2010 Tri Thread

[El&Asmom]

Kinda quiet around here.
Anyone else get bummed when you miss a work out that you planned for the day? Tuesday is my off day, but today there was just no time to get my swim in. Dds had swimming this am, we stayed at the pool with friends since I promised them we would, dd3s naptime, dinner and then dh had to finish some yard stuff this week since we are leaving on vacation next week. Before you know it, its 8:30 and I'm too wiped out to go to the Y to swim. Oh well, I had a good brick yesterday. I did the 12m bike, and 3m run and it went well. I've done it once before and it felt much easier than two weeks ago.

I suppose I may double up tomorrow. I'll get on the treadmill during dds nap, and dh and I are doing date night tomorrow where we will go bike ride around the Arboretum.
Hope everyone else's training is going well.

 

[mgsmom]

It IS pretty quiet around here, huh?
Sounds like you had a really good brick, despite all the distractions. I know what you mean about missing a workout - especially when you're training for something. It's like missing a day of class the week of the big test!

I have been back to "just running" lately since my tri is over. I won't do another until at least the spring. I am going to work on my running speed/distance in the meantime, since that tends to be the place I "fall apart" on the race. So, then when I get back to training for a race I can just concentrate on the bricks.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!!!

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Been doing some hot weather training here in Tennessee due to the temps getting darn close to 90*. Just running for me as of late..

--DB

 

[mgsmom]

dirtybunny - hot weather definitely puts a damper on things, huh?

So funny - I went out for a 4 mile run the other day - I finished and was like "that was so easy"! My usual workout used to be 2.5 miles!
All that training really got me to a better place!

Hope you are all enjoying your summer. We are back in the 100 degree afternoons, so I'll be hitting the elliptical for a while...

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

dirtybunny - hot weather definitely puts a damper on things, huh?

High was in the upper 90's and then said it would be feel like 101* outside.

--DB

 

[cewait]

Hope everyone is doing well. Not been on this thread for a while.

I have sworn off long distance tris over the last couple years due to a not so fun IM event in 07. I was just getting comfortable with that then all of a sudden the folks at IM bring a full event to my back yard next May. (www.ironmantexas.com)

Now I am torn.

I really love the training for a full. It gives me structure as well as satisfaction in seeing distances increase, fitness improve and confidence increase. But I really hate race day. Sorry but it just sux. I have always said that if IM shows up locally I would race but I cannot get past the race day reality.

The course will be a fun course. The swim is in a lake where it looks like we swim the length of the lake and return to near the start...then make a hard right and follow a new man-made canal to a park near an amphitheater. The bike will be rolling terrain for a large chunk of the miles keeping the legs fresh due to the constant on and off power requirements. Then the run will be flat. Have not seen a map yet but the area where the race is being run is blessed with very shaded running/walking trails. The killer here is that the race is the third weekend in May. We can have temps in the low 90’s by then as well as super humidity. (Plus it is love bug season and I generally avoid riding during the 2-3 week peak of that season). Water temps will be high enough that I am not sure I would wear a wetsuit even if temps were in the 78-80F range.

The nice aspect of having a local IM is that you get to train the course. Talk about home town advantage.

So as I say I am torn. I am thinking of entering to reserve a spot. But $600 is not easy to part with if I am not committed to the end game. The May date is not a good one for me. I really hate training into the summer…or saying it another way, I hate pushing peak training through the months where temps are increasing on a weekly basis. My body and psyche work better when the peak periods are occurring as temperatures are falling week on week. I don’t think I have ever trained for an event where I would be in a wetsuit for a lot of open water swimming then have to shed the suit for the actual event (though that is probably better than training without the wetsuit yet having to wear it in the race for the first time).

Guess I am headed up to The Woodlands this weekend to get a lay of the land. This is one of the few times where I just cannot make a commitment easily. This is a very weird experience for me.

 

[tiberius]

Charles, I have to smile at your comments because in they mirror mine in several ways, although I was planning to try my first IM during 2011. The fact that a new race plops down in my neighborhood makes it an easy decision for me to go for it. Hopefully, I'll see you out there on race day, whether as a competitor, volunteer or spectator.

 

[Duanerice]

Charles - You HAVE to. It is in your back yard, it's an inaugural, etc.

We have a few people from my club that have signed up and a few more that are deciding. Coach said this will be one of the clubs races for next year. I might be there but I doubt it. Still too early for me.

I want to get a few HIM under my belt then shoot for either IM Florida or IM Arizona in Nov 2011. Florida would be easiest as I could drive, but am worried about the water conditions. My Dad lives in AZ so that is why I am thinking about that one.

Training is going well. I see some folks on here are moving their training inside. Everything is outside even here in Florida. I really don't train inside anymore unless I am doing weights. And yes it is blazingly hot - is there such a word?

We are starting to increase our miles because we have a group of people doing an HIM in Oct followed by IM AZ in Nov. I'm not doing a HIM until Nov but it is easier to ramp up with them. Week days are pretty much the same as we only have the pool and track for so much time, but weekend training is getting longer. This Sat is a 62 mile bike (my longest so far is 54 mi) with a 30 min run followed up on Sun with a 90 minute run then an 1 mile OWS in the Gulf. And we can't forget the bridges we have to go over and back, over and back ........

Hope training is going well for others. I have Sprint coming up on July 17. Should be fun. It's short, 400m OWS, 12 mi bike and 5k.

Good luck everyone.
Duane

 

[cewait]

I actually plugged my IM training plan into a calendar and the stars are aligning with current training commitments, build up races and other life commitments.

Running out of excuses here.

I have a couple other things to look at – specifically business travel plans for the Dec-May timeframe. I am lucky as I have a former Bud-Lite Series age group champ as a boss. He loves to live through my experiences. But I need him let him take a crack at saying no before I pull the trigger. He won’t say no but if I want his support (no questions on ‘gym’ and ‘pool’ expenses while on the road) I need to give him the opportunity.

So if I pull the trigger…

• Training Starts – December 6
• Goofy #6 - Jan 8-9
• Need a late Feb Sprint Tri
• Tall Texan Oly Tri (Bourne) - Mid/Late March
• IM 70.3 Texas (Galveston) - April 10 -- Or -- IM 70.3 New Orleans – April 17 (Really looking at Weekend of 4/24 as the ideal weekend)
• IM Texas - May 21

Hmmmmmmmmm

 

[tiberius]

[*]IM 70.3 Texas (Galveston) - April 10 -- Or -- IM 70.3 New Orleans – April 17 (Really looking at Weekend of 4/24 as the ideal weekend)
[*]IM Texas - May 21
[/LIST]

Charles, what makes 4 weeks prior as the ideal weekend to do a 70.3, as opposed to 5 or 6 weeks before? Is it the coordination of taper and recovery, or is there more to it than that?

 

[cewait]

Charles, what makes 4 weeks prior as the ideal weekend to do a 70.3, as opposed to 5 or 6 weeks before? Is it the coordination of taper and recovery, or is there more to it than that?

Richard

From a mental standpoint, 6 weeks out seems to make better sense but the micro-periodization schedule of my training plan resembles a saw tooth pattern; climbing in a 4 week cycle. Ideally, the tune-up races come at 4 week intervals so I can keep to the saw tooth schedule. Looking at ‘scheduled’ time of the plan the tune-up races are the lower time in training weeks in the last phase of training. It’s not 100% mandatory to be on the 4 week cycle but by the time you get to the peak weeks of training your body is used to the up/down cycle.

From a macro level the plan bases for 8 weeks, builds for 8 weeks and peaks for 8 weeks.


Added [the saw tooth pattern for the last few weeks in very round hours looks like… 6.5, 16, 13, 17.5, 9.5(Oly Week), 18.5, 15.6, 19.5, 13.5 (70.3 week), 20.25, 18, 14, 16 (IM week) – targeting a 12 hour IM]

 

[Duanerice]

.

• Training Starts – December 6
• Goofy #6 - Jan 8-9
• Need a late Feb Sprint Tri
• Tall Texan Oly Tri (Bourne) - Mid/Late March
• IM 70.3 Texas (Galveston) - April 10 -- Or -- IM 70.3 New Orleans – April 17 (Really looking at Weekend of 4/24 as the ideal weekend)
• IM Texas - May 21

Hmmmmmmmmm

I am going to do the HIM Orleans next year. But, no Disney for me in January.
Duane

 

[hoosmi]

Hey kids-

Finally have a chance to do a little race report from my 5k on Saturday. My boys (4 and almost 2) go to a small daycare with about 5 other kids. It's great that it's so small except when the only teacher takes a week vacation... so both boys and Emma (10) at the office all week. Painful. And my workouts have been reduced to riding on the bike trainer in darkness. Again, painful.

Anyway, my race was with about 700 people in a 5k at St. Simon's Island, GA. Not quite as muggy as it's been, so that was good. I stopped speedwork or tempo runs around May, so I wasn't sure what pace to run. My last 5k was in decent weather and a big PR for me- 23:09. So I took off at about that pace, knowing it was stupid. And, guess what- I was right. I slowed down on the second mile and barely hung on the third. Still, a 23:29. Considering my lack of speed training and the heat, I was very happy. I was 3rd in my age group (out of 39- sweet!) and won a little beach scene print.

The best part of the race was that the first 5k I really trained for was this same race in 2007. (Approximately 6 months before the Goofy- how naive was I?!) I finished that year with a 29:59 absolutely thrilled to beat 30 minutes. The picture in my signature with my daughter is from the 29:59 race- note to self: update pictures...


Jen in GA

 

[mgsmom]

Jen - I know what you mean about when the one teacher is out - my DD goes to an in-home and when she is sick we have to keep her home ourselves - which means I have no sick days left for myself!

Sounds like you had a great race! I would LOVE to finish a 5K in under 30 min - maybe that should be my mini-goal for this fall.

I never update pics either...

Charles, Richard, Duane -keep us up to date on your races! I'm in awe of how much you can do! I will train vicariously through you for now!

 

[mgsmom]

Hey - another question - we will be at the Fort in a couple of weeks for vacation. DH wants to still do his runs while we're there - do you know if there are any mapped out running trails or paths? Anything in the 3-4 mile range would do for him - especially with all the walking we'll be doing...

 

[cewait]

Hey - another question - we will be at the Fort in a couple of weeks for vacation. DH wants to still do his runs while we're there - do you know if there are any mapped out running trails or paths? Anything in the 3-4 mile range would do for him - especially with all the walking we'll be doing...

Assuming Fort Wilderness.

I snagged running maps from many resorts when I was travelling to Orlando every month.

http://disneyrunning.com/joggingtrailfw.html

This is the official Disney trail. Note that you can easily get 4-8 miles by running camping loops.

Here is a run I did one weekend when I was staying at a different resort. The reason for the weird start spot is that I parked at the Hoopty Doo Review building.

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/fl/lbv/1167492986

Note I would not run the parking lot section again.... Seems like that is a tresspassing issue at 4:30 am.

 

[cewait]

I am going to do the HIM Orleans next year. But, no Disney for me in January.
Duane

I am almost out of Goofies... Seems like a pointless race at this time. I am sure to trip up and mess the streak up some how. Once that happens I may retire from running in the mouse house.

I think I will stay in Galveston for the tune-up ---- assuming I enter the full. The NO course is a nice course and you will really like the swim. Shallow, salty and not too choppy (unless a cold front just blew in). The only issue I have is the point to point run. Mary is GPS/Map challenged so she would have a tough time getting from T1 to the finish to watch. Or she would just stay at the hotel and wait for me to pop in the door. I have lots of friends who did well in that race.



UPDATE - Wow - no hotel rooms in The Woodlands Town Center area. I did lock in one near the hospital. Boss looks at me funny but has no issue. Mary - the DW and REAL boss says it will be good to get me out from under her feet next spring. She is concerned about my swim - that is what made my last IM attempt a real bad experience.

I have asked the RD for clarification on the bike route aid stations. The website says three handups. If it is a single loop that is a 30 mile interval between spots - I will never make the run as I will dehydrate on the bike. If it is an out and back with 2-3 loops at the out (look at the IM MOO Bike Course) then the three hand ups make more sense.

Hopefully I will get an answer to my question soon.

 

[Duanerice]

Hey kids-I slowed down on the second mile and barely hung on the third. Still, a 23:29. Considering my lack of speed training and the heat, I was very happy. I was 3rd in my age group (out of 39- sweet!) and won a little beach scene print.

Jen in GA

That is awesome! I've have yet to run a 5k under 23 minutes either. Not sure I will as I am not really training for 5k's anymore. Although we do a lot of interval work on Wednesdays. Great job Jen.

Charles, I know what you mean about the point to point race. I worry about my wife too. More so because of the casino and the restaurants. She might forget about me on the way to the finish Of course she will probably just stay at the hotel until she needs to meet me at the finish as she has done on all my races she attends.
Duane

 

[cewait]

Well,

Spent last Saturday afternoon cleaning the fleet of bikes. Started off with the road bike. IT was mostly dust and just a little chain grime that needed attention. Next came the mountain bike. It has been the most heavily used bike over the last 6 months. We have had a lot of rain in the last couple weks and I ended up getting off into a recently disturbed field last Friday evening. Needless to say I broke through the very thin crust and the front wheel was headed one direction whtil the rear was heading another. THe herder I pedalled the sloppier things got - that is until the clay mud packed everything tight. Took forever to get her clean. Fianlly I cleaned the TT bike. She had a tune up last April before a couple time trial races. From there it seems like everytime I have had it out I have gotten caught in a bad rain storm. It just needed some TLC detailing to get her looking good again. We went out for a good 40 mile ride early Sinday on the TT bike. You can tell that I have not been on it regularly.

I have a couple TT's in the next 2-3 months then its ramp up trainign for the San Antonio Marathon, Goofy and Houston Marathon (assuming I get a lottery spot). I am headed back to the pool in August once I get off the mini road warrior trip/vaction that occurs over the next three weeks.

I need to get my feel for the water again because I will be swimming 2.4 miles on May 21! I just could not let the opportunity to play in the Inaugural IMTX pass without giving it a tri. I have lined up a swim group for open water practice and may join the local master swim club to assure that I have someone push me hard on technique. I am not worried about the endurance part, just the extra energy burn I know I am putting out once my hips start to sink about a mile into the event. (I am built like a battleship already and if I cannot plane out it just zaps me.)

So what have I done? I swore off the long distance stuff in 2007. But you know it is like candy. Once you start down the path you cannot let go very easily. Paraphrasing an intro for the NBC Kona show one year, Pain is like a drug.... Ironman is that drug.

Well off to bed. In the Orlando Area tonight. Headed to Boardwalk for a nice morning run then headed home once we finish up our meeting at noon.

 

[tiberius]

UPDATE - Wow - no hotel rooms in The Woodlands Town Center area. I did lock in one near the hospital. Boss looks at me funny but has no issue. Mary - the DW and REAL boss says it will be good to get me out from under her feet next spring. She is concerned about my swim - that is what made my last IM attempt a real bad experience.

I have asked the RD for clarification on the bike route aid stations. The website says three handups. If it is a single loop that is a 30 mile interval between spots - I will never make the run as I will dehydrate on the bike. If it is an out and back with 2-3 loops at the out (look at the IM MOO Bike Course) then the three hand ups make more sense.

Hopefully I will get an answer to my question soon.

The hotels by the hospital are not that far from the Town Center area, though may just take you out of optimal walking distance for race morning. I have to agree with you on the 3 handup sites, that makes me inclined to believe there is a a multi-loop course coming. Otherwise, I'll be packing some cash and planning a stop at a convenience store or two along the way.