Take care of yourself

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Decided on two events later this spring I will be participating in - a sprint triathlon that I am really looking forward to (this one is in July) and a half-marathon that my wife talked me into in May.

It will be my first time doing anything over a 5K event. I'm really excited about the tri, but a bit worried about the half-marathon.

I'm a thick guy at 291 pounds and 6-foot-4 - still have this lineman's body - and normally run about 5-6 miles every time I hit the gym. But I've never run more than about 6 miles in one run, so I'm a bit worried about the fact that I'll have to run 2X that and more. But I do have until May for this, so I know I'll be prepared.

That being said, anybody have any tips for training for either event? I am a moderate swimmer, but never anything beyond recreational - and I haven't ridden a bike since I was about 16. I am not worried about physically being able to do it, but am looking for any tips.

Thanks!

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

If you train regularly for the half marathon, you'll be close to 241 than 291 when race day arrives. I'm not 'thick' as you put it, but when I run regularly I drop lbs whether I want to or not. I went from 197 in April last year to 182 in September and I think the main factor (aside from eating less junk food) was running. I ran 2-3 times a week anywhere from 3 to 10 miles at a time and I'd sweat off the ounces like crazy, moreso than cycling a 100-mile ride, IMO.

As for the triathlon tips, I know there are some excellent tri-geeks on the board. I'm just a geek that does 6-8 triathlons a year

Find a gym with a nice 25-yard indoor pool (50 meter would be best if possible) and see if there is swim coach available. It might cost a few bucks (or more than a few) but the coach will get your swim stroke analyzed and give you very valuable pointers about improving your efficiency. If you're forced to go on your own, try using a pull buoy. It's a little floating thing you put between your legs. It will do a couple of things for a swimmer just getting started. 1: It will help your lower body float a little bit giving you better technique as you learn and adapt. Two, it will semi-neutralize your legs and give you a better upper body/arms swim. The arms are pretty much only going to be of use during the swim of a triathlon so let them do most of the work and save your legs for the bike and run.

Another tip, rotate the hips and core during your swim almost like a baseball batter. You'll get more power per stroke and it will also help with your breathing.

Invest is good goggles. An extra $5 will go a long way in making your swim workouts comfortable.

As for the biking ... Start light. No need to do interval workouts for a while. Make sure the bike fits you. If necessary, go to a bike shop and have everything adjusted. If your saddle is too high or too far back/forward you will be risking injury and also giving up a lot of power and efficiency as you ride. A huge key in cycling is getting the most watts (power) per pedal stroke. Small changes in the fit of the bike, we're talking 5-10 millimeters, will make huge differences in the power. You'll be going measurably faster without any real change in physical exertion.

Find some flat roads or trails and just enjoy a 10-mile ride without forcing yourself to get into race pace. A sprint tri has a 12-mile bike leg in most cases. This sounds like nothing to worry about for most of us, but if you're not used to it and you just finished a swim, a bike ride that long can hurt you. After adapting and getting used to riding that far, do some shorter rides where you use a much faster pace. Throw in some longer rides to develop endurance.

And so some BRicks. That is short for Bike Run combos. Ride you bike, then go for a run immediately after. It helps the body learn to transition from one to the other and will pay off during the race. The run in a BRick does not need to be long. But it should be significant enough and at a decent pace so your body will know it can handle what's in store for it on race day.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Just completed the first day--2 miles at 10:00 per, sit-ups, push-ups and 15 minutes at the local HS pool. That was by far the toughest part--did 4 laps and took a quick rest, another 4 and another quick break and finished off with another set. I alternated between regular strokes (freestyle?) and my version of the breaststroke. I think my form will come with practice. (Practice? You talkin about practice?)

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Do most people here train alone or with a group or training partner?
I usually like to train by myself. I like the "me time," but after my last meet, I'm thinking I should at least train bench with a partner.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

I train in Spin classes, Masters swim classes, group rides, alone in my basement, alone on the trail, alone in the weight room, running with a friend, alone in the open lane during the kids' swim lessons, etc.

I prefer group rides and such, but my schedule is so loaded with life, I'll take the training whenever and whereever I can get it.

With winter coming and my schedule getting tight, I recently got one of these:


Now, I can ride whenever I want to, including at 1 a.m. after a long day of work when I didn't quite get around to hitting the road like my coach/trainer asked me to

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

I train alone. I usually hammer out my workouts in 30-45 mins. I don't want to have to speed someone else up.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Just completed my first 5K ... the Jingle Ball Run in Racine, WI... a balmy 27 degrees.
41:32
And I'm ecstatic!

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Great job.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Congratulations. The time can only go down from here.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Ran a mile, 5.7 mph (10:34) on the lunch hour. Trying to increase the speed very incrementally and then will work on extending the distance.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Congratulations on the Jingle Bell Run. Winter running in the snow is just special. Perhpas next year you'll join as for teh Rotary Lights Run, an evening 5K in La Crosse.

The dust has settled and I've survived another as race director for the run. More than 500 people registered and while the course was slippery because of the blizzard that we had a few days ago, everybody seemed to have a good time. We also raised plenty of money for the hunger projects in town and people were kind enough to also donate hundreds of pounds of food in addition to their race entry fee.

Keep running and don't worry about time or pace; just enjoy the experience.