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CactusTri's Group -- RECLOSED
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 2007-12-20 3:52 PM |
Extreme Veteran  432  |  Subject: CactusTri's Group -- RECLOSEDNAME: CactusTriathlete / Stephen STORY: I was a high school swimmer that hated running and stopped any formal sports after hs. Returned to running in the summer of 2005 as a mutual challenge with my 14yo son to train for and complete a half marathon together. I discovered that I actually was a runner (though not fast) and had gotten hooked on the active lifestyle. Cross training led to triathlons and here I am. FAMILY STATUS: Married for over 17 years, 2 sons 16 and 12. CURRENT TRAINING: My triathlon philosophy has been to complete any distance the first time I attempt it. Only after completing a distance will I plan to race the distance. I loosely (very loosely at times) follow Joe Friel's Triathletes Training Bible. I am very flexible with my training and will often do a harder workout than planned when I feel good or an easier one than planned when I feel I need the extra recovery. My first tri was March 2007 and in June 2007, I completed my first HIM. THIS YEAR'S RACES: First sprint to HIM in 3 months with a decent running and biking base before starting and 3 months of pretty consistent swimming before the first race. For all my race results, you can check out my race results page at http://andertfamily.net/RaceResults.aspx 2008 RACES: HM in Jan and my main goal is to complete IMAZ in April. No other races planned, but would like to get at least one other marathon in sometime in the fall and hopefully set a few PR's (marathon, 10k and 5k). WEIGHTLOSS: When I started running in 2005, I weighed over 250 lbs. Now I am right around 195. I am trying to slowly get down to 190 or a bit under. WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MENTOR: I have learned many lessons and found many resources since I started the road to fitness and I enjoy sharing these lessons and resources with others. I generally write a race report after every race I participate in and strive to include lessons learned as a part of each report. I enjoy encouraging others in their efforts and sharing in their successes. Since I logon to BT almost daily to log my workouts, it is easy to stay connected to my group and be able to provide a timely response to questions, encouragement or a friendly kick in the pants if it is needed. The mentor group I was a mentee in earlier this year was very valuable to me as I prepared for my first HIM and I would like to make it a great experience for someone else as well. Edited by CactusTriathlete 2008-03-06 11:52 AM |
| 2008-01-03 6:03 PM in reply to: #1112369 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Come on down, still room here. I may not be the most experienced mentor in the list, but I do have a lot of lessons learned that I can share. I will also be very persistent in "motivating" my team to log their workouts (and thus motivate them to DO their workouts). OK, really, this post is just to move my group to the first page for convenient access so people know that I am still open for business  (so sue me) |
| 2008-01-04 9:22 PM in reply to: #1112369 |
New user 7 Ashland KY/Lexington KY | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Well I will be your first! My name is Ross and I'm from Ashland, Kentucky but right now Im a student at University of Kentucky. Im 19 years old and about to start my second semester as a freshman. When i got to school i was just looking for something different to do. In high school I was huge into basketball and golf. They ruled my life all year round! I decided to give up on a couple scholarship opportunities to just go to school. But i was biting at the bullet to to involved in something. So i got the bright idea to start running. And i love to run! Im not the fastest person alive but i run around a 20 min 5k so i guess thats not too bad. After running all summer i came to school and met a couple people from the triathlon club and i got invited out to a meeting and it was all up hill from there. I have been training a little but i need someone to help keep track of me.... my first "big" race is april 19th and its collegiate nationals in alabama. Its an olympic distance but i might do a small indoor sprint in feb. Im really excited for this tri season. I just got a bike for christmas and im so ready to get out and start training! |
| 2008-01-04 9:41 PM in reply to: #1132122 |
| Member 24 Aurora, IL | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Hi Cactus, Well I could use a mentor. I have been doing sprint triathalons for about 3 years but only 1 a year and I tend to only do the all women one, the Danskin in Wisconsin, oh I am from Illinois a littly south of Chicago. My training could use a little push, I don't tend to like to run but I am trying to enjoy it, I hear that eventually you hit a euphoria and then can just run and run???? LOL...I haven't quiet gotten there yet, most of my friends run, they do half marathons, full marathons the whole gamit, the longest run I have done was an 8k and I have to admit I did walk some.
Kim ~
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| 2008-01-04 10:12 PM in reply to: #1135086 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN rossrenrut - 2008-01-04 8:22 PM Well I will be your first! My name is Ross Hi Ross and welcome! Congrats on being the first to join my humble group. Your sports background will serve you well in triathlon. And loving to run is a great component to your approach to triathlon. Many times I hear people complaining about how hard running is. A 20 min 5k is great, especially for being fairly new to running. What kind of bike did you get? How is your swimming? What training plan are you using for the Oly? |
| 2008-01-04 10:32 PM in reply to: #1112369 |
| New user 7 Ashland KY/Lexington KY | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN I got a new trek 1.2 series. About as basic as you can go! I decided that i wasnt going to spend too much money on a bike yet cause i'm new to the sport and i can upgrade anytime! so i bought some shamano clip pedals and some shoes and im gonna slap some good ole areo bars on there! My swimming is pretty good! I dont have much of a swimming background but i have a strong upper-body and i have life-guarded for 2 years and so i have a pretty good freestyle stroke. The only thing that i need to probably work into my swimming is i need to learn to incorporate more kick from my legs. I get pretty good at just letting my arms do the work and letting the legs just hang for the ride! I am taking lap swim this semester as a service credit and i heard the teacher will help out with strokes so that will hopefully put me on track. As for my training plan im using the 16 Week Olympic - 2x Balanced i found on here! I added in some small weight training along with it. ( link to training plan - http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=... ) My main goal for this first big race in april is to 1. finish 2 and not get dead last lol.. heres some other bits and pieces about me.. for u to get to know me - lived in kentucky my whole life! - have two older sisters who are both married and were both great runners in high school - am majoring business marketing and i plan on going to physical therapy school for graduate school -im 6'6'' and i weigh around 190 |
| 2008-01-04 11:01 PM in reply to: #1135131 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN kim39 - 2008-01-04 8:41 PM Well I could use a mentor. Hi there Kim! Welcome! That is great that you've been doing tri's for so long. Are you working with a training plan right now? If so, which one? Listen to Ross, it sounds like he's got "running is fun" down. I have been running for a couple years now. When I tried running several years ago, it was definitely NOT fun. When I learned how to run (slow increase in distance, pace, rest days, recovery weeks, good shoes) I discovered that I did actually enjoy running. As far as walking during a race, I think there are few (if any) people that don't walk some during most longer races. I know that including short walk breaks helps your body postpone the exhaustion that will hit you if you push the pace a bit harder than your body is ready to handle. I did my first HM with my son (14 yo at the time) and let me tell you we did take walk breaks. We ended up finishing in 2:35, which is a pretty respectable time for first time-new runners with only 5 months of training. I also weighed 60 lbs more than I do now at the start of that training. If I had waited till I lost some weight before training for the HM, I probably wouldn't have done it. The c25k program is GREAT. I have a friend that started doing that and is now working on the One Hour Runner. My 12 yo son has decided to give running a try and will be starting c25k next week. (that reminds me I need to download the podcast as that will make it more fun for him I think) Well, the swimming is the hardest leg for some folks, but the only hard part about it for me is getting up early enough to make it to the Masters Swim club that I swim with 3 times a week. With swimming, consistency is huge in terms of making progress. I have slipped the past month and only made it about once a week, so I need to get back on my 3 days/week for swimming. Well, I gotta run and finish my year-end review. I'll post a link when I get it done. Don't forget to log your workouts here so we can monitor each other and keep from slipping out of training. |
| 2008-01-04 11:26 PM in reply to: #1135231 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN rossrenrut - 2008-01-04 9:32 PM My main goal for this first big race in april is to 1. finish 2 and not get dead last lol.. Good call on the bike. I didn't want to spend too much either and my "starter bike" has been good to me. I am thinking of upgrading now, but need to sell my motorcycle first. Conventional tri-wisdom actually says that you need to use your legs as little as possible in the swim as you will be depending on them heavily later on. In fact, if your races are wetsuit legal, your legs will not need to do much to stay out of the way and simply light kicking will be all you need, especially as your races get longer. I think that a lot of folks use the plans here and have good results. I have Friels book Triathlete Training Bible. I follow it a bit loosely and have started to incorporate the running work from Daniels. My swimming usually just follows whatever my Masters group does. I was born and currently live in AZ. My wife was also born here, but we met in MN and after getting married decided to move back here. So did you get your love of running from trying to catch your sisters or get away from them? Wow, you are 4" taller than me AND you weigh less. That will motivate me to work harder on watching what I eat. And your goals are the same as my goals for IMAZ in April. They are good goals to have. I'm guessing you have super secret goals (mine for AZ is 15 hours and less would be awesome). Don't forget to log your workouts so I can keep track of you and encouragement as we go through this. Take care |
| 2008-01-05 1:59 AM in reply to: #1112369 |
| New user 4 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Hi Cactus, I'd love to join your group. I am a 44 yo ER physician from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Married 21 years and have 5 children. I have a hectic schedule and need to stay focused on training the next 5 months as I have signed up for a HIM May 31, 08 in Georgia. I have intermitently trained for 8 years. Initially, running 1/2 marathons (2 hr pace with my last one May of 06) and for the last 2 years training on my own and have added swimming and cycling (my love of the 3 events). The last year I have been faithful in my training. Now I need to tie it all together. I did do one olympic distance tri last september and I am hooked. I am 5'9" and 182#. Down from 195# a year ago. My health is good. Nutrition has become a big interest for me. I currently use the cyclo feul plan found at cyclo-core.com along with several of the other products from the website. I highly recommended for anyone interested. I do not currently have a tri-bike and am using a Cannondale Caad 8 without aerobars. Due to weather I'm limited to the trainer and my treadmill for 2-3 more months. I have easy pool and gym access. I just joined BT and signed up for the 1/2 IM 20week training plan with Coach AJ I look forward to hearing from you! Mike PS The DUKEINFW stands for the fact I am a huge Duke basketball fan who lives in Fort Wayne. I hope that is not a problem  |
| 2008-01-05 11:20 AM in reply to: #1112369 |
| 1 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN I am a 23 year old female from Phoenix and I'm a complete beginner. I have never done a triatholon before but I have always thought about doing it. I need a ton of help. I don't even know where to start. My problem is motivation and just being clueless. Like you I swam all through high school but haven't done any sports since. I was training with a Master's group but have taken a 2 month break but plan on going back next week. I have always hated running because I never felt like i could do it (i think a lot of swimmers feel that way) As for biking, i don't currently own a bike but plan on buying one. So like I said I am completely clueless but up for the challenge. I don't know where to begin and that's part of my problem. Let me know if you want to take on this challenge. Angie |
| 2008-01-05 12:05 PM in reply to: #1135376 |
| New user 7 Ashland KY/Lexington KY | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Mike PS The DUKEINFW stands for the fact I am a huge Duke basketball fan who lives in Fort Wayne. I hope that is not a problem Hey mike welcome... im ross and just putting out there i hate duke! i bleed kentucky blue ha |
| 2008-01-05 12:22 PM in reply to: #1112369 |
Extreme Veteran 590 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Hi Stephen! My name is Brian and I am true noob to Tri's. I am going to attempt my first sprint in March. I have a good running background (competed in numerous 5k's, 10k's and half marathon and also recently attempted a 50K ultramarathon but DNF'ed due to cramps at mile 21. I have so so experience on a bike (mostly MTN Bike) am am looking to buy first tri bike soon. I have limited experience in water - I can swim fine, but have quickly learned that running fitness and swimming are NOT correleated. I can run for days but can go about 100M at the most before needing about 30 secs to catch my breath. I have no fear of water, however. I am 37, ex-college athlete and need to drop about 45 lbs. I am currently about 235lbs and 6'. I live in the Atlanta area and work as a Realtor. I am single but getting married in April and it will be my first marriage. My fiance is a runner but has no desire to try the 3 sport animal. Not yet at least. I am also a HUGE Duke fan! Do you have room for another member in your mentor group? I definitely need the direction if so. Brian |
| 2008-01-05 1:57 PM in reply to: #1135376 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN dukeinfw - 2008-01-05 12:59 AM I'd love to join your group. Hi Mike and welcome! You've got a few years and several kids on me (17 years & 2 kids). I would imagine that being an ER doc does keep your schedule pretty challenging. It sounds like you are aware of the benefits of training consistently. We will try to keep you honest and on target. Nutrition is a huge deal for me as well, especially on HIM and IM distance stuff. I have been working on my nutrition plans when I do long bike and brick sessions. I have a road bike with clip on aerobars. the aerobars make a big difference in sustained speed as well as comfort when riding long. If you keep your eyes open, you can find a decent set for $50-$100. (performancebikes.com carries them). Congrats on getting a training plan and coach. Keep us posted with how that goes. I have no real alliances with any sports and rarely watch much other than triathlon, cycling and running events, so your Duke allegiance is ok with me |
| 2008-01-05 2:16 PM in reply to: #1135691 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Apuma - 2008-01-05 10:20 AM Let me know if you want to take on this challenge. Angie, Welcome! Nice to have another AZ folk in my group! As a complete beginner, you are in the right place. We can answer all your questions, but you need to ask. Things to think about: BIKE: You don't need to spend thousands on a high end tri bike (though if you have the $$$, get 2 so you have an extra one for me LOL) For a sprint, you don't even need aerobars. I would recommend a road bike, but if you want a mountain bike, get smoother tires instead of knobby ones and that will help it roll smoother and make you have to work less. NEXT STEP: Determine your budget for a bike (or find a friend that can loan you one for practice rides and for your first race) RUN: I am a believer in starting slow. I would recommend finding the "Couch to 5k" plan (active.com has one and you can print it for free). The first week is only 3 days of 20 minutes of run/walk. It allows your body to get used to the stress of running. Next step: Log your workouts here (even a 20 min run/walk or an easy swim) so we can keep tabs on you! |
| 2008-01-05 2:33 PM in reply to: #1135820 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Trail_Runner - 2008-01-05 11:22 AM Do you have room for another member in your mentor group? I definitely need the direction if so. Brian Welcome Brian! Sounds like you've got running and swimming down. Sorry to hear about your DNF, but ultras are LOONG. It is better to DNF and try again than push too hard and get hurt bad enough that you can't train. The secret to biking (I am told) is biking. The more you ride, the better (and faster) you get at it. See my comments to Angie about bikes. You have learned what is called the specificity of sport. You do get some cross-benefits in terms of additional cardio capacity, but you need to make sure you get enough work in each sport. One warning about swimming is that many triathlons (especially longer ones) are not in swimming pools. These are Open Water Swims (OWS) and are often a humbling experience even for experienced (pool) swimmers. I try to get out to a lake with friends every week or two for the last couple months before a big event. Congrats on the pending wedding. Give her time, you will probably have a triathlete on your hands by the time you cross the first finish line Have you given any thought to training plan? Welcome! |
| 2008-01-05 6:58 PM in reply to: #1135820 |
| New user 4 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Brian, Great to have you on board...another Dukie will be fun to have around! If you need help with the bike I highly recommend Cyclo-core.com and Gramme Street. He has a 50% off special this weekend due the birth of his second child and cyclo core, cyclo speed and cyclo zen are all worth the investment. Buy the book Swimming Made Easy (cheap and easy to read)...I was in the same situation as you and in the matter of 1 week I was swimming 1/2 mi plus. It is all in the technique and esspecially mastering breathing techniques, it sounds like you have the fitness. Good Luck!! Mike |
| 2008-01-05 7:09 PM in reply to: #1135278 |
| Member 24 Aurora, IL | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- OPEN Thanks! It's good to be with a group and a Hi to everyone else in the group, it looks like we have a great range of folks with different specialties which can only help us all. I will so need help on really getting started on the swimming, I know how to swim took the lessons as a kid but not race swimming, and usually in my last few tris I have done more of a side stroke which is ok but I definately do not have the speed I would like. Have a great weekend all! Kim ~ |
| 2008-01-06 9:37 PM in reply to: #1112369 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- CLOSED OK Gang, I would like to ask you guys to do something. I would like all of us to watch everyones Training Logs. The first step to do that is to add all of us to your Friends list. In case you haven't done that, you click the "Change Display Settings" link on the left side of the Training Log screen and add our usernames to the friends list. I'm sure there are other ways to do it, but that is what has worked for me. rossrenrut - Ross kim39 - Kim dukeinfw - Mike Apuma - Angie Trail_Runner Of course, this means that all of you will need to start (or continue) logging all of your workouts. Anyway, I need to work on my year-in-review and also my ride report from my century bike ride today. Have a great week folks and get out there and get running, biking or swimming. |
| 2008-01-08 11:50 PM in reply to: #1137971 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- CLOSED CactusTriathlete - 2008-01-06 8:37 PM rossrenrut - Ross kim39 - Kim dukeinfw - Mike Apuma - Angie Trail_Runner - Brian CactusTriathlete - Stephen (me) Of course, this means that all of you will need to start (or continue) logging all of your workouts. OK, first of all, apologies to Brian for leaving his name off the list. I was cutting and pasting and i guess I dropped his first name. Sorry Brian. When I fixed that here, I also added my name to the list. Please feel free to add my name and drop in on my. Questions, comments, thoughts can be done via Inspires on my training log, personal messages or as replies to this discussion thread. I see my training log at least once a day and I get email notification if you use the other two ways, so you can expect a response fairly quickly. I hope things are going well, but I only see one person logging their workouts. Another has not opened theirs up for me to see and several of our group have been pretty quiet since they asked to join. Please pop in here from time to time with questions or at least to say "hi" and let us know how your training is going. My year-end review is up. I kept it pretty short, but if you get a chance, please drop by and take a look. Drop me a note here or on my page with the "Contact us" link to let me know what you think. http://andertfamily.net/blogs.aspx I still need to do a ride report for my century ride on Sunday. I am pretty happy about it in spite of coming in tied for DFL with a friend. Should be a fun report to write and be a lot less strenuous than the ride was. Well, train well and often. Keep safe. |
| 2008-01-09 2:21 PM in reply to: #1112369 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- CLOSED OK, Just a short note on swimming, or as many triathletes call it ... the curse of triathlon. That is because many people are not comfortable swimming, or at least not swimming competitively. Remember that swimming in a race is considerably different than hanging out in the backyard pool tossing the Frisbee around. Not to scare you off, merely encourage you to start your swim training early as that will greatly help your skills and thus your comfort level. If you are not currently swimming regularly (or just started back) you will want to find a swimming club where you can get some good feedback and coaching on your stroke. I've heard it takes about 3 times per week to maintain or make some improvement in swim ability. I swim with a Masters Group, and my coach was talking with several people about doing a several week "swimming for new triathletes" session. If you talk to the folks in your local triathlon or swim store or Google "Master swim +your city/state" to get a list of local Masters clubs. Talk with them about your skill level. Many will let you attend for a few days to see if you are in the right group. The coach will probably be able to recommend the best approach for you, whether that is taking a few private/group lessons or joining the Masters group. They are pretty reasonable (mine is $35/month for 3 hours of coached swimming a week). It is worth it. In HS, I was a competitive swimmer (finished 4th place in the city-wide HS meet) but then didn't do any competitive swimming for 20 years. I joined my Masters club a year ago and managed 900m for a few weeks (in 1 hour). I am now regularly in the 1700-1800m range and have broken 2000m several times in the same 1 hour workout. Well, feel free to comment or add your own thoughts either here in the discussion thread or in my Training Logs (under the "Inspire me" links) or via private message. Keep on training! |
| 2008-01-09 6:06 PM in reply to: #1112369 |
| New user 7 Ashland KY/Lexington KY | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- CLOSED Hey group... hope training is going well for all! On an upbeat today classes started back for spring semester so that consumed most of my day but in between classes today i got a run in and it was one of my best runs ever. Not very long at all but i kept a very respectable pace without crashing. I ran 2.8 miles (2.85 to be exact lol) and i ran it with a 6.02 mile pace! Just to make note i have never been a great runner but this gives me some hope. I felt great the whole run! I decided because i didn't have so long to run that i would run hard on my favorite out to back course which is 2.8 miles from my apartment! Usually i just run at really comfortable pace ( around 8:30) so you see why im so stoked! 8:30 to 6 minutes flat is huge! but enough of me bragging lets here what you all are improving on! |
| 2008-01-09 10:40 PM in reply to: #1112369 |
| New user 4 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- CLOSED Hi, Long day in the ER. A 1 hr swim before work and workout at home after realy made it rough. Day shifts are murder as i get home late. I see a problem and it will need some work to get around with these day shifts. I choose a challenging training program and the ADD MD mentality is not going to give up! Just because it is time consuming. |
| 2008-01-09 11:06 PM in reply to: #1146473 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- CLOSED rossrenrut - 2008-01-09 5:06 PM I ran 2.8 miles (2.85 to be exact lol) and i ran it with a 6.02 mile pace! WOW, That is GREAT! Keep up the good work. |
| 2008-01-14 4:06 PM in reply to: #1146995 |
Extreme Veteran 432 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- CLOSED Hello again folks. I just ran a HM this weekend with a nice big PR for myself: 1:46:25. Down from 2:03 1 year ago (same race) so I am feeling pretty good about my training right now. I just was asked a question about swimming. I have not coached a swimmer in 20 years (and then is was coaching my HS girls team (4 girls that only competed in the 4x100m relay and had not done any swimming before) so take my advice with a grain of salt and feel free to add thoughts of your own. Q:Just to improve my time....what would be the first thing you would tell a beginner to work on in the pool? A: First of all, even a lesson or two will probably help you more than anything I could write. If you are swimming at the gym, they probably have an "intermediate adult swim" class or something like that. Otherwise check the Y, I think they have boatloads of classes. Someone semi-experienced watching will be able to tell you things that you can do different to get better. Even asking a lifeguard for tips could make a difference. Things to keep in mind are you are faster the more streamlined you are. Keeping your chin tucked into your chest so your face is facing the bottom of the pool is good. Long strokes with your arms that go from all the way extended over your head, pulling the whole way till your hand is leaving the water. I have found that sometimes my hand will just "take it easy" from about the halfway point. Since you are moving foreword, it will naturally just flow, but what you want if for your are to be pulling (and then pushing) the water all the way. Breathing is another thing that will help you be more streamlined, but I'll save that for another day. |
| 2008-01-14 4:11 PM in reply to: #1112369 |
| New user 4 | Subject: RE: CactusTri's Group -- CLOSED Hi All, Training for swimming is tough without a coach..I've found out! The video's on this website are helpful though. Great drills that really get you thinking about what you are doing. Mike |
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