GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 92)

stevebradley - 2010-03-18 4:24 AM





HEY! It's 5:23am here! Where is everybody??

stevebradley - 2010-03-18 4:42 AM ANNE once more - About down-dresssing on the bike..... I do pretty poorly with heat and humidity, so I figure if I can't make that extreme work for me, I'd better acclimate to racing in cold conditions. So that's what I'm aiming for -- a certain tolerance for racing when I'm cold. This has helped me in the past with early season potential freezefests such as Columbia and Mosseman, and for some late-season ones, too. In fact, one of the reasons I had a strong race at lake george last September was that I stayed minimally-dressed for the bike, while lots of other people took time in T1 to don layers. My only concession to that was having arm-warmers on my aerobars, and putting them on about a mile into the bike when my arms had dried off (I ended up removing them a few miles later, FWIW). I made it through this (past?) winter wearing relatively little on all of my outside runs, and I feel good about that. That's not to say that I ever aimed to suffer, but I'm always looking to wear as little as possible, either riding or running in cool and cold. But what doesn't help me, ultimately, is that I have lousy circulation to my extemities, and that just seems to be getting worse as I age. So when my feet get cold in a swim, and then stay cold on the bike, I will start the run feeling as if I'm "running on stumps". This is pretty awful, but I guess it's like all other training goals --- experience them first in training, and they would shock you so much come race day. (Kind of sounds like a triathlete's version of an ascetic existence! )

stevebradley - 2010-03-18 4:22 AM DENISE - I'll give you a few speed-focus workouts here. The first two will be from our old friend Matt Fitzgerald and his oft-mentioned book, and the last will be from "Workouts in A Binder", by Gale Bernhardt and Nick Hansen. The Fitz ones are slightly less complicated -- which does not mean that they are any less effective, just that they are easier to store in the brain (or to write on an index card to be put in a sealable baggy and kept at poolside). 1.) Swim Fartlek Interval (100-yard intervals with an easy/hard format, and 10-second rest periods) ***4 x 100 (25 easy, 25 hard....), with 10" rest between each 100 2.) Swim Lactate Interval (75-yard intervals swum hard, with the designated rest period) ***4 x 75, 45-second rest. If 4 x 75 is too much, and/or 45" rest is not enough, then adjust accordingly! 3.) Endurance/Speed 1 ***4 x 200, moderate, with 20" rest intervals between each (moderate means aware of breathing, but not struggling) ***2 x 75, fast, with 15" RI (fast means as fast as you can while holding your form) With all of those, do a decent warm-up -- an easy 200-400 yards should work. And don't forget the cool-down (200-300)! Also, for the third one I have omitted a somewhat involved warm-up, and also a kick-set that follows the 2 x 75. If you want to know these, I will be happy to send them along to you. Anyhow, give these a try and see how they suit you. And somewhere I have a stack of cards (that went in the aforementioned poolside baggy) from my days with Coach Erik, and I was hoping to use these for examples for you. I'm not sure where I've put them, however! Finally, as I say above, feel free to make adjustments as necessary! These have to work for YOU, so if something is too many or too short or too whatever, dial it in to your own particular needs. Glub, glub!

stevebradley - 2010-03-17 5:49 PM MANDY once more - Of the 15-20 flats I have been plagued with over the years, about 80% of them have been the rear. Can you say *#!*@_!#*? I Sure can! Finally, only about two years ago, I figured out a way to change out the rear wheel without getting the entire left hand all grubby-gritty-greasy, so at least when I get flats back there I don't make a mess of myself. And changing out the rear wheel, just going from training wheels to racing wheels and back and forth ad nauseum xx times a year, is almost enjoyable now. Look, Ma, clean paws!

stevebradley - 2010-03-18 6:34 AM I just signed up for West Point Triathlon. I guess that entitles me to say "Go Army! Beat Navy!" West Point used to be the Mules, but I think now they are Black Knights. I like Mules better. I am trying to will myself into making some decisions about the season. I have been waffling for months, and the proposals I posted last week were an effort to spur me to make some damn commitments, already! I THINK I had West point on Plan A.....but maybe not. (I'm afraid to check.......)

SAquavia - 2010-03-18 6:21 PM
All this talk of flats!  I'm freaking out!  I had 2 flats on my first race, and in the 6 years since then, I've not had single flat - not even on a training ride.  I fear that I am DUE!  In SPADES!!!!

SAquavia - 2010-03-18 6:39 PM So, I've got that REM song in my head the last week or so, "Everybody Hurts".  Heh.
First foot
Then knee
Now hamstring - seems like boiling that Frog fried my leg.  Been liming around pretty bad - but the ice pack/heat pack alternating helped last night.  I passed on the swim/run this morning to opt for a long trainer session in front of the computer tonight.  Hopefully, it feels good enough for a swim/run session tomorrow before work.

MARCH MADNESS is here!  KU plays tonight, and I can watch the game live on the computer, so I'll sneak out of here, set up the trainer and ride for a couple of hours and hopefully watch a #1 smash a #16 to pieces!  Knock on wood.