Anyone doing any spring races (tri, du, run, etc.)?

[Spectral]

If so, how'd you do? What's coming up next?

I got my first duathlon of the year in last weekend, and the hills on the bike course absolutely crushed me (hadn't seen the course, wasn't expecting them to be so rough). Cramped up on the back end run and wound up with a crummy time down the stretch. Next up is another du in April, then a half marathon in May!

[Bolson13]

It is still snowing here . Haven't even gotten my bike out for the year and been running on threadmill.

[Deleted]

I'd love to take part in something like this one day. Even if it's just like a 5k run, I've just never been physically fit in my life and my condition kinda makes it impossible for me at the moment. Just the preparation for the event and the amazing feeling of accomplishment at the finish line. I want it. (I bet I won't be saying that when I'm actually doing it )

But yeah, one day!

[Spectral]

I'd love to take part in something like this one day. Even if it's just like a 5k run, I've just never been physically fit in my life and my condition kinda makes it impossible for me at the moment.

Good luck! My girlfriend just did her first 5K event last weekend (I think she's run as much as 4 miles with me, but it's different in a race), and she'd never run any distance until very recently. If you get to a spot in life where you can do it, races are crazy fun! A bit painful, but worth it.

---------- Post added 2013-03-21 at 08:43 AM ----------

It is still snowing here . Haven't even gotten my bike out for the year and been running on threadmill.

That's rough. The race I was at last Saturday had pretty rough weather too, there was some freezing rain stinging at the end of the ride, and the temperature dipped a bit lower and turned to snow for about the last 1.5 miles of the run. The cold and the hills made me fight cramps

[Kuniku]

I've never really been into running, at the gym I struggle to do more than 10 mins usually, out of sheer boredom, can't say I've ever had the inclination to go running outside either tbh..

Am hoping to cycle more this year, only got out on the bike a handful of times last year. I'm not quite expecting anything quite as extreme as 2010's charity ride (Colchester, UK to Mount Etna, Sicilly) but certainly once the weather is a little bit nicer (self professed fair weather rider right here) I'll aim to do at least 1 50+mile ride a week/fortnight.

Not sure if I'll try and road races, will probably depend on how the cycling goes to begin with and then if I hear about any near by. The trouble is I can cycle a steady pace forever (can usually manage 17-19mph happily for hours on end, can do a bit faster for shorter - in my 'prime' before the big charity ride I could just about keep up ~22mph depending on the hills I HATE HILLS!) So might do ok if its a long distance type thing where pace is more important than speed...

I am however planning to take part in Tough Mudder next year once my Jujitsu Black Belt grading is out of the way.

[Deleted]

Good luck! My girlfriend just did her first 5K event last weekend (I think she's run as much as 4 miles with me, but it's different in a race), and she'd never run any distance until very recently. If you get to a spot in life where you can do it, races are crazy fun! A bit painful, but worth it.

Thanks! Hopefully by next year I'll be fit enough to do something like that. ^^ Just need to get my core muscles strong enough to support my spine first. High impact stuff is absolutely out of the question atm, including running. </3

[Rukentuts]

I would rather bike a triple century than run a mile ever again.

[Spectral]

I would rather bike a triple century than run a mile ever again.

So... we're not doing any brick training together then?

Any cycling races planned this year, or just going hard outside them?

[Bolson13]

I bet I won't be saying that when I'm actually doing it

But yeah, one day!

Trust me, once your spine is good again and you practise for a few months you will be knocking out 5k's easily and you will notice that you can control your body more so you can give more or less. You will not have that out of breath, completely wasted, "i want to collapse" feel again.

It is really cool, definatly worth the effort. And you only need 3 months x 3 hours a week to get a decent condition. A lot easier then learning a language or an instrument or whatever right?
First 3 weeks suck because you will feel like a fool since you are tired so easily and you are running around the neighbourhood with a face like a tomato but then it really pays off.

So no "but yeah, 1 day!". Put it on the asap list haha

[Spectral]

You will not have that out of breath, completely wasted, "i want to collapse" feel again.

Yeah, this is exactly right. I had a friend tell me that she didn't want to run because she gets side stitches. That's all backward, you get side stitches because you don't have a strong cardio! The only time I have that "wow, I'm going to drop" feeling now is at the end of a race, after I cross the finish. I think as recently as a year ago, a couple miles of brisk running would be pretty exhausting for me, but cardio builds really fast.

The hardest thing is actually that cardio outstrips muscles and ligaments so easily, so you have to force yourself to ease into longer distances (rather than just doing them) to avoid injury.

[Rukentuts]

That's all backward, you get side stitches because you don't have a strong cardio!

I dunno, but I was the same way. I can ride a bike fine but I am in pain if I run even a little.

[Spectral]

I dunno, but I was the same way. I can ride a bike fine but I am in pain if I run even a little.

It's a totally different feeling, at least for me. I was a runner before a cyclist (literally couldn't ride before last year, if you remember from before), and the hardest thing to get used to in cycling for me was the changes in intensity. The amount of effort to climb is staggering compared to anything other than a dead sprint when running, but descending quickly takes very little effort. Running's just a constant, relatively steady effort, with a punch line at the end.

There's probably some other factors that I'm not aware of too, but I know side stitches pretty much stopped as soon as I worked up to a couple miles of running.

[Bolson13]

I noticed that too. I came from running though and was in pretty decent condition. Got on a bike (well, other then the one I rode to school back then) and it was pretty tough the first few weeks eventhough we don't have hills here in the Netherlands. Seems like 2 completely different groups of muscles. It really wasn't a case of me being exhausted but simply that my leg muscles were not used to this kind of exercise.

And that was with me riding back and forth to school for total 30/40km a day. It is different in intensity of course but you would think at least the muscle groups get activated frequently.


Let's just say I was (and still sort of am) surprised.

[Rukentuts]

I noticed that too. I came from running though and was in pretty decent condition. Got on a bike (well, other then the one I rode to school back then) and it was pretty tough the first few weeks eventhough we don't have hills here in the Netherlands. Seems like 2 completely different groups of muscles. It really wasn't a case of me being exhausted but simply that my leg muscles were not used to this kind of exercise.

And that was with me riding back and forth to school for total 30/40km a day. It is different in intensity of course but you would think at least the muscle groups get activated frequently.


Let's just say I was (and still sort of am) surprised.

I think they are types of muscles, in addition iirc running loosens the hamstrings while biking tightens them.