European Tri-Group - CLOSED (Page 7)

Well done. You got round and that is the main thing!

Congratulations! How do you feel today?

Hello Ali, 

Great that you did it - not easy to finish when you don't feel too well! (I know something about it)

I had a tough weekend too, with the National Cross Duathlon championships. The first run went okay with a half decent split time on 8K, but I got stuck in the mud on the bike and I really wasn't going anywhere. The thoughts of stopping start tickling me at around 6K in the bike, but I decided I had to go on. The last 14K of the bike where excruciating, and the last 4K of the run too - my knees were hurting badly, but I was happy to finish and pocket a few points for the triathlon circuit. 

It was my first one, and definitely cross duathlon won't stand high on my list of favorite things to do during the weekend...

Anyway, it was a lesson of hardship and I guess these are useful too, not looking forward to swimming tonight, but after yesterday, it's going to be EASY! 

Have a great week and train well, H.

Jee, no flu anymore. Now just training. Yesterday long easy skiingtrip. Very nice.

Spring is quite near, maybe a few weeks and then I can ride a bike a lot more than now.

No anymore snow or ice, please.

Hello everyone, 

Same here, no flue recovered from my first (and probably last) duathlon. Good swimming tonight, nice to be back in the water. I am flying to Sweden tomorrow morning for work, so won't be posting before Sunday. 

In the meantime, train well, cheers, H. 

Hello everyone, 

Back from Sweden, which took me back in time a good 2 months into winter, but I saw some melting snow there, so I guess even our Nordic members will soon be able to enjoy the joy of outdoor training. 

I managed to log a short run on Saturday as I was still a bit tired from the trip and my first long road bike session today (60K at an easy 28km/h, which wasn't so easy after all as there was quite a bit of wind). 

This month I will focus quite a bit on swimming and start logging in some long bike sessions, as beginning of April I have a swim-run in which I'd like to do good.  

So have a great week, and train well, H. 

Ok - so I am back...  I never really went away, only did not manage to post much. So now you have to take quite a long summary from me 

Ups

1) Found a training program (Hallelujah!). I tried several different ones, and landed with the one I am following right now. A bit too much volume for me - most swims I cannot manage all the laps but try to "obey" at least the time given, so it means I swam 1 hour on Sunday, which for me is a lot. But I need to aim high, if I have on my calendar something like "15 mins run" I won't even go out of the door...

2) My swimming improved, form-wise, after I took those 3 one-to-one lessons. Position in the water feels much better, and coupled with longer time spent in the water is making me feel good about myself

3) I found a great hotel next to the public swimming pool in Sweden, the place where I spend a lot of working time every month. This is a new hotel in the middle of nowhere, but the pool is across the street and they have an introductory offer  for our company which is  super-great! I will try it for the first time on April 4 when I am up next.

4) I did a one hour run yesterday, and I run the last 20 mins barefoot. Which gave me blisters, ok .. but I discovered that when I run barefoot my knees don't hurt much (I have a bad left one - patello-something-something syndrome, which means your round piece in the center of the knee is not staying in its place very well). Also, as I get myself to the office, leave my stuff and go out running, it means that when I came back around 07:15 / 07:30, "normal" people are arriving at the office. And, boy, the look on their faces as you arrive running with shoes in hand and heart-rate monitor ticking ... it's priceless (sorry MasterCard, borrowing your tag line here). The combination of hot blood running thru veins and my colleagues' faces keep me smiling the whole morning

Downs

1) Cycling is a mess, I just cannot get my head around it. Still too painful to sit on the saddle. Bought a new one, and it does not seem to "ease". I was out two hours on Saturday and I was swearing most of the time... Workout difficult to fit in as I don't want to use those gym bikes you find which force you to keep the wrong position, I think. Also, while I can get to the pool or running in the morning before work, the bike has to wait until 18:00 or so when I came home. And at that time all I want is a glass of Prosecco!

2) Weight loss, rather lack of. I know, I know, muscle weighs more than fat, bla bla bla ... I cannot shed weight, and of course you say Well, yeah, if you don't give up Prosecco you never will ... Yeah, ok. I am fed up already as it is, and training is actually good to let steam out. If I even have to give up wine ... life will just be too miserable

Hope you are all doing Ok, stay in touch.

Cristina

Hello Cristina, 

Nice to read that you are back swimming and running. It seems that running barefoot is getting popular, there are a also shoes for people who are into natural running (wibram) that might help for your blisters? 

Swimming is indeed about technique and spending quite a bit of time in the water. So if you keep at it, you should see some steady improvements. 

Concerning your saddle sore, maybe you could try posting something on one of the other forums here that are dedicated to ladies, I would think that you're not the only one and you could fish some good advices there. Also, if you don't do it already, use some Assos chamois cream (http://www.assos.com/en/19/singleProduct.aspx?cat=7&prod=175) before ridding, that add some comfort to your ride. But, you don't have to ride two hours in a row, at first, new saddles are like new shoes you need to get used to them, and therefore build up mileage progressively before you go for the long rides. As for the diet, you could try cutting on bread and sugar, if you want to continue on the Proseco, and further I think one glass in the evening might do you more good than bad (it's the following ones that are nasty...). I am now doing one week dry (no alcool), one week wet (moderate alcool, for me it's a glass of wine with dinner or a beer) - I am one K away from race weight now. 

Further, I made a beginner's mistake this week, ran barefoot in my new K-Swiss kona shoes (they felt so comfortable...) started being uncomfortable at K3 but did not want to stop cause I had a good pace, did 5K in 21:26, but there was no skin left on my achilles tendon...ouch! So, I can't run this weekend which is a shame cause the weather is fantastic, but I'll allow myself a cycling ride tomorrow. I have to remind myself that pain = or slow down at least. 

Tomorrow, long ride, it kills me that I cannot run, but well, that should make me angry which is a good thing for training. Next week, I'm going to Turkey a couple of days for work, the hotel seems to have a decent pool so I'll try to log a few laps. 

Right, enjoy the weekend, train well, cheers, H. 

Last week was very strange: during the week I made good swim and run, but no bike because the weather. On sunday finally sun: I taked my bike, I put me behind a big guy and I made a good 70 Km with climbs in about 3 hour!

Now I'm starting my first easy week, next sunday I have my first (little) race of the year, a supersprint duathlon in team. It's just to check my speed in a race beacuse at the end of next week I have my first "A" race.

Happy trainig!

Nice to see you all so active! 

Here spring has really started to kick in, it's 12, 15 degrees now perfect weather for running, and cycling. I should be swimming a lot more, but I have been quite busy at work (I work for a Japanese company). I don't know if you're like me but I tend to be single minded and when I have problems at work I tend to thinking about that non-stop and it prevent me sleeping and it makes it difficult to find some positive energy to put into my training. 

Anyway, I think it's just a bad patch, I need to have a few conversations then move on. But, I need to have these rather sooner than later. 

Next week, duathlon (swimming - running) bit worried about the swimming for the reasons above, but the running should be good. 

take care everyone and train well, cheers, H. 

Hello everyone,

not a whole lot of activity on the forum this week, I guess the sun being out, you are too. 

Did a decent week of training last week, caught a bit of a cold, but nothing too bad. Tapper for me this week as this weekend I have a swim-run race. I am very curious to see how my swimming will come around as I have been focusing on it quite a bit this winter. Exciting! 

Well, train well, cheers, H. 

Hello Everyone, 

Looks like with the better weather everyone is outdoors training or racing! 

Well done Alberto on your first race, these were really good time. I guess it's normal to be a bit disappointed not to have exactly reached your target, but you came close enough and it was the first race of your season. If you can learn a thing or two from it, it can be a good start for the rest of the season. So, good luck this weekend! 

Ali, sounds like with spring you are getting a little bit extra energy, awesome! Hilly course sounds good (to me a small advice is not to try to force your way up, try to pedal light in high gear rather than in force in low gear, you might go slower but you'll save a lot of energy in the process. 

For me it will be a swim-run this weekend, 1K-10K, it should be 23 degrees which should be absolutely great. The swim will take place in the pool where I normally train, and I have been put in what looks like a fast group of swimmers, someone must have "great expectations" for me. I'm very must looking forward to it. 

Have a lovely weekend, cheers, Herve

Hello everyone, 

Post-race report...well, it did not go as planned (or wished) but I guess having been sick all week before wasn't the best of preparations. Anyway, I started way too fast on the swim and exploded soon after. I found my pace only after 300m, and that was a slow pace, finished last out of the water (which isn't totally unusual for me, but still a major disappointment 22:02 for 1K), I did a fast transition which got me through a few places, which was all that bad. Then the run was just okay, I did the first 2.5K in 11:57, then 12:16, 12:12, and 11:23 not bad to finish on a negative split, but running with a stuffed nose wasn't all that great. All in all, not such a bad running time, but not anywhere near, I can get it. 

Well, that was my Saturday, now I'll go for a first spin on the old TT bike and watch cycling on TV. 

Happy Sunday, cheers, Hervé. 

Hello,

post-race report also for me.

The race explanation told me about a totally plain track: FALSE! The run was a 1,25 Km track with 2 little hills, the first just after the start. We had to do this for 4 times in the first run session and 2 times in the last run session. The bike also was not in plain: nothing impossible but always in uphill or downhill. The bike track was a 6.5 Km with 2 big hills and we had to repeat it 3 times.

About my race: I had a good rank from last season (too good) and I started in a very fast battery. Just after the start, when I runned up the fist hill, I feel a muscle pain just behind the thigh caused me to run a little slow expecially in first and second lap: I made the first 5 Km in 22.41.

After a slow run, I made a very good bike session (for me) in 34.55: I pushed hard, I grabbed many athletes before me and we made a very fast group.

The last run was horrible! Down from the bike, the pain behind the thigh was very intense, then I just think to close the race running costantly at 5 min/km.

I realized that I have to warm up by myself because if I do that with my team, do not hold me to a correct rhythm... and then I can injure me.

Now a totally off week and, after that, I will start to train for 2 olys in july.

Bye,

Alberto

Hello Everyone, 

Well Alberto, some you win, some you lose...it does not sound as it went all that bad. As for me, I  am now ranked 11th in the regional triathlon circuit I'm doing (out of 25 , I guess I will make the top 10 as we have not done any tris yet, but I'm not too worried cause my A race is still to come. 

Ali great that your partner had found a new job, it must be a relieve, gets your mind free to be thinking about training. 

Finally it's the weekend again. This week I have started my 16 weeks half ironman program, that means that the volume is going up rather significantly, but that's okay. I also did my first morning run very sleepy, very slow, even funny slow, but it was nice to see the sun rise while listening to the birds. 

So, train well, cheers, Herve. 

hi guys, 

Its been a while since I had anything to say on here, but I have been keeping up with everyone else's comments. 

Training has been steadily ticking along. I am coming into my first race (Easter Monday) a sprint tri, but all of the races are preparation for the half IM in July. This means, that I will be easing off the training a little in the proceeding 7 days, but won't be properly tapering. 

Finally think I have got a good swim stroke but it is now using muscles I haven't used before. The technique is better but the endurance has gone down as the new muscles fatigue much faster. I have managed about 4k each week for the last couple so am not too unhappy. 

Running is really being maintained although I am trying to slowly increase the distance. I am up to 8 miles or so and have 3 more months to add the additional 5 miles I need to cover the HIM. 

Biking is causing the most concern. The longer rides still hurt my back although I am up to about 40 miles now. I am going down to cycle the HIM route next week although it is only 1 lap or a 29 mile circuit. (HIM is 2 laps)

That's about it for me. Definitely getting stronger and fitter although the weight loss has stopped. Feeling pretty happy with things, especially as this is my first proper season

Catch you all in a bit

Cheers

Kev

Hello everyone,

Sounds like with the nice weather everyone is in full gear training and racing. Cool! 

Swimming training for me tonight, I still don't have the ironman distance in me in the swim, but I start to have a bit of speed on 500, so as I build the distance, I should be alright. Core training and weight loss is right on target, running is good, and cycling is slow but starting to build the millage so all looks grand! 

Good luck Ali with the tri this weekend, sound like you are doing an improvised tapper (speed, core, rest...) could work out miracles this weekend. 

Well you are all on the right track, continue, Cheers, H.