Jeff's Group - CLOSED (Page 9)

Joe,

I am not swimming regularly yet, but I get VERY sore in the shoulders and neck after a long bike ride. I am sure MY technique is bad, but I get a tennis ball and put it between my back and the wall and roll it over the sore spot. It is not preventative, but it helps it get better.

Stacy 

Joe- One thing that helped me was neck bridging. I do it when I strength train and hold the bridge for anywhere from 60-90 seconds a couple times. It helps strengthen your neck for those long bike rides too. You might also want to try inverted rows on a squat rack, or some other upper back exercise for strengthening the muscles. Just keep at it though!

Hi Stacy,

I was telling Joe about neck bridging for strengthening neck muscles. Ever since I started bridging on a regular basis my neck doesn't get sore during long rides. You might try it.

My mid to lower back was getting really sore after swimming.  I can't say with 100% certainty that this was the cause, but I think it might have been my breathing.  One the notes on my swimming plan said to focus on breathing without lifting the head up, I concentrated on this and a more pure rotation for breathing and my back problems seemed to go away as well.  Again, could just be coincidence and without a doubt my swim technique has a LONG way to go, but at least my back isn't REALLY tight all the time any more.

Jeff,

 Thanks for the tip, I will add neck bridges into my routine. I do things for my back, pelvis, knees, etc. but never thought to work on my neck. I start my Masters swimming next week, so I am excited about that. I also have a 5K race in about 5 weeks and hope to PR. With training, there is always something to look forward to!

 Stacy

Stacey,

Make sure you are not putting to much stress on your arms and shoulders while on the bike.  Try to use more core muscles to hold yourself upright and make sure your elbows are slightly bent.   Also be sure your handlebars are wide/narrow enough for you.

Brian

Thanks Brian. Biking is the sport that I am least familiar with, so I need all the tips that I can get.

Stacy

Okay, time to come clean here... It has been almost a month since I got my great eating plan from the sports nutritionist and I basically have not lost any weight. I see her again next week for our final visit. Here are my thoughts on the matter...

1. I can't control what the scale says, so many other factors influence weight, but I CAN control how I am eating and I am doing a good job of sticking to the plan

2. I look leaner and my clothes are a little looser, so I think that I am making progress

3. I didn't expect to be in top form right away, I have weighed the same thing my whole adult life and I know that it will probably be a year or two until I reach my optimal body composition

4. I have fun no matter what and nothing positive that I do for myself is wasted.

I'll let you know what happens...

It's time for Viking Laws part two:

#2--Be Prepared

• Keep Weapons In Good Condition--Clean and oil your bike chain, check your tires for any splits, wash your runnig shoes occasionally, wet your wetsuit before the first race of the year to prevent cracking of the rubber.
• Keep In Shape--Find a plan you'll stick to and follow it to the best of your ability. Monitor your eating.
• Find Good Battle Comrades--Riding or running together is safe and fun. A masters swim class is also beneficial.
• Choose one Chief--Pick one person to lead the group ride or run each session.

Have fun and happy training!

Hi Stacy,

Basically, keep your bike dry when not in use by wiping it off with a towel after use. I've never washed it with any kind of special soap. Check for mud and gunk built up on the frame, and check your tires for splits that can cause trouble. I also use a chain lube called "Rock-n-Roll. If your local bike shop (LBS) doesn't stock it just ask for the best they have. I leave things like brake and cable adjustment to the pros. Be sure you have plugs in your handle bars and replace the grip as needed.

Just a quick question for Jeff or anyone of you all for that matter. First, have any of you used a wet suit hood/beanie for cold open water swims and second, are they legal to wear in races? If so what brand / style have you liked.  I want to start open water swims as early as possible. They look like they may help control brain freeze.

thanks Dirk

Hi Dirk. My experience is limited to lasts year's Duck Bill Thrill and IMCDA. I went to Eugene Skin Diver's on Sixth Street and bought an O'Neill cold water cap. It's just a basic swim cap with a chin strap but it's thicker for warmth. It did seem to help. When I trained for Duck Bill the water was 48 degrees and I didn't stay in more than 15-20 minutes at a time.  

Also, if the conditions at race time warrant the use of cold water caps or booties the race director should let the participants know in advance so the items can be purchased.

Hi all! I am doing well. this was an easy week for me and it was a good thing since I had to travel for work. I ran on a treadmill at the hotel and lifted weights, but other than that, had about four easy days. Back to business tomorrow and I feel great.  I have been losing about .5 lb per week which is a good, safe rate. 

That's great Stacy, good job!

I've never heard that suggested before Stacy. Breathing properly is obviously important, and I can understand your coach wanting your hips higher for less drag but not at the expense of breathing. Have you told your coach this?

Hi Beca. Great to have you back. The important thing is you are back. Besides, there's no better place to start than at the beginning.

Hi Gang,

Here's some ideas on interval training and running. This will work best on a track, especially one surrounding a football field.

Warm up=wu, Main set=ms, Cool down=cd

After your warmup cross your feet while standing and do a hanging stretch for 10-15 seconds. Cross your feet the other way and repeat the stretch. Next, while standing bend a leg and grab your foot to stretch the quad while your opposite arm is straight out in front of you for balance. Repeat the stretch for the other leg.

After the stretching go to the end zone of the football field and face the opposite end zone. You will now do strides to the other end zone. Strides are simply an exaggeration of your normal running stride. You kind of bound off one leg to the other down the length of the field. Speed is not the goal, long strides are. Try to hit three strides for every five yards for the length of the field. Your stride may vary but you want to know what that number is. So bound down one way, take some recovery breathes and repeat the other way. Remember the number of strides.

wu= 1 mile jog plus the stretching and the strides. After all this your ready for the intervals. You will run two laps as fast as you can while maintaining the same pace. Obviously you could start out sprinting and fall flat after half a lap so try and maintian 3/4 top speed for the full two laps. Now rest for two minutes. After resting run one lap all out and rest for one minute. After rest run half a lap all out and reat for two minutes. This is one set. So to recap here's what you'll do:

800 w/2 minute rest, 400 w/1 minute rest, 200 w/2 minute rest=1 set. If you've not done anything like this lately one may be all you can do. That's okay because it's a start. Once you can run through this six times or more then add an 800 on the end like this:

800 w/2 min rest, 400 w/1 min rest, 200 w/2 min rest, 800 w/5 min rest=1. Repeat. This will take a lot out of you so you should only do it once a week. After doing the intervals your cool down will be another 1 mile jog. The intervals may tighten your hamstrings so as part of your cool down do two more strides the length of the field attempting to hit your number of strides as this will help stretch your hamstrings. After the one mile cool down repeat the stretches and hit the showers.

Margie and Becca, Welcome Back! 

Jeff, I watched some videos of other swimmers and I think I am looking too far ahead in the water and that instead of tucking my chin to my chest, I should just line up my ears and shoulders. I am going to try that cue instead and see what happens Monday. I will use a buoy to get used to the new head position. I think that is what she was trying to tell me, but her cue of "chin to chest" made me tuck my head too much. A misunderstanding on MY part! Thanks for answering my question.

Stacy