Question:

Forgive the cross posting but there is no news group specific to sports related fractures and figured that people in these groups may have had experience with wrist fractures or be interested in the subject. On Feb. 23 I suffered a Colles fracture to the right wrist (my dominant hand) while Ice Skating.  On March 14 I had surgery because the reduction of the displaced fracture did not hold.  The surgery involved an open reduction (re-broke the fracture and positioned) with an internal brace (T shaped plate with screws across the fracture of the radius bone).  On 3-26 my arm was transfered from a surgical splint to a removable one resembling a roller hockey wrist guard.  Today I had my arm out of the wrist guard and was discouraged to find I could hardly move it.

Don’t get too discouraged. you’ll get some flexibility back pretty quickly. The challenge is getting most or all of it back, getting your strength in the joint back, and avoiding re-injury. Uh, were you SUPPOSED to be trying to move the wrist yet? Can someone tell me from their experience how long it takes to recover from this kind of injury?  If I can’t set a PR this year in running, swimming, or cycling maybe I can set one for fastest recovery time  This kind of an injury is a bitch.  Stay safe and wear protection whenever possible.

Physical therapy is an absolute requirement for an injury like this. Be honest with your therapist and MD about your goals, and listen to their advice. Do the therapy, even if it hurts. Be ready to write off those IM races for this year if the recovery takes too long. BTW, you keep asking the "how long does it take to recover from this" question as if you’re hoping to get a more optimistic answer. My guess is that you don’t like what the MD and/or therapist have told you, and are hoping to hear something better here. This concerns me. Most of us with an active lifestyle go nuts when we’re sidelined with an injury. Most of us push our recovery too hard, or are at least tempted to. My fear is that you will push too hard, re-injure, and never be able to bear weight on that wrist again. It is possible to bike with one arm, I know a guy locally that does it because a shark got the other one. I still don’t think he’d recommend it. If you keep asking, you will eventually find a twelve year old who will reply, "dude, no problem, I was back on my skate board the day i came out of the cast!" Do you intend to take that advice over the MD’s? Listen to the MD and therapist. If you don’t trust them, get second opinions. My mom destroyed her wrist in her late fifties in a bike fall. When she got up, her hand was no longer centered on the end of her arm. They had to use plates, screws and wires to re-assemble her wrist, and yet she recovered 90% range of motion and strength within 18 months with the help of PT. Others have recovered less than 50% with much more minor injuries and will never improve on this because they did the wrong things during the critical phases of recovery. Thanks, Tom

Response:

My mom destroyed her wrist in her late fifties in a bike fall. When she got up, her hand was no longer centered on the end of her arm. They had to use plates, screws and wires to re-assemble her wrist, and yet she recovered 90% range of motion and strength within 18 months with the help of PT. Others have recovered less than 50% with much more minor injuries and will never improve on this because they did the wrong things during the critical phases of recovery.

    I had a Colles fracture which required external fixation (6 weeks) plus being casted before and after the surgery.  I have full use and range of motion in the wrist.  It did take a while, but I credit physiotherapy and a good surgeon. Jean S.

Response:

Thanks to everyone for their input.  My doctor hasn’t given me any estimates on recovery time.  I think he’s waiting to see how well I do in the first two weeks with a removable cast.  My x-rays look really good according to my surgeon but they can’t show any soft tissue damage that might have occurred. I’m using a tennis ball and racquet ball to exercise the wrist since the doctor said I should work the wrist ‘within reason".  Can anyone who has undergone therapy for Colles fracture recommend other exercises/tools to use while I’m waiting to get connected to a PT?  Thanks!

Response:

Well, I may have some info to add.  I am a physician and triathlete. I was in the unfortunate end of two accidents within the last 14 months, and broke each wrist, on separate occasions.  First was on a off road motorcycle, my fault of course.  The first one very severe. 6 fractured bones with a severe "peri-lunate" dislocation.  Two surgeries with hardware inside.  Again, with a talented surgeon, I gained all of my movement in supination/pronation(flip you hand over, palm down to palm up) and most of extention(pulling my hand back).  I did not recover much wrist flexion at all but this is probably my least important motion.  I feel I am still recovering now but have come such a long way.  Don’t give up hope.  I never thought I may operate again and also thought my athletic career was over.  I am training for another ironman this year happily enough and just have to roll with the good and bad days that it still gives me.  When I came out to the cast, I had a frozen wrist for the most part so it progressed quite a bit. The other fracture was about 6 months later, scaphoid bone only with no dislocation.  No surgery, 6 weeks in a cast, some PT and it healed to 100%.  Thank you lord for that one(was from a head on collision with a car which ran into me in my lane on the road, uninsured of course).  I never had a broken bone in my life before this, and at 30 yrs old, it wasn’t what I was looking for either. Biggest advice, be patient and do your therapy-ALWAYS.  There is only one time to heal correctly and if you don’t do the right things, it won’t recover or will give you unnecessary grief for the rest of you life.  Hang in there and you’ll make the most of it. Nick Ranson

Response:

Can anyone who has undergone therapy for Colles fracture recommend other

exercises/tools to use while I’m waiting to get connected to a PT?  Thanks!

        The surgeon actually had me start physiotherapy two days after I got the fixator because I was developing what he called a claw hand, which resulted from not using my hand and fingers enough for the week or so before the surgery that I had the big cast on.  One of the main exercises was moving the fingers – touching thumb to each finger in turn.  At first I couldn’t do this.  At home I was told to have my husband bend each knuckle in my fingers back and forth to get the synovial fluid going.         The first thing the therapist did when the fixator came out and the small cast (which followed the fixator) came off was to forcibly bend the wrist – I had zero range of motion at this point.  I remember she said that it would hurt, but it wouldn’t break.  Then I graduated to little tiny weights – I think one pound.  I would hang my hand over the edge of a table while grasping this weight and flex my wrist up and down.  I remember that I would go to the Y and go into the weight room and do this, and all those guys hoisting bar bells were real nice to me.  The therapists also had me do shoulder exercises as they wanted to be sure I didn’t develop frozen shoulder, which I was told I did not want to have.  There were paraffin baths for the wrist which felt real nice.  I was encouraged to do the exercises on my own at home.  What was particularly helpful was that I knew what kind of exercises to do to help myself.

Response:

On Feb. 23 I suffered a Colles fracture to the right wrist (my dominant hand) while Ice Skating.  On March 14 I had surgery because the reduction of the displaced fracture did not hold.  The surgery involved an open reduction (re-broke the fracture and positioned)….. This kind of an injury is a bitch.  Stay safe and wear protection whenever possible.

I worked part time as an orthopaedic technition in the fracture room at a hospital for the four years that I was attending chiropractic college. I assisted the orthopaedic surgeons in hundreds of closed reductions of this fracture and watched several open reductions. This is not a good injury to have. A normal Colles with a closed reduction usually involves six weeks in a cast followed by a couple of months of physical therapy exercises. The open reduction will  complicate things. The most important thing is to try and get your range of motion of your wrist back as soon as possible. This will involve passive and active stretch exercises for wrist extension/flexion and to bring back your muscle wasting. It is possible that you may never get the full range of motion back if there is a deformity of the joint caused by the fracture, but it is hard to predict. Muscle wasting also takes quite a bit of time, probably six weeks for every one week spent in a cast is a general rule of thumb. Get on an exercise program and stick with it. It will be hard and frustrating at first, but eventually you will see results. You will have to have patience. BTW I see roller bladers all the time without wrist protection. Very foolish, as roller blading accidents are common causes of a Colle’s fracture.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Forgive the cross posting but there is no news group specific to sports related fractures and figured that people in these groups may have had experience with wrist fractures or be interested in the subject. On Feb. 23 I suffered a Colles fracture to the right wrist (my dominant hand) while Ice Skating.  On March 14 I had surgery because the reduction of the displaced fracture did not hold.  The surgery involved an open reduction (re-broke the fracture and positioned) with an internal brace (T shaped plate with screws across the fracture of the radius bone).  On 3-26 my arm was transfered from a surgical splint to a removable one resembling a roller hockey wrist guard.  Today I had my arm out of the wrist guard and was discouraged to find I could hardly move it.  Can someone tell me from their experience how long it takes to recover from this kind of injury?  If I can’t set a PR this year in running, swimming, or cycling maybe I can set one for fastest recovery time  This kind of an injury is a bitch.  Stay safe and wear protection whenever possible.

I had both colles fractures at school (2) and also a scaphoid fracture while at Uni. The scaphoid is a little bone in the wrist near the base of the thumb. Classic break when you put out your hand/arm to break your fall and land on the base of your wrist. It has poor blood supply so I was in plaster for 5 months. Not good – almost no movement in wrist when cast was removed. Arm muscles were wasted severely. 3 weeks of 3 times per week physio (very painful, I hated it). Then monthly visits to check progress for a couple of months. What seemed to get things moving was swimming. I was a keen body surfer and keen on large surf, point breaks etc so used to spend a lot of time in the water. The movement of the hand through the water seemed to build up strength and flexibility much more quickly than the physio exercises, plus it was more fun. 35 years on, I have no problems from it that I am aware of. Persevere and good luck. — Ian Lilly

Response:

Forgive the cross posting but there is no news group specific to sports related fractures and figured that people in these groups may have had experience with wrist fractures or be interested in the subject. On Feb. 23 I suffered a Colles fracture to the right wrist (my dominant hand) while Ice Skating.  On March 14 I had surgery because the reduction of the displaced fracture did not hold.  The surgery involved an open reduction (re-broke the fracture and positioned) with an internal brace (T shaped plate with screws across the fracture of the radius bone).  On 3-26 my arm was transfered from a surgical splint to a removable one resembling a roller hockey wrist guard.  Today I had my arm out of the wrist guard and was discouraged to find I could hardly move it.  Can someone tell me from their experience how long it takes to recover from this kind of injury?  If I can’t set a PR this year in running, swimming, or cycling maybe I can set one for fastest recovery time  This kind of an injury is a bitch.  Stay safe and wear protection whenever possible.

Response:

Question:

I understand the subjective nature of  "what do you percieve as cold", but there must (?) be a rule of thumb as to what a wetsuit buys you if you feel comfortable at a given temperature… i.e. a wetsuit buys you 10 degrees, 15 degrees, etc… Maybe not. Thanks for your input!

Well again, this is subjective, but I think a wetsuit buys you 10 to 15 degrees depending on whether you wear a hood etc. The coldest water I’ve ever tried to swim in was about 55. Though the wetsuit I had borrowed made it tolerable, it wasn’t tremendously fun. (no hood) Of course it beat the previous day, when I ran in that same water wearing only a swimsuit and cap. I got about thigh deep and ran right back out. (I didn’t think it was THAT cold, but that’ll teach me) I think the length of your swim is also a big factor. Cold water (truly cold water) gets unpleasant even in a wetsuit after a while. Amy — Amy Snyder Hale, GSR Dept of Geology & Planetary Science

Response:

Need to get more information; mainly on where in the country you are located and how tolerant you are to cold temperatures.  If you are only comfortable to 74 degrees without a wetsuit, you either have low body fat or an aversion for cold water.  Just off the top of my head, you could probably swim in a full suit (arms & legs) down to 55 degrees with a polar cap.  Your hands, feet, and face will probably get cold, but it would be bearable. Not knowing how cold the water you will be swimming in is, it would be hard to tell.                                                        - Nato – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am considering purchasing a wet suit in order to train later / earlier in the year and wanted to know some information on how much colder the water temperature can be when I wear a wetsuit.  If  I am comfortable down to 74 degrees in a swim suit, what water temperature could I swim in with a wet suit?  I have looked in the QR and Orca web sites and they mainly talk about how much faster a suit makes you, but not much info in temp delta’s. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Response:

I am considering purchasing a wet suit in order to train later / earlier in the year and wanted to know some information on how much colder the water temperature can be when I wear a wetsuit.  If  I am comfortable down to 74 degrees in a swim suit, what water temperature could I swim in with a wet suit?  I have looked in the QR and Orca web sites and they mainly talk about how much faster a suit makes you, but not much info in temp delta’s. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Response:

I understand the subjective nature of  "what do you percieve as cold", but there must (?) be a rule of thumb as to what a wetsuit buys you if you feel comfortable at a given temperature… i.e. a wetsuit buys you 10 degrees, 15 degrees, etc… Maybe not. Thanks for your input! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –  If  I am comfortable down to 74 degrees in a swim suit, what water temperature could I swim in with a wet suit? This is very subjective. I consider myself to be a cold water wimp of the highest caliber but I have done races in 58 degree water quite comfortably(after getting over the initial shock). However, when I lived in Hawaii, I thought anything below 75 degrees was cold!                Steve Fredericks                Oceanside, CA

Response:

 If  I am comfortable down to 74 degrees in a swim suit, what water temperature could I swim in with a wet suit?

This is very subjective. I consider myself to be a cold water wimp of the highest caliber but I have done races in 58 degree water quite comfortably(after getting over the initial shock). However, when I lived in Hawaii, I thought anything below 75 degrees was cold!                Steve Fredericks                Oceanside, CA

Response:

 If  I am comfortable down to 74 degrees in a swim suit, what water temperature could I swim in with a wet suit?

very rough estimates follow- depends upon many things- body fat, what temps you’re used to, speed you swim, i.e. heat you’ll produce, etc. (rough estimates work for me and probably many others) if you don’t want to pay for a wetsuit, a thermal neoprene swim cap and vaseline applied to areas that loose heat quickly- behind the knees, elbow crease, underarms, can add comfort to your cold water exploits. sleeveless & thigh length suit; aka QR quickjohn 68F and up sleeveless & ankle-mid-calf length suit; aka QR Longjohn 62/64F to 74F full sleeves & ankle length suit; 58F-72F again they’re rough estimates, people/suits can vary. regards, Mark Linenberg                                        o                       __o            </_                       <           __/    /o_           (()) (())           /

Response:

As a triathlon store, we sell and ship many wetsuits all over the world. We currently handle Ironman and Quintana Roo wetsuits. According to the QR literature, here is what it says about the temps and their suits: Quickjohn  - protects to 66 degrees Ultrajohn- protects to 62 degrees Ultrafull – protects to 56 Hydrojohn – protects 62 Hyrdofull – protects to 56 Ironman suits do not rate according to temperature. Each person is individual and what is tolerable to one person may be too cool for another. So this makes sense as well. Some people feel they need all the help they can get. If you wish to call or email me,  we can discuss this. There are several things to consider and we can go through those. We do this everyday and would be more than happy to discuss this with you. Good luck with your decision. Diane Tarver http://Tri-Specialties.com 318-625-4214 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am considering purchasing a wet suit in order to train later / earlier in the year and wanted to know some information on how much colder the water temperature can be when I wear a wetsuit.  If  I am comfortable down to 74 degrees in a swim suit, what water temperature could I swim in with a wet suit?  I have looked in the QR and Orca web sites and they mainly talk about how much faster a suit makes you, but not much info in temp delta’s. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Response:

Question:

Are there any used size M or L skinsuits for sale out there? Pretty much any shape will do. Please email… Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Hi,  Emilio De Soto here from De Soto Sport.  We sell the best selling skinsuit on the market.  You can see it on our website at: http://www.desotosport.com/catalog_racing.asp Below are the specs: MEN’S POWER SKINSUITTM (#7000) $88.00 Nylon Lycra

Question:

Hearty Kudos to J&A for re-sanctioning with USAT ! They have listened to their market ! Good work everyone, for making your desires known ! See you there ! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – the USAT fold for both the South Bay and San Jose International triathlons.

Response:

Received my confirmation for next weekend’s South Bay triathlon and was genuinely pleased to see that J&A Productions have elected to return to the USAT fold for both the South Bay and San Jose International triathlons. Kudos to J&A, I think this is a very positive step.  Looking forward to the races! — Tri-Baby                                      _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / "Real triathletes don’t draft." http://www.stanford.edu/~brooksie *New to triathlon?  Check out Hulaman’s Simple TriTips:  http://www.hulaman.com/triathlon/tritips.html    

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Question:

Check out www.scheduleit.com. Not only do they list all the races in the south, but you can register for the race right there on the site! It’s cheap to do, and VERY convenient. They also have a deal going where if you refer them to a race that you want to run in, and they are able to post that race on the site via your referral, then they will pay your entry fee into that race for you. Andrew "Go hard or go home" West Lake Placid ‘99 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that exists online? I thought I remember seeing a few triathalons on the Jersey shore, (Cape May?) and now I can’t find them. Any good resources would be appreciated. Danielle *** Posted from RemarQ – http://www.remarq.com – Discussions Start Here

(tm) ***

Response:

Danielle, Sorry this response is delayed, but… I’m from the Philadelphia region, and I found an excellent site listing Northeast races, with entry forms, info., etc., and it’s kept very current.  Go to www.lin-mark.com.  It’s run by a husband-wife team (I think) who time triathlons, swims, and road races. I was particularly interested to see that there is a series of triathlons in S.J./PA which includes the USAT National Sprint Triathlon Championship in Bridgeton, NJ in July.  Anyway, check it out. Greg

Response:

Hi,
I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the
upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a
comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that
exists online?
I thought I remember seeing a few triathalons on the
Jersey shore, (Cape May?) and now I can’t find them.
Any good resources would be appreciated.
Danielle *** Posted from RemarQ – http://www.remarq.com – Discussions Start Here ™ ***

Response:

Women’s Multisport Online maintains a world wide event calendar, with an east coast section. However the 1999 event list will not be up until January, as race directors are finalizing dates, and just begining to send them out to the media. http://www.womensmultisport.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that exists online? I thought I remember seeing a few triathalons on the Jersey shore, (Cape May?) and now I can’t find them. Any good resources would be appreciated. Danielle *** Posted from RemarQ – http://www.remarq.com – Discussions Start Here ™ ***

Response:

Check out http://www.raceforum.com for races in the New Jersey area.  They have a section for running races and one for multi-sport.  It’s pretty comprehensive. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that exists online? I thought I remember seeing a few triathalons on the Jersey shore, (Cape May?) and now I can’t find them. Any good resources would be appreciated. Danielle *** Posted from RemarQ – http://www.remarq.com – Discussions Start Here

(tm) ***

Response:

Hi, I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that exists online? Any good resources would be appreciated. Danielle

Danielle- Both Triathlete Magazine (http://www.triathletemag.com) and Inside Triathlon (http://www.insidetri.com) have very comprehensive race calendars.  Each are organized by region.  The reason the calendars are a little thin right now is because, with the exception of the ‘big’ races, many Race Directors haven’t finalized their dates yet.  Check back at the above named sites and watch how the Calendar grows.  Most race dates get finalized by mid winter. Being from New Jersey, one race you can not afford to miss is the Shamrock Duathlon (http://www.erols.com/magoo34) in Glastonbury, CT on June 13.  It is the USAT New England Regional Duathlon Championships, an excellent course, and a guaranteed good time.  For more information check the web site or contact…..ummmmm….ME!

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Question:

So the question is, "When is it time for the big one, and how long should I train for it?"  I consider completing an IM in 12 hours as my goal.

Oh… very topical! I committed myself to IM in the winter time and have been training with a newly purchased HRM and Rob Sleamaker’s book. I hope he knows what he’s talking about!! Roughly a 24 week schedule. I too hope to complete IM in around 12 hours. 11 weeks to go and I still haven’t run longer than 16 miles or cycled more than 56. Feel pretty good though. I’ve done the Half-ArranMan for the past 5 years (all of them – and done the organising – you should try it if you don’t have enough stress already :*)) I got the race details through yesterday for Ironman Scotland on August 17th. Oh my goodness… Expect various posts looking for advice!! — Cheers, Richard. Arran Triathlon Club – we got both kindsa wind, out *and* back!

Response:

This may sound a bit dumb, but in my case, the time for my first ironman will be 5 days after I turn 50 !! Somehow the notion arrived that I should do something a bit out of the ordinary to sort of mark that milestone, (I’ve already jumped out of a perfectly good aeroplane, wearing a parachute!), and CFT puts on the Great Floridian ironman on October 25 this year – ergo, off went the entry, I’m committed (or maybe ’should be committed  :) ), and now stuck with following through on this decision – aaaauuugh !! I’ve really improved my swim this year, and results have been MOP, finished Gulf Coast pretty comfortably and had a great time, all of which confirm that an ironman is doable. I’m not really shooting for a time, but do have 13 hours in the back of my mind. I’m training with 3 other blokes, all of whom will ‘race’ it as opposed to my doing it, and that is good motivation. So, all that to say, I think you’re ready when you believe you’re ready – without that belief, it may be a lot more difficult than it’s worth to make it enjoyable. Good luck. Cheers Barry

Response:

I have now been racing in triathlons for a year.   Last season I raced in 1 sprint, and 1 international distance race.   This year I have raced in 1 sprint and yesterday I raced in the Cambridge Blackwater Eagleman.   I finished Cambridge in 5:28:22. That’s my background in the sport.   I have a couple of Marathons under my belt, and 1 Ultramarathon. So the question is, "When is it time for the big one, and how long should I train for it?"  I consider completing an IM in 12 hours as my goal. Advice would be appreciated. Regards Neil Davies

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have now been racing in triathlons for a year.   Last season I raced in 1 sprint, and 1 international distance race.   This year I have raced in 1 sprint and yesterday I raced in the Cambridge Blackwater Eagleman.   I finished Cambridge in 5:28:22. That’s my background in the sport.   I have a couple of Marathons under my belt, and 1 Ultramarathon. So the question is, "When is it time for the big one, and how long should I train for it?"  I consider completing an IM in 12 hours as my goal. Advice would be appreciated. Regards Neil Davies

Neil, This is always a great thread and will generate a lot of excellent responses, both what to do and what not to do. You certainly have the running background, and sound like you have been building up your triathlon race distances to where setting a goal of completing your first Ironman is reasonable. How’s the swimming? Any century rides yet? Most Ironvets will tell you that getting in some long distance time in the saddle is very important. I have found that my best Ironman races have come off a training regimen that included 6 or 7 solo 100+ milers over the 3 -4 months leading up to the race, plus a similar number of 3+ hour runs. This is by no means a absolute requirement, but get some of these long, slow distance workouts in. I think that the solo long rides, which can be incredibly taxing, help build a mental framework that better prepares you for the Ironman experience. Make sure that you follow a periodized training plan that allows for rest and recovery so that you don’t get overtrained or injured. Also have a good taper, approximately 2 – 3 weeks, although everyone is different, and it often is a trial and error process. I have had the experience of going into a Ironman undertrained and rested, and also overtrained. I can tell you the former is much better than the latter. For my first race, I was seriously undertrained. I had 2 months of preparation and had only gotten in a few 60 mile bike rides and a few 2 hour runs. My goal was just to finish healthy, which is what every first timer’s goal should be. If you want to set up some secondary time goals, ok, but don’t let your pursuit of a time goal overrule your primary goal. The most common mistake is to go too hard on the bike and then blow-up on the run. Hold back! 26.2 miles is a long way to walk. If you feel like pushing anything, save it for the second half of the marathon. This strategy worked very well for my first, and I got the chance to see lots of people, who had blown by me on the bike like I was standing still, walking the second half of the marathon. I was able to run the whole way. I’m not sure how I did it, but I finished in 11 hrs, 11 minutes. I envy you, the exciting challenge you are facing. I have done 6, but nothing beats the magic of the feeling you get when you cross the finish line of your first. Good luck!                Mark — Mark A. Jenkins, M.D SportsMed Web http://riceinfo.rice.edu/~jenkins

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have now been racing in triathlons for a year.   Last season I raced in 1 sprint, and 1 international distance race.   This year I have raced in 1 sprint and yesterday I raced in the Cambridge Blackwater Eagleman.   I finished Cambridge in 5:28:22. That’s my background in the sport.   I have a couple of Marathons under my belt, and 1 Ultramarathon. So the question is, "When is it time for the big one, and how long should I train for it?"  I consider completing an IM in 12 hours as my goal. Advice would be appreciated. Regards Neil Davies

Neil, In short…it’s time. Seriously, if you think that you really want to do it, and you’re willing to put in the work, you are probably ready.  I would not try to peg a particular finish time for your first race…finishing is a reward in itself. Augie Calabrese

Response:

I have now been racing in triathlons for a year.   Last season I raced in 1 sprint, and 1 international distance race.   This year I have raced in 1 sprint and yesterday I raced in the Cambridge Blackwater Eagleman.   I finished Cambridge in 5:28:22. That’s my background in the sport.   I have a couple of Marathons under my belt, and 1 Ultramarathon. So the question is, "When is it time for the big one, and how long should I train for it?"  I consider completing an IM in 12 hours as my goal. Advice would be appreciated.

You have now had precisely the amount of experience I had when I did my first Ironman.  It was my second season, fifth race.  My time was quite stinky, over 15 hours because I did so much walking, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.  Four years later I did it again, this time with a newly torn cartilage so I couldn’t run at all, but I was still pleased just to have finished. My experience since then was a bit of a mess, so I’ll have to remedy that and make sure it’s a pleasant experience again, but about once every four years seems just right to me. I’ve never done a marathon on its own.  My best athletic events have been 50 fly, 100 free, and 5k run, so I’m not at all suited for IM, but it’s more fun than anything else. Do it, make it fun. Ruth Kazez

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have now been racing in triathlons for a year.   Last season I raced in 1 sprint, and 1 international distance race.   This year I have raced in 1 sprint and yesterday I raced in the Cambridge Blackwater Eagleman.   I finished Cambridge in 5:28:22. That’s my background in the sport.   I have a couple of Marathons under my belt, and 1 Ultramarathon. So the question is, "When is it time for the big one, and how long should I train for it?"  I consider completing an IM in 12 hours as my goal. Advice would be appreciated. Regards Neil Davies

Well, for what its worth…. I did my first ironman this year after 4 years in the sport, a friend did his first one last year in his first year of triathlon. It all depends what you are after. For us mere mortals, it’s a bit hard to train for an ironman and do shorter distance races, so it becomes a pretty big commitment to race an ironman. Having said that, there is nothing like racing an ironman, it really is great fun and a great achievment. Don’t worry too much about finishing times, just as long as you finish! From what i have seen, just about anyone can race an ironman and do it well, the main thing is deciding your reasons for doing it and commiting to it. -Paul.

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Question:

I’m looking for a race number belt. Does anyone have an idea where to get them? Griet

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I’m looking for a race number belt. Does anyone have an idea where to get them? Griet

I built one, not high fashon, but quite servicable out of some 1" elastic, a 1"fastex buckle and 2 safety pins.  I tied a quick overhand knot at each end. Works like a charm, cost about US$1.50. Rob — No Spam is good Spam. Stop bulk email now! Ironman Canada 1998 Rob Blomquist aka TriDog Seattle, WA http://www.accessone.com/~robb

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I’m looking for a race number belt. Does anyone have an idea where to get them? Griet

Steve’s Multisport or Keith’s TRI shop both sell them.  I think Keith has them for $4 or $6. Don

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I found the phone number for Canyon Race Number Belts. (800) 343-5577 or (760) 489-1688. Multi-Sport Retailers normally stock this item. Give me a call if you need phone numbers. Good Luck- Keith Simmons Ironman Triathlon Wetsuits (800) 897-6464 (804) 288-6000 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m looking for a race number belt. Does anyone have an idea where to get them? Griet

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Don’t even think about wearing a race-belt if you ever come to the UK – the British Triathlon Assn in its infinite wisdom gives a 2 minute penalty to anyone seen wearing one in one of its races!!! — Gordon Riley, Cambridge, England Voice 01223 290473 Fax   01223 290138

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: Don’t even think about wearing a race-belt if you ever come to the : UK – the British Triathlon Assn in its infinite wisdom gives a 2 : minute penalty to anyone seen wearing one in one of its races!!! I ever thought the German Assn DTU is a little bit crasy but this is the idiotic thing i ever heard. — Fax    : 0641-7026024     Address: Peter Naber          Gaffkystr. 9          D-35392 Giessen

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I’m looking for a race number belt. Does anyone have an idea where to get them? Griet

Yeah. In my wife’s sewing box. It’s elastic band material.  Costs about $ .30 US for a couple of yards.  She made me one about 8 years ago and I still use it. It’s just elastic material big enough to fit around my waist, loose enough to be comfortable. I attach the race number with good old fashioned safety pins ($ .000001 US). Not exactly high tech, but what the heck, neither is my 10 year old bike.  <g Mike "TriBop" Tennent WebRunner Running Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/running/running.html My Model Railroad Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/srr/

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Question:

No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get –<snip–

I regularly keep late hours and must be in class by 7:15am each day.  So am training for me means _early_ training.  I’m just like the rest of you, I love it after the first mile…if I ever get past the front door! As a triathlete, I tend to train alone much of the time, but one thing that used to work for me was a training partner (actually I was on a team in college–lots of training partners).  If all else has failed you, try this.  It’s good motivation and committing to someone that you’ll "be there" might be the ticket. Richard Richard Wagers Parker College of Chiropractic Through education I learn to do by choice what other men do by constraints of fear.                         –Aristotle

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Brian, I’ve been doing the same routine as you for a long time now! but unlike you I have coffee. I log onto the network and surf and read for 1/5 hour or more and then hit the roads with anywhere from 3 to 6 miles or ride 20-30! Glad to hear I’m on the right track! Jeff Andres

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No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!? TRI-ed it….LIKED it!

Motivation.  Personally I’m not a very a very motivated person at 6am and so prefer to train in the afternoon or early evening.  However I’ll occassionally train in the AM because I’m motivated to do so because: 1. Its usually a little safer to ride in the morning 2. The tri-club bike ride on a Sunday morning stops at the cake shop that makes     fantastic bluebery muffins and expresso coffee’s 3. Its 6am and my training partner (who woke up with the idea that I’m not     training enough and that I should go on an early morning run with him) is     bashing on the door like a Norse Warrior trying to ransack a castle. 4. The wife wants the car for the day and I have to ride to work. AJ — Simon Haigh, Information Consultant – Web Services Group     BHP Information Technology                                 151-155 King Street Warrawong NSW 2502, AUSTRALIA        

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Here is what I did: When my Wife quit her job to go back to school, I decided to get up with her they we will drive together. The only problem is that she gets up at 6:30. The first month it was hard, I mean morning, lunchtime or evening workout was hard… But I got used to it. It has been now 2 years since we started doing that and I even get uyp early during the week end. WHAT (I heard screaming…) Yes, I sleep in until 8:30 then workout during the week ends. The trade off is that if you had a social life, it’s over since you need 9 hours of sleep… Who is the trigeek who’s got a social life anyway? Social life is during workouts and after races, right? The big advantage is that when you have a race in the morning and you have to wake up at 4am to get there, you sleep only 7 hours instead of 9, and you are used to get to bed early! Of yeah, I forgot… I love that life style. Right now in Seattle, it is in the 80s at lunch time, so I run at 7:00, there is nobody and it is cooler… — fabien "ZeBigFrenchMan" For the joy of Triing

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!? TRI-ed it….LIKED it!

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When I do a morning workout I arrive at work about 1-1 1/2 hours early and bike or run from there.  If you don’t have shower facilities at your work this wont work (that is unless your coworkers like the smell of B.O.) Bring something easy to eat after your body cools down, bagels work great!                                     _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / Tri-On The only legal draft should come from hops and barley. WEB (Robert Webster) Waukegan, IL

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No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!?

It is 5:59 am, and I am just finishing up reading RST. On Saturday and Sunday, I always start with reading email and rst before working out at 6:30. Makes it easier to get out of bed, let’s the body wake up. I like OJ instead of coffee, but that gets to do its job too. Try it. Brian Sullivan

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: I know exactly how you feel.  ’Early morning’ for me is anything before : noon.  I set out my gear the night before and put it on immediately after : the first buzzer.  The key for me is ‘absolutely no thinking until I’m out : the door’.  If I think about whether I’d rather sleep or train — sleep : wins until it’s too late to do anything but train.  ;-) Exactly.  However, I’ve had the good fortune for the last year to work 1-10pm.  This lets me get up when I want to (8-9am) and still get in a solid morning of training.  Hard to train after a hard day of work, but not nearly as hard to "work" after a hard morning of training.  ;-) — Jason Mayfield     Arlington, VA http://dufus.westga.edu/~zooropa Sick & Twisted Site of the Day: http://dufus.westga.edu/~zooropa/sick.html "Do or do not, there is no ‘try’"  - Yoda     14 Days Until Ironman Canada

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No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!? TRI-ed it….LIKED it!

I am a night person so I have a hell of a time making it to those early morning weekend swims, especially when I do the quick math underneath the flannel sheets and figure out that water temp. < air temp!! About 6 months ago I wanted to start getting some workouts in the morning so I wouldn’t have to back-to-back stuff after work.  I was actually anal retentive enough to sit down and figure out why I never got my fuzzy butt out of bed early enough.   Here’s what I came up with, maybe you fit it here too… 1) Not enough sleep.  We triathletes somehow think we can squeeze all of those training hours in and still do everything that "normal" people do!  This may include family time, tv, hanging out w/ friends, doing errands, etc.  I need a solid 7 hours and I find that after training and doing all of the other stuff, I’m going to bed way too late.  Even midnight is too late to get enough sleep and still squeeze a morning workout in. 2) Caffeine.  I’ve found that I usually consume this great stuff in some form either at dinner, coffee shops or just hanging around in the evening.  I don’t get wired from it (I *don’t* have a problem, really!) but it does keep me from feeling tired when I should be. 3) Late swim workouts.  Our evening pool time is 7-9 and no matter how tired I am before the workout, I find myself bouncing off of the walls for at least a couple of hours afterwards.  Cycling and running don’t have this effect but swimming does.   Since I don’t have a choice of times to swim during the week, I avoid scheduling morning workouts the day after being in the pool.   Happy training, Scott

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|No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout |before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out |the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely |make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, |setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any |"non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself |to get out there in the predawn!? I know exactly how you feel.  ’Early morning’ for me is anything before noon.  I set out my gear the night before and put it on immediately after the first buzzer.  The key for me is ‘absolutely no thinking until I’m out the door’.  If I think about whether I’d rather sleep or train — sleep wins until it’s too late to do anything but train.  ;-) Another trick is to workout twice a day, morning and evening.  I do run or bike in the morning and soccer + swim in the evening, though I usually skip run or bike on soccer days. – Tim Iverson

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No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!? TRI-ed it….LIKED it!

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No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!?

I hate waking up at 5AM!  But it’s a necessity while training for an Ironman race (need to get those double workouts).  Plus I can’t workout at night because I’m too tired by the time I get home.   My Motivation Tool:  Guilt Trips!  Every time that alarm clock goes off at 5:15AM and I want to skip an 8 mile run, I tell myself that I will live to regret it during the 19th mile of the marathon.  If I don’t finish it’s all because I skipped that run on Tuesday, August 6th (yeah it was a recent guilt trip). Good Luck (plus it always helps getting a good night sleep). Carlos Torres de Navarra Coral Gables, Florida

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Question:

If you are still looking for results I have a hard copy, but I don’t have the time to type it all in.  You can E-mail me if you have specific requests. Otherwise, try phoning the Race Office number to arrange for an ASCII version. (1-800-565-3947 or 1-403-743-7026) Bob Wooff Victoria, B.C.

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Any body have the full results (including age groups) of Canadian National Tri Championship held in Fort McMurray Aug 20? Is there a Web site where these might be available.

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Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon Organization: Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa Any body have the full results (including age groups) of Canadian National Tri Championship held in Fort McMurray Aug 20? Is there a Web site where these might be available.

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Mornin’ all, Does anyone have results of Canadian Nationals from Welland ? Particularly interested in my friend Sylvia Corbett. Thanks Cheers Barry

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Results can be found at the President’s Choice homepage at http://142.218.254.254/triathlon/ Your friend Sylvia got a respectable 6th place with a time of 2:05:37. Rob

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Question:

Having read Ruth’s posts for some time now and having had the pleasure of meeting her in person, I find the suggestion that she in some way lacks compassion to be absurd.  And the implication that this "little old lady" is battering defenseless triathletes during the swim is LOL-type funny. Timothy — Timothy Gotsick

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Matthew, You are certainly entitled to your opinions and your right to voice them. And as such, kindly respect the views and opinions of others. Understand also that you may represent a minority view. AJ Calabrese – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Forgive me if I hold of my applause on this woman. Given the views she has been espousing recently here regarding the tragedy that occurred at Mrs. T’s, it may be a little dubious to some (at least me) about how perhaps she achieved some of those results and the price others may have paid who got in her way at a swim start. I don’t really give a hoot about place finishes and age-group performances. I compete in Triatholons to see what I myself am capable of doing and don’t really care how I do versus the competition. When you start to lose your humanity and compassion for other people — as some of Ruth’s comment on this topic certainly do reek of!!!!! — who gives a shit what place that person comes in some age group competition. Just my thoughts. Matthew

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Matthew, You are certainly entitled to your opinions and your right to voice them. And as such, kindly respect the views and opinions of others. Understand also that you may represent a minority view. AJ Calabrese

AJ         To be honest, I do not understand the purpose of your message at all.         No where do I say that Ruth should not be able to express her opinions. No where do I come close to imply such a thought. People should be free to say whatever it is that they wish to say, with IMHO some exceptions for libel and an inciting a riot. I respect Ruth’s right to say anything at all that falls within those very very very broad bounds.         And of course that right should be extended to those whose opinions are within the minority as well.         As to what relevance it has whether my views are in the minority or the majority is beyond me. Sometimes the majority is right. Sometimes it is wrong.         And sometimes majority views are just interested in preserving the status quo which benefits it. The majority flexing its collective muscle. And this may well be the case here. Matthew

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Good one, Ruth! BTW, I enjoyed the article in triathlete very much. Ed

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Gotsick) says: Having read Ruth’s posts for some time now and having had the pleasure of meeting her in person, I find the suggestion that she in some way lacks compassion to be absurd.  And the implication that this "little old lady" is battering defenseless triathletes during the swim is LOL-type funny. Timothy

You obviously have never had the pleasure of seeing Ruth in the weight room. She is fully capable of battering senseless whomever and whatever has the misfortune to get in her way. I’m not really joking either- impressive is putting it lightly. Jeff Mitchell Penn State University btw- Ruth- that was me on the bike on whitehall last monday- good to      see you again. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (Timothy Gotsick) says: Having read Ruth’s posts for some time now and having had the pleasure of meeting her in person, I find the suggestion that she in some way lacks compassion to be absurd.  And the implication that this "little old lady" is battering defenseless triathletes during the swim is LOL-type funny. Timothy You obviously have never had the pleasure of seeing Ruth in the weight room. She is fully capable of battering senseless whomever and whatever has the misfortune to get in her way. I’m not really joking either- impressive is putting it lightly. Jeff Mitchell Penn State University

Hey, Jeff! Just because she’s "capable" doesn’t mean she *does* it! Can we please stop this Ruth-bashing and give the woman the credit and respect she is due? -Shelley

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Hi Shelley I must confess(#5?) that I sent Jeff a note saying that his post about my ability to bash everyone, based on my performance in the weight room, was fun to read.  I also accused TGCarlson of selling me short, suggesting that I lacked true pummeling ability, for which he apologized.  The whole idea that I somehow place well in triathlons as a result of my aggressive swimming is just too funny not to enjoy. Ruth "IronGal" Kazez

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She’s a little old lady…..

Score:   Kazez 1, Publish 0

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I second Tricias’s comments on this string. Why not go back and read Ruth’s comments in context? I find it laughingly implausible that Ruth or anyone in her age group got their success crawling over the backs of other swimmers. Timothy Carlson

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What a great article about Ruth!  It’s wonderful to see such a talented and dedicated senior age grouper get so much well-deserved ink! –Lee (In awe of Ruth) Crumbaugh Forgive me if I hold of my applause on this woman. Given the views she has been espousing recently here regarding the tragedy that occurred at Mrs. T’s, it may be a little dubious to some (at least me) about how perhaps she achieved some of those results and the price others may have paid who got in her way at a swim start.  When you start to lose your humanity and compassion for other people — as some of Ruth’s comment on this topic certainly do reek of!!!!! — who gives a shit what place that person comes in some age group competition. Matthew

– Matthew— What views has she "espoused" that you object to?  You certainly seem to be in a hurry to rush to judgment about her; it sounds as if you haven’t even read all of the posts involved—frankly, it sounds as if you’ve only been reading Don Herron’s posts, which have been rife with misinterpretations of other people’s posts and very short on tolerance for other points of view. You imply that Ruth has somehow condoned roughing people up in the swim, which she emphatically did NOT do!   How you ever extracted from any of her posts that she might possibly have engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct in order to achieve her excellent results is beyond me.  Please think carefully before you post personal attacks like this.  Don’t leap before you look at all the facts, which is exactly what the person who started this entire thread seems to be all too eager to do. Peace! Tricia                                    _                       o         –    o      ’               /|_      -    </_  `     ‘          _ / _       – __/    /o_         (( )  ( ))       –  /

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What a great article about Ruth!  It’s wonderful to see such a talented and dedicated senior age grouper get so much well-deserved ink! "She’s a little old lady from Pennsylvania.  Go baby, go baby, go baby go!" to paraphrase the Beach Boys. –Lee (In awe of Ruth) Crumbaugh

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What a great article about Ruth!  It’s wonderful to see such a talented and dedicated senior age grouper get so much well-deserved ink! "She’s a little old lady from Pennsylvania.  Go baby, go baby, go baby go!" to paraphrase the Beach Boys. –Lee (In awe of Ruth) Crumbaugh

Forgive me if I hold of my applause on this woman. Given the views she has been espousing recently here regarding the tragedy that occurred at Mrs. T’s, it may be a little dubious to some (at least me) about how perhaps she achieved some of those results and the price others may have paid who got in her way at a swim start. I don’t really give a hoot about place finishes and age-group performances. I compete in Triatholons to see what I myself am capable of doing and don’t really care how I do versus the competition. When you start to lose your humanity and compassion for other people — as some of Ruth’s comment on this topic certainly do reek of!!!!! — who gives a shit what place that person comes in some age group competition. Just my thoughts. Matthew

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Our own r.s.t.-er, Ruth Kazez, is featured in the new issue of Triathlete.  Finally that magazine is printing some interesting information!  Good luck at Ironman, Ruth!      TriGal

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She’s a little old lady…..

he said, not so softly, assuming she was hard of hearing.  She rocked her chair slowly, tugging at the flowered apron that covered her smooth gastrocs, and offered the nice young man another tidbit of Powerbar. "No," he said, "gotta run, doing a century today."  "A century?  Why, no, I’m not there yet."  He thought she’s gotta be close, all those wrinkles and white hair.  He looked closely at her sleeves; strange bulge above the elbows, in the area of the biceps.  These old gals have fat in funny places.  He explained he was going for a bike ride.  "Oh isn’t that nice.  I know how to ride too.  May I come along?"  Geez, he thought, she’ll either be using training wheels or an oversize trike. He didn’t know how to say no, figured the ordeal would be over in a minute.  She whipped off her apron.  Between the wrinkles were the quads he’d be working for all year in the weight room.  One foot in the left pedal, she swung the other leg over.  "Watch it, sonny, she spat out," and he wiped the dust from all over himself and his bike. Ruth Kazez

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