Xterratri's mentor group-closed tight like a drum (Page 2)

Hi all! Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. I am heading out of town tomorrow and will not be checking in for most of the week. Have good workouts and I'll try to check in Friday.

I got together with a local "tri" group here on Saturday. Will be doing more training with them. We did a 45 minute "run" and I walked some! Glad to meet them, great group.

Lynne, I hope your marathoning went well.

Monique - Hope the elbow is healing. How is training? What have you been doing?

Donna - How is the trainging for your Irongirl going? I am also signed up for Irongirl in Atlanta.

Marcia - How is the Master's swimming? If you have any swimming questions, let me know.

Logan - How is the motivation lately?

Simon - How is the training and endurance building going? Hope well.

Jo - I am sure you are looking forward to starting Monday!

Hope I didn't forget anyone here! I know some of us are also quitting smoking, so hang in there! Let us know your struggles/strengths!

Janet






Janet

Ackk! I have been remiss as a mentor. I went and visited all the logs I could get to(there are two that are closed- you either need to open them to the public or just put the members of the mentor group on your friend's list.), but only Simon has logged workouts this week. However my own log shows lots of big fat white squares this week so far too

So how is it going everyone? At this point everyone except possibly Simon based on what he has planned for the rest of this season should be in what's referred to as base building phase. It's designed to build up your endurance base by doing sub-maximal intensity and gradually building up to workout distance/times greater than each of the individual race distances if doing a sprint to HIM distance. The exception to this is usually the Ironman run and some people never cycle over 100 mi/160 K prior to race day but most do. For sprint distance races, you should aim for a swim of at least 1000 yds/m, a bike of at least 20 mi/32 km, and a run of 4-5 mi/~8km. This is referred to as overdistance training and is done at a moderate intensity and really only needs to be one session per week and not all workouts for that particular sport. The idea is to build up gradually not increasing the distance/time for a sport overall more than 10% a week and not increasing the distance of a single session more than 10% a week.

An example of this would be if you do 2 2mi and 1 3 mi run week 1 for a total of 7 miles the next week might be 2 2.25 mi and a 3.5 mi for a total of 8 mi in week 2 and then 2 2.5 mi and a 4 mi in week 3 for a total of 8.5. Week 4 would then be a recovery week with 2 at 2 and 1 at 3 again. Then week 5 could be be 2 at 2.75 and 1 at 4.5 for a total of 9.25. You could continue to build the 'long run' to about 5 mi and the shorter runs to about 3 mi for a sprint. Then about 4-6 wks out from race day replace a shorter moderate run with a tempo or hill running session to work on strength and speed. You can see that this progression doesn't perfectly follow the 10% rule but comes fairly close and gets the idea across. The modifications to this for training for longer races is that you may never increase the intensity on a shorter workout and that the run will top out at about 20 mi or 3 hrs according to some coaches. BTW this approach works with time as well as with distance.

Questions? Discussion? Clarifications? How do you apply this to what you are trying to accomplish?

Lynne

Hi Lynne

How was that crazy double marathon? I am slowly just getting into the training and trying to stay on top of everything at the same time. For a week about two weeks ago was absolutely stuffed and exhausted and found hard to stay awake and tried to have some multi vitamins but no luck. Started end last week eating more food and the difference is incredible, have heaps more energy and easily able to do the training. Just building on what I can already do and even though race over a year away still 2 months into it and still motivated but sure that winter may be hard!!

Well hello all!
I have to admit, I am awful about updating my workouts but I didn't do too much last week. I figured out that the 27th marks the 16 week countdown to my first sprint. The arm isn't healing as quickly as I had hoped, so I haven't done much upper body stuff. I have been riding though (purchased an indoor trainer for my bike...more to practice clipping in and out to prevent further injury).
I also completed my first block training on Saturday. A friend of mine that also does triathlons invited me over for an indoor bike training session and a run. I thought I would be completely dead after it all but I did quite well. Extremely motivating and not nearly as hard as I thought.
Just so the smokers know, my friend that I train with started doing tri's as a way to quit smoking. He hasn't even had a drag of a cigarette in nearly 3 years now! He said the easiest way is to focus your attention on training.
Hope everyone is doing well and keep it up!
-Mo

Hi,

How's everybody doing? I only had my first training today and I'm very happy with it - especially the running part as I was in serious doubt if I could do. Also still not smoking

I hope everyone is doing ok and GO NOT SMOKING

Jo

Jo-congratulations on remaining smoke free! Keep it up. A lot of people tend to underestimate themselves (I know I do). You can do both - quit smoking and the triathlon. Stick with it.

As for me, I did my first swim today. The arm felt great, but I swallowed half the pool. I really suck at swimming (not underestimating, just being honest).

Hope everyone is sticking with training!

Yeah for not smoking Jo! I hope Donna is sticking with it too.

Monique- so the arm is finally feeling better? If swimming is a real struggle technique wise, swim lessons might help. I signed my Mom up because that's her weakness too and I'm trying to get her to do tris. She did a try-a-tri with a 100 M pool swim but that's all she's done. She can ride and 'run' though.

Things I've learned on BT:

1. Please check out the Challenge forum. It's always welcoming to Challenge newbies and triathlon newbies too. You set your own goal but being on a team encourages you to reach a little and to make it. For instance I did swimming in December- initial goal 18,000 yds then it was obvious by the end of the first week that was way too low so I changed to 35,000 and actually swam over 44,000 yds way more than I have any month since joining BT and starting to log. But my team-mates varied from 10,000 yds to 100,000+ yds. There's a huge variety of levels and great support.

2. Treadmill coping strategies for either us Northern Hemisphere types in the dead of winter or the daylight/safe running location limited people. One of the people that I met through BT when trying for IM WI 2006 taught me the benefit of using intervals to break up what had formally been mind-numbingly boring. So it's supposed to be a steady state aerobic run(which we should all be doing in the base period), I'll run at one speed for 5 min and then switch it to another different but in the same range speed for the next 5 min and then keep alternating back and forth until I've got the time or distance done. You can use as short or as long of interval blocks as you want. I've used as short as 3 but have pretty much settled into 5 min. The longest I've done so far on a treadmill with this strategy is 10 mi but I could see using it for longer runs too. My other coping tool is my iPod. I'll listen to music, podcasts(TriTalk and Phedipidations) or watch a tv show or movie.

Please check in and let me know how you're doing and if there are any particular topics you are interested in.

Lynne

Hi Lynne

I am just wondering what is good training fuel. I generally find after or during a long ride at about 50km just run out of energy and was wondering whether an energy drink was better, energy bar etc is better. Just toying with different things to add into my training so when I do more kms know what to use.

Hi,

So my first week of training is officially over as I'm at a conference the whole weekend. I'm happy that I'm actually doing it and really trying not to go too crazy with my workouts (at least not yet) as I have a tendency to do.

Bit of bad news- I might not be able to do 2 aquathons I planned for June and July as they're scheduled for Wednesdays!

A quicky for those who are also trying to lose weight- how are you keeping? I'm trying to eat healthy for both better training and weight loss but I have serious doubts if what I'm doing is actually right.

Hope everybody is doing fine- have a great weekend!

Jo

Fueling during long training sessions- how you do it- drink vs. gel vs. bar doesn't matter so much as doing it. Very important as the body's energy storage form is fat but fat can't be burned without carbohydrate/glycogen stoking the flames. There is a limited amount of liver and muscle glycogen stored that is adequate for shorter workouts but that you run out of when going longer. In general you should shoot for an intake of about 300 cal per hour. How depends on several variables- what's on the course, what you can tolerate gastrically, etc. Gatorade is one the course at many events here but to fuel entirely by Gatorade is a challenge- 50 cal/8 oz serving means drinking almost 3 bottles per hour. Gels are about 100 cal per packet so a mix of Gatorade and gels is popular. I used a product called infinit for IM Wisconsin in 2007 and really liked it- first time I hadn't gotten hungry at some point on the bike. It's a fluid based system but is custom to my body weight, electrolyte needs, race distance. I could get all my calories from 1 bottle per hour rather than 3. I carried a bottle of concentrate that I mixed into my front aero bar bottle with water from the aid stations and then had the second concentrate bottle in my special needs. The one change I'm going to make for FL 70.3 is to add another bottle cage somewhere so I can carry more water as that is always a hot day so one bottle an hour would be okay calorie wise but not fluid wise.


Weight loss
Make sure that you are getting adequate calories throughout the day so you are not starving and fall off the wagon come evening. At the expo for the WDW Marathons, I picked up a book called "Nancy Clark's Food Guide for Marathoners" but is really is good for all endurance type activities and not just running. Anyway she advocates a hobbit meal plan- good size breakfast, 1st lunch about the same calories as breakfast at about 11, 2nd lunch at around 4 pm with a little less calories and then supper after the evening workout with about the same amount of calories as 2nd lunch. So for an 1800 calorie reducing diet 500, 500, 400, 400. The idea is to eat more during the day so not eating as much in the evening and to provide a 'meal' so you have the energy to workout. A useful feature here on BT is a nutrition/calorie tracker. I know personally I need to start using it again.

Hope this helps

Thanks for that info on what to use. Will start experimenting with some foods as well as the packets etc. Planning a few bike races in the next few months as well.

Hi,

How is everybody doing?

I'm ok and currently following a 20-week Sprint balance programme (you can check in Programmes section) - I'm starting week2 of month 2 on Monday. I think I'm totally addicted now and even considering some gear shopping as I hope weather will start improving soon- it's been FREEZING recently- and I'm expecting to finally get the courage to start training outside.

Other than that I'm still a non-smoker I was in a pub today to watch Ireland play France in 6 Nations (rugby) and I must admit I found smoking (especially straight into my face) extremly irritating- passive smoking is horrible.

Hope ye are all doing fine- have a good weekend!!

Jo

Ok so mos of my planned pre-triathlon races more than likely won't happen as they're scheduled for Wednesdays and Thursdays and I simply won't be able to take time off work - unless my teaching schedule will change.
Anyway, I wanted to ask you all a question- I'm thinking more and more about my first Sprint. I know it'll be in the summer (not decided when exactly- work/holidays issues) but I'm also getting stressed about it. You know kind of exam stress thing even though I'm trying to be realistic about how I'm gonna do- I only hope I wouldn't be the last oen. Do you also feel like that? I don't think it's the right set of pre-race emotions especially if the race is 5 months or so away

hey everyone!
Haven't been here in a while. I am awful about keeping track of training. I know I should get better at it, just to make improvements and what-not.
I'm finding it increasingly difficult to get on the bike. The area affected by the seat is extremely sore. I was told this eventually goes away, however I still cringe everytime I look in the direction of my bike.
Hope everyone is doing well and still on target. Good luck!
Monique

Is anyone still out there?
How is training going? Has anyone done any races yet? Where is everyone?!?!?!
Well, if anyone still pays attention, I did my first 8k this past weekend. It was fun! I did better than I thought I would too. I thought I would strggle a little (downtown DC was FREEZING this past weekend) but it was all good.
I haven't been following a specific training plan, but I have been getting to they gym, swimming, biking, running, and finally got back into lifting after the recovery from the broken elbow. No heavy lifting (not that I need it), but enough to smooth out the edges.
I'm interested in seeing how all of you are doing. Especially those that were quitting smoking.
Hope all is going well!
Monique

By the way....what's up with the Patriots thing? They lost!!!