General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Am I in over my head? Rss Feed  
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2008-05-27 2:38 PM


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Subject: Am I in over my head?

Hi all I just joined this site after lurking for a while.  I need some advice.  I have completed two sprint distance tris (one 5 years ago and the other last summer).  I am 25 lbs overweight as a result of massive stress at work and am recovering from two injuries (I teach yoga part time and these are chronic injuries from teaching) one in my left shoulder and one in my left lat. 

I want to get fit and signed up for an Olympic distance tri on August 2nd.  The training plan I am using is already overwhelming me and I am in the lead-up stage...I feel like giving up.  Any suggestions on how to persevere without hurting myself further?  Or should I back off this race and prepare more completely for one in late September?

Sample of my plan

week 2

M swim 25 mins

T bike and run 25/20

W swim 30 mins

TH run 30 mins

F off/core 

S bike 1 hour

S run 4 miles 

This program has me running 13 miles during training and biking for 2.5 hours.  Swimming is easiest for me and running is difficult - my heart rate is always between 165-172 which seems way too high for someone who already has too many stress hormones :-).

 

Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

thanks

Erica 



2008-05-27 2:51 PM
in reply to: #1426552

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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?

Sounds like you are running to hard. Can you slow down running? Or consider doing a run/walk interval say run 2 minutes/walk 1 minute or 3/1 or 4/1 or whatever feels right. Do you train with heart rate monitor? If not I'd suggest looking into training with one.

When I started running was the hardest and it took awhile to get my body used to it.

Do you have a tri team you could join and find others to train with?

2008-05-27 2:53 PM
in reply to: #1426552

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Sneaky Slow
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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?
Yes, I was going to say run slower.  Or the walk/run combo suggested.
2008-05-27 2:57 PM
in reply to: #1426552

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Runner
Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?

Why do you feel overwhelmed?  Is it the volume?  Is it because you feel that you are working too hard?  Do you feel that you're just not into it?

I would address those issues. 

2008-05-27 3:04 PM
in reply to: #1426552

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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?

I couldn't help but notice that you are beginning week 2.  If you are just getting started then everything is going to hurt and feel overwhelming.  I would slow your pace down to finish work outs but don't give up.  These workouts that you are doing now will feel like nothing in a couple of weeks.  If you TRULY want to complete the olympic dist....those little thoughts inside your head that are telling you to quit are the only things that are standing in your way.  Make a decision to succeed....and give those little voices inside your head the finger as you cross the finish line! 

Good Luck!

2008-05-27 3:29 PM
in reply to: #1426552


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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?
Thanks everyone, I think I am overwhelmed because I think about how steep the training becomes in a few weeks and I am in pain from the long bike already.  I can run 4 miles without stopping, but my heart rate is high.  The most I have ever run is about 7 miles when I was 15 lbs thinner...its hard to run with that extra weight.


2008-05-27 3:31 PM
in reply to: #1426552

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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?

First of all, you say you are running 13 miles that week?  If four are on Sunday, then that means you are running nine in the 50 minutes total on tuesday and thursday.  That's a 5:30/mile pace.  Sooooo, take a deep breath and realize you aren't running thirteen miles per week.

Secondly, I've only added up an hour and 25 minutes of biking that week, not 2.5 hours.

Maybe I'm reading that wrong.  Perhaps you meant you'd be doing 13 miles of running in a future week and 2.5 hours in a future week.  Do not fret this.  These are the individual discipline heavy weeks.  They happen to coincide with a drop in volume of the other two.

Thirdly, change the way you deal with the stress at work.  The stress at work is not to blame, the way you deal with it is.  People find comfort in food, and it is a VERY comfortable place to run to.  The hardest thing to do is change your habits, and for now, you are going to have to be strong, be tough, and start finding your escape in training instead of food. 

Fourthly (am I making words up now?), and on the topic of food, you will have to change what you eat.  Simply training for triathlons won't shed the pounds.  You will need find low fat foods, eat whole grain foods, cut back on the sugars, plan your meals, and plan when you eat.  Again, this is hard to do, and it takes some serious want to and determination.

Fifthly, you may need to stop the yoga if it is the cause of your injuries.

I wish you all the best, and I know you can do it.  I know you can do it because I've done it.  I've been 50 pounds overweight and lost a scholarship because I found solace from life's stresses in food, beer, pot, etc.  When I started to turn it around, I found it to be demoralizing and just down right hard to do.  I looked for sympathy, for people to say, "I know it's hard, and good for you for trying."  I got a lot of that actually.  However, what I needed, and what I got plenty of, was a kick in the pants.  If it was easy, everyone would do it. 

You are at a point that nearly every single beginner triathlete has been.  The ones who succeeded are the ones who found a way to focus on the end goal and fight through it.  You will interact with them daily on this site, and I hope one day that you are one of them.

And I forgot to add:

Use this site extensively.  Use your training logs to track your progress.  It is a very motivational thing to look back and see how far you've come.  Use the nutrition logs to track your diet.  Join the challenges to push yourself month to month.  Read the articles, ask questions in the forums, just get involved.  The more you throw yourself into things revolving around your goals, the more success you will have.



Edited by sesh 2008-05-27 3:34 PM
2008-05-27 4:12 PM
in reply to: #1426699

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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?
Check out the Mentor threads, too. It's okay to lurk when they're full. If you read the first couple pages of several of them, you'll find a group that seems to "fit" and you'll read your own story many times over from others. I did this a year and a half ago when I was just starting out and it kept me going many times.

You could also PM the mentor to see if they couldn't take just one more ... people sort of disappear sometimes and space opens up.

Finally, just go day to day until you're in a groove. Never look ahead more than a cycle at a time. I made a 4 week calendar and crossed off each session done and colored the recovery week very brightly so I wouldn't forget it! As if.

My first run about 15 months ago I planned to do a mile and all I made was 3/4 in 8 minutes! I ran a half marathon in March and have several Olympic distance races planned for this year and, gulp, HIM next! You can do it!

Trish
2008-05-27 7:46 PM
in reply to: #1426552


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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?

Thanks again, I am inspired.  I really appreciate all the comments and will be posting and reading on this site more regularly.

 

best,erica 

2008-05-27 8:38 PM
in reply to: #1426552

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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?
You can do it!! Just remember, you don't have to set any landspeed records, walk/run combo if need be. Slow and steady to avoid injury.
2008-05-27 9:32 PM
in reply to: #1426552

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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?
What source did you get your training plan from? Did you look at the amount of time the plan recommends spending on each sport and the intensity at which the plan builds up to the peak week before deciding to follow this plan? If this plan doesn't seem to fit in with your schedule there are many others you could choose from including the ones on this site. In the book I use "Triathlete Magazines Essential Week By Week Training Guide" it offers training plans for all different athlete levels for each triathlon distance. There is even a plan for someone who wants to do the minimum amount of training to be able to finish the race. This one requires less time and something like this may fit in better with your schedule and may have you doing less intense workouts. Try to set mini goals for yourself, think about the goal you are working toward and remember the feelings of acomplishment you have after you meet each goal. You can do it!


2008-05-27 11:15 PM
in reply to: #1427547

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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?

Don't quit!!!

 I was 20 lbs overweight two summers ago, and didn't have any swimming background.

I barely swam 300 yards in an indoor tri in 7/06 and in 8/07, I did my first 1/2 Ironman where I swam 1.2 miles then rode 56 and ran 13.1 miles, and I am still alive to talk about it!

2008-05-28 7:40 AM
in reply to: #1426552

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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?

No, I don't think you're in over your head. 

Think about triathlon as a LIFESTYLE choice, and it takes time and effort to rearrange things (and you'll have to work hard to maintain the lifestyle as other things want to intrude) so you can train and recover. 

I'd second joining a mentor group.  I led one last January, but the time wasn't right this year for me.  Barring that, join one of the monthly challenges, or one of the weighloss challenges and start hanging out with like-minded people on BT.  A couple of hte BT'ers I regularly blog are people from my first BT swim challenge (in December '05). 

2008-05-28 8:10 AM
in reply to: #1426699

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Subject: RE: Am I in over my head?
4erica - 2008-05-27 4:29 PM

Thanks everyone, I think I am overwhelmed because I think about how steep the training becomes in a few weeks and I am in pain from the long bike already.  I can run 4 miles without stopping, but my heart rate is high.  The most I have ever run is about 7 miles when I was 15 lbs thinner...its hard to run with that extra weight.


Loose weight before you decide to do anything else. Because it is hard to find the energy to train while trying to create a calorie deficit to lose weight. Also running while 25# overweight might hurt your knees if you ramp up your mileage to fast.
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