Dream Chaser's 'Set a Goal and Capture it!' Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 9)

Well said Ironman George.   The two words that just keep popping into my head that are key ingredients for a recipe of success in this sport is: Patience and Consistency.

So what does everyone have on tap for this weekend??  I have an hour run and *gulp* 1:45 trainer ride!!

Yes, you will be constantly tweaking your swim stroke.  The closest analogy to me is golfing:

• Some people are naturally better at it than others...that's just the way it is
• It takes lots of practice to develop a good swing/stroke
• Improvements are usually incremental, but sometimes you tweak one thing and BINGO! huge improvement
• It can be both mentally challenging and mentally rewarding
• Kids pick it up faster than adults
• As a beginner, if you try to act like the pros you will have a hard time (e.g. swing as hard as Tiger, kick like Phelps)

Except that in golf, you don't get your HR up to 160!!

Hi, everyone.  Was traveling on business to snowy Philadelphia this week so had little time to post. 

With my job, I get the "opportunity" to travel from time-to-time, probably 4-6 nights a month away from home.  When you add in catching early AM flights and getting home at 7-8 p.m. thoroughly exhausted, it probably eats up 8-12 days a month.  To counter this, I get up religiously at 5:30 a.m. when I'm in a hotel and hit the gym or run outside if feasible.  It wreaks havoc on a training plan, that's for sure.  I sometimes try to find a local Y to swim but getting back and forth usually takes to much time if you have to be at a client site in the morning.

Most hotel gyms SUCK!  A lot of the equipment is borderline dangerously not maintained and there is rarely and decent strength training equipment.

I also do core work on the road...you don't even need a gym for that so no excuses.

Any of you do traveling and still maintain your training plan workouts?

I have a 1900-yd swim today...20/5 bike run brick tomorrow...and a 6-7 mile run for Sunday.  If I get 2 out of the 3 done, that will make me happy.  Sunday's run is a little iffy because of all the black ice around here.  I just about broke my elbow this morning walking falling down the driveway this morning to get the paper.  Could've been much worse.

Mike, I give you huge kudos for consistently training while travelling.  Yeah, something tells me a lot of equipment in hotel gyms may not be the safest or well-maintained! 

Just banged up.  I managed to distribute the fall across the palm of my hand, elbow and back, and somehow managed to keep from smashing the back of my head into the payment.  All of my neighbors were awakened this morning with a profanity-laced tirade as I did it. 

GRB1 - 2011-01-28 1:42 PM

RunRene - 2011-01-28 12:30 PM

kimmax - 2011-01-27 6:35 PM

I think too desire and determination.  Patience doesn't really come in to play for me because my standards are so low
Consistency I struggle with.  I'll go hard for a couple of weeks and then fall off.  I'm trying to get better at it and tell myself it's better to squeeze in 30 minutes vs. nothing if the hour is impossible.  But yes - desire.  I have to want to do it and once I have that - I find the determination.  When I first started this people would ask how I had the energy to get up every day and work out.  #1 Answer: Because I want to...  I have a goal I'm determined to hit so...

Hope everyone has a great weekend.  Supposed to get chilly up here!

I agree that 30 minutes is better than nothing!  On my lunch hour on weekdays I drive to the gym and workout for 30 minutes or lift weights (I shower only when I run) and drive back to work.  It is a short period, but using Bobby's analogy of the bucket...drip....drip....drip.... 

I am trying to stay consistent....a long road ahead, but I am determined to stay CONSISTENT! 

This weekend I have a 2:45 bike trainer ride (a slight chance I may ride outside) and on Sunday I am hoping to do a 1 hour run (while the kids bike).  My foot (PF) has been pretty tender so I will have to gauge that for Sunday.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Rene, make sure you don't push the running to hard until your PF is healed.  Your IM will be here before you know it.  If you push to hard before recovery you risk losing substantial training time over the next 6 months.  Better to rest/recover and come back stronger than deal with PF during your major build period.  Hope your PF is getting better. 

I just wanted to add that yes, 30 minutes is better than nothing and I've been told and read numerous times that Frequency equals Durability.  So if you can't always get longer workouts in, frequent consistent short ones will do the trick.

Rene:  Greg is giving you excellent advice.  You are 150 days out from IMCDA.  If I were you and the PF were tender, I would take 7-10 days off from running altogether starting now.  I was just reading the book 'Going Long' by Friel and Byrn and in it they say Swimming and Cycling fitness helps Running ability; however, Running fitness does not help Cycling or Swimming ability!  As a Runner-turned-triathlete, I can attest to the truth in this statement!!  And here is how it applies to you in a very positive way:  A.) If you take off 7-10 days from Running and consistently Cycle and Swim, you will lose little (if any) of your Running Fitness while B.) Working on your limiters and C.) Allowing your foot to heal!  If the PF flares up, your Ironman may be in jeopardy.  If 150 days out, you focus on Cycling and Swimming and giving your foot fascia a solid 7-10 days of rest and easy rehab, you can emerge even stronger and healthier. 

This has been my personal experience as well.  In fact, I think that the cross-training provided by the two additional sports reduces over-use injuries and will provide equal, if not better, performance than just one sport.  I mean, if you're a REALLY hardcore, experienced runner this may not be the case, but for most people the fitness crosses over very easily.  I didn't run any more miles last year than in the past and set adult PRs in every distance I raced last year.

Rene, I agree with Bobby completely on addressing the PF.  PF is one of the most annoying and difficult injuries to deal with because one day you feel OK and then the next you feel like someone is stabbing you in the foot.

Sorry to hear about your grandfather.  Hope he gets better.

Good for you asking others for help!  99.9% of my success in this sport has come from letting others help and guide me.