swbkrun mentor group 6 years running closed (Page 9)

No racing till June for me. When things are tough I think about everyone I know who has fought serious injury and illness, especially kids. Cancer sucks.

Name: Julia

Location:  Indiana

Background: I grew up swimming through high school, took up mountain biking in college, and then started running in graduate school. I did a few running races here and there, but mostly just ran for fitness until I started entering races a few years ago. I got injured training for a marathon in 2009, so I got back in the pool for the first time in nearly 20 years, found I liked it, and tried a triathlon. I was hooked by the time I got to the run in my first sprint.

Family Status: Married for 12 years, 2 kids (8 and 6), one fabulous dog, and one grumpy old cat.

2011 Races: REV3 Knoxville, Muncie 70.3, Danskin Seattle, a local Oly, and a bunch of running races.

2012 Races:  Ran my first night-time trail race in January (fun!). REV3 Portland with the gang, hopefully another Oly or two, and then fall running races. Goal for 2013 is to run an ultra!

What I bring to the MG:  I’m pretty quiet, but I try to help when I can. And I’m the one Fatty is talking about when he makes hippie jokes.

Even though my hat is on funny, I'm heel striking, and I look like I'm doing the chicken dance, I like this pic because it's from one of my best runs last season!

Yes indeed Linda.   When things get tough... kinda like moments in this evenings run... I think about the peeps (warriors, kids, etc...) that can't do what we do, but would give up just about anything to be able to.   So in other words I think about fatty... HA!

Shopping question...

I am looking for a Quarq (SRAM 172.5) power crank for a 'reasonable' price.  I have found them for $1575, but I had read/heard/ or simply made up the fact that they are available for $1200ish.  I currently use a PowerTap, but I am changing to the Zipp disc (so I can catch fatty) and will lose the power feature while racing.  I have googled it, but many times others know a non-published lil' place that offers a good deal.

tanks-a-million 

For me this weekend is the Kick-off our my Running Club's training for the Long Beach International Marathon.  Saturday morning is a short meeting and then a run with the group followed by a welcome BBQ.

Sunday Easter with the kids = a hike and a picnic.

I guess I left off a few tidbits about myself as well...

Married coming up on 17 years in June (the weekend of Buffalo Springs 70.3 actually)...not the ideal anniversary celebration place...

I have 2 boys - 15yrs and 21yrs.  I have four mini-doxies (Dixie, Dallas, Dutch and Darla)... I am a dog fan... I have saved a few from time to time and my wife isn't ever surpirsed when I do so. Fatty was there when I saved a pup in the road on a hilly bike ride...stuffed him into my jersey and rode 25 miles back to the truck.   

My wife (Jen) was never really active as an adult... but over the last few years she has taken up cycling and loves the bike... she has also taken up running and is doing her first 10K on Cinco De Mayo and a 13.1 journey in Oct.  She has done a couple sprint tri's but is not a fan of swimming  so doesn't really have any desire to delve into triathlon much more than she has.

I run and ride with her quite often... she is slower then me, but I'd rather go slower with her and she be active and enjoy the journey rather than me just going out on my own, pushing harder and leaving her to be a tri-widow.  So I find that balance... She does respect my race goals and knows that I have to do my own things at times. 

Wait wait wait!!! There was video of that, no??? If so, I have seen it and it is AWESOME!!!!!

I don't think I have formally welcomed Justin and Scott to the group -- so, welcome, guys!! We need some fresh blood in here. Getting tired of the same old jokes and jabs...

Just kidding. I loves me our MG, warts and all!!

Which race?? Not Danskin, is it?? I love how you describe the photo. I would take heel strikes and chicken dances to run as fast as you do, sister!!!

Name:        Brent Mathews
Location:   Yorktown, VA and Langley AFB, VA (just moved here in Sept 2011)
Family:      Wife (Sherry - 19 Years and counting) and 14y/o daughter (Kenzie) and of course our 14 y/o Black Lab (Tasha)
Work:        Active duty Air Force for 19 years, originally an aircraft mechanic, now working design, acquisitions, and contracts for aircraft maintenance training devices/systems.

Racing History: 
    Running - up to half marathon distance, 3 in the last year.  Too many 5K & 10Ks to count, a few odd distances too 8K and a 14K.
    Cycling - Did a couple of local crit style races this past year.  Nothing big.  Learned a lot those few times.
    Triathlons - NADA, ZIP, ZILCH... hopeing to hit some sprints and at least one oly this coming year... we'll see how the schedule goes.

Other Hobbies:  This is what has killed any tri races in the past... Tournament archery has consumed my free time for the last 6 years.   I shoot 3D style tournaments on a sponsered amatuer level.  Last year I was also an assistant director for the Texas Archery Shooters Assoc.  Very time consuming... But I enjoyed every second 

Story:  Spring 2010 -- So I started running 5Ks with my wife for some charity events we were invovled in, then we joined a local running club, ran even more races/events and started running with the group on training runs.   One of my co-workers was into cycling and talked me into getting a bike and we rode together some.  I really took to the bike, enjoyed it and still feel the bike is my strength.   Later that year he did a HIM in Houston, TX... I was so intrigued by his story when he got back that I thought "I can do that"...
Then I got into the pool... maybe not...  I found this site and this MG that same fall, for all the help I could get.

Jump forward to present day...  I still have not raced a tri...  too many conflicts.   I still struggle with the swim; it is better but honestly I haven't put enough time into it.   Good news is, the recent move to VA has changed a lot of my priorities and triathlon training has moved up on the list.

Weight loss and gain:  Admittedly, body weight is one reason why I'm here to begin with... I really like to eat.  I workout so I can eat!  I watch what I eat a little but not nearly as well as I should... maybe I'll add that to the 2012 goals list.

What I bring to the MG:  Encouragement!  Once and a while I may have good input on training or a good web link but I'm still really just soaking it all in!

This will be my fourth go round with this MG... everyone here is great and always there when I need a sounding board or that perverbial "kick in the pants".   Looking forward to another awesome session!

Here's a pic from a half marathon last fall: (I too have rarely gotten a good race photo)

And another from just a couple weeks ago:

No racing for me this week... Ask me again next week 

When I get mentally worn down, I often take a few moments/seconds to clear my head.   Take a couple deep breaths (out with the bad; in with the good).   Pump my head full of positive energy and get back after it!

Julia,  Sign up for the Huff (50K) December 30 (or something like that) Close enough to 2013, and then I can finally meet you.  And you can help drag my body out :-)

Andre, I'm trying to picture the small arm warmers on your arms.  Can you post another picture?

Oh, did a short 2 mile run tonight (first run since my half last weekend).  Went GOOD--fastest 2 miles ever @8:32/mi.  Going to make that my goal for tomorrow night's 5K.  May need an oxygen tank after.

Edited because I Terped it

Agreed.  Make sure you flex your biceps so that we can get a true visual of your size in comparison to the arm warmers.

Indiana cyclist had them for 1200 on black friday, but that is the only time I have seen them that cheap.  1575 is a good normal price for them.  If you have compatible cranks now you can send them in and they will put the PM on your current cranks, that knocks some off the price as well since you're only paying for the PM not PM and cranks.

I'm hoping to get one on my new bike here soon.  My PT wheel died again last week, I think this time for good.

this is the best quote i got a few months back, from rich at EN. Quarq Cinco powermeter + SRAM S975 crank, compact (50/34 gearing) in 175mm + bottom bracket: $1669.  does not include shipping which is lame.  

i think there are better deals out there, but i haven't looked in a while.

i hope you're sneaking up on her to scare the sh+t out of her... i do that all the time to mine.  they get so mad at me... its awesome!!!!

Kyla - Yep, that pic is from Danskin! I had fun on that run.

Jayne - I'm thinking about the Huff, but every time I think about it I see that picture you posted of the lead woman running through an icy, thigh-deep puddle. Still, I'm thinking about it!

Just back from a week away on North Stradbroke Island, had fantastic weather and got some nice cliff and trail runs in plus some open water swimming in the inland lakes. I'll catch up on the 11 pages I've missed and post a bio later!

^^^^^^This post is worthless without pictures...

This probably requires a more scientific study to satisfy Fatty, but I thought this was interesting enough to share with the group.  I definitely see this in myself.  I can start out midfoot, but resort to heel strike on the right side as races progress.

FINDINGS ON FOOTSTRIKE

For the past couple years, running form, footstrike and other bio-mechanical matters have been endlessly debated. What's often been missing from the discussion is real data from the real world. A new study by a credible source provides some.

Pete Larson--trained as an evolutionary biologist, moonlighting as a minimalist shoe advocate at runblogger.com--took a video camera to the 2009 Manchester City Marathon to see how people were running at different stages of the race. Of 286 marathoners studied, at the 10K mark just under 89 percent were rearfoot strikers, and just under 6 percent had an asymmetrical footstrike (e.g., one foot landing at rear, the other midfoot). At the 20-mile mark, more than 90 percent of the marathoners were rearfoot striking, and the number who demonstrated asymmetry declined. In sum, by the late miles of the marathon, almost everyone Larson filmed was rearfoot striking with both feet, even though some were landing differently 10K into the race.

It's safe to say that some degree of muscular fatigue contributed to the change in footstrike pattern. So if you're among the runners who've been inspired to change your running form the last few years, don't assume your new form will hold once you tire. In terms of training, the findings could be argued to lend strength to doing a good amount of marathon-pace running. Running at race pace at the end of long runs and concentrating on maintaining good form--whatever that means for you--should help to stem the deterioration Larson's findings point to.

You just have to think of that as a mid-race ice bath.  Therapeutic really 

Here's a couple pics for those of you that didn't get to see them:

Justin, we are Quaq people in our house.  The hubby found one on eBay for around $1200.  Not sure where.  I'll ask and see if it was a retailer or private vendor.  Stay tuned............

I remember him telling us that story.  That was you?  That's so cool!!!!