, I did have some great training today and hope tomorrow is good as well. 

I also suppressed buying ice cream at the store...I nearly did, but I "just said NO!"

YAY!! GREAT JOB!! Congrats!! You should be pleased!! Racing is a classroom--especially your first year of racing, but really every year.  It is smart that you did the race as you planned and trained.  Now you can keep training and integrate in some of those lesson's learned!! Hey, I also think you're our first racer this year! Woohoo!

BIG CONGRATS! Awesome news on the Master's group too--I'm horribly jealous about y'all that have Master's groups! Take advantage of them if you can!

So I learned a valuable lesson today.  Running 5 miles after eating a bunch of crap and drinking a bunch of wine the night before and a morning full of coffee and soda isn't the best idea.  Ugh.  That was the worst 5 miles I have ever run.  I've been done for over an hour now and I still feel like crap.  Yikes.  Lesson learned!  Learn from my mistake!!!

I plan to spend the rest of the day hydrating for my 10 miler tomorrow.  And swim class tonight.

According to my scale, which is a "good" one, I lost three pounds since yesterday. That was some run!!!!

Nice!  Send your scale to me!

I had a busted run yesterday.  Oh well, I ended up swapping my long run/short run days.  So, I have 10 miles to run tomorrow.  Ugh.  Anyone want to volunteer to run it for me?

My middle son, who is hearing impaired, just got a new fm transmitter unit installed in his classroom.  I'm sure most of you don't know what this is so I'll explain.  It's a system where the teacher wears a mic (this one is a headset, kind of like a telephone opperator) and it transmits to a seperate speaker and blasts out her voice.  Cole was so excited he kept saying, "I can hear!"  I've been after this system for a few months now so this is a big day.  I cannot even tell you how excited I am!

I got an hour on the bike this morning and have swim class tonight!  Good times!

Yup.  Definetly busy at work and with training.  I ran my first long yesterday.  Don't laugh but 5.3 miles at one go is QUITE the accomplishment for me. I did it at a comfortable 11:15 or so pace and had wind to spare after 60 minutes of running. That makes me pretty excited.  I've worried, realistically about the swim, and somewhat about running given my questionable knee.  Both are going well.

I must have had a momentary lapse in good sense though because I then decided to make it a brick and go to my master's swim class.  I now know what it's like to drag dead weight through water...those were my legs...

Absolutely not going to laugh, that is awesome!! Do you know how few people in this country try to run a couple of miles, much less 5 miles!  Like I mentioned in my write up, when I was a cadet and before, I HATED running.  It hurt, I wasn't good at it (especially compared to my peers), and I had major mental blocks. 3 miles was about the max distance I ever went, and I did just enough to be decent at our 2 mile physical fitness test...but after those two miles I was DONE...and not just done for that day, for the next few days.  But, near my senior year and the summer after graduation before I had to go to second lieutenant school, I decided if I was going to lead troops I HAD to get past the running block I had.  So, I started just like you, a couple of miles at a time, and not that fast initially.  I worked up between 4-6 miles feeling easy...at school for those 3 months I worked up to eight (that was SO far for me at that point)...the further I ran, and the more often I did that, the better I got.  Not just a little better, A LOT better.  Since then it's been a constant stream of improvement.  I went from saying that it was ridiculous to run a marathon and it was nothing I ever needed to do, to training for, and running a great one and putting others on my schedule...and of course I went crazy (my Mom says this is the only thing she thinks I fit the crazy category for...which is surprising considering the job I have and things I've done) and signed up for Ironman. You always have to start somewhere.  If you never start, you never get better, you never get faster, you never grow your endurance!  I am THRILLED for you!!! And don't worry, that dead leg feeling will get better and better the more used to the distances you get.  One day you're going to go out for a 7 mile easy run, finish it up at a pace you can't imagine right now, and say wow, I'm glad it was a "short" run today...I am still amazed everyday when I finish my runs that I have can do it like I can, cause 7 years ago, I would have told you that would happen when he!! froze over!!

SO KEEP DOING IT!!! And congrats on pushing past your boundaries and comfort level!! Be proud of yourself, and use that pride to fuel your next workout!

gator22 - 2009-01-22 11:30 AM I agree, but I hope that your young. When I hit 30 it seemed to get harder all the time

Gee thanks.  I just turned 30 in December.  I sure do feel encouraged now!

Take 2 on my long run.  I'm locked and loaded, ready to go!