SBR Endurance Group - CLOSED (Page 3)

Well how can I refuse a decorated group mentor? Just kidding, welcome to our group. You have some really good experience. Don't worry so much about weight this time of year. Many schools of thought currently suggest adding about 10# during the off season. Speaking of weight, you might find it helpful to add some weight training to your workout routine this time of year. I think you'll be surprised how much it will help you during your season.

I know what you mean about finding a distance that's right for you. Some of us are natural sprinters and some more into slow twitching. I find it all intriguing, but I must say my favorite lies between oly and HIM. Don't get me wrong though, the journey I took during training for, and competing in IM Coeur d'Alene was AMAZING and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm looking forward to taking another one probably in 2013 IMAZ, I'll be volunteering for the 2012 race so I can sign up on site since the race sold out in 6 min. online this year.

Again welcome, and be sure to live up to your title from last season's group. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Roger.

Hey Phillip, don't worry, that's what this group is for. If you have any questions about workouts, "training terms" or whatever, just ask them. There are quite of few experienced athletes in our group who can help you also, but I will always try to respond to any of your questions or concerns.

I'll bet it gets expensive bringing your bike with you on your trips, I guess unless your'e traveling by ground. Kudos for having a Y membership. I'll try and get by to check your logs also. Just try and remember to have a specific goal during your workout session also. Is it to build speed, endurance, strength etc.?

See ya back here soon, keep on tri-in.

Roger.

Open water swimming is kind of a different animal in relation to the pool and that's something many people find out the hard way in their first open water race. I'm glad you had the pleasure of finding this out before a race. The water is not always a comfortable temperature and flat as a pancake. You have to lift your head to sight your mark, and you have to contend with many other swimmers vying for the same turn buoy as you. Not your typical pool session. Keep it up, it will get better I promise. Congratulations on your first OWS.

Well that's just mean... Been on my trainer for almost a month already.  And it's not January....

Hi all, I have a couple of questions re equipment. I've got my new road bike on layby (almost paid for, woo hoo!!!!) and nearly have all the gear to deck it out for triathlons, all I am needing are shoes and aerobars. Finances are kinda tight till I start work again and so I'm tossing up the idea between just getting normal road shoes (which are cheaper) and the tri specific bike shoes which seem to be real expensive here in Oz by comparison and I'd prefer not to get the shoes online cause I want to make sure they fit properly. I was also told that road shoes are more comfortable for the longer distances and seeing as how my main aim is for HIM and IM, I'm thinking they'd be a safer bet.

The other thing is, I was all ready to buy some profile design aluminium aerobars for about $120, which the local bike dealer said are perfectly fine, but then I read that carbon is better for road dampening and eliminating the buzz (but twice the price). Because I don't plan on buying another bike until I at least have 1 IM under my belt and can afford a tri bike, I figure I'm probably better off going with the carbon, even if I have to wait to save up for them. Any ideas or experience with either?

Cheers for any advice - Simone

I've got road shoes, and really don't mind them.  Tri shoes make it easy to have your shoes already clipped in the bike, and allow for easy gliding your feet into them.  Other than that, I never really figured out a difference.  Tri shoes should allow for a quicker transition, but only slightly.  If you are racing HIM and IMs, I'd go for comfort.

I have aluminum areobars, based on pricing.  I have the profile design T2 clip ons, and think they are great.  They are fully adjustable, and may not be quite as light as the carbon, but I haven't noticed too much vibration with them.  Just my opinion...

Randy, welcome to the group. Great goals for the upcoming year. I'll bet you'll reach them too without too much difficulty. Keep posting here for accountability, and it will make those goals much easier to reach. Lots of KC dudes, cool.

Roger.

Hey Brandon, welcome to the group. You have the distinction of being the last, but not least, member to join. First of all, THANK YOU for you service to our great country. I think you will find triathlon training and competing to be challenging and fulfilling. Don't worry about all of the terminology and such, that's part of the reason why I/we are here. Don't be afraid to ask any question. I will do my best to answer it for you, or we have many athletes in our group with quite a bit of experience too. Come home safely, take a little time for yourself, and get ready to have a blast training and competing. See you here soon.

Roger.

Alright everybody, our group is now closed. I believe we have 16 athletes total with a wide range of experience. I will check in frequently to answer any questions, address comments, publish helpful material, provide some form of motivation, etc. As the holidays are almost upon us, I may not be so available, but will try my best. I do get an email every time someone posts, so I will see it. For some of us race season is now, for most of us, we have a long winter to get through. All part of the journey. Have a safe and happy holiday. This is going to be fun.

Roger.

Simone,

Just a couple of thoughts. You could find the shoes you want locally if possible, try them on, then order them online if it's a significant discount. Road shoes are fine. If you are a top level athlete where every second counts, with flying mounts, then maybe you'll need a try shoe. If doing long course, a few extra seconds to put on a road shoe vs a tri specific shoe is negligible. If in a sprint or oly, maybe those few seconds would be worth it. Both my wife and I race in road shoes. Not sure what type of bike you have, but aluminum bars would be fine. You can save your $ for a race entry by buying aluminum. On the other hand getting your money back on carbon bars when you're ready to sell shouldn't be a problem. Get yourself a good pair of padded riding gloves to dampen the vibration. Hope this helps.

Awesome, thanks heaps Roger & Mark, looks like road shoes and alluminium aeros is the way to go then. I'm hoping to have my bike which is an Orbea Aqua TSR, by mid Jan, that will give me a month to get used to riding it before my first race in Feb. It's been a hard slog training on a moutain bike, so I'm looking forward to the extra speed! :-D

Hey Simone,

I know what you mean by hard going on a mountain bike. I have been riding once for about a month and plan to do my first couple of sprints on one while I save up for a roadie. Congrats on the new bike.

Hey James,

yeah it's tough work isn't it! I thought I would be doing my first couple of races on it, but luckily I found a road bike on sale locally which I could afford and they let me pay it off. Hope you get your new ride soon too. When you do, check out this site for the accessories, not sure how much you guys pay in the states for gear but compared to Oz they are cheap as, plus int. postage is free!

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/

I used my mountain bike for the first season.  I put thin slicks on it to help with the speed but I was still much slower than everyone else.  After season 1 hubby said if I wanted to stick with it - it was time to buy a road bike but ya - you'll see people riding all sorts of bikes out there. 

Thanks Rodger!  And hello everyone, all you KC people!  All my in-laws live in KS and MO, so I spend some time up there each year.  Went 40 miles down the Current River in south MO in July!

"my wife is a massage therapist" oh man, that's nice!  And yes, I feel so much better after spending about 30 minutes on my foam roll!  I usually save it for my rest day and mix in some good stretching and balance stuff.  My calves love me for it!

Currently I'm training in heart rate zones and over 40 yrs old I'm using 190-age plus calculating a reserve with my rested heart rate (53).  All of this might be changing next week because I'm planning on finding my lactic threshold and seeing how close or off I am.

Saying that, I'm mostly running at the moment to load up for a couple of 1/2 marathons starting next month.  I have one run long a week building up to my 13 miles and three runs consisting of intervals, fartleks, and recovery.  Runs vary from a track (my wife's an assistant principal at a middle school 3 minutes from my house), treadmill, road.  My long run is always on the road.  My mileage is at a 9-11% increase each week.  Here's a break down of this week:

10mi, 70-75%, road.

6mi intervals on the track, 1mi WU, 8 x 0.5mi sprints, 1 mi CD, (start intervals when HR gets down under 70%)

4mi recovery, 65-70%, road

5mi fartlek on treadmill moving HR up and down between 65% and 85% w/o rest in between.

Now my question (sorry so long getting here), what would be a good HR target on race day?  Should I start off in Z4 (70-80) and slowly build until I'm near 90% at the finish line?  Or try and keep a steady 80-90% pace throughout?  Or what would you suggest?

Thanks, Roger. I am so happy to be a part of this group!

Races on my wish list for this year:

St. Anthony's in St. Petersburg, Fl. April 29th. Already signed up and paid. Did this one last year and have family there. I loved swimming in the ocean.

Max Trax Duathlon-April 7th. Did this one last year too and got 3rd in my age group! Medal and stood up on stage and everything. I was so excited till I found out there were only 3 in my age group. Lol, at least I got the experience and the medal!

Jay Dix 10k-May 12

Tinman-June 16, don't know anything about this one but hear everyone talking about it in the club.

Innsbrook Octomax- the longer one. This was my first tri. It is very difficult. Hills.

Jackson County?8/19

Redman-9/22

I would like advice on this list since I just went through and picked out some of the ones I have heard about. Not sure about distances, etc. So far I am planning on sticking to OLY distance because of the run. If I run too much I have old injuries creep back to bother me.

To all those struggling with the swim: Stick with it. If I can learn to swim, most anyone can I think. I could not make it 25 yards without having to stop and catch my breath and calm down the panic. I finally made some kind of breakthrough the month before my first tri. I swam every time I possibly could if even for a few minutes, had a coach and then hired a swim instructor before my ocean swim. I even passed a lot of people in the ocean instead of being almost last out of the lake the last tri.

I am really looking forward to this!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Jan

Anyone get anything good tri gear for xmas

I got a wetsuit, aero helmet, and some new running shoes,

gotta go break them in

p.s.(also walmart has a sale on gym shorts online $8.88 for 2pair if anyone cares to know)

p.p.s. anyone reccommend an anti chafing cause I got it pretty bad inside my knees

What about body glide for anti-chaffing?

My only TRI gift was not something under the tree.  I've been training since Sept. and my wife knows I'll be doing my first TRIs this coming season.  Friday night at bowling she says I want a new ball, to which I reply go up to the proshop and get one.  She says no, becuase she wants to do something that's a little more expensive.  I ask her what and she says she wants to sign up for the Pleasant Prairie TRI in June.  So Merry Christmas to me.  I'll be doing the OLY she'll be doing the sprint at that race and the TRI shorts I ordered her and the two tops I ordered her several weeks ago which she unwrapped this morning were perfect timing. 

So my TRI Christmas present is that my wife is getting involved with this sport the same time I am.  I'm happy about it.

Merry Christmas,

John