Fred D Mentor Group Part III (Page 92)

Says you must have a great position!  I can't imagine being able to ride that fast with those power numbers.

Thanks!  I chatted with Leegoocrap a bit about that.  Ran a few numbers in Golden Cheetah aerolab and also by hand and my CdA was about .213.  It pays to keep your head down   Oh and I think a lot of triathletes are chickenspit descenders, but that's another story.  Who needs brakes!

Ha, not just triathletes.  I bike with a lot of folks that ride their breaks.  I climb just so I can go down. 

http://app.strava.com/activities/19968560#359565661

This is how you go downhill.  I passed so many people on that stretch it wasn't even funny.

I'm on the same path.  Just waiting for my term to expire.  I made that choice when they banned Bryan but then wouldn't even have a dialog with him about it.

...it isn't any single post from Tom that'll get you to explode, it's if you happen to read an accumulated volume of his BS...after awhile it's enough...It is almost as if the guy purposely just focuses on coming up with polarizing non-contributing things he finds amusing because he has nothing to better to do.  I purposely stopped reading anything he posts awhile ago.

Unfortunately, as you note, the people best suited to give advice get pushed away because the over riding culture here is thin skinned and can't handle truth.  I tried to stop reading the main forum as much.  I can't tell you how many times I've typed a post and deleted it before posting.  Luckily people like Shane and the very few others still take the time to respond to a lot of the questions...

I'll be sorry to see Fred go.  Will definitely check in on his blog.  I actually read ST a lot more than I read BT.  As crude as it gets there actually is knowledge in there.

5500 meters in the pool this morning.  

WU: 300 swim, 200 free/stroke, 100 IM 

12x100 free on descending pace times 3x(1:35, 1:30, 1:25, 1:20) 

12x75 kick as 75 fast on 1:30, 50 fast/25 easy on 1:40, 25 fast/50 easy on 1:50, 75 easy on 2:00 

200 swim on 3:40 
3x400 on 6:00 (5:24-5:26) 
2x200 swim on 3:40 
400 on 6:00 (5:22) 
200 swim on 3:40 
400 fast (5:21) - not much left in the tank at this point

ZZZZzzzzzZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

I am very sorry to see Fred go. I wish him all the best. On a selfish note - he's been a great resource for me...and a font of knowledge for many.

I've got a Jorge's trainer session and a short run today. It's POURING rain (the dog went to the door, I opened it (onto a porch), she stepped outside, took one look and came right back inside), so it's looking like it will all be inside today. I really struggle with running outside when it's in the mid 30s and raining. My least favorite weather.

As you all may remember - I'm really struggling with my motivation. I think I may have figured it out but now I need some help if you have the time/inclination. Two years ago, (after two seasons under my belt) I signed up for my first HIM (part of the overall plan of a four year progression to full distance) and got hurt about 4 months before the event [my cuboid bone in my right foot was sliding out of place during runs] and completely trash-canned my season.

Before the injury, I had some fairly lofty goals (for me)...improve on my standalone HM time by 15 minutes overall, complete the HIM, improve on my Sprint and Oly times. All these goals went out the window with the injury.

In 2012, I slowly came back from the injury and decided to attempt the HIM distance. The first HIM rolled around (Patriot HIM in June 2012), had a great time and immediately signed up for my next (Pumpkinman HIM Sept 2012) thinking I could shave significant time off. The race didn't work out as I expected (80% because I wasn't as religious about following a training plan, 20% because of things outside of my control) and I was crushed. Now, I'm REALLY hesitant to sign up for races because of the a$$-whooping I got [mostly mental].

I'm thinking that I'm setting unrealistic goals for myself and I keep not achieving them, so now I'm afraid to set a goal because I've convinced myself that I won't get there...this is due primarily because I have NO experience in athletics/training...just what I've gleaned along the way...so, I'm throwing this out there to you all (the experienced ones)...what would be a reasonable/achievable goal (or goals) for me in the 2013 season? I know this is asking for some homework on your part (all my logs are up to date, all my race reports are pretty detailed - almost to the point of excruciating detail)...but can you help me set some achievable goals for 2013?

Thanks for any guidance.

I find that setting goals on the whole of triathlon is difficult. It's hard to put a "time" goal because every course is so different.

Instead, I am looking at the three sports individually
On the run, I know my VDOT and a goal to improve a VDOT by 1 or 2 points is very reasonable. 10km runs are probably the best to track progress, but 5km are fine for tracking progress.
On the bike, I know my FTP and I know my weight, so to improve my W/KG by .1, .2, .3 is a reasonable goal
On the swim, to knock 2s/100m probably is reasonable.
Related to my W/kg, to hit a weight target is part of my plan.
To achieve a total workout volume say 10% more than last year is a reasonable target

On a weekly/montly basis, my average pace on the run, chasing points on my CP curve for the bike, a beat the clock on the swim, my average weight are ways of chasing short terms goals that add up to long term goals.

If I do all of those, then hopefully the sum of it, on a good race day will give me a result I am happy with. To chase X hours on a HIM makes no sense.

If I get injured in one sport, just keep tracking progress in the 2 others.

Does this make any sense ? I can expand if so.

This is good info. I like the idea of 1) focusing on improvements in individual sports and 2) taking the variabilities of a race out of the equation...a question though - if I am constantly pushing to beat the clock/improve my pace/CP...does this set me up for injury?

What this points to immediately (for me) is I need to do some testing/set baselines. Whoo hoo!

I find that setting goals on the whole of triathlon is difficult. It's hard to put a "time" goal because every course is so different.

Instead, I am looking at the three sports individually
On the run, I know my VDOT and a goal to improve a VDOT by 1 or 2 points is very reasonable. 10km runs are probably the best to track progress, but 5km are fine for tracking progress.
On the bike, I know my FTP and I know my weight, so to improve my W/KG by .1, .2, .3 is a reasonable goal
On the swim, to knock 2s/100m probably is reasonable.
Related to my W/kg, to hit a weight target is part of my plan.
To achieve a total workout volume say 10% more than last year is a reasonable target

On a weekly/montly basis, my average pace on the run, chasing points on my CP curve for the bike, a beat the clock on the swim, my average weight are ways of chasing short terms goals that add up to long term goals.

If I do all of those, then hopefully the sum of it, on a good race day will give me a result I am happy with. To chase X hours on a HIM makes no sense.

If I get injured in one sport, just keep tracking progress in the 2 others.

Does this make any sense ? I can expand if so.

Instead, I am looking at the three sports individually
On the run, I know my VDOT and a goal to improve a VDOT by 1 or 2 points is very reasonable. 10km runs are probably the best to track progress, but 5km are fine for tracking progress.
On the bike, I know my FTP and I know my weight, so to improve my W/KG by .1, .2, .3 is a reasonable goal
On the swim, to knock 2s/100m probably is reasonable.
Related to my W/kg, to hit a weight target is part of my plan.
To achieve a total workout volume say 10% more than last year is a reasonable target

On a weekly/montly basis, my average pace on the run, chasing points on my CP curve for the bike, a beat the clock on the swim, my average weight are ways of chasing short terms goals that add up to long term goals.

If I do all of those, then hopefully the sum of it, on a good race day will give me a result I am happy with. To chase X hours on a HIM makes no sense.

If I get injured in one sport, just keep tracking progress in the 2 others.

Does this make any sense ? I can expand if so.