Wahine...a question...

[rocknrollgirl]

I would like to preface my question with a word of thanks to all of the great advice and encouragement that you have to offer to all of us on this board. I am an off road triathlete, training for Xterra. Although my my race will be on different terrain, the fundamental issues of training still apply, and your insight has helped.

So that being said..I have a question about your training. It may seem stupid, but here goes.

Why do you run on a treadmill? Is it a weather issue?


Ruth

[Veronica]

And I'm wondering, why run at all? :D

You crazy triathletes. Still you do make it sound appealing.

V.

[Wahine]

I would like to preface my question with a word of thanks to all of the great advice and encouragement that you have to offer to all of us on this board. I am an off road triathlete, training for Xterra. Although my my race will be on different terrain, the fundamental issues of training still apply, and your insight has helped.

So that being said..I have a question about your training. It may seem stupid, but here goes.

Why do you run on a treadmill? Is it a weather issue?


Ruth

V - Yes we are all crazy. Glad we got that out of the way.

RnR - That is not a stupid question in the least. I run on the treadmill primarily for weather reasons but also for terraine reasons. Right now with my work schedule I'm usually running when it's dark. It's not that cold here but we get a lot of freezing rain and it's really hard to see the ice patches in the dark. So the treadmill is my best choice right now to avoid injury. Also it is VERY hilly where I live. So on days when I'm more fatigued and feel like running outside might be a challenge (especially since I have a history of pesky hip issues) I might choose to run on the TM. This allows me to control my intensity better and I don't have to worry about how to get home if my hip problem kicks in and I have to stop running.

I would much prefer to run outside and if you do offroad races you should run outside as much as possible. It's the race specific option, so the better one. But then you also need to be more aware about intensity, cuz it's harder to maintain the right training intensity (ie keep things light enough on recovery days and long runs) on trails.

I really appreciate your comments. I've been racing triathlon for about 13 years (with 2 years off from comp for various reasons). Sometimes I feel like I sound like a know-it-all and I wonder if I should post so much. So thank you.

This will be my first year back seriously training and racing. That means placing in the top quarter of my age group field - hopefully. So I'm really excited and I love the supportive atmosphere in TE.

[rocknrollgirl]

Wahine,
Thanks for your reply. Makes perfect sense. What prompted the question was your post the other day about 90 mins running of the "dreadmill". I said to myself...holy mother of pearl...that women is made of iron! 90 mins on a freakin' treadmill.

Please keep posting.I have no other tri friends to chat with. Folks around these parts think I am crazy. Most especially since I am over 40!

I do know the pit falls of off road training. At least I am learning. I am finding, just by reading, and experience, that recovery from intense mt bike training is not the same as recovery from training on the road. It takes very careful planning on my part to make sure I have the recovery I need between rides. especially since I train with guys.
I do my hard days on the mt bike on Wed and Sunday with everything else scheduled around that. I only run outside. Once nice thing about my location.

So keep the input coming. I for one greatly appreciate your input and experience.

Ruth

[Bluetree]

Don't feel bad RnR... my local tri club is 1400-strong and STILL people think we're crazy. :rolleyes:

We had high winds one day last week which kept me off my bike, so I ended up doing a 3-hour spin session at the gym (6am class + one hour of intervals + the 8am class) and even the janitors looked at me and shook their heads. I tell you... it's an addiction...:D

And Wahine, your comments are much appreciated - keep 'em coming!

[KSH]

We had high winds one day last week which kept me off my bike, so I ended up doing a 3-hour spin session at the gym (6am class + one hour of intervals + the 8am class) and even the janitors looked at me and shook their heads. I tell you... it's an addiction...:D

And Wahine, your comments are much appreciated - keep 'em coming!

3 hours? :eek: There is no way. I can barely make an hour on the spin bike. I get so bored.


Sometimes I feel like I sound like a know-it-all and I wonder if I should post so much. So thank you.



Hey Wahine... very few of us know very much... so ANY ADVICE you can give is appreciated! You don't sound like a "know it all"!

I think your comments were well thought out, intelligent, and helpful. You obviously take time and care to give us responses and information. THANKS!

[Tri Girl]

I agree with KSH!
KSH,Wahine, V, Bluetree, RNR, RunningMommy- EVERYONE is so very helpful here. I don't think any of us come across as know-it-alls. Some people do know more than others, and that's OK- cuz we learn best from the experiences we have (and the experiences of others). It's nice to have a forum to discuss these things!

And I don't love running on the TM either, but sometimes it's the only option. This weekend is a 13 miler, and since the forecast is predicting freezing rain- looks like it'll be a two and a half hour dreadmill run for me. :( Sometimes it's just unavoidable... at least it's a better option than not running at all. :) That's why they make ipods and wonderful music for me to run to.

[KSH]

This weekend is a 13 miler, and since the forecast is predicting freezing rain- looks like it'll be a two and a half our dreadmill run for me.

As you know, I'm in Dallas, TX.

I know a tri friend of mine who ran 20 miles outside yesterday. He is NUTS! It was pouring down rain and COLD!

[Tri Girl]

He IS crazy!!! :p
I ran 7 today on the snow/ice and it was pretty miserable. At least it wasn't my 20 weekend. See, there's always a bright side! :)

[Bluetree]

3 hours? :eek: There is no way. I can barely make an hour on the spin bike. I get so bored.

That's why I like a class - there's music and other people around. But the reason real? Shhh...

I'm so slow in my tri group that my gym's spin classes are the only place where I can actually "drop" people! :D

[KSH]

That's why I like a class - there's music and other people around. But the reason real? Shhh...

I'm so slow in my tri group that my gym's spin classes are the only place where I can actually "drop" people! :D

Well... uuuummm... I get bored in a class.

Good job on dropping those slow pokes though!

[Wahine]

You gals crack me up!! Thanks for the replies.

I will not, I refuse to run 13 miles on a treadmill. For that reason, no early season IMs for me!! :D :D

Seriously, when I used to train in the frozen north where spring sometimes does not come until June (OK, that's a little hyperbole but not much), I used to run at a facility where there were treadmill's, a track and a pool. So I'd do part of my workout on the TM, then track, then water run. Just to try to keep the boredom at bay. But let's be honest, I get bored running outside for 2.5 hours. Maybe a little ADD?