Ran a 10k in June (2 Viewers)

[gruecd]

I'm curious - I hear people talking about ice baths and putting heat on sore tendons... Any good articles or info on the need for heat/ice and when each is called for? When you say ice-bath, are you really loading up your tub with ice or just sticking your feet into a bucket with cold water?

Gruecd is the master of the ice-bath so maybe he can offer an article or 2 on the subject, but personally (thanks to gruecd) I dump ice into my tub, fill it enough to completely submerge my legs, get in & sit for about 15 minutes or so. It isn't all that bad after the initial shock of the water once you get used your balls pressing against your spine.

Like wraith said, I just fill the tub with cold water and then dump in two (2) 7-pound bags of ice and sit there with my legs submerged for 15 minutes. It's really not bad at all once you're in there. After I get out, I take a warm shower.

I typically use ice baths after my long runs and speedwork. I didn't take one yesterday after my 21-miler because I wanted to watch the Packers, and I suspect that's why I'm a little more sore than usual today. I think it's ideal to take them right way when you're done with your workout, but I'll still probably take one tonight when I get home. Can't hurt.

 

[Sand]

My mom lives just outside Lexington so I know the hills down there are great. However, the drivers there scare the hell out of me so you will NEVER find me running on those roads!!

Regarding "the grind," I feel that, too. I think anything you do because you enjoy it can get to be a grind when you feel like you "have" to do it all the time. Ask anyone who had trouble having children and they'll tell you things you'll have trouble believing!! Add in the pressures of a normally demanding life and there are going to be some of "those days." I guess that's where HDFU and little things like this thread come in!!

I hear ya on the drivers. I can't run on just the road. I have to have a sidewalk to run on because I don't trust the drivers at all. Too many big pick up trucks with huge mirrors for my taste. I tried it, but nothing that I like doing.

I agree also with this thread as a big motivational factor on things. It is nice to hear so many great stories and always pull me back to read more and think about the inspiring things many of you guys do during training and racing...I try to compose what I write out there. The only problem I have is when I go to write it, I usually forget what I had planned during the run.

My motivation is more like "I told these guys I could do XXX, now I'd better actually go out an do it."

 

[2Young2BBald]

A few more race details from yesterday. I ended up 2nd in my AG for the swim and the run, 4th on the bike. I was the 16th fastest swimmer overall, 19th on the bike and 7th on the run. I smoked both transitions too. T2 was 50 seconds, but could have been a lot faster.

Truly outstanding race!! Most interesting to me was running w/o the Garmin, especially since I'm now so fully dependent on mine.

I somewhat agree that running w/o a Garmin can be faster; as I experienced this be flipping forgetting mine at my last duathlon. I went 21:09 (6:49 pace) during the first 5k (fast for me); but I believe it really cost me in the bike and somewhat on the final 5k (only 22:09 = 7:09 pace). Had I had the Garmin, I would have most likely run the first right at 7:00 pace; and feel pretty confident that I'd have had more in my legs for the bike portion. A Garmin makes me a smarter (actually less stoopid) runner, not necessarily faster.

I 100% agree with that last statement! I think the Garmin is a great tool and it definitely makes me a better runner when I use it properly. For me, "properly" means watching my pace and HR, sticking to a realistic target until it's time to turn on the gas and not losing sight of what's actually going on around me (like, for instance, mile markers and Garmin splits not matching up because of the tangents I'm running...).

I'm not scraping the Garmin for all races. In fact, I am trying to figure out how I can justify getting the 310X when I have a perfectly good 201. Going in to this event, I changed my mindset and decided I'd hold back nothing from the start. I swam harder than normal, tried to ride harder than normal and certainly ran harder than even I thought I could. Plus, it was a trail run, with lots of hills. I think if I had looked down at the Garmin at any time and saw 6-something I would have backed off. My next event is a 1/2 marathon where I'll be very Garmin-dependent.

 

[BassNBrew]

160th BassNBrew 7:23:52

700 registered. Only 274 finished. No idea how many failed to start or abandoned or missed the cutoff.

I don't have the usb connector for my bike computer so it will be a couple of days before I can get the data from it.

 

[pmbrown_22]

Up this morning at 4:30 for my 6 miler and man was it humid today. Couldn't have been over 65, but the humidity was making the sweat pour our of me. I am hoping it breaks soon...I was getting used to the cooler weather without humidity. Just a tease, I guess. Did about 8:04 pace this morning according to the Garmin. It was a good run and got me up and moving this morning. Hopefully it will carry me through the afternoon.

As far as my Garmin goes, I have the 305. This is my first training with it and I love it. It has made me a better runner so far as I know what my pace is and my distances are more accurate than they previously were for other trainings. I am going to wear it during my race, but I will not take it as serious during the race because I know the distances can become off a bit throughout the race. I think I will mostly use it for pacing even though I will be trying to stay up with a pace group, but it will still be good to know if I feel like I should be slowing down or need to speed up.

I wear the heart rate monitor and have not really ever worried about my heart rate when running. It is something that I probably need to get better at, but I know that for most of my runs I am in the 170 - 174 range so I don't ever really notice a difference in that most of the time. I have noticed that on some of my longer runs it gets down to the low 160's. Not sure if that is good or not, but it does not seem to be affecting me all that much.

I have read some, but how should I be training with the heart rate or what is your guys opinion on it.

 

[gruecd]

I have read some, but how should I be training with the heart rate or what is your guys opinion on it.

I don't wear one. I run shirtless most of the time, and I figure I look geeky enough with my Garmin, iPod, running sunglasses, and sometimes my Fuel Belt, too. Last thing I need is another "gadget" strapped across my chest!

 

[tri-man 47]

When you say ice-bath, are you really loading up your tub with ice or just sticking your feet into a bucket with cold water?

For me, I just run the cold water in the tub, ultimately filling about 8-12 inches of depth. (I often drop in early rather than one big shock.) This past Sunday, after my 20 miler, I brought in a small plastic bag of ice and used that with good effect on the knees/quads, which weren't fully immersed in the water. It's a real hate/love thing ...but I felt SO much better after doing this. After a hard workout, my calves look like they're alien-possessed as I get a lot of twitching going on (nothing I feel, but it looks weird). So the soaking is specifically beneficial for that. Also, the ice helped with my other sore spots - the knees and quads.BnB - that was an amazing race report! Man, you really can hammer it. I'm very impressed!!!--Way overdue, but got new shoes last night. My old Asics Cumulus were up to about 700 miles on 'em. I ended up with some Asics 1140's which are a less expensive model, but lightweight and fit-like-a-glove right out of the box. 6 miles today in them, and they felt fine.

 

[pmbrown_22]

I have read some, but how should I be training with the heart rate or what is your guys opinion on it.

I don't wear one. I run shirtless most of the time, and I figure I look geeky enough with my Garmin, iPod, running sunglasses, and sometimes my Fuel Belt, too. Last thing I need is another "gadget" strapped across my chest!

I hear ya. My wife just laughs at me as it takes me 10 minutes to "equip" and get out the door. Everything has it's purpose, but it can be cumbersome at times. Maybe I am naive, but I just am not that interested in it. I wear it to track everything, and maybe eventually I will read something that I realize that I should be looking at, but until then, I guess I still have the data.

 

[Sand]

I have read some, but how should I be training with the heart rate or what is your guys opinion on it.

I don't wear one. I run shirtless most of the time, and I figure I look geeky enough with my Garmin, iPod, running sunglasses, and sometimes my Fuel Belt, too. Last thing I need is another "gadget" strapped across my chest!

I hear ya. My wife just laughs at me as it takes me 10 minutes to "equip" and get out the door. Everything has it's purpose, but it can be cumbersome at times. Maybe I am naive, but I just am not that interested in it. I wear it to track everything, and maybe eventually I will read something that I realize that I should be looking at, but until then, I guess I still have the data.

I must look like a complete idiot running - no shirt or sunglasses, but I wear a running hat with my ipod hung on the back. I hate the flapping wires if I attach to my shorts.Shirtless + running cap =

 

[2Young2BBald]

I have read some, but how should I be training with the heart rate or what is your guys opinion on it.

I don't wear one. I run shirtless most of the time, and I figure I look geeky enough with my Garmin, iPod, running sunglasses, and sometimes my Fuel Belt, too. Last thing I need is another "gadget" strapped across my chest!

I hear ya. My wife just laughs at me as it takes me 10 minutes to "equip" and get out the door. Everything has it's purpose, but it can be cumbersome at times. Maybe I am naive, but I just am not that interested in it. I wear it to track everything, and maybe eventually I will read something that I realize that I should be looking at, but until then, I guess I still have the data.

I must look like a complete idiot running - no shirt or sunglasses, but I wear a running hat with my ipod hung on the back. I hate the flapping wires if I attach to my shorts.Shirtless + running cap =

Add some compression socks and you'll have the total package (all the cool kids are wearing them)

 

[wraith5]

You boys and your outfits (or lack thereof)...

Speedwork this morning - 3 x 1600 at 7:15, 7:06, 7:21.

I'm disapointed my last wasn't faster, but I'm on tired legs and I gave it all I had (and my target pace is 7:27 for these runs, anyway).

Off to a concert (Porcupine Tree) this afternoon, and in Milwaukee for Cubs/Brewers tomorrow. i'll post about my experience with heart rate training next time I'm on.

 

[gruecd]

Speedwork this morning - 3 x 1600 at 7:15, 7:06, 7:21.

Solid work, wraith. 8 miles for me this afternoon at 7:43 pace. Double recovery runs (either 6/4 or 5/5) for me tomorrow.

 

[Sand]

You boys and your outfits (or lack thereof)... Speedwork this morning - 3 x 1600 at 7:15, 7:06, 7:21. I'm disapointed my last wasn't faster, but I'm on tired legs and I gave it all I had (and my target pace is 7:27 for these runs, anyway). Off to a concert (Porcupine Tree) this afternoon, and in Milwaukee for Cubs/Brewers tomorrow. i'll post about my experience with heart rate training next time I'm on.

Jealous on the Porcupine Tree - love them.I also did speedwork today and managed to acquire a pulled hamstring for my troubles. Just what I needed.

 

[wraith5]

You boys and your outfits (or lack thereof)... Speedwork this morning - 3 x 1600 at 7:15, 7:06, 7:21. I'm disapointed my last wasn't faster, but I'm on tired legs and I gave it all I had (and my target pace is 7:27 for these runs, anyway). Off to a concert (Porcupine Tree) this afternoon, and in Milwaukee for Cubs/Brewers tomorrow. i'll post about my experience with heart rate training next time I'm on.

Jealous on the Porcupine Tree - love them.I also did speedwork today and managed to acquire a pulled hamstring for my troubles. Just what I needed.

Just got home from the show - very very good! I'd never even heard of Porcupine Tree before my buddy asked if I wanted to go. It was obvious that they have a tremendously dedicated following and that Steve Wilson is extremely talented. Kings-X opened for them - 3rd time I've seen them. Sorry about your hammy, Sand! I hope it's feeling better and not too serious. Gruecd - nice job keeping your run "slow" today. I know in the past you've had trouble with your body wanting to run fast.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Ok, I'm officially tired of being "injured". I've stuck with my plan to give my achilles 7-10 days, but damn if it isn't hard. Especially waking up Sunday morning, usually my long run day. Had that excited feeling when I first woke up...and then I remembered I wasn't running. Gotta admit, I've been a little depressed and irritable the last few days.

So I went to the gym Sunday to try and do some sort of cross training. Unfortunately my gym is the JCC, and it was closed for one of the 198 annual Jewish holidays. First time I've gone there in a year, and it's mfing closed! So I drove down the road another 2 miles to a nice trailhead, same one I went to when I got stung on the lip a few weeks back. Figured I'd just get in a nice easy hike, with no hills to stress the achilles, but at least outside on the trail where I belong. And I kept to it, despite itching to start running, I resisted.

Today went to the gym again. Tried the eliptical trainer thing, but I was feeling a little strain on the tendon so after 10 minutes I went over to the bike and did 35 minutes there, keeping the resistance pretty mellow but doing a series of 2-minute intervals of ramping up the speed to try and get something out of the workout. Amazing how an hour out on the trails flies by, and it seemed like that 35 minutes just crawled.

The achilles feels pretty good, but I'm going to wait until this weekend to give it a full 8-9 days of no running. I'm continuing to wrap it up in heat at least once a day, and taking glucosamine and lysine supplements (not that I really know if those are doing any good or not).

Assuming it comes around and feels pretty good and I can jump right back into it again, I'll be picking out my next 50K, sometime before the end of the year........

 

[Sand]

You boys and your outfits (or lack thereof)...

Speedwork this morning - 3 x 1600 at 7:15, 7:06, 7:21.

I'm disapointed my last wasn't faster, but I'm on tired legs and I gave it all I had (and my target pace is 7:27 for these runs, anyway).

Off to a concert (Porcupine Tree) this afternoon, and in Milwaukee for Cubs/Brewers tomorrow. i'll post about my experience with heart rate training next time I'm on.

Jealous on the Porcupine Tree - love them.I also did speedwork today and managed to acquire a pulled hamstring for my troubles. Just what I needed.

Just got home from the show - very very good! I'd never even heard of Porcupine Tree before my buddy asked if I wanted to go. It was obvious that they have a tremendously dedicated following and that Steve Wilson is extremely talented. Kings-X opened for them - 3rd time I've seen them.

Sorry about your hammy, Sand! I hope it's feeling better and not too serious.

Gruecd - nice job keeping your run "slow" today. I know in the past you've had trouble with your body wanting to run fast.

It is minor, but will knock me out for a couple days. Much like the IRS, you don't #### with a hammy pull.

 

[jonmhend]

Did some speed work this morning - 6x400. Did 5 at this distance two weeks ago and found definite improvement today. Was able to run them 10-15 sec faster than last time. Still not very fast (averaged about 1:45), but moving in the right direction. Can't imagine keeping that pace for a mile, but I guess you never know.

I've been contemplating buying a Garmin. Noticed this one on Amazon Forerunner 305

Anyone have one of these? Is this a good deal? I first noticed one at a local sporting goods store and they had it on sale for $230 so I thought this was a pretty good price.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

When you say ice-bath, are you really loading up your tub with ice or just sticking your feet into a bucket with cold water?

For me, I just run the cold water in the tub, ultimately filling about 8-12 inches of depth. (I often drop in early rather than one big shock.) This past Sunday, after my 20 miler, I brought in a small plastic bag of ice and used that with good effect on the knees/quads, which weren't fully immersed in the water. It's a real hate/love thing ...but I felt SO much better after doing this. After a hard workout, my calves look like they're alien-possessed as I get a lot of twitching going on (nothing I feel, but it looks weird). So the soaking is specifically beneficial for that. Also, the ice helped with my other sore spots - the knees and quads.

Tri-man is the less-psycho of the group, so listen to him. lol Unless you LIKE the polar bear club where you dump the ice in the water and THEN get in, the trick is to run the water as cool as you can stand (I know, Arizona water is lukewarm straight from the tap, but work with me here), deep enough to cover your legs (or deeper to include your lower back if your tub is deep enough), get in, and THEN add the ice.Back on the horse> 2mi on Monday in 16:45. 8:30 followed by 8:15. Six months' off and I still got it.

 

[2Young2BBald]

When you say ice-bath, are you really loading up your tub with ice or just sticking your feet into a bucket with cold water?

For me, I just run the cold water in the tub, ultimately filling about 8-12 inches of depth. (I often drop in early rather than one big shock.) This past Sunday, after my 20 miler, I brought in a small plastic bag of ice and used that with good effect on the knees/quads, which weren't fully immersed in the water. It's a real hate/love thing ...but I felt SO much better after doing this. After a hard workout, my calves look like they're alien-possessed as I get a lot of twitching going on (nothing I feel, but it looks weird). So the soaking is specifically beneficial for that. Also, the ice helped with my other sore spots - the knees and quads.

Tri-man is the less-psycho of the group, so listen to him. lol Unless you LIKE the polar bear club where you dump the ice in the water and THEN get in, the trick is to run the water as cool as you can stand (I know, Arizona water is lukewarm straight from the tap, but work with me here), deep enough to cover your legs (or deeper to include your lower back if your tub is deep enough), get in, and THEN add the ice.Back on the horse> 2mi on Monday in 16:45. 8:30 followed by 8:15. Six months' off and I still got it.

It would appear the box that contianed your Garmin finally thawed out, huh?

 

[pmbrown_22]

I've been contemplating buying a Garmin. Noticed this one on Amazon Forerunner 305

Anyone have one of these? Is this a good deal? I first noticed one at a local sporting goods store and they had it on sale for $230 so I thought this was a pretty good price.

I have the Forerunner 305 and love it. It has made me a better runner since getting mine. The pluses for me have been more acurate distance tracking, heart rate tracking (although that is about all I do with it), speed tracking and maintaining pace. I had trouble with most of these things before I got it, but the most beneficial as been looking down and seeing what pace I am going. I never had that before and it really has helped me become better at pacing. I am not saying that I can't run without it, but I rarely do. By now, most of my routes are programmed in my head so I don't completely need the distance measure, but atleast I got them from the Garmin and occassionally I will go out without it just to run stress off.

That is a good deal for it. At least it was when I got it. Not sure about now with the new models out for Garmin.

If you have any other questions let me know.

-----------------------------

As for me, I ran 10 last night and had a pretty good run. It was very humid out last night so I had to tone down my usual pace. I ended up around 8:34 per mile, but man I think I dehydrated myself last night. I even ran with my camelbak and took in my usual intake plus a bit more of gatorade, but I felt like I had gone swimming when I got back. On top of that, everything hurt when I was done. All of my joints were stiff and even this morning I am still sore. Might be another rest day for me, but I am pretty stubborn, so we will see. I just don't want to do anything real stupid like running my 6 miler today and hurt myself even more.

 

[gruecd]

Busy at work, so just a quick update...

Was feeling tired yesterday morning, so I stayed in bed, skipped the double, and just did an easy 6-miler late yesterday afternoon. Did another easy 6-miler this morning. I'm usually a hip-hop guy, but with this whole Kings of Leon craze going on, I decided to download their latest album and check it out. Not bad.

Last night we had a Chi Running instructor speak to our running club. I bought the book a while back, and while I hadn't yet attempted the technique, the idea of leaning from the ankles and using gravity to one's advantage made a lot of sense to me intuitively. Last night's presentation really reinforced that for me, and I really focused on the Chi Running principles on my run this morning. It felt a little "foreign" to me, but I've got to admit, it did feel like it put a lot less stress on my body (my knees in particular). I'd recommend checking it out.

Just an easy 4-miler with some strides tomorrow, and then I might race a 10K on Saturday morning. But ONLY if my body is feeling totally free of any aches and pains. 16 mile "long" run on Sunday.

Have a great Thursday, everybody!

 

[pigskinliquors]

Add some compression socks and you'll have the total package (all the cool kids are wearing them)

My minor update.

I planned on running on Tues. morning, but got stung be a #######' scorpion at 1:58 am. I jolted out of bed, turned a lamp on, and the little bastage was in our bed. I grabbed the closest thing to me (my 4 year old's Teddy Bear, which was on the floor) and smashed it to smitherings (Teddy took one for the team). I then flushed the little turd, and headed back to bed. Mrs. Liquors refused to try to sleep w/o a light on, so we laid back down and tried to sleep. Twenty minutes later we heard a familiar sound coming from our 7 year old's room = sound of kid getting sick. She amazingly made it to her bathroom prior to a massive display of hurling. Once we got her cleaned up, and calmed down, she crawled into our room (w/ lights still on!), and we tried again to go to sleep (now 3:04 am). After trying to sleep for approx. 5 minutes I turned my alarm off (set for 5:00 am) knowing that I most likely wouldn't be up for a run. Miraculously my internal clock went off at 4:55, and I said HTFU, and put on my compression sox, some shorts (sans shirt) and headed to the garage to get the rest of my gear on (shoes, iPod, blinky light, Garmin). I opened the garage up to see rain and internally say "F" the rain, I can run in this. Before I make it to the end of the driveway an impressive "thunder" overrides "I'm bringing Sexy Back" on my iPod. I figure it's not meant to be, and go back in, to find our 4 year old screaming and running into our room, Mrs. Liquors pissed at the world for lack of sleep, and our 7 year old crying (just bc she's a "social-crier"). What a great start to the day!

The great news is that the rain cooled the weather down quite a bit I postponed the run to yesterday and had a great one. Mile 1 was a warm-up mile, followed by progressively faster miles; including two hill repeats for a total of 7 miles. The last two were 7:45 and 7:22 with an overall average pace of 7:58 (my first sub-8:00 run since June!!). It should have been over 8:00, but my ego made me race the last mile instead of use it as a cool down. Today my calves are both pretty sore = most likely not cooling down, and the cooler weather :stupid: I have a scheduled 8 miler tomorrow, which I'll most likely run extremely slow, even though the cooler weather will make me want to run harder. Hopefully the cooler weather will stick around (lows in the high 60's) long enough for me to get my long run in on Sunday.

 

[gruecd]

Before I make it to the end of the driveway an impressive "thunder" overrides "I'm bringing Sexy Back" on my iPod.

I don't know why, but this made me laugh. (In the interest of full disclosure, it's on my iPod, too.)Anyway, nice run. And no thanks to living in a state where I have to worry about getting stung by scorpions in the middle of the night. Eff that.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

It would appear the box that contianed your Garmin finally thawed out, huh?

Nah, still missing in action. I probably left it at the hotel for the Fall50 last October, so it's obviously gruecd's fault. I had another watch but it needed batteries. I'm still lost without my Garmin, but I'm off of analog at least.

 

[wraith5]

Anyway, nice run. And no thanks to living in a state where I have to worry about getting stung by scorpions in the middle of the night. Eff that.

This x2. However, I respectfully decline to jump on the Justin Timberlake bandwagon. I'll stick to my Metallica, Distrurbed, and Rage Against the Machine, thank you very much.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Anyway, nice run. And no thanks to living in a state where I have to worry about getting stung by scorpions in the middle of the night. Eff that.

This x2. However, I respectfully decline to jump on the Justin Timberlake bandwagon. I'll stick to my Metallica, Distrurbed, and Rage Against the Machine, thank you very much.

All a part of the mix!!!!!!!!!!

 

[2Young2BBald]

I am either PMSing, Pregnant or, after alomst a year straight of training without much of a break, my body has decided it needs a bad food binge (and lots of it). I have eaten over a pound of bacon since Saturday in BLTs, more than my share of cold pizza and about a 1/2 of a huge bag of peanut M&Ms. Thank God swimming starts Monday.

Saw the music chat. While I am still done with wearing music for races (for me only, not trying to preach anything) I have retooled my shuffle for a long run on Sunday. My wife had me download the remake of Phil Collins In The Air Tonight by NonPoint and I just downloaded Breaking Benjamin's new single for their upcoming album I Will Not Bow (They Dominate my running mix). I have also been assembling a CD of songs for my daughter to give out to her girlfriends at her Halloween Party. I donwloaded Oingo Boingo's Deadman's Party and added it to the running mix.

Did a 12-mile recovery ride of sorts on Monday and ran 5-miles Tuesday. After racing back-to-back weekends, I am a bit sore. I am doing a fake taper of sorts for a few days and then am going to try and see how I feel for the long run this weekend. I would sure like to PR The Detroit 1/2 on 10/18.

 

[tri-man 47]

Before I make it to the end of the driveway an impressive "thunder" overrides "I'm bringing Sexy Back" on my iPod.

Anyway, nice run. And no thanks to living in a state where I have to worry about getting stung by scorpions in the middle of the night. Eff that.

Not to mention water moccasins threatening a good open water swim.

 

[tri-man 47]

It would appear the box that contianed your Garmin finally thawed out, huh?

Nah, still missing in action. I probably left it at the hotel for the Fall50 last October, so it's obviously gruecd's fault.

It's probably still in the back of the van. Dig through a couple more layers of stuff and you might find it (unless it got totally deep-sixed when the Mrs. rolled that sucker.) Good to hear you're back into some running!

 

[gruecd]

It's probably still in the back of the van. Dig through a couple more layers of stuff and you might find it (unless it got totally deep-sixed when the Mrs. rolled that sucker.)

 

[wraith5]

I am either PMSing, Pregnant or, after alomst a year straight of training without much of a break, my body has decided it needs a bad food binge (and lots of it). I have eaten over a pound of bacon since Saturday in BLTs, more than my share of cold pizza and about a 1/2 of a huge bag of peanut M&Ms. Thank God swimming starts Monday.

All kinds of awesome here!! When you work that hard you earn the right to eat some bacon.

 

[MAC_32]

Two jobs, a pregnant girlfriend, studying for certifications, and an unhealthy addiction to sports sure has made it difficult to keep up in here. The possibility of any race this fall is out, unless there's something in Michigan Sat Oct 17 near Ann Arbor. My friends that graduated from there have that as their game for the season, sucks that it's Delaware St but it's the only one everyone could make. I'm working both Saturday and Sunday mornings that I don't go to football games now so local races are definitely a no-go, hoping to get my certs and drop a job by spring so I can train for a triathlon. Anyone have a good training regimen? tips? I'm looking at a shorter one to start. Running's my strength, I used to bike a lot but it's been years, I've never been a good swimmer but I also haven't seriously tried since I was a kid. I'd like to start too soon if anything, my gym has a pool and several different kinds of bikes.

In the meantime I've been lifting 4 times/week and running 2-4 times (two sprint workouts, if I run any more it's a longer, paced run). The sprint workouts are about 20-25 mins (3 to 3 1/2 miles), the paced runs are either 4 or 5 miles clocking in about 30 mins on the 4 mile and 38 mins on the 5 miler. I always take one day off/week and try my best not to take two but I've been guilty of it one week and this week's looking like another. Although I can justify helping a friend of mine move Saturday afternoon as sometime, yes?

 

[MAC_32]

I am either PMSing, Pregnant or, after alomst a year straight of training without much of a break, my body has decided it needs a bad food binge (and lots of it). I have eaten over a pound of bacon since Saturday in BLTs, more than my share of cold pizza and about a 1/2 of a huge bag of peanut M&Ms. Thank God swimming starts Monday..

Sprint workouts have spun my metabolism out of control, I was eating 2000ish calories/day for a while and losing weight...a lot of it. I consume somewhere between 2500 and 3500 calories/day now, how much depends on the workout that day. More calories on lifting days (gainer protein shake has a lot, recovery one has less but still quite a bit), always make sure I get my vitamins and don't get too excessive with sodium, sugar, and cholesterol. I am on a relatively strict diet during the week so I can justify loosening it up over the weekend. I've gone through a pound of bacon in a weekend before. It was awesome..and boy did I punish myself for it workout wise the next week.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Two jobs, a pregnant girlfriend, studying for certifications, and an unhealthy addiction to sports sure has made it difficult to keep up in here. The possibility of any race this fall is out, unless there's something in Michigan Sat Oct 17 near Ann Arbor. My friends that graduated from there have that as their game for the season, sucks that it's Delaware St but it's the only one everyone could make. I'm working both Saturday and Sunday mornings that I don't go to football games now so local races are definitely a no-go, hoping to get my certs and drop a job by spring so I can train for a triathlon. Anyone have a good training regimen? tips? I'm looking at a shorter one to start. Running's my strength, I used to bike a lot but it's been years, I've never been a good swimmer but I also haven't seriously tried since I was a kid. I'd like to start too soon if anything, my gym has a pool and several different kinds of bikes.

In the meantime I've been lifting 4 times/week and running 2-4 times (two sprint workouts, if I run any more it's a longer, paced run). The sprint workouts are about 20-25 mins (3 to 3 1/2 miles), the paced runs are either 4 or 5 miles clocking in about 30 mins on the 4 mile and 38 mins on the 5 miler. I always take one day off/week and try my best not to take two but I've been guilty of it one week and this week's looking like another. Although I can justify helping a friend of mine move Saturday afternoon as sometime, yes?

TONS of events near Ann Arbor that weekend. There is a 5K in Brighton that Saturday that is minutes away from there. If you don't mind getting up early, I'd do one of the 3 races tied to the Detroit Free Press Marathon that Sunday. I m doing the 1/2 and thought BankerGuy was in for something. Take a look at the calendar and let me know if you have questions about where they are, etc. As for Tri training, I wouldn't worry about a regimen yet (or really ever for Sprints, I don't have one, I just do what I want as long as I am mixing things up). Get in the pool, YouTube up some triathlon swim stroke videos and try an emulate what you see. Ask here for how to improve. TriMan & PSL (and Floppo if you can get him back in here) are great at analyzing stroke, drill advice, etc.

 

[MAC_32]

Two jobs, a pregnant girlfriend, studying for certifications, and an unhealthy addiction to sports sure has made it difficult to keep up in here. The possibility of any race this fall is out, unless there's something in Michigan Sat Oct 17 near Ann Arbor. My friends that graduated from there have that as their game for the season, sucks that it's Delaware St but it's the only one everyone could make. I'm working both Saturday and Sunday mornings that I don't go to football games now so local races are definitely a no-go, hoping to get my certs and drop a job by spring so I can train for a triathlon. Anyone have a good training regimen? tips? I'm looking at a shorter one to start. Running's my strength, I used to bike a lot but it's been years, I've never been a good swimmer but I also haven't seriously tried since I was a kid. I'd like to start too soon if anything, my gym has a pool and several different kinds of bikes.

In the meantime I've been lifting 4 times/week and running 2-4 times (two sprint workouts, if I run any more it's a longer, paced run). The sprint workouts are about 20-25 mins (3 to 3 1/2 miles), the paced runs are either 4 or 5 miles clocking in about 30 mins on the 4 mile and 38 mins on the 5 miler. I always take one day off/week and try my best not to take two but I've been guilty of it one week and this week's looking like another. Although I can justify helping a friend of mine move Saturday afternoon as sometime, yes?

TONS of events near Ann Arbor that weekend. There is a 5K in Brighton that Saturday that is minutes away from there. If you don't mind getting up early, I'd do one of the 3 races tied to the Detroit Free Press Marathon that Sunday. I m doing the 1/2 and thought BankerGuy was in for something. Take a look at the calendar and let me know if you have questions about where they are, etc. As for Tri training, I wouldn't worry about a regimen yet (or really ever for Sprints, I don't have one, I just do what I want as long as I am mixing things up). Get in the pool, YouTube up some triathlon swim stroke videos and try an emulate what you see. Ask here for how to improve. TriMan & PSL (and Floppo if you can get him back in here) are great at analyzing stroke, drill advice, etc.

I'll let you know once I know what's going on that morning, I have no problems with an early morning but too many of my plans that morning are still up in the air. I may have a pregnant girlfriend with me, I might not, I might stay anywhere from Bowling Green, OH to Toledo to Ann Arbor to Oak Park to Rochester Hills Friday night, and I might not even be driving. Looking like a trip that's going to piece together the week of the game, the races in Brighton and Holly (if I stay in Rochester Hills) look like the best options, unless one of those is in a suburb that's closer to Oak Park than I am aware. Is the Holly one affiliated with the Detroit half? I'd love to do one of those if it works out!Thx for a start on where to look for tri training, working from home today for job 2 so I should have plenty of time to look up some stuff. I'm sure I'll have questions about swim technique once I start training.

 

[gruecd]

Hey, everybody. Nothing too exciting for me today. Just an easy 4-miler after work with maybe some strides thrown in.

My training program calls for a "tune-up" race tomorrow, and I did find a 10K that's only about 75 miles away. My only concerns are (1) a mile of the course is run on grass , (2) it's supposed to be rainy and humid overnight, which means that we'd be running on wet grass, and (3) I can still feel a little bit of a twinge in my knee. Overall, I don't think the knee thing is anything to worry about, as it was fine on my 21-miler on Sunday and all my runs this week. But it can't be a good idea to risk running fast on wet grass, can it? I suspect I already know the answer to this. Should I just substitute an 8-miler with a couple sets of 2-mile tempo intervals or something like that?

Looking forward to your opinions....

 

[tri-man 47]

gruecd: "Maybe not" and "probably." HTH

Mac: The main thing I'd say now on tri-training is - don't lull yourself into thinking that some swimming as a kid equates to being ready to attack tri-swimming yet. As soon as you can, get in the pool to (a) start building a base, and (b) find out where you're really at. Did you pick up good technique in younger years, or did you just swim and play in the pool? Do you have the ability to swim continuously for several laps or are you sucking wind after a length or two? Swimming is a rather unique skill, so while your strength work and running will help to some degree, nothing will beat just getting in the pool and knocking out laps. Sand is the top swimmer here, so he will help sharpen the skill set once you're up and going. Also, as 2Young mentions, you can find some nice videos (Sand recently posted this link: http://www.swimsmooth.com/index.html)

---

Straightforward running week for me: 22 miles over four days. Heading to Grand Rapids overnight to support my BIL in his first half-marathon in the morning (Holland, MI). I'll get in ten miles myself, running around the course to cheer him on (but not racing, since it's his day). Sunday will be my last 20 miler before the taper.

BTW, Wraith, I've had the CarbBoom! gels. They're a bit nasty (kind of a sharp taste, as I recall), but decent enough. It's not vomit-swallow, like Duck recently experienced.

 

[gruecd]

gruecd: "Maybe not" and "probably." HTH

Appreciate it, GB!

 

[MAC_32]

Mac: The main thing I'd say now on tri-training is - don't lull yourself into thinking that some swimming as a kid equates to being ready to attack tri-swimming yet. As soon as you can, get in the pool to (a) start building a base, and (b) find out where you're really at. Did you pick up good technique in younger years, or did you just swim and play in the pool? Do you have the ability to swim continuously for several laps or are you sucking wind after a length or two? Swimming is a rather unique skill, so while your strength work and running will help to some degree, nothing will beat just getting in the pool and knocking out laps. Sand is the top swimmer here, so he will help sharpen the skill set once you're up and going. Also, as 2Young mentions, you can find some nice videos (Sand recently posted this link: http://www.swimsmooth.com/index.html)

I probably had poor technique, I was the oldest kid in intermediate swimming lessons. When I finally passed I stopped with the lessons. I haven't swam for exercise in ages, but I'd be surprised if I'd be sucking wind after a length or two. Once the weather gets bad enough that I don't want to run outside consistently anymore, should not be too much longer, I'll start with the pool. Possibly sometime in October, definitely sometime in November. Thx for the link, bookmarked, gives me something to review before I get in the pool and again after I have and noticed me doing things badly.Would you say a good goal for when I start would be swimming twice/week for a month and then re-evaluate? I should be able to somewhat determine where I am at that point, yes?

 

[BassNBrew]

Hey, everybody. Nothing too exciting for me today. Just an easy 4-miler after work with maybe some strides thrown in.My training program calls for a "tune-up" race tomorrow, and I did find a 10K that's only about 75 miles away. My only concerns are (1) a mile of the course is run on grass , (2) it's supposed to be rainy and humid overnight, which means that we'd be running on wet grass, and (3) I can still feel a little bit of a twinge in my knee. Overall, I don't think the knee thing is anything to worry about, as it was fine on my 21-miler on Sunday and all my runs this week. But it can't be a good idea to risk running fast on wet grass, can it? I suspect I already know the answer to this. Should I just substitute an 8-miler with a couple sets of 2-mile tempo intervals or something like that?Looking forward to your opinions....

Let me get this straight...you've basically run from Canada to Mexico this year and wet grass is going to stop you from racing? I would guess that a Kenyan would sacrifice a goat for some wet grass to run on.

 

[gruecd]

Let me get this straight...you've basically run from Canada to Mexico this year and wet grass is going to stop you from racing? I would guess that a Kenyan would sacrifice a goat for some wet grass to run on.

Yep. Honestly, if I didn't have Chicago in 16 days and if I didn't have this little "knee niggle," I'd do it for sure. As it is, I just don't like the risk/reward trade-off.

 

[wraith5]

I haven't swam for exercise in ages, but I'd be surprised if I'd be sucking wind after a length or two.

Be prepared to be very surprised. It's a lot different than you think. The good news is with some dedicated effort a couple times a week it can come back to you fairly quickly. I went from 60 yds and a mild heart-attack to 1600 yds over the summer.

Let me get this straight...you've basically run from Canada to Mexico this year and wet grass is going to stop you from racing? I would guess that a Kenyan would sacrifice a goat for some wet grass to run on.

Yep. Honestly, if I didn't have Chicago in 16 days and if I didn't have this little "knee niggle," I'd do it for sure. As it is, I just don't like the risk/reward trade-off.

There's a reason NFL teams don't play their starters in pre-season week 4. Don't screw around.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Gruecd: While I'd normally just say HTFU, it doesn't make much sense to travel that far, for a race that will almost definitely have little to no effect on your real goal (kicking ### in Chicago; and drinking/partying with me the Friday before!). I'd skip it; and put in a low mileage day at race pace = still get some gain; but a ton more sleep and little risk of injury. My .02.

Mac: Training twice a week for a month would be a great start. Start every swimming day by working on technique. Concentrate on just one portion of your stroke or kick at a time. Form is much more important than anything else in the water. IF you can get somebody to look at your stroke that knows what they are doing, I highly recommend it. With two swims a week, I'd have one be an endurance day (start with 5'ish laps of working on form), then do a slow smooth swim, going as far as you can without stopping, rest for 2 minutes'ish; then go as far as you can again. Then cool down with 2 or 3 laps as slow as you can, concentrating on form. On the 2nd swim of the week; also start by concentrating on form; then do intervals (shorter swims 100's or 200's) as fast as you can, with rests in between; then cool down with slow concentrated laps. I have very little cartilage in my back (from too much football as a kid); so I can't swim more than twice a week w/o injuring myself. Most literature suggests that you need 3 swims a week to see real improvement. If you plateau with just two swims (stop seeing improvement) I'd then add a third if you can get it in.

______________________________________

My Update:

It was only 63 degrees when I woke up (14 degrees cooler than the same run last week) for my run today With my calves sore from my run on Wed. I didn't want to push it very hard, but it felt real good right from the first step. I did I nice warm-up mile at 8:27, then decided to pick the pace up, as it felt too good. With it still dark out, I didn't know what I was running, but was shocked when the second mile beeped/lit up on my Garmin as 7:43 . I then finished with a 7:35, 7:31 and 7:22. I should have treated the last mile as a cool down mile, but it's been sooo long since I've been able to run instead of jog , that I just took it home. My legs actually feel great, and I'm finally getting a little excited about a long run (16 - 18) = Sunday in Dallas!

 

[SteveUK]

Hey, everybody. Nothing too exciting for me today. Just an easy 4-miler after work with maybe some strides thrown in.My training program calls for a "tune-up" race tomorrow, and I did find a 10K that's only about 75 miles away. My only concerns are (1) a mile of the course is run on grass , (2) it's supposed to be rainy and humid overnight, which means that we'd be running on wet grass, and (3) I can still feel a little bit of a twinge in my knee. Overall, I don't think the knee thing is anything to worry about, as it was fine on my 21-miler on Sunday and all my runs this week. But it can't be a good idea to risk running fast on wet grass, can it? I suspect I already know the answer to this. Should I just substitute an 8-miler with a couple sets of 2-mile tempo intervals or something like that?Looking forward to your opinions....

No way, Jose!IMO, give the race a miss. Personally, if I have to run more than two steps on grass, I think my ankle will be done for sure. If you have a knee issue and just 2 weeks from Chicago, don't even think about it.

 

[pigskinliquors]

No way, Jose!IMO, give the race a miss. Personally, if I have to run more than two steps on grass, I think my ankle will be done for sure. If you have a knee issue and just 2 weeks from Chicago, don't even think about it.

STEVE

 

[Sand]

Mac: The main thing I'd say now on tri-training is - don't lull yourself into thinking that some swimming as a kid equates to being ready to attack tri-swimming yet. As soon as you can, get in the pool to (a) start building a base, and (b) find out where you're really at. Did you pick up good technique in younger years, or did you just swim and play in the pool? Do you have the ability to swim continuously for several laps or are you sucking wind after a length or two? Swimming is a rather unique skill, so while your strength work and running will help to some degree, nothing will beat just getting in the pool and knocking out laps. Sand is the top swimmer here, so he will help sharpen the skill set once you're up and going. Also, as 2Young mentions, you can find some nice videos (Sand recently posted this link: http://www.swimsmooth.com/index.html)

I probably had poor technique, I was the oldest kid in intermediate swimming lessons. When I finally passed I stopped with the lessons. I haven't swam for exercise in ages, but I'd be surprised if I'd be sucking wind after a length or two. Once the weather gets bad enough that I don't want to run outside consistently anymore, should not be too much longer, I'll start with the pool. Possibly sometime in October, definitely sometime in November. Thx for the link, bookmarked, gives me something to review before I get in the pool and again after I have and noticed me doing things badly.Would you say a good goal for when I start would be swimming twice/week for a month and then re-evaluate? I should be able to somewhat determine where I am at that point, yes?

Sounds reasonable. The swimsmooth guy is good to emulate, but it is hard to evaluate yourself without someone filming you. When you do get back in the water, your priorities in starting back are:1. Make sure you are breathing out every stroke and breathing in every stroke. Very easy to go suffer oxygen deficit if you aren't breathing right. (Don't glaze past this - many good swimmers fall out of form here).

2. Try and keep a straight spine. Do not twist your spine out of plane. Freestyle rotates around the spine.

3. Kick from your quads/hips. NOT your knees. Kicking from your knees is a massive drag item and will probably pull your body down in the water, creating yet more drag.

4. On your arm stroke, don't cross over the center line. Your right hand should enter the water at about the line of sight of your right eye. It should not cross over into the left side of your body. And vice versa. If you do this it (very common, BTW) it will cause your spine to bend. Major loss of efficiency.

Other than that HTFU and swim hard. Swimming is one sport where there is no impact, so intervals forever are fine. So when you puke on your 40th interval of the day - well HTFU.

 

[SteveUK]

No way, Jose!IMO, give the race a miss. Personally, if I have to run more than two steps on grass, I think my ankle will be done for sure. If you have a knee issue and just 2 weeks from Chicago, don't even think about it.

STEVE

Hi How goes it?

 

[Sand]

Bike guys - even though I have a bike now (and I like it) I am highly considering picking this up if it continues to get no bids. I've gotten higher res images and it looks quite good. And I like the yellow (I certainly won't have any problems locating my spot in transition).

Any reason not to jump on it?

 

[wraith5]

This morning I ran 2 easy (9:04) miles followed by 3 mile tempo at 7:54s (on a goal of 8 flat) and 1 more very easy mile home.

The last .5 mile of the tempo run was all over 185 BPM - really didn't think I'd be able to keep it under 8 for a while there. Also got a wicked side stitch (right side) that I haven't experienced this year before. This was a very challenging little run!

18 mile run on the radar for Sunday.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Mac: The main thing I'd say now on tri-training is - don't lull yourself into thinking that some swimming as a kid equates to being ready to attack tri-swimming yet. As soon as you can, get in the pool to (a) start building a base, and (b) find out where you're really at. Did you pick up good technique in younger years, or did you just swim and play in the pool? Do you have the ability to swim continuously for several laps or are you sucking wind after a length or two? Swimming is a rather unique skill, so while your strength work and running will help to some degree, nothing will beat just getting in the pool and knocking out laps. Sand is the top swimmer here, so he will help sharpen the skill set once you're up and going. Also, as 2Young mentions, you can find some nice videos (Sand recently posted this link: http://www.swimsmooth.com/index.html)

I probably had poor technique, I was the oldest kid in intermediate swimming lessons. When I finally passed I stopped with the lessons. I haven't swam for exercise in ages, but I'd be surprised if I'd be sucking wind after a length or two. Once the weather gets bad enough that I don't want to run outside consistently anymore, should not be too much longer, I'll start with the pool. Possibly sometime in October, definitely sometime in November. Thx for the link, bookmarked, gives me something to review before I get in the pool and again after I have and noticed me doing things badly.Would you say a good goal for when I start would be swimming twice/week for a month and then re-evaluate? I should be able to somewhat determine where I am at that point, yes?

Sounds reasonable. The swimsmooth guy is good to emulate, but it is hard to evaluate yourself without someone filming you. When you do get back in the water, your priorities in starting back are:1. Make sure you are breathing out every stroke and breathing in every stroke. Very easy to go suffer oxygen deficit if you aren't breathing right. (Don't glaze past this - many good swimmers fall out of form here).

2. Try and keep a straight spine. Do not twist your spine out of plane. Freestyle rotates around the spine.

3. Kick from your quads/hips. NOT your knees. Kicking from your knees is a massive drag item and will probably pull your body down in the water, creating yet more drag.

4. On your arm stroke, don't cross over the center line. Your right hand should enter the water at about the line of sight of your right eye. It should not cross over into the left side of your body. And vice versa. If you do this it (very common, BTW) it will cause your spine to bend. Major loss of efficiency.

Other than that HTFU and swim hard. Swimming is one sport where there is no impact, so intervals forever are fine. So when you puke on your 40th interval of the day - well HTFU.

Sand, sorry I left you off my list of swim experts & A few additions from a relative noob:

1. Watch swimmers that you percieve are good swimmers.

2. Ask them to watch you swim and give immediate feedback. The moment I went from struggling to swimming came when I asked a guy to do this. (Lucky for me, he'd coached swimmers in the past). He said to me "what is faster in the water, a barge or a sailboat"? I of course answer a sailboat, to which he responded "you are a barge, that is your problem". He went on to show me proper shoulder rotation.

3. Sand's #4 about not crossing your arms over is HUGE. The pool is such a great place to perfect this because you can practice your reach keeping your arms outside of the paint on the center lane line at the bottom of the pool.

4. Pool swimming doesn't = tri swimming. I use VERY little leg and only quick kicks of the feet more or less to rudder the body. You'll need your legs for te ride & the run.

5. Once you get your swim stroke down, don't be afraid to get in the lane with one or more swimmers. This will help build awareness and help to practice spotting. I've posted here before that I'll have my son bomb me, pull my feet and dunk me as a simulation of what can happen on OW race swimming (plus its just plain fun).

6. A great confidence booster for me was to try and swim sloer, not faster and test just how slow I could and still maintain good stroke and position. My thought here was (and still is) if I lose my mind and gas myself at the stra or spend the first 100 meters or so thrashing with other, will I have the ability to back things down, gather myself and go. This did the trick.