apw0397's group - CLOSED

Can I join?  

My name is Josh and I am 27 years old.   2007 was my first year of triathlons.  I did 3 Duathlons, 3 sprint tris, 3-5ks, 1-10ks and 3 mountain bike races.    I am currently training for my first 1/2 Mary which is on Jan 13. 

I am married with a 2 year old daughter. 

I currently work for a physician recruiting firm and work with mass mail marketing campaigns.   I like to say that I am a retired teacher- I taught Instrumental Music in public school for 4 years, and got tired of the long hours with little pay... I actually kind of miss it, I am thinking about returning, but havent made up my mind yet. 

2008 races-

I plan on doing my first HIM this year (Spirit of Racine) and also doing a couple of sprints and an Oly in preparation for my HIM.   Then I plan on competing at the USAT Club National Championships in Oct. with my local tri club,  Columbia Multisport Club (5 time national champs)

Weightloss-

In July of 2005, I weight 230 lbs (5'11" and I decided enough was enough and I bought a mountain bike and rode in on MUP by my house.  I lost 20lbs pretty fast and started cross country mountain biking as well.   My weight stagnated at 200-205 through 2006 until I decided I was going to start training for a triathlon.  In Sept of 2006 I started running and did my first 5k in October 2006.  Currently I am around 180lb but it has fluctuated from 170-180 over the last 6 months or so.   My goal is to be a solid 165-170.

What I want out of the mentor group-

I would like to meet new people and help inspire them to succeed.  I have lost about 50lbs over the last couple years and I think that I can help encourage others to reach their goals as well (Thats what I did as a teacher)  I also enjoy receiving feedback on the things that I am doing as well.  I am not the best athlete in the world, (band nerd most of my life) but it is always great to get some positive responses to your athletic accomplishments.

So thats a bit about me.... do I qualify for the group???  Please please, pretty please, with sugar on top 

 Josh

Andy, I'd really like to join your crew.

Beyond being a huge fan of both Scrubs and the Office, I'm a young Texan with big triathlon dreams who needs the extra support a mentor could give me. I'm 24, and coming off my 1st season of triathlon with 3 olympic distance races under my belt: Pacific Crest, Deschutes Dash, and Escape from the Gorge. I'm slated to do Escape from Alcatraz and Vineman HIM in 2008, but I've still got a long way to go training wise to get there. I've working my way past some leg injuries and am fired up to start training hard again.

Andy,

 Got room for one more? I did my first sprint this past summer and am now hooked. I signed up for an Oly next summer and a couple of marathons. I'm 39, married and have 2 boys, 8 and 4. I'm still struggling with the swim portion and need to work on the bike as well. I'm always looking for more advice, inspirations and humor!

Sonny 

To everyone who asked to join, I'll quote the great John McLane - "Welcome to the party!"

If you take a look at my blog, you can see I've been out of sorts due to traveling for the holidays. I'll start looking over your profiles and blogs this afternoon.

This should be fun.

OK, so I've had a few minutes (ok, 2 hours) to go through everyone's intro and take a look at your logs. Here are a few things general to everyone:

1. Log your workouts. Be as descriptive as possible. This isn't just for me, but it will help you as well. I like to look back at old workouts and see how I was feeling on the same workout a week, a month, or even a year ago.
2. Tell me about your equipment. No shame in whatever you have. I did my first tri on a $30 mountain bike and a t shirt. What kind of bike, pedals, aerobars, swim gear, heart rate monitor, running shoes, etc.
3. A couple of you didn't tell me a few key items. Really need to know your name and which discipline (swim/bike/run) is your strength and weakness.

I'll definitely be logging my workouts when I start up a real training schedule again in the next couple weeks.

My equipment: Cannondale r700 road bike w/ Shimano clipless pedals (thank you craigslist), DeSoto T1 wetsuit, Saucony running shoes, a Polar HRM (rs200sd, definitely recommend it!), a Computrainer, and a few other items like clip on aero bars (profile design), a fuel belt, tri shorts, etc. I'm mostly set, although eventually I want to upgrade to a mid range TT bike.

My strength is definitely running, but I've been making strides in swimming lately as well. My bike is the big weak spot holding me back, as I've had a lot of trouble with cramping during races. I bought a Computrainer this year so I could train during the cold months and really step it up this coming year. I haven't been on it much yet due to a pinched nerve in my leg, but that should hopefully be resolved in the next couple weeks as I've been working with a PT on stretching/massage. 

Ready to rock,

Travis

Lisa - Looks like you have a good plan so far. I would actually invest in the pedals first and then the wetsuit later. My rationale would be that you will see immediate benefits in training and racing. Also, since it takes a little time to get used to clipless pedals, the sooner you start on them the better. And be prepared to fall when you ride on them. EVERYONE FALLS.

About your run training. Coming from a running background, I understand your reluctance. Before tris I was usually running 5 or 6 days a week. Now I find that by running less I actually have improved. Due to injury this year my run volume was severely limited, but I still managed to knock off a few PR times.

Also, it's best to work on your limiters first. For me, it was the bike. Unless you are a complete stud on the bike, this is where you should focus most of your training. You spend most of the race time on the bike, why not train the most on it?

And about junk food....don't fret. I am such a sucker for junk food, especially donuts and kolaches. I'm a firm believer in the motto "I eat, therefore I tri."

Travis,

First, I'm jealous that you have a Computrainer and I don't. That being said, I think it will really help you out. There's nothing worse for me than a trainer (aka drainer) ride. I have to get creative with my workouts or I'll quit after a few minutes. The Computrainer should keep things interesting for you. If it doesn't, send it to me and I'll make sure it gets put to good use.

About your cramping during races, what kind are we talking about? Muscle cramping on the bike? Stomach cramps? Either way, it's not cool. Please explain and maybe we can figure that out before race season starts up.

Bob,

I agree, it's shocking how much shoes from a running store can cost. I would usually buy a cheap $40 pair of shoes from a department store and wonder why (a) they wore out so quickly and (b) why they felt horrible whenever I ran.

Congrats on the first nonstop 3 miler! That's a great accomplishment. Just keep it slow and easy - both in pace and in adding mileage - and you'll be amazed at what you can do.

Nino - Do you use HR zones for your bike and run training? If not, I would highly recommend it. It can be a bit annoying at first, but you'll see some great improvements if you are patient and stick to it.

Clip on aerobars should give you a nice improvement on your road bike. Just make sure that you get a good fit done when you get them. There's a big change to the geometry when you ride in aero, so having someone take a look at it can save you some injury.

Ryann - IT band issues can suck. I've never had them, but any kind of long-term injury can be a killer. Do you have a foam roller? There are also some good stretches you can do.

The Dolce Comp is a nice bike, but I'm confused about the racing saddle issue. Is there something wrong with the saddle that's on it currently? 

Same question I asked Nino. Do you use HR zones for your bike and run training?