MForger18's Group- Closed- Find your seats bc the shows about to begin

I would like to join your group. My name is Mace, I'm 32 and just finished my 2nd year of triathlons. I am married and have a 2 year old daughter. I have done some sprints, olympic distance, and managed to crawl across the finish line of a HIM in september. I am a firefighter and just finished paramedic school so I will have some more time to dedicate to training. My finish at Redman (HIM) will be part of my motivation to train for the half in Kansas in June. I haven't been very consistant with my training, and I am hoping that joining this group and being held accountable will help with that. I would also like to lose about 20lbs in the process.
Thanks
Mace

Happy to have you Mace.

It will be nice having someone to relate to with a crazy schedule as you might have seen Im a cop. Add me as a friend to your log and Im going to do the same that way we can check each other out. Ill do my best to keep you motivated to get through your 2008 season.

Hi Matt - Can I join your group?

Name: zenile/Paul W.

Story: A little about me, I'm not a total newb to tri's but pretty darn close. I've completed 3 sprint tri's but that was in 2004 and about 15 lbs ago. In 2004, I met a beautiful woman and got married, and slacked off on my training. Yuck! I'm a testament to what they say about it being easier to put the pounds on then get them off. My wife is very supportive of my training (at least so far), so I hope to ramp up the miles in 2008. My goal is to get down to about 155 (I'm 5'7 and weigh 165 right now).

Family Status: Married with 7 kids and another on the way (5 cats, 1 dog, and a cockatiel). We're also adopting from China.

Past Races: 2004 Tri-Benbrook Sprint Triathlon, 2004 Summerbridge Triathlon. I ran a few 5ks and 10ks last year, but no triathlons for me

2008 Planned Races: 2008 Tri-Benbrook Sprint (May), 2008 Metroplex Sprint (June - First OWS), Prairieman Half (September) - Yeah, Ambitious I know

Goals: Lose 10 lbs, have fun and get faster...I'm sllllllllooooooooowwwwwwwwww!!!

Whats up Paul. Welcome to the group. Like I told Mace, Im going to check up on your logs to keep up with what you are doing but otherwise its all fun and games. Ill do my best to keep u motivated and ready to race. Its nice to have you back to Tri'ing again. A few more people and our group will be full. Ill talk to you soon.

hey matt,
just started back training with a easy day. just tring to get the body ready for some punishment to come.
thanks,
mace

Nice work, check your inspires.

Hi Matt, if possible I would like to join your group.

NAME: bertvl. REAL NAME: Bert van Leeuwen.
STORY: I come from a swimming/waterpolo background and triathlon has always attracted me. Dutch by birth (lots of biking there) currently living in Denver. Mid summer of 2006 a buddy of mine told me he was going to donate his road bike. I ended up being his charity and decided to do my first sprint that fall. Man did I get hooked badly. After that I trained all winter and in 2007 I did 4 sprints and an Oly.

FAMILY STATUS: Married, no kids, no pets, no TV.

CURRENT TRAINING: I am following the BT wintermaintenance plan but tend to slack a bit on weights and core.

THIS PAST YEAR'S RACES: Little Foot Sprint Tri, Bolder Boulder 10K, 5430 Sprint, Boulder Peak Oly, Rattlesnake Sprint and Fall Frenzy sprint. Currently participating in the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon series.

2008 RACES: Final two races in the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon series, Colfax Marathon in May (my first), Bolder Boulder 10K, 5430 Series (sprint, oly, HIM(first)), Rattlesnake OLY or sprint, Fall Frenzy sprint, and probably another Oly which fits somewhere in the schedule.

WEIGHTLOSS: Weight has never been an issue for me, I am 6'3" and pretty lean. My race weight is about 188lbs, currently I am happy at 195lbs.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS-
Good swimmer but have to work harder to really leverage that advantage.
Getting stronger and stronger on the bike, just bought rollers last weekend which are probably going to kill me . I promised myself that if I completed a full season and trained through the winter I can buy a nice Tri-bike coming spring.
Running is the weakest link for now but I am working really hard on that. My first Mary is scheduled for May. One of my big motivators is a gentleman called Michael Hagen from Colorado Springs. He participates in most of the races I am in. USAT Ranking for Michael Hagen in the 45-49 age group #1, my ranking #1499. He was also second in our AG in Kona this year. Whenever I feel lazy and think of skipping a workout, I wonder what he might be doing. He is a great inspiration and one day I am going to catch him!!!

Sounds good Bert, We'd love to have you. I love it out in CO, I almost moved there a few years ago but just could not get a good enough job offer to pick up everything and move. You have a great race sched planned for this coming year, and hopefully you can knock off Michael Hagan.

Im going to check logs and inspire a lot so try to keep them up to date. Im just finishing the BT Winter maintenance plan but didnt really do much be of injury. Oh well its time to stop slacking and get a move on.

Braggart

Hi Matt - I would like to join your group.

Name: crewmann4/Gerald

Story: Rower in college. Desk job for 7 years. I finshed a sprint in 2005 and one this past summer. I get bored easily so I really like the idea of mixing training up with different sports. I travel alot for work so running is nice bc you do not need much.

Family Status: Married for 6 years with a 18 month old son

Past Races: 2004 YMCA Sprint in LaPorte IN, 2007 Finger Lakes Tri

2008 Planned Races: 2008 Keuka Lake Sprint Triathlon, 2008 Finger Lakes Tri and one olympic

Strengths: Biking

Weakness - Pizza and cholocate - I mean running

Goals: Lose more weight than I should have to and finish an Olympic Tri this summer

Edited by crewmann4 2007-12-19 2:59 PM

Nice to meet you Gerald and welcome to the group. Getting bored is one of my weaknesses as well esp in the weight room. I/WE would be happy to work with you getting your 2008 season underway.

Hey there! I'd like to join your group as well! I just finished my second year of triathlon and am currently signed up for IMFL 08. I'm in Dallas, Texas and am loving the triathlon life. I am not particularly fast at any of the 3 sports, but I'm consistent and slowly moving up in the ranks! I'm an attorney and work way too much so my training is like yours and squeezed in between everything else. I live with my boyfriend and our 2 dogs. Currently, I'm training for the Houston Marathon on January 13, and am running Boston on a charity spot. It's going to be a busy year and I can use all the advice, support, and encouragement I can get and give!

Thanks!

Aimee.

Hi Matt - I love to join your group for the 2008 season.

MY STORY: I'm a total beginner. I've been kicking this triathlon thing around in my head for quite a while. I found this site two years ago. I took the plunge and began training last winter. With no experience or coaching, I got into the pool and saw myself improve dramatically in both distance and endurance. I'd followed my training plan religiously for 4 months...running, biking, swimming and weight training.

And then.....I missed one day. And another. And before I'd even realized it, the summer was over and I never made it to the starting line. With the beginning of a new year and after gorging myself with all sorts of holiday foods over the past month, I have a renewed enthusiasm for training. I have evaluated my situation, I’ve set my goals, and I am ready to make the commitment. But I know that I need help...that I must have people that will hold me accountable to my training.

FAMILY STATUS: I am single and live in Southeastern Michigan. My boyfriend recently moved in. I am a sales coach and work full time...so must squeeze my training in early before heading into the office.

CURRENT TRAINING: I'm starting from the beginning. My immediate goals are to be able to run 1 mile non-stop and Swim 700m per session and 150m non-stop by Feb 1st, 2008.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: I hate running. I really, really enjoy swimming. But I need to find a coach, class, or masters club to join so that I am sure I am swimming and training the right way. And I very much enjoy biking...but I need to invest in a road bike.

OTHER: I have no warrants out for my arrest (that I know of) and I think fondly of New Yorks finest.

I hope to be a member of your group. It looks like you all have a lot more experience than I do...but I will do my best to bring something to the table, if only a little humor. Thanks for your consideration!

Edited by hamiltks10 2007-12-19 5:45 PM

Hey Aimee and Kristen, I'd love to have both of you in the group. As you have probably seen there is a good mix of people in this group and I will do my best to help you guys with your training and tri questions.

Im checking both of your logs right now so make sure you keep them up.

Hey everybody, Im keeping it open for 1 more. I am going to ask a few things from each of you over the next few days so I could get to know you guys a little bit better, and take it from there. I think it would be a good idea to add everyone into the group to your "Friends" tab in the logs. Whe you go into your log, go to the control panel and then tab over to friends. This will make it easy for everyone to see what the other people are doing. It will help with keeping everyone motivated... BUT remember that we each have different goals so our logs will all look different.

I will try to check your logs daily and make tips and suggestions. Sometimes its impossible for me to get to a computer when I get held at work, for those of you that do not know already, Im an NYPD cop. I mostly work 4pm-midnight so I probably wont be around too much during those hours, but Im in a plainclothes unit so its always changing. If any of you are ever in NYC please let me know bc I work In Central Park and its always nice to meet BTers in person.

We'll see who the next lucky person is to get into this awesome group, and I'll close it out.

Me me me! Can I be the last one to join? I'd love to be part of it all!

A few things about me:

STORY: Started getting ready for a sprint tri this time last year only to discover I was pregnant. Of course that was great, but put the plans on hold. So now I'm back into it again...

FAMILY STATUS: Happy Mum of 2 girls, aged 2 and 4 months. Oh yeah, and married

CURRENT TRAINING: Going to a gym 6 days a week & trying to get out & train on weekends, but it's much harder to arrange (gym has a creche)

THIS PAST YEAR'S RACES: Did my very first sprint tri on the weekend at our local club.

2008 RACES: Sprint tri in Jan, hoping to possibly do an oly by the end of the year? Not sure yet...

WEIGHTLOSS: Still have some baby weight to lose. Currently 151.7lbs, would like to be around 140. 5'6.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS: I'm pretty slow all around, but my swim & run are more comfortable. I am literally just learning to ride a bike! LOL Have a long way to go there...

Look forward to getting to know everyone!

Welcome to the new peeps

Aimeep - We're pretty close to each other! I live in Grand Prairie and work in Lewisville. I swim with an OWS group out at Joe Pool Lake, so when things start warming up, if you'd like to join us for some OWS practice let me know.

Matt- Didn't know you were a cop...can I leave this group then hehe, j/k. I have a question for you. I used to be a roadie, not great but definitely not a total newb. Anyway, I just purchased a tri-bike, and my tri-bike has smaller wheels (650 cc vs 700 cc) than my road bike. No surprise, the first time I head out in my tri-bike, I average slower than on my road bike (some perhaps due to my fitness not being there). Anyways, should I expect my speed on my tri-bike to eventually match or exceed my road bike, or will I always be slower due to the smaller wheels. I've been told that the aero position will benefit me more, so not to worry too much about the speed, as it will save my legs for the run. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Saundy, Welcome to the group. This group is great, we have mix of people with different goals and race distances . It will be a lot of funStarting the 2008 season with this group.

There is 1 more person that is coming into the group. Her screen name is SSMinnow, Just to let everyone know, the group s now closed.

As for your question regarding wheel size... Right now its dueto your fitness level I would guess. You may be a little slower with 650's but minimally. Im guessing that the bike you got is an older model, or you are really short. Tri bikes a few years ago were made exclusively with 650 wheels for the Aero advantage. Then they realized that the aero savings is so minimal that 700s would be fine too. This made it easier for most people to switch out wheels from one bike to the other. I would say dont fret too much on it yet.

In regards to riding aero, if your position is effecient you will def be faster. What I mean by effecient is...Not having too much resistance hitting your chest and torso. You want to find that happy medium where you are aggressive, but still maintaining power. At this stage in the game, you want to concentrate on just getting Time In The Saddle (- please dont get offended bc Ill use this a lot- if it bothers you lets me know) Dont worry too much about time yet.

Riding in aero alone helps save your legs, If your angles are steep enough you will end up using more of your quad then anything else, so when you get to the run your hammys and hip flexors will be good. Did this answer your question?

Hi All

I am lucky to be the last one admitted to the show!

I am the greenie in the group.  I have not done a tri yet only marathons and a duathlon.  I am hoping to change this status in '08!  I am a pretty good runner and an average biker (but spending  time on the trainer this winter). Swimming is my achilles heel.  Never learned as a kid, nearly drowned as an adult and am working hard to put all that mental stuff associated with water behind me. All swimming advice is welcome. 

I am lucky enough to have my own business so I have lots of time for training even in the dead of winter in Wisconsin.  Although for some reason I find myself downstairs in our basement training these days.

I am excited to be on board and looking for some good dialogue.

Ok, here is an update to the swimming saga....I swam 500 yards without stopping today.  It may sound puny to some, but it ranks #2 in my '07 accomplishments.

Suzy

Edited by SSMinnow 2007-12-20 12:56 PM

Matt - I have a cuircit that I did when I was in college that is all about the number of reps in a given time frame. It is listed below. You use can weight (two large coffee cans filled with cement with a 3' long 2" steel bar placed in the cement or 2 5 lb dumbells to start)

Crunches
Bicep Curls
Box Jumps
Deadlifts
Good Mornings
Jumping Jacks
Lunges
Push Ups
Squats
Upright Rows

To start with I am looking to do 30 sec on and 30 secs of slowly working to 50 secs on and 10 secs off.

Have you or anyone else done anything like this and do you think it will work for tris?

Got a nasty chocolate habit though.

I think it will work for tris, I really think that any sort of resistance training will work for tri, except like body building stuff. It really is all personal preferance when it comes to lifting and tri'ing. I know guys that think they must lift and others that dont believe it helps in tris at all. If you search post on this, you will see that its been debated like crazy here. Personally, I think that the best kind of resistance training is one that you will do consistantly. You may have the best program written out but unless you get your butt to the gym, it does you no good.

When I played baseball in college, we always had our lifting program laid out in front of us; now that I work out on my own I tend to be lazy. I like to know exactly what I am doing in the gym on a specific day. When you go into any workout, even SBRing, have a purpose. Know what you want to accomplish that day. I am actually just about to start a new circuit program bc I dont want to think about lifting anymore. I want it to be written for me each day, even if its the same exercises with a changing weight.

Hey guys, I have a bit of HW for you all. Some of you probably have it done already but for those of you that dont here it is:

1- Set GOALS in your Log, I want short term, and long term. What is the one thing that you want to one day accomplish with this sport- Ironman, 1/2 Ironman, Olympic...whatever.
2- Add everybody to your "Friends" list so you can all check each others Blogs.
3- Attempt to figure out your race sched- even if its only 1 race. Tell me what your "A" race is.
4- Start thinking about a plan of attack based on your "A" race. I will help you if you have any questions.

I have read a lot of tri books, have friends who are coaches, and read different web-sites articles all the time. If you have any questions about the above HW assignment let me know. I will steer you in the right direction and can help with a plan. I want to make sure that WE all have short term and long term goals, this way we know what we want to get and strive for.

Keep the questions coming- I love it.