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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (9 Viewers)

74 degrees this morning, 66 degree dew point. Garbage day in the neighborhood. Yuuuuuuuuummy.
79 / 73 here.

Decided to do intervals with pushups

13 x [1 minute pushups, easy 1 minute, 10k pace for 2 minutes]

finished with 350 pushups, the first 8-10 intervals were around 6:30 pace, then I fell off a bit to 7 with only 15-20 pushups.

 
74 degrees this morning, 66 degree dew point. Garbage day in the neighborhood. Yuuuuuuuuummy.
79 / 73 here. Decided to do intervals with pushups

13 x [1 minute pushups, easy 1 minute, 10k pace for 2 minutes]

finished with 350 pushups, the first 8-10 intervals were around 6:30 pace, then I fell off a bit to 7 with only 15-20 pushups.
Nice Fubar, I'm going to add this to the mix once a week.

I extended my morning 5 miler to 8 this morning. I was going to turn around after 3 but saw something I wanted to get a closer look at 200 yes ahead so picked it up a little bit and kept going. It ended up being a slight figured dude with a feminine gait. :bag: Oh well, he squeezed a bonus two out of me, 8:24/133 for the run, shooting for 40 this week.

 
74 degrees this morning, 66 degree dew point. Garbage day in the neighborhood. Yuuuuuuuuummy.
79 / 73 here.Decided to do intervals with pushups

13 x [1 minute pushups, easy 1 minute, 10k pace for 2 minutes]

finished with 350 pushups, the first 8-10 intervals were around 6:30 pace, then I fell off a bit to 7 with only 15-20 pushups.
Nice Fubar, I'm going to add this to the mix once a week.

I extended my morning 5 miler to 8 this morning. I was going to turn around after 3 but saw something I wanted to get a closer look at 200 yes ahead so picked it up a little bit and kept going. It ended up being a slight figured dude with a feminine gait. :bag: Oh well, he squeezed a bonus two out of me, 8:24/133 for the run, shooting for 40 this week.
:lmao:

File this under the things-i'd-never-admit folder.

 
Bad start of the day for me, on my 12 miler this morning (suck index of 150) my training partner rolled his ankle pretty bad with about 1/2 a mile to go.

This guy is 49 and ran a 3:19 (PR) at Boston this year and we run all our weekday runs together with him always setting the pace (usually faster than I would run on my own). We have been pretty much been following the same training schedule for the past 3 years.

I hoping he didn't hurt it too bad, it sucks this is the first year we planned on running two marathons in one year and I don't think he has been in better shape at the start of a training cycle.

 
Bad start of the day for me, on my 12 miler this morning (suck index of 150) my training partner rolled his ankle pretty bad with about 1/2 a mile to go.

This guy is 49 and ran a 3:19 (PR) at Boston this year and we run all our weekday runs together with him always setting the pace (usually faster than I would run on my own). We have been pretty much been following the same training schedule for the past 3 years.

I hoping he didn't hurt it too bad, it sucks this is the first year we planned on running two marathons in one year and I don't think he has been in better shape at the start of a training cycle.
Ugh! Sorry to hear that.

 
Hey guys...

My pop is trying to get back in shape and is looking into the best heart rate monitor that integrates with a smartphone app for tracking runs and heart rate data. He's on Android (though I'm looking for iOS too if that matters). Probably not looking to spend a small fortune if possible.

I see a lot of chest straps as well as watches out there. I presume he will have his phone on him during the walk/jog so no need for a unit with GPS/storage I dont think. I presume he's okay with chest straps or wrist wearable... but waiting to hear back. Currently leaning toward the Wahoo TICKR for it's price, feature set, and compatibility with most apps... but want you guys' feedback.

Looking for suggestions for the HRM as well as the App.

Thanks in advance, guys!

 
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Hey guys...

My pop is trying to get back in shape and is looking into the best heart rate monitor that integrates with a smartphone app for tracking runs and heart rate data. He's on Android (though I'm looking for iOS too if that matters). Probably not looking to spend a small fortune if possible.

I see a lot of chest straps as well as watches out there. I presume he will have his phone on him during the walk/jog so no need for a unit with GPS/storage I dont think. I presume he's okay with chest straps or wrist wearable... but waiting to hear back. Currently leaning toward the Wahoo TICKR for it's price, feature set, and compatibility with most apps... but want you guys' feedback.

Looking for suggestions for the HRM as well as the App.

Thanks in advance, guys!
DCRainmaker uses the Scosche Rhythm+ and thinks it is the best thing out there. HR straps suck (after I've switched over). That would be my recommendation.

 
Didn't get home until 10 tonight and headed out for a run - SI was still at 150 - I was sweating my balls off for 4 miles. And it was slow miles.

 
The weather has been nice in the Chicago-area. Most mornings are in the 60s. Forecast for my race on Sunday is low 60s.
Nice! Hope the humidity stays nice and low too.

We got a taste of that today, finally. 68/63 never felt so good. I was still a squishy shoe mess afterwards, but damn that felt good vs the 150+ SI nonsense.

 
The weather has been nice in the Chicago-area. Most mornings are in the 60s. Forecast for my race on Sunday is low 60s.
Nice! Hope the humidity stays nice and low too.

We got a taste of that today, finally. 68/63 never felt so good. I was still a squishy shoe mess afterwards, but damn that felt good vs the 150+ SI nonsense.
:yes:

swam this morning. Water is warmer than I'd like but decent enough. 50M pool, at one point we had 8-10 people in the lane with varying ability - over half were doing side stroke, a few were basically floating. But that's what I get for going during PT hours (6 lanes, probably 50-60 people in the pool). Made the most of it by treating it as open water / traffic practice. So just kept going, sprinting past people at times, popping my head up every so often to see in front of me, like you would during a tri. the last 10 minutes everyone had left except one other guy who was doing a big kick set, dude was flying with fins. We finished and I finally saw that he was maybe 12 years old. I complimented him on his swimming which seemed to make his day.

 
Two miles this morning, first real run since early march. My toothpick-skewered foot hurt worse than my calf, so I take that as a positive. Proudly wearing my stylish new calf compression sleeve.

 
The weather has been nice in the Chicago-area. Most mornings are in the 60s. Forecast for my race on Sunday is low 60s.
Nice! Hope the humidity stays nice and low too.

We got a taste of that today, finally. 68/63 never felt so good. I was still a squishy shoe mess afterwards, but damn that felt good vs the 150+ SI nonsense.
:yes:

swam this morning. Water is warmer than I'd like but decent enough. 50M pool, at one point we had 8-10 people in the lane with varying ability - over half were doing side stroke, a few were basically floating. But that's what I get for going during PT hours (6 lanes, probably 50-60 people in the pool). Made the most of it by treating it as open water / traffic practice. So just kept going, sprinting past people at times, popping my head up every so often to see in front of me, like you would during a tri. the last 10 minutes everyone had left except one other guy who was doing a big kick set, dude was flying with fins. We finished and I finally saw that he was maybe 12 years old. I complimented him on his swimming which seemed to make his day.
Nice! I would love to swim in a 50M pool. While I don't really mind swimming in my 25 yard pool it would be so much better to have the longer distance for lap swimming.

 
Had an interesting little morning. I decided to join a local fitness group that put on a free 6K race this morning at 6AM. Temp was down slightly but it still humid as hell. I'm sure the suck index was still 150ish. Anyways, I decided to give about a B+ effort and use it as a hard workout.

Mile 1 - 6:38

Mile 2 - 6:42

Mile 3 - 6:39

.71 - 4:25 (6:16 pace)

24:24 total

Finished 5th overall out of how many, I'm not sure...probably 50ish. I'm happy considering how hard I ran this past Saturday.

 
6 miles this morning, per mile splits of 8:26, 8:09, 8:11, 7:56, 7:42, 7:19 for an avg of 7:57, my 6th fastest 5-7 mile workout since I downloaded the Runkeeper app in late Dec. I'm at 40.9 miles in June (the hot June in St Louis has hurt my mileage since my main running times are weekends midday) after hitting an all time high of 64.4 in May.

I'm not sure how some of you guys do what you do mileage and time-wise, although I'm not sure I push myself hard enough. I think my 7:19 mile this morning was probably my best mile ever, and I wasn't winded or anything after it. Maybe I need to sack up a little. I should sign up for some races and see how I do when competing. I always just run in the park by myself with no real training plan... just winging it so I stay in shape and sleep better.

 
6 miles this morning, per mile splits of 8:26, 8:09, 8:11, 7:56, 7:42, 7:19 for an avg of 7:57, my 6th fastest 5-7 mile workout since I downloaded the Runkeeper app in late Dec. I'm at 40.9 miles in June (the hot June in St Louis has hurt my mileage since my main running times are weekends midday) after hitting an all time high of 64.4 in May.

I'm not sure how some of you guys do what you do mileage and time-wise, although I'm not sure I push myself hard enough. I think my 7:19 mile this morning was probably my best mile ever, and I wasn't winded or anything after it. Maybe I need to sack up a little. I should sign up for some races and see how I do when competing. I always just run in the park by myself with no real training plan... just winging it so I stay in shape and sleep better.
depends on your goals, but races can be fun and a test.

 
DCRainmaker uses the Scosche Rhythm+ and thinks it is the best thing out there. HR straps suck (after I've switched over). That would be my recommendation.
Thanks. Was set on the Wahoo but considering the Rhythm+ for the comfort factor. A bit pricier and dislike the re-chargable 8hr battery vs 1-2yrs from a coin cell.... but hoping the comfort and ease of wearing will be worth the sacrifice/cost.

ANy thoughts on the value of the Wahoo TICKR Run's "Running smoothness" measurement functionality (sway, strike time, bounce)? Or is that mostly a gimmick?

 
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6 miles this morning, per mile splits of 8:26, 8:09, 8:11, 7:56, 7:42, 7:19 for an avg of 7:57, my 6th fastest 5-7 mile workout since I downloaded the Runkeeper app in late Dec. I'm at 40.9 miles in June (the hot June in St Louis has hurt my mileage since my main running times are weekends midday) after hitting an all time high of 64.4 in May.

I'm not sure how some of you guys do what you do mileage and time-wise, although I'm not sure I push myself hard enough. I think my 7:19 mile this morning was probably my best mile ever, and I wasn't winded or anything after it. Maybe I need to sack up a little. I should sign up for some races and see how I do when competing. I always just run in the park by myself with no real training plan... just winging it so I stay in shape and sleep better.
Those of us running a lot more miles are practically never running near our "best mile ever" in training so I don't think pushing yourself hard enough is a problem for you. We generally run 80% plus of our miles at an easy pace. Anyway, I think racing a 5K soon would be a great idea.

 
Had an interesting little morning. I decided to join a local fitness group that put on a free 6K race this morning at 6AM. Temp was down slightly but it still humid as hell. I'm sure the suck index was still 150ish. Anyways, I decided to give about a B+ effort and use it as a hard workout.

Mile 1 - 6:38

Mile 2 - 6:42

Mile 3 - 6:39

.71 - 4:25 (6:16 pace)

24:24 total

Finished 5th overall out of how many, I'm not sure...probably 50ish. I'm happy considering how hard I ran this past Saturday.
Nice job! I looked at your run on Garmin Connect. Something wrong with your HR monitor?

 
Had an interesting little morning. I decided to join a local fitness group that put on a free 6K race this morning at 6AM. Temp was down slightly but it still humid as hell. I'm sure the suck index was still 150ish. Anyways, I decided to give about a B+ effort and use it as a hard workout.

Mile 1 - 6:38

Mile 2 - 6:42

Mile 3 - 6:39

.71 - 4:25 (6:16 pace)

24:24 total

Finished 5th overall out of how many, I'm not sure...probably 50ish. I'm happy considering how hard I ran this past Saturday.
Nice job! I looked at your run on Garmin Connect. Something wrong with your HR monitor?
Yeah, it definitely wasn't giving me good data after the first mile. I have no idea why though. I'm sure it was soaked with sweat but that's not unusual lately.

 
So I gotta imagine that most the guys ahead of Steve had to be east Africans, right? Sick that a 1:06 is only good for 20th overall. Must be some good prize money in that race.
2nd place = Kenyan. 1st/6th/12th = naturalized. Most of the guys that beat me were Americans. It's no secret it was going to be that competitive, that race is one of the top 5 or so races when it comes to producing Olympic Trials qualifying times. I knew it wasn't going to happen for me unless there was a huge tailwind and I was able to drop some crazy splits after the first half, but there were about 30-40 guys that went out at qualifying pace or faster.

The prize money isn't crazy good ($3000 1st -> $300 for 10th) but the race is very generous with support. Sub 69 or 70 gets free entry and room for 3 nights and travel support starts at sub-69. (sub-69 gets $100 for travel support, sub 68 gets $200, sub 67 gets $300, sub 66 gets $400... as far as I know it maxes out there).

 
So I gotta imagine that most the guys ahead of Steve had to be east Africans, right? Sick that a 1:06 is only good for 20th overall. Must be some good prize money in that race.
The prize money isn't crazy good ($3000 1st -> $300 for 10th) but the race is very generous with support. Sub 69 or 70 gets free entry and room for 3 nights and travel support starts at sub-69. (sub-69 gets $100 for travel support, sub 68 gets $200, sub 67 gets $300, sub 66 gets $400... as far as I know it maxes out there).
Do they W9 you for this?

 
I didn't have a good run Monday, so I scrapped my recovery run and did it again today. Hope there aren't any lingering effects, but I'm satisfied now.

1/2 mile warm-up

6:52

7:08

7:11

7:01

1/2 mile cool down

In hind sight, Monday was probably suck index related though. Although, I may just generally be slower too. I've gained about 10-15 lbs in the last 7-10 months, but most of it being good weight, so I've probably gotta start trimming down a bit if I want to do some damage this Fall.

 
I went out for a few very easy miles on the track two days ago (several days after the ultra) and, dang, my legs are still shot. Hammies and calves were not happy with me. Things are much better today, but clearly this will take some time. I'm sure I stressed muscles/tendons/ligaments with the long trail running after virtually all city training (an issue that won't occur again as my schedule begins to change). I'm not worried about it ..just a little surprised at the lingering pain.

 
Went for a 16.73mi ride this afternoon (17.4mph). I got a taste of how the wind can zap your power. I felt like I was walking at times.

I need to go get this thing fit to me. My back and neck were bugging me at the end. Also need some better pedals. These single clip pedals SUCK. Busted my balls on the front of the seat after missing the clip at a traffic light. :X

 
DCRainmaker uses the Scosche Rhythm+ and thinks it is the best thing out there. HR straps suck (after I've switched over). That would be my recommendation.
Thanks. Was set on the Wahoo but considering the Rhythm+ for the comfort factor. A bit pricier and dislike the re-chargable 8hr battery vs 1-2yrs from a coin cell.... but hoping the comfort and ease of wearing will be worth the sacrifice/cost.

ANy thoughts on the value of the Wahoo TICKR Run's "Running smoothness" measurement functionality (sway, strike time, bounce)? Or is that mostly a gimmick?
I don't get deep into the tech stuff (a simple Garmin is fine for me) ...but this sure sounds quite gimmicky. You don't need a device to gauge running smoothness ...just take a peek at your head bounce when running past a reflective picture window or store front (bounce), and monitor whether the arms are rocking forward and back vs. side to side and crossing the body (sway), and pay attention to the feet on the ground (strike time). Improve the strike time by finding opportunities for some quick stepping ...up a small rise, or stepping around an obstruction. Old school stuff. :P

 
Really digging this biking stuff...........

Any of you biking guys use your phone for routes and whatnot? Thinking about getting a mount for my phone and using the Strava app to get turn by turn maps, but not sure which one to get. Using my running watch sucks since I have to take my hand off the bars to see where I'm at.

I'm going to go get the bike fitted to me, maybe upgrade the seat and tires/wheels. This bike is pretty old, but a nice one I think (Canondale R600) - just needs a little TLC.

Any tips/thoughts on gear selection? I was riding into the wind yesterday and had to drop down to 3-2 gearing and it felt like I was going nowhere. Seemed like I was stuck in between gears where 3-1 would be way too light and 3-3 would be a tad too heavy. I'm guessing you err on the side of higher RPM?

 
4 miles yesterday. Suck index of 168.

5 miles tonight. Suck index should be similar.

Looks like I'm gonna have to start waking up early and running in the morning. HR data is damn near useless in this kind of weather. Either that or I'm all of a sudden incredibly out of shape.

 
Bought my first pair of Saucony shoes..the Ride 6. Been wearing Asics and Nike but wanted to try something different. They were 110.00 but picked the up for 44.00 on a closeout. Anyone tried them before?

 
Ned said:
SteveC702 said:
So I gotta imagine that most the guys ahead of Steve had to be east Africans, right? Sick that a 1:06 is only good for 20th overall. Must be some good prize money in that race.
The prize money isn't crazy good ($3000 1st -> $300 for 10th) but the race is very generous with support. Sub 69 or 70 gets free entry and room for 3 nights and travel support starts at sub-69. (sub-69 gets $100 for travel support, sub 68 gets $200, sub 67 gets $300, sub 66 gets $400... as far as I know it maxes out there).
Do they W9 you for this?
No, I have only been given a W9 form to fill out twice so far. Once was at a Rock n' Roll race after I won a measly $100 and the other was at the 25K championships before the race, both of which were kind of strange since I heard you don't get taxed unless you win over $500. I think it's just standard Rock n' Roll procedure. For the later they probably just wanted to get as much paperwork done prerace as they can, as there was no way in hell I was going to win more than a couple of hundred dollars in that race.

 
4 miles yesterday. Suck index of 168.

5 miles tonight. Suck index should be similar.

Looks like I'm gonna have to start waking up early and running in the morning. HR data is damn near useless in this kind of weather. Either that or I'm all of a sudden incredibly out of shape.
Do NOT get frustrated about performance in these conditions, just get the work done. I needed that reminder earlier this week, we all probably do sometimes.

 
Bought my first pair of Saucony shoes..the Ride 6. Been wearing Asics and Nike but wanted to try something different. They were 110.00 but picked the up for 44.00 on a closeout. Anyone tried them before?
Not the ride 6, but saucony has become my favorite brand.

 
Really digging this biking stuff...........

Any of you biking guys use your phone for routes and whatnot? Thinking about getting a mount for my phone and using the Strava app to get turn by turn maps, but not sure which one to get. Using my running watch sucks since I have to take my hand off the bars to see where I'm at.

I'm going to go get the bike fitted to me, maybe upgrade the seat and tires/wheels. This bike is pretty old, but a nice one I think (Canondale R600) - just needs a little TLC.

Any tips/thoughts on gear selection? I was riding into the wind yesterday and had to drop down to 3-2 gearing and it felt like I was going nowhere. Seemed like I was stuck in between gears where 3-1 would be way too light and 3-3 would be a tad too heavy. I'm guessing you err on the side of higher RPM?
I don't use my phone but it could work

I plan my route ahead and stick to it maybe half the time. After a while you get to know the distances of your routes and different legs.

Bike fit is supposed to be the best use of your money, though I've never done it. I bought my bike from a guy the same height and inseam and it seems to fit well.

I try to keep my RPM between 80-100, whatever gear that is depending on circumstances. My cadence counter broke a while ago and I should replace it but haven't yet.

So, I'm a bad example.

 
A good week so far with four runs for 24 miles, including 8x30s uphill repeats yesterday. Took it really easy on 5 miles today with a long cooldown, and headed to my PT in a bit for a tune up. My IT band has been a little tight lately, so hopefully that will help.

I head up to Western States tomorrow morning. I'll stop at the finish in Auburn to pick up the runner I'll be crewing and pacing, and then we'll drive up to Squaw for registration and the pre-race meeting tomorrow afternoon. I'll be in full ultra fanboy mode again, I'm sure. Can't help it with a couple of dozen of the best MUT runners in the world around. On Saturday I'll be at the start at 5:00 AM, then meet him to crew at Robinson Flat (mile 30), Michigan Bluff (55), Foresthill (62), and then start pacing him probably sometime between 11:00 PM-3:00 AM at the Rucky Chucky river crossing at mile 78 and go to the finish. He initially said he just wanted to finish in 29-hours or so, but today he was mentioning possibly going for sub-24. But I have a feeling with the 100+ degree heat expected in the Canyons on Saturday that may be a bit too aggressive a goal. But we'll see! Either way, for runners and crews/pacers it's going to be a long day(s).

You can track the race, both the elites at the front and my runner in the mid-back of the pack at Ultralive.net - bib 383.

 
tri-man 47 said:
DCRainmaker uses the Scosche Rhythm+ and thinks it is the best thing out there. HR straps suck (after I've switched over). That would be my recommendation.
Thanks. Was set on the Wahoo but considering the Rhythm+ for the comfort factor. A bit pricier and dislike the re-chargable 8hr battery vs 1-2yrs from a coin cell.... but hoping the comfort and ease of wearing will be worth the sacrifice/cost.

ANy thoughts on the value of the Wahoo TICKR Run's "Running smoothness" measurement functionality (sway, strike time, bounce)? Or is that mostly a gimmick?
I don't get deep into the tech stuff (a simple Garmin is fine for me) ...but this sure sounds quite gimmicky. You don't need a device to gauge running smoothness ...just take a peek at your head bounce when running past a reflective picture window or store front (bounce), and monitor whether the arms are rocking forward and back vs. side to side and crossing the body (sway), and pay attention to the feet on the ground (strike time). Improve the strike time by finding opportunities for some quick stepping ...up a small rise, or stepping around an obstruction. Old school stuff. :P
That doesn't work for those of us checking out our guns in the window.

 
Really digging this biking stuff...........

Any of you biking guys use your phone for routes and whatnot? Thinking about getting a mount for my phone and using the Strava app to get turn by turn maps, but not sure which one to get. Using my running watch sucks since I have to take my hand off the bars to see where I'm at.

I'm going to go get the bike fitted to me, maybe upgrade the seat and tires/wheels. This bike is pretty old, but a nice one I think (Canondale R600) - just needs a little TLC.

Any tips/thoughts on gear selection? I was riding into the wind yesterday and had to drop down to 3-2 gearing and it felt like I was going nowhere. Seemed like I was stuck in between gears where 3-1 would be way too light and 3-3 would be a tad too heavy. I'm guessing you err on the side of higher RPM?
Not sure about bike mounts, but there are a number out there. Bike fit is always good - combine that with a seat fitting. Specialized has a good protocol for seat fitting that should get you a comfortable saddle (incredibly important). Tires - again lots of choices. I usually either buy cheap foldable tires or buy Continental 4000s (best overall tire out there).

Gear selection? If right now you have a wide cassette (11-27) and you're on flat land you can buy a narrow cassette (11-21) that will give you finer control. How many gears front and back do you have on this thing?

 
Can't remember who recommended the Nathan hydration belt, but picked one up today and used it this evening. Worked awesome. Thank you! :thumbup:

 
SFBayDuck said:
A good week so far with four runs for 24 miles, including 8x30s uphill repeats yesterday. Took it really easy on 5 miles today with a long cooldown, and headed to my PT in a bit for a tune up. My IT band has been a little tight lately, so hopefully that will help.

I head up to Western States tomorrow morning. I'll stop at the finish in Auburn to pick up the runner I'll be crewing and pacing, and then we'll drive up to Squaw for registration and the pre-race meeting tomorrow afternoon. I'll be in full ultra fanboy mode again, I'm sure. Can't help it with a couple of dozen of the best MUT runners in the world around. On Saturday I'll be at the start at 5:00 AM, then meet him to crew at Robinson Flat (mile 30), Michigan Bluff (55), Foresthill (62), and then start pacing him probably sometime between 11:00 PM-3:00 AM at the Rucky Chucky river crossing at mile 78 and go to the finish. He initially said he just wanted to finish in 29-hours or so, but today he was mentioning possibly going for sub-24. But I have a feeling with the 100+ degree heat expected in the Canyons on Saturday that may be a bit too aggressive a goal. But we'll see! Either way, for runners and crews/pacers it's going to be a long day(s).

You can track the race, both the elites at the front and my runner in the mid-back of the pack at Ultralive.net - bib 383.T
Looking forward to hearing about it and following along. Really cool you can do this, take care of yourself while you're worrying about your runner.
 
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Really digging this biking stuff...........

Any of you biking guys use your phone for routes and whatnot? Thinking about getting a mount for my phone and using the Strava app to get turn by turn maps, but not sure which one to get. Using my running watch sucks since I have to take my hand off the bars to see where I'm at.

I'm going to go get the bike fitted to me, maybe upgrade the seat and tires/wheels. This bike is pretty old, but a nice one I think (Canondale R600) - just needs a little TLC.

Any tips/thoughts on gear selection? I was riding into the wind yesterday and had to drop down to 3-2 gearing and it felt like I was going nowhere. Seemed like I was stuck in between gears where 3-1 would be way too light and 3-3 would be a tad too heavy. I'm guessing you err on the side of higher RPM?
Not sure about bike mounts, but there are a number out there. Bike fit is always good - combine that with a seat fitting. Specialized has a good protocol for seat fitting that should get you a comfortable saddle (incredibly important). Tires - again lots of choices. I usually either buy cheap foldable tires or buy Continental 4000s (best overall tire out there).

Gear selection? If right now you have a wide cassette (11-27) and you're on flat land you can buy a narrow cassette (11-21) that will give you finer control. How many gears front and back do you have on this thing?
My brother really likes his Quad Lock. I'll probably go with that one after doing a bit of research.

I'm going to call the bike shop today and see if I need to schedule an appointment or just walk in. They have a few different fitting options.

3 up front, 9 in the back IIRC. On the 2 rides I rode, I only hit the top gear on big downhills. Otherwise I was floating around the middle gears for the most part. Granted I wasn't pushing hard at all - just cruising at a comfortable effort.

I've always seen you and BnB talk about power output so I got curious and looked at power meters. Holy crap that stuff is expensive!!!

 
SFBayDuck said:
A good week so far with four runs for 24 miles, including 8x30s uphill repeats yesterday. Took it really easy on 5 miles today with a long cooldown, and headed to my PT in a bit for a tune up. My IT band has been a little tight lately, so hopefully that will help.

I head up to Western States tomorrow morning. I'll stop at the finish in Auburn to pick up the runner I'll be crewing and pacing, and then we'll drive up to Squaw for registration and the pre-race meeting tomorrow afternoon. I'll be in full ultra fanboy mode again, I'm sure. Can't help it with a couple of dozen of the best MUT runners in the world around. On Saturday I'll be at the start at 5:00 AM, then meet him to crew at Robinson Flat (mile 30), Michigan Bluff (55), Foresthill (62), and then start pacing him probably sometime between 11:00 PM-3:00 AM at the Rucky Chucky river crossing at mile 78 and go to the finish. He initially said he just wanted to finish in 29-hours or so, but today he was mentioning possibly going for sub-24. But I have a feeling with the 100+ degree heat expected in the Canyons on Saturday that may be a bit too aggressive a goal. But we'll see! Either way, for runners and crews/pacers it's going to be a long day(s).

You can track the race, both the elites at the front and my runner in the mid-back of the pack at Ultralive.net - bib 383.
Where do you do your uphills at?

 
AAA - I like to practice breathing on both sides. Bi-directional breathing is an enjoyable way for some easy laps ...just a smooth rotation one way, then the other. What can help is to practice swimming with just one arm - go one length with just the right (and breathing right), then back with just the left (and breathing left) ...it's a very weird feeling, almost panicky, but good to get the feel of your stroke. In between strokes, just add a few kicks. When lake swimming, I don't do much bi-directional, but it's a nice break and, ultimately, useful in an open water tri. If you ever swim in a wetsuit, the dropped leg issue will be quickly addressed with the buoyancy of the wetsuit! I don't flip turn, either. A drill I like for the last lap or two of a workout is a real slow pace where, on the forward movement of my arm, I try to drag my fingertips along the edge of the water, which ensures I'm not swinging my arm too high. Feeling the control of that stroke is really neat. Now I'm getting fired up to get back in the pool (which I intend to do this fall at some point).
I used to be in a tri-club with coaches- both of whom were collegiate swimmers (and ultra IM guys). the slow finger-tip drag and then explode into water (I think emphasizing pushing down with the armpit) was something they emphasized over and over. I was always a 2 beat kick, 2 stroke breather (to my left).. mostly because I suck at swimming and felt more comfortable breathing more frequently and to the same side. I don't remember it getting in the way during races... unless the sun was on the side I breath to- but whatever.

IIRC- aand again, terrible swimmer, so it's more about remembering what the coaches were offering than from my own experience- the key was getting as long and straight as possible in the water while developing rotation with the kicks (the described the kick as if you're flicking off a flip-flop from your foot- not a big slamming thing, just a flick). my shoulders are completely inflexible- can't put my arms directly above my head while standing- so that drove my legs down. in training I'd just put a float between the legs and ditch the kick almost entirely. all my races were wetsuit- which, as Tri says, helps in a big way to bring the legs up. from there, it's draft, draft, draft.

 
Really digging this biking stuff...........

Any of you biking guys use your phone for routes and whatnot? Thinking about getting a mount for my phone and using the Strava app to get turn by turn maps, but not sure which one to get. Using my running watch sucks since I have to take my hand off the bars to see where I'm at.

I'm going to go get the bike fitted to me, maybe upgrade the seat and tires/wheels. This bike is pretty old, but a nice one I think (Canondale R600) - just needs a little TLC.

Any tips/thoughts on gear selection? I was riding into the wind yesterday and had to drop down to 3-2 gearing and it felt like I was going nowhere. Seemed like I was stuck in between gears where 3-1 would be way too light and 3-3 would be a tad too heavy. I'm guessing you err on the side of higher RPM?
Not sure about bike mounts, but there are a number out there. Bike fit is always good - combine that with a seat fitting. Specialized has a good protocol for seat fitting that should get you a comfortable saddle (incredibly important). Tires - again lots of choices. I usually either buy cheap foldable tires or buy Continental 4000s (best overall tire out there).

Gear selection? If right now you have a wide cassette (11-27) and you're on flat land you can buy a narrow cassette (11-21) that will give you finer control. How many gears front and back do you have on this thing?
My brother really likes his Quad Lock. I'll probably go with that one after doing a bit of research.

I'm going to call the bike shop today and see if I need to schedule an appointment or just walk in. They have a few different fitting options.

3 up front, 9 in the back IIRC. On the 2 rides I rode, I only hit the top gear on big downhills. Otherwise I was floating around the middle gears for the most part. Granted I wasn't pushing hard at all - just cruising at a comfortable effort.

I've always seen you and BnB talk about power output so I got curious and looked at power meters. Holy crap that stuff is expensive!!!
You have more than enough gears to find an appropriate cadence (and an appropriate cadence is very much self selected - just do what feels right). For the fitting options I question whether the upcharge for the video capture is worth it at all. For the bike you have I'd say no, and even with an expensive purchase I'd probably say no, particularly since you don't have any special issues to deal with. A basic fitting there should get you in tune. I do recommend getting fitted for a saddle and try some demo saddles. I did that and ended up with a Specialized Toupe saddle - even after my 125 mile ride that wasn't what hurt, so it fits me well.

On the PM side, yes, some are expensive. Prices are coming down pretty fast, though. Mine was worth every penny.

BTW, just found out I have a conference next June in Denver. Mt. Evans awaits. That will be epic beyond epic. And also found out they just cancelled my century ride with BnB. Bummer.

 
Two more miles this morning. A guy can get pretty badly out of shape in three months. This guy, especially.

PT this afternoon. I am guessing I get savaged by the Graston tool.

 
A good seat is way up on my list.... My ###/taint are still sore from Wednesday's ride. :no:
A few points here - decent bike shorts matter a lot. Get Body Glide (if you don't already) and use it. Make sure the seat is level.

Also, there is a transition period here. European cyclists call it "growing a seat" - you do have to get used to it. But I can say with 100% certainty that the wrong seat is torture and the right one is invisible (after you grow a seat).

 
A good seat is way up on my list.... My ###/taint are still sore from Wednesday's ride. :no:
euphemism's aren't necessary- you're among friends.
Let me translate:

Ned: I forgot to put the seat on the pole. Now my stuff hurts.
I forgot in which tour, but there was one not too long ago in which a guy broke his seat and rode the last ~20 miles standing. Can't even imagine.

 

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