Queenbeana (sabrina)

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-27-1998
Queenbeana (sabrina)
3
Fri, 09-10-2004 - 9:30pm
I'm going to reply to you in a new thread so as not to bring my whole first post all the way back up.

Didn't get a chance to work out yesterday but did today. I was able to squeeze in 45 min on the stationary bike at the Y.

With cold and flu season coming up I may have to invest in a stationary trainer for my bike. If I can't take my kids to the nursery at the Y, I need to be able to exercise at home, since dh is away. I remember last winter going 1-2 weeks at a time without being able to get to the gym and trying to do stuff at home (but it is never the same as being there and having the equipment).

I have a question about your cardio training. How do you structure it? Do you try to work on the indvidual components on different days, do you have a long day where you do 2 or all 3 of the components, or what? I am still working on getting the biking distance up - so far I am putting in 9 or 10 miles each workout on the bike, and I try to get in at least 2 miles running or combo run/walking. I am using a HR monitor for biking and running, and I have to keep my running speed low for now.

Some days I bike, then run. Some days I do either one or the other. I have been able to get in the swimming only one day per week because of pool scheduling, weather and kids. I also do weight training 3 times per week (a program based on promoting muscular endurance), alternating upper and lower body.

I'm sure you share the same scheduling issue with kids and you workout when you can instead of having a really strict schedule. I'm just curious in general how you structure your workouts. I need to get my cardio endurance up.

Just trying to get ready for a sprint distance is hard work. I am impressed that you did an olympic distance for your first.

Dolli

baby growth



New and improved siggy coming soon (which could mean after Christmas)

Avatar for queenbeana
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Sat, 09-11-2004 - 10:27am
Hi Dolli...

Doing an Oly as my first was more about being Naive' then athletic. LOL The distances sounded doable if not challenging, and the race was at a good time of year and also fairly close to home so I said what the hey. LOL.

As for scheduling, When I started out I had a goal of working out 6 days a week, in the very begining which you are at now It is enough to workout 30 mins in each discipline 3x on bike, 2x run and 1x swim. Eventually you will ramp up the time and the workouts in each but for the swim I rarely ever get in more then 2 a week. Maybe 8 weeks before the race I start going at least 3 times a week and I'm not a natural fishie. After you establish a routine where you are consistently training on those days between 30-45 minutes then you need to change one run (mine is on Sat) to a long where you run for time 45min-1hour and one bike (again mine is on Sun) To 1hour to 1 hour and a half, to long distances. I would avoid 2 a days at all costs as a beginner they are too risky (injury and morale wise) If you feel you need extra time working out right now your time is most wisely spent on stretching (10-30 minutes a day or atleast 3x a week) and some strength training. There will be more then enough time to worry about specific training in the spring before the race. Your race specific training should not start more then 20-12 weeks before your race. Now is the time to build muscle and endurance as well as a good base. SO it sounds as if you are doing everything right. O and I have a trainer for my bike. I love it! The trainer allows me to get in a bike even on those days that everything goes wonky (which happens more then I like to admit). With small kids its great because you can pop in a kids video and watch with them as you pedal away. I have even hooked my boys' bike up to the trainer on rainy days and let them pedal to their hearts content. It helps them get some exercise on a day where they would get bored and whiny otherwise. But they are 10, 8 and 8 so not sure if it would work for your crew.

That said, It sounds as if you are doing everything right so far. Besure that every week you take one day entirely off for recovery your muscles need time to repair, and every 4th week you should cut back all your workouts by atleast 30% for the same reason. Keep up the great work and don't worry about it. The training is the hard part the racing is fun. If you have any questions I've missed please feel free to ask. If I don't know the answer I'll get it for you. One of my good friends is a Pro Triathlete.

Have a Great day

Sabrina

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-27-1998
Sat, 09-11-2004 - 9:45pm
Thanks!

What trainer do you have for your bike?

There are a lot of different ones out there and I am not sure which one I want to get. I was thinking of a mag trainer since it is quieter than a wind trainer, but it is also more expensive. Sure I'd love a top of the line one, but I have to stay near the bottom of the price range!

What a great idea to let your kids ride their bikes on it. My ds is almost 6 and afraid of riding in the street and falling. I wonder if this could help him get his skills up so he is more confident.

baby growth



New and improved siggy coming soon (which could mean after Christmas)

Avatar for queenbeana
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Mon, 09-13-2004 - 8:42am
>>>What trainer do you have for your bike? >>>>

Hi Dolli...

I have a Bell Magnetic Trainer. The Bell and the LeMond are the lowest on the price end and I have had not trouble with mine at all. It runs about $100 dollars but it has more then paid for itself since I got it last Dec. It's adapts to most any bike and since it is the bottom of the line there aren't any complicated bells or whistles. LOL. I didn't even bother to buy a riser for the front wheel, but instead use an old phone book to keep me from feeling like I'm going down hill. I actually used the trainer yesterday because I wanted to ride 45 mins and just couldn't seem to get out the front door. No biggie. I moved the kids bike. Put mine on the trainer and did a quick ride before I had to shower and make dinner.

:)

Sabrina