Asphalt Junkies CLOSED AND GETTING OUR FIX

WHEN CAN YOU START:  Now, like right now.

NAME:  Jonathan

STORY:  Grew up in the cold winter/warm summers of VT.  I skied my way through high school and mountain biked in the summer.  I did little if any running at all after the 8th grade.  I have been training and racing since 2009.  I'm the most injury prone person you'll ever meet and I have made A LOT of stupid mistakes in terms of training.  I'm a busy person.  I've always worked hard and am now learning to train hard too.

FAMILY STATUS:  Gettin' hitched to the fiance in September.

JOB:  I'm a supervisor of an engineering group.  We modernize the nuclear submarines for the Navy.

CURRENT TRAINING:  Putting in about 8-10 hrs in a week right now.  I am running 4-6 days a week, biking 3 days a week and swimming 2 days a week.  My schedule is fairly sporadic with planning for the wedding and a new job.

LAST YEAR'S RACES:  Due to work and injuries, last year was pretty slack for me.  I got in a few races and saw some improvement from the previous year.

THIS YEAR'S RACES:  I have several sprints and olympics on my schedule this year.  1-3 a month starting in May. I was fortunate enough to be selected as part of a team and that motivates me to train smart every day.

WEIGHT LOSS:  I started out this year wanting to be able to run and race at a certain weight.  I'm about 3-4 lbs away from that now.  I will continually monitor my weight to make sure I am not gaining, but I do not obsess about it.

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTOR:  I think the number one thing is that I love this sport.  I think that it really does bring the best out of a person.  Triathlon is not easy at any distance.  It shows you who you are and what you are made of.  I can help pave the way to a successful year.  Although I'm not the best runner in the world, I can bike and swim well and am on track to have the fastest running season yet.  I say this because I have learned the hard way...I can help guide you to train the smart way.  Sometimes it's a struggle and sometimes it's frustrating, but I never give up.  I dare to be great and encourage others that they can too.

WHEN CAN YOU START: Already started.

USERNAME: wbayek  NAME: Warren

STORY: Team sport guy through college, mainly hockey but played football as well.  Played competitive racquetball in SD for a number of years, but after 30 did the few pounds a year thing until mid 40s.  At a yearly physical, my doc pointed out that every year I was adding a few more pounds and few more points of all the bad markers, so after 15 years of that the numbers were actually quite alarming.  I immediately went into my typical addict mode and lost 40 pounds and greatly improved all my numbers.  While rehabbing tennis elbow from hockey, the PT kept talking about the Ironman races she and her husband did, and I signed up for a sprint on a whim - despite not being able to swim and never having run in my life other than as part of a sport.  Two years later, I'm fully addicted to S/B/R, and I'm a member of a loosely organized team run by the aforementioned PT.

FAMILY STATUS: Married 17 years, 3 sons - 15, 13, 10.  My wife has been a runner her entire life and we love running together on weekends.  The oldest son is my sherpa and comes to all my races.  He is doing his first sprint this fall, though he really loves grappling and jui jitsu.  My youngest has Down syndrome, which adds a lot of color to our family.

JOB:  I'm a software guy who has managed to Peter Principle my way to directorship level.

CURRENT TRAINING:  I spent the winter focused on running and have made huge advances in my running.  Since my A race this year is a 70.3, and I'm also the bike leg of a 70.3 relay team in another race, I will be moving to a bike focus after I PR my spring half marathon.

LAST YEAR'S RACES: Last year I ram a HM, a few 5ks, 2 sprints and a near OLY distance.  I battled Achilles issues all year after the HM due to some serious training mistakes.

2012 RACES: I'm doing most for the same races as last year.  I'm also doing a HIM relay as the bike leg, and the Rev3 70.3 in Maine.

WEIGHTLOSS:  I'd like to stay 170 for the season.

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTEE: I'm on the site quite frequently as my job allows lots of in between times to check in.  I'm not particular fast at any discipline, but I'm improving rapidly, read a lot, love to learn, and I'll push you once I know what you can handle.  I have learned a lot of the wrong ways to do things, so I can help you avoid some pitfalls and hopefully save wasted time.

WHEN CAN YOU START: Immediately 

USERNAME: JeffY Name: Jeff Yeager

STORY: I am 45 years old.  I joined the track/CC teams in high school and lived for distance running.  Also ran my first year in college until a big injury forced me to stop...at which point I took up bike racing for a few years. 

After college, I relocated, began my career, got married and pursued weight lifting and martial arts for the next decade and a half. Began dabbling in triathlon again 6 or so years ago, but only for fun.  Began training seriously about 4 years ago. 

I began to get good last year then tore my rotator cuff and succeeded in ending the 6 month rehab period in better shape than I started.  I'm looking forward to what this year holds.

FAMILY STATUS: Divorced a few years ago.  4 children 20, 18, 17, 11.

Job: Systems Engineer/supervisor.  Currently working as the Application Architect for our Oracle ESuite installation

CURRENT TRAINING: The plan is roughly 2.5 hrs per day of tri training and strength training an hour per day.  But that weight training is a challenge working around the shoulder injury and is a blend of 'strength' and 'rehab'.  Weekends ideally have a long run and long bike.  35+mpw running, 3-5 hrs bike, 6-7K swim.

2012 RACES: All tentative so far, but here is what is up for consideration:

1/07/12  Barabara Stevens  (SWIM)    Bowling Green, KY  Already done
1/21/12  Nashville Zoo Run (5K)   Nashville, TN
2/25/12  Race Judicata  (5k/10K)  Nashville, TN
3/24/12  CCC 15K Trail Run (15k)   Columbia, TN
4/01/12  ADPi-athlon  (SPRINT)  Murfreesboro, TN
5/20/12  Memphis in May  (OLY)   Memphis, TN
6/02/12  Mach Tenn Triathlon (SPRINT)  Tullahoma, TN
6/16/12  Monster Triathlon (SPRINT)  Pulaski, TN
6/23/12  Old Hickory Lake (SPRINT)  Hendersonville, TN
6/30/12  Lock 4 Blast   (XTERRA)  Gallatin, TN
7/22/12  Music City Triathlon (Relay??) Nashville, TN
7/29/12  Xterra Panther Creek (XTERRA)  Morristown, TN
8/11/12  Mountain Lakes Tri (SPRINT)  Guntersville, AL
8/05/12  Cedars of Lebanon (SPRINT)  Lebanon, TN
8/26/12  Rocketman  (OLY)   Redstone Arsenal, AL
9/08/12  Frantic Frog   (SPRINT)  Scottsboro, AL
9/22/12  Jailbreak Triathlon (ADV)   Columbia, TN

WEIGHTLOSS: Raced at 180 last year.  Somewhere near 170 now.  But that's after a bit of fluid loss.  I'm wiling to drop a couple more pounds, but not working too hard on that now that heavy training season has arrived.

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTOR: I think that I have a particularly good ability to rehab from, and train around or through injuries.  That's one of the biggest challenges for many athletes.  I also have developed a rapport with Dirk, Jonathan and Warren such that we make a good 'panel of judges' for issues that may allow for a difference of opinion.

T-pace isn't your fastest pace.  It's like running or cycling....it's the average pace of a 20 minute swim race....So if you could swim 1000m in 20 minutes it would be 2:00/100m pace.

I'm not really sure of my person T-pace in swimming...but I think it's somewhere around 1:30/100y. 

Since you can theoretically swim that pace for 20 minutes straight (with all your guts!), then doing that workout set should be easier, or at least no harder, than a 20 minute hard effort swim.

Welcome, plenty of room. 

But up a short bio so we can get a feel for your current status.  What's your schedule for the season?

Welcome Bobby!!  Post a bio up when you get a chance. (similar to the bio we posted)

Welcome back JoAnne!  Glad to have you.

Wow, I know you love to race but this is NUTS!  Nice to have some xterra events and whatever that adventure event means.

In again -

Best

Group

Ever

:-)

Will post a bio for newbies in a sec.

John

Heeeeeeeerrrrresssss Jonny!

I'm back for another round :)

NAME: John, but my online friends call me Vero

STORY: During my school years I was the skinny asthmatic kid. I had almost no involvement in sports. In my early 20’s the asthma went away and I started bike riding. I put a couple thousand miles on my brand new Trek 1000 the first year I bought it. I even rode a couple half century events. A host of life events and bad decisions kept me sitting on my butt for most of the next 20 years.  In December 2010 on a trip home from visiting my in-laws we (wife, our 2 daughters, and I) were involved in a fairly major car accident.  I ended up with torn ligaments in my neck from the whiplash. Since we were doing regular exercises together as part of rehab from the accident we decided it was time to get healthy. In January 2011 my wife and I started a couch to 5k plan together. We eventually picked a 5k race in May and a super sprint tri in September to shoot for. We did both events together at her pace and we are both hooked on doing more, though now we each go our own pace.

 
FAMILY STATUS: Married 14 years (on May 2^nd) to my wonderful wife and mother of my 2 daughters (7 and 10).  I have a son (20) from a failed marriage shortly after high school.

JOB:  I'm an Engineering Technician. I draw plans for highways, roads, bridges, and retaining walls among other things.

CURRENT TRAINING: Run 4-5 days a week; swim twice a week, bike twice a week. I had a plan, but it was modified a couple times for illness and an unplanned race entry, so I’m working on a new one.

LAST YEAR'S RACES: I participated in my first Tri last year, a super sprint, with distances of 400yd/12mi/2mi. I also ran my first two 5k races and several shorter “fun runs” last year. I ran a 6 mile, Turkey Trot, fun run on Thanksgiving day.

2012 RACES: I ran in 8 running races (4 to 5 miles each) on Saturday mornings January through March 3 as part of a winter points series. I’m not fast enough to be competitive so they were more like training runs with 80+ other people for me. I ran a 12k race (my longest run to date) March 18^th.  I plan on doing at least 3 sprints and one Olympic in 2012. My first sprint is the Icebreaker on April 15^th.

WEIGHTLOSS:  I was 202 in Jan 2011 when I started the Couch to 5k plan. I raced that first tri last September at 181 lbs. I’m currently 182. I’m sure that steady training will bring me below 180 and help remove the rest of this spare tire around my middle.

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTEE: I’m very interested in learning from other’s experience on this quest for better endurance and technique in swimming, biking and running. I check these forums frequently (I guess I’m a bit of an information junkie). I have been consistent in keeping my logs updated.

I am very new to this and have a few questions. First I have been looking/waiting for a group to open up.  I am still trying to learn to swim, should I wait to learn to swim before I join a group?  That is kind of what I'm thinking.  Why do people join groups?  What is expected from the trainees and the trainers? Anything else i should know.

I'm 50, in good shape for a 50 y.o. man.  I have lifted weights for years...still skinny though. Ihave been married to my beautiful wife for a long time who is a runner (trying to get her to get a bike). My son is VERY active in baseball and is on 2 teams (city team and travel team) and during the summer goes to baseball camps.  I live in FL where it is already HOT, our season is almost over for running and biking but that will be good for the swimming.  The good thing is we live in N. FL and the season is just kicking of in N. GA.

I have only been biking/running since January.  I would like to be able to complete an sprint this summer and maybe an olympic during the fall.  I would like a HIM next year...IF that is possible.

STORY .. Howdy everyone! I have been running the last few years did mostly 5k's the 1st year for the tshirts (got 20 of them) lol last year mostly for the bib numbers , just started biking last June 2011 because i wanted to try a DU and did pretty well . So this year I thought  I would give a TRI a try.

STATUS.. Married for about 15 years to wife LuAnn, No kids, but two dogs Gus and Bella.

JOB.. Work for the city as the Liquor OperationsManager (Glorified Clerk) lol

CURRENT TRAINING..Took some time off  this winter.. Now back at it Since Jan. Just worked on getting stronger all over my body. I am running and finally bike again now (I live in Minnesota) and VERY new to swimming ... So most my help will be needed to swim my 1st TRI is in August.I also have a training log here on the site.

RACES.. I live in a very rural area of MN so races arent very close most of the time. But I managed to find a 5k or something for every weekend May thru Sept

Thats about it I guess, otherwise I am 41 aabout 5'10 and 170 would like to get about around to 160 just stopped drinking POP!! , whew that was a tough thing to quit. Non Smoker Non Drinker.

In broad terms the 'mentor groups' are for mentoring!  Many groups seem to have a more narrow focus such as focusing on one of the particular disciplines more (say swimming), or focusing on those preparing for their first sprint tri, or an ironman.

Our group doesn't have any particular specialty defined.  We'd love to meet you right where you are.  You can offer advice on how to approach learning to swim.  No need to learn anything before joining...

There's nothing expected of you really beyond participating...asking questions...reporting on your successes and failures....

Just wondering if I can afford all of the entry fees!

The ADVenture race is not a typical adventure race, but it's not a typical triathlon either so I didn't know how to label it.  It's a canoe/bike/run race.  The bike/run is off-road (as is the canoe obviously!).  You do it as a 2 person team.  After you finish canoeing you break up and race at your own speed and your 2 finish times are added together for the results.

Tons of fun.  It's in my home town on my home mtn bike course and put on by my cycling club.  It's the race that introduced me to mtn biking.

Thanks, I'm in then.  What do i need to do now.  I currently train 7 - 10 hrs per week but a lot of that is in the gym lifting...  I know..I know...I'm still a recovering gym rat.  I am taking swim lessons and reading and have just ordered the video on Total Immersion swimming but have not received it yet.

I do keep my training log up to date.

USERNAME: DaveL  Name: Dave

STORY: To help with stress and anxiety my doctor told me to run, I told him I hated running, he told me again to run. So I started running. That was the fall of 2010, I entered a 5km race 1 month later and logged a time of 25min. I bought a used road bike that day. Being a swimmer when I was about 11 I thought “it would all come back to me” 25 years latter so triathlon shouldn’t bee too bad. At least it would be better than running.  My “real” sports are whitewater kayaking and snowboarding.  

FAMILY STATUS: Married for 12 years, 2 kids 9 and 7.

Job: At 36 years old I decided to leave sales/training and go into electrical engineering. I am currently working away from home at a nuclear power plant on my Coop position. I also assist in caring for my dad while I am there who is in the final stages of colon cancer.

CURRENT TRAINING: is difficult at times – I am away from home 5 days per week. When I am at home on the weekend I feel that I should be with my family and not training. When I am at work I feel that I should be at my parents helping with my dad and not training. Training at this point is as much stress relief as “training”. Last year I topped out at around 34hrs, last month I was around 20hrs but am ramping up.

THIS YEAR'S RACES:   Enbridge ride to conquer cancer charity ride. Day 1-100miles Day 2-100km. <- this one is HUGE for me, I cant do much to help my dad, I cant fix it, but I can focus my energy to try and help others by raising $2500 for research. Did a 10km casual race a while ago. Maybe another HIM, maybe some trail running races, I would like to do an exterra tri, at least 1 sprint. Tough to plan when my schedule is really up in the air still.

Last Seasons Races:  First ever HM, First ever Triathlon 2km/55km/13km, a sprint,  a swim leg of a relay, another HM and my highlight race Ironman 70.3 Muskoka.

WEIGHTLOSS: When I started I was around 185lbs, after a winters worth of training I bottomed out at 168lbs and felt awesome. Then in June 2011 my dad found out he had stage 4 cancer and was essentially given “weeks to months” to live.(but hes still going!) I am a nervous eater and got up to 205lbs 2 months ago. Enough was enough, I am currently at around 195lbs and am on a downward trend again. I would like to get back to race weight but focus is very hard and is going to get harder.

KW,

You can put yourself at ease for all of your questions.  The mentor groups are for everyone from a total newbie to people that have much more experience. 

Below are all very short answers that I or one of the other mentors can address later, right now I am at work and trying to make a quick post.

1. You do not need to learn how to swim or anything else before joining the group.  Simply jump in and begin asking questions.
2. People join the groups to gain knowledge about training and racing. 
3. Our expectations from you are simple.  Make your training logs public so we can view them and provide encouragement and other support.

Other than that, you're ready to go.  Now you just have to hang on and enjoy the journey.

Welcome Dave, Karl and Bobbie,

Yay Jo for coming back as well!

Jo - You can find your "T-Pace" by doing a 1000yrd/m TT and determining your average pace. The average pace is your t-pace. For example - my fastest 100 is around 1:45/100yrds when I go all out, but my T-pace is a little above 2:00/100yrds.

I honestly can't imagine how hard it would be to do 8x50, 4x100 and 2x200 at 1:45 pace. I'd probably drown! Holding t-5 feels okay to start with but leaves you hurting by the end!

Wow - go to work for a little while and look what happens!

I'm in for round two.

Post bio later, got a house full of kids at the moment........