owl_girl's Group --- FULL! (Page 39)

Great point, Shaun! 

Sending well wishes to Roni and Sarah!  Go kick some a$$ at your races ladies!!!

I got out for OWS practise this morning. It was put on by a nearby tri club but I found out about it here on the Maryland forum. They set up buoys to create a 400yd distance parallel to the shore. It was my first time swimming in the new wetsuit, first time swimming in water with swells (thankfully, no chop!), and first time swimming with current.

My first 400yd length was against the (mild) current. I started pretty relaxed and started to get the hang of sighting. Towards the end of the length, however, I started to feel claustrophobic and panicky. I took a good long rest before heading back. Going back with the current the swimming was easier (and about 1:45 faster), but the sighting was more difficult because now the sun was infront of me. I took another rest while talking to a few gals, and then headed off for a half length, there and back and practiced swimming around the buoy.

All in all, it was a good OWS and definitely want to go back next Sunday. 

Nice job, Nicole!  You are lucky to have that group to swim with!  I guess the wetsuit worked fine.

Thanks!  Nice job on your run too, Tracy!

I think some of you already saw my blog, but I raced in the Athena category and placed 3rd out of 11.  My first medal!  If I had raced my AG, I would have been 9 out of 35.  I thought that if the stars were all aligned that I would be able to do a 1:35:00, but I rocked a 1:30:01.  Then today I did a hilly 40-miler on the bike and felt like I had a lot more in me.  So overall, this weekend was freakin awesome and a great confidence builder for me.  Nothing like a good couple of days to get ya re-motivated.

By the way, thank you everyone for the good luck wishes and inspires even though I've not been so great about messages lately...

Wow, it's been quiet here. I hope everyone is having a great summer.

Next Sunday I'll be repeating my first ever triathlon. It's 300m pool swim/12mile bike/3.1mile run. I have been having mixed feelings about this race, going between thinking of it as a C race, hardly worth my effort, and thinking of it as a race where I want to crush last year's results. Now, I mostly want to do really well, improving on all my times (not that this would be too hard). My question is, how should I set my training next week: taper or not, etc? Saturday will definitely be a travel/rest day. Should I take Friday off, too?

Last year's times:

• Swim:  7:20
• T1: 4:08
• Bike: 39:53
• T2: 2:32
• Run: 34:27

This year's goals:

• Swim:  6:20
• T1: under 3:00
  
• Bike: under 39:53
• T2: under 2:00
  
• Run: under 31:00 (and run the whole d@mn thing!)

I've been struggling with the same feelings regarding my race next weekend which was also my first ever tri.  I have always called it a "B" race since I will definitely race it.  I call "C" races those that I could do or not and not worry about it.  I've decided to call mine a "B+" race.  Not quite an "A" since I havn't trained specifically for it.  I have been training enough (in my opinion) to do better than last year.  My base is significantly higher than past years.

I think you should treat your race the same way.  Your base is significantly higher than it has been, your running has been far superior to last year when you were injured, and your swimming has been out of this world lately!  You will certainly do better than last year.  At the very least, you know the course!

As for a taper.......yes.  Do a normal length workout on Monday but don't wear yourself out.  Tuesday, do an easy brick by riding normal pace for 30 minutes and run easy for 20 minutes.  Make sure you practice your T2 just like you are going to do it at the race.  By that I mean, get off your bike and run with it about the same distance that you will run with it at the race and then begin your run split about where you will cross the mat to begin your run time.  (Does that make sense?)  Do a short easy workout of your choice on Wednesday.  Take Thursday off.  Do a very short run (10 to 15 minutes) on Friday.  Travel and rest on Saturday.  Crush your previous times on Sunday!

Did you supply the race people with your 100m split time or do they just throw you in the pool with anyone?  One time I got put in the same pool wave as Mike Pigg!  WTF!!!!  I'm sure I was in his way.  Cheers!

How's the taper treating you, Nicole?

Good luck to the racers this weekend!  Sarah is doing her first HIM!!!!  Wow!  That's three of us that did HIM's!  That is so cool!!!!

It felt weird to take this morning as a rest day; I can't remember the last time I slept past 5:30 on a work day. Otherwise, I'm feeling good and confident. Just started working on my raceday checklist.

The race went well. No official times yet but here's what I got:

• Swim: 6:31
• T1: 2:15
• Bike: 38:35
• T2: ?
• Run: 30:51

 I got passed by two guys in the pool but I just kept on doing my thing. Not my fastest for 300m.

I got passed by at least six riders (I passed around 4), mostly guys on tri bike. I got passed by the 11 yo boy who started the swim a little after me. He never got very far ahead of me but I couldn't catch him without blowing myself out. He was smokin' hot on the run! I got a little messed up by two cars that got between me and a gal on a hybrid that they didn't seem to want to pass. I was coming up on them pretty quickly trying to figure out how to deal with this jam-up. At the intersection they were ordered to a stop; I passed them on the right and then made my left in front of them. Then I paseed the hybrid.

The run was hot, no shade! I think I got in just under 10 min/mile. Ran every step! Got to go down the chute all by myself. "Number 307, Nicole Thomas finishing!"

More details later!

Official times are in:

• Swim: 6:34
• T1: 2:12
• Bike: 38:45
• T2: 1:15
• Run: 30:44

Total: 1:19:28

Overall women: 76/186

I don't know my age group standings.

I'm pleased

It's more than obvious that my running has become my weak point. So, how do I improve, and is there time for improvement before my next tri in 4 weeks? I figure for starters I should add in a third run each week and do more fartleks. What else?

My triathlon run was almost all in zone 5, 90-100% max. During a typical training run it's usually some 3 and a bunch 4. I never watch HR during a workout but I do look at the data afterwards.

Yes, add in a third run then start lengthening one of your runs by no more than 10% per week.  Pick whether you want to increase by time or distance and stick with it.  During your rest weeks (every 2 to 3 weeks) reduce the length of that long run by half.

Zone 5 isn't surprising during a sprint triathlon run.  You should be pushing yourself!

I've got a 305 and I love it. Do you like to train by pace, HR, something else? Each screen is customizable for the number of fields (up to 4) and the type of data. Take some time to figure out what it is most important for you to see. For running I use: Time, Distance, Pace, Average Pace on the main screen. For biking I use: Time, Distance, Speed, Cadence. I have additional stuff on other screens, including HR, Average HR, Pace, Average Pace, Lap Pace, Time of Day.

The BT training logs allow you to directly upload from your Garmin to the training logs. You can also directly upload routes. I also use a standalone program (Ascent for Mac) that will show me my speed or heart rate overlaid onto my route, etc, and allows me to add notes about weather, level of effort, etc.

I still don't know how to use all this to maximum effect.