GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 98)

YEAH! Have fun!  The videos are tough, but I always feel great afterwords.  When I first started I couldn't finish the sets half the time...

LOL I can't wait to try it! 

LOL I can't wait to try it! 

KASIA again -

Your comments about the possible sprint are very interesting in light of what Tracey was going through this weekend. For the background there, she had signed up for Timberman sprint (Aug 21) as her first, but then talked to someone at the expo this past weekend who suggested that it might be a bit too big for a first race. Tracely related to this line of reasoning, and has just signed up for a new first tri - June 6, small, very close to home.

So for Tracey, she liked the idea of small, but for you, you're comfortable in getting "lost in the crowd of larger events". Of course, both answers are right, depending on the person. I just find it interesting that in short order the two of you have exhibited different mindsets to the same basic problem!

You're right that you can do a brick and have some of the desired effect, but I sledom find bricks to be close to what I am really aiming for. But I bring a lot of competitiveness to my racing, and I guess I need the others around me to push me and "keep me honest". For you at this stage of things, you're not looking to be highly competitive, you're just hoping to get a feel for what it's like to ride hard and then go out on a fiarly fast run, as well as to test your fitness. For most people, they will not have a sprint RIGHT THERE, like its manna from heaven or something, so they will have to do a brick that weekend.

The advantage of doing that sprint is that it will give you big insights into how these things work - especially the transitions. Beyond that there are the aspects of nutrition and getting a feel for doing stuff in a crowd -- and I don't mean that in the sense of "crowded". In fact, 400 for a sprint is still on the small-medium side of things -- not small like 150-200, but not in the 800-1200 range.

Those Colorado triathletes you refer to? All of them at one time were wannabe Colorado triathletes, and that's one thing you always have to keep at the forefront of your mind. Some of them have many years and many races behind them, and others may also be incredibly gifted, so you can't put your focus on them -- certainly not in terms of embarrassment or disappointment. Intimidation is maybe a different matter, but remember that intimidation is a two-way street. And seeing as how their goal is not to intimidate you, try not to allow yourself to feel intimidated.

I haven't been to the website yet, but I will get there later. I am not a big fan of looped bike courses, but many people love them -- at the very least, it means that if someone gets a flat, they don't have far to go to get back to the transition zone! But beyond that, loop-lovers love that they can feel their way on the first loop, apply some of those lessons on the second loop, and push the limits on the third loop.

In fact, last year I did an oly, with a four-loop bike, the day after Timberman sprint. I thought about doing the sprint instead of the oly as I was tired from T-man (the long drive didn't help), but went ahead with the oly. And was I glad I did! It unfolded for me just about how I explained it above. One part of the loop was quite technical, and it took me two loops to figure out where they curves were and how to run the angles on them. The third loop I felt confident and competent, the fourth loop I really flew. Had I only done the two-loop sprint......I wouldn't've figured out that technical part of each loop!

Let's keep talking about the May 23 race, okay? How close is it to filling? That might be a factor, as it has to be one of the earlier races of the Colorado season, right?

I will go to the website now and see what i can see.

MANDY -

Seeing as how you posted it twice......you must REALLY want to try it!




See? That's one of things you get from having me as a Full Service Mentor -- the kind of stuff your mother never wanted you to know about!

MANDY again -

That sounds like the Katahdin Klassic Klimb!

Mandy once more -

I think I'll "book" all of Katahdin for that weekend, so you'll have to do it a different weekend and can do Burligton instead.

Seriously, that's probbably the perfect weekend. Kids back at school, no bugs, and still fairly clement weather. Nice!!

LOL!! I didn't mean to post it twice, that is so funny! 

I would do that VT Tri if I didn't plan this hike though, really.  I think I am doing most of it solo too, should be cool.   Some friends might meet me on top of Baxter peak and stay with me at Chimney.  Maybe. 

I am doing Lobsterman the next weekend (I think, unless my dates are screwed up.)

Oh, and check this LINK out, there is definitely something wrong with me

Cheers,
Mandy

X2

I actually did get to the point where there was too much of a break between strokes - beautiful glide though.    I too swim fastest when I increase my stroke count from 21/22 to 23/24.  

I don't remember if it was KASIA who posted that they had a 31/32 stroke count.    That is exactly what I had when I first started swimming and it was in a 20 meter pool.    It DOES improve.  

KASIA once more -

Hmmm.....

Price is right, and the big thrill is that the bike course will be completely closed to traffic! That's nifty when it happens -- which is rare.

All in all, it's a very "tight" package, nicely confined to a small area -- great for the race people, logistcially easy for the athletes.

??

I agree with Mandy.  It's more of a musical rhythm - knowing when the next stroke comes into the picture.  Not too soon (windmill effect) and not too late (dead spots).  For me, its a perpetual motion, arms are always in motion, but each stroke lets the other finish before it begins. 

Agreeing that in the real stroke, you never stop, I sometimes will do a few strokes and then in the reach of the next stroke, just leave the arm in front of me and literally glide to a stop just to see how far I can move without the next stroke.  I do this JUST to get a mental picture and physical feeling of the glide.  I find that as I swim further, my strokes tends to pile up on one another and I get a windmill effect going.  Typically because as I get tired, my stroke breaks down, I get less propulsion from it, and then that dreaded "sinking" feeling.  My natural tendency is to do more and faster strokes to try to compensate, and when that happens, I refocus for a few strokes, get a series of good reach, catch, pull and then I glide.  Calms me down, assures the logical brain that faster strokes are not better strokes, and then get back to it.

I had an experience today that I think puts "glide" into perspective. Glide is, essentially, distance per stroke (dps), how far you move forward with each arm stroke. The key is to maximize dps. TI argues that reducing drag via proper form allows you to maximize dps, and with less effort.

Two weeks ago when I was swimming a set of base intervals (6X100s @ moderate pace) I used a tempo trainer (TT) to set my stroke rate. On that day I set a stroke rate of 1.10 seconds with the TT, which resulted in a times of 1:38/1:39 per 100 yds. Today I had the same base interval set and decided to push myself a little and set my TT at 1.07. My times today were 1:43/1:44 per 100 yds. So, instead of a faster stroke rate resulting in a faster time, it resulted in the opposite. This must be because my dps suffered as my stroke rate went up - even though my arms were moving faster I was not going as far on each stroke. I now know that I can't jump up that quickly and maintain good form = efficiency/glide/dps.
Mark

Hey STEVE B,

Yep, all good points.  Tire pressure was (should have been) the same (120psi) - I'm pretty religious about it.  Could be weather related, could have just been general fatigue, hard to tell.  But, it is what it is as far as road conditions.  I still have this fantasy that we show up and they've covered the worst of it with a fresh coat of asphalt!  (Aside:  One section of road that was REALLY bad last time was actually redone, so hope springs eternal.)

As for the hammy - it's really hammy/joint at this point.  The strain/pull is clearly on the lower portion of the muscle, where it goes into the back of the knee.  If you are sitting down and feel that muscle, where it goes from all muscle into tendon/ligaments - that's where the pain is, as well as in the ligaments themselves.  It's more centralized in the back of the knee, more so than the sides - though they are a bit tender at times as well.  Anyway, where it goes from muscle to tendons/ligaments - that's where it hurts, and more so on the inner part of the leg than the outside.

Anyway, it's tender.  LOL.

Bagged the spin this morning - when I work up, it was very stiff and hurt to walk, so I'm going to get a massage after work, keep putting cold on it every couple of hours and Advil.  I may end up doing a SERIOUS taper this week.  LOL.  I'd say I'm 50/50 for this weekend as it is right now.  I am talking daily to my wife and Jason (who will be running the race) and will be relying on them to keep me focused on May 1st and not jeopardize that race for the ego of this one.

Yep and yep and yep!

Hammy first, as I'm looking up the ride course - yes, that's exactly where the pain is.  And most prominently where the muscle is attaching to the leg - and especially on the inside portion of the knee. 

Long course bike profile is here:  http://maps.onemillionrevolutions.org/profile.jsp?segmentID=10629.&... But it looks like it's malfunctioning.  Anyway, from what I can tell, there are a couple of decent climbs, but nothing too taxing. 

Until then...RICE

Hi

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2010/03/features/the-100-best-triathlons-on-earth_7695

This is a fun article - tri mags best 100 tris by category

St George made one of most anticipated
Hy-Vee (were you doing that one Mark) one of most family friendly
Lonestar in Texas one of best festivals
Lobsterman one of best post-race parties

Denise

I read this.  Made me want to do two more IM distance races (assuming I get out of this one alive and wanting to do one ever again!)

Silverman
Savageman

However, first things first.  Complete IMSG, then completely rework the gearing on the bike!  LOL.

My wife took a somewhat different approach: "If you want to kill yourself, can we do it in Spain?  How about Lanzarote?

I love my wife.

I think your wife's on the right track

Shaun:

Not a multi-day event, but I think it could have been! There were a couple of seminars/talks I would have liked to attend but just didn't have time to.

Steve:

I'm up for any suggestions! I'll be at the pool tomorrow and will report back on the golf-ball-in-the-butt technique.

Tracey

Mandy:

That sounds like an awesome hike! Have you ever done any winter hikes in the White Mountains? My husband does them all the time and is trying to talk me into one for next year...

Tracey

Edited by midlifeinsanity 2010-05-25 7:23 PM

Edited by midlifeinsanity 2010-05-25 7:24 PM

Edited by midlifeinsanity 2010-05-25 7:25 PM