first triathlonites 2006-07

[Velobambina]

You ladies are amazing and motivating!

I signed up for a duathlon--next July--so I'm registered for Irongirl Triathlon (Columbia, MD in August) and the Blackwater Traverse. The latter is 12K run-70K bike-8K run. It's supposedly on a completely flat course on Maryland's eastern shore, but I've been warned about the heat & need to keep hydrated. Apparently, there's an extremely popular Tri held on the same course.

Did my second brick this morning and felt much better than my first brick, since I made sure I drank gatorade during my bike ride. Gobbled a couple shot bloks before I headed out for my run. I went 40miles on the bike and 3 miles running -- hilly courses (there's no other option in Arlington, VA).

I haven't been to a pool since Labor Day. I'll get that going after the New Year. (uggh) Can I count on yinz to keep me on track with the swimming?

[eclectic]

Hello all

What a great goal Velbambina - whew run bike run. I am a swimmer first so that would be agony for me So any swim questions send 'em on and there are a lot on here more knowledgeable than me (I am only as good as my resources - my coworker who is a hall of fame swim coach - she helped train her nephew who made it to the olympic trial finals at 18 and will be doing the next ones too, so I trust her expertise

I thought I posted this but apparently didn't and if I did I can't find it so bear w/ me as I post again - I did my first sort of brick to check things out. I did spinning class for an hour, put the bike away and then ran a mile on the track. the first lap was tough but then got into a groove and ran on (slowly but I did run) I will concentrate more on them this spring but was curious as to what they were all about and how they felt

With the holidays I haven't had much time to do much.
I did go outside and ride my bike 12 miles - not far but it was 36F and my feet got cold - in Oct I NEVER would have gone out in 36F weather - how perceptions change.
The day before I also ran 3 miles in the park - it was 40F that day - very unseasonable temps for us - I remember years when the high was -25F for a high for 2 weeks running - I like this years weather much better

Re Heart rates
I went to the sports medicine Dr about my knee (old injury apparently, she gave me some exercises to get it back to normal)
I was very concerned about my HR, it too is in the very high zone according to where it should be. She said it is better to go by the perceived rate of exertion chart, figure out where my HR falls within that and then combine them as a guide. She didn't think it was necessary at this time to find out my max HR and do the percents but to just go by knowing my body and how I feel. Also she said (as I have read in books) PRE will change from sport to sport so the HR levels are going to be different for each of them.

MUST get off the computer and get Christmas things done!

Have a great holiday everyone!

[alpinerabbit]

Re Heart rates
Also she said (as I have read in books) PRE will change from sport to sport so the HR levels are going to be different for each of them.

Oh, absolutely. I definitely am at at least 10-20 bpm higher running than cycling.

I broke two sound barriers - I can now swim more than one 50m length freestyle (4 in fact) and I have done 1 km for the second time in my LIFE. This swimming thang works the BUTT so watch out for my JLo impression in a few months. I lost about a pound or two in the last couple months I believe, I can see more definition in several places.

I am at parents' for 4-5 days and am planning to do something every day, either run or swim. I absorbed Friday's intervals quite well, will try some more.
I prefer running in the cold (and it is, just around freezing), I wonder how I will fare come spring and summer....


Happy Yule all, don't slack! (Note to self, restrain on the alcohol tonight)

[Offthegrid]

I've been sick with a nasty cold all week, but I *might* go to the gym tomorrow morning to jog for just a little bit. It seems a tiny bit cruel that I've waited soooo long until I can start jogging, and then the day finally comes and I can't jog because I've been sick.

But being sick also means I'm going to spend most of Christmas alone because I can't risk getting my grandmother sick. I'll see my immediate family in the morning, but then have to bid them goodbye while they see grandma and about 30 family members.

Alpine, way to go with the swimming! I think you'll start to see some very rapid improvement now. I know it took forever until I could just do 4 or 8 laps, but then things got a lot better.

[light_sabe_r]

I have the details of my next race!!! But I'm still refusing to do any training until January first. My Body needed a freaking break.

http://www.splashanddash4cash.com

heeheehee. It's called an "AQUATHON" O_O and it's really training on my weaknessess.

I'll be doing the short course event on the 26th of January. (Australia day. It's a public holiday!)

100m swim, 1.5km run, 100m swim, 1.5km run,

long course is 600m swim, 3km run (repeated). Whilst I'd have no problem running I'd be struggling with the swim at this point so it's better to do the short one (even If I know I can do that and do it reasonably well)

Therefore since the course is so short... I'm aiming to place in the middle somewhere rather than "Not coming last"

i'm looking forward to it. It means I can test out the new fuel belt I got for Christmas.

[KSH]

I It's called an "AQUATHON" O_O and it's really training on my weaknessess.

I'll be doing the short course event on the 26th of January. (Australia day. It's a public holiday!)

100m swim, 1.5km run, 100m swim, 1.5km run,

Therefore since the course is so short... I'm aiming to place in the middle somewhere rather than "Not coming last"

i'm looking forward to it. It means I can test out the new fuel belt I got for Christmas.

Sounds great! Looks like fun! You should do a great job!

[Offthegrid]

The tri I'm planning to do with a friend in Oregon has changed its 2007 date up a weekend to the Saturday after I'm volunteering at Ironman Lake Placid. This is gonna make travel interesting. I'm trying to work it out.

BUT it leaves August gloriously free of a race. Maybe I'll join the Irongirl in MD pack ... or *gulp* consider an olympic-distance race. But it's hard to know where my running will be in 8 months.

[alpinerabbit]

I'm signed up!!! 0.5/20/5 short distance on June 23, the day before IM Zurich.
They offer bike trainings and wet suit demos with pro athletes on the weekdays before... would be interesting.

Today we hit the pool but I was not motivated. We stayed an hour but I never did anything more than a lap at a time. Too many crazy people too. Perhaps tomorrow.

[light_sabe_r]

Way to go alpinerabbit!!!! Just watch the motivation kick into gear now that you've signed up!

[tygab]

Alpinerabbit, that's great! I am so excited for you.

I have almost worked out my 2007 race/event schedule, and I will start signing up for them tomorrow (everything is still closed 'til then). My first official race of the season will be April 22, and it is a duathlon. I may snag a 5k in Austin if I can (when we visit in Feb) but it won't be something I prepare for if so, just a 'fun run.'

Anyway, so here's my planned schedule:

April 22, duathlon
April 29, 5k (mostly just for fun)
May 27, duathlon
June 23, 1st sprint tri
Jul 7, 2nd sprint tri
[Jul 22, volunteer at IMLP]
Aug 4 & 5, PMC
Aug 29, 3rd sprint tri
Sept 27, 1-2 legs of TE Greenway Challenge team

I hope to do a fall century too, and considering a kayak/run/ride tri in Sept also. The goal is to have one event a month but Aug and Sept will have two or three. It's aggressive, but most of the events are short duration so I am not anticipating long recoveries. We'll see, always subject to change.

-T

[Kimmyt]

OK, so due to holidays and general craziness surrounding them I haven't trained in about 1.5 weeks.

It feels so much longer, though! (no doubt my 'normal' friends would think that a true sign of insanity)

Anyway, it wasn't like I just didn't do anything over the hols, I just didn't do tri-specific training. I went on a weeklong ski trip at a much higher elevation which barely left me with energy to eat much less run (I was also trying to get over a bad bout of strep throat... gd immune system always fails me when i need it the most!) I only missed one or two swim classes, and didn't run for the 1.5 weeks. I won't go into riding, but basically I'm not focusing on it in my training unless it's for a brick, since riding is definitely my strong suit.

OK so yesterday I went to the gym to run for the first time since before vacation. Oy vey, was it rough!

It felt like it had been years since I'd last been running... and it was such a short period of time? Anyone dealing with post-holiday recovery?

On an up note, I ran for a solid 30 minutes albeit at a lower pace (12 min mile as opposed to 10 which I usually try to train on the dreadmill at), but noticed that I was getting some tendon pain on the top of my right foot the last 5 minutes of running. I ran through it, trying to focus on technique but the pain didn't diminish with these added efforts. Didn't get worse either, though, so hopefully it was just a one-time thing... maybe my tootsies are sore from being in ski boots all week.

Oh, and used my new Polar HRM for the first time too. Seems I'm hovering around 80% of my resting rate during the entire 30 minute run, which is interesting... from the second I start running it elevates, even when I feel I am not being exerted at all. Also, even when I got tired and was struggling, the hr didn't go up. Granted, I kept a steady pace and wasn't pushing myself so I guess this is good? Though on a positive I noted that the dreadmill is polar compatible, which means I don't have to wear my wrist monitor when I run on it YAY.

OK update done, just wanted to kick this thread into life again!

K.

[Bluetree]

Okay, got my 2007 schedule ready as well, all sprint tris.
Barring injury or illness, here goes...

March 10 – Pasadena Triathlon
(Reverse Sprint Tri, pool swim)

March 25 – Strawberry Fields Triathlon or Duathlon
(Swim .25 miles-Ocean... Bike 11.5 miles... Run 3 miles)

April 22 – La Quinta Desert Triathlon
(Swim 500m-Lake... Bike 14 miles... Run 5k)

June 10 – Redondo Beach Triathlon
(Swim .5 miles-Ocean... Bike 6 miles... Run 2 miles)

July-August (Take a break, maybe do a bike race)

September 9 - Los Angeles Triathlon
(Swim .4 miles-Ocean... Bike 20 miles... Run 5k)

September 23 - Long Beach Triathlon
(Swim .5 miles-Harbor... Bike 11 miles... Run 5k)

October 14 – San Diego Triathlon
(Swim 750m-Ocean... Bike 12.4 miles... Run 4 miles)

[uforgot]

The Missouri show me games have a triathlon this summer, and I want to participate!!!! I need some input, though. The running is the killer. It's .5 miles swimming ( I am a fish, used to be a lifeguard in my younger years), the biking is fine, 19 miles, but the running....sigh. I have NEVER been able to run for any distance. I can dance on my toes, teach hip hop like no body's business, but I never ever could run or had any desire to. I currently run 4 days a week, m-t-th-f. I am up to 1/2 a mile. This triathlon is 3.1 miles and is in June. Can I do it? Any tips? Inspiration? I just want to compete with a decent time. There is a 50-54 category. (I'm 52) Whaddya think? I'll take anything anyone can give me, as I absolutely want to do this! Even any books you can recommend would help!!!!

[Kimmyt]

I am like you, decent at swimming and cycling but not great at the running. I used to tell my mom 'the only reason I run for anything is because the bartender yells last call'.

I would recommend setting a time goal of 1/2 hour of running. But don't aim to run solidly for the full 1/2 hour. Run for 5-10 minutes, then walk for 2 minutes, then continue until your 30 minutes is over.

Keep on working on this type of schedule until you're walking less and running more, and maybe this will help you get closer to your goal. FYI I started running only two months ago and couldn't barely do a mile. It was probably closer to 3/4 or less. I would run until I absolutely couldn't any more, then walk for awhile, then start running again. Now I can run almost 3 miles although not at the speed I'd like to be at.

You can do this! (also there are some 'couch potato to 5K in 3 months' plans on runnersworld.com that might help you out!)

[kiwi]

I'm the same - finding running the toughest so far. Well, I haven't started swimming in open water, so that thought might change!

I've signed up to do the London triathlon in August - Olympic distance. I signed up a couple of months ago, thinking if I'm going to do a triathlon I may as well aim high. I have so much work to do on all 3 disciplines, I may regret not going for the Sprint distance instead!