krazy jethro

Sigh, this is my problem. I'm a runner, so dealing with cars with minimal gear is normal for me, but with a bike, gears, speed, cars, saddle soreness, etc I am finding myself wanting to bike less and less and I just go run some more. I really do want to get into triathlons but this biking things is taking some time and winter is coming up every day. Not really sure what to do about it.

Yes, I know it's a half. I was planning on going to Syracuse. My saddle soreness STINKS and I don't like it. I actually find myself switching shortish bike rides for long runs some of the times. I hear I'll get used to it, but feeling beat up after 10 miles (which doesn't feel like a lot of work, and it isn't) is tough cause I'm getting less workout and more hand/neck/butt pain. Maybe I'm just a softy runner. I'll get over it I assume.,. lol During the rides my hands and neck are really the limiting factor. It's an odd posture for me, but I was well fitted to the bike so it's not improper setup, just new.

Agreed, I believe in soup! This is also why I make a large variety of homemade soups from scratch. There's quite a bit more you don't need in canned soups, but even still soup is a quality meal.

Running in the rain is awesome, since it naturally cools you down. If it's cold, run harder... lol. I even run while snowing and when there is accumulated snow on the ground. There is only 1 barrier to me running, and that's extreme heat. I'll still run, just not as far.

Eva, Sounds good, I'll look into century programs. I have certainly felt the saddle soreness and am working to get over my not wanting to go too fast thing. One thing I wasn't prepared for was how much I'd feel it in my hands and neck. Thanks for chiming in! KJ

I find that everyone is different and you are the best judge of when you hit that wall. Personally, I rarely take anything on runs. When I do it's raisins cause they are awesome, and once an hour is a good rule of thumb. Good luck and keep on running!

Run more, run longer, and be sure to fuel/recover/rest properly. I agree with the folks above me. My 4 mi time when 4 mi was my weekly long run is almost 2 min slower than it is now that I run 13-15 mi long runs. So, get outside (yes, I personally run in rain, snow, cold, heat, etc), slowly increase your distance, when 5 mi is reasonably comfortable, start some short 2 mi fartlek runs (google it) and moderate sprints after that, and lastly, get a coach. I'd love to get a coach, but money is my issue. If you can afford it, meet with a running coach and formulate a regimented long term plan. I'm not a pro or anything, so I wish you luck and hope I helped a little. Peace KJ

I've been running in the dark for almost 2 years now (since I work nights) in a town with few sidewalks and fewer streetlights. Honestly I don't have a lot of reflective materials on my gear (although they do have little strips... thanks Nike), I run long distances, and I run with headphones. The best advise I can give you is the following: 1) Use one headphone. I listen to audio books (better than music, especially for pace reasons), so the ear-destroying music and volumes aren't there, plus one headphone gives me a pretty good sense of whats around me. 2) Pay attention and run against the flow of traffic. I can't tell you how many people I see running, even during the day, with traffic. Personally, I prefer to see a car coming. Also, paying attention helps since regardless of how many strobe lights and industrial glowsticks you attach to yourself, you are the only one with a serious interest in your preservation. You won't much hurt a car. 3) Pick your routes and times with a care. It took me a while to fine tune some of my many routes, but shoulders (paved preferably) are helpful where sidewalks aren't available, residential neighborhoods are normally low traffic, etc I run around 3 am so there are next to no people on the road. I more frequently see cops than regular folks driving around. I feel that a chosen route is smarter than random routes, which has been recommended. 4) Bring ID and a mini pepper spray can. The ID is always a good idea and folks make mini pepper spray cans specifically for runners and such. I'm a dude so I'm generally less concerned about it, but it's not a bad idea. Do please be safe, though.

Howdy, I'm a runner and I've decided to diversify into triathlons. I'd like to graduate to a full marathon and full ironman in the future, but as it stands now I have little idea of how to get started on the bike portion. I've purchased a very nice 2003 Lemond Buenos Aires with nice Ultegra parts, which was then adjusted to me (nice to have a good bikeshop in town). I've worked up (through my google fu) a preliminary bike program but have no real way to gauge the amount of bike I should be doing off the bat. I'd like to get my milage up so I can ride with the local bike clubs (they tend to do 20+ rides minimum). I've read quite a bit on training programs, but they tend to be tailored towards either those who jumped up off the couch (not me since I run well over 100 miles a month until now) or those who are already bikers. Any help with tailoring my first month would be greatly helpful, along with any advise. My rough draft calendar is below, with the days I work in Red (so I have limited time on those days). Thanks! KJ

I run half marathons weekly and it's a good distance. I have a few questions though How fast was your 8 mile? Was it non-stop? How was your recovery/how did you feel the next day? What is your goal for the half, to finish, to do it fast, to use it as a landmark to longer bigger races?

This has been a struggle for me as well since I don't really have the bread to get a local coach and the running club's long run is 6 miles on Saturday, which is not a short run day on my calendar. That said, I agree with Steven. Sprints and some weight training are big for strength (an important facet I'm guilty of ignoring, but shouldn't) and Fartleks are really really good at incorporating speed into your runs. I prefer the fartlek since it injects intervals inside a run. I can't really say much on form, but be wise in how you choose your coach. There are also a lot of videos and information from very good coaches and runners online if your google fu is strong. Good luck, KJ

Hi, I'm KJ and I am a former Marine, music composer, and epic nerd that let my fitness lapse for a decade or so. Spent the past 2 years building back my running and can do half marathon length runs weekly. I've been looking at getting into Ironman 70.3 before working up to something bigger, but the task seems daunting at the moment. While looking at building my calendar I ran across this site and had a bit of an inner nerd-child moment and just had to get in here. So, I basically need help with weights, biking, and swim economizing. Peace KJ