Gary's Mentor Group - Re-OPENED for Training (Page 90)

Hi Gary,

I am hoping you have room in your group for me. I am 60 years old and started doing sprint triathlons last year with my fifteen year old grandson.  I had to learn to swim and bike. I would like to move up to Olympic/International distance. I somehow qualified for the Age Group National Championships in August.  I have a lot of questions!

Thanks!

Connie

Dave!  You can do it and we are here to help

Connie, welcome!  Congrats on qualifying for AG nationals!  Bring on the questions, what I am going to push for this year is that I want the group to both post all of their questions but also give their input on questions asked.  We will all get much more out of this group if everyone participates.

Dorm, I haven't got my family into Tri's but we have done several 5K's together.  It is a very cool thing that my family shares running and it is awesome that your family may do Tri's with you.  I may have to ask how you convinced them to give Tri's a go.

Hey Gary,

If your group is still open I was hoping to get in.  A little about me, my name is Rocky im 31 from Ville Platte, LA.  I have been married for 3 years, (wife name is Nikita) and have a 2 year old daughter (AVA).  I am on this site daily and have got some great info here.  I did one sprint last year.  This year im hoping to get in at least 3 sprints and then finish with an oly distance.  Thanks and looking foward to getting to know all you and having a great year!!   

Yep, still open and you are welcome to join!  Getting quite the LA contingeny here with Shreveport and BTR also represented.

Sadly no I won't be there.  I want to do this race but won't be this year.  Probably will be in 2014.

Hey Gary!  Mind if I join your group (if there's still room)?  I'll post my bio a little later if that's OK.  I peeped into your group a little bit during the last mentor group session and think I'd like to come in if you'll have me!

Janet

Janet!! Would love to have you!  Post your Bio and join the group!

This will be my first race of this distance so looking forward? to the challenge.  Should have started running a few weeks earlier though, went up in distance a little to fast and have some shin splints but I think I will be able to make it through.  Would love to go under 2 hours but not sure if i will make it in that time.  I think me any a few friends may start doing this race every year so I may see you there next year.

Yes!  Post a Bio and join the fun!

Mike, as a senior member you are always welcome and with your experience, sorely needed.  Post as you can and good luck with the change at work.

NAME: bamagrad04 - Will
STORY: Short story is I am 31 years old was way overweight. During the Summer of 2012, I decided to change things and started running (2.5-3 miles/ 4-5 days a week) and eating more healthy. At the time I started running I was 273 pounds and I'm now down to 195 and counting. Since I have been running I have really enjoyed it. My brother in law gave me his 2003 Specialized Allez and I'm now ready to begin training for my first sprint triathlon this summer.
FAMILY STATUS: Married for 6+ years with two wonderful, healthy children (3.5 y.o. and 7 mos).
CURRENT TRAINING: Run +/-3 miles (m/w/f), weigh train (usually Tuesdays), brick workout thurs (run/bike) and swim at the ymca (when i can on Saturdays or Sundays or schedule permits)<
THIS YEAR'S RACES: plan to enter my first sprint triathlon in June .
2012 RACES: none
WEIGHTLOSS: I have lost about 80 pounds since August of 2012. I would like to lose 20 more then maintain my weight at 180 or so.


Edited by bamagrad04 2012-12-29 2:04 PM

NAME: soccermom15 - Janet

STORY: 48 years old - never much of an athlete growing up and even less of one in my 20's and 30's.  Played a little rec softball and tried indoor soccer but not very good at either one.  Finally decided in my early 40's that I needed to do something.  I volunteered at a local tri and saw a lot of "normal" people participating so thought I'd like to give it a try some day.  I knew how to swim and ride a bike so decided to start with the running since that was something I couldn't do.  Did my first 5k a couple of months later.  I was slow but finished.  After a couple of years of just running, I did my first tri in May of 2009.  I've done a couple of sprints since then and would like to do an Oly eventually.

FAMILY STATUS: Married for 22+ years, 2 kids - 22 & 18.

CURRENT TRAINING: Kind of starting over at this point.  I had surgery on my shoulder 6 weeks ago and have just gotten the OK to start training again.  I was walking but no running, swimming or biking.  Hoping the running will come back pretty easily.  Did my first swim since August this week and it's going to be a slow comeback there.  Biking has always been my limiter so not sure how that will go but hoping to put in some good time on the trainer this winter.

THIS YEAR'S RACES: Besides some running races, I attempted 2 sprints this year.  DNF'd on both .  Woke up sick the day of the spring race and only made it halfway through the bike before I had to stop.  The fall race I was unprepared for the hills on the bike route and my shoulder was not working properly so the swim didn't go so well. 

2013 RACES:  Gateway sprint in May and hopefully another sprint in the fall.  Not sure which I'll end up doing - have several choices so we'll see how training goes before I decide.  Also some running races - 2 15k trail races in Feb and some 5k's this spring.

WEIGHTLOSS: I gained about 5# while recovering from surgery so would like to lose that at least.

NAME: ransick - Mike

STORY: 46 years old - jogged and mountain biked sporadically over the years but never really focused on anything besides trying not to gain too much weight. Slowly gained weight until I hit about 185 pounds in 2008 (I'm 5' 7"). Early 2009 a friend of mine convinced me that if I can run 5 miles, I could build up to a half marathon. I decided to go for it and ran my first half marathon in April 2009. Once I did that I decided to make a second attempt at doing a triathlon. My first attempt was a couple years earlier and I gave up after going to the pool twice and not being able to swim more than a lap or two. Figured if I started in April I could learn to swim in a couple months and do a Sprint tri in July or August.  Swimming did not come easily to me (it was quite humbling and humiliating actually). It took going to the pool 2-3x per week for six months until it finally clicked. Once it did, I bought a bike and did my first sprint tri in May 2010.  Since then I've done several Sprint tris, a few Olympic tris and a couple 70.3's. This year was going to be my first full Ironman, but changes at work have required a lot more travel and hours so I may have to put my IM dreams on hold for a while. I've blogged my journey at blog.ransick.org.

FAMILY STATUS: Married for 24+ years, 2 kids - 21 yo daughter & 15 yo son

CURRENT TRAINING: I've been doing a lot of running and love running on the single track trails at the university.

THIS YEAR'S RACES: 

May Madness Sprint (Effingham, IL) - 5 minute PR.

Gateway Olympic (Carlyle, IL)

Cohassett Sprint (Cohassett, MA) - race-cation visiting my sis

Door County 70.3 (Egg Harbor, WI) - first sanctioned HIM

RnR St. Louis half marathon (St. Louis, MO) - 5 minute PR

Patrick's 12 hour run (SIUE, Edwardsville, IL) - I ran four hours and 18 miles - 3 mile PR

2013 RACES: None scheduled yet. I'm a planner so I normally have my race schedule nailed down by now.

WEIGHTLOSS: I'm down to ~157, would like to get to 150 but don't want to give up beer :-)

I've never had that problem. Do you use a riser block like this?

I do use the riser block that came with it.  It doesn't look that one, but I may buy that one.  The bike isn't tilted that much (1-3degrees), but I have had a rough few months...injured in sept..so I am back up to 215...and I can feel the frame lean to the opposite side...

It maybe that I have just gotten to far on the clydesdale side of life. 

Gary,

 Would like us to post bios?

Hey all, quick swing by as we are just back from Bellingrath Gardens in Theodore, AL.  More info tomorrow but to answer your question that might be a great idea so the old and new members get to know each other.  I updated my Bio for the new season and will repost tomorrow. 

Brett - congrats on the bike!  Pics are required as Bike Pjorn is always encouraged.

Will - Welcome!!!