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Re: Question - removal of paint markings...

guest — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:24:16 GMT

I'm confused. Why do you want to take them off?

Re: Training alone for first Olympic distance triathlon

guest — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:22:25 GMT

While you'll probably have to do most of your swim training in the pool, it would be VERY beneficial for you to get some open water experience. I usually work out alone because of my schedule, but open water swimming is one thing that I will NOT do by myself. Hopefully you have a local triathlon club or some group that has group open water swims. There are just certain aspects to open water swimming that you can't get in a pool (sighting, the fact that there are no lane lines or walls, etc.). Some people (including me) get panic attacks the first time they try to swim in open water - better to learn how to cope with it and get it behind you in training than on race day.

I've never used a wetsuit, so sorry that I can't help you there. (No, I'm not superman, I've just never swam in cold water).

Biking indoors vs. outdoors is kind of like swimming indoors vs. outdoors. Spin classes will help you with pedalstroke technique, general base fitness building, and cadence practice, but there's nothing like the open road - the resistance is just different and on the real road you can't really control the hill that you're climbing. Try more residential streets at first, or if you can find a large industrial/office park that's kind of quiet on the weekends (as long as it's not in a high crime area).

I haven't used Nike Plus; I use a Garmin GPS watch for biking and running to measure my pace and heart rate. But it's certainly not a bad idea - it's always nice to have a good idea of how fast you're going.

Also, don't be afraid to start with a sprint-distance tri for your first time. It's a bit easier to handle - especially the swim.

Good luck!

Re: Nasty things you've seen when running (or walking, or standing)

guest — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:55:33 GMT

I'm going to have to say half decomposed deer on the side of the road. Pretty much just skin and skeleton, and I practically had to hurdle it. Thank goodness it wasn't hot enough outside for it to smell.

Re: First Triathlon

guest — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:32:47 GMT

There's a lot out there to learn. This website has a whole message board - just surf it for ideas. Also try beginnertriathlete.com . USAT is the governing body and it's worth a scan of the rules to know what not to do. For instance, drafting on the bike is prohibited. Basically, you have 15 seconds to pass someone, you can't just ride on their tail. I think with most local sprint triathlons, that may not be strictly enforced, but the idea is, don't just ride in someone's draft. At one pre-race briefing for first-time triathletes, they explained that you should imagine a Toyota Camry between you and the bike in front of you. If you are closer than a car length, either back off or speed up and pass. Once you pass, the burden is on the person who was passed to drop back.

Get practice in all three disciplines - ok, I guess that goes without saying. But, more importantly, try to get in a few "brick" workouts, that is, bike then run immediately afterward. Your legs will feel weird and you probably will feel like you're barely moving (because you were just biking at 10-20 mph and now you're running 5-7 mph). But the more you do it, the more your body will adapt to the transition. You don't have to run far on these workouts - a mile is fine, it's primarily to train your body for the transition. I usually just take a 1 mile run to one of my bike workouts each week.

There's so much more out there, but mostly just have fun and you'll learn as you go. Most triathletes are very helpful and friendly.

Good luck!

Re: Should I do a "trial run"

guest — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:20:27 GMT

That's not a bad idea at all. You'll have two weeks to recover - that should be plenty of time.

Re: First Marathon Done!

guest — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:17:43 GMT

Congrats on a great first marathon! I've run 4 and still haven't come close to your time.

Do you take ibuprofen or naproxen before you race? That can mess with your body's ability to process electrolytes. Killed my 2008 MCM due to calf and quad cramps. Still finished, but my 2nd half was 38 minutes slower than my first.

Or you're simply running too fast.

3 weeks to New York - wow! I don't think there's much of a training plan for that. Considering that most plans have you taper for 3 weeks prior to the marathon, you're really just starting another taper. And, considering that you just ran a marathon, not just a 20 miler, I'd make it an easy taper if I were you. Maybe just 8 miles for the weekend long runs and do the same midweek runs as you did for your last taper. And keep the pace easy, especially this week. Heck, take 3-4 days off, too. Otherwise you may be doing more harm than good.

Re: Here we go again..

guest — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:27:28 GMT

Mariah and Ruby running in cheetah skirts?!? Kinda wish I'd signed up for this race!

Anyway, enjoy your taper MCMers and have a great race! I'm 2 weeks behind you all, training for Richmond, so I have 18 and 20 still to do. It's all good.

Re: How often to drink gatorade during the marathon

guest — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:03:40 GMT

Now I'm not a doctor, but...

the rule of thumb that I've always heard is to not lose more than 2% of your body weight. Personal experience has supported that - on runs where I've lost around 3% or more, my pace died off in the later miles. So, for your long runs, weigh yourself right before and right after the run and note how much weight you lost. That loss, plus what you drank, is what you sweated out. Divide that by the miles you ran and you know how much you're sweating per mile. That's roughly how much you should be taking in. Keep in mind the temperature when you run vs. the temperature on race day; that of course makes a pretty big difference. And I do think it's perfectly normal to lose a pound or two during a long run. But once you get over 3 then you're probably not getting enough fluids.

I weigh 165 lbs and most of my marathons have been in 50-70 degree temps. I drink at every 2-mile aid station. What's frustrating is that I usually have to stop and take a leak at least once - my last marathon was in 35 degree weather and I had to stop 3 times. However, the only marathon that I didn't have to stop on, I developed terrible cramps in my calves and quads starting around mile 16. I didn't drink much before the race because I didn't want to have to make a pit stop. First half took me 2:07, second half was 2:45. I bet a couple of pee breaks would have cost me less than 38 minutes!

Re: Marathon Total Training Miles?

guest — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:50:50 GMT

I'm doing the FIRST marathon training program this time around. I only run 3 days per week, typically putting in about 29-33 miles each week. It's way below what most of you are doing, but those 3 runs include an interval session, a pace or tempo run, and a long run that is faster than most plans recommend (usu. about 30 seconds/mile slower than planned marathon pace for the 20s, closer to marathon pace for the shorter long runs). I also bike once a week and swim when I get a chance.

So far in my training I'm holding up well on my long runs and performing well in my interval sessions - I don't know if that's the result of this plan or simply the cumulative effect of training over the last few years (this will be marathon #5, on the 3rd anniversary of my first one). I won't know for sure until Nov 13, I suppose. Even then, if I PR it could just be experience, but overall I like the plan. Plus, with my wife going to personal training sessions every Mon, Wed, and Fri morning, this plan is what I can fit into my schedule. It is about time that I give someone else in the family a chance to work out in the mornings.

Oh, total mileage from June 1-November 12 (pre-marathon) should come in at 557, plus about 300 miles of biking and about 22,000 meters of swimming (hey, that sounds impressive when I put it that way).

Re: Important long run announcement for the weekend of 9/25-9/26

guest — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:04:30 GMT

Thanks for the info! That explains things, 'cause I ran 20 on Sunday, and it sure did suck! It was my first 20 of the season, and it left me dead. Worse than dead, my band aids fell off and I nearly contracted the dreaded BN (Bloody Nipples). Apologies to anyone unfortunate enough to see me run with my shirt off, but I had to do it. Note to self, get Band-Aid brand, not Curad. Or better yet - duct tape.

But it beats last year on this same weekend. Due to various family obligations, I couldn't run in the morning, and had to start my 20 miler a little after 9pm on Sunday night. Finished just before 1am. When you finish a run that late, take a shower and then hop in bed immediately afterward, you wake up the next morning feeling like you were hit by a train.

But as others have said before me, it's the suckfest long runs that make you stronger for raceday. I've never run a marathon without having at least one long run during training that totally sucked. Now I hope I can check that box for this year and move on.

P.S. - Good luck to all y'all who are running MCM this year! I'm two weeks behind you, running my hometown Richmond Marathon on Nov 13.