Ran a 10k in June (4 Viewers)

[wraith5]

This tri-suit looks pretty good!

Edited to add: This one looks good as well!

[Kramer] I'm out!! [/Kramer]

 

[pigskinliquors]

I'll throw my support of the cyclocross option out there - from bikesdirect I have the Fantom Cross. It doesn't have the suspension of a hybrid, but it's a ton lighter, can handle some trail work (technical single track, not so much) and rides a lot more like a road bike on pavement. I have 2 sets of brakes (one on the top bar, one in the drops) which I absolutely love.

I have had my eyes on that bike for quite some time!!! It might be my next bike!!

 

[IvanKaramazov]

rail -- Running a HM in CO sounds pretty cool, but living in a very flat region of the country, hills just don't agree with me. Any race with the word "Mountain" in the title is on my "Do Not Want" list.

__________________

My schedule is all messed up this week, so I had to do back-to-back-to-back runs this week, which I almost never do. Monday was 7 at normal pace, yesterday was 5 at the same pace but with a fast mile at the end, and today was 13 slow. I'm not as beaten down as I thought I would be, but I'm looking forward to a couple of days off.

 

[wraith5]

I'll throw my support of the cyclocross option out there - from bikesdirect I have the Fantom Cross. It doesn't have the suspension of a hybrid, but it's a ton lighter, can handle some trail work (technical single track, not so much) and rides a lot more like a road bike on pavement. I have 2 sets of brakes (one on the top bar, one in the drops) which I absolutely love.

I have had my eyes on that bike for quite some time!!! It might be my next bike!!

If you decide to go that direction, check here as well. The seller (Courtney) is a friend of gruecd's (which I didn't know when I bought the bike from her 3 years ago). The price is close to the same right now, but maybe she'll cut you a deal?

FWIW, I really do love this bike!

 

[2Young2BBald]

Did my own 5k on Sunday as part of my training schedule. 23:47, which is a PR for me. Very happy about that.Bolder Boulder on Monday - looking forward to it, but will have to tack on an extra mile to get in my required 7.Will be signing up for the Copper Mountain 1/2 M soon. Will be nice to run in the mountains and out of the city.

When you sign up for Copper Mountain and if you plan on staying out there for the event, watch your emails or the event's website for lodging deals at the resort. Last August, I could see the start/finish line from our room. It was nice to do my last business 10-minutes before the gun and then walk down a flight of stairs to the start of the race. You will LOVE that course, the views are amazing. Quick piece of advice, its a 1,000 foot+ climb from about mile 4 to mile 9. If you can, pace yourself back a bit for the 1st 4 miles to be ready for the climb. I didn't, having zero course knowledge and it made the end of the climb a bit miserable (and scared the crap out of me that I was going to run over the top of my legs on the downhill back to the resort). You are from out there, so no need to remind you about the need to hydrate more at higher altitudes, but I will anyway. Hydrate like crazy the day before!

 

[2Young2BBald]

I was putting together my list of stuff for Saturday's triathlon when it occurred to me that there might be a few pre-made lists online. I Googled up this, and it is slick as heck. It has just about everything you could dream up and if its is not there, you can add your own.

Dexter, you should take a look at this before Saturday & Wraith, take a look too to get thinking about what you'll need for next month!

I had a few additions. Under Swim Items, I added Dry off towel, Transition mat towel (to stand on if I plan on wearing socks) & Squirt bottle for feet. Under Bike I added Bento Box w/ Gels & Beans & Race Belt (loaded). Under run I added additional gel, and under Misc I added Tool Box & Course Maps.

Once you get it to the point of printing, you can copy and paste it in to a Word Doc (landscape) for future use, editing, etc.

eta, interesting article on OWS drafting I thought it was just a matter of reaching for the feet of the swimmer in front, but this makes sense. If there is little or no kick by the swimmer in front, reach for the feet, if there is a kick, position yourself just to the side, out of the kick eddies, but still in their wake area. If I have my wits about me during Saturday's swim, I want to give this a whirl. BTW, I also agree totally on the need to site less when drafting. However, it can come at a cost if the guy you are trusting to site takes you off course (had this happen last year).

eta #2, forgot to list 2XU Compression Sleeves on the Misc list for the Tri Checklist, which PSL, are VERY swimable! I was able to swim with them under the wetsuit and they stayed up perfectly when I shed the suit. They were dry on the bike faster than any part of the tri-suit.

 

[Dexter]

I was putting together my list of stuff for Saturday's triathlon when it occurred to me that there might be a few pre-made lists online. I Googled up this, and it is slick as heck. It has just about everything you could dream up and if its is not there, you can add your own.

Dexter, you should take a look at this before Saturday & Wraith, take a look too to get thinking about what you'll need for next month!

I had a few additions. Under Swim Items, I added Dry off towel, Transition mat towel (to stand on if I plan on wearing socks) & Squirt bottle for feet. Under Bike I added Bento Box w/ Gels & Beans & Race Belt (loaded). Under run I added additional gel, and under Misc I added Tool Box & Course Maps.

Once you get it to the point of printing, you can copy and paste it in to a Word Doc (landscape) for future use, editing, etc.

eta, interesting article on OWS drafting I thought it was just a matter of reaching for the feet of the swimmer in front, but this makes sense. If there is little or no kick by the swimmer in front, reach for the feet, if there is a kick, position yourself just to the side, out of the kick eddies, but still in their wake area. If I have my wits about me during Saturday's swim, I want to give this a whirl. BTW, I also agree totally on the need to site less when drafting. However, it can come at a cost if the guy you are trusting to site takes you off course (had this happen last year).

eta #2, forgot to list 2XU Compression Sleeves on the Misc list for the Tri Checklist, which PSL, are VERY swimable! I was able to swim with them under the wetsuit and they stayed up perfectly when I shed the suit. They were dry on the bike faster than any part of the tri-suit.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Knew this thread was out here, as I've posted in it before, but couldn't find it (thanks to sand in the "fat" thread).

I'm looking into getting a bike, but I am clueless in regards to all things biking. I would not be using it to compete in anything, most likely, so I don't need some high end machine.

I would use the bike probably a handful of times a week, probably 1-3, depending on the week. Would bike for 30-60 minutes at an average rate, mostly on suburban streets with the occasional grass/park - no mountain biking or anything like that. I would say that I'm in above average physical shape, but haven't owned a bike in years. Nowadays, my body takes a day or two to recover after playing weekly soccer games, and I just hate sitting around twiddling my thumbs when I could be out taking a leisurely bike ride to recuperate while still getting exercise.

What am I looking for and how much am I going to have to spend? I'd prefer to get something that will last me a few years.

If this is in the wrong thread, someone please point me to the right one...

Hey Steve! You likely want a hybrid, but a road bike would also be a great option. IF by grass/park, you mean you'll ride it on the grass, a hybrid is your best option. IF you want to be on the road (only the road, with maybe some sidewalk) I'd recommend a road bike. A hybrid gives you benefits of a mountain bike (comfy seat, upright ride), and a road bike (mainly narrower tires, and sometimes lighter).

A road bike will be less comfortable, but much easier to get out and go (even narrower tires, lighter, more aerodynamic).

A great place to start is Bikes Direct. They have lots of bikes, much cheaper than you'll find at your LBS (though they have the same components). Culdeus will likely find this thread soon and also recommend Randall Scott = another great option!

Since I'm guessing you want a hybrid; you'll need to make choices based on comfort (suspension or not), quality (level of components), and internal vs. external gearing. IF you are going to go off-road, front and even rear suspension will help; if you are not going off road = not needed. The level of components you choose will greatly effect price. Most have poor to decent components; the better the components, the crisper your shifting and the less maintenance you'll need. IF you go with internal gearing, you get both crisper shifting and less maintenance (supposedly).

Hope this helps!

I'll throw my support of the cyclocross option out there - from bikesdirect I have the Fantom Cross. It doesn't have the suspension of a hybrid, but it's a ton lighter, can handle some trail work (technical single track, not so much) and rides a lot more like a road bike on pavement. I have 2 sets of brakes (one on the top bar, one in the drops) which I absolutely love.

Thanks for the help guys. When I say a little grass/park, I mean that there are some streets nearby where it may be a little too narrow to really ride on the street, and there's no sidewalk, so I may have to ride in the grass for a few hundred yards. I honestly have no idea what I'm even looking for re: suspension or anything like that. I owned a mountain bike years ago, but the chain broke and I never fixed it. I will say that it was definitely too bulky for what I used it for.

Hybrid sounds like a good idea for what I would use it for.

 

[proninja]

Knew this thread was out here, as I've posted in it before, but couldn't find it (thanks to sand in the "fat" thread).

I'm looking into getting a bike, but I am clueless in regards to all things biking. I would not be using it to compete in anything, most likely, so I don't need some high end machine.

I would use the bike probably a handful of times a week, probably 1-3, depending on the week. Would bike for 30-60 minutes at an average rate, mostly on suburban streets with the occasional grass/park - no mountain biking or anything like that. I would say that I'm in above average physical shape, but haven't owned a bike in years. Nowadays, my body takes a day or two to recover after playing weekly soccer games, and I just hate sitting around twiddling my thumbs when I could be out taking a leisurely bike ride to recuperate while still getting exercise.

What am I looking for and how much am I going to have to spend? I'd prefer to get something that will last me a few years.

If this is in the wrong thread, someone please point me to the right one...

Hey Steve! You likely want a hybrid, but a road bike would also be a great option. IF by grass/park, you mean you'll ride it on the grass, a hybrid is your best option. IF you want to be on the road (only the road, with maybe some sidewalk) I'd recommend a road bike. A hybrid gives you benefits of a mountain bike (comfy seat, upright ride), and a road bike (mainly narrower tires, and sometimes lighter).

A road bike will be less comfortable, but much easier to get out and go (even narrower tires, lighter, more aerodynamic).

A great place to start is Bikes Direct. They have lots of bikes, much cheaper than you'll find at your LBS (though they have the same components). Culdeus will likely find this thread soon and also recommend Randall Scott = another great option!

Since I'm guessing you want a hybrid; you'll need to make choices based on comfort (suspension or not), quality (level of components), and internal vs. external gearing. IF you are going to go off-road, front and even rear suspension will help; if you are not going off road = not needed. The level of components you choose will greatly effect price. Most have poor to decent components; the better the components, the crisper your shifting and the less maintenance you'll need. IF you go with internal gearing, you get both crisper shifting and less maintenance (supposedly).

Hope this helps!

I'll throw my support of the cyclocross option out there - from bikesdirect I have the Fantom Cross. It doesn't have the suspension of a hybrid, but it's a ton lighter, can handle some trail work (technical single track, not so much) and rides a lot more like a road bike on pavement. I have 2 sets of brakes (one on the top bar, one in the drops) which I absolutely love.

Absolutely, completely, 100% agree. I've got a Specialized Tricross, and it's the swiss army knife of bikes. It does everything you'll need it to do. I've ridden on the road with it, on trails (where it absolutely shines), and even done a little singletrack with it. It isn't so awesome with singletrack, especially if you're dealing with a rooty trail, but you won't be. You can run wider tires on a cyclocross bike than you can a road bike, which will make for a more comfortable ride, as well as more stable. Cantilever brakes allow for you to throw fenders on there really easily too. They're great commuter bikes. I've got knobby tires on mine, as I really only ride it off road. I took this tonight - I use my tricross to run my dog on local trails and around the school. I let him chase me until he stops running, then I chase him back home. Here's a picture of my fiancee at the end of a tour she took a couple years ago - she rode her tricross from Vancouver, BC, down to the Mexican border, and back up to Utah by herself - carried her tent, campstove, and all her gear with her.

is a pretty cool sport - the bike has to be durable, versatile, tough, and fast. All in all, they're awesome bikes. Bikesdirect has great prices on bikes, I've never ridden a Fantom Cross, so I couldn't comment on the frame, but my guess is it'd be more than enough for what you want to do.

You'll get a lot of good advice on here, and most people will tell you to get a bike equipped with "105" or better. "105" is a group of components (shifters, derailleurs, crankset, etc - basically most things on a bike except the frame, handlebars, seatpost, and wheels) made by Shimano, the largest component manufacturer out there. It's their mid range group, and it's good stuff. In all honesty, you're probably fine with Tiagra (the next level down from 105) for your first bike. I've used it. It works fine. The aforementioned fiancee put 7000 miles on her Tiagra equipped bike in the first year she had it, including a season of cyclocross, which beats the hell out of components. She never cleaned/maintained them at all. They still work fine.

As much as I'm a hypocrite, beacause I've gotten both of my bikes used, I'd recommend going with an online vendor like bikesdirect if you don't want to pay full retail. Unless you know what you're doing, it's really easy to get a crappy deal on a used bike on craigslist/ebay. I made more than a few bad purchases while I was learning the hard way.

Check to see how much it's going to cost to have the bike assembled for you if you get it from bikesdirect or randall scott, and don't forget to add that in. Full disclosure: I recently quit the rat race to go work at a LBS (internet jargon for "local bike shop") so I'd suggest looking around locally and seeing if you can get an '09 closeout on a good deal - we have bikes in our shop that would sell quickly on craigslist for the price they're listed, but a lot of folks think good deals are only to be found in the used/internet realm, so they don't look. I'd look around, ask questions, and see what you can learn. Knowledge is power. I happen to possibly know about a hypothetical new 'cross bike Specialized is coming out with, and is hypothetically in their early launch catalog but not currently available called (hypothetically, of course) the CruX. It looks very cool. Probably more bike than you need, but I'm a nerd and will likely replace my tricross frameset with one.

Feel free to PM me with any questions as you go through this. I'm a bike nerd.

 

[pmbrown_22]

Quick update for me. I ran 7 yesterday around 5:00 last night. I figure if I need to adjust to the heat, I am better off doing it when it is really hot out. Did not work out all that bad for me. I was slow, but it was good to get the miles in. I really did not want to run then, but had to so I could get up this morning and run. I ran 5 this morning. I had a pretty good run. Still humid, but I am not awake enough to think about it so it was not that bad. Time to hydrate today and keep getting the water in my system for the next big drain. Tomorrow morning I am doing 8 before work, so I will need ample liquids.

 

[gruecd]

Sounds like you're bouncing back nicely from the Pig, pmb. Keep up the good work.

I did 7 this morning to follow up on the 8 that I did yesterday. Was a little cooler and not quite as humid, so I ran a little faster (7:52 average). I'm taking off working tomorrow, so I think I've got a 10-miler on tap. Gonna be in Chicago this weekend, so I think I'm gonna hit the Lakefront Path for 10-12 early Monday morning. Let me know if any of you guys wanna join me. Pace will probably be in the 7:45-8:30 range.

Gotta get some work done, but talk to y'all soon!

 

[tri-man 47]

Did 7 miles this morning also, with 6 @ 7:33/mile ...faster than I should have, so it took a lot of effort, but used the second half to work on a mantra for my upcoming tri. That worked well, as I kept the repetition going throughout the three mile return leg. Gruecd, I'll be out of town this weekend, so I can't join ya (doing my last serious training sessions up in Michigan).

 

[Harris]

Sounds like you're bouncing back nicely from the Pig, pmb. Keep up the good work.

I did 7 this morning to follow up on the 8 that I did yesterday. Was a little cooler and not quite as humid, so I ran a little faster (7:52 average). I'm taking off working tomorrow, so I think I've got a 10-miler on tap. Gonna be in Chicago this weekend, so I think I'm gonna hit the Lakefront Path for 10-12 early Monday morning. Let me know if any of you guys wanna join me. Pace will probably be in the 7:45-8:30 range.

Gotta get some work done, but talk to y'all soon!

I could be up for joining ya for a few of those miles. Monday's usually a cycling day for me so I could go for a part of that afterwards.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Proninja: Great to know we have a bike-junkie in this thread. I've been looking at Cyclo-cross bikes for almost a year, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I already have four bikes, though a fifth might be needed (the link is to a Cycling Magazine article that revealed their average reader had just over 4 bikes = what will their 5th be!). I started wanting one when I was in the boondocks near are new home last year on an amazing, hilly ride (hard to find in Texas), and ran into a 2 mile stretch of gravelly, bumpy rode with my good road bike. A cross bike would be perfect for that ride, and my daily commute to work!!

Gruecd and Pmb: way to get the miles in! During this time of year it is the suck, but it sure pays off over time.

Steve: A hybrid would be great for you for just tooling around very comfortably, while a cross bike will get you the feel of a road bike, with options to go off road as well. FWIW: I did my first tri on my hybrid, and while it slowed me down, it certainly worked.

___________________________________

My Update:

Woke up and looked at our temperature gauge, and it was only 69 degrees with 76% humidity this morning Once outside ready to go, my flippin' Garmin let me know my battery was low (which means it will die in less than a mile) Sure enough, she died about a quarter mile in = no data from the day's run. I ended up just doing 5.5 without too much effort, and tried to keep a consistent pace. I wish I'd have had more time to run, as days like this will be few and far between from now through September. Next week I add both cycling and swimming (new club membership!) to my workout schedule, and can't wait.

More excitedly, I just added this race to my schedule. Five friends will be doing it with me = a casual 65 mile ride, followed by tubing and drinking. Now that's a quality triathlon!!!

 

[pmbrown_22]

Woke up and looked at our temperature gauge, and it was only 69 degrees with 76% humidity this morning Once outside ready to go, my flippin' Garmin let me know my battery was low (which means it will die in less than a mile) Sure enough, she died about a quarter mile in = no data from the day's run.

The exact thing happened to me this morning. That always sucks, but is good to run without the watch every once and awhile. Crazy that I still know almost the exact distance/path that I have to follow and when to turn around.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Woke up and looked at our temperature gauge, and it was only 69 degrees with 76% humidity this morning Once outside ready to go, my flippin' Garmin let me know my battery was low (which means it will die in less than a mile) Sure enough, she died about a quarter mile in = no data from the day's run.

The exact thing happened to me this morning. That always sucks, but is good to run without the watch every once and awhile. Crazy that I still know almost the exact distance/path that I have to follow and when to turn around.

I almost turned around sooner than normal, as I passed (going opposite directions) the fourth person in the first row standing, just 1.5 miles out. Reducing my run to a three mile run might have been worth it...

 

[The_Man]

Woke up and looked at our temperature gauge, and it was only 69 degrees with 76% humidity this morning Once outside ready to go, my flippin' Garmin let me know my battery was low (which means it will die in less than a mile) Sure enough, she died about a quarter mile in = no data from the day's run.

The exact thing happened to me this morning. That always sucks, but is good to run without the watch every once and awhile. Crazy that I still know almost the exact distance/path that I have to follow and when to turn around.

I almost turned around sooner than normal, as I passed (going opposite directions) the fourth person in the first row standing, just 1.5 miles out. Reducing my run to a three mile run might have been worth it...

Good grief. I live in north Baltimore and all I ever see is wildlife. I've gotten used to crossing paths with the neighborhood fox - and by "fox" I mean four-legged reddish creature with pointy ears and a bushy tail - and this morning I encountered a young deer walking/trotting straight up the sidewalk at me. It got skittish when it saw me and banged three or four times into the chain link fence it was paralleling, before finally getting to an opening and disappearing into the grassy/slightly wooded property of the retirement home I was passing.The heat and humidity a lot of you have been dealing with finally hit Baltimore this week. Did a 4-mile recovery run at 9:06 pace in swamplike conditions.

Who's racing this weekend?

 

[wraith5]

Here's a picture of my fiancee at the end of a tour she took a couple years ago - she rode her tricross from Vancouver, BC, down to the Mexican border, and back up to Utah by herself - carried her tent, campstove, and all her gear with her.

Wow. That's impressive.

____________________________

2 days until race day. Did a short 4 miler this morning, 3 miles at 7:44s to see how it felt in race-like weather conditions (68 degrees, 63% humidity). HR was a little higher than I'd like, but not bad. With a little luck and some race adrenaline, I should be able to hold something close to that pace for 10 miles.

 

[wraith5]

Did 7 miles this morning also, with 6 @ 7:33/mile ...faster than I should have, so it took a lot of effort, but used the second half to work on a mantra for my upcoming tri. That worked well, as I kept the repetition going throughout the three mile return leg. Gruecd, I'll be out of town this weekend, so I can't join ya (doing my last serious training sessions up in Michigan).

Nice speed, tri-man! Just when I think I might be catching up with you... Gruecd unfortunately downtown is out of reach for Monday. I am very confident you will enjoy that bike path!!

 

[pmbrown_22]

Woke up and looked at our temperature gauge, and it was only 69 degrees with 76% humidity this morning Once outside ready to go, my flippin' Garmin let me know my battery was low (which means it will die in less than a mile) Sure enough, she died about a quarter mile in = no data from the day's run.

The exact thing happened to me this morning. That always sucks, but is good to run without the watch every once and awhile. Crazy that I still know almost the exact distance/path that I have to follow and when to turn around.

I almost turned around sooner than normal, as I passed (going opposite directions) the fourth person in the first row standing, just 1.5 miles out. Reducing my run to a three mile run might have been worth it...

You could have always doubled back later and finished up. I rarely see any talent on the streets running. There is a great milfy neighborhood that I run through, but they are not out at 5 in the morning. Mostly, I see a bunch of old lady walkers that early. Tri-man's heart is racing now.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Good grief. I live in north Baltimore and all I ever see is wildlife. I've gotten used to crossing paths with the neighborhood fox - and by "fox" I mean four-legged reddish creature with pointy ears and a bushy tail - and this morning I encountered a young deer walking/trotting straight up the sidewalk at me. It got skittish when it saw me and banged three or four times into the chain link fence it was paralleling, before finally getting to an opening and disappearing into the grassy/slightly wooded property of the retirement home I was passing.The heat and humidity a lot of you have been dealing with finally hit Baltimore this week. Did a 4-mile recovery run at 9:06 pace in swamplike conditions.Who's racing this weekend?

We have plenty of wildlife out where we live as well. We live approx. 6 miles from a ton of university apt's and there is one long stretch of beautiful country road that many of the coeds run on. I run into that tri-girl quite a bit, but she's usually on her tri-bike. She had to be running at least 10 this morning being out by our place. I see a runner or two on most runs, but we see a ton of bikes out our way. There are very few hills in our community, and some of the better ones are very near our house. On any given Sat/Sun, we'll see 20+ bikes ride by our house. We also have a pool/pavilion right across the street, where many cyclists fill their water bottles up. I've offered many a gu/Gatorade to passerby's. Boy I wish that runner this morning needed some gu

 

[wraith5]

Boy I wish that runner this morning needed some gu

 

[Sand]

You could have always doubled back later and finished up. I rarely see any talent on the streets running. There is a great milfy neighborhood that I run through, but they are not out at 5 in the morning. Mostly, I see a bunch of old lady walkers that early. Tri-man's heart is racing now.

One of our running trails goes by Samford. Fall is a wonderful time of year.On my end I got back in the pool and did a short 2500yd workout. The long workouts I have been putting in have really had an effect. I can hold 1:15 on 100yd intervals pretty readily. That is a pretty recent improvement. At this point I am almost fast enough to do some master's swimming stuff without completely embarrassing myself. Speaking of Master's swimming, they just had the nationals last weekend. The star of the meet was a guy named Richard Abrahams, who just set the 65-69 national record for 50 free at 22.1. That is so sick I can't even describe how unreal that is. In an article done on him he noted that his 50 free time has been within a few tenths of a second for the last 47 years. In my age group I would have finished ~30th and at least 3 seconds behind Abrahams. Also got a 5 mile run in. I wanted to tempo it and the first two miles clocked off at 7:32. I petered out after that and only managed barely sub-8 for the other three. Swimming just drains me - not to mention I definitely overused muscles during the race that are now screaming at me after my first workout back.

 

[gruecd]

I could be up for joining ya for a few of those miles. Monday's usually a cycling day for me so I could go for a part of that afterwards.

Hey, Harris. Send me a PM with your cell number. Not exactly sure yet how the weekend is going to play out, but if it works out, I'll give you a call.

 

[pigskinliquors]

lurker here - i've got some interest in the bourbon chase...

Bourbon updatemb, The_Man, 2Young, Sand, Wraith, liquors, tri-man, Dexter, Harris, Gruecd (if he has balls!)

We need two more; anyone, anyone?

 

[tri-man 47]

You could have always doubled back later and finished up.

Which would make it an out and, um, up and down and back.

I rarely see any talent on the streets running. There is a great milfy neighborhood that I run through, but they are not out at 5 in the morning. Mostly, I see a bunch of old lady walkers that early. Tri-man's heart is racing now.

True dat. I look at the honeys in that pic, and I think "I'll bet their mom is good looking, too."('In' with a :finger: before someone edits it to "grandma")

 

[2Young2BBald]

the fourth person in the first row standing,

I giggled when I pulled up the pic and looked below and the girl's last name in the first result listed is Wacker

 

[2Young2BBald]

Who's racing this weekend?

The Island Lake Olympic Triathlon. I am surprisingly nervous about it for some reason. The plan was to just treat this like a training opportunity for the HIM in July, but I can seem to shake the jitters. It may have something to do with the fact that I expect the Olympic to be stacked with very, very good triathletes, both due to the race's location and the fact that this is this is the first event of the race season in our area.

 

[pigskinliquors]

You could have always doubled back later and finished up.

Which would make it an out and, um, up and down and back.

I rarely see any talent on the streets running. There is a great milfy neighborhood that I run through, but they are not out at 5 in the morning. Mostly, I see a bunch of old lady walkers that early. Tri-man's heart is racing now.

True dat. I look at the honeys in that pic, and I think "I'll bet their mom is good looking, too."('In' with a :finger: before someone edits it to "grandma")

For the record; one of my favorite weeks on campus is parents weekend

 

[gruecd]

('In' with a :finger: before someone edits it to "grandma")

Damn it. I've had a busy day at work, or else I totally would've beat your preemptive strike!

 

[BassNBrew]

Who's racing this weekend?

Yuppers.Interesting start distance of 1.5 miles so I did a test run last nite at that distance. 7:18 pace on sore legs was the outcome. I suspect I'll do the first half mile during the race at 7:00 and settle into a 7:40 pace until the last 1/4 mile. As a side note, it's nice to be able to run a mile at the pace Gru runs 26.2.I have no idea how long 2.5 miles in the kayak will take. I'll probably get smoked by better technology in this phase of the event. The bike is a flat/fast 11 mile on an out and back route. One not so nice hiccup are two sets of train tracks at miles 1 and 10 that sit at a thirty degree angle rather than ninety. Will attempt to pre-ride these to sort out how to best navigate them. 24 mph will be the target goal. We finish with a 2.9 mile run which will be flat. No goals here, I'm going to try to push the pace harder early after really spinning the last mile of the bike. If I blow up, so be it. This isn't an A race and need to test a new strategy or two before the important races hit this summer.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Who's racing this weekend?

Yuppers.Interesting start distance of 1.5 miles so I did a test run last nite at that distance. 7:18 pace on sore legs was the outcome. I suspect I'll do the first half mile during the race at 7:00 and settle into a 7:40 pace until the last 1/4 mile. As a side note, it's nice to be able to run a mile at the pace Gru runs 26.2.I have no idea how long 2.5 miles in the kayak will take. I'll probably get smoked by better technology in this phase of the event. The bike is a flat/fast 11 mile on an out and back route. One not so nice hiccup are two sets of train tracks at miles 1 and 10 that sit at a thirty degree angle rather than ninety. Will attempt to pre-ride these to sort out how to best navigate them. 24 mph will be the target goal. We finish with a 2.9 mile run which will be flat. No goals here, I'm going to try to push the pace harder early after really spinning the last mile of the bike. If I blow up, so be it. This isn't an A race and need to test a new strategy or two before the important races hit this summer.

Good luck to both 2Young and BnB! If you can do 24 mph on that short of an out and back it would be awesome, especially while managing obstacles. I did an Olympic last year that included 4, 180 degree turns (2 laps each with 2), and I observed crashes in two of them, and barely made one of the turns myself. Without the Kayak, you'd be likely to smoke people on this course!

 

[The_Man]

Memorial Weekend Warriors

BassNBrew: 1.5 mile run, 2.5 mile kayak, 11 mile bike, 2.9 mile run

2Young2BBald: The Island Lake Olympic Triathlon.

Wraith: Soldier Field 10 miler

That's an all-star line-up. Good luck!

 

[tri-man 47]

Memorial Weekend Warriors

BassNBrew: 1.5 mile run, 2.5 mile kayak, 11 mile bike, 2.9 mile run

2Young2BBald: The Island Lake Olympic Triathlon.

Wraith: Soldier Field 10 miler

That's an all-star line-up. Good luck!

We salute them all. Make us proud, gentlemen!!

 

[Sand]

Who's racing this weekend?

Yuppers.Interesting start distance of 1.5 miles so I did a test run last nite at that distance. 7:18 pace on sore legs was the outcome. I suspect I'll do the first half mile during the race at 7:00 and settle into a 7:40 pace until the last 1/4 mile. As a side note, it's nice to be able to run a mile at the pace Gru runs 26.2.I have no idea how long 2.5 miles in the kayak will take. I'll probably get smoked by better technology in this phase of the event. The bike is a flat/fast 11 mile on an out and back route. One not so nice hiccup are two sets of train tracks at miles 1 and 10 that sit at a thirty degree angle rather than ninety. Will attempt to pre-ride these to sort out how to best navigate them. 24 mph will be the target goal. We finish with a 2.9 mile run which will be flat. No goals here, I'm going to try to push the pace harder early after really spinning the last mile of the bike. If I blow up, so be it. This isn't an A race and need to test a new strategy or two before the important races hit this summer.

I love how you denigrate your run performance and then casually call out a 24mph bike goal...

 

[Dexter]

Who's racing this weekend?

I'm doing my first Triathlon this Saturday1000m Swim13-15mi Mountain bike4mi trail runI did a few laps in the pool today and I'm a little nervous. I was captain of the swim team in high school but that was 15 years ago. Sooooo yeah. I rode the mountain bike route last night and that shouldn't be a problem and the 4mi run won't be too bad. I'm just worried about how much that swim is going to take out of me.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Really liking this thread, and not just for the bike help. As I've been getting away from physical sports so much and into just simply running more, I've been looking into a few races. Nothing super competitive, but I like setting goals and achieving them. I have a 3 miler coming up in a few weeks, and I run an 8K on Thanksgiving every year (at my girlfriend's pace :slow: :( ), but that's all I have for now.

Some questions for you guys....

How do you time yourselves? I have an armband radio that I use, but I don't think it has a stopwatch. Normally I time myself just by looking at the clock before I go outside and when I come back in, and adjust a few minutes for stretching/warming up/cooling down.

How do those of you in cold weather cities manage to keep your fitness (at a cardio level) up in the winter? I managed to keep up with my running schedule into January, but when it got to the point where it was about 20 degrees every day, I ended up taking a hiatus for a little while. Not only is it so cold, the wind tends to take my breath away and I find I can't run for as long. Just train in the gym on a treadmill or something?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

How do you time yourselves?

Garmin. But if you don't feel like dropping a couple hundred on a GPS -- you will someday, trust me -- just spring for a $15 digital watch with a stopwatch.Although I think we all have a soft spot for the "look at the clock when I leave and when I get back and adjust for warm-up/cool-down" method. :(

How do those of you in cold weather cities manage to keep your fitness (at a cardio level) up in the winter?

Mrs. Karamazov routinely runs at 5:00 am in the middle of January when the air temperature is 10-below. Fortunately, I have a super-flexible schedule so I can run in the late-morning or early-afternoon at the campus Wellness Center. I get sick of treadmills during the winter, but you don't lose any significant fitness by training with them.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

GL to everybody racing this weekend.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Who's racing this weekend?

Yuppers.Interesting start distance of 1.5 miles so I did a test run last nite at that distance. 7:18 pace on sore legs was the outcome. I suspect I'll do the first half mile during the race at 7:00 and settle into a 7:40 pace until the last 1/4 mile. As a side note, it's nice to be able to run a mile at the pace Gru runs 26.2.I have no idea how long 2.5 miles in the kayak will take. I'll probably get smoked by better technology in this phase of the event. The bike is a flat/fast 11 mile on an out and back route. One not so nice hiccup are two sets of train tracks at miles 1 and 10 that sit at a thirty degree angle rather than ninety. Will attempt to pre-ride these to sort out how to best navigate them. 24 mph will be the target goal. We finish with a 2.9 mile run which will be flat. No goals here, I'm going to try to push the pace harder early after really spinning the last mile of the bike. If I blow up, so be it. This isn't an A race and need to test a new strategy or two before the important races hit this summer.

I love how you denigrate your run performance and then casually call out a 24mph bike goal...

Funny, I was analyzing how he could save critical seconds in the kayak to bike transition Good Luck BNB.You too Wraith & Dexter!!!

 

[Dexter]

How do you time yourselves? I have an armband radio that I use, but I don't think it has a stopwatch. Normally I time myself just by looking at the clock before I go outside and when I come back in, and adjust a few minutes for stretching/warming up/cooling down.

Well I use the stop watch on my blackberry. I do all my stretching and stuff then put it in my mail box right as I'm taking off.

How do those of you in cold weather cities manage to keep your fitness (at a cardio level) up in the winter? I managed to keep up with my running schedule into January, but when it got to the point where it was about 20 degrees every day, I ended up taking a hiatus for a little while. Not only is it so cold, the wind tends to take my breath away and I find I can't run for as long. Just train in the gym on a treadmill or something?

I take a few weeks off in January and February to give my body some rest. Otherwise treadmill.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Who's racing this weekend?

I'm doing my first Triathlon this Saturday1000m Swim13-15mi Mountain bike4mi trail runI did a few laps in the pool today and I'm a little nervous. I was captain of the swim team in high school but that was 15 years ago. Sooooo yeah. I rode the mountain bike route last night and that shouldn't be a problem and the 4mi run won't be too bad. I'm just worried about how much that swim is going to take out of me.

Looking at Kenny's write up on the swim and race tips, I'd hang back a bit to avoid the thrash-fest. I would duck in to the left side of the start area and hang tight to the inside for the entire counter-clockwise swim. Maybe even try pacing yourself slowly until you make that left on to the longest stretch of the swim. If you are feeling good there, kick it up a bit. By then, you should have more than enough room to swim how you want.

 

[Dexter]

Who's racing this weekend?

I'm doing my first Triathlon this Saturday1000m Swim13-15mi Mountain bike4mi trail runI did a few laps in the pool today and I'm a little nervous. I was captain of the swim team in high school but that was 15 years ago. Sooooo yeah. I rode the mountain bike route last night and that shouldn't be a problem and the 4mi run won't be too bad. I'm just worried about how much that swim is going to take out of me.

Looking at Kenny's write up on the swim and race tips, I'd hang back a bit to avoid the thrash-fest. I would duck in to the left side of the start area and hang tight to the inside for the entire counter-clockwise swim. Maybe even try pacing yourself slowly until you make that left on to the longest stretch of the swim. If you are feeling good there, kick it up a bit. By then, you should have more than enough room to swim how you want.

I'm going to hang back and take my time for the whole swim. If I'm going to make a move it's going to be on the mountain bike course.ETAGoal 1 FinishGoal 2 Try and have funGoal 3 Compete.

 

[meeka]

Who's racing this weekend?

:( The Island Lake Olympic Triathlon. I am surprisingly nervous about it for some reason. The plan was to just treat this like a training opportunity for the HIM in July, but I can seem to shake the jitters. It may have something to do with the fact that I expect the Olympic to be stacked with very, very good triathletes, both due to the race's location and the fact that this is this is the first event of the race season in our area.

I will be attempting my second marathon on Sunday. Training has not gone as well as I would have liked, but I am feeling pain free at the moment so I will hope for the best.

 

[BassNBrew]

Nice recovery ride tonite. 20 miles at a 21.3 mph average, 138 average HRM which never exceeded the mid 150's. Finally put on the aero bottle I've had for over a year. I think I'm really going to like it. Not missing those 10 pounds I've recently shed...noticed the difference on the small grade hills being able to keep my speed up. Closed the evening with a short 1.25 mile run at a 10 min pace. Wanted to give the new shoes a whirl. Same brand and model so I think I'll race in them this weekend.

Question for you guys. Would you wear socks for the race this weekend? My feet will be wet from the kayak, but I'm expecting rain anyway. I've been getting pretty bad blisters going without socks and my feet sweat so bad when I race w/o socks that the shoes are wet anyway. I'm thinking a thin sock would be the ticket.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Nice recovery ride tonite. 20 miles at a 21.3 mph average, 138 average HRM which never exceeded the mid 150's. Finally put on the aero bottle I've had for over a year. I think I'm really going to like it. Not missing those 10 pounds I've recently shed...noticed the difference on the small grade hills being able to keep my speed up. Closed the evening with a short 1.25 mile run at a 10 min pace. Wanted to give the new shoes a whirl. Same brand and model so I think I'll race in them this weekend.Question for you guys. Would you wear socks for the race this weekend? My feet will be wet from the kayak, but I'm expecting rain anyway. I've been getting pretty bad blisters going without socks and my feet sweat so bad when I race w/o socks that the shoes are wet anyway. I'm thinking a thin sock would be the ticket.

I'd do one of two things. I'd lean towards wearing socks, but I'd add some vasoline to the front of the sock and use a different set of socks for the second run this way. Instead of a think sock, a double wall would avoid some of the friction. If you chose not to wear them, I'd body glide the interior of the shoes if you don't have a Zoot type shoe.

 

[Sand]

BassNBrew: 1.5 mile run, 2.5 mile kayak, 11 mile bike, 2.9 mile run

2Young2BBald: The Island Lake Olympic Triathlon.

Wraith: Soldier Field 10 miler

Meeka: Minneapolis Marathon

Dexter: 1000yd swim, 14 mile MTB, 4 mi. run.

I think I got them all. Big race weekend - good luck all!!

 

[Sand]

How do you time yourselves?

Timex Ironman watch. They are cheap and work pretty well. About a zillion different variations out there, but all pretty much do the same thing.

 

[El Floppo]

How do you time yourselves?

Timex Ironman watch. They are cheap and work pretty well. About a zillion different variations out there, but all pretty much do the same thing.

Saw you post in the 300lber thread and noticed your swim last weekend!Holy ####! I'm admittedly really slow in the water- but that was about the time I did the 2.4 of my IM swim in... in perfect, glassy conditions with about 1800 people to drag off of in front of me. Basically a big drain pulling me along. I bow again to you sir.Oh... .... I've joked about being fat when I pop in here occasionally. It's finally actually happened. Fat.

 

[gruecd]

BassNBrew: 1.5 mile run, 2.5 mile kayak, 11 mile bike, 2.9 mile run

2Young2BBald: The Island Lake Olympic Triathlon.

Wraith: Soldier Field 10 miler

Meeka: Minneapolis Marathon

Dexter: 1000yd swim, 14 mile MTB, 4 mi. run.

I think I got them all. Big race weekend - good luck all!!

Good luck, guys!! Warm weather = bad for racing but VERY good for race stalking! In all seriousness, hope you all kill it out there!!!