Question:

Thanks for info.  I am fairly new here also.  My real name is Ethan Turner.  I use the handle because I have worked all my life at some type of radiological facility.  I am 31 years old with type 1.  I started having symptoms about 6 months ago or more (but was not initially aware of why I had them) and was officially diagnosed 2 months ago and started on insulin at that time.  I realized that I had a problem when I came home, walked up the street to my mother-in-law’s house, checked my blood sugar with her meter, and found it to be 306. This was (and still is) the worst blood sugar I have ever seen. Fortunately for me, I never went through a ketoacidosis-induced collapse and wound up in the hospital like so many with type 1.       My family doctor initially misdiagnosed it as type 2 and told me that it could be managed with a low-carb diet.  The problem (both with his diagnosis and remedy) was that I was and still am a competitive triathlete and I typically train 5 – 10 hours per week at the swimming, bike riding, and running.  I have no family history of diabetes and am not, nor was overweight.  People like myself are not supposed to get type 2, thus I was very skeptical of his diagnosis. Sure enough, the tests results from my endocrinologist confirmed my worst fears – that I really had type 1 and would likely spend the rest of my life insulin dependent.   For me, the most depressing time was when I was controlling my blood sugars with diet.  I felt as if everywhere I went, I was surrounded by poison and was limited to eating things like subway chicken salads and fried eggs.  Not that these things are bad, but when they become your only option, it is very tiresome.  For this reason, I actually felt better the day I started on insulin, since I could then start introducing some carbs into my diet again and also start swimming more than 2000 yds at a time. I have read and heard about brittleness and I am trying to do everything I can to avoid becoming brittle.  I believe the key is to preserve both residual beta cell function and counter-regulatory response.  I believe that my counter-regulatory response is improving now because I am much less prone to hypoglycemia during long swims and bike rides than I was when I first started using insulin.  I have also figured out that high intensity exercise (like 100 yd sprints in the pool) is less likely to cause hypoglycemia than the slow easy stuff. I am also looking into experimental drugs that will stop the destruction of residual beta cells. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hello,     My name is Darla Jean. I use jeana for news groups. I’m just lurking for now but wanted to introduce myself. I’m 38, look young and perfectly healthy for my age but don’t let the outside fool you. I’ve had brittle uncontrollable type 1 diabetes for 14 years now. My dad died at age 30 and his was so bad, when he was diagnosed at the age of 24 with type 1, they gave him two years to live. He lived to be 30 and took very good care of his self. Most people think that there are only type one and two but there are actually so many different types within those types and this disease is so diverse and complicated and not one diabetic is the same. I was on FIVE shots a day for years and did not improve. My A1c was so high. Then I went on the insulin pump and it has helped my glucose levels by 50%. However, i take about 13 prescription medications that I have to have to survive on due to diabetes complications just from having the disease all these years.     I recently lost my second dad this past Christmas Eve to pulmonary fibrosis and this has caused a lot of stress and I almost died in the hospital a couple of months ago. It’s been a night mare for the whole family this past year.     I take great care of myself but I have these blood diseases that makes your triglycerides extremely high no matter what you do. It comes with the type of diabetes I have. Several doctors have told me it doesn’t matter if i weighed 99 lbs or 500 lbs or what i ate, I would still have that problem because they have seen records of me very thin and heavier for many years and being thinner or eating better didn’t improve certain things. So don’t feel bad when you think your doing everything possible but still dont’ get results. Sometimes it’s just your body and chemistry is different and you have to try that much harder. My triglycerides were over 700 and then after seven months of taking two meds that they promised would bring them down like a power house, (zocor and zetia) my cholesterol and other lipids did come down, but my triglycerides went from 700 to over 2300. They don’t see how I can be alive by all medical records. Now they put me on advicore and in one month they went from 2300 to 491. They are getting better and im so happy but the side effects are so painful and hard to deal with.     I tell you this not to complain but to encourage ones that have a hard time and are tired of people telling them they aren’t doing right or they are cheating on their diet because until they’ve walked in your shoes, they need to keep their mouth shut. If you really are doing what your supposed to, You know and God knows. They used to accuse my real dad of cheating because his would go down as low as 20 and by law you should be dead at that glucose level and they checked his brain waves and never even had damage. His would go so high the machine couldn’t register it. It bounced around so much but when they would have him in the hospital, controlling every move he made and everything he ate, then they would see that he wasn’t like every diabetic they had dealt with and they would be fustrated because they couldn’t put him in a category with everyone else and didn’t know what to do. When a doctor don’t have an answer for something, they usually try to blame it on you. Make you feel like you are doing something wrong. Sometimes it may be true, but don’t buy into this guilt trip they try to lay on you when you know you are doing everything possible. It’s not easy and it’s a daily struggle as we all know so hang in there and encourage one another. Help each other with information we have and I pray each and every one of you have good family support because it’s very important.     Sorry if I went on too long. I will shut up now and lurk.     I’m inserting a pic of me below.

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I too lurk here, but being t2 I post in alt.support.diabetes. Welcome, these people here a wealth of information and advice. Take the best… ignore the rest… Good fortune and the best of synergy with the universe. quirque

Response:

hi Darla Jean…welcome to this newsgroup. I’m Steve and I was diagnosed with Type 1 when I was 6 yrs old. I have been diabetic for 36 years. I have fortunately been complication free – only last year trace amounts of microprotein started showing up in my urine so I put on an ARB. Two years ago I purchased a MiniMed 508 insulin pump and I hope all of these things will help me live a long and productive life. I am very sorry to hear about your recent tragedies and I would like you to know that you have many friends with open hearts and ears in this group. Welcome. — Steve Type 1 DM since 1967 Toronto, ON Canada

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello,      My name is Darla Jean. I use jeana for news groups. I’m just lurking for now but wanted to introduce myself. I’m 38, look young and perfectly healthy for my age but don’t let the outside fool you. I’ve had brittle uncontrollable type 1 diabetes for 14 years now. My dad died at age 30 and his was so bad, when he was diagnosed at the age of 24 with type 1, they gave him two years to live. He lived to be 30 and took very good care of his self. Most people think that there are only type one and two but there are actually so many different types within those types and this disease is so diverse and complicated and not one diabetic is the same. I was on FIVE shots a day for years and did not improve. My A1c was so high. Then I went on the insulin pump and it has helped my glucose levels by 50%. However, i take about 13 prescription medications that I have to have to survive on due to diabetes complications just from having the disease all these years.      I recently lost my second dad this past Christmas Eve to pulmonary fibrosis and this has caused a lot of stress and I almost died in the hospital a couple of months ago. It’s been a night mare for the whole family this past year.      I take great care of myself but I have these blood diseases that makes your triglycerides extremely high no matter what you do. It comes with the type of diabetes I have. Several doctors have told me it doesn’t matter if i weighed 99 lbs or 500 lbs or what i ate, I would still have that problem because they have seen records of me very thin and heavier for many years and being thinner or eating better didn’t improve certain things. So don’t feel bad when you think your doing everything possible but still dont’ get results. Sometimes it’s just your body and chemistry is different and you have to try that much harder. My triglycerides were over 700 and then after seven months of taking two meds that they promised would bring them down like a power house, (zocor and zetia) my cholesterol and other lipids did come down, but my triglycerides went from 700 to over 2300. They don’t see how I can be alive by all medical records. Now they put me on advicore and in one month they went from 2300 to 491. They are getting better and im so happy but the side effects are so painful and hard to deal with.      I tell you this not to complain but to encourage ones that have a hard time and are tired of people telling them they aren’t doing right or they are cheating on their diet because until they’ve walked in your shoes, they need to keep their mouth shut. If you really are doing what your supposed to, You know and God knows. They used to accuse my real dad of cheating because his would go down as low as 20 and by law you should be dead at that glucose level and they checked his brain waves and never even had damage. His would go so high the machine couldn’t register it. It bounced around so much but when they would have him in the hospital, controlling every move he made and everything he ate, then they would see that he wasn’t like every diabetic they had dealt with and they would be fustrated because they couldn’t put him in a category with everyone else and didn’t know what to do. When a doctor don’t have an answer for something, they usually try to blame it on you. Make you feel like you are doing something wrong. Sometimes it may be true, but don’t buy into this guilt trip they try to lay on you when you know you are doing everything possible. It’s not easy and it’s a daily struggle as we all know so hang in there and encourage one another. Help each other with information we have and I pray each and every one of you have good family support because it’s very important.      Sorry if I went on too long. I will shut up now and lurk.      I’m inserting a pic of me below.

Response:

Question:

Great race.  Swim is in the bay, but is cold since it is early in the season. ……Rob www.TTUniversity.com Online Coaching www.TransitionTimes.com Triathlon Magazine Original Message: Anyone had experience with this race?  Thoughts? Thanks. P.S. – Is the swim in the ocean?  If so, imagine it could get pretty rough.

Response:

The bay swim was smooth last year, but as Rob said it’s pretty cold so you will need to wear that wetsuit. Once you get going, you won’t notice the chill. The swim course is a counter clockwise loop mostly along the shore. There are buoys about every 100 yards…easy to navigate, but somewhat tight because it’s relatively close to shore. Last year the swim course was about 200 yards short. The run from the swim to the transition area is about a 1/4 mile on a boardwalk…the ride is very pretty with nice views…hilly and can be windy. Run course has a couple of steep hills…not too much traffic. Lunch is served afterwards, but you have to get there early to get some food. They also serve beer on tap (after the race, of course)….I will be there again next year probably with team in training. See you there!…johanna Johanna "forever young" Young

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I have done this race at least 6 times over the last 10 years and the only big problem is the cold water!, be prepared to be very cold the first 10 minutes or so. The water is usually flat with just a little chop from the north. The bike is OK, a few short hills and not much wind, IF you can get out of the water early. The wind has a tendency to pick up about 10AM or so. The run is relatively flat with a few short hills and a longish Flamingo Hill Rd. jaunt. See you there…Usually a nice buffet at the end by the way. Ron W.

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Anyone had experience with this race?  Thoughts? Thanks. P.S. – Is the swim in the ocean?  If so, imagine it could get pretty rough.

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Question:

Try Roy Benson’s "The Runner’s Coach" It is real helpful on incorporating a HRM into a structured running program. Jeff – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know a Sally someone has written a book on Heart Rate Monitors, but I’m wondering if any of you can give suggestions on what books are good ones to read about heart rates and HRMs. I hear a lot of conflicting information (not on this newgroup, but on the cycling and the triathlon newsgroups) about heart rates and HRMs. Thanks, Conal  – Conal Ho Graduate Student 337 Social Sciences I Department of Anthropology; University of California–Santa Cruz

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Give this one a try, "Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot", 2nd edition, by John L. Parker Jr.  It’s a pretty good book and it convinced me to get a hrm. …Scott – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know a Sally someone has written a book on Heart Rate Monitors, but I’m wondering if any of you can give suggestions on what books are good ones to read about heart rates and HRMs. I hear a lot of conflicting information (not on this newgroup, but on the cycling and the triathlon newsgroups) about heart rates and HRMs. Thanks, Conal  – Conal Ho Graduate Student 337 Social Sciences I Department of Anthropology; University of California–Santa Cruz

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I do very strongly recommend the books by exercise physiologist and world class endurance athlete Sally Edwards. All of Sally’s books are founded on sports science research and presented in a user friendly manner. Her books are progressive in nature with the first, The Heart Monitor Book, geared for those who need to know more about the monitor itself and are just trying to get started. It was originally written for Polar. The second is called Heart Zone Training. It takes you the next step into developing a personalized training program based upon your individualized goals.It is logical in its approach and should help you get moving and stay moving. The tird is Smart Heart, a work in progress in that as research brings new things to light, the book will be updated. It is for advanced training and those who are ready for more technical physiological information. There are other good books such as Training the Lactate Pulse Rate, very technical, which are terrific to add to ones understanding of why training with a HRM is so valuable and in many ways easier. You can manage you can monitor. Learn from other coaching/training books and adapt workouts etc. to the HRM. Its quite easy. Instead of time pace, us HR pace for the proper intensity. Good luck and keep reading. We are students for life. Bill Stainbrook physical educator, endurance athlete and Heart Zone Educator

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I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again; I think the Sally Edwards book is terrible! It’s all smiley, smiley, happy, happy, jump up and downey style irritates me no end, and the amount of information contained in it is negligible. The Training Pulse and Lactate is interesting and has a lot more info., but you need to read it with the knowledge that the Conconi test is neither as simple, nor as reliable, nor as based in science as Mr. Jansen would have us believe. Sorry I haven’t got a good one to recommend; I can’t say I’ve really read one! — Rod. Discoveries are made every 15 years. Yours is particularly good; it hasn’t been made for 150 years. "The Doctors Dilemma" GB Shaw – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I do very strongly recommend the books by exercise physiologist and world class endurance athlete Sally Edwards. All of Sally’s books are founded on sports science research and presented in a user friendly manner. Her books are progressive in nature with the first, The Heart Monitor Book, geared for those who need to know more about the monitor itself and are just trying to get started. It was originally written for Polar. The second is called Heart Zone Training. It takes you the next step into developing a personalized training program based upon your individualized goals.It is logical in its approach and should help you get moving and stay moving. The tird is Smart Heart, a work in progress in that as research brings new things to light, the book will be updated. It is for advanced training and those who are ready for more technical physiological information. There are other good books such as Training the Lactate Pulse Rate, very technical, which are terrific to add to ones understanding of why training with a HRM is so valuable and in many ways easier. You can manage you can monitor. Learn from other coaching/training books and adapt workouts etc. to the HRM. Its quite easy. Instead of time pace, us HR pace for the proper intensity. Good luck and keep reading. We are students for life. Bill Stainbrook physical educator, endurance athlete and Heart Zone Educator

Response:

I know a Sally someone has written a book on Heart Rate Monitors, but I’m wondering if any of you can give suggestions on what books are good ones to read about heart rates and HRMs. I hear a lot of conflicting information (not on this newgroup, but on the cycling and the triathlon newsgroups) about heart rates and HRMs. Thanks, Conal  – Conal Ho Graduate Student 337 Social Sciences I Department of Anthropology; University of California–Santa Cruz

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Question:

I am looking for a Flash personal web sight that was being discussed about two months ago. If someone could be so kind as to send it to

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I think this is what you’re looking for. Derek Fitzer Visit my Triathlon Page http://members.tripod.com/derek_fitzer/ "The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running." Nice guy with a wicked sense of humour, follow the sushi links! Phil Squire IM http://w1.116.telia.com/~u11602093/home.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am looking for a Flash personal web sight that was being discussed about two months ago. If someone could be so kind as to send it to

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Question:

I am curious if anyone has any information or a web site for this race. Thanks a million! Blair

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Try http://www.lagunaphuket.com/sports/triathlon.htm have fun, gordo in hk – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am curious if anyone has any information or a web site for this race. Thanks a million! Blair

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Question:

WHAT DOES EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT CREATINE?  ALOT OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES NOW USE CREATINE TO BUILD MUSCLE MASS AND ENDURANCE.  IS CREATINE HELPFUL FOR ENDURANCE TRAINING SUCH AS A TRIATHLON?

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Do a search on Dejanews.  A ton of discussion on the topic.  Should always check there first. Another word of advise, lurk around before jumping in the water.  Might be sharks or rip tides and the topic your interested in might hve been discussed at great lenght in the last few days. But to answer your question, yes – a lot of people know about creatine. JNH – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – WHAT DOES EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT CREATINE?  ALOT OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES NOW USE CREATINE TO BUILD MUSCLE MASS AND ENDURANCE.  IS CREATINE HELPFUL FOR ENDURANCE TRAINING SUCH AS A TRIATHLON?

Response:

You can buy creatine at many places The idea it that you can increase the amount of creatine in your muscles and this will increase the instant stored energy in the muscle. For explosive sports this is a real bonus. For endurance sports it is probably not that good The reasons for that are 2 fold Firstly creatine will drag water into your muscles and this makes you heavier (if done properely about 2kg) and this will make you feel slugish especially running. No I don’t think this extra water will protect you from dehydration either The second reason is that endurance sports do not rely on instant energy they rely on aerobic energy and a bit on anerobic energy and creatine will only help a bit IF the course is undulating or if the pace is up and down as the extra creatine can buffer some of the ‘extra work’ done getting over a short hill and slightly lower the (less efficient) anerobic energy production. This will lead to a slight sparing of glycogen (carbohydrate in the muscles and liver) stored that should help Is it worth doing? We have tried it with triathletes like Jamie Hunt and with some of the Olympic road and track cyclists and they are not convinced and neither am I. Hope that helps Brendon Downey Exercise Physiologist and Training Consultant Performance Lab International – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – WHAT DOES EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT CREATINE?  ALOT OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES NOW USE CREATINE TO BUILD MUSCLE MASS AND ENDURANCE.  IS CREATINE HELPFUL FOR ENDURANCE TRAINING SUCH AS A TRIATHLON?

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You can buy creatine at many places The idea it that you can increase the amount of creatine in your muscles and this will increase the instant stored energy in the muscle. For explosive sports this is a real bonus. For endurance sports it is probably not that good The reasons for that are 2 fold Firstly creatine will drag water into your muscles and this makes you heavier (if done properely about 2kg) and this will make you feel slugish especially running. No I don’t think this extra water will protect you from dehydration either The second reason is that endurance sports do not rely on instant energy they rely on aerobic energy and a bit on anerobic energy and creatine will only help a bit IF the course is undulating or if the pace is up and down as the extra creatine can buffer some of the ‘extra work’ done getting over a short hill and slightly lower the (less efficient) anerobic energy production. This will lead to a slight sparing of glycogen (carbohydrate in the muscles and liver) stored that should help Is it worth doing? We have tried it with triathletes like Jamie Hunt and with some of the Olympic road and track cyclists and they are not convinced and neither am I. Hope that helps Brendon Downey Exercise Physiologist and Training Consultant Performance Lab International WHAT DOES EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT CREATINE?  ALOT OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES NOW USE CREATINE TO BUILD MUSCLE MASS AND ENDURANCE.  IS CREATINE HELPFUL FOR ENDURANCE TRAINING SUCH AS A TRIATHLON?

If u want your endurance enhanced use PHYTIN….it enables ur system to produce more red blood cells and enhances oxygen capacity my friend got some from W.C.E. IN CALIFORNIA 213 658 1010 an he lowered his pr time big time  take care hope it helps   "NO FEAR"

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Question:

OK, lots of questions on this subject of late and I’ve only done Tri-4-fun tri’s to date, and my goal is Vine-half and I don’t want to be DQ’d for violating something dumb..whatever the rules are..can someone tell me where the rule book is..and inform ME of the greatest fouls to look out for.. TIA…jeff

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Purchase an annual membership in USA-Triathlon and they will send you, for your very own, a genuine official rule book. Plus some other goodies, too. Then you can do what most people don’t: actually read the damn thing. 8^) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, lots of questions on this subject of late and I’ve only done Tri-4-fun tri’s to date, and my goal is Vine-half and I don’t want to be DQ’d for violating something dumb..whatever the rules are..can someone tell me where the rule book is..and inform ME of the greatest fouls to look out for.. TIA…jeff

Response:

Pay your USA-Triathlon annual dues, and they’ll send you, among other things, an official rulebook. It’s all in there. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, lots of questions on this subject of late and I’ve only done Tri-4-fun tri’s to date, and my goal is Vine-half and I don’t want to be DQ’d for violating something dumb..whatever the rules are..can someone tell me where the rule book is..and inform ME of the greatest fouls to look out for.. TIA…jeff

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: : OK, : : lots of questions on this subject of late and I’ve only done Tri-4-fun : tri’s to date, and my goal is Vine-half and I don’t want to be DQ’d for : violating something dumb..whatever the rules are..can someone tell me : where the rule book is..and inform ME of the greatest fouls to look out : for.. Send me your e-mail and I will send you "Amessage from the Head Referee", which is just about all you need to know to prevent being penalized. Charlie Crawford USAT Commissioner of Officials

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Question:

I have ridden a Slingshot the last 5 years. My only complaint is that the bike seems heavier than I’d like it to be Have not had any trouble with the hinges or the cable. I think it stays on the road well. I have not noticed any benefit from the cable except this ability to soak up some road shock. I live in Colorado and when you are going downhill at 50 mph, on the aero bars it is secure over minor road bumps. At those speeds you can really hop on a stiff frame in the aero postion. Someone on this board is selling a slingshot for $1300, a real good price. I paid 2100$ for mine. I am 6′1",  so I have the large frame, which still means I have my seat up pretty high off the top tube. I also have a mtn bike stem to give me the rise I need so I can maintain a comfortable aero position. Like I said, the weight is the factor that I don’t like. The frame is steel. Maybe their newer frames are lighter.

Response:

Howdy Pete, I just picked up a demo Slingshot road frame with 700c wheels, so it’s not quite the "triathlon" version with 650c wheels and different angles. The bike rides VERY smooth…it really does gets rid of a lot of the little road chatter, although you still feel big bumps…but you can usually ride through them a little better (versus unweighting the bike)… or you can bunnyhop it… Comfort is a lot like some titanium and carbon fiber frames, although the BB is pretty beefy and stiff…that’s what you get for using tandem tubes that’s reinforced…granted that doesn’t give you the lightest frame…but I’m not quite fast enough to be concerned with it (…although when I can split under 55min in a 40K….) The concept is applied very well for TT/triathlon racing, since the suspension action does place less strain on your arms, shoulders, and bike. It also climbs very well, although I can’t feel the "surging" action from the spring that some people report. By the way, I’ve ridden a friends 650c Slingshot before getting mine.   Rides similar, although the ride seemed a little stiffer.  Could have been a variety of factors though…tires, spoke tension, chromo (vs alloy) fork…the reason I got a 700c road version was because I’m not efficient in the forward position and I get MUCH more tire choices with 700c. Speed is Life, Dave Chen Captain Arizona State University Triathlon Team www.asu.edu/studentprgms/org/sd_triath – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am looking for a new tri bike and am cinsidering a Slingshot Tri Bike. Does any body have any opinions on them? What do they ride like? Does the cable change the ride? Are they stiff? Any responses will be appreciated Thanks Pete

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I am looking for a new tri bike and am cinsidering a Slingshot Tri Bike. Does any body have any opinions on them? What do they ride like? Does the cable change the ride? Are they stiff? Any responses will be appreciated Thanks Pete

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Question:

I am in desperate need for Nytro’s phone number.  Preferably the 800 # I can’t seem to find it so if you could help me out I would appreciate it. scott

Response:

I am in desperate need for Nytro’s phone number.  Preferably the 800 # I can’t seem to find it so if you could help me out I would appreciate it. scott

Nytro’s Phone Number:(800)697-8007 Best regards, Keith Simmons National Sales Director Ironman Triathlon Wetsuits (800)897-6464

Response:

1-800-697-8007 from their new catalog!  Just placed an order for myself! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am in desperate need for Nytro’s phone number.  Preferably the 800 # I can’t seem to find it so if you could help me out I would appreciate it. scott

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Question:

Yes, the trainer can really suck.  But it doesn’t have to be completely miserable.  Here are some techniques I’ve developed to cope in the wintertime:

I second that  motion.  I would rather freeze for an hour outside than ride indoors, and thats what generally happens to me. I don’t think there is anything I can do to prevent damage to the bike, though (from repeated soakings with salty sweat), and this is a little worrisome. I only ride my old bike on the trainer, not my racing bike.  If you have an older bike that you use for foul-weather cycling, you might want to use it on the trainer.

I have the same problem  (i.e. sweating)  I purchased an Eclipse Sweatstop from Nashbar to help save the bike.  It looks like a long thin triangle made of terry cloth that attaches to the handle bars and seatpost. It effectively catches the sweat that would normally hit the bike.  It cost around 10 bucks.  Chilling the room down helps reduce the sweat factor, and keeps your head from getting light and hot.   What I really ought to do though, is buy a fan.  The problem is that no one sells them in the winter.

I find myself doing the same thing. (closing doors & opening windows)  I also use a small 6 inch fan that has a base with a clamp.  I attach it to the handle bars, plug it it and voila instant headwind.  I have also found that putting in old ironman tapes on the vcr helps but time seems to still pass slooowly.  Guess I need the stimulus of watching out for cars back and other cyclist ahead to try and run down to make the ride truely enjoyable! Good training. Mike

Response:

I don’t do workouts, I do tests, MAF tests. First a warm-up. Then, … I guess you get the picture. Concentrating on keeping a constant heart rate and good form makes time fly. Yesterday, 1hour 30minutes just disapered. Before, I used to be quite ….. off after 1 hour. After a couple of sessions, I’ve discovered that I’m most efficient when pedaling 80rpm, at least at 140bpm. The fan I’m using is capable of delivering up to 50m^3/min. This seems to be enough for me not to sweat, quite nice. Jarek

Response:

I don’t do workouts, I do tests, MAF tests. First a warm-up. Concentrating on keeping a constant heart rate and good form makes time fly. Yesterday, 1hour 30minutes just disappeared. Before, I used to be quite ….. off after 1 hour. Watching the cyclo-cross championships at eurosport probably helped too. Doing test also enables you to see if you are developing or not; and I am  . This surely is another boost in morale. After a couple of sessions, I discovered that I’m most efficient when pedaling 80rpm, at least at 140bpm. The fan I’m using is capable of delivering up to 50m^3/min. This is enough for me not to sweat, quite nice. Jarek (I hope you see this posting only once, If not, I apologize)

Response:

Hi, I live in Ontario (Canada) so we have long and cold winters here so I train quite a bit indoors. I prefer to use rollers than a windtrainer. I also have two fans attached to them to increase the ressistance. The rollers have the advantage that you have to control your bike. They also improve your bike handling and force to pedal smoothly, otherwise you fall off. The disadvantage is, that watching TV is out of question you have to focus on your riding. For the sweat I use a sweat guard, I got it at Bike Nashbar, but I think you can find them just about anywhere. I also always use my HRM. Normally I put on a CD and warm up for two or three songs. Then I go one song hard and one song easy, at the end I cool down for two to three songs. These workouts usually last about a hour and are quite hard. Another I like to do is after warm up a 20km time trial, as hard as I can. This one is quite tough. Jo

Response:

Does anyone know how to put in good LSD on the trainer, without going out

of your mind with boredom? The longest I’ve ever done is 95 minutes, and I was pretty much a basket case after it. I’ve got no trouble with intervals, but LSD seems to be hell (especially on the butt and brain) on the trainer. Suggestions?

I’ve always relied on TV sports…NFL games on Sundays would get me through December and January when I lived in Virginia, and then after an early Feb lull college hoops heating up would carry me through until things warmed up enough outside that I wasn’t going out for a 2 hr ride wanting to quit the whole way. Rental Video movies also help.  Not the "Cycle the Alps" stuff, but good, entertaining movies you wanted to watch anyway. Of course, I just did the most sensible thing for my interests and cold- weather wimpiness – moved back to Texas.  The temp for the "frost yer fanny duathalon" yesterday – 60 degrees.  Brrr…

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Yes, the trainer can really suck.  But it doesn’t have to be completely miserable.  Here are some techniques I’ve developed to cope in the wintertime: The thing that bothers me the most is that I sweat buckets.  After a while I just have sweat pouring off of me, soaking all my clothes.  This starts to feel really gross, so I try to wear as little clothing as possible. You can lose the shirt, socks, and gloves.  Unfortunately, your shorts and underwear will still be sopping wet, and this is unpleasant.  I also keep a towel within reach, so I can dry off when it gets bad.  I put towels out all over the floor underneath my bike so that I don’t stain the carpet.  I don’t think there is anything I can do to prevent damage to the bike, though (from repeated soakings with salty sweat), and this is a little worrisome. I only ride my old bike on the trainer, not my racing bike.  If you have an older bike that you use for foul-weather cycling, you might want to use it on the trainer. I have a small room in my apartment that I set up as my training room in the winter.  About an hour before riding I turn off the heat and open up all the windows in the room (with the door closed).  Chilling the room down helps reduce the sweat factor, and keeps your head from getting light and hot.  I live in D.C., and it hasn’t been all that cold lately. Sometimes I wish it were colder, so I could get my training room even chillier.  What I really ought to do though, is buy a fan.  The problem is that no one sells them in the winter. One advantage of riding indoors is that you can have all the food and water you want within easy reach.  I tend to drink much more indoors, simply because it is easier to do so.  I have a little table next to the bike which I keep lined with water bottles.  I have found that I feel much better and stronger if I drink massive amounts of water, leading me to suspect that I haven’t been drinking enough on my outdoor rides.   I address the boredom factor buy watching movies while I ride.  This usually works well, provided that I rent good ones.  I find that action, war, western, thriller, gangster movies work well.  Lately, though, I’ve been watching film versions of Shakespeare as the first film of my "double feature" rides (long slow distance).  The advantage here is that the language is so rich that you have to really focus on it, and not on how sore your butt is.   On all rides I use a HR monitor, and I couldn’t imagine doing without it. It lets you just pick a pace and then stay with it, without having to think about it.  This way you can devote your attention to the movie.  I try to think of these rides not as workouts (although they definitely are) but as chances to watch movies.  I don’t worry about form or position or the efficiency of my pedal stroke.  Its midwinter, and there will be plenty of time for that later.  Right now you just have to build a good base.   I’ve heard of some people reading while on the trainer (Jeff Devlin said so in Triathlete), but I don’t think this is for me.  I think I would sweat all over the book. This is probably a more detailed reply than you were looking for, but I guess my answer to how to improve LSD workouts on the trainer is to figure out how to be maximally comfortable, at any distance.  I used to really hate indoor LSD workouts too, but now I don’t mind them.  I can go up to fours hours now.  Proper thermoregulation may be the biggest difference.   Good Luck, Steve

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