Menglo's Mentoring Group - Closed (Page 4)

so i've been thinking about my summer workout plan.  since south texas is so freakin' hot, i'm going to work more on strength and just maintain my swim, bike, run fitness.  i'm going to use the P90X program which should help with strength as well as keeping my endurance up.  most of the races i want to do are in the fall when it's cooler so i won't be missing a big part of the season.  i've been thinking about supplements and was wondering if anyone here has some insight.  i've tried whey protein in the past but have never found one that tasted good.  any suggestions?  also i was wondering if anyone uses creatine?  are there any other supplements i should consider?    

Life ended up catching up with me and I had to focus on work and the baby, I barely had time to fit in my workouts for the past week.  But things at work seem to be calming down a bit and I can finally take some time to breath.

For training, I'm just working on getting my miles in and see what my first race tells me I suck the most in.  I'm betting that I'll be run focused for my next training program.

What doesn't work for me is morning workouts.  Anything scheduled before 9:00 AM usually does not go too well.

I used Optimum Nutrition whey protein powder and liked the taste of most of them.  Rocky Road and Cookies & Cream were pretty bad though.  I mainly used chocolate or vanilla.

Depending on how many supplements you want to get into, picking up some glutamine may not be a bad idea for post workout recovery.

Personally I had some potential kidney issues when I was lifting due to the strain on the body of a high protein diet (300+ grams per day).  I decided that my body would like me better if I chose a different goal than purely putting on muscle.

I'm an advocate of getting your nutrients naturally, other than that, whey protien is the only suppliment that will really help much.  You could try ensure or some other kind of drink as well.  Try a supplement store (GNC) and talk to them.

Stay away from Creatine, its for bulk ONLY.  It has little to NO benefit, it just causes you to store water and look bulky.  I have friends that have tried it with some relatively serious complications becuse their body didn't like it.

yeah i am pretty skeptical about creatine.  whey protein seems like the way to go.  i don't have a lot of extra cash so i'm going to stick with protein for now.  i think that would give my the most bang for my buck. 

thanks for the suggestions!

I tried to get as much as possible naturally but tried a glutamine supplement for awhile when I was weight training 5 days a week and in the pool 2 hours a day 5 days a week to try to aid in recovery between weights and water polo as much as possible.  I didn't notice much of a difference, but some people I know swear by it.

I second the idea to stay away from Creatine.

So I have to ask, because I've always been intrigued by water polo...  What's the draw for you to water polo?

Ok Ryan,

I have a little over a week until I may finally get to do a triathlon without hurting myself training so I was just wondering about advice for transition set-up and what I may need that I dont have.  I know I will not winn so I can take a little more time in transition but I don't want to loiter.

Transition is somewhat a personal thing, but I can give some tips and what I did:

Keep it simple.  The more complicated transition is, the easier it will be to forget something.

Practice.  This will be the best way to know what it will be like getting your socks/shoes on, where you will want to place things, etc.

T1.  I had a small basin (because i had to run through sand to get to transition) that I quickly stepped in to rinse my feet off.  I also had a towel to stand on.  I rolled my socks off so I could quickly roll them on over my wet feet.  Shoes on next.  grab the helmet put that on clip it.   grab the bike and go.

T1 tips
- I would definitely suggest a towel.  
- Also, if you wear socks while you ride or run, roll your socks off before you head to the swim.  leave enough left to slide your toes in and quickly roll them on (practice this with wet feet so you know what it will feel like/how much to roll them).  
- If you wear sunglasses when you ride, put them in the slots on the top of your helmet.  
- Keep your helmet on your handlebars (so you don't forget it).
- I would stay away from trying to do a flying mount, if you want to leave your shoes clipped in use a VERY small rubber band (one you can break when you start pedaling).  Flying mounts can sometimes lead to crashes at the mount line.

T2.  Slide out of your bike shoes before you come into the dismount, run the bike to your spot.  Rack it.  Helmet off, shoes on, tie, grab a swig of water/gatorade, grab sunglasses, race number belt and off you go.

T2 tips
- Try to keep from throwing your stuff everywhere, you don't want to disrupt anyone else's transition spot.
- Speed laces help, but aren't a must
- Be light on the water/gatorade, you don't want it sloshing around.  Just enough to get you to the first aid station.

Be ready to set up in a narrow(ish) spot, about 2-3 feet wide.  Like I said, practice.  This will give you a great chance to dial in where you want everything.  Run up to your "transition spot" run out and mount bike.  Do your dismount tie shoes and run out.  Do it all until you are comfortable with it.

There were also a few things i wasn't expecting when I put all three together.  First, my heart rate was WAY up and I swallowed a bunch of air while swimming so I was kind of gassy when I got onto the bike right away, it took a little while to settle in.  Secondly, I was dizzy from being horizontal while swimming, it went away quickly, but be ready for it.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. 

Originally it was the fact that it was something completely new to learn.  I grew up with a backyard pool but never had any sort of swim training.  It is one sport that can take years to get the basics and that kept me in the sport for quite awhile.  Swimming then stopping immediately to jump up to catch a pass with one hand then shooting all in the same motion isn't something that comes naturally to people in a pool where you can't touch the bottom.

Once I got a handle on the skill set it was the aggression and physicality, as bad as that sounds.  I've always been a very competitive person and there's just something about the constant battles for inside position and the ability to play defense well enough to frustrate people to the point where they find the need to resort to physical violence.

It may come across like I'm angry or violent, far from it, just very competitive.  I don't like being hit, but knowing that you're getting inside someone's head that much is satisfying.

Now on to a triathlon related question.

When I get my race number bib, do I need to wear it during the bike and run or just for the run?

This is different race to race.  Read the information in your packet, that will tell you if you need it for one or both.  Most races will have numbers you can put on your bike, but some will still require you wear it during the ride.  Race number belts are cheap and SUPER nice. 

I meant to ask, where are you racing soon Lance?

Four states sprint in Texarkana, Tx. May 16th.

OOO just around the corner!  How's the weather looking? 

I took an Open Water Swim Clinic yesterday in Barnegat Bay, NJ with about 100 other triathlonuts...If you have the opportunity to get in a clinic before your race, do it!   The instruction, tips & coaching were great..we practiced beach starts, in water starts, bouy sighting, bouy turns, swimming in a straight line, and of course the free style combat frenzied group swimming...it was crazy!  It was windy with strong currents, murky brown water and choppy surf...Excellent!
My first sprint tri is next week and I'm much better prepared because of taking the clinic..they also put on a free transition session after the swim. 
My 3 cents on nutrition: get your nutrients in their raw, natural and unprocessed state...

*sigh*  gatta love full contact swimming!  Excellent opportunity!  I have to second this big time.  It will help get those OWS jitters out!  Congrats Jeff! 

Last I looked 30 to 40% chance of rain, hope it is in the afternoon I should be done by then if I start at 8

Hopefully it holds off!  You'll have to let us know how it went right away. 

i have to admit i haven't worked out in a week and next week i'll be out doing field work so i probably won't be able to get too many workouts in.  i promise i'll get back on the ball once june rolls around.  i hope everyone else is sticking to it!

x2 on the above!  Stick with it!  Also, good luck to those racing this weekend!  I hope it goes well!  Just remember, this is what you've trained for.  So believe in your training!

Looks like the weather may hold out for us for in the morning, as long as I get through the swim good the bike and run are pretty flat. There are only 2 clydes older than me in the race. Maybe I can shame some youngsters (not).

Ok I did complete the race in a time of 1hr 42 minutes, I REALLY need to work on the opn water swim and the swim overall.  Got kicked a few times and reverted to sidestroke and it took me an abyssmal 20 minutes to swim the 650 yard swim.  I also need to work on overall fitness.  Oh well at least I finally got to finish a triathlon and know where to work for my next.

Completed my first sprint tri on Sunday:  650 yds. in 8:27 / T1 2:37 (wrestling the wetsuit) , bike 10 miles in 36:34 (avg. 16.7 mph), T2 1:06, run 3.1 miles in 24.57 (avg. 8:03 per mile).
I went faster than I thought I would and felt strong at the end.  Was given a little trophy for 3rd place in my age group (55-59).   The swim was pretty much a combat/full contact event for the first half, the turn around buoy was really out of control (swim wide to avoid the crush) and it spread out a little on the swim back.  Study or ride the bike course before your race!  There were people (in the lead) who took wrong turns and were not happy.  I rode the course three days before the race and it helped me to know my pacing and where most of the bumps/potholes were.  The run was pretty good..I was suprised I did 8 minute miles coming off the bike.  Doing the bike/run bricks really pays off.  Now I can call myself a triathlete!

Edited by jdseymour 2010-05-17 3:10 PM