Destination MoP is FULL (of motivation!) (Page 9)

Frustrated!  So my daughter and I were doing the 5K Bark in the Park with two of our dogs...I knew I would not have a great run because, though these dogs go on runs with me often, they were just too excited about the new setting and all the other pups.  But as soon as we started out my head started pounding, I was short of breath and dizzy.  This did not happen during my tri last week but it did happen the day after.  After the 5K this morning I checked the blood sugars & pressure and all was ok there.  I did have a bloody nose in the middle of the night last night too.  So its back to the Doc on Monday and get my test results from last week...on the good side, no tummy issues this week!  Did a swim this afternoon too, short distance and my limbs were weak....kinda still sore from yoga on Thursday...we did a lot of push ups. 

So I am frustrated with todays training...I was looking forward to a nice strong training day since weekends are the only days when I can do a hard training session and still get enough rest. 

So now I am going to the movies and eat popcorn and I don't even care.  Ok well I do care and I will get a small...geez.

Thanks,  you are right....

Maybe not enough this morning. I am usually pretty good at that; I drink 56oz + a day. I realized during the run that I did not have my normal amount this morning, by 9 am I usually have already had 48 oz.   Lucky for me they had a lot of drink stations with water botltles. I drank two during the race. And because I ate pizza last night I was more than likely more dehydrated than usual. Thanks for the reminder...gonna get some more water right now!

Glad to hear you're going to the doc on Monday.  I think it would be wise not to push it tomorrow... you've had enough symptoms in the last week to give pause, methinks.  I do understand the frustration of not being able to train, but you need to listen to your body, which is telling you something (maybe it was saying eat popcorn, but I digress...).  A day off here and there really doesn't set you back at all.  Give yourself a well deserved rest tomorrow, Cynthia :-)  (and keep us posted)

Stu

Because the size charts for women's tri clothing seems far from my reality for the foreseeable future, I've been thinking about trying a pair of men's tri shorts, but have been wondering if the chamois placement will be significantly different such that it will cause problems on the bike (not that I'm expert in these things). Since the men's suit fit you well & you're much smaller than I, I'm not going to feel so self-conscious about going to the local bike shops & trying on the men's tri shorts. I'm thinking those over a suit with a sports bra would be worth trying out - and, at the very least, I'd get a pair of shorts for training out of it, even if it doesn't work out for all events.

Good Morning All!

We had a fun packed weekend. Finally got a bike ride OUTSIDE! It was with my 8 year old, and we only did 8 miles. But, I was so happy to be out there!

Hope everyone had a great mothers day. My MiL is very ill with cancer, so we spent the day with all of our family, appreciating every minute of it. I'm very fortunate that my parents and in-laws get along great.

What's on tap for today?

Heidi

That's the one that got me too! A few years ago, we did a trip to CapeCod with 2 other families. While all the adults stayed up drinking every night, I was in bed early, to go for ocean swims and long rides every morning

In June, my husband and I are going to the Cape for our 10 year anniversary. One of the criteria for where we stay was that it has to be close to the bike trail

Excited! I just found out my new bike shop in my little town is starting up Women's Bike Rides on Sat. am's.  Only 2 more weeks of younges kids baseball on Sat am's and then I can start riding with them.  I know riding with a group will help keep long rides on the road on my schedule - regularly and not just when I feel like it.

So my schedule is shapping up like this.

• Sunday - Road Run w/Rockwall Running Group
• Monday - Swim - Club 25yard pool
• Tuesday - Short Road Run (will be on treadmill when school is out for kids) - Might get to add a group swim on Tuesday nights
• Wednesday - Bike (trainer at home)
• Thursday - Run (Rockwall Running Group - track speed work PM) and Swim
• Friday - Off (Yoga/Stretch)
• Saturday - Long Bike Ride (Rockwall Cycling Group)

And Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!!

Does this look like a kind of balanced schedule or should I switch anything around?

I decided to track my nutrition for a week as best I could.  Somedays I could eat the whole refrigerator when I get home and others not so much.

Just had a Starbucks tall vanilla latte - 220 calories!  Hmm....not sure if I want this many calories coming from my coffee beverage.

mmmm... that is my go to drink. I try to make that my Friday morning treat! Although I had one last night (it was mother's day!)

Hi Valerie,

That looks like a really good balance and I'm glad to see the day off scheduled in as well.  Great to see the group run and rides in there which will help with on going motivation and usually also push you beyond your comfort zone a bit.  As I recall, you were aiming for an OLY length race this year.  Are you comfortable with the mile(ish) OWS?

In any case... looks solid and well thought out!

Stu

I had a venti latte habit which took me awhile to break.  It's kind of a killer b/c a) it's 220+ calories, b) stimulates your appetite and c) is expensive.  But it sure helped my productivity at work :-)  I'm back to two cups at home in the morning with soy creamer.  Somewhat better all around, but it doesn't have the same kick (spoken like a true addict, I know).

Anyone have any ideas / suggestions on how to stop the night food cravings?  I've been really struggling with that recently.  If we eat late, I snack when I get home.  If we eat early I snack before bed.  Just weakness of mind I guess, but unfortunately, my weight is going in the wrong direction again.  Ack.

Stu

Good morning MOP's!

It looks like I'm taking a couple of forced rest days. I smashed my finger last night, and it's still bleeding whenever I move it. Swimming is a no-go. It throbs too much when I put it below my heart for too long, so running is out. And, theres no way I can shif gears with the splint on it.

Grrrr!

Hopefully it will feel well enough to run tomorrow.

What's on tap for everyone today?

Thanks Andrea.

I'm curious- Is everyone registered for a Tri? Or, do you have one picked out for the season? If so, when is your first tri of 2011?

@ Heidi - Sorry to hear about the finger.

@ Stu - Glad to hear you kicked the sbucks habit! Have you ever tried just water to kick the night munchies? Sometimes when I feel hungry, it's just the fact that I am actually thirsty.

@ group - My first triathlon that I am signed up for is the Norway Triathlon just over 59 days away. I have encouraged Erin from the group to participate (I'll await her official response!) I hope to link up with her on the 21st to run a 5K with her for encouragement.

My .02 with regards to "you know you are a triathlete when...."

1. Packing heat, is when you carry icy hot in your purse.

2. When you see a 12yo in the pool and she's a great swimmer, her dad says, you should see her run and you automatically ask, "Can she bike?"

3. Compression socks worn under work clothes are a regular occurrence after lunch workouts.

I managed part one of my goals for May (completing a 2K swim). Yea! Still no luck with the weight although I am feeling stronger, so I am hoping I am converting fat to muscle.

Hope you guys have a great day.

Christine

5K hard run for me @ lunch.  Plus the usual bike commute.  Stretching session in the evening.

I think I have made a breakthrough with my bike riding.  I am now getting the hang of even power throughout the entire pedal stroke - not just the downward push.  This feels very different and I can see the difference in speed.  It is also easier overall.  At the moment I always have to be conscious of how this feels.  It's like I relax my legs and hips throughout which is a very odd sensation.

The proper stroke *really* makes a difference in speed and endurance on the bike, Melanie.  In addition, by focusing less on the downstroke, it saves your legs to a greater degree for the run.  My run has probably been the biggest beneficiary of improved bike technique and I know I've still got quite a bit of improvement to go, especially at longer distances.  As I get more tired on the bike, I (unfortunately) revert to old mashing habits, especially on the hills.

Rest day for me today.  Long run tomorrow.

Thanks for the thought on the water, Christine.  Makes sense.  I'll give that a try.  My body is definitely craving something at night and I need to change up something.

Stu

@ group - my 1st (ever) tri is June 25th - ack! Today was a 41 min swim, tomorrow is a rest day because it's my day for working in VA.  I'm excited to go to a bike shop on Thurs to get a new seat & hopefully some tri shorts.

@ Melanie - I don't know why, but when my knee was hurting during my run on Friday, your "run from the hips" in the race report you shared with us popped into my head. I had never even thought of such a thing, but I started doing it & it really helped. It was the fastest pace I'd ever run for more than a mile, so thanks bunches!

@ Stu - my husband & I found that we weren't having enough carbs with dinner, making us ravenous just 1.5-2 hrs later, so we've tried to adjust the types & quantities of carbs we have.  Also, we've taken to having sugar free pudding made with skim milk as a dessert. Sometimes we will infuse the milk prior to making the pudding - warm the milk & steep a tea bag in it, then refrigerate before mixing - peppermint tea bag with chocolate pudding mix or a decaf chai tea bag with vanilla pudding mix - decadent without a lot of guilt.

- Jennifer

I'm 2 weeks into training for my first tri (which is 9/17).

First, thanks to the group support here at BT!

Here is where I am:

• I have a good training schedule that I know I can maintain and I’m motivated to do my training. 
• The Bike training is pretty comfortable right now.  BTW I have a Jamis touring bike, no Tri Bike.  I’m pretty sure I could ride 14 miles in an hour right now.  In training I try to peddle in circles and keep at an 80-90 rpm (even more so on the hills).  I did get a new cadence sensor this week (woot).
• The Swim training is tuff.  I feel my stroke is pretty good but my muscle endurance makes rest necessary every 100 yards.  Still working on my pacing.  I’ll have my first test with an OWS over the May 28^th weekend (I’ll report back on how that goes).  
• The Run is impossible for me to actually run at this time.  I can only manage 0.25 miles running without a walk break.  I know I could walk 5k, but where is the challenge/fun in that .
• Bottom Line is that this is a lifestyle change for me and I’ve given myself a good amount of time until my first race, so no need to push.  I don’t expect instant results, but I am seeing some progress already.
• As far as the Future goes, I can see myself doing a HIM some day.  A full IM still seems scary.

-Steve

In addition to the above (which is apparently the most common cause of "hunger pangs"), how much do you sleep?  I read a study a couple of years ago where they showed that for people who regularly sleep less than 7 hours per night, by sleeping for half an hour per night longer they got less hunger pangs during the day and, if overweight, found that they gradually lost some weight.  I really notice that if I haven't had enough sleep I get a lot more cravings, especially for sweet stuff.

The other thing I've started doing since I've been "trying" to lose weight, is when I get a craving for food, I actually stop and think about whether or not I'm hungry, or if I'm actually just bored/looking for something to do with my hands etc.  I find a lot of the time I'm not actually hungry at all.

Just a couple of random thoughts.

Sounds like it's all going great Steve.  You're off to a really good consistent start.  I hope you're enjoying it as well :-)