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2015-03-02 12:51 PM
in reply to: Mimir98

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Originally posted by Mimir98

Sometimes a day or two off can go a long way. If you are really honest with yourself, you will know what to do.  Maybe cut back on the intensity or time and keep the workouts short - just to establish routine,etc.  

I have had those workouts where I was just struggling and my heart rate was high, etc.  and I go back the next day to slog it out, only to end up sick...and look back and say "ah, yes...I was getting sick".    But then sometimes I have just felt a bit run down and some extra rest helps.  

So anyway, my advice is clear as mud I am just trying to avoid work.  

 

 

Originally posted by kevinbourque Good morning...opinions... Been feeling under the weather for the last few days...more in sinuses than anything...what are your thoughts of continuing training or simply resting for a few days? I am only in week 2 of the 20 weeks Half IM program which is in my opinion yes, to build base but more importantly, be consistent... Thanks in advance...

Mimi's right.  Sometimes we are simply feeling lazy and need to mentally kick ourselves in the butt to get out and do it.  Other times you know you are on the verge of sickness and its not worth pushing through it.  I was sick for a week 2 weeks ago then just as I was getting over it (after having done a 50km x-c ski race on Saturday at the end of that week) I got nailed with some stomach virus on the Sunday night and spent another week doing absolutely nothing.  2 weeks of doing nothing other than the 50k race.  Trying to train during that time would have been counter-productive....I think 2 weeks is an extreme example but 1-2 days off is a worthwhile investment.



2015-03-02 12:59 PM
in reply to: Ted Conroy

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Originally posted by Ted Conroy Had an interesting "spend my money" hypothetical I'd like to ask the group. Facts of the case: Budget: $1,000 Current Setup: 2012 Cannondale CAAD10 with Shimano 105, SPD clips, Syntace aero bars, Adamo Road Saddle, Wahoo speed/cadence sensor paired with my iPhone 6 (mounted) running trainerroad inside and strava outside. Races this year: Sprint tris every other weekend, maybe an Olympic thrown in. Targeting Big George 70.3 Labor Day weekend as an A Race ( The Options (as I see them) A-buy the shiny, sleek aero toy Have a lead on a good deal. 2009 Cervelo P2 Ultegra in my size. Good condition (rear derailleur looks like it laid on the ground, everything else fine) stock everything. $1000 takes it home. I'd keep the CAAD10 for training here in NYC. B- get strategic, train and race smarter on existing bike $600- Used Powertap G3 wheel (would have to keep my eye on craigslist/BT/ST/ebay $150- Garmin Edge 500 $79- Giro Air Attack helmet $100-$200- Lighter, more focused SPD OR Speedplay pedals. So what would you do? Knowing that there's a solid chance I hoard the cash for race registrations anyways :-) figured it's a good conversation starter.

I've been at both ends of the spectrum...racing 2 Ironmans on my old road bike with clip-on aerobars....all the way to a new Felt DA with Zipp 808 up front and Zipp Super 9 disk on back.  I tend to advise not spending tons of money unless you have tons of disposable income or don't want your kids to eat generic mac 'n cheez until they leave for college...oh, scrap that, you spent your kids college money on fancy tri toys.....they have to be a ditch digger.....not you Ted    I'm starting to get very cynical about the literal "arms race" involved in buying tri equipment.  As someone already said...its the engine, no the toys (within reason - you can't race on your old banana bike...am I the only one old enough here to know what a banana bike is?).  The only exception is the helmet....I mean c'mon...its all about the looks.....(not really)

2015-03-03 1:47 PM
in reply to: Birkierunner

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Hi all,

I realize this group has been going for quite some time already and I'm pretty late to the party. But if you'll have me, I'd love to join.

Name: Diana Wilson

Story: Ever since I was 18 and watched my sister complete her first (and only) triathlon, I’ve thought that completing a triathlon would be an incredible accomplishment. But I never seriously considered attempting it myself until my 39th year, when I decided that the best way to feel great about turning 40 was to spend the year getting in the best shape of my life. And so I trained for and completed my first beginner sprint tri. It was so much fun that I followed it up a month later with a second, slightly longer sprint tri. By this point I was hooked. But unfortunately over the next few years I struggled on and off with plantar fasciitis, which intermittently kept me from being able to run, as well as a painful frozen shoulder, which put me largely out of commission for all training for almost 2 years.

About 18 months ago, having finally rehabbed the frozen shoulder, I decided to once again get serious about getting back into great shape. But this time I knew getting fit wasn’t going to be enough, I knew I needed to lose the extra weight I had been carrying for too many years if I wanted to prevent the plantar fasciitis from recurring. So I joined an online fitness and nutrition program called Precision Nutrition and lost 45 pounds and 37 inches of girth, dropping from 34.5% body fat to 14%. I managed to end up in the top 5 finalists in their body transformation contest and won $2500 in prize money. But best of all, losing the weight also finally put an end to my problems with plantar fasciitis!

To help with my motivation last year, I set myself the goals of completing my first Olympic length tri, as well as my first half marathon and Tough Mudder. The days I spent completing those races were definitely the highlights of my whole year. So of course I naturally started thinking about the next challenge to push myself further. But unfortunately, just in the final stages of training for my Oly tri I started experiencing some knee pain I’d never experienced before. After I finished the race I took about 6 weeks off from running, which seemed to resolve the problem, and I was able to complete my half marathon a few weeks later without too much pain. So after a few more weeks off from running I started training for my first full marathon. But as I started pushing my distances and training volume, the knee pain came back with a vengeance. So in January I finally went for an MRI and discovered I was dealing with a torn meniscus.

I immediately abandoned my marathon training, and decided to get really serious about rehab and figuring out how to be able to continue running in spite of the tear. I got a gait analysis done in a top-end biomechanical lab to figure out what needed to change in my running form. And I have thrown myself whole-heartedly into working with a phyiotherapist and a strength and conditioning coach (who specialize in working with endurance runners) to strengthen my weak areas and start retraining my run form. And the great news is that last week I got the green light to resume training for a half-Ironman! I know I will always have to proceed cautiously with my running, and will likely never be able to step up to the full marathon or full Ironman lengths. But I’m ecstatic to at least be able to attempt the Ironman 70.3.

Family Status:
Happily married (for 23 years.) No kids, but one really great border-collie cross dog, who is the world’s best running partner.

Current Training:

Over the past couple of months I’ve been generally keeping up my fitness with a lot of spin classes, yoga and strength training. Then last week I jumped into week 2 of the Beginner Triathlon Half Ironman training program, to be ready for a July 5 race.

2014 Races:

27/4– Vancouver Sun Run (10km)
4/5 – Vancouver Marathon (8km fun run)
25/5 - Woman2Warrior Obstacle Race (5km)
21/6 - Whistler Tough Mudder (19 km)
13/7 – Subaru Vancouver Triathlon - Olympic length – (3:08:24 finish time. Swim – 37:58, bike – 1:27:51, run – 55:44)
25/10 – Vancouver Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon (2:02:38 finish time)

2015 Races:

9/5 – Run for Women (10km)
24/5 - Subaru Shawnigan Lake Triathlon (Olympic length)
20/6 – Whistler Tough Mudder (19km)
5/7 – Subaru Muskoka 70.3 (Half Ironman)


Weight Loss Goals:

I’m not really concerned about further weight loss. After finishing my body transformation competition I did put a few pounds back on. But I feel like I have finally reached a very healthy new set point that I should be able to maintain over the long term.

What Will Make Me a Good Mentee:

One of the best parts of the online fitness and nutrition coaching program I did last year was participating in their online forum and lending support to and getting support from the other women participating in the program with me. In addition to getting support from our coach and the half dozen mentors (who were all past participants) who volunteered their time and experience. So I am well aware of the incredible benefits of having a community of like-minded folks to share your interests and experiences with. And I am really looking forward to learning from and sharing with all of you.
2015-03-03 2:25 PM
in reply to: ArtemisDreams

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Originally posted by ArtemisDreams Hi all, I realize this group has been going for quite some time already and I'm pretty late to the party. But if you'll have me, I'd love to join. Name: Diana Wilson 

Welcome Diana!

2015-03-05 11:13 AM
in reply to: Birkierunner

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Is there room for one more?
2015-03-05 1:39 PM
in reply to: Birkierunner

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Ok. Tested new wetsuit this morning. 2 piece DeSoto with long sleeves. also have vest to swap in when really warm. This top worked much better than any long sleeve I have ever used, much more flexibility. only did a little more than half mile but felt very comfortable. Just in time for race on Sat. Was much faster in this one too...1:16 per 100 yards. A little inflated because I caught a nice wave in.

The crazy news was that when I walked back up to parking lot a few surfers asked me if I saw the great white breeching. I guess I missed that one. We get juveniles at our beach and pier feeding ofter\n but they are usually small 4-6 feet. This one was apparently 8-10 and pretty hefty. He was practicing his feeding skills. Hopefully he will migrate out to deeper and cooler waters before spring/summer. My race in in a harbor so should be no issues. Nothing you can do since it's their ocean, we are just guests. My wife is freaked out. won't tell the kids.


2015-03-05 2:05 PM
in reply to: jaagaard

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Originally posted by jaagaard Is there room for one more?

YES!!!!

2015-03-05 3:26 PM
in reply to: #5075376

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Damn Steven! Nice pace!! And looks like you'll need it to outswim the shark haha. Or well, you just need to outswim your competition I'm not sure how I would process that intel on my Open water swim.

I'm rolling up on my first peak of the year, my half marathon on sunday march 8. Weather looks to be good, hopefully not so much wind. I've been having a bit of stomach issues when I run hard and my hip has also been giving me some signs so I'm staying off my feet for three days leading up to it (doing some s/b though)
2015-03-05 7:18 PM
in reply to: Snaaijer

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Ok...so as we go through our training, no matter the distance...when we compare indoor cycle training vs outdoor, we do know that outdoors, there are moments to rest/recuperation, however, while indoors, we do not get such breaks...when a workout calls for 60 mins or 2hrs...do you modify this amount of time if training indoors or continue status quo as per suggested workout?
Thanks
2015-03-05 8:14 PM
in reply to: neweyes

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Originally posted by neweyes

Jim: I have two season planning questions for you. I've done eight weeks of prep now and am going to do three more building a bit of volume, then 12 weeks of base, 4 of build, 2 peak, and 1 race. One thing I'm wondering about is building volume in the Going Long pattern (10-12-13.5, 10.5-12.5-14, 11-13.5-15) vs. the Be Ironfit pattern (10-11-12, 12-13-14, 14-15-16). The other is about when to introduce muscular endurance sessions and how they change over the season. Do you have general thoughts on that? I'm happy to talk about what I see as my specific limiters and put it in context of my season if that makes it easier to discuss. Thanks!

Hi Michael, so sorry to have taken so long to get back to this question. With regard to the question on which pattern of building volume is correct…I would say neither. Both of these patterns are totally arbitrary and the Going Long pattern reflects more outdated methods of periodization – probably influenced by Gordo’s exposure to Joe Friel as a coach. I don’t want to get too negative but an arbitrary pattern of building volume (e.g. 3 weeks increase, 1 week decrease) simply does not take into consideration an athlete’s needs, goals, and limitations. Without knowing the needs and limitations an athlete has, its not very effective to lay out an arbitrary pattern of building hours. I also don’t agree with the concept of base that you’ve laid out. The term “base” has so many different interpretations that it has almost become meaningless. I could argue that the 8 weeks of “prep” that you have done could be called “base”. I use a different system where we divide general, specific, and race into training blocks where each block focuses on a specific adaptation we want to elicit. The athlete’s strengths/weaknesses will dictate what needs to be worked on in these blocks.

I really don’t use the term “muscular endurance” to describe any sessions I prescribe to athletes. I’ve read the use of the term in Going Long and Friel’s TTB and their use of the term simply doesn’t make much sense to me because its too general. So, I can’t really answer your question in those terms. Instead, I determine the athletes strengths/weaknesses by field testing in swim, bike, and run with test of varying lengths. For instance an athlete’s performance on 5 minute and 20 minute bike tests will give me an idea of what types of workouts I need to prescribe to address limiters. This will be addressed fairly early in the athlete’s program and will change as the athlete grows stronger. Phil Skiba’s house analogy in his book The Triathlete’s Guide to Training with Power is a good way to describe this. After limiters are addressed we switch to more race specific workouts as the goal race approaches. I’m guessing you might think this answer is a little un-satisfying but I think it’s a reflection of the different types of training resources/books you are relying on versus my approach.

2015-03-05 8:29 PM
in reply to: kevinbourque

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Originally posted by kevinbourque Ok...so as we go through our training, no matter the distance...when we compare indoor cycle training vs outdoor, we do know that outdoors, there are moments to rest/recuperation, however, while indoors, we do not get such breaks...when a workout calls for 60 mins or 2hrs...do you modify this amount of time if training indoors or continue status quo as per suggested workout? Thanks

Natural terrain will have a big impact on rest periods on a bike - downhills basically force a rest regardless of what your workout calls for at the moment you hit the downhill.  You can overcome some of that by choosing routes that are more amenable to providing the terrain/profile that will let you accomplish what you want for a given day.  If you have a 1 hour or a 2 hour indoor workout assigned I would hope that the workout has a specific purpose in mind and the length of the workout is what is necessary to accomplish that...i.e. beyond the warmup and cooldown there is no wasted "filler" just to occupy an arbitrary amount of time.  So, I would not modify the amount of time the workout calls for if doing it indoors.  On the other hand, if we are talking about 4-6 hour rides then yes, you are probably going to be doing a lot more steady pedaling indoors (versus a bunch of coasting outdoors) so you could probably still get a proper workout and cut down the allotted time a bit.



2015-03-05 8:37 PM
in reply to: StevenC

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Originally posted by StevenC Ok. Tested new wetsuit this morning. 2 piece DeSoto with long sleeves. also have vest to swap in when really warm. This top worked much better than any long sleeve I have ever used, much more flexibility. only did a little more than half mile but felt very comfortable. Just in time for race on Sat. Was much faster in this one too...1:16 per 100 yards. A little inflated because I caught a nice wave in. The crazy news was that when I walked back up to parking lot a few surfers asked me if I saw the great white breeching. I guess I missed that one. We get juveniles at our beach and pier feeding ofter\n but they are usually small 4-6 feet. This one was apparently 8-10 and pretty hefty. He was practicing his feeding skills. Hopefully he will migrate out to deeper and cooler waters before spring/summer. My race in in a harbor so should be no issues. Nothing you can do since it's their ocean, we are just guests. My wife is freaked out. won't tell the kids.

I can guarantee that Ironman Arizona's swim course will not have "wave inflation"   

2015-03-06 10:44 AM
in reply to: StevenC

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
SHARKS????? THAT'S WHY I DON'T DO RACES IN THE OCEAN!!!!!!!

Well, one of the reasons, anyway.

My story: My name is Jaime, I'm ER physician in New Mexico, so we don't have a lot of open water and even less ocean. This is my fourth year doing triathlons. I've done mostly sprint and olympic and most of our swims are in small muddy lakes. I dd one HIM in Austin. It's a small community here with really nice people. I got kind of addicted after my first year and spent a lot of time reading about training, a little bit less time actually training, and racing. With drought, and economic reasons, a lot of our local races have literally and figuratively dried up, and that's been disappointing. We went from 6 or 7 open water events when I started to 2 last summer, so I consoled myself by running my first trail 50K last year, which I will probably do again. This year I am less obsessed, hoping to train enough for a respectable performance but also more mindful of making sure it stays fun. I will probably focus on sprints and trail running this year, with the idea of shooting for a HIM in Boulder in 2016.

Family Status: I am married to a very supportive non-triathlete and we have 2 boys, ages 5 and 7. We generally load up the camper and they all come with me to my races. Several of my training partners also have young kids so they have a good time together. Last year we held the First Annual Great Boat Race, where we brought a load of pool noodles, buckets, jugs, duct tape, etc and after the triathlon was over the kids all built water craft and tried to make it across the lake. It was hilarious.

Current training: I took a big mental break this winter from triathlon, first doing my trail 50K, followed by a month of nothing, and then a focus on 5K speed and strength training, just because that's what I felt like doing. I hadn't been on my bike since July, but I started hitting the trainer last month. I need to get back in the pool. Like, today.

Races:
March 22 Splash and Dash (pretty sure I have to swim for this)
April 14 Spring Fling sprint
May 9 Grand Canyon Half Marathon
June 7 Milkman Sprint
June City of Lakes Sprint or Oly
Aug Chile Harvest Sprint
Sep Mt. Taylor 50K

Weight loss: not a big focus of mine at this time

What will make me a good mentee: I like to experiment with my training and am very curious about how you all balance everything! I'm really noticing that I have to pay attention to my work stress as well as my training stress this year.

Thanks!

2015-03-06 10:50 AM
in reply to: Birkierunner

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Originally posted by Birkierunner

Originally posted by StevenC Ok. Tested new wetsuit this morning. 2 piece DeSoto with long sleeves. also have vest to swap in when really warm. This top worked much better than any long sleeve I have ever used, much more flexibility. only did a little more than half mile but felt very comfortable. Just in time for race on Sat. Was much faster in this one too...1:16 per 100 yards. A little inflated because I caught a nice wave in. The crazy news was that when I walked back up to parking lot a few surfers asked me if I saw the great white breeching. I guess I missed that one. We get juveniles at our beach and pier feeding ofter\n but they are usually small 4-6 feet. This one was apparently 8-10 and pretty hefty. He was practicing his feeding skills. Hopefully he will migrate out to deeper and cooler waters before spring/summer. My race in in a harbor so should be no issues. Nothing you can do since it's their ocean, we are just guests. My wife is freaked out. won't tell the kids.

I can guarantee that Ironman Arizona's swim course will not have "wave inflation"   




Yep. Just really stinky water. My speed is definitely overinflated. Was with the current too. Cannot imagine I am below 1:30 per hundred. Don't want you guys thinking I am a fish.
2015-03-07 3:13 PM
in reply to: #5098299

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Hi all. I have now finally had a chance to read back through all the previous discussions (although it's probably still going to take a bit more time to get a sense of who everyone is.) And I would like to ask my first question. I know there has already been quite a bit of discussion about the advantages of aero bars. But I would love to hear a bit more about people's experience making the switchover from a road bike to using aeros. Just to give a bit of context, I am a SLOW rider. (Actually, I'm pretty slow at all three disciplines.) I was told by someone in my local triathlon store that aero bars don't really prove to be very advantageous unless you're riding at 30km/hour or more. Which sadly, I generally am not (unless I'm going downhill or really rocking it on a flat stretch. And where I live there aren't a lot of flat stretches!) So I didn't think it was necessarily something I needed to worry about. But now I'm reading that there are other advantages in terms or requiring less muscular effort to maintain the aero position versus riding on your drops. Which is where I spend a lot of the time currently. To further contextualize, I only switched over to a proper road bike with clipless pedals last year. My previous sprint tris I did using my commuter hybrid bike. (And yes, I got lots of funny looks.) So I've already seen a major improvement just by being on a proper road bike. But it did take me a while to get used to riding clipped in. I feel like the biggest jump for me this year in moving up from the Olympic distance to half Ironman is going to be getting through the bike with enough energy left over to tackle the run. So while I am not concerned about improving speed, I am interested in greater efficiency. But I'm also wondering about how steep the learning curve is to get comfortable with the aero riding position and developing whatever different muscles are required. Would love to hear people's thoughts and their own experiences with making that transition.
2015-03-07 6:00 PM
in reply to: ArtemisDreams

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Hi, Diana, I'm new, too. I switched over to a tri bike with aero bars the year before last. It's hard for me to pinpoint how much of a speed gain it was, because I was new to the bike and a lot of the improvements could have been due to my training.

I will tell you it was not an easy switch for me. I had the bike professionally fitted but it was very difficult for me to get used to the position, having my hands away from the brakes, get into and out of the aero position without feeling like I was going to crash. I hated it. The only reason I kept practicing was because I'd just spent all that money! Thankfully I eventually got used to it, and now I prefer my tri bike to my road bike most of the time. (And now I'm definitely faster on my tri bike than my road bike, too)

I don't think my experience is the norm. My friend made the switch about the same time I did, and she didn't have too much trouble. I don't know if that was because she had been biking longer than me or she just has better balance in general.

Jaime


2015-03-07 6:41 PM
in reply to: ArtemisDreams

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Thanks Mimi, I've checked them out.



Originally posted by ArtemisDreams

Hi all. I have now finally had a chance to read back through all the previous discussions (although it's probably still going to take a bit more time to get a sense of who everyone is.) And I would like to ask my first question. I know there has already been quite a bit of discussion about the advantages of aero bars. But I would love to hear a bit more about people's experience making the switchover from a road bike to using aeros. Just to give a bit of context, I am a SLOW rider. (Actually, I'm pretty slow at all three disciplines.) I was told by someone in my local triathlon store that aero bars don't really prove to be very advantageous unless you're riding at 30km/hour or more. Which sadly, I generally am not (unless I'm going downhill or really rocking it on a flat stretch. And where I live there aren't a lot of flat stretches!) So I didn't think it was necessarily something I needed to worry about. But now I'm reading that there are other advantages in terms or requiring less muscular effort to maintain the aero position versus riding on your drops. Which is where I spend a lot of the time currently. To further contextualize, I only switched over to a proper road bike with clipless pedals last year. My previous sprint tris I did using my commuter hybrid bike. (And yes, I got lots of funny looks.) So I've already seen a major improvement just by being on a proper road bike. But it did take me a while to get used to riding clipped in. I feel like the biggest jump for me this year in moving up from the Olympic distance to half Ironman is going to be getting through the bike with enough energy left over to tackle the run. So while I am not concerned about improving speed, I am interested in greater efficiency. But I'm also wondering about how steep the learning curve is to get comfortable with the aero riding position and developing whatever different muscles are required. Would love to hear people's thoughts and their own experiences with making that transition.


I am looking to make the switch too so I'm interested in responses as well. Thanks for asking.
2015-03-08 10:44 PM
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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Originally posted by ArtemisDreams I know there has already been quite a bit of discussion about the advantages of aero bars. But I would love to hear a bit more about people's experience making the switchover from a road bike to using aeros. Just to give a bit of context,  

I just started cycling in January.  The last time I did much cycling before that was about 13 years ago when I would ride my bike 10 miles to work and 10 miles home 3-4 days a week while doing a summer job on my college summer break.  At the time I had a mountain bike and a street bike.  I would average 14 MPH on my mountain bike and 17 MPH on my street bike doing the commute.  I no longer have that street bike (it was stolen while I was still in college), but I still have the same mountain bike and in January started my triathlon training with it.  I was able to get 14.8 MPH out of the mountain bike on my Saturday morning long rides but wanted the extra 3 MPH that I was seeing on my rode bike when I was commuting so I shopped around for deals and ended up with older model TT bike that fit the budget.

Since I wasn't going from training/racing on a street bike to a trainning/racing on a Triathlon bike the context may not be the same.  I also am going from basically no bike training for 13 years to a TT bike after just a few weeks of training on the mountain bike so that too should make a difference in the context, but the first think I noticed was that I couldn't pull up on the aero bars to increase power to the pedals like I could when riding upright with my hands on handle bars.  I was used to doing that going up hills or when I would taking off from a stop.  So on the aero bars it was less of a jackrabbit take off and more of a gradual build up of speed.  I got used to the gradual build up of speed with about 2-3 weeks of riding.  The aero position is all about saving energy over long rides of three plus hours not about explosive speed in a short distance.  I didn't feel like I was more efficient or able to put more power into an aero bike, but I did keep the heart rate way lower and my average speed has slowly been increasing every week as I learn to hold better position (flatter back, tighter tuck, etc.) and build up my leg biking muscles.  I am now seeing average speed up to 18.8 MPH on my weekday rides (15-25 miles) and my HR is an average of about 10 BPM lower than I was on the Mountain Bike.

Next, after I had been riding my TT bike for a 1-2 weeks someone told me that it would take a lot of training to get used to riding aero but that was not my experience.  I pretty much went 100% aero from the first time on the bike and haven't given it a second thought (well I do get out to climb really steep hills if I can't get up them in the aero position and to grab water bottles, etc but other than that I am riding aero).  I got a 58cm frame based on the manufacture's size chart and the frame size of the mountain bike and street bikes I have owned.  I found out that a 56cm frame is what a new bike fit would have put me in so I am a little long on my bike, but I had a major knee surgery from a HIgh School wrestling injury (the surgeon said it was the worst he had seem in over 300 surgeries) and I think the longer frame may make it easier to adjust my stretch when the knee starts to feel aggravated or weak.  So my bike fit may or may not be the best, but it is more fun to ride than the mountain bike and street bikes I have owned in the past, so I think that is an indication that it is a good bike for me.  The brick runs off the bike have been going well too.  I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to run after a hard ride but have now done enough brick runs off the TT bike to know that the I can ride hard and still run well off the bike.  That is another indication to me that the TT bike is good for me.  I did a little over 47 miles on the TT bike on Saturday (my longest so far) and I am still loving it. I have a 50-55 mile ride planned in two weeks and a 60+ mile ride planned in two weeks after that then I will start my taper for my triathlon debut (which will be a 70.3 in my hometown).  



Edited by BlueBoy26 2015-03-09 8:53 AM
2015-03-09 8:09 AM
in reply to: ArtemisDreams

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Originally posted by ArtemisDreams

Hi all. I have now finally had a chance to read back through all the previous discussions (although it's probably still going to take a bit more time to get a sense of who everyone is.) And I would like to ask my first question. I know there has already been quite a bit of discussion about the advantages of aero bars. But I would love to hear a bit more about people's experience making the switchover from a road bike to using aeros. Just to give a bit of context, I am a SLOW rider. (Actually, I'm pretty slow at all three disciplines.) I was told by someone in my local triathlon store that aero bars don't really prove to be very advantageous unless you're riding at 30km/hour or more.


I don't have a dedicated TT bike and will most likely do my first Ironman on a road bike with clip on aerobars so can't help you there, but from a purely aerodynamic point a TT bike will make you faster. But if you're not very comfortable on a TT bike then you not be in the aero position alot and it negates a lot of the advantages. As far as your own speed and that oft cited 30kmh "barrier", I posted about that last week, it is just not true. And it seems rather weird for someone working in a tri store telling you that as they could be selling you more aero goodies Here's the post I made: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp...

I ran the half mary yesterday. It was the first real spring day with quite nice weather, probably around 55 degrees, but also quite windy. I ended up running a 1:27:20 ish (chip) which I was happy with overall. I was hovering at a 1:25 pace for about 15k but after that I just went slower for the same effort, so I started having to "work" a bit for it. The last 3k I knew that I would probably bag a 1:27 and I just sort of mailed it in, didn't really feel like tryig to accelerate for some seconds won, my stomach was not so happy with me nor was my hip or my lower back so I'd had enough
2015-03-09 5:50 PM
in reply to: Snaaijer

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Originally posted by Snaaijer

Originally posted by ArtemisDreams


I ran the half mary yesterday. It was the first real spring day with quite nice weather, probably around 55 degrees, but also quite windy. I ended up running a 1:27:20 ish (chip) which I was happy with overall. I was hovering at a 1:25 pace for about 15k but after that I just went slower for the same effort, so I started having to "work" a bit for it. The last 3k I knew that I would probably bag a 1:27 and I just sort of mailed it in, didn't really feel like tryig to accelerate for some seconds won, my stomach was not so happy with me nor was my hip or my lower back so I'd had enough


Great job on your half. Smart move listening to your body. There will always be other races.

I finally executed a half ironman distance according to plan. It was the first warm day in several weeks. By the time I hit the run it was around 80. So that really tested my fuel and hydration plan. I added salt capsules into an all liquid fuel plan (Infinit) and had no GI issues.

My overall time was 5:13. Swim :38, but course measured .4 miles long. it was a curved course along buoy line so maybe they measured by straight line but they would not let us swim straight with boats and kayaks on our right. Bike was 2:47 and I had a few issues, dropped water bottle on a big bump and one aero bar actually came loose. So I did the last 10 miles leaning more weight on right arm. Since there was only 1 aide station on course, I did have to go back and retrieve said bottle. The course was bike path and traffic was such that there was many instances of slowing down or soft pedaling until a good spot to pass. I also hit a couple of stop lights. So probably left 3-4 mins out there. But very happy. Would rather under bike than over bike. I was most pleased with run 1:44:46. I was shooting to be below 1:45 so right on track. almost every mile split was in that 7:50 to 8:00. Will shoot for low 1:40s next time but my best open time is 1:42:xx, so this was a good run. Most importantly, I completely enjoyed myself and was not miserable after the finish.
2015-03-09 6:10 PM
in reply to: StevenC

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Nice race Steven, I didn't know people were already doing tri's this early Which one did you do? And it seems you were awfully close to a sub 5 performance if I count the long swim course, the traffic lights and the dropped bottle! Surely that's an encouraging prospect My planned HIM on 30 May actually is one where you have to be completely self-sufficient on the bike (or have someone from your crew hand you your nutrition), so I wonder how much you drank for the 56 miles?


2015-03-09 7:18 PM
in reply to: Snaaijer

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Well, I finally got back in the pool yesterday. I went and did my workout and then had my husband drop the kids off so they could do some rec swimming. Workout went well. Then during rec swim I was doing a somersault in the water with my kiddos, and... broke my front tooth in half on the bottom of the pool. TOTAL FAIL. I looked like Pennsatucky from Orange is the New Black.

Jaime
2015-03-09 8:39 PM
in reply to: StevenC

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)

Originally posted by StevenC  I finally executed a half ironman distance according to plan. It was the first warm day in several weeks. By the time I hit the run it was around 80. So that really tested my fuel and hydration plan. I added salt capsules into an all liquid fuel plan (Infinit) and had no GI issues. My overall time was 5:13. Swim :38, but course measured .4 miles long. it was a curved course along buoy line so maybe they measured by straight line but they would not let us swim straight with boats and kayaks on our right. Bike was 2:47 and I had a few issues, dropped water bottle on a big bump and one aero bar actually came loose. So I did the last 10 miles leaning more weight on right arm. Since there was only 1 aide station on course, I did have to go back and retrieve said bottle. The course was bike path and traffic was such that there was many instances of slowing down or soft pedaling until a good spot to pass. I also hit a couple of stop lights. So probably left 3-4 mins out there. But very happy. Would rather under bike than over bike. I was most pleased with run 1:44:46. I was shooting to be below 1:45 so right on track. almost every mile split was in that 7:50 to 8:00. Will shoot for low 1:40s next time but my best open time is 1:42:xx, so this was a good run. Most importantly, I completely enjoyed myself and was not miserable after the finish.

music to a coach's ears

2015-03-09 9:44 PM
in reply to: Snaaijer

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
one of the benefits of living in Southern California is almost year round racing. It can be 50 or 80 in March. I have a August half with flat bike and fast current swim. If I can manage heat and humidity, I might have shot at breaking 5. Blew up run last year, 2:20 but now have solid coaching and game plan.

For my race i carried 2 20oz bottles. A concentrated fuel mix to last 3 hours, 280 cal per hour. and one water, grabbed a second at halfway point aide station. I don't like carrying too many bottles and normally race on courses that have multiple aide stations, so extra water is always available. I probably should have carried one extra water since it was hot and limited aide but luckily it didn't hurt me. I did hydrate well prior to race and grabbed 2 bottles at aide station, downed half of one on the spot. Also first time I used salt capsules, which seemed to help. Absolutely no cramping

So a normal day I would have one fuel and three water. Hope that helps.
2015-03-09 9:47 PM
in reply to: Birkierunner

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Subject: RE: Jim Kelley's (Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN)
Originally posted by Birkierunner

Originally posted by StevenC  I finally executed a half ironman distance according to plan. It was the first warm day in several weeks. By the time I hit the run it was around 80. So that really tested my fuel and hydration plan. I added salt capsules into an all liquid fuel plan (Infinit) and had no GI issues. My overall time was 5:13. Swim :38, but course measured .4 miles long. it was a curved course along buoy line so maybe they measured by straight line but they would not let us swim straight with boats and kayaks on our right. Bike was 2:47 and I had a few issues, dropped water bottle on a big bump and one aero bar actually came loose. So I did the last 10 miles leaning more weight on right arm. Since there was only 1 aide station on course, I did have to go back and retrieve said bottle. The course was bike path and traffic was such that there was many instances of slowing down or soft pedaling until a good spot to pass. I also hit a couple of stop lights. So probably left 3-4 mins out there. But very happy. Would rather under bike than over bike. I was most pleased with run 1:44:46. I was shooting to be below 1:45 so right on track. almost every mile split was in that 7:50 to 8:00. Will shoot for low 1:40s next time but my best open time is 1:42:xx, so this was a good run. Most importantly, I completely enjoyed myself and was not miserable after the finish.

music to a coach's ears




Much thanks.
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