MarkQuiet's group - FULL (Page 9)

Nevermind - I got it

How do I get the weather forecast to show in my training log? I have it selected, but it's not showing.

Thanks

Jay-

Your right - everyone's been kinda quiet lately.  I think everyone's pretty busy.

I am really early on in this thing too - like 2 weeks into it.  I'm feeling pretty motivated at this point.  Some days I have to push myself to get to the gym, but once I'm there I enjoy myself.  Some days I find myself frustrated that I can't do more but I am trying to be patient with the process. 

Anyway - I haven't been great at checking into logs.  Maybe I should do more of that.

Have a good one!

Tami

Hello all,

I must apologize for not being as attentive to the group as I have been in the past. I am working on getting over a cold and work has been keeping me quite busy from the minute I walk in the door to the minute I can sneak away. I know its not really an excuse, but its the best I can do right now.

The animated pictures you see in my avatar or others, you find across the internet. When you see a picture you like you just right click on the picture then click on the "Save Picture As" option. I have a folder of things like the shoes you see under my name. If I want to change I just think of something and go to google images and browse around. You can always find something interesting.

I am very glad to see that people are interested and excited about upcoming triathlons. It is usually recommended that you pick one major race that you want to shoot for. That is called your "A" race. All of your training will be geared to that one race. Oh you can do other races in between, but they are referred to as "B" races or "tune-up" races. Personally, I am right now looking at finishing my marathon season. I have two or three more to do before summer. At that point I will be full focused on doing a HIM (Half Ironman) in mid-summer, then doing a full IM (Ironman) by the end of the summer. Just in time to start my marathon season again. Yay for me.

Right now must trainings should be focusing on building a base or endurance for each event. More time should be focused on those areas that are considered weakest - e.g. for me it is the swim (2.4 miles is a long time in the pool). Patience and perseverance will be most important right now. Keep up the enthusiasm.

Any suggestions on starting a weight training program?

I have access to the gym - however - I do not like lifting in front of guys.  I would prefer - at least to start - to just work with dumbells (I have 2, 3, 5 & 10 lbs), balance ball, and stretch bands.  Is there a good video out there for beginners?  I am nervous about building the quads too much as I did that in college and bulked up way too much for a chick.  The abs, on the other hand, need a whole bunch of work!!

Thanks for any suggestions you can give.  I don't want to spend a ton of time on the strength part - at least not for now - just something to get me started once or twice a week.   Would tae-bo count as stregnth stuff??

Thanks,

Tami 

Hey y'all.  I, too have been slow on the response times due to work, kids and the February blahs.  It got so bad on Monday that I blew off my swim (which I desperately need, as I'm trying to convert to the Total Immersion program - more on that later).   I found myself staying up later and later to get everything in and as a result getting more and more tired - a vicious cycle.  By Wednesday, I was pretty bummed anticipating my knee would not be any better.  Soccer practice was crazy - you just can't control 12 8-9 year old girls - and I had to bring my smaller two kids as mom had had it with them.  So it wasn't even until nearly 10 pm that I even got to my running buddy's (RB) house.  Well, my knee held up and even seemed to get better during the run.  We put 6 miles on for the first time in weeks.  I still feel it during the day, but I think I'm over the hump.  Then came tonight's indoor soccer and the start of outdoor, tomorrow night (I kind of love soccer) and the knee, while making "noise" is handling things.  This weekend's run with RB will tell a lot as we're shooting to go 7-9.  We've got 2 more training weeks before the 1/2 mary and feel like we need to get in some serious mileage, albeit slowly.  Well, this wasn't intended to be a rant, but thanks for listening, anyway.

What I really wanted to say to the first timers in the group is this - as you begin to train, recognize that what you're really doing is training your body and mind, not only to be a triathlete, but into a major life alteration.  It is good to have an A race and several B races (personally, I don't look at it like that as I have at least 2 A races coming this season) as goals.  More importantly, you have taken steps to get fit, get outdoors and prove to yourself and the doubters around you that you can hit these goals and actually complete this thing.  Completion should be your goal and the time will be what you measure every subsequent race against, should you choose that route.  Personally, I'll never win a triathlon, 10k, 5k, or other distance run as my age group for the next 15 years is highly competitive (I'm 39).  But I can beat my last time, can cut my transition times and reaffirm that I haven't drowned.  Well, I ramble on, again.

I enjoy monitoring the traffic on our group and jumping in.  Keep working on your goals, but don't get discouraged if you have a bad day or have to skip a workout for whatever reason.  Listen to your body and mind and you'll find you're really jonesing for a run/ride/swim.

If you really want inspiration, follow Texmom's blog.  She's awesome.  She's got the distance for the 1/2 mary down and we'll focus together on the Oly tri in April just as soon as this run is done.  Sometimes we get a sitter for a weekend morning and head out for a long ride.  Our 8 y.o. daughter is training for her first kids tri in May (swimming lessons right now) and cross training with soccer (like her old man).  Texmom and I have long had the motto "the family that plays together, stays together" whether that's biking in the 'hood or skiing on Spring Break.  This year we'll begin to do more camping, as well as canoeing.  We're pretty active, but I don't know what we'd do if we weren't doing all this.  Well, maybe the yard would get mowed a bit more frequently and the weeds pulled more often, which is also good for you.

Thanks for the kind response.  I'll keep watching your blog.

Good evening all. Great too see people are still coming and posting here. I again apologize that I don't get the time to post here as I would like. Work is hectic and I need to stay on top of things. That means putting in more hours then I would like and having little to no time to get online.

I continue to recover from my cold and I am trying to put in miles without hurting my calf too bad. Tonight's run might have been a little hard on it. But tomorrow will really tell.

I hope all is doing well and staying motivated. Talk more soon.

I can't answer for the women regarding the tri suit, but I have worn tri shorts which are cycling shorts with a thinner chamois which allows you to swim, bike and run.  No need to change them at all.  On top, I've donned a running/cycling shirt, usually sleeveless and zippered in front.  This has caused problems as it doesn't go on well when it or I am wet.  Oddly enough, both of my tris last year included rain so my stuff got wet.  I have purchased a trisuit which has the shorts and top connected, like a "farmer john" wetsuit.  I have never worn it and don't know when it'll make its event debut.  As for a wetsuit, I just ordered one for texmom and me for V-day (neoprene instead of silk, this year).  They are coming from www.wetsuit.com in Oregon.  This company has gotten some good reviews from BTers as well as the fact that a tri buddy of mine in Washington has one and recommended it.  He also recommended the tri shorts.  Before those, I was training in swimming trunks.  Now, I have purchased a sleek (like cycling shorts but w/o any padding) swimming suit for training.  I just discovered that the chlorine eats at it, so good thing I haven't been swimming in my racing gear.  Much cheaper to replace the cheapos.  for my first ever tri, in 2000, I wore a "padded" speedo (Oh the horror of it all!) but put cycling shorts on for the ride.  I might have even changed to running shorts at that one, too, but don't remember.

Transistions I've been involved with are not sheltered like IM Kona on TV.  They are usually in a field or parking lot.  There are bike racks which quickly fill up.  You have a very small amount of space to lay out your towel and gear.  I have seem some people use little tubs of water to get the grass/sand off their feet, but if you're in a parking lot, you won't need it.  Anyway, you put on your cycling gear and head out.  You return to your rack (have to remember where it is) and change to your running shoes.  I allow myself 2 luxuries/necessities - socks and gloves on the ride.  Socks for the run, but I put them on for the ride, and gloves in case I crash on the bike.  Others will do it differently, but this has worked for me.

Ah... the infamous transistion and wetsuit topics!!! Got to love these questions. Here are my comments on those questions.

 I don't own a wetsuit and have not yet needed one. However, most people that I have talked to that use them will swim with the tri shorts and top underneath. Personally, I use tri shorts for most of my training - with the exception of long runs. I have worked on a plan to reduce the amount of changing that is needed in transitions. For the guys either go shirtless or wear the tri shirt into the water - it'll dry out on the bike anyway. As for socks - get the tri socks. DON"T WEAR COTTON. Since switching to tri socks I have done two tris, a couple of 15Ks, a couple of 5Ks, some 10Ks, and a marathon. Several of those races have been in the rain. The socks work wonders in preventing blisters. In one case I have gotten out of the pool, ran to the transition area only to find out it was pouring rain. I still put on my socks and used them in both the bike and the run. They worked great. No blisters or that wet slooshy feeling you get with cotton. I also don't feel like my feet get shriveled when wet for a while.

You have very little room in most transition areas, so don't plan on bringing a lot with you. In fact the lest amount of items you have in your transition area that faster you will be. Forget the pail of water. Just have an extra bottle of water with a sports top to squirt on your feet before putting them in the socks. If you are wearing tri socks you don't even have to worry about drying your feet. The socks will take care of that. The hardest part of the transition is finding your spot in the middle of the race. Many people will mark the bike or area with bright towels, ribbons, or sometimes ballons. Just something to get your attention when you are looking over the sea of bikes. Personally I use a USMC red towel drapped over my handle bars.

As everyone gets closer to their first race these questions will come back up. Many people will also add "transitions" into their workouts. I read in one persons blog last year that he will go to a lake, setup a transition area in the parking lot. He will then swim out in the lake a little way, swim back in, run up to his transition area, change, head out on the bike (practice with mounting), ride for a mile or so, return, and transition back in (practice dismounting). He said he will do that a dozen or so times for his workout of the day.

I would suggest not going to such extremes. Most of us will not be looking at an AG (Age Group) placement so the extra 30 seconds or so will not make much of a difference. However, it is very easy to get caught up in the maddness of rushing through a transition area. Do practice it once or twice so you have a plan, but don't obsess too much over it.