MaXpiXie's Group - CLOSED and Motivated to Train!! :)

Randi, you have every right to brag, that's excellent improvement!  I saw in the other thread how you started at 5min/100yd and you're down to 3min/100yd and that's great.  I have no doubt if you keep at it you'll be swimming like a fish in plenty of time for the NJ State! 

I always feel like I'm one of the few people that actually *likes* the swim, so it's nice to see some pool-related enthusiasm!  I have some friends and co-workers who would be great at triathlon, only they're so freaked out over the swim that they won't even try.  Their loss!!

My new gym has a tri clinic coming up, I'd like to check it out but I can't seem to ever find the director to get details.  She's always "around somewhere" when I ask for her!

We should get together sometime for a run at Mercer County Park, we can easily run the sprint run course.  I might be able to take a long lunch or something, perhaps we could meet up with Carol too (mosc11); she's in the area as well.  Did I see you mention in another thread that you don't like running outside in the cold?  Give it a try - I did a lot of outdoor training last winter at the Manasquan Reservoir (where I do my long runs) and I thought I'd hate it but I really came to love it!  If you start off chilly, you'll warm up and feel just right

Not looking forward to the weather today.  It's just starting to sprinkle, and I can hear on my window that it's a tap-tap-tappy little rain, which probably means it's sleety

Cheri & Heather, welcome to you both!  Glad to have you aboard!  Sorry I didn't get a chance to stop in earlier, I was at a conference for work all day today - eek, no internet!  

Cheri, I hear you on the importance of keeping your early workout.  When that's the only chance you're gonna get, you have to grab it and hold tight!  That's the only time I can work out too, I'm usually at the gym by 5:30 am on weekdays.  If I skip or put it off until later, it usually doesn't happen.  Like maybe tonight - I couldn't hit the gym due to the conference this morning, and now it's almost 8 pm and I have NO motivation to get on the trainer.  Not to mention the baskets of laundry and the vacuuming that need to be taken care of.  Oy.

Heather, Danskin is SUCH a great experience.  You will see women of all shapes and sizes and every level of experience - the encouragement and support is SO inspiring.  I got Hi-5'ed by Sally Edwards at the swim start, and she Hi-5'ed me again as I crossed the finish line.  I think it's a testament to both the sport of triathlons (they're FUN!) and to Sally and the organizers of the Danskin series that every year, each race sells out faster and faster.  When I did the NY race, which is in Sept., I didn't register until July.  This past year, it sold out in May before I even had a chance to get in!

I'll try to hop back on tomorrow morning.  I've got some thoughts on goals that I'd like to ruminate on tonight and hopefully something smart-sounding will come out tomorrow

Happy Friday, Ladies!

(hey, do we need a group name?)

Sledge - 2007-12-16 8:33 AM Randi, I read in your logs that you shared a lane with two other folks. Swimming is definitely my shortfall, and one of the things I intend to do in the new year is to start incorporating swim training into my workouts. But to be honest, the whole swimming etiquette thing in intimidating. How do you join other people in a lane? Do you ask? And how do you pass people, or what do you do when someone comes upon you? And I'll be one of those flailing folks, so I guess I should just ignore the stares and snickers?

At the Y,  there are signs posted everywhere that when there are two people in a lane,  you can swim on one side each but as soon as you have a 3rd person in the lane,  you need to circle swim which means you swim up one side and down the other.  Usually,  when I get into the pool if there is someone else in the lane, I wait for them to see that I am there and then if they stop,  I ask if they have a preference for side of the lane.  Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.  If you are the 3rd person into the lane,  you just need to make sure those in the lane see you and it is a matter of timing your start so that you don't end up swimming over someone.  Normally,  if the person in front of you is slower,  they will tell you to swim ahead of them on the next lap.  If they don't, you can wait a minute and give them a head start.  It does slow you down a bit because you will usually catch up to them by the end of the second length.  When I passed the one guy, I knew the other guy was at the other end of the pool and I was not going to get into his way.  I could have just turned around mid pool and headed the other direction but wanted to complete my lap.  

The ironic thing is that sometimes someone resents having to share a lane with others and barely acknowledge your existence, or give you much room.  I don't let that deter me anymore.  I have just as much right to be in the pool as they do.  It is very frustrating when they jump into the lane with you and snarl at you as you swim past.

 When someone comes up on you,  the best bet is to push as hard as you can to get to then end of the pool and then tell them to swim ahead of you.  You don't want to stop mid pool because they won't expect you to do that.  If you can move to the other side of the lane without getting in the way of someone swimming the other way,  you can do that to let the person behind you pass you. 

 At the Y,  there are usually 2-3 lap lanes - one for recreational swimming/walking, one for medium pace and one for fast pace.  It is not too bad when everyone gets into the correct lane.  My problem yesterday was that they had multiple lanes but all but the one lap lane was being used for lessons.  They usually post how many lap lanes are available but I forgot to look.  If it says 2,  they they guarantee 2 and if you asked,  they would move everyone around so there would be two. I did not think it was a big deal especially because I was almost done.

If you have the flexibility,  the best thing to do when you first start swimming is to find out when the pool is least used and you have a great chance of having a lane all to yourself.  I definitely recommend taking a stroke clinic which will help improve your strokes and make you more efficient.  I learned to swim when I was a kid and had forgotten some of the mechanics.  The class really helped me improve.

Good luck with your swimming!

Randi

I love working out at the gym because like you said, I can train in all three sports. I don't really get a good feel for transition but it does give me a chance to see if I can move from one to the other...which I find I can do.  I do much better running after swimming and/or biking because I am warmed up/stretched out.  I would probably still not be running if I had to run outside without the advantage of the swim or bike warm-up.

 I do figure that once Spring rolls around, I will be outside riding/running more but swimming will still have to be inside. I don't have access to a large pool where I can swim laps.  The race organizers for the triathlon I am signed up for offers an OWS practice every Thurs evening come Spring but I won't be able to do that until late spring when the water warms up. I do want to do this a couple of times but it will take some effort to get there since it is about 1hr from my house.  I have to wait for the water to warm up because I don't have a wet suit nor do I plan to purchase one. I won't need it for the triathlon because the lake is usually too warm in late July.  I

Since I started training in October, I have been keeping track of my calories instead of the points for WW.  I have been trying to eat 5-6 smaller meals and find that I don't have moments when I have to eat anything and everything.  A lot of this comes from WW also and following their core plan where you eat until you feel satisfied.  I learned to know when I was starting to get hungry and would eat something rather than waiting until I was starving and would work my way from one end of the kitchen to the other.

While I know the scale has not moved, my clothes are fitting differently so something is changing.  I am healthier now than I have ever been in my life and feel great.  I love exercising (NEVER thought I would say that). I owe that all to Weight Watchers.

I would love to talk more about training or race nutrition.  I find I do have to eat before I exercise or I just cannot finish my routine, regardless of what I do. 

Randi

KK - Sure thing, welcome to the group!  What's your real name?

Cheri - good question on pre-workout/pre-race nutrition.  I find it's VERY subjective, from person to person and sport to sport.  I typically have to eat something before I work out, though my body doesn't like it much in the early hours, if I don't have anything, I run out of gas midway through a workout.  Before a swim I'll have something small - half a clif bar or a slice of toast.  I find a half PBJ is usually a good pick too.  Before a run, just toast.  Before a bike, I can pretty much eat anything and it's fine. 

Race day is even more difficult, because you add nerves to an early start.  I see a lot of race reports here where people start with a bagel, and I can't imagine trying to choke down a bagel before a race!    

Just remember the golden rule - nothing new on race day!!

Race day nutrition will be something brand new to me, not to mention the nerves. I will be lucky if I sleep for a few nights prior to the race much less be able to eat.

Right now for training, I usually eat a whole-wheat english muffin with a little  bit of lite peanut butter, a very little bit of sugar-free preserves, a glass of fat free milk and half a cup of coffee.  I was not a coffee drinker but find the caffeine does help me get goign with the exercise.  Sometimes I will just grab a kashi granola bar or a fat free yogurt but notice when I do not eat enough, I am dragging by the end of my workout.  I am eating about a hour before I work out so I think that does help.

I will probaby be one of those eating a bagel pre-race but with peanut butter or plan rather than with cream cheese.  I read on one of the forums that some people like to eat the uncrustables PB&J which I could see doing since I won't have to worry about making it,  just grabbing out of the freezer.  I could even take it on the bike with me or on the run if I can't get enough food into me prior to the swim.

Randi

Never tried an uncrustable, but I've heard the same advice, Randi.  Neato - but I'd never be able to stop my husband from eating them all on me before I ever got to a race!

Sorry I've been sparse, my parents came down Saturday to watch our son while we went off having fun in Atlantic City - and they're having car trouble so they're STILL here.  Not a big deal, but it means more entertaining for me to do and less time to compose thoughts - and posts! 

With the New Year coming up, I thought it would be nice for all of us to get our goals on paper.  What are the top 5 things you want to accomplish in Triathlon this year? 

Also, I don't know if you guys have ever used a mantra, but I find it soothing to focus on a little phrase or idea when the going gets rough in a long workout - be it a swim or a run (or maybe up a monster hill on the bike!).  Anyone have a mantra they'd like to share?  I have found that the best ones come up spontaneously, right when you need them most. 

"I'm fast, I'm strong, I can run - all day long!"  (That was mine from the NJ Oly last year)

"Lean and long, swimming strong!"

And when I'm losing steam at the end of a long workout, I tell myself "another mile is only 11 more minutes.  I can put up with ANYTHING for 11 minutes."  And then I do it again.  And again

How about you gals?

Oooh, and I see some of you Lovelies have not yet started logging workouts here at BT.  If you need some help feeling out the logs, just let me know and I will help get you up and ... well, Logging!