Low intensity training is working

[tommy]

After about a month of throttling it down and lengthening it out, the results are very encouraging. Quick recovery. Lower appetite and weight loss. More flexibility. Better motivation.

Using a heart rate monitor (Polar RS100), I keep my heart rate under 135 BPM and lengthen my workouts each week. I set 135 as the upper limit and it beeps at me when I reach 135 - and slow down until I get around 115.

Long swim is up to 50 minutes at a time. Long run 45 minutes. Long cycle 90 minutes. I'm ready for (and have done) some speed drills in swimming. Need to get endurance higher (and lower weight) in running and cycling before I push speed drills in those, especially running.

Swam my fastest mile ever this week - under 40 minutes!:)

Resting HR consistently is in the low 50's. Actually hit 49 one morning. Don't need the monitor to take my pulse in the morning, just be quite and listen.:rolleyes:

Still having PVCs but doing my duty to ignore them for the most part.

Hoping to get in several sprint tri's and runs this year and maybe a spot on one of the VR.com relay teams.:D

[MarkU]

Tom,
Congratulations on your progress.
I started HR training about 10 months ago under the direction of my triathlon coach. I underwent some lactate threshold testing to determine my training zones. For me that is 127-140 on the bike and 134-143 running for endurance/fat burning (zone 2) base training.
Although staying in my HR training zone forces me to run at what feels to be a painfully slow pace, my actual time/mile while in zone 2 has dropped by more than a minute/mile. Still slow, but hopefully reflecting improving conditioning. My resting HR has dropped to 44 BPM, which has amazed my cardiologist.
I've got a session scheduled with my coach next week to discuss adding some interval and tempo runs to start working on improving my speed.
My biggest problem is my diet - I still eat (& drink) too much of the wrong things.
Good luck and keep up the good work!
Mark

[Mary]

I was thinking about your post while I swam this morning, Tommy.
I'm trying to keep my HR at 125 with a range of 115-135. That is hard to do when I'm jogging; I keep creeping up to around 144 by the end of the work-out. On the other hand, when I finished a 40 minute swim today, my HR was 95. I wonder if I could average the two and claim a 120??;) ;) :p :p

I also started having PVC's again. I always had them before surgery, but didn't have them at all until a few weeks ago. I"m going to mention it to the cardio when I go in mid-May. Mine are always associated with sudden exertion; never when I'm working out.

All in all, I'm feeling more like "me" all the time. And yep, I'm working on securing a spot on a VR relay team too!:cool: :cool:

[tommy]

Although staying in my HR training zone forces me to run at what feels to be a painfully slow pace, my actual time/mile while in zone 2 has dropped by more than a minute/mile. Still slow, but hopefully reflecting improving conditioning. I am glad to see you post that. I think that may already be happening, but it's too early for me to call it a trend. Yes, eating is my downfall. The lower appetite helps. RHR=44? Whoa baby, that's close to Lance Armstrong territory.

BTW, I'm visiting my parents for a couple of days in Leesburg. This is a pretty quick trip, but I hope to spend a few minutes in Clermont checking out the Tri site. Maybe we could get together some other trip - maybe do a Tri together in Clermont.

Mary, yes jogging is the hardest for me to find a good pace under the limit. When my watch beeps at me (135), I walk until it gets down to 115 and then try (again) to find the right pace to stay steady. I'm convinced that my PVC's are aggravated mostly my stress. As for the math, you're the shcool teacher (intentional typo for added sarcasm). Is that "new math"?:rolleyes: Glad to hear you are feeling better and better!:)

[MitralMan]

I know the HR stuff works, and like you, I simply eat too much of the not-so-good-but-man-it-tastes-good stuff.

:)

[msiwik]

I know the HR stuff works, and like you, I simply eat too much of the not-so-good-but-man-it-tastes-good stuff.

:)

Mark - I will be particularly interested in the frequency of your interval training. Tommy - great work/great approach! Mark

[MarkU]

Mark - I will be particularly interested in the frequency of your interval training. Tommy - great work/great approach! Mark

I'm currently on a 2x weekly schedule with swimming, cycling and running. Just met with my triathlon coach this afternoon and he is putting together a specific race season training plan for me. We discussed running three days per week, since that's my weakest event: One long run, a tempo/interval workout, and a recovery run. I've basically just been doing base training for the last six months. My training plan will be adding more interval work to build-ups to my races. I'll post the plan as soon as I get it from my coach next week.
My diet is a big problem. Need to do better job of watching what and how much I eat. My coach suggested that I consider eating five small meals per day, including something around 2:30PM on the days I work out after work.


I'm also going to a two-day workshop with Joe Friel the weekend after Easter. Looking forward to that.

[tommy]

I have misplaced my monitor strap. Ran a 5k without it yesterday.
Local charity run - my fourth time in 6 years. Field of about 150.
Temperature in the upper 40s with winds 10-20.
My goals were to have a good time, have negative splits, and recover quickly.

I ran the first mile faster than I wanted (and mostly into the wind). I was concerned that I was blowing my goals already. But I felt fine, and decided to simply hold the pace for the second mile. At mile 2 I still felt great, so started gradually picking up the pace to the finish.
Mile 1 10:33 pace
Mile 2 10:33 pace
Mile 3.1 9:25 pace
Total 10:08 pace 31:24

That was fun! No where near a PR, but faster than expected and faster than I've trained for the last month. No stiffness today so I went for a bike ride (moderate pace) instead of taking the day off. Legs still feel great. Woo hoo!

Need to get a replacement monitor band and also keep my enthusiasm in check - keep the training intensity low for while longer.

Last weekend I visited the Clermont, FL triathlon venue. I hung around the swim area and the transition area and watched a Super Sprint Tri (a little shorter than a Sprint Tri). It's a great transition area - large, grassy, and flat. The event was very well organized. I also talked to the official bike shop about shipping my bike in or renting one. Hope to return next year and be a participant.

[MarkU]

Nice race, Tommy! :)

Let me know whenever you want to do Clermont. Would love to link up with you.

Mark

[tommy]

Thanks, Mark. That would be a blast!

[LLJ]

Tom: You are my inspiration! Truely, it was a posting about you somewhere in cyberspace that led me to VR.com. Thanks for that and all your good training tips. Rock on!
LLJ

[tommy]

Laura,
Thank you. That means a lot to me. It was Mark W's story in cyberspace that led me here 2 1/2 years ago. And it's still a thrill to be part of VR.com.

[msiwik]

Laura,
Thank you. That means a lot to me. It was Mark W's story in cyberspace that led me here 2 1/2 years ago. And it's still a thrill to be part of VR.com.

Tommy: Way to go! Textbook performance in at least two respects. First, you ran negative splits with your last mile being the fastest. Second, you were strong for the race because of the way you have trained with lower intensity aerobic workouts. My OHS recovery has really taught me the virtue of doing faster running as a complement to regular consistent exercise that doesn't wear you out. It's something you have pointed out several times in your various threads - less can be more when practiced regularly. Finally, you finished with a smile. Very happy for you! Thanks for sharing the race story - hoping it leaves even more incentive for 2006 efforts! Congrats. Mark

[tommy]

I trained all three events in successive days - at the Olympic distances, no less. The goal was to push and test my endurance, but not the intensity.

Fri: cycle 30 miles
Sat: swim 1 mile
Sun: run/walk 10k 6.2 miles

Was able to keep pretty steady paces start to finish. The mile was at competitive speed for me. It was my longest bike ride ever and my longest run in over 6 months. The run temp was 85, warmer than I like. Ran through the neighbors sprinklers whenever possible.

Looking forward to more endurance on the bike and on foot, and some speed work in all three. Still have 5 weeks to next sanctioned tri (sprint).

[msiwik]

Joe Henderson wrote a nice article that speaks to the issue of "not going all out" every day during training EVEN if you are not recovering from open heart surgery, as many of us are. This is where heart rate monitors and patience really come in handy. Joe's column is below:

Another reason I love teaching and coaching runners is that each new group asks me to prove myself all over again. They don't know me or my methods. I need to show them that spending the next three to four months on the scheduled training will be worth their while.

We'd barely started a new term in my 10K training class at University of Oregon when a young runner we'll call Dan questioned me on pacing. He couldn't, or wouldn't, slow down to the pace I'd suggested for his long runs. I need such challenges every few months to brush up on my sales pitches.

"I have not been hitting my target times, because frankly they seem too slow," Dan said. He wasn't rebelling or debating, just wanting an answer. "Explain to me why is it beneficial to run slower for the longer runs rather than coming close to race pace. I thought if you trained slow, you raced slow."

Runners like Dan make me think before answering them. They won't accept "because I know so and say so" as an answer. Neither is "this is what I've always done and what hundreds of students before you have done."

He didn't want to know that others had routinely raced one or more minutes per mile faster than most of than training miles. He wanted to know why my way might be better than the one he'd thought was right.

I told him that if you're an experienced runner, already routinely exceeding the distances run in class (at that time, four to five miles), fine. Go ahead and run them faster than the target.

Take this as a tempo run, at pace of a race at least twice this long. But run this hard only one or two days a week.

Even the most skilled runners need to back off their best pace most days, saving themselves for the occasional day when they're supposed to go fast. The many easier runs let the few harder ones go better.

I told student Dan, "Almost no one, even the very best athletes, can run at or near maximum effort day after day. Even they must run less than their best most of the time."

How much less? About a minute per mile slower than you could race a comparable distance.

Dan was about a 40-minute 10K runner when our class began. That's 6:30 mile pace, and he took our early runs within 10 seconds of that. No wonder he balked when I targeted him at 7-1/2's.

In fact, I warn students not to obsess over splits. Miles aren't marked during their longer runs, so they can't check themselves along the way.

Instead I tell them to relax and let whatever happens, happen with their pace. Run what feels right, neither too fast nor too slow, and it probably is right. Run at a pace that they feel they could have held longer.

Once a relaxed training pace finds itself, let it guide the speed of the faster runs. We take those once a week in Dan's 10K training class. On this day he's free to go as fast as he can.

In class after class the results are the same. Each group averages a minute a mile faster on tempo runs (of about half their racing distance) than on the longer, relaxed ones. They run up to TWO minutes faster on interval days.

This class introduces the students to training that I call "overs and unders" -- over the race distance (we peak at eight miles in this 10K class) but at a slower pace, and under the race distance at race pace or faster. Full distance at full pace comes only on race day, when it counts.

Approaching the race from both directions helps a runner improve. If Dan doesn't think this can happen with the training I assign, he might talk with a student named Renee from the previous term.

Renee isn't new to running and racing. She decided after running two marathons last fall and winter that her speed needed work.

She followed the scheduled training in class, slowing and speeding up as assigned. In her "final exam," the term-ending 10K race, she scored a 3-1/2-minute PR.

[KMS]

I can't tell you how great I feel having just read this thread. As you can see from my signature, I'm two weeks pre-surgery.

My greatest fear of this whole thing is not being able to get back to running. I did 3 half-marathons last year (which I love), but it's really my very cheap therapy. I can't imagine not being able to do it. Seeing that all of you have made such great progress is tremendously inspiring.

I'm lined up for a tissue valve and my surgeon feels that I'll be able to get back to running later this summer. If any of you can comment on if this is realistic, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

Kristine

[tommy]

Kristine,

I wish you well on your surgery. Back to running late summer? Sounds like your surgeon has an open mind and/or has experience with athletic types having valve surgery. Once you've past the initial healing, at one of your routine follow-up visits, you may want to ask more details about expectations. My instincts are to not push it. You want your recover to be a one-way street.

Oh, another encouragement for you. I've notice a trend in here of people that are physically fit recovering much faster than those of us that weren't fit.

You have a lot to look forward to.

Mark,
Thanks for your post. Right up my alley. I like the over and under philosophy. I'm doing that now, training for my next triathlon. Swim 2x event. Long bike building to 3x event. Long run building to 3x event. Event distances are 750 yards, 12.4 miles, 5k. I'm waiting in each event to reach my build up distance before spending much time in speed. Also, I want to lose more weight before pounding the pavement hard.Instead I tell them to relax and let whatever happens, happen with their pace. Run what feels right, neither too fast nor too slow, and it probably is right. Run at a pace that they feel they could have held longer.This hits the nail on the head and articulates why I purchased a heart rate monitor. It has helped me "listen to my body" better. I found Joe's website. http://www.joehenderson.com/

When I first started running 3 years ago, I simply enjoyed it. Injuries started when I started pushing too fast and too often. The result was under-performing expectation at race time. Don't get me wrong, no regrets, just continued learning.

[tommy]

Fri: 1 mile swim.
Sat: 20 mile bike - toured White Rock Lake with my wife.
Sun: 6.3 mile run - slow and hot - recovered well - sorry I missed Sunday chat.
Mon: 1 mile swim - PR - broke 38 minutes.

I don't plan to do my endurance training back to back to back, just seems to work that way. My days off typically result from work or home activities. Thank goodness for weekends. One of these days I might do the events in the right sequence:rolleyes:. The beauty is that because of the cross training, I can work out several days in a row without leg soreness - hardly even any stiffness.

It felt good to reminisce part of the marathon course from a set of wheels. Passed a guy with marking on his legs - had done a tri in the morning.

Still want to bump my long bike and long run over the next 3 weeks. Having fun pushing the swim speed. It seems that the faster I swim, the more efficient I get.

I ordered a new strap for my heart rate monitor - should be in this week.

Hope to tour the 5/29 tri site this weekend.

[tommy]

Took a spill on the bike this evening.
Non-displaced radial fracture.
Will see an orthopedist for therapy and limitations.
Based on my wife's history with the same fracture last year, the prognosis is excellent.

Expect to be on the sidelines for a few weeks at least.
Likely Will skip 5/29 triathlon.
There will be others.
Hope to be able to at least run soon enough to retain some of my endurance.

Colorful case of road rash - no bleeding issues.

[MarkU]

Sorry to hear about your mishap, Tommy.

What's the saying? There are two types of cyclists: Those who have crashed and those who are going too...

I had my turn last fall; was forced off the road by a car (even though I was in a bike lane) and ended up with a slight shoulder separation.

Hope you heal quickly and are able to get back at it very soon.

Keep us updated.

Mark

[tommy]

Thanks Mark.

Now that I've fallen, I'm not so much afraid of it. Not reckless, just getting more comfortable with the risk and reward.

Just as the valvathoners in here helped me break down my running barriers, so have you trivalvers and cyclists helped me break down my cycling barriers. Thanks.

When is your next event?

[MarkU]

Thanks Mark.



When is your next event?

Coca-Cola/Publix Sprint Triathlon on Lido Key off Sarasota, June 17th. 0.5 mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico, 14 mile bike up & back on Longboat Key, and 2.6 mile run back on Lido Key. Piece of cake...;)

[tommy]

Piece of cake. I hear that those gulf swims can be tricky!
Best wiishes for a great event.

[tommy]

After 5 days, the swelling is all but gone, and so is the pain. I have good (but not complete) range of motion, lots of pain after that (so I don't do that). The road rash is also healing very quickly.

The left radial head is fractured in two places right next to each other. The concern is that the wedge piece needs to stay attached and heal well.

The orthopedist fitted me with one of those new fangled high-tech bionic braces that can dial-in the range of motion. 30-120 degrees - not bad. The braces raises quality of life without a cast or fixed brace, yet keeps me out of the danger area without having to think about it.

Prognosis is 4-6 weeks to heal, and another 4-6 weeks to be 100%.

Follow-up visit in 2 weeks. Until then (at least), no swim bike run. I can use the stationary bike, elliptical machine, weights (legs, back and abs), and walk. If all goes well, I expect that the ortho doc will extend the range of motion gradually to 100% over several visits.

I've already begun to re-direct training. Long walk Sat, stationary bike and weights yesterday. It's not as much fun, but okay.

The 5/29 tri is out, but 7/9 is very possible.

[BillCobit]

Prognosis is 4-6 weeks to heal, and another 4-6 weeks to be 100%.



:(

Dang, it's always a drag to injure yourself, but doing it early in the season is particularly demoralizing. Sounds like you're taking it in stride, tho.

I am off to a shaky start this season. I'm still trying to carry on w/ a torn meniscus since last December. It bothers me less and less, but I'm not sure if I'll make a satisfactory recovery yet. Time will tell if I just should have had arthroscopic surg in January or not. Meanwhile, lack of activity over winter has me way behind in my readiness for tri season. So now I'm doing low intensity AND low volume, and proving THAT program is definitely NOT working ;) :D . Last fall I had planned a half iron in June this summer. No way - now my stretch goal is an Oly in mid June. We'll see how that goes.

[tommy]

Bill, sorry to hear your situation. Take your time with that knee. Hope surgery is not required. Feel free to bask a bit more in the ironman accomplishment. We can't live in the past, but it's okay to visit there when we need a pick-me-up.:D

I'm spending as much time as I can on the stationary bike, elliptical machine, and weights (legs and core only). I'm muddling through - it's just not the same as the great outdoors. I've got a lot invested, and want to retain as much as I can, so I don't have start over when the doc says "go". So far so good.

[tommy]

I spent an hour on the eliptical machine today. For the first time, I used one of those pre-set programs. Boy was I surprised when it told me to pedal backwards. That thing's hard to do facing the other direction:rolleyes:.

[tommy]

The elbow feels better and better everyday. :) No pain within the allowable range of motion. The arm brace enforces the range. The orthopedist adjusted it today. Then he gave me the go-ahead for jogging - not fast and not long - must wear the brace. I was never fast:rolleyes: so there's no concession there.

Not to grow any grass under me, I hit the treadmill for 25 minutes. I had taken 5 days off with some work and family business crowding out the regimen. Some rest was probably in order anyway, but I was a bit stiff today starting back. The kinks seemed to work out after alternating some walking. :) Also cycled (stationary) and lifted some weights.

I'll adjust the brace again myself in a week and follow up x-rays in 2 weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed. So far so good. :) :D

[tommy]

Weekly update.

1st I pay homage and thanks to those that have fought and died for our freedoms. Who knows what life would be like for us without them.

2nd, congratulations again to the VR marathon team in VT. Was thinking about you all weekend. Looking forward to a VR relay myself.

My elbow range of motion is darn near 100%, although some positions have some pain with resistance. So healing is not complete, but coming along very nicely.

I'm trying to keep my cardio and legs in shape and still comply with my restrictions. I think that I'm losing some ground, but not too much. Will not have to start from scratch when the doc says "all clear".

I had a great workout Sat
30 minutes on the stationary bike
30 minutes lifting weights
30 minutes on the elliptical machine
30 minutes on the treadmill (most of it jogging)
All low intensity.

Today I ran/walked 5 miles in about 70 minutes on the HS track (soft).
First time jogging outside in a month. Yippee! As I got more tired and the sun got warmer, I had trouble keeping my heart rate under 60%, so kept slowing down and doing more walk breaks to stay in range. Pumped it up a bit for the last 1/4 mile just to see what was left in the tank.

Today marks the 2-year anniversary of my 1st marathon. Woo hoo! Today also is the Austin triathlon that I had to scratch because of the elbow. A friend of mine is doing the Olympic distance. Can't wait to hear all about it.

Family will gather later today for chili and yard games.
Cheers everyone!

[tommy]

Great news! The splint is gone, and so are all restrictions. No therapy required. Yippee. 100% healing within 3 weeks. Swim bike run here I come. Denton Tri is "on".

I need to be careful not to re-injure the elbow, especially for the next 3 weeks. This is a matter of paying attention and not taking risks, particularly on the bike. If for some reason I don't have 100% strength in 3 weeks, I'm to check back with the orthopedist.

The intensity and duration of cycling and swimming will be dictated by any aching that may develop due to lack of exercise of the arm for 5 weeks. That will not be a sign of trouble, just advice that I've reached my limit for the day. Can still supplement with the stationary bike and elliptical. Looking forward to the pool and real cycling, including bike rides with my wife.

[tommy]

Took a bike ride with my sweetie :) this morning and then did a low intensity triathlon simulation. Wanted to stay in the 50% - 60% range. I'm finally at a point again where I can benchmark some data.

Bike outdoors 60 minutes 10.8 miles Ave HR 96 Peak 116
Yes, a real bicycle! Woo hoo!
Drove to the gym for the simulation.

Swim 20 minutes 800 yards Ave HR 111 <50% Peak 117 5%
Stationary bike 34 minutes 7.25 miles Ave HR 110 <50% Peak 125 60%
Treadmill run 31 minutes 2.25 miles Ave HR 124 59% Peak 160 89%

Heart rate hovered at 60% for the entire run. Inched up ever so slightly toward the end. Very consistent @ 12:45 pace

Last 2 minutes of the run - incremented from 13 min pace to 8 min pace to push up the heart rate. Did 8 minute mile for a whole 15 seconds!:rolleyes:

1:30 recovery 30 beats to 130 warming down at 3 mph
3:00 recovery 45 beats to 115 at 2 MPH
Checked again in the car driving home 85.

Feel good.

[BillCobit]

Great news! The splint is gone, and so are all restrictions. No therapy required. Yippee. 100% healing within 3 weeks. Swim bike run here I come. Denton Tri is "on".



Good for you, Tom!

I am also about to officially remove myself from the injured list. First tri of the season is next Sunday. I had my doubts a few months ago, but avoiding surgical treatment for my meniscus tear seems to have been the right strategy. My knee just barely talks back to me now, despite recent increases in activity. I'm not in terrific shape, but I'll do just fine at Oly distance.

[tommy]

You go IronBill.
Glad to hear that your knee is getting better.
It's good to be off the "DL"
MarkU is doing a tri soon as well.
Be sure to report in!

[BillCobit]

I'm not in terrific shape, but I'll do just fine at Oly distance.

Understatement and overstatement in one sentence!

Managed a personal worst, just a hair slower than my first post-op oly four years ago. :(

Pretty good swim, not a bad bike considering very windy conditions, but then I could not run. HR went up like a rocket and I could not bring it down. I ended up about 15 mins slower than my typical Oly. Maybe because it was my first time I tried to run this season in hot conditions? Dunno, but it was pretty ugly.

[MitralMan]

T...
Treadmill run 31 minutes 2.25 miles Ave HR 124 59% Peak 160 89%

Heart rate hovered at 60% for the entire run. Inched up ever so slightly toward the end. Very consistent @ 12:45 pace

Last 2 minutes of the run - incremented from 13 min pace to 8 min pace to push up the heart rate. Did 8 minute mile for a whole 15 seconds!:rolleyes:

1:30 recovery 30 beats to 130 warming down at 3 mph
3:00 recovery 45 beats to 115 at 2 MPH
...

I'm using an ellipitical, too. Guess I'll have to try an actual program to see that backwards thing...

REALLY inspirational! Keep it up!!

MM

[MarkU]

Understatement and overstatement in one sentence!

Managed a personal worst, just a hair slower than my first post-op oly four years ago. :(

Pretty good swim, not a bad bike considering very windy conditions, but then I could not run. HR went up like a rocket and I could not bring it down. I ended up about 15 mins slower than my typical Oly. Maybe because it was my first time I tried to run this season in hot conditions? Dunno, but it was pretty ugly.

Did my first race of the year Saturday - was also a very mediore effort. Two minutes slower than the same race last year. Went out too fast on the swim & took a long time to get into a smooth rhythm, but still was faster than last year. The bike leg did me in. Was just a slug. Rode at 90 cadence the whole way, but wasn't pushing a big enough gear to go fast. HR stuck in the mid 130's most of the way. Run was fair. Had way too much left in the tank when I finished. Almost felt like I could have done the course again. Trying to figure out if it was lack of motivation, lack of high-intensity training, poor pacing, or whatever. Just a blah day. Six weeks to figure it out before my next race.

Mark :(

[tommy]

Bill and Mark, congratulations on finishing.:) You are awesome. :) I appreciate your candor about performance. We can't always have PR's. I hope that you guys aren't down in the dumps. I don't know about you, but finishing is still a big deal for me.

I'm still getting used to the idea of s-l-o-w :( training, especially in my long run each week. If it weren't for the HR monitor I would be going way too fast.

But the proof is in the pudding, or should I say, in the running. 5 miles 2 weeks ago. 6 miles last week. 7 miles this morning. All 50%-60% HR with near identical paces. I alternate run/walk for the first 3 miles, then run 3 miles, then finish with the incremental distance. Jog pace around 13 min/mile. A little monotonous on the HS oval track, but it's soft. :) Legs feel good.

My simulation workout Saturday was encouraging. 13 min swim, 46 min bike, 30 min run all at 70%-80% HR. The pool didn't open until 1PM, so I did the bike and run in the blazing sun. Oh joy! Elbow is still a little tender in the water. Bike felt good. I was hoping to push the run to 3.1 miles, but the heat (85F) convinced me to stop at 30 minutes 2.6 miles. I still had gas in the tank, but I could tell that I was overheating. This was my first simulation workout actually using a real bike and running outdoors. Woohoo! Quick recovery. Felt terrific the next day and today.

Based on my level of training, with a sprint tri in three weeks, it's hard to get excited about the prospect of fast times. But it's easy for me to get pumped about participating.

[MarkU]

Didn't mean to sound too bummed out about my race - really was more bewildered than anything. I think I'm still trying to figure out my pacing. The run leg has always been my Achille's heel and I think I mentally just held back too much on the swim and especially on the bike. Just mad at myself for making mental miscalculations, especially after all my good off-season training. Still was great to be out there and taking part. :)
Mark

[BillCobit]

I hope that you guys aren't down in the dumps.

Frankly, I'm pretty disgusted. But it's nothing that can't be cured by having a good race next time! :D

[tommy]

Mark and Bill, how did you determine your race pace? Is it scientific, or art? Perceived effort? Heart rate? For some reason, by training book left that chapter out! :eek: :confused: Thanks.

[BillCobit]

Mark and Bill, how did you determine your race pace? Is it scientific, or art? Perceived effort? Heart rate? For some reason, by training book left that chapter out! :eek: :confused: Thanks.

Tom, my approach is homegrown. If it's consistent w/ any recommended guidelines, it's purely coincidence. But w/ that disclaimer:

I try to avoid shortness of breath while swimming, and breathe on every stroke. Swimming is easy for me - I used to be a successful competitive swimmer in my youth, so I still have my form, if not my engine. I always manage to land solidly in the mid-pack or higher w/o much effort. I always want to make sure I'm not out of breath before I jump on the bike.

I keep my HR about 140-150 on the bike in an Oly distance or shorter. That's vigorous riding for me, but I can sustain that for 25 miles without fading at the end. On a flat course on a calm day, that's a 17+ mph pace for me. If I spend too much time above 150, my HR gets too high on the run.

Running is my downfall. By the time I'm off the bike, running a 10 - 10+ minute pace raises my HR to about 160-165, and that translates to significant perceived effort for me. That's about 10 bpm higher than if I run a 10K that isn't preceded by swimming and biking. I can tolerate that for about 10K, and then I'm done. 170 is very uncomfortable for me (and also close to my theoretical max of 220-age). Yesterday, I was in the high 160's while barely moving. I decided to walk and let my HR drop, but I was only dropping to 150 while walking. I'd worry that there was something wrong with me if I hadn't had such a good 6 mile training run earlier in the week. I'll just write yesterday off as a bad day.

My post-surg resting HR has remained stubbornly high (78-80). Maybe that baseline has something to do with why I have trouble controlling my HR on the high end.

The bad day at the race is already paying benefits - I'm committed to a good training run first thing tomorrow morning!

[Adam T]

Hi guys. I'm only two weeks post-op, so no training for me yet. That is unless you count all the walking.:rolleyes: I do enjoy reading your posts every day. It gives me something to look forward to and something to shoot for.

Anyway, Tommy, this is how I determined my race pace for a sprint triathlon. I run a series of sprints evey year that are of similar distance to the one you are entered in (1/3 mi S, 13 mi B, 3.1 mi R) It is somewhat based on heart rate and more based on what works (and what has not worked) for me.

I can't see my heart rate during the swim, so I try to take it VERY easy. I'm always going faster than I think, especially at the beginning because of all the adrenaline. I wore myself out on the swim a few times before I realized this. I just try to keep it steady and keep it comfortable. This is the most important and difficult part of the race for me to pace well. If I mess up the swim, I blow the whole thing.

My best event is the bike, so I have to hold back here a little as well. I use my heart rate monitor as a "tachometer" to keep my enthusiasm in check. I try to keep my HR under 150 because it seems that once I get past that, the lactic acid starts building up and I'll blow the run. A HR under 150 is (was) fairly comfortable for me, but it is a little more percieved effort than what i put into the swim.

On the run, the first 1/2 mile or so, I just try to get my running legs back and working right, so I'm slow here. After that I try to keep my HR under 160. This is where I start getting a little uncomfortable but I know I can hold the pace for a while. The last 1/2 mile I take my eyes off my watch and go as hard as I can. Hopefully I don't get passed by any 12 year olds or anyone that looks like my grandma. :)

It took me several seasons to figure all that out, and I'm sure there are some better ways but this is what seems to work for me and it's easy to implement on race day. Once I got my splits from race day I based my training on that race pace.

I hope that gives you some ideas. I have no idea how any of this will work for me next year. I think I'll have to start from scratch and just see what I can do. Right now I'm just glad to be back on my old running routes even though I'm just walking. My running buddies (two Weimeraners) can't figure why they can't go yet, but they pull too much for me to safely handle them right now.

In the mean time, I'm closely following everyone else's training programs and I'm looking forward to comparing notes with y'all when I'm able. Good luck with the race and let us know how it goes.

Adam

[tommy]

Adam, and Bill, your replies seem pretty consistent, and right where I was thinking. As a newbie to the sport, I have little experience, so your input is very helpful. Your information and caring are very helpful for the strategy as well as the inspiration and motivation.

Adam, congratulations on successful surgery. You have a lot to look forward to. I've noticed a common pattern in here that those that are physically fit recover from surgery much quicker than those of us that weren't. That doesn't mean that you can push too hard too soon, but you should progress very well.

Swam yesterday 1250 yards. Elbow started to ache approaching 1200 yards. The orthopedist said that a little aching is okay, but signals my current limit. Race is only 500 yards, so the elbow is not an issue.

[MarkU]

Mark and Bill, how did you determine your race pace? Is it scientific, or art? Perceived effort? Heart rate? For some reason, by training book left that chapter out! :eek: :confused: Thanks.

However I deterrmined it, it was too slow ;)

Seriously, I deliberately did my bike leg at 90 cadence, employing the strategy that keeping my cadence high would help save my legs for the run. The (stupid) key mistake I made was ignoring both my heart rate and my perceived exertion level. I rode in too low of a gear and only averaged a HR of 134, when I most always train closer to 140. Stupid, stupid me. Definitely left a lot on the table.

I set my heart rate monitor alarms for my zone 3 for the run: 144-150 (my lactic threshold is 157bpm) and that worked out okay.

I just basically ignored my perceived exertion level all day; it didn't really hit me that I hadn't pushed hard enough until I finished the race and realized that I felt good enough to go out and do it again! Not that I expected to pass out or anything crossing the finish line, but I really didn't go as fast as I could have.

I actually got to ask Joe Friel about how to determine race pace when I heard him speak earlier this year. Basically he said to target 10 beats below my lactic threshold or (157-10)=147. The key to that working however is actually doing it in your workouts for the duration of the event you are planning to do.

Mark

[tommy]

I actually got to ask Joe Friel about how to determine race pace when I heard him speak earlier this year. Basically he said to target 10 beats below my lactic threshold or (157-10)=147. The key to that working however is actually doing it in your workouts for the duration of the event you are planning to do.
Thanks, Mark. I don't know my lactic threshold, but the 140-150 range sounds appropriate at this point for me. I won't have many workouts at distance in the 140-150 range. I was there prior to the elbow fracture, except that the bike is 17 miles not 12.

I'd like to opt for having some gas in my tank at the end, or at least err in that direction for a change. My history is to used perceived exertion, but I've kidded myself a bit and gone too hard. I typically run out of gas with 25% left to go. Sounds like on average, you and I would do great!:rolleyes:

With the heart rate monitor, there will be no kidding myself. I'll know the numbers. If I screw up in one direction or the other, I'll learn from it. I hope to do three tri's this season, this being my first. I'll leave some room for improvement. There'll be time for more specific training in zones prior to #2 and #3.

[tommy]

Good brick workout Saturday.
Bike 16.5 miles 73% HR 13.6 MPH
Run 3 miles at 76% HR 12:12 pace.
Hot 80-85 degrees.

Better run this morning.
Swam 250 yards at fast pace (for me) 5 minutes.
Alternated run/walk for 2 miles then ran a 5k.
Weather was cool 70 degrees.

Here are the 5k numbers:
Mile 1 66% HR 11:39 pace
Mile 2 66% HR 11:34 pace
Mile 3 73% HR 10:43 pace
Bonus 1/10th mile 85% HR 7:53 pace :) Woo hoo!:)

Peaked at 91% HR.
Overall pace 11:15.
3 minute recovery -40 BPM.

[Adam T]

Great job Tommy. Sounds like you're ready for the Denton Disco! All I can say is I'm incredibly envious.

My bike is collecting dust and my running buddies, Maverick and Goose, (my Weimeraners) say they feel the need... the need for speed. I think they're getting as impatient as I am to get back to our runs.

Just curious, are you riding a tri-bike or a regular road bike? (or a mountain bike for that matter) At shorter distances I wonder if the aerobars offer much advantage. The course for our sprint tri series has a lot of turns and can be a little crowded so I've never bothered with aerobars.

[tommy]

Adam, yes I feel ready. I have a hybrid bike with wide hybrid tires - smooth in the middle and knobby on the outside. Motobecane about $300. My wife has a matching bike and we ride together often. The bikes work well on trails and roads. It's a vast improvement over my $100 Target bike.

I ride for fun an fitness. The training details are part of the fun. Aero bars scare me. I'm sure that I'm losing time to the wind, but it's okay with me.

As I get closer to this event, I am raising the seat and lowering the handle bars. This gets my back closer to parallel to the road and provides more power.

After Denton Disco, I'll investigate different seats.

[mtkayak]

Let me start off by saying how impressed and inspired I am by each and every one of you. Great Job on your fitness :) I have some questions regarding jogging. I have been jogging about 2 years now. I run the occassional 5 k here and there. I'm not much of a jogger or runner for that matter but I do it to keep in shape. Well, recently after my surgery I started taking it a little more seriously. I've started watching the numbers a lot more, just recently bought a heart rate monitor watch.

At the moment, I jog on the treadmill in the gym, In Atlanta this time of year it's simple too hot to run during the day unless it's early morning or late evenings. We are talking mid 90's. Anyway, when you refer to the lactic threshold I assume you are talking about Maximum Beat Per Minute? I've determined my MBPM to be 185 and I working out in the 70-80% range at 130-147 BPM. at that pace I'm doing 4.25 miles in an hour. After about 30 minutes my HR usually stays up around 145 then I slow it down. I did an 11 minute mile the other day. In order to increase my milage per hour in the aerobic stage is there any breathing techniques or ways to try and lower my heart rate? Or do I simple keep working out in that range till my heart lowers itself due to an increased fitness level?

My recovery rate is around 20 - 30 beats the first minute. It usually drops below 100 after 2 -3 minutes. My resting heart rate is a little high (to me) in the lower 80's. Has been that way since surgery. It seems to be dropping in the high 70's now though. I would like to get it to the 60's at least.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

[mtkayak]

Sorry, scratch that. My resting heart rate is mid 60's. I would like to get down below 60. :)

[tommy]

Mike,

Your numbers look real good to me.
Resting heart rate 60's.
3 minute recovery rate under 100.
Numbers are dropping.

Keep up the good work.

I know what you mean about heat. My pace, performance, and recovery suffer greatly from heat. Lately, I've tried to schedule my runs for early mornings on days that the lawn sprinklers are running. It helps cool me down afterwards as well. Run right through the water. I'm soaking wet anyway.

My understanding is that the lactic threshold rate is below the maximum. It's named in terms of body chemistry and can be determined individually. It's an advanced course for me in my learning. It's probably about 80% of MHR.

The maximum heart rate calculations may also be off a bit and can vary with the individual.

I notice that my resting heart rate can vary a lot depending on intensity of exercise the day before and food intake the night before. I've read where higher RHR can be a sign of over training. I am typically around 50-52, but can range down to 48 (woo hoo!) and up to over 60 if I worked hard and pigged out the day before.

I use the Karvonen method of determining % heart rate.
MHR max is 174.
RHR low 50's.
% are taken between the two instead of from the max.
So with RHR at say 54, 50% is 114 BPM.
60% = 126

If I were to use the common scale:
MHR = 169.
50% = 85
60% = 101
This seems too low for me, especially on the bicycle.

You asked about breathing. I've had a very simplistic rhythm that I got into the habit of using when I started running a few years ago.
1 breath every 4 strides - LRLR - I can go forever if my legs hold out.
1 breath every 3 strides - faster pace, but will burn up at some point.
1 breath every 2 strides - faster pace shorter runs
1 breath every stride - the finish line is in site.
I haven't tried to correlate breathing rhythms with heart rate, but suspect a correlation to be there. When I ran marathon distance, I watched the pace improve for each ratio, especially the 1:4 that I trained in most. Now I use the heart monitor and look forward to some more history to see a trend like that.

[Adam T]

What are you doing to get ready the week before your race, Tommy? Are you going to taper off at all?

[tommy]

Yes, tapering starts tomorrow.

I had a hard simulation day yesterday.
500 yard swim ave HR 134
13.2 mile bike ave HR 142
2 mile run ave HR 146
Last mile was under 10 minutes.
Peak HR 171 "sprint to the finish line".
3 minute recovery 57 to 114.
Other than the final sprint, I felt like I had some reserves.

Today was a 5 mile recovery run/walk - very slow pace.

Next few days will include a few short bursts, walking, stretching, transition practice, gear checking, rest, and a leisurely bike ride with my wife.

[Adam T]

Sounds like you're ready. Any problems with the elbow?

Make sure you give us an update when you get home. Those of us who are newbies are living vicariously through you.:D

Good luck. Smoke it!

[BillCobit]

Good luck this weekend, Tom. I hope you have a great race.

I am going to try back to back (sat & sun) sprints this weekend. I've never done that before, so it will be interesting to see how well/poorly that goes. It'll be fun nevertheless. Just hoping for reasonable temps.

[mntbiker]

Good luck to both of you this weekend, and be sure to post race reports so we can all oohh and aahh.;)

[tommy]

Good luck. IronBill.

[mtkayak]

Hope you guys had a great weekend! Thanks for the info Tommy. I have started to use the breathing technique and it seems to work pretty well so far. I take 1 breath every 4 seconds instead of strides just because it's hard for me count the strides :) Hopefully, I can start to take a little control of my heart rate.

The formula I used to find my MHR was 210-(.7 x Age). I'm not sure what formula it is but I found it in the manual that came with my Heart Rate Monitor watch. I've seen simliar formulas to this one.

[BillCobit]

Good luck to both of you this weekend, and be sure to post race reports so we can all oohh and aahh.;)

Thanks, David.

Tom, how about you provide the race report for "oohh and aahh," and I'll take care of the one for "eeww and uugh?" ;)

[tommy]

LOL....I don't know about "oohh and aahh", but I'll post a report. I'm getting pretty pumped. This is only my second one of these. :) Bill, looks like we need 2 reports from you. :p

[Mary]

LOL....I don't know about "oohh and aahh", but I'll post a report. I'm getting pretty pumped. This is only my second one of these. :) Bill, looks like we need 2 reports from you. :p


http://www.GlitterMaker.com/created2/115227598585259.gif (http://www.GlitterMaker.com/)

[tommy]

Thanks, Mary, you little Chickadee! :)

[BillCobit]

LOL....I don't know about "oohh and aahh", but I'll post a report. I'm getting pretty pumped. This is only my second one of these. :) Bill, looks like we need 2 reports from you. :p

1st installment:

Shortest race I've ever done - 0.5/11/3 - finished it off in 1:21. Not an impressive pace, but it's as well as I ever do. Swim was pretty good, but the water was nasty. E coli soup w/ a skin of two stroke fuel on the surface that you could taste with every breath. YUCK! I rode a little bit north of 18mph on the bike - fast for me. I pushed a bit harder than normal because the bike leg was so short. And I didn't melt down on the run this time. I managed just a little faster than a 10 min pace, w/ my HR in the low 160's during the run.

I'm pretty pleased with my performance, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's race of 0.5/16/5. Cleaner water, too.

AND - my cute wife took first in her AG! Very cool.

[msiwik]

1st installment:

Shortest race I've ever done - 0.5/11/3 - finished it off in 1:21. Not an impressive pace, but it's as well as I ever do. Swim was pretty good, but the water was nasty. E coli soup w/ a skin of two stroke fuel on the surface that you could taste with every breath. YUCK! I rode a little bit north of 18mph on the bike - fast for me. I pushed a bit harder than normal because the bike leg was so short. And I didn't melt down on the run this time. I managed just a little faster than a 10 min pace, w/ my HR in the low 160's during the run.

I'm pretty pleased with my performance, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's race of 0.5/16/5. Cleaner water, too.

AND - my cute wife took first in her AG! Very cool.

Work has been so busy that I haven't had time to check on some of my compadres - glad to see you two doing well. One of these years, you may get me to try one of these things. Life is good here - up to 12 miles on the long run and I cut back one of the hard workouts so either a 7:40 interval pace or a 8:30 tempo pace once a week. I am encouraged and taking a long term view of not drawing any conclusions for a while. Regards, Mark

[tommy]

Great job Bill! I've swam (swum?) in the sludge lagoon before, but without the extra topping of fuel. :eek: Try to say loose for tomorrow. Congrats to your wife. It's hard to top #1.

Mark, sounds like you are doing real well in endurance and pace.

I'm jealous of you both for your speed. :) I'm all geared up and resting today. Still hoping to keep my exuberance under control on the bike tomorrow. Will report in. Based on last year's field, I have a good chance of being last in my AG. Blessed are those with low expectations, for they shall never be disappointed. :D

[BillCobit]

I cut back one of the hard workouts so either a 7:40 interval pace or a 8:30 tempo pace once a week. I am encouraged and taking a long term view of not drawing any conclusions for a while. Regards, Mark

That's great, Mark! You're making some real progress - keep up the good work.

We did our second half of the weekend double-header today. My wife took fifth in her AG, which scored another trinket to hang from our kitchen ceiling light fixture (our decorating taste is a bit off center - but it suits us fine). I thought my swim was pretty solid, but the course looked like it was longer than advertised. I was a few minutes slow if it was really a half mile, and my swimming is always very consistent - so I think it was a course variance. My bike was between 17 and 18 mph, which is about right for the race I did today. I could feel the effects of yesterday's hard ride, but it didn't seem to slow me down any. I ran at a 10:30 pace. I wasn't displeased, as it was a hilly course and there are a few spots where I have to walk uphill to keep my HR from going too high. I've learned from experience that if I let my HR go north of 170, I can't seem to get it back down to a comfortable level, and then my race is shot. I was able to keep my HR between 150 and 160 on the 5 mile run, which is comfortable. It felt really good to have two decent outings after that disaster I had a few weeks ago.

Tom, I hope your race went well.

[tommy]

Congrats Bill on your double double header.

I had a fine day. Both of my sons were spectators. Photos later. One son may join me at the next one. Set my heart rate monitor on 140-150. Latest training was 135-150. Spent 76 minutes in range. 20 minutes below range. 20 minutes above range. The "below range was swimming and downhill on the bike. The "above range" was cresting hills on the bike and the last 1 1/2 miles of the run.

Ditto your comments about the swim being longer than advertised.
Transition was also far from the swim.
Course maps left a bit to be desired, but turned out not to be an issue.
Otherwise a great venue and great race.

Swim 500 yards (?:confused: )
Bike 17.6 miles 15.6 MPH 145 BPM average HR
Run 5k 3.1 miles 11:00 overall pace 149 BPM average HR
Last mile at 10:23 pace :)
Total time a little over 2 hours

HR peaked at 170.
3 minute recover HR 124 (-46).
6 minute recovery HR 114 (-56).
Then I jumped in the lake and HR dropped to 100 right away.:rolleyes:

Treated my boys to lunch.

Legs feel very good.
Just a little stiff after lunch and 90 minute ride home.
My son slept in the car on the way home - he was tired.:rolleyes:

Lesson learned:
1. Training in zones works. :) I raced just at slightly higher HR than I trained. Was able to reasonably predict performance, but did not predict how well I would feel. :D
2. Could have pushed the performance. Need to spend more time training in next zone 80%-90% to feel more comfy up there.
3. Need to continue to lose weight.
4. 80 degree temp adds 15 BPM to my HR. :eek:

More information than you want to know...................
Rose at 2:30 AM after not being able to sleep - too excited.
Left home at 4:00 AM for 90 minute ride to venue - was 20th in line when transition area opened.
Burned 1800 calories

Consumed the following items and weighed the same as when I woke up:
1 gallon of fluids
2 granola bars.
10 Fig Newtons
1 PBJ sandwich
1/2 tuna salad sandwich
1 cup potato soup.
1 apple

[msiwik]

Lesson learned:
1. Training in zones works. :) I raced just at slightly higher HR than I trained. Was able to reasonably predict performance, but did not predict how well I would feel. :D
2. Could have pushed the performance. Need to spend more time training in next zone 80%-90% to feel more comfy up there.
3. Need to continue to lose weight.
4. 80 degree temp adds 15 BPM to my HR.


Tommy and Bill - read your posts with interest! Tommy - I agree with you about heart rate training. All of your insights too are "right on" - I have found one "quality" intensity workout at the 80 - 90% rate works best for me at the moment. Best regards, Mark

[mntbiker]

Congratulations to both of you on a wonderful performance. I am impressed. Now I have to ask the question though - Did you have fun? (sounds like you both did but I was looking for the written in excitement race report).

Bill - congratulations to your wife as well on her two strong races.

[tommy]

I had loads of fun.:D :D :D :D :D Sorry if that didn't come across.

I make it a point to make small talk (quickly) with other age groupers) and volunteers along the way. The elites probably don't appreciate it (but I never see them anyway:rolleyes: ).

There were about 600 participants. The swim was released in five waves. My wave was males 45+. Lot's of nervous chit chat with other men at the start. Then knees and elbows thrashing in the water. It looked like a shark feeding frenzy :eek: (without the blood).

Several times I heard "are we having fun yet?" and "better than a good day at the office!".

At mile 1 of the run, a 64 year old woman passed me. (You can tell everyone's age because it is marked on their legs.) I told her "way to go young lady". She told me "it ain't over yet". I kept her in my sights and passed her at the finish line. I can't get too smug about it - she started 6 minute after me. :D She was the oldest participant.

The bike and run were both "up and back", so we had a chance to see everyone going in the opposite direction. There was a father son team. While they started 6 minutes apart, I saw them together on the bikes and on the run. Gave them both high fives as we passed on the run - sequential bib numbers. The boy is 14. There was also an 11 year old boy.

The run was mostly uphill (slight) going out, and thus downhill coming back. Ideal for a fun finish. The run path was wooded. They had several spots where volunteers were hosing us down - very much appreciated. The actually had ice water at the aid stations. Grabbed some of the ice and dropped it down my shirt.

[mntbiker]

Now that is a race report!:D Thanks for sharing with us. I like the father and son team, I hope to that with my kids when they get older.

[Adam T]

Sounds like a great race Tommy. Congratulations. Good race report. You should be a guest columnist in Triathlete magazine. :D

[BillCobit]

Congrats to you, Tom. Sounds like you had a good race, and paced yourself to enable a strong finish. Well done!

[tommy]

It's nice to be feeling good in the first view days post-event. Raring to go for the next one. Planning and starting. Swam 1300 yards Tues. Biked 16 miles yesterday. Ran 4 miles this morning. No soreness or stiffness. Life is good!

[tommy]

Next event is 11 days away. I've been rebuilding my base, especially in the run (6 miles 2 days ago) and swim (2500 yards yesterday). My resting heart rate yesterday and today was 46! That's a new low for me! :)

Distance biking has been sparse lately. I've started some speed intervals on the bike and swim.

I've always desired to be able to do endurance training at 3x each event distance. If I can get a long bike ride in this week/end, I'll be there for this one.

This next event is relatively small (230 last year). Nice folks. Great course maps. Bike course is relatively level. Run course has a 90' climb :eek: in mile 2. It's shorter than the standard "sprint" distance, and close to the "super sprint" distance.

350 pool "snake" swim
9.1 mile bike
2.1 mile run

Triathloning is starting to rub off on my kids. :) Either that or they just love doing anything as long as it's with Dear 'Ole Dad.:D

[mtkayak]

46 BPM for resting heart rate! Impressive!!!!!

[tommy]

Today is my first day off after 12 straight days of training. Alternating "hard" days with "easy" days. Alternating swim bike run with walks for warm up and cool down. Most vigorous set yet. Ready for tapering a bit. I was going to take last Sunday off, but my youngest son (19) asked me to join him for a bike ride. Will never turn down that invitation.:) I don't advocate training every day, but the alternating intensities and activities just keep me feeling fine.

3.2 miles swimming
84 miles bicycling
23 miles running
8 miles walking
18 hours
RHR bottomed out at 45

Most has been 50%-60% of MHR.
Some intervals in the water without the heart rate monitor.
Some speed work on the bike average around 75% of MHR.
Yesterday, after riding 9 miles at 75%, I ran 1 mile at 80% 9:23

Bought a new pair of shoes. The last time that I bought shoes, I couldn't find any with stability or motion control that felt good with the orthotic inserts. So I settled for neutral shoe NB 1060. I loved them, but would prefer the added support. This time the NB 767 (stability) felt terrific.

Feeling good and ready for next Sunday's tri. I'm interested to see how I perform after some rest. The strategy is still to set heart rate limits, especially for the bike. My oldest "boy" (22) is going to tri with me! My fun quotient is sky high! :D

[msiwik]

Tommy: You are doing great! Had my fourth strong tempo run of the vacation – today 5 miles at an 8:27 pace and I didn’t hit the 75% threshold until the last mile!! Time to cut the pace again for that type of workout. I credit my improvement though to more low intensity/easy days. It’s similar in concept to doing two, not three sets, of weightlifting. Smaller steps and consistency do pay off. I am starting to dream of those sub-7:00 minute miles again!! I think there is a chance I can be doing sub-7:00 minute intervals in six months (already at 7:30 pace for those).

[LLJ]

Mark: I am green with envy! In the 8s again huh? I am thrilled for you!
Laura

[tommy]

My taper strategy is to take about 25% off my longest endurance s/b/r distances and replace it with slightly increased intensity. Knocked 1/2 minute off my mile pace for 5 mile run. Knocked over 1 minute off my mile swim time. Now under 37 minutes. Last taper phase will be to cut those distances in half again and get some rest.

Mark, I sent an email to Joe Henderson thanking him for his commentary on winning. Mentioned us valvers. He sent a nice response asking if I knew you. Closed the "loop". Small world!

[msiwik]

My taper strategy is to take about 25% off my longest endurance s/b/r distances and replace it with slightly increased intensity. Knocked 1/2 minute off my mile pace for 5 mile run. Knocked over 1 minute off my mile swim time. Now under 37 minutes. Last taper phase will be to cut those distances in half again and get some rest.

Mark, I sent an email to Joe Henderson thanking him for his commentary on winning. Mentioned us valvers. He sent a nice response asking if I knew you. Closed the "loop". Small world!

Hey Laura – hope you are doing well! Can’t wait for our next marathon relay or comparable event. Next fall seems too far. BillC is suggesting we might try for spring. Tommy – what do you think? I know some good relays in Northern Ohio for fall of 2007 but if other people have ideas, I am always ready to travel!

Tommy – you have done well with your training. I credit some of my recent success to your “low intensity” workout strategy. Until OHS, I would have never believed that “running easy” most days was a strategy that worked. Joe Henderson sent me an email as well asking if we knew each other. Joe and I became friends several years ago and I am hoping we can get him to meet our band of merry warriors some day. It might mean a race out west! After being the founding editor of Runners World and a writer there for many many years, Joe now writes for Marathon & Beyond, another great publication. For the running buffs out there, Joe is the person who discovered George Sheehan.

[tommy]

Can’t wait for our next marathon relay or comparable event. Next fall seems too far. BillC is suggesting we might try for spring.Works for me. I'm not opposed to something later this fall. I have a sprint tri Oct 1st, so would be available after Nov 1st. Right now I'm good for about 6 miles. Hope by then to be good for more.

[Adam T]

Hey, Let me know about next spring. I'm defintely up for the relay. If there is anything going on in Nothern Ohio the week of Thanksgiving, I'm also in. I'll be there visiting family the whole week.

Tommy,
Texas works great for me too. My parents just moved to Longview from Ohio, so any events in your area would allow me to visit them as well.

Of course I would also like to invite one-and-all to the Cooper River Bridge Run here in Charleston next March 31. It's one of the best 10k races I've ever run. Here's the link:

http://www.bridgerun.com/