Newbz' group is FULL

welcome aboard chris.

I'm in for both TTT's this year!

alright all, group is open, lets get this started!

Edited by jsoza 2009-12-17 1:47 PM

welcome both of you!

if either of you have followed/been a part of one of these groups in the past, please excuse this, and to anyone that joins up from here out, this is how this typically works.

1st, i have WAY too much free time on my computer, so i check this throughout the day (about the only time i wont be on here at least once a day is if i am traveling).

2nd, we are pretty much free to discuss anything, if you have questions, ideas, thoughts, whatever, throw them out for the group to talk about. A lot of times others in the group will be able to offer insight as often as i can, and can often look at things in a diff way so its good to bounce ideas around.

3rd, as topics of interest come up, i'll write a bit longer post about it, my ideas/current research/thoughts on the topic and then we can discuss as it relates to our training and goals, and how these ideas can be used in your training. an example of this would be How to safely build run volume, or how to become a faster runner, or the same with the other sports, something in fueling for longer races (both daily and on the course). bike maintnance, anything really.
if anyone has a topic they would like to get things started with i'll see what i can do as well.

4th, and this is the first time i have asked this, but in the past i normally accept 10-15 people at the start, and without fail a few drop off or stop posting in the first day or two. thats fine, i understand we all have lives to worry about, but i only ask that if you do decide to leave the group, etc, just give me the heads up so i can let someone else in.

thanks and look forward to working with all of you this winter!!

maria, do you live near where white lake is?

Hi there, My name is Quintan and I'm looking for some knowledge........

STORY: Im 33yrs old, 6' 214 lbs. I was an amature(No Steroids)body builder from age 17-27 when I got married. My top weight was 220 and I use to run 3-5 miles/3 times a week just to keep body fat down not to compete for any race. My wife didn't want be all buff and ripped Hehe! so needless to say I slowed my working out and sped up the growth of my gut. At age 30 I gave up training all together and got in the worst shape of my life. I was challenged by a friend to try a triathlon and I began training about 3 weeks ago. Oh boy! that was an experience....

FAMILY STATUS: DIVORCED/SINGLE

CURRENT TRAINING: Swim/run = 30 minutes 2X a week. Bike = 1Hr 2X week.

THIS YEARS RACES: NONE.  I'm hoping to be in good shape to try the Nautica South Beach sprint April 11, 2009. Looks like a really nice course, I live in Miami so I figured "Why not make it my first sprint/triathlon?"

WEIGHTLOSS: I was 225Lbs of fat with some left over muscle from random strenght training, I began loging my training Nov 30 and 2 days ago I was 214Lbs at the publix by my house. I loose weight fast and know how to do it, I have nutrition knowledge as well as strenght trainig experience.

Anyways, hope you'll have me- I love to learn the good stuff.

Edited by Quintan 2009-12-17 6:28 PM

welcome aboard sir!

Hi Newbz group. Would love to be a part of this group.

I am 39 years old and live in Tampa, Fl. A native! Year round training for me.  I'm 5-5 and 120 and very happy w/my build.

My story: I have a degree in Exercise Phys so I've always been into being fit and active but never to super committed until around 1997. My background is mostly running and cycling. Did my first marathon in 1998, got addicted and have done over 30 since, 4 were Boston Marathons and a few ultras sprinkled in. Swimming is my weakest link and that really bugs me so I've decided 2010 is my year to change that. I have a great work schedule that allows me to put in the time I will need to achieve my goal(s). I've done St. Anthony's several times in the late 90's and a couple of sprint tri's in the early 2000's.  I also mountain bike. I've logged over 11,000 cycling miles this year and should hit 11,500 by 12/31/2009.

Family Status: Married w/no kids

This year's races: Gasparilla Tampa Marathon 3/1/09 and Nike Women's Marathon 10/18/2009. 

2010 Races: Escape from Ft. Desoto in April
Dunedin Beach Sprint Tri in June
Great Floridian 10/23/2010

My husband just bought me a year membership to our local Y (2 miles from home) so that I no longer have an excuse not to swim. I'll begin swimming in January. I currently have a training log that I have kept religiously since 7/2007 but will check out this log here and begin updating my workouts accordingly.

Look forward to being a part of this group!
KC

I would like to be a part of the group if there is still room.

welcome to all of you!

yep we still have room, can prob take another 5-8 people.

to those looking to learn to swim/swim better, i can relate to this. when i started racing 4 years ago, one length of the pool killed me. with some hard work and a bit of help its very easy to start making progress, but you need to take those first steps.

local gyms, pools, etc, can be a great place to find help. many offer adult swim classes, and baring that, most local highschool or college swimmers are great resources for one or two time lessons. Getting help like that can be a great way to kick start things, and then have them, or another coach check back in a few weeks down the road.

Thanks for letting me into this elite group of athletes.  I'll try to uphold the standard of excellence in training that I am sure everyone else is already living up too.  I can't wait to get started with everyone!  I have a whole lot to learn!

My Story:  I started running about 4 years ago because I couldn't carry a basket of laundry up the stairs without getting winded and my Cholesterol was kind of high.  Someone at work had been running for a few months and liked it so I thought I would give it a shot.  I started on a treadmill and swore I would never get off of it because "running is too hard on the knees."  After a few months I got talked into a 5k race, ran 1 week outside while vacation preparing for the race and now can't stand the thought of spending much time on the blasted machine.

Since the early days of running I have run 3 half marathons, 3 four mile races and an assortment of other distances. (Incidentally I thought it was stupid when some friends suggested I run a half mary.  Now I love it and can't think of missing the Indy Mini half every year and the said friends think I am weird now because I can't just run it, I have to compete in it.)  I also registered for the Marine Corps Marathon and was training up to 11 miles (May '09) when my knee developed yet another tear in the medial meniscus.  This injury took me out of the '09 MCM but I won't give up on the dream to run a full marathon.  I am now pre-registered for the 2010 MCM in October and that is my chief goal for next year.

What brought me to Tri?  After the 2 knee surgeries and the third meniscus tear I have started to concentrate on much more crosstraining activities i.e. cycling and swimming.  These other exercises have re-strengthened my left quad and given much more support and balance to the stabilizing muscles around my knee.  I currently run nearly completely pain free and have run as many as 7 miles on several occasions since a 2 month layoff in August and September .

I have been on a 20 week Oly plan since 9-14 and I have problems when I have to miss a day of any kind of training.  I am a dedicated working person that loves to compete and I love the endurance aspects of this sport and running sports.  I enjoy participating in something that requires so much determination and will power to complete.

Personal History:  I have been married for 22 yrs, have 2 kids (16 & 14), play drums for our church worship band, played football and wrestled in high school, work as a line crew supervisor with the power company and used to power lift about 10 years ago.

NAME:  Chris (age -31; married to a beautiful triathlete Less than 6 months experience as a triathlete...

STORY:  I am currently in the U.S. Army and just returned home from a 15 month tour in Iraq where I was introduced to 5K runs and swim/run (biathlons?) events, which I found to be very competitive.  Unfortunately, my sporting background is in wrestling and baseball throughout my formative (H.S.) years and so I am starting out in triathlon as a complete beginner to all three sports s/b/r...but...as soon as I came home to TX this past summer, from Iraq, I immediately signed up for 3 sprint distance triathlons, bought a $150.00 road bike from Walmart, and found out that I have been missing being competitive in sports for quite some time now.  I absolutely LOVE the madness that is Triathlon!!! I will never forget the feeling of my first triathlon this past September 2009, when I was about 1/2 way through the 12 mile bike portion of the race and I just remember smiling to myself about how much fun I was having...it has hooked me ever since and I cannot wait until 2010 to get here.  (fyi - I have since purchased a GURU TT bike off of ebay so I hope my bike times improve a little!!!!) 

CURRENT TRAINING:  I unfortunately had to interrupt my first winter base training in order to have rotator cuff surgery yesterday...luckily, the doctor said he only had to clean out the bursa area and that my recovery will be in the neighborhood of 6 weeks, rather than 3-6 months! With that being said, I was following an intermediate 18-week Olympic distance training plan that was covering all 3 events evenly throughout the week using a heart rate monitor to measure intensities.  No weight training due to the shoulder injury, but I was lifting weights heavily for the 15 months that I was in Iraq, so strength was not really an issue, as much as my endurance was. I will be entering a physical therapy routine in the next few weeks and I anticipate resuming base training by Febuary.  I really do love the training aspect of triathlon..the planning and the science behind it are pretty awesome to read about.

2009 RACES:  I ran approximately 8-10 5K runs (all within the 20-21 minute range), the Air Force 1/2 marathon (1:45), Army 10-miler (75 minutes), as well as completed 3 sprint distance triathlons in september and october in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area, with average times in each event.

STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES:  To be honest, I am weak in all three events when looking at it from a competitive standpoint...After racing the 3 sprint triathlons this past fall, I realized that, compared to my age-group, I am strongest in the run, average in the swim, and TERRIBLE ON THE BIKE!!! Which gives me great hope, because I think I really can improve this coming year on the bike with some LSD training mixed in with some interval training.  I plan on signing on with a coach locally for some swimming lessons as soon as my shoulder is ready to go. I grew up swimming in open water, in the Atlantic Ocean of Long Island New York, but I have found out that competitive swimming requires good technique and form, so I will be focusing on that this year in my swim stroke.

2010 RACE SEASON: I am currently registered for the following events -

1. March 6, 2010 - Athens, TX Sprint Distance Tri
2. March 14, 2010 - Miami International Triathlon (Olympic Distance)
3. April 11, 2010 - Gateway to the Bay Triathlon Houston, TX (Olympic)
4. May 31, 2010 - CapCityTri Austin, TX (Olympic)
5. July 18, 2010 - Nautica NYC Triathlon (Olympic)

GOALS THIS SEASON: 

1. Learn much more about endurance nutrition.

2. build up my aerobic base this season, in order to race half-ironman events by the end of the 2010 season. My ultimate goal is to race full-Ironman length events.
 
3. run a sub-20 min 5K by the end of this season; learn how to streamline my body in the water; increase my average bike speed in races from 15 mph to say...17-18 mph.

4. top 5 finish in my age-group at any event this season (Sprint, Olympic, 1/2), or qualify for the age-group nationals.

I would like to join and I will fill out a profile as soon as I get a chance. I just wanted to make sure that I got in the group.

Thanks

matt go ahead and jump in when you can, still room. i *think* we have 9 signed up (assuming my sleep deprived mind is counting right), we'll cap it at 15 members and then go from there.

to anyone looking to join, so long as the group name says open you are welcome to join in!

chris, good to have you and i hope the shoulder heals well! i am currently going to PT for a partial tear of the cuff and a partial dislocation.

I'm in Fayetteville.  I think it's about 1 hr 20 min to White Lake.  I did the Dash for Divas there and was a spectator for an Oly, so I'm familiar with the setup.

I hope doing the easier White Lake half will prepare me for the more complicated Beach to Battleship in Nov!

I forgot to mention, I am 43 yrs old; so I guess I'm considered and adult onset athlete.  Sure wish I had discovered this sooner, but better late than never!

Edited by maria40nc 2009-12-18 3:36 AM

I had to laugh because I was the same way!  My treadmill was a pacifer when I first started back in January.  Now I call it the "dreadmill" rather than the treadmill.  I also got talked into a 5K well before I thought I would be ready, but of course it all worked out.  And I had NO intention of doing a half mary this year, but wow.... what a great experience that turned out to be!  I hope to fit in a full mary next year, but not sure where to put it.  I'm excitied to watch your running progress as you meet your goal.

NAME: microspawn/James

STORY: I am 37. I am a late comer to athleticism. I smoked for 13 years and was overweight. At the age of 30 I woke up and turned everything around. I remember spending months working my way up to being able to run a mile non-stop. I started doing triathlons in 2007. I was terrified of the swim but persevered. Being athletic has helped me overcome many obstacles in my life.
FAMILY STATUS: In a relationship / widowed

CURRENT TRAINING: I have been doing the run / bike / swim extensively for the past few years. I exercise for the physical and mental health. I completed in about 7 triathlons last year culminating with Ironman Kentucky. I was fortunately enough to PR at all of my races! I enjoyed every minute of it but I want to concentrate on speed this year.

THIS YEAR'S RACES: My endurance improved significantly this year but I would like to be faster. I want to build on this huge ironman base from last year. I just recently decided on some goals for next year. I am doing a strong running concentration with cycling base building. I have not been in the pool in over a month. I have my eye on qualifying for Boston this year (3:15) – although I have never run a standalone marathon.


2010 RACES: The first half of the year:
12/20-Ole Man River Half – New Orleans
01/01-Stream Whistle 12k – Hattiesburg (on the trace)
01/17-Louisiana State 25K Championship – New Orleans
01/31-"The WALL" Louisiana State 30K Championship – New Orleans
02/XX-Run for Love 5K
02/28-Mardi Gras Marathon – New Orleans
03/19-St Thomas 5K
04/18-Ironman 70.3 New Orleans
06/05-Heatwave Classic Triathlon
07/XX-Sunfish Summer Triathlon
07/24-Heart O’Dixie Triathlon

WEIGHTLOSS: I still struggle some with my weight and I would like to be 10 pounds lighter by Mardi gras.

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTEE: I enjoy the camaraderie of the sport and talking the talk. I am a goal setter. I know that I can accomplish anything if I take it step by step and work a plan. I am also into photography!

james welcome.


to the group, sicne this is almost full, does anyone have any questions, or topics they would like to kick around to start things off? this does not have to be the sole focus, just somethign someone is interested in.

to anyone looking to join, we have room for around 5 more at this point.

So, I have a question that I cannot find any help with anywhere else...It is about taking your bike with you to events...

I am signed up for the Miami International Triathlon this March 14th and I live in Texas. I am curious as to the best method of taking my bike with me on the plane??? Should I buy a bike carrier?? A wheel bag?? How much is it going to cost me to bring it on the plane?? What is the cheapest method of bringing a bike across country to races??

Thanks,
Chris

I have a concern with scheduling and peaking and ... what do you call, um.. periodization.

Since we are all currently picking races for 2010, perhaps a discussion on race scheduling and recovery time inbetween races would be beneficial.

I want to do an Oly on April 10 followed by and HIM on either May 1 or May 8.  I assume May 8 would be better in order to allow more recovery time inbetween.  But I also read about "clumping" races close together so that you are racing within a peak period.

I'm not convinced it's a good idea to do these two races so close together, but I really want to get an Oly in before my HIM; 1) because I have never done an Oly!; and 2) to get wetsuit experience before the HIM.  I suppose I could treat the Oly as a training day and hold back, but that's difficult to do when the gun goes off!

Thank you!