Newbz'z group is FULL!!!!!! (Page 25)

I think I am finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel so am starting to shake the funk I have been in.  I did a 5k today for the corporate challenge and did OK (18:26) not real fast but good enough to get the first for my AG/Division for my company so that was good.  I haven't raced any lately and really did not put it all out there so I am not totally happy with my effort.  I have a half marathon coming up that I hope to run and get some good benefit from a hard effort (I love 15k's and halfs for building stamina at LT) and then on to Clearwater.

Sorry to hear things aren't going all that well for you right now David, hope your ride goes well.  If you can accept it just as a learning experience and go in and have fun with it without expectation, that might be an option.  I've done that a few times and have while not necessarily PR'd have come away feeling good and having had a blast because of the lack of expectation.  I'm going to ride around 100 miles easy tomorrow with some friends if the weather is good.  I haven't done anything long for awhile so really need it.  Enjoy your ride tomorrow. 

Hey guys! Finally back online after a long September. I have been swamped at work and at home. I just read the last couple pages trying to catch up and I think I'm about to add to our group's late season woes.

I was getting completely burned out with the marathon training and did my last long run on 8/30. It was 16 miles and I felt great mentally and cardiovascularly but my knee was trashed... averaged around 8:30/mi which was fantastic for me on a long run. But when I started to run the short runs over the next few days I just could not pull it together. I kind of had a mild breakdown thinking about all the training and all of my personal commitments and the possibility of an injury compounding all that and decided to take an early break.

So, I've been following a tri-specific lifting plan but unfortunately, I strained my upper abs by doing too much to fast. Still nursing that. I've gained a few pounds due to both lifting and lack of consistent cardio but I am getting the itch to get going again and still plan to run the 10k at the Marine Corp. I've also signed up for a metric marathon (16.2) on 12/7 and a 5-miler on 12/20. I plan to get back into full trithlon mode after the 1st of the year.

Hope you guys are doing well.

Well Hello David,

I'm still alive. Had a brief down period and now back in base for a while. Thinking about starting that P90X strength training until Jan when I start ramping back up for TTT. Are you doing TTT in '09 ? What have you been up to?

Chris

How do you do, David?

I took about two months off due to injury (and prolonged by laziness) and now I'm back.  Ran the Marine Corp 10k on Saturday in 51:56 which is not too bad for me considering I only ran twice between 8/17 and 10/26 and put 10 lbs back on.  Getting back on track for a Metric Mary (26.2k) in early December and then a couple fun runs leading into the holiday season.  After the holidays I start getting ready for my first Olympic at Columbia in mid-May.

I'm still here.  It has been quite for a little while, but I have been chipping away.  I have the Half Ironman coming up.  Have a little sore going on in my left calf hope that taper takes care of it and that it doesn't cramp next weekend.  Swimming is still slow but I think I have the endurance (going to work hard on it this winter), and running is going really well.  I miss the training partners in the colder weather, particularly on bike and am afraid to see what that looks like - could be good, could be bad.  I'll give it my best and try to have fun first and foremost.  I have had some motivation issues off and on, but look forward to a little break after the HIM. 

Nice hearing everyone is still out there.

Back from Florida!  The good, the bad the ugly.... I performed poorly but really am searching for why.  The swim I did was very bad, but was expected (frankly I swam all over the place) and the time was faster than I deserved.  Probably the worst thing I did was switch bikes.  The change in geometry really made a difference in the muscles used, as it should or why change.  I did not realize how much a difference it made, because I usually ride my faster ride with groups and I ride my road bike when in groups.  As a consequence, I have not ridden my tri bike much.  Should have danced with the lady who brought me! 

The day unfolded about as bad as I can imagine other than having a flat.  I learned something that I did not realize starting out, what wave you are in can make a big difference. I was in the back wave with a lot of very good competition.  In such a situation, if you swim poorly you set yourself up for a poor bike because there is no one around to chase.   I could see the peletons when the course doubled back (that is just wrong, at least try not to suck a wheel!).  When you have no one else out there, you do not have the motivation to chase, nor do you have the legal draft of catching someone and passing.  The sad thing is, my average bike time is what my group limits itself to on the "easy days" and on such days I usually pull the entire time with another friend at my side-but typically on my road bike.  By the time it came to the run, my motivation was very  low, I even thought about not finishing-but how do you explain that to your kids?  Honestly however, I was very tired.  My legs were heavy, I think I had hammered my ride so hard that it took the lead out of my legs (different geometry, different muscles fatigued).  I was pretty much demoralized as I ran.  I was not an about it, my day did not go as I had envisioned, but I was honored to be there.  The guy I traveled with did a 4:17, his PR, and another friend did a 4:06, not a PR but won our AG  (He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met and so deserving-just a phenomenal person in every aspect)
.  In the end I did a 5:06, I was shooting for a 4:40, but things just did not go the way I thought they should.  I am definitely sad/disappointed but at least now I have a PR to shoot at.  Also, guys when I say a number like that I do not mean to brag or bashfully apologize because I know that there are some who would love to hit that time and there are those who would be embarrassed by such a time - it is all relative.  I trained as hard as I could (other than the last month) and did not come close to my expectations, but so is life.  That was a lot of money spent to under-perform, but it was a good experience.  The course is great, the volunteers excellent, the event is well organized, and I expect it will grow at even a faster rate than Kona, given the distance is more palatable.  The season is over and now I do consider myself to be a triathlete.

I don't know where I am going with this tri stuff.  My wife definitely wants me to go back to just running.  It fits more readily in our family's lifestyle.  In reality, I get most of my workouts in while my kids are away at practice (they do gymnastics 20 hrs per week!), but my wife needs me to be there for her more.  I hate to have performed so poorly in Clearwater.  To be honest, it would be easier to walk away and just run if I had done well.  I think I will focus a bit on the run for a month or so and then see how things go.  I'm definitely going to cut back for awhile.  I kind of like the "tri life" and the balance of three sports.