Jessica! Huzzah!!

I just got back from Boston, where BillBlueEyes did a real life forum catch-up for me and said YOU DID IT!!

I'll stop in later for lots of animated smilies! You deserve them.

Anne

Jessica!

Thanks Anne!!! How was your 5k in Boston?

Jessica, I have my 5K report on the April Runners thread. Hmmm, here.

Are you doing another tri? I'm going to lay out my training plan for the next few weeks so I can get ready for the May 25 tri. Tomorrow I'm planning a brick: ride about 6 miles down to pool, swim 1000 or 1500, ride about 10 miles home, over a couple substantial hills.

Anne

Anne, I'm thinking of doing another sprint tri in August but I can't decide which one to do. There is one in a local park with a swim in the reservoir, but the bike and run will probably be hilly. There's also one downtown, which would be flat, but the bike is a couple miles longer, and the swim is in the canal (which they claim is safe to swim in, but it's kind of sketchy).

The downtown one is also doing an olympic distance -- the sprint is basically one loop of everything and the olympic is two loops. I'm not sure if that would make it more confusing. THe one in the park is just a sprint.

Which should I do??

I'd probably pick the one with the cleaner water! LOL. You can train for hills, but not really for giardia (seriously, they test for that stuff, and races do get canceled from time to time). I wouldn't worry about the Olympic/Sprint combo. Things are usually well marked, and you will study up in advance if that is what you want to do. And there will be people on the course longer, so you will have more company.

Planning a bike/swim/bike brick tomorrow. Basically ride to the pool, swim, and ride home.

Anne

Anybody still training? My plan for the week is/was:

Sunday: run 3 miles (done, badly)
Monday: swim 1500 yd (5x300, done)
Tuesday: run 3 miles (done, YES!)
Wednesday: mountain bike, 1 hr
Thursday: run 3 miles, fartlek
Friday: road bike, 20 miles
Saturday: REST
Sunday: run, 3.5 miles

Training for a sprint+ distance on 25 May. I need to try on my wetsuit to make sure it still fits, and get my aerobars back on the bike in the next week or so.

Anne

That sounds like a tough week Anne! Good luck on your sprint+!

My training plan is in flux right now. I'm trying again with NRLW and I'm committing to it this time, plus I'm taking a boot camp class, so with a rest day that leaves me only three days a week for tri-related stuff. Plus knowing me, I always end up with more rest days than I planned. I'm also trying to lose weight right now so I'm trying to do more metabolism-boosting workouts.

Here's what I did/am doing this week:
Sunday: swim 1000yd (done)
Monday: bootcamp (done)
Tuesday: NRLW 2A (done)
Wednesday: plan is for HIIT run, but my calves are so sore from bootcamp and NRLW I can barely walk so we'll see if it happens or not
Thursday: NRLW 2B
Friday: HIIT run or bike
Saturday: bike or swim (Sunday will be rest, I'm having people over for brunch)

Where is that rest day????

Anne

Anne, my rest day switches between Saturday and Sunday, depending how busy I am and on the weather! Although like I said, I always end up skipping a workout somewhere too. This week I rested on Wednesday too.

Someone advised me to post this here...

I have recently gotten into cycling after 10+ years off the bike. My rides are 8-12 miles right now (on a cheap road bike) but due to an insane work schedule I only get out 1-2 times per week. I signed up for a duathlon in June and on a whim I went out and bought clipless pedals/shoes. I've heard it's an adjustment but I really suck at clipping in and out- my balance on the bike isnt great even without the added challenge. Do you think I'll be ready by the race in June or should I finish out my training on the standard pedals? Does a typical race situation require a lot of clipping in and out?

I just started my triathlon training!! I haven't chosen a Tri yet, there's a good flat one mid-June that's supposed to be great for beginners, but honestly I'm not sure I'll be able to finish one by then, that's pretty soon! The one I'm really excited about is end of August right here in Portland, but the swim is gonna be tough, and the bike is hilly (and a little longer than most sprint bike legs). Hmmm... maybe I'll be able to find a good beginner course in July sometime.

I signed up for a training program at beginnertriathlete.com, it's a 13 week program based entirely on the duration of the workouts. So far this week I've done a 10 minute swim, 35 minute bike (spinning class, I figured that counts), 20 minute run, and 30 minute run. It's really nice not having to think about what I should do each day.

Woo!! I feel like such an athlete.

Jessica, perhaps I should have said where is MY rest day. I sure need it. Coming up tomorrow.

I had an awesome ride this morning. Did a hill I usually have problems with. 20 miles.

Welcome lobon & jajabee.

lobon, I use clipless on my road bike and love them. Yes, they are an adjustment, but once you make it, it is a really nice thing. I spent a lot of time holding myself in a door clipping in and out to get used to it, some time on a trainer, and then some really easy rides just practicing. Remember to practice with both feet, just in case. If you can train with them, you can race with them, but if you aren't comfortable by race day, I'd keep what you're used to. No need to induce more stress than necessary, and if you are being extra cautious, they won't buy you speed.

jajabee, I know a lot of people who've had a lot of success with beginnertriathlete. A good site to get started with.

Anne

Preview ride and run of my race route today. It went OK, so I think I'll do reasonably well for my race. One week from Monday. Ack.

Anne

Good luck Anne!!!

My workout schedule is kind of messed up at the moment. This is what's ended up happening the past two weeks:
M - boot camp
T - NRLW (strength)
W - rest
Th - NRLW (strength)
F - rest
Sa - run 5k
Su - bike or swim

W and F were supposed to be HIIT runs with a rest day on the weekend, but for various reasons it ends up not happening (either it's raining out or I'm too sore to run). I think I need to rethink what goes on which days so that I have my planned rest day on either W or F, and figure out how to fit some more running or something in.

I felt like I got a lot of good exercise in this weekend though -- a 5k run, 8.4 mile bike ride, and a 5.4 mile walk. Boot camp tonight. Next week is off from boot camp because of memorial day, then the week after starts doggie boot camp Tuesday nights as well.