Manatee Mentors 2016 - Closed (Page 91)

My brother just posted splits of 12.5 mph out and 26.6 mph back.

So it's not at all windy?

So FYI regarding send DS2's bike. I contacted my LBS and decided to let them handle it. We decided to find a bike shop in Jax so that DS2 wouldn't have to deal with a big box arriving on the base . Once we found a shop I contacted them to get them on board then dropped the bike off at my LBS. That's all I had to do, other than open my wallet (the normal parental thing to do, right?). Of course, sending his helmet and shoes was another $20.

Originally posted by fortissimo  Okay, some will disagree with me on this, but I don't care. I rarely swim in open water outside of my races. I will take my wet suit to the pool with me a few times before my first race to make sure it still fits and to get reacquainted with feeling like a stuffed sausage. I do a short workout with it, then I immediately rinse and wash it. I've had the same wet suit for 4 years and it is still the same as it was the first time I swam in the pool with it.

I don't disagree, if a person knows they do well in open water. But for someone who hasn't tried it much, I recommend swimming in open water before the race because so many people freak out because it is so different.

Thank you one and all for the birthday wishes, I had a good day.  Back to work today to kind of get a birthday present - my standing desk was delivered and installed around lunchtime, and I'm liking it, typing standing up as we speak (type?  read?  communicate?).

Originally posted by rrrunner

Originally posted by fortissimo  Okay, some will disagree with me on this, but I don't care. I rarely swim in open water outside of my races. I will take my wet suit to the pool with me a few times before my first race to make sure it still fits and to get reacquainted with feeling like a stuffed sausage. I do a short workout with it, then I immediately rinse and wash it. I've had the same wet suit for 4 years and it is still the same as it was the first time I swam in the pool with it.

I don't disagree, if a person knows they do well in open water. But for someone who hasn't tried it much, I recommend swimming in open water before the race because so many people freak out because it is so different.

Probably think somewhat similar. Open water doesn't necessarily need lots of practice with it. You're still swimming and that's best learned in the pool. As far as the swim stroke and building fitness goes. For open water sessions, emphasize more on just being comfortable out in water you can't touch or really see anything in and also sighting. Being able to briefly and quickly look up at your target without disrupting your stroke. That will help you swim straighter so you get through the 600 or so at more like that distance instead of s-curving all over going 800+. And that's not really an exaggeration either. Sighting can be done a little in the pool, but it is different spotting something about that's maybe 25 yds away at most vs 800 or more on longer courses.

I'm a little like Robin in being able to just show up and go without having been in open water for months, but I also have a long history of being out on and in the water thanks to a lifetime of being out in canoes, kayaks, and swimming the 50ft or so to an offshore floating dock at vacation spots. I've also seen some races where 5-6 people in a single wave will get in and go straight for the nearest boat. They were freaked because they hadn't been out in water like that. Reach farther than you can see.

Well, maybe not quite ALL the wind ...

To some extent on the first. What I meant there was ride selections. There are more of the hillier rides that I could do that would give my brother trouble. And a lot more than what my sister could handle. I'll have a wider selection of people to ride with. I can slow down for some (seriously, I have done that!), but can only go so much faster. Or it's not a big deal to just go out for the entire afternoon even if it's just an easy ride. Like Sunday ones I tended to do last year were through or alongside a lot of forest. Usually to or at least towards the lake.

The metric part of it really varies a lot by person in how much they do and want to use it. You can do as much or as little as you want. For me it's worked rather well out on the rides or workouts to have power available for more immediate information and HR to help watch longer trends of effort or fitness improvements. Not everyone likes that much data though. There is potential to exacerbate the chasing numbers issue, but I think it can help give one greater control of themselves if they can overcome that. You can really get into the post ride analysis work, but could also look past it. I've learned to understand things with the performance management chart (acute & chronic load, along with TSB), but have let that go. Might come back if I find a setup that loads as easy as Garmin Express (or through it) without paying so much I might pick it up some more.

I have liked seeing numbers to help understand where my ability is at. HR can work reasonably well in hitting effort targets, but doesn't really say if you're getting faster or not. It's a lot of trusting that it is from hitting the work well. I've responded more to seeing this. Then it's up to me to say if I'm ok with what I see or if I want to do something about it. The last year and a half (so longer than the injury period) has seen a drop in tri related bike fitness. I've been ok with it. I knew where I was and what I was getting out of my training. I didn't have the lost feeling of spinning my wheels, wondering where things were. Feel more grounded now.

My brother is really on the fence with this too. He has some access with this through the PowerBeam trainer and does like it, but not quite sure enough to pull the trigger for a bike mounted PM. I'm not entirely sure with him either, which doesn't really help there. I just try to keep him informed of what I've found and experienced. For my sister, no. It'd be a near complete waste for her. She wouldn't care enough about it as that's not at all in her personality and is getting plenty of things to handle about HR through her fitness instructor work.

None of this is actually saying to go get one. More trying to share some experience with handling things. I've seen some people spread some misconceptions and find it rather bothersome. I think we've seen Macca say to leave off the PM at times and learn to go by feel. Another local pro has said to do that too and seems to chime in when this comes up. Learning to go by feel is something that should be developed, but that method of throwing the tool out is a really backwards way of doing it. Just take it off the viewing screen when out on the ride and then see how you did later. Let the data collect behind the scene. Then you have something to compare against and see if you really get it. Use it to hone in that feel process. Did you really keep the spikes down on the hills or coming out of the corners? Did you really keep the power flat the whole time or was there a fade at the end (or did you turn it up some)? You don't really know without it. And that's if you choose to look at all.

Originally posted by Lighttower I am leaving this forum. I am doubling my biking time this week, which means I need to cut my activities somewhere. I am kinda forced to do it here. The last week I noticed that although it was a great help to know that someone else is monitoring my training, I don't need that anymore. I am pushing forward as hard on my own if I had a coach with me at all times. I would like to thank everyone for the support, the inspires, the time investment, the advice, the suggestions and overall for sharing your wisdom. It was a great hurdle to increase my weekly running distance from 30km+ to 50km+ especially during the winter months when the weather was really hostile on some days, to figure out how to solve my ITBand issue, to start swim practice and getting used to water. I couldn't have done it without you. I wish everyone new challenges, find new enjoyment, find new trails to run and mountains to climb! I wish everyone the best! and ofc. heal up DL!

Good luck to you as well!

Remember, once a Manatee, always a Manatee!

Take care!

Does anyone want to do an NCAA bracket challenge?  For me, it will be a pure luck kind of thing.

http://racing-manatees.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?ttag=BPM16_cpy_invite_new

The group password is: ironstrong

It would be pure luck for me too, but that's usually how people win!  

ETA: and I'm in!

I'm in as well.  Go go crazy guessing!

Sounds like a bear was chasing him for the second half.