Question:

Sam, thanks for your response! It’s a seriously interesting discussion!! When plugging my numbers into your formula below, I get about 60.6 ml/kg/min (running pace: about 3:30 per km, ie. flat out for me). 60.6 may be more realistic for me, because I am no where near the top athletes (yet?) but am still very fit for me. Perhaps, as you suggested at the end, altitude does play a part in the S710 VO2max calculation. (I live at 1500m, ie. quite high). By the way, having clocked 70 ml/kg/min on the treadmill, what is your Polar VO2 max reading?

        That 70 was several years ago when I was 6 years younger, much more active and weighed 15 pounds less than I do now, and at 300m (BTW, I live at 1860m so I gotcha beat there!).   I hope to do a VO2max test next week to verify a couple of things (I have not done one in a while).  I plan to do the Polar test the same morning. Well, best I start working on the other things like economy, lactate threshold, etc. (Some better genes would have been useful too!!)

        I keep a close eye on the genetics advances to see what I can get. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Cheers, Barry. Ben (a response) sends you to an excellent website. First, I am not confident of Polar’s ability to measure VO2max while you are sitting.  I have read some of the papers Polar puts forth to support its fitness test and am still not convinced (it takes me a while).  Any formula (even those derived from field tests) make assumptions that might not be true about you.  For me, I would at least do a simple field test if you are up to it.  This takes advantage of Veronique Billat’s 6 minute run test. Run as far as you can in 6 minutes, preferably on a track.  Convert the distance covered to an average pace (X meters/6 min).  Using the ACSM formula (which probably overestimates VO2max in very fit people) VO2 =  3.5 + V *0.2,  where V is velocity in m/min. So if you run 1200m in 6 min (200m/min), you get VO2 = 3.5 + (200*0.2) or 43.5 ml/kg/min Again, this formula makes some assumptions as well and was developed from a less fit population, but I found it to be pretty accurate for me (I actually have done many field tests and the tested myself on a metabolic cart). The 6 min run time might underestimate slightly and is dependent on motivation. There might be better formulae and once I get the home office organized I will look for some of the other field tests and formulae to go with them. As far as performance goes, VO2max is an important element since that is the size of the engine and endurance athletes typically have a big, big engine (in that 70 ml/kg/min neighborhood) but it is not the entire story. The pace or power output at VO2max is also important;  not just the speed or power attained at the end of the test but also the minimum speed or power required to elicit VO2max. Another important component in the performance package is economy or how much oxygen it takes to produce a given power or speed.  The trainability here is probably smaller than in other areas.  Steve Prefontaine, while having one of the highest values I have ever seen reported had lousy economy.  It took him more oxygen to run at 6 min/mile pace than any of the other elite males studied at the time. Yet another factor and the most trainable is speed or power at lactate threshold.  This factor is highly predictive of endurance performance and the improvements within a year from beginning a macrocycle to peak can be very large if training is done properly. As for being "maxed" out, one can never really know.  Could you have squeezed out a few more ml’s?  Maybe, maybe not.  The only thing one can do is to train optimally to improve VO2max, economy and LT factors. I have broken 70 ml/kg/min a couple of times on a treadmill test but I never really was able to turn that into anything (I also take standardized tests really well) since my speed at LT was always lower than we thought it should be.  Of course, I did not learn all this until later in life.  So a high VO2max does not mean that you are a superstar waiting to happen. Then there is Derek Clayton who had one of the lowest VO2max readings I have ever seen reported (I swear something had to be wrong with the machinery in that lab), but he had the ability to run at a high % of VO2max and was very economical.  Those had to have helped him (IMHO) become a world class distance runner. I have the Polar S710.  Perhaps if I can get into the lab and get a VO2max test done, I will do a one person validation.  I wonder how living at moderate altitude messes up the Polar algorithm?????? I recently bought a Polar S710 that has a fitness test on it. The fitness test measures your VO2 Max as well as your hypothetical maximum heart rate. I don’t know how it does it, you just sit there for about 5 minutes while it reads your heart rate and then tells you how fit you are when you compare the VO2 Max reading to the table in the Polar instruction manual. Well I did it 3 times on different occasions, twice sitting at my desk and once lying down. I got readings of 69, 71 and 71 again, which means I am pretty darn fit! Looking at the tables, anything over 59 for males aged 25-29 is "Excellent" (45 being about average for males that age).  At first I thought: COOL!!! I’m seriously fit!! (I am fit at the moment: I just broke 3 hours for a marathon last week for only the 2nd time!). But then, thinking about it, it came to me:  What if I can’t get any better? Is this the best and fastest I’ll ever be?  Is there absolutely no chance of going under 2:00 for an Olympic distance triathlon? (My best is 2:08 going flat-out, where I was only 4th in my AG). Can I never be in the ranks of the Elite who are doing times of 1:50 for that distance? So I’ve got a high VO2 Max. So what! What would it take for me to somehow push my VO2 Max up into the 80’s to win AG categories or race with the Elite? Is it possible? Now I’m not getting too hit-up about this train of thought. I still love my triathlons and running and stuff like that.  I’m just wondering what everyone’s thoughts are about VO2 Max.  What is the average VO2 Max of Elite triathletes?  Are there any Elite athletes who have a substantially lower VO2 Max and still compete with the best of them?  In that case, not much can be read into the VO2 Max fitness measure, except for the fact that it tells you that you’re fitter than the average couch potato who watches football all day! Big deal!! Any thoughts? Barry.

Response:

Sam, thanks for your response! It’s a seriously interesting discussion!! When plugging my numbers into your formula below, I get about 60.6 ml/kg/min (running pace: about 3:30 per km, ie. flat out for me). 60.6 may be more realistic for me, because I am no where near the top athletes (yet?) but am still very fit for me. Perhaps, as you suggested at the end, altitude does play a part in the S710 VO2max calculation. (I live at 1500m, ie. quite high). By the way, having clocked 70 ml/kg/min on the treadmill, what is your Polar VO2 max reading? Well, best I start working on the other things like economy, lactate threshold, etc. (Some better genes would have been useful too!!) Cheers, Barry.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ben (a response) sends you to an excellent website. First, I am not confident of Polar’s ability to measure VO2max while you are sitting.  I have read some of the papers Polar puts forth to support its fitness test and am still not convinced (it takes me a while).  Any formula (even those derived from field tests) make assumptions that might not be true about you.  For me, I would at least do a simple field test if you are up to it.  This takes advantage of Veronique Billat’s 6 minute run test. Run as far as you can in 6 minutes, preferably on a track.  Convert the distance covered to an average pace (X meters/6 min).  Using the ACSM formula (which probably overestimates VO2max in very fit people) VO2 =  3.5 + V *0.2,  where V is velocity in m/min. So if you run 1200m in 6 min (200m/min), you get VO2 = 3.5 + (200*0.2) or 43.5 ml/kg/min Again, this formula makes some assumptions as well and was developed from a less fit population, but I found it to be pretty accurate for me (I actually have done many field tests and the tested myself on a metabolic cart). The 6 min run time might underestimate slightly and is dependent on motivation. There might be better formulae and once I get the home office organized I will look for some of the other field tests and formulae to go with them. As far as performance goes, VO2max is an important element since that is the size of the engine and endurance athletes typically have a big, big engine (in that 70 ml/kg/min neighborhood) but it is not the entire story.  The pace or power output at VO2max is also important;  not just the speed or power attained at the end of the test but also the minimum speed or power required to elicit VO2max. Another important component in the performance package is economy or how much oxygen it takes to produce a given power or speed.  The trainability here is probably smaller than in other areas.  Steve Prefontaine, while having one of the highest values I have ever seen reported had lousy economy.  It took him more oxygen to run at 6 min/mile pace than any of the other elite males studied at the time. Yet another factor and the most trainable is speed or power at lactate threshold.  This factor is highly predictive of endurance performance and the improvements within a year from beginning a macrocycle to peak can be very large if training is done properly. As for being "maxed" out, one can never really know.  Could you have squeezed out a few more ml’s?  Maybe, maybe not.  The only thing one can do is to train optimally to improve VO2max, economy and LT factors. I have broken 70 ml/kg/min a couple of times on a treadmill test but I never really was able to turn that into anything (I also take standardized tests really well) since my speed at LT was always lower than we thought it should be.  Of course, I did not learn all this until later in life.  So a high VO2max does not mean that you are a superstar waiting to happen. Then there is Derek Clayton who had one of the lowest VO2max readings I have ever seen reported (I swear something had to be wrong with the machinery in that lab), but he had the ability to run at a high % of VO2max and was very economical.  Those had to have helped him (IMHO) become a world class distance runner. I have the Polar S710.  Perhaps if I can get into the lab and get a VO2max test done, I will do a one person validation.  I wonder how living at moderate altitude messes up the Polar algorithm?????? I recently bought a Polar S710 that has a fitness test on it. The fitness test measures your VO2 Max as well as your hypothetical maximum heart rate. I don’t know how it does it, you just sit there for about 5 minutes while it reads your heart rate and then tells you how fit you are when you compare the VO2 Max reading to the table in the Polar instruction manual. Well I did it 3 times on different occasions, twice sitting at my desk and once lying down. I got readings of 69, 71 and 71 again, which means I am pretty darn fit! Looking at the tables, anything over 59 for males aged 25-29 is "Excellent" (45 being about average for males that age).  At first I thought: COOL!!! I’m seriously fit!! (I am fit at the moment: I just broke 3 hours for a marathon last week for only the 2nd time!). But then, thinking about it, it came to me:  What if I can’t get any better? Is this the best and fastest I’ll ever be?  Is there absolutely no chance of going under 2:00 for an Olympic distance triathlon? (My best is 2:08 going flat-out, where I was only 4th in my AG). Can I never be in the ranks of the Elite who are doing times of 1:50 for that distance? So I’ve got a high VO2 Max. So what! What would it take for me to somehow push my VO2 Max up into the 80’s to win AG categories or race with the Elite? Is it possible? Now I’m not getting too hit-up about this train of thought. I still love my triathlons and running and stuff like that.  I’m just wondering what everyone’s thoughts are about VO2 Max.  What is the average VO2 Max of Elite triathletes?  Are there any Elite athletes who have a substantially lower VO2 Max and still compete with the best of them?  In that case, not much can be read into the VO2 Max fitness measure, except for the fact that it tells you that you’re fitter than the average couch potato who watches football all day! Big deal!! Any thoughts? Barry.

Response:

Ben (a response) sends you to an excellent website. First, I am not confident of Polar’s ability to measure VO2max while you are sitting.  I have read some of the papers Polar puts forth to support its fitness test and am still not convinced (it takes me a while).  Any formula (even those derived from field tests) make assumptions that might not be true about you.  For me, I would at least do a simple field test if you are up to it.  This takes advantage of Veronique Billat’s 6 minute run test. Run as far as you can in 6 minutes, preferably on a track.  Convert the distance covered to an average pace (X meters/6 min).  Using the ACSM formula (which probably overestimates VO2max in very fit people) VO2 =  3.5 + V *0.2,  where V is velocity in m/min. So if you run 1200m in 6 min (200m/min), you get VO2 = 3.5 + (200*0.2) or 43.5 ml/kg/min Again, this formula makes some assumptions as well and was developed from a less fit population, but I found it to be pretty accurate for me (I actually have done many field tests and the tested myself on a metabolic cart).   The 6 min run time might underestimate slightly and is dependent on motivation. There might be better formulae and once I get the home office organized I will look for some of the other field tests and formulae to go with them. As far as performance goes, VO2max is an important element since that is the size of the engine and endurance athletes typically have a big, big engine (in that 70 ml/kg/min neighborhood) but it is not the entire story.  The pace or power output at VO2max is also important;  not just the speed or power attained at the end of the test but also the minimum speed or power required to elicit VO2max. Another important component in the performance package is economy or how much oxygen it takes to produce a given power or speed.  The trainability here is probably smaller than in other areas.  Steve Prefontaine, while having one of the highest values I have ever seen reported had lousy economy.  It took him more oxygen to run at 6 min/mile pace than any of the other elite males studied at the time. Yet another factor and the most trainable is speed or power at lactate threshold.  This factor is highly predictive of endurance performance and the improvements within a year from beginning a macrocycle to peak can be very large if training is done properly. As for being "maxed" out, one can never really know.  Could you have squeezed out a few more ml’s?  Maybe, maybe not.  The only thing one can do is to train optimally to improve VO2max, economy and LT factors. I have broken 70 ml/kg/min a couple of times on a treadmill test but I never really was able to turn that into anything (I also take standardized tests really well) since my speed at LT was always lower than we thought it should be.  Of course, I did not learn all this until later in life.  So a high VO2max does not mean that you are a superstar waiting to happen. Then there is Derek Clayton who had one of the lowest VO2max readings I have ever seen reported (I swear something had to be wrong with the machinery in that lab), but he had the ability to run at a high % of VO2max and was very economical.  Those had to have helped him (IMHO) become a world class distance runner. I have the Polar S710.  Perhaps if I can get into the lab and get a VO2max test done, I will do a one person validation.  I wonder how living at moderate altitude messes up the Polar algorithm??????

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently bought a Polar S710 that has a fitness test on it. The fitness test measures your VO2 Max as well as your hypothetical maximum heart rate. I don’t know how it does it, you just sit there for about 5 minutes while it reads your heart rate and then tells you how fit you are when you compare the VO2 Max reading to the table in the Polar instruction manual. Well I did it 3 times on different occasions, twice sitting at my desk and once lying down. I got readings of 69, 71 and 71 again, which means I am pretty darn fit! Looking at the tables, anything over 59 for males aged 25-29 is "Excellent" (45 being about average for males that age).  At first I thought: COOL!!! I’m seriously fit!! (I am fit at the moment: I just broke 3 hours for a marathon last week for only the 2nd time!). But then, thinking about it, it came to me:  What if I can’t get any better? Is this the best and fastest I’ll ever be?  Is there absolutely no chance of going under 2:00 for an Olympic distance triathlon? (My best is 2:08 going flat-out, where I was only 4th in my AG). Can I never be in the ranks of the Elite who are doing times of 1:50 for that distance? So I’ve got a high VO2 Max. So what! What would it take for me to somehow push my VO2 Max up into the 80’s to win AG categories or race with the Elite? Is it possible? Now I’m not getting too hit-up about this train of thought. I still love my triathlons and running and stuff like that.  I’m just wondering what everyone’s thoughts are about VO2 Max.  What is the average VO2 Max of Elite triathletes?  Are there any Elite athletes who have a substantially lower VO2 Max and still compete with the best of them?  In that case, not much can be read into the VO2 Max fitness measure, except for the fact that it tells you that you’re fitter than the average couch potato who watches football all day! Big deal!! Any thoughts? Barry.

Response:

try this web site for some good info http://home.hia.no/~stephens/ Ben Reuter

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently bought a Polar S710 that has a fitness test on it. The fitness test measures your VO2 Max as well as your hypothetical maximum heart rate. I don’t know how it does it, you just sit there for about 5 minutes while it reads your heart rate and then tells you how fit you are when you compare the VO2 Max reading to the table in the Polar instruction manual. Well I did it 3 times on different occasions, twice sitting at my desk and once lying down. I got readings of 69, 71 and 71 again, which means I am pretty darn fit! Looking at the tables, anything over 59 for males aged 25-29 is "Excellent" (45 being about average for males that age).  At first I thought: COOL!!! I’m seriously fit!! (I am fit at the moment: I just broke 3 hours for a marathon last week for only the 2nd time!). But then, thinking about it, it came to me:  What if I can’t get any better? Is this the best and fastest I’ll ever be?  Is there absolutely no chance of going under 2:00 for an Olympic distance triathlon? (My best is 2:08 going flat-out, where I was only 4th in my AG). Can I never be in the ranks of the Elite who are doing times of 1:50 for that distance? So I’ve got a high VO2 Max. So what! What would it take for me to somehow push my VO2 Max up into the 80’s to win AG categories or race with the Elite? Is it possible? Now I’m not getting too hit-up about this train of thought. I still love my triathlons and running and stuff like that.  I’m just wondering what everyone’s thoughts are about VO2 Max.  What is the average VO2 Max of Elite triathletes?  Are there any Elite athletes who have a substantially lower VO2 Max and still compete with the best of them?  In that case, not much can be read into the VO2 Max fitness measure, except for the fact that it tells you that you’re fitter than the average couch potato who watches football all day! Big deal!! Any thoughts? Barry.

Response:

I recently bought a Polar S710 that has a fitness test on it. The fitness test measures your VO2 Max as well as your hypothetical maximum heart rate. I don’t know how it does it, you just sit there for about 5 minutes while it reads your heart rate and then tells you how fit you are when you compare the VO2 Max reading to the table in the Polar instruction manual. Well I did it 3 times on different occasions, twice sitting at my desk and once lying down. I got readings of 69, 71 and 71 again, which means I am pretty darn fit! Looking at the tables, anything over 59 for males aged 25-29 is "Excellent" (45 being about average for males that age).  At first I thought: COOL!!! I’m seriously fit!! (I am fit at the moment: I just broke 3 hours for a marathon last week for only the 2nd time!). But then, thinking about it, it came to me:  What if I can’t get any better? Is this the best and fastest I’ll ever be?  Is there absolutely no chance of going under 2:00 for an Olympic distance triathlon? (My best is 2:08 going flat-out, where I was only 4th in my AG). Can I never be in the ranks of the Elite who are doing times of 1:50 for that distance? So I’ve got a high VO2 Max. So what! What would it take for me to somehow push my VO2 Max up into the 80’s to win AG categories or race with the Elite? Is it possible? Now I’m not getting too hit-up about this train of thought. I still love my triathlons and running and stuff like that.  I’m just wondering what everyone’s thoughts are about VO2 Max.  What is the average VO2 Max of Elite triathletes?  Are there any Elite athletes who have a substantially lower VO2 Max and still compete with the best of them?  In that case, not much can be read into the VO2 Max fitness measure, except for the fact that it tells you that you’re fitter than the average couch potato who watches football all day! Big deal!! Any thoughts? Barry.

Response:

Question:

An athlete’s running, biking, and swimming speeds are almost completely independent of each other.

        Are they completely independant even if ignoring technique? I realize that someone who has no swimming experiance and jumps in the pool isn’t going to swim to the Aerobic potential. However is there no way of predicting potential assuming average technique? ~Matt – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -So, any formula that tries to guess your Tri time based on only one leg, would be completely inaccurate, and pretty much useless.

Response:

Never seen a comparison but I usually do 1/2 IM in 5:10 to 5:20 and full IM’s in 11:30 to 11:50.   You must remember that conditions have a greater affect on triathlon than in running.   Kona wind variations often have a 30 minute impact on time there.   Put a little wave action into the swim and major things happen to ones time. Ken DaVico

        It would make sense that the same % chart would apply to running a 1/2 maraton to a full as would a 1/2 iron to a full. Messing around with a pace calculator I found putting your 5:20 time in as a 1/2 marathon your full finish would be 11:11, fairly good for a ballpark. However I was wondering if you could predict Tri times from ones running or biking ability? ~Matt – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Forgive me if I posted this already. I meant to but can’t seem to find it if I did. I have several charts that predict marathon time based on 10K or 5K times and I’m assumeing that there must be similar charts for biking and swimming. Is there such a chart fro Irons or 1/2 irons based on running or biking etc? I realize they would be siginificantly less accurate thanthe running to running comparison however if one was looking for a ballpark figure it would be usefull. ~Matt

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Never seen a comparison but I usually do 1/2 IM in 5:10 to 5:20 and full IM’s in 11:30 to 11:50.   You must remember that conditions have a greater affect on triathlon than in running.   Kona wind variations often have a 30 minute impact on time there.   Put a little wave action into the swim and major things happen to ones time. Ken DaVico It would make sense that the same % chart would apply to running a 1/2 maraton to a full as would a 1/2 iron to a full. Messing around with a pace calculator I found putting your 5:20 time in as a 1/2 marathon your full finish would be 11:11, fairly good for a ballpark. However I was wondering if you could predict Tri times from ones running or biking ability? ~Matt

An athlete’s running, biking, and swimming speeds are almost completely independent of each other. So, any formula that tries to guess your Tri time based on only one leg, would be completely inaccurate, and pretty much useless.

Response:

You could predict you Tri time using a formula but you might as well call Ms. Cleo and ask her.  It would be just as accurate. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Never seen a comparison but I usually do 1/2 IM in 5:10 to 5:20 and full IM’s in 11:30 to 11:50.   You must remember that conditions have a greater affect on triathlon than in running.   Kona wind variations often have a 30 minute impact on time there.   Put a little wave action into the swim and major things happen to ones time. Ken DaVico It would make sense that the same % chart would apply to running a 1/2 maraton to a full as would a 1/2 iron to a full. Messing around with a pace calculator I found putting your 5:20 time in as a 1/2 marathon your full finish would be 11:11, fairly good for a ballpark. However I was wondering if you could predict Tri times from ones running or biking ability? ~Matt Forgive me if I posted this already. I meant to but can’t seem to find it if I did. I have several charts that predict marathon time based on 10K or 5K times and I’m assumeing that there must be similar charts for biking and swimming. Is there such a chart fro Irons or 1/2 irons based on running or biking etc? I realize they would be siginificantly less accurate thanthe running to running comparison however if one was looking for a ballpark figure it would be usefull. ~Matt

Response:

For a recent sprint triathlon (400 meter / 0.25 mile swim, 6 mile bike, 3 mile run) with mostly local competitors, the competitors’ performance on individual events was related as follows: Both men and women rode the bike 2.3x faster than they ran.  Relative standard deviation (RSD) was 10% – 12%.  Total bike times included the first transition times, thus biking speed ratios would probably be slightly higher for longer races or those with separate transition times. Men swam at 0.23x their running speed with an RSD of 16%. Women swam at 0.25x their running speed with an RSD of 19%. For an individual, the only value of this data is to determine strengths and weaknesses.  For example, the average male 7-minute mile runner would ride at an average pace of 19.7 mph and swim at 1.97 mph. Any deviation from the predictions represents a strength or weakness for that individual. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I believe there is a coach in Northern California who can predict your overall time based on your times in individual events, He has a book and I bought his training program software, but frankly, I’m not competitive enough to be concerned about it. If you would like, I can dig up the title of the book and the name of the coach who is also the author and post it. Forgive me if I posted this already. I meant to but can’t seem to find it if I did. I have several charts that predict marathon time based on 10K or 5K times and I’m assumeing that there must be similar charts for biking and swimming. Is there such a chart fro Irons or 1/2 irons based on running or biking etc? I realize they would be siginificantly less accurate thanthe running to running comparison however if one was looking for a ballpark figure it would be usefull. ~Matt

Response:

I believe there is a coach in Northern California who can predict your overall time based on your times in individual events, He has a book and I bought his training program software, but frankly, I’m not competitive enough to be concerned about it. If you would like, I can dig up the title of the book and the name of the coach who is also the author and post it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Forgive me if I posted this already. I meant to but can’t seem to find it if I did. I have several charts that predict marathon time based on 10K or 5K times and I’m assumeing that there must be similar charts for biking and swimming. Is there such a chart fro Irons or 1/2 irons based on running or biking etc? I realize they would be siginificantly less accurate thanthe running to running comparison however if one was looking for a ballpark figure it would be usefull. ~Matt

Response:

MJURIC: Here’s another hint: When Andrew the analytical gives up on developing a formula for something, it can’t be done! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Wildflower is my first 1/2 ever.  I’m basing my target time in each event on some historical training and racing data, combined with wanting to finish in top 15% of my age group.  It of course also depends on conditions, and how I feel on race day.  Interesting note: Same distance over different courses have a huge effect:  top 15% in 40-44 age group at WF in ‘01 was around 5:35.  At Vineman (flatter, faster), it was 5:00!  Ah hell, I’m calling Miss Cleo for her guess now. You could predict you Tri time using a formula but you might as well call Ms. Cleo and ask her.  It would be just as accurate. Never seen a comparison but I usually do 1/2 IM in 5:10 to 5:20 and full IM’s in 11:30 to 11:50.   You must remember that conditions have a greater affect on triathlon than in running.   Kona wind variations often have a 30 minute impact on time there.   Put a little wave action into the swim and major things happen to ones time. Ken DaVico It would make sense that the same % chart would apply to running a 1/2 maraton to a full as would a 1/2 iron to a full. Messing around with a pace calculator I found putting your 5:20 time in as a 1/2 marathon your full finish would be 11:11, fairly good for a ballpark. However I was wondering if you could predict Tri times from ones running or biking ability? ~Matt Forgive me if I posted this already. I meant to but can’t seem to find it if I did. I have several charts that predict marathon time based on 10K or 5K times and I’m assumeing that there must be similar charts for biking and swimming. Is there such a chart fro Irons or 1/2 irons based on running or biking etc? I realize they would be siginificantly less accurate thanthe running to running comparison however if one was looking for a ballpark figure it would be usefull. ~Matt

Response:

An athlete’s running, biking, and swimming speeds are almost completely independent of each other.    Are they completely independant even if ignoring technique? I realize that someone who has no swimming experiance and jumps in the pool isn’t going to swim to the Aerobic potential. However is there no way of predicting potential assuming average technique? ~Matt

I’d imagine you could build in factors for that. Then you could add factors for salt vs fresh water. Then one for wetsuit vs not. Then a variable one for surf conditions. Presence or absence of jellyfish and quantity thereof (some folks swim slower to avoid them, some faster to get it over with). Distance from swim to T1, and what surface you have to run on. whether you got a good or bad spot in the transition area. Wind. Whether you got a flat. Whether you over swam and have to spend the first 5 min on the bike in recovery mode. Number of turns or hills on the course. Road conditions. Presence or absence of traffic. traffic jams at T2. Rain. Leg cramps. Number of aid stations on the run. Whether or not you shaved. Hot or cold temperatures. Whether you sped up to make sure you got some of the free beer at the finish line. Whether you were able to concentrate on your effort throughout the race, or instead allowed you mind to drift into meaningless questions like this one. Of course, then you’d spend all of your time doing math and none training. Damn! That’s another factor…. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -So, any formula that tries to guess your Tri time based on only one leg, would be completely inaccurate, and pretty much useless.

Response:

An athlete’s running, biking, and swimming speeds are almost completely independent of each other. So, any formula that tries to guess your Tri time based on only one leg, would be completely inaccurate, and pretty much useless.

For a beginner, I suspect you could create a function with limited value. It doesn’t take too much practice or training to swim or bike at a pedestrian level, it just takes stamina.  They need to be cycyling at a decent clip whree the bike model becomes more important.  Swimming can vary, but the distance is usually so short that it doesn’t matter.  So I think you could take 10k times and make some predictions for sprints.   — Jason O’Rourke www.jor.com

Response:

I agree with the other posters that there is no reliable correlation between time / pace for the different events.   The first issue is how does one event affect another  I think if you did enough practice runs and / or research, you could effectively predict this, but only for a particular race.  For example, let’s say you run 3 miles in 21 minutes from a fresh start.  Throw in a 500 m swim and a 10 mile bike before hand and that same 3 mile run might take you 23 minutes.  Try setting up mathematical models for this, and you’ll quickly see that there are multiple approaches, some simple and some could get complicated.  You might start by comparing 3 mile run times in a particular triathlon (with the run at the end) to those of a 3 mile run race, preferably at the same location and using the same athletes. The other issue is how does the distance of an event affect the pace of the event.  The simple answer to this is look at the records and calculate the average pace of each event.  As an example, you might find that winner’s average pace for a 10K was 10% faster than that of the marathon.  That doesn’t mean the marathon winner could run the 10k at a 10% faster pace than he runs the marathon, but it does give you a ballpark estimate of the effect of distance on average pace.   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Forgive me if I posted this already. I meant to but can’t seem to find it if I did. I have several charts that predict marathon time based on 10K or 5K times and I’m assumeing that there must be similar charts for biking and swimming. Is there such a chart fro Irons or 1/2 irons based on running or biking etc? I realize they would be siginificantly less accurate thanthe running to running comparison however if one was looking for a ballpark figure it would be usefull. ~Matt

Response:

Wildflower is my first 1/2 ever.  I’m basing my target time in each event on some historical training and racing data, combined with wanting to finish in top 15% of my age group.  It of course also depends on conditions, and how I feel on race day.  Interesting note: Same distance over different courses have a huge effect:  top 15% in 40-44 age group at WF in ‘01 was around 5:35.  At Vineman (flatter, faster), it was 5:00!  Ah hell, I’m calling Miss Cleo for her guess now. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You could predict you Tri time using a formula but you might as well call Ms. Cleo and ask her.  It would be just as accurate. Never seen a comparison but I usually do 1/2 IM in 5:10 to 5:20 and full IM’s in 11:30 to 11:50.   You must remember that conditions have a  greater affect on triathlon than in running.   Kona wind variations often have a  30 minute impact on time there.   Put a little wave action into the swim and major things happen to ones time. Ken DaVico It would make sense that the same % chart would apply to running a 1/2 maraton to a full as would a 1/2 iron to a full. Messing around with a pace calculator I found putting your 5:20 time in as a 1/2 marathon your full finish would be 11:11, fairly good for a ballpark. However I was wondering if you could predict Tri times from ones running or biking ability? ~Matt Forgive me if I posted this already. I meant to but can’t seem to find it if I did. I have several charts that predict marathon time based on 10K or 5K times and I’m assumeing that there must be similar charts for biking and swimming. Is there such a chart fro Irons or 1/2 irons based on running or biking etc? I realize they would be siginificantly less accurate thanthe running to running comparison however if one was looking for a ballpark figure it would be usefull. ~Matt

Response:

Forgive me if I posted this already. I meant to but can’t seem to find it if I did. I have several charts that predict marathon time based on 10K or 5K times and I’m assumeing that there must be similar charts for biking and swimming. Is there such a chart fro Irons or 1/2 irons based on running or biking etc? I realize they would be siginificantly less accurate thanthe running to running comparison however if one was looking for a ballpark figure it would be usefull. ~Matt

Response:

Never seen a comparison but I usually do 1/2 IM in 5:10 to 5:20 and full IM’s in 11:30 to 11:50.   You must remember that conditions have a greater affect on triathlon than in running.   Kona wind variations often have a 30 minute impact on time there.   Put a little wave action into the swim and major things happen to ones time. Ken DaVico – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Forgive me if I posted this already. I meant to but can’t seem to find it if I did. I have several charts that predict marathon time based on 10K or 5K times and I’m assumeing that there must be similar charts for biking and swimming. Is there such a chart fro Irons or 1/2 irons based on running or biking etc? I realize they would be siginificantly less accurate thanthe running to running comparison however if one was looking for a ballpark figure it would be usefull. ~Matt

Response:

Question:

This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. I want to be able to take 2 bikes to a triathlon, keep them inside the vehicle (out of the weather) and still have a back seat.  I’m currently in a Jeep Cherokee and not only can you not use the back seat with bikes inside, you can’t even lean the front seats back a little. I’ve looked at the suburban, which would be ideal, but it’s a little out of my price range for the features I want.  Anyone with a Yukon/Tahoe or an Excursion out there want to clue me in on how well bikes (and luggage) fit in the back with the 2nd row seat not folded down?  Any other cars people like for this?  I’m also considering a conversion van but it seems that to be usefull you’d have to remove the sofa in the back. James

Response:

Um, if your budget is a concern, why not a mini pickup with a cap?  You could even get an extended cab for a little more.  Depending on the make, this is probably your least expensive bet for what you want.  I still miss my little Mazda…Bought it new for $6995 in ‘89, put a cap on later for about $1K.  I could camp out in the back or put my bikes in, or carry bikes on my hitch rack and camp out.  The other good thing about a mini with a cap is less of your friends call you than if you had an open bed, as I do now.  Everybody’s always wanting to move something… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. I want to be able to take 2 bikes to a triathlon, keep them inside the vehicle (out of the weather) and still have a back seat.  I’m currently in a Jeep Cherokee and not only can you not use the back seat with bikes inside, you can’t even lean the front seats back a little. I’ve looked at the suburban, which would be ideal, but it’s a little out of my price range for the features I want.  Anyone with a Yukon/Tahoe or an Excursion out there want to clue me in on how well bikes (and luggage) fit in the back with the 2nd row seat not folded down?  Any other cars people like for this?  I’m also considering a conversion van but it seems that to be usefull you’d have to remove the sofa in the back. James

Response:

I have an expedition and can get two bikes in the back but I must recline all the seats.  I leave both wheels on my wifes bike (a 47cm) but must take my front wheel off (a 58 cm).

Response:

We have an 1999 Chev Astro Van, bought it for less than $20k. With second seat in can get two bikes in the back with both wheels on and three without the wheel on one. Plus luggage and coolers. 20-23 MPG. Does not ride great though. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have an expedition and can get two bikes in the back but I must recline all the seats.  I leave both wheels on my wifes bike (a 47cm) but must take my front wheel off (a 58 cm).

Response:

The Isuzu Trooper is one of the few, maybe the only, SUV that will allow a bike to stand up in the back on a front fork mount internal rack. This same thread happened here in 1995.  There were a thousand different responses and I bought a Trooper and a matching one for my wife as well. We’re both still happy with them. Ray

| This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and | am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. | | I want to be able to take 2 bikes to a triathlon, keep them inside the | vehicle (out of the weather) and still have a back seat.  I’m currently in a | Jeep Cherokee and not only can you not use the back seat with bikes inside, | you can’t even lean the front seats back a little. | | I’ve looked at the suburban, which would be ideal, but it’s a little out of | my price range for the features I want.  Anyone with a Yukon/Tahoe or an | Excursion out there want to clue me in on how well bikes (and luggage) fit | in the back with the 2nd row seat not folded down?  Any other cars people | like for this?  I’m also considering a conversion van but it seems that to | be usefull you’d have to remove the sofa in the back. | | | James | |

Response:

I have an Expedition that configured the same way.  No problem with saddle height until the 6′2" and above riders put their bikes in.  I can easily carry three bikes and three people, all inside, by folding down the 2/3 split seat.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Isuzu Trooper is one of the few, maybe the only, SUV that will allow a bike to stand up in the back on a front fork mount internal rack. This same thread happened here in 1995.  There were a thousand different responses and I bought a Trooper and a matching one for my wife as well. We’re both still happy with them. Ray | This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and | am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. | | I want to be able to take 2 bikes to a triathlon, keep them inside the | vehicle (out of the weather) and still have a back seat.  I’m currently in a | Jeep Cherokee and not only can you not use the back seat with bikes inside, | you can’t even lean the front seats back a little. | | I’ve looked at the suburban, which would be ideal, but it’s a little out of | my price range for the features I want.  Anyone with a Yukon/Tahoe or an | Excursion out there want to clue me in on how well bikes (and luggage) fit | in the back with the 2nd row seat not folded down?  Any other cars people | like for this?  I’m also considering a conversion van but it seems that to | be usefull you’d have to remove the sofa in the back. | | | James | |

Response:

This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. I want to be able to take 2 bikes to a triathlon, keep them inside the vehicle (out of the weather) and still have a back seat.  I’m currently in a Jeep Cherokee and not only can you not use the back seat with bikes inside, you can’t even lean the front seats back a little.

Our Dodge Grand ES handles up to 6 inside on my home made fork mount rack.  It connects to the third seat  hold-downs.  I built racks for 1, 2 and 4 bikes.  Cost about 10 bucks each. Tom

Response:

We have an 1999 Chev Astro Van, bought it for less than $20k.

I think if I add up all 13 vehicles I’ve ever owned, it might come to about $20k, maybe a little more.   I like a pickup for bikes – I don’t worry about weather; it’s not a problem for a properly maintained bike.

Response:

That was my problem.  I’m 6′3" on a good day. Ray | I have an Expedition that configured the same way.  No problem with saddle | height until the 6′2" and above riders put their bikes in.  I can easily | carry three bikes and three people, all inside, by folding down the 2/3 | split seat. | | The Isuzu Trooper is one of the few, maybe the only, SUV that will allow a | bike to stand up in the back on a front fork mount internal rack. | | This same thread happened here in 1995.  There were a thousand different | responses and I bought a Trooper and a matching one for my wife as well. | We’re both still happy with them. | | Ray | | | This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, | and | | am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. | | | | I want to be able to take 2 bikes to a triathlon, keep them inside the | | vehicle (out of the weather) and still have a back seat.  I’m currently | in | a | | Jeep Cherokee and not only can you not use the back seat with bikes | inside, | | you can’t even lean the front seats back a little. | | | | I’ve looked at the suburban, which would be ideal, but it’s a little out | of | | my price range for the features I want.  Anyone with a Yukon/Tahoe or an | | Excursion out there want to clue me in on how well bikes (and luggage) | fit | | in the back with the 2nd row seat not folded down?  Any other cars | people | | like for this?  I’m also considering a conversion van but it seems that | to | | be usefull you’d have to remove the sofa in the back. | | | | | | James | | | | | | | |

Response:

This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car.

James, I have utilized a VW Eurovan since 1993 and just purchased a new one this year.  It holds two bikes inside and still has space for five people.  I have mounted topside racks for use when there are over two bikes.  MPG when bikes are inside is 20; when topside, MPG is 17.5. Bob

Response:

I have some friends who had a Pontiac Montana minivan.  They could fit 4 bikes, 4 passengers, and gear in there. Minivans are better bets that sport utes, because they have more height inside the vehicles. Carol

Response:

I have some friends who had a Pontiac Montana minivan.  They could fit 4 bikes, 4 passengers, and gear in there. Minivans are better bets that sport utes, because they have more height inside the vehicles.

Rock’n'Roll Tri, yesterday.  People arrriving at 5:30, downtown Cleveland.  CLosest parking lot, less than 1000 ft. from transition area, no attendant yet, no way in.  Lots of SUV’s and trucks driving over curb and around gate, free parking. Minivan attampted to emulate; high centered on curb, barely managed to back off, to drive up a couple blocks away and pay $10 to park. Ground clearance can be handy.  (At least the guy in the BMX Z3 was smart enough not to even attempt it.)

Response:

Check out the explorer sport trac (http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/explorersporttrac/) A friend has one and she can get 6 bikes in there without sacrificing the back seat (4 in the cab and 2 on the roof). Dan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. James, I have utilized a VW Eurovan since 1993 and just purchased a new one this year.  It holds two bikes inside and still has space for five people.  I have mounted topside racks for use when there are over two bikes.  MPG when bikes are inside is 20; when topside, MPG is 17.5. Bob

Response:

My parents are using a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan.  2 hybrid comfort bikes (yes, they are my parents) fit behind the 3rd seat when it is slid forward.  They use a simple fork mount purchased from Nashbar for about $15 fastened to a piece of 2×4.  The bikes actually fit across the back of the van with the front wheels removed and the forks fastened to the mount. In a pinch I think you could still seat people in the third seat, and you could certainly put in a bunch of luggage if not using the third seat.

Response:

I understand that the Nissan XTerra is supposed to have a front fork rack inside that will hold at least two bikes upright.   I don’t have one, though, so I’m relying upon their ads for that info… — Aloha, -Ben- http://home.hawaii.rr.com/schorr **I apologize but I am unable to respond to direct requests for assistance. Please post questions and replies here in the newsgroup.  Mahalo!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Isuzu Trooper is one of the few, maybe the only, SUV that will allow a bike to stand up in the back on a front fork mount internal rack. This same thread happened here in 1995.  There were a thousand different responses and I bought a Trooper and a matching one for my wife as well. We’re both still happy with them. Ray | This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and | am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. | | I want to be able to take 2 bikes to a triathlon, keep them inside the | vehicle (out of the weather) and still have a back seat.  I’m currently in a | Jeep Cherokee and not only can you not use the back seat with bikes inside, | you can’t even lean the front seats back a little. | | I’ve looked at the suburban, which would be ideal, but it’s a little out of | my price range for the features I want.  Anyone with a Yukon/Tahoe or an | Excursion out there want to clue me in on how well bikes (and luggage) fit | in the back with the 2nd row seat not folded down?  Any other cars people | like for this?  I’m also considering a conversion van but it seems that to | be usefull you’d have to remove the sofa in the back. | | | James | |

Response:

HI We bought an Xterra in March……the inside rack will only take mountain bikes so we cant put our softrides with syntaces in their.  We bought 2 ankle biters from Yakima and roof mounted them instead, works great….. Ally whose goals and aspirations lead her to stupidly train for too much stuff entirely!!!

Response:

Have Used an Expedition for 4 yrs… can fit 3 bikes by dropping the long portion of the split rear seat and still fit 3 people and luggage (I’m 5′11 w/ a high seat never had to remove seat).  Or, 4 bike fit very snuggly (kind of a pain)in the back (positioned parallel to the seats) with plenty of room for 4 people that travel light. In each bike packing method, I removed the front wheel and locked them in a bike mount supported on a metal with a rubber coated bottom and ditched the third rear seat. FYI Joe – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. I want to be able to take 2 bikes to a triathlon, keep them inside the vehicle (out of the weather) and still have a back seat.  I’m currently in a Jeep Cherokee and not only can you not use the back seat with bikes inside, you can’t even lean the front seats back a little. I’ve looked at the suburban, which would be ideal, but it’s a little out of my price range for the features I want.  Anyone with a Yukon/Tahoe or an Excursion out there want to clue me in on how well bikes (and luggage) fit in the back with the 2nd row seat not folded down?  Any other cars people like for this?  I’m also considering a conversion van but it seems that to be usefull you’d have to remove the sofa in the back. James

Response:

A Hummer! Yea, now thats the ticket! B.Oliver – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -This may be a little off topic but I am currently looking for a new car, and am looking for advice on what is a good bike carrying car. I want to be able to take 2 bikes to a triathlon, keep them inside the vehicle (out of the weather) and still have a back seat.  I’m currently in a Jeep Cherokee and not only can you not use the back seat with bikes inside, you can’t even lean the front seats back a little.

Response:

Question:

After writing my whining missive this morning about not getting into Ironman Canada 2000, I got a couple of e-mails this afternoon telling me that on-line entries would reopen at 4:00pm. Naturally, I had a meeting at 3:30pm that was certain to wear on, so I plopped a credit card, my driver’s license, and my USAT membership card into the hands of a co-worker (new triathlete) and asked him to bang on the server for me. About 5:00pm, I emerged from the meeting and jogged down the hall. He’d been getting "server is busy" messages when he tried to submit my info. But within a minute of my arrival in his office, I saw, "Congratulations, you are now registered for Ironman Canada…." on the screen. RST works a miracle! My, what a down and then up day. I’m normally described as somewhere between taciturn and comatose, but not this afternoon: much blabbing and more to come. To everyone who wrote with consolations, recommendations and (especially) the new registration opening time, my profuse thanks. You’re all wonderful! See you in Penticton. David

Response:

David,     Glad to hear you’re in the race.  See you there!     In my case, I spent several frustrated hours Monday banging on the ActiveUSA site and finally got the entry form through. Jim Kueffner – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – See you in Penticton. David

Response:

"Congratulations, you are now registered for Ironman Canada…." on the screen. RST works a miracle!

Congratulations, David. Perseverance and luck prevailed over a lousy system. Mike Tennent "IronPenguin" Ironman Canada ‘98 16:17:03 Great Floridian ‘99, 15:??:??

Response:

Question:

In article <36DC420A.C9EDD…@srv.net>, w…@srv.net wrote:

| When people ask me how I am doing (you know, "I’m just being polite, I’m not really | interested") I just say "Not bad".  If I say I’m OK or good or whatever, they | usually say something like "Oh, so you are getting over it then." When they ask me, I tell them "I’m surviving!". — Take care James (#11)

Response:

On Tue, 02 Mar 1999 20:58:07 GMT, jbridg…@home.com (James Bridges) wrote: >In article <36DC420A.C9EDD…@srv.net>, w…@srv.net wrote: >| When people ask me how I am doing (you know, "I’m just being polite, I’m >not really >| interested") I just say "Not bad".  If I say I’m OK or good or whatever, they >| usually say something like "Oh, so you are getting over it then." >When they ask me, I tell them "I’m surviving!".

My response: I’m miserably well. Donn

Response:

The message <36dc5e6f.840…@news1.cheetah.net>   from  d…@cheetah.net contains these words: > >When they ask me, I tell them "I’m surviving!". > My response: I’m miserably well.

I say I’m alive. Helen

Response:

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote: > The message <36dc5e6f.840…@news1.cheetah.net> >   from  d…@cheetah.net contains these words: > > >When they ask me, I tell them "I’m surviving!". > > My response: I’m miserably well. > I say I’m alive. > Helen

When people ask me how I’m doin, I say, "I’m doin"! Lin

Response:

>>I have a friend whose husband has MS also and she says his least favorite

line is "But you look so good!<< Warren, The NMSS has a publication by that very name.  I got several copies, and immediately hand them  to anyone who still *dares to say that to me!  <smile> It certainly takes them by surprise, and keeps their mind on reading, rather than making comments! Judith

Response:

Sorry, Paula…  I wasn’t paying attention to your signature! ;-/ Judith

Response:

For a long time I felt like an Arab: "Been better, been worse" Fred.

Response:

I can sure sympathize.  The disease hit my mom mentally worse than it did me. Try this or try that. The cod liver oil was the worst!  I tried various things that she comes up with to humour her. She doesn’t understand that there is no magic cure! Sophie Motomij <moto…@aol.comelong> wrote in message

news:19990223214803.10898.00005073@ng148.aol.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Ok, so here I am with my actual diagnoses, and everyone else goes into > denial."Get a second opinion" etc. I patiently explain how the doctors arrived > at their conclusion, MRI, Spinal Tap etc. and they slowly realise that I might > not be dead after all. Then there is the "look" which hints that maybe I am OK, > after all I AM standing there talking to them. Of course they don’t know my > butt muscles are twitching and my hands are freezing on a warm day, that my > gyro keeps telling me the floor is 300 feet down. But I sure look good, at > least until they watch me limp away. > Then there are the things "you ought to try" > Of course I have tried chiropracters, acupuncture, aspartame and even expresso > enemas.( just kidding) and whatever else they suggest. But sometimes I just ask > them to refrain from practicing neurology without a license! > The worst was telling my mom, who at 77 years old edits a local major daily > newspaper and leaps tall buildings with a single bound. She needed to hear, but > I just dreaded making the call. I consoled her, and I knew that it was she who > would need it more than I. I told her that I would find time to cry myself, but > that I had to get in shape for a long fight first. > Thanks to all of you who welcomed me yesterday, and to anyone who would’ve. > Jim > Mas rapido! > http://members.aol.com/Motomij/yourhere.html > Remove "elong" to reply

Response:

I have only been dealing with MS for a few months so don’t have much experience with it.  I guess I was lucky I was diagnosed right away with a positive MRI and negative tests for "look-alike" problems.  Didn’t have to wait years or have a lot of painful tests. I have a friend whose husband has MS also and she says his least favorite line is "But you look so good!"  It is hard for people to understand that even though you look "normal" you HURT! Maybe we should start telling each other how awful we look When people ask me how I am doing (you know, "I’m just being polite, I’m not really interested") I just say "Not bad".  If I say I’m OK or good or whatever, they usually say something like "Oh, so you are getting over it then."  I don’t know if they don’t want to face the fact that there are some things in this life we are not going to get over or what, but they say the same kind of thing to my husband about his diabetes.  But life goes on. Paula Jo – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Jsatch66 wrote: > Oh that is so true, explaining our MS never goes away.  I feel the same as you. > Once I went through all the tests and the diagnosis was handed down, the denial > set in from all my family and friends.  I was the only one that believed my dx. >  I was just relieved to know I wasn’t going crazy and could put a name on what > was happening to my body. > People keep saying "try this, have you tried this?"  Blah, blah, blah.  My kids > and husband still don’t get it and don’t want to hear about it at all.  I just > don’t look bad enough to them and I sometimes think they think I am > exaggerating my aches and pains.  Keep posting, this group does get it. > Jeanne

Response:

I work with a guy who has had MS for ten years and obviously I have asked him THOUSANDS of questions.  I’m still not DX’d (Brain and spine MRI neg, no LP yet)) but I’ve got all the symptoms (sans ON) and have both a family history and a prior "what the hell was that" episode in ‘91 that was DX’d as transverse myelitis.   How long did you have the symptoms before you were finally DX’d and how old are you ? See ya !! Motomij <moto…@aol.comelong> wrote in message

news:19990223214803.10898.00005073@ng148.aol.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Ok, so here I am with my actual diagnoses, and everyone else goes into >denial."Get a second opinion" etc. I patiently explain how the doctors arrived >at their conclusion, MRI, Spinal Tap etc. and they slowly realise that I might >not be dead after all. Then there is the "look" which hints that maybe I am OK, >after all I AM standing there talking to them. Of course they don’t know my >butt muscles are twitching and my hands are freezing on a warm day, that my >gyro keeps telling me the floor is 300 feet down. But I sure look good, at >least until they watch me limp away. >Then there are the things "you ought to try" >Of course I have tried chiropracters, acupuncture, aspartame and even expresso >enemas.( just kidding) and whatever else they suggest. But sometimes I just ask >them to refrain from practicing neurology without a license! >The worst was telling my mom, who at 77 years old edits a local major daily >newspaper and leaps tall buildings with a single bound. She needed to hear, but >I just dreaded making the call. I consoled her, and I knew that it was she who >would need it more than I. I told her that I would find time to cry myself, but >that I had to get in shape for a long fight first. >Thanks to all of you who welcomed me yesterday, and to anyone who would’ve. >Jim >Mas rapido! >http://members.aol.com/Motomij/yourhere.html >Remove "elong" to reply

Response:

Ok, so here I am with my actual diagnoses, and everyone else goes into denial."Get a second opinion" etc. I patiently explain how the doctors arrived at their conclusion, MRI, Spinal Tap etc. and they slowly realise that I might not be dead after all. Then there is the "look" which hints that maybe I am OK, after all I AM standing there talking to them. Of course they don’t know my butt muscles are twitching and my hands are freezing on a warm day, that my gyro keeps telling me the floor is 300 feet down. But I sure look good, at least until they watch me limp away. Then there are the things "you ought to try" Of course I have tried chiropracters, acupuncture, aspartame and even expresso enemas.( just kidding) and whatever else they suggest. But sometimes I just ask them to refrain from practicing neurology without a license! The worst was telling my mom, who at 77 years old edits a local major daily newspaper and leaps tall buildings with a single bound. She needed to hear, but I just dreaded making the call. I consoled her, and I knew that it was she who would need it more than I. I told her that I would find time to cry myself, but that I had to get in shape for a long fight first. Thanks to all of you who welcomed me yesterday, and to anyone who would’ve. Jim Mas rapido! http://members.aol.com/Motomij/yourhere.html Remove "elong" to reply

Response:

Sorry you’ve joined us John.  I wish you were competing in an ironman triathalon instead. But hey, since you’re here, welcome, take off your coat and stay awhile. Tick…NE Texas

Response:

Bill, It all started with a cervical compression injury in 4/97…numbness etc. I improved somewhat then had a rapid decline in the summer of 98. I was being routed towards a 3 level fusion, as I had pretty bad DDD in my neck. An ortho advised me to wait a while due to the poor outcomes of such surgeries and my lifestyle. I asked for a referral to a Neurologist to obtain another view of my situation, weakness, more numbness, moderate to severe pain etc. He put his finger on it immediately after a thorough Exam. Spinal tap and MRI of my c-spine and brain provided proof. I hit all the spots he said. So here I am. Jim Mas rapido! http://members.aol.com/Motomij/yourhere.html Remove "elong" to reply

Response:

Hi Jim, I know the feeling. And I think everybody else here does too. That’s one of the requirements of having MS. Convincing others that you really do have it. <laughing> Now aint THAT a bitch!! It wasn’t enough being put through the mill and being called a nut case. Now it’s time for family and friends to go into denial. There’s really just no pleasing anybody. I suggest wearing a bright neon sign!! <laughing>  And welcome!!! Take care, Dawn

Response:

Oh that is so true, explaining our MS never goes away.  I feel the same as you. Once I went through all the tests and the diagnosis was handed down, the denial set in from all my family and friends.  I was the only one that believed my dx.  I was just relieved to know I wasn’t going crazy and could put a name on what was happening to my body. People keep saying "try this, have you tried this?"  Blah, blah, blah.  My kids and husband still don’t get it and don’t want to hear about it at all.  I just don’t look bad enough to them and I sometimes think they think I am exaggerating my aches and pains.  Keep posting, this group does get it. Jeanne

Response:

Dear Carmel,  When you feel that way (like you’re being perceived as a whining fraud) just remember the ignorance of the general public in reference to ms & the scariness of this disease. You can lok the picture of heath one day  & be hit full force with it the next. All of which scares not only you but the casual observer. They need to feel that -should they ever be presented with this difficulty

Response:

In article <36D69966.30F5A…@north.net.au>, Carmel Pacey Digby <di…@north.net.au> writes: >I’m amazed how many people tell me "Oh, MS.&nbsp; That’s not so bad.&nbsp; >You can fix that with lifestyle and diet changes, or exercise.&nbsp; Blah >Blah Blah."&nbsp; Everyone knows someone who has it and it’s no big deal. >They make you feel like a whining fraud.

So screw them.  I have an aunt who said, upon finding out I had quit working, that  her neighbor had ms and she kept teaching school for 25 yrs.  I explained that ms is different in everyone and progresses at a different rate, but she wasn’t interested. As far as she was concerned I was just lazy.  We no longer have any contact. Good riddance. Kathi

Response:

On 26 Feb 1999 12:34:07 GMT, jsatc…@aol.com (Jsatch66) wrote: >Oh that is so true, explaining our MS never goes away.  I feel the same as you.                         CLIPPED >Jeanne

So "explaining" may have additional medical outcomes? I suffer from "explaining . . . and you know where it hurst the most. Donn                    

Response:

You are all a pain in the A$$

Response:

David, Regarding your comment >You are all a pain in the A$$ > When I was a child, we had an expression that perfectly suits this:

"It takes one to know one" Please speak to your psychiatrist soon – you definitely have a major sociological problem that needs to be dealt with!

Response:

Excuse me?  What are you doing on this site if you can’t communicate in a decent manner?  Having opinions and feelings and advice are what a support group is all about.  For you to be negative and call us all a pain in the ass doesn’t cut it.  Do you have any constructive comments to make that are maybe a little more positive?

Response:

Question:

"Biathlon" is now obsolete when applied to bike-run events. The official term is "duathlon". Some races have been around a while, though, and still use the older term. I know a triathlon is running, biking & swimming, and that a biathlon is cross-country skiing & sharpshooting. But aren’t there modified triathlons, where it’s just running & biking, that are also called biathlons? Dave Navajo

Rick Denney Take what you want and leave the rest.

Response:

I think we ought to ditch the term "duathlon" altogether, and I applaud those race directors who continue to call their run/bike events biathlons. Joanne Amen.  I don’t think race directors should be too concerned about angering the 23 people in North America that actually participate in ski/shoot biathlons…

        I disagree:  Remember those biathletes have guns and can shoot very well <g

Response:

running & biking {…} called biathlons? No, they are called duathlons.

Looking on AltaVista, one sees references to both terms in describing the run/ bike event.  I don’t know which is considered the proper term.  There are also run/swim biathlons, e.g., the "Dream of Peace Biathlon" ( a name that would seem to indicate low emphasis on rifle marksmanship). In case this isn’t confusing enough, there has also emerged a sport called "summer biathlon":  run-and-shoot instead of ski-and-shoot. Cheers, –Joe, whose knees would hold up adequately for the shooting part

Response:

 I think we ought to ditch the term "duathlon" altogether, and I applaud those race directors who continue to call their run/bike events biathlons. Joanne

Amen.  I don’t think race directors should be too concerned about angering the 23 people in North America that actually participate in ski/shoot biathlons… <g Mike "TriBop" Tennent http://www.gate.net/~wbrunner/ WebRunner Running My Model Railroad ‘98 Ironman Canada IronVirgins Site

Response:

I know a triathlon is running, biking & swimming, and that a biathlon is cross-country skiing & sharpshooting. But aren’t there modified triathlons, where it’s just running & biking, that are also called biathlons?

They are actually called  Duathlons.  In each case,  bi and Dual both mean two.                   |  |                _|  |               (____)                     O O    SKATE ON, BABY!                                 — Marilyn —

Response:

Nicepace writes:

: There is no English use of the prefix du- to mean two, and therefore : it is a linguistically sloppy term. Right-o. I guess Cartesian dualism is even more dead than I thought. Madeleine "in a duality of minds about this" Page

Response:

They are actually called  Duathlons.  In each case,  bi and Dual both mean

two. << As a runner and cyclist, I use the term "biathlon" to describe run/bike events.  I believe it is a much clearer term than "duathlon."  Anyone who knows what a triathlon is can figure out what a biathlon is, but what the heck is a duathlon?  There is no English use of the prefix du- to mean two, and therefore it is a linguistically sloppy term.   In addition, whoever invented the term "duathlon" to describe a run/bike event was "solving" a problem that did not exist.  When the commonly used term to describe a run/bike event was "biathlon," the context always made it clear that a run/bike event was under discussion, and not the winter sport of ski/shoot. Just as a triathlon can be swim/bike/run or canoe/bike/run depending on context, there can be more than one kind of biathlon.  I think we ought to ditch the term "duathlon" altogether, and I applaud those race directors who continue to call their run/bike events biathlons. Joanne

Response:

And on a more practical note: Biathlon is an Olympic sport, and if duathlon ever wants to be in the Olympics, it will have to change its name anyway. That’s why the name was changed in the first place. But, linguistically, none of the terms mentioned here mean much. Their etymologies are all a hodge-podge of different traditions. In this case, I think we can make it up as we go along without doing the other terms much disservice. Nicepace writes: : There is no English use of the prefix du- to mean two, and therefore : it is a linguistically sloppy term. Right-o. I guess Cartesian dualism is even more dead than I thought. Madeleine "in a duality of minds about this" Page

Rick Denney Take what you want and leave the rest.

Response:

I know a triathlon is running, biking & swimming, and that a biathlon is cross-country skiing & sharpshooting. But aren’t there modified triathlons, where it’s just running & biking, that are also called biathlons? Dave Navajo

No, they are called duathlons.

Response:

I know a triathlon is running, biking & swimming, and that a biathlon is cross-country skiing & sharpshooting. But aren’t there modified triathlons, where it’s just running & biking, that are also called biathlons? Dave Navajo

Response:

Question:

This summer i would like to do a 7 mile swim and i would like to use my QR fullsuit.  Is it likely that any damage would be inflicted to the wetsuit?  Would it get too warm? — Logan Heinrich

Response:

Logan: What temperature do you expect the water will be during your swim? Your fullsuit should work great during this distance depending on water temperature. Good Luck — Keith Simmons Ironman Triathlon Wetsuits (800) 897-6464 (804) 288-6000 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This summer i would like to do a 7 mile swim and i would like to use my QR fullsuit.  Is it likely that any damage would be inflicted to the wetsuit?  Would it get too warm? — Logan Heinrich

Response:

Question:

Hi everybody!! Just a quick note to let all of you know that I’m know into the taper period for my first marathon happening May 11th.  I’m so excited and still can’t believe that I’ve made it through all the training and that the big day is only 2 weeks away….

The very first marathon is a special event. I remember that I was so excited myself before entering my first one back in 1990. The very last words to you before the race; stay patient and do it primarily as an experience. Don’t go for an all-out one that can break your neck (or hitting the wall). You will get several options later to conduct how to get the ‘great’ times out there. Best of luck, Tore in Bergen, Norway who has just arrived back home after finished Boston Marathon for the second consecutive year. (This was my marathon #42 since 1990)

Response:

The best of luck Ann! Let everyone know how how you do and how good it feels to get that medal! Jim

Response:

Hi everybody!! Just a quick note to let all of you know that I’m know into the taper period for my first marathon happening May 11th.  I’m so excited and still can’t believe that I’ve made it through all the training and that the big day is only 2 weeks away…. [snip] for the past few weeks I’ve been going to bed at night thinking about the marathon and waking up in the morning and it’s the first thing on my mind…. I’ve never been so consumed with anything as much as this

Ann, One word of warning: As mentioned in Matthew Garcia’s "after marathon motivation" post, many people experience a big emotional let-down after completion of their first marathon (or any big event that has required such a long term focus). If you aren’t prepared for that "what now?" feeling, it can leave you depressed for a good while after your race. Start thinking right now about "what’s next". Start planning your recovery and rebuilding with a definite goal in mind. That way, after your big day, you’ll know right where you stand. You can say to yourself, "OK, now begins my x number of recovery weeks. I’ll follow that with xx weeks to re-establish my base. And that will prepare me to begin building to a new peak for Ann’s Next Big Race, which It doesn’t have to be a marathon. I seem to recall you posting a question about adding some speed. Maybe your next goal can be to set a new PR in the 5K. Or maybe you might want a new challenge, like triathlon or duathlon. Whatever you decide, start thinking about it now. Believe me, the elation which accompanies completion of your first (or latest) marathon only lasts a short time. Be prepared to move on to your next objective. You’ll be glad you did. Happy trails, Chris Christopher N. Baucom She said, "It’s really not my habit to intrude, and furthermore, I hope my meaning won’t be lost or misconstrued… — Paul Simon

Response:

Good Luck. Just remember, start out slow. Don’t get caught up in your excitement. Have fun and let us know how you did. Mike "TriBop" Tennent WebRunner Running Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/running/running.html My Model Railroad Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/srr/

Response:

Hi everybody!! Just a quick note to let all of you know that I’m know into the taper period for my first marathon Ann

Excuse a silly swede, but what does "taper period" mean. Doesn

Question:

To get around the problem of your news server not getting enough postings, try www.dejanews.com.  If you use the Power Search option, you can choose your desired newsgroup (RST?) and you’ll see a very current group of postings, as well as be able to find ANY posting since Mar ‘95 in most any newsgroup.

Response:

To get around the problem of your news server not getting enough postings, try www.dejanews.com.

Hey, Pat Brug and I were talking about this.   How does dejanews archive all  these posts?  Do they have a server just upstream from UUNet, capturing packets? QRman

Response:

I know exactly how you feel.  Anytime you want to chat to someone who is also bad at swimming, let me know.  

Response:

When I discovered RST a year ago, I posted and replied to several messages.  Never got much of a response.  Somehow, I get the impression that if you are not a regular poster to this group then your opinions, thoughts, questions are deemed below normal status.  This is why I lurk and only pop up occassionally. Before I get flamed, I am not being critical, just trying to be observant. There are some really interesting people in this group, and if I ever make it to a tri where you guys show up I’ll stop by to say hi.

Don’t let a non response to your postings hurt your feelings. I have a habit of writing stupid stories, and they often sort of hang out there silently. Later, I’ll run into all sorts of people at races who tell me they enjoyed them. I thought about it for a while, and there really was no way to respond. But that doesn’t mean they don’t get read. Just keep posting! Brian Sullivan

Response:

Don’t let a non response to your postings hurt your feelings. I have a habit of writing stupid stories, and they often sort of hang out there silently.

I just want to go on record and say that I love your stupid stories. QRman

Response:

To get around the problem of your news server not getting enough postings, try www.dejanews.com. Hey, Pat Brug and I were talking about this.   How does dejanews archive all  these posts?  Do they have a server just upstream from UUNet, capturing packets?

Actually, I find that the USENET option in Altavista (www.altavista.digital.com) and Zippo (drn.zippo.com) have far more. Especially for non-US based lurkers.  In the case of Altavista and other spidered engines, they use massive indexing engines that use software to roam the net (not just those intimately connected to your immediate domain) capturing messages.  There are several strategies that are used besides spidering and agents. In general, most news feeds in the smaller provider world simply can’t keep up with the sheer volume of articles, so many (or some) get dropped off you local server. The solution to getting all the articles all teh time would be to turn  this NG into a lsitserv.  But then someone’s gotta host it… Tom

Response:

Don’t let a non response to your postings hurt your feelings. I have a habit of writing stupid stories, and they often sort of hang out there silently. I just want to go on record and say that I love your stupid stories. QRman

Me, too. I print out copies for my non-cyber tri friends. They love them. Andrew Peabody Coconut Grove — Internet Communications Of America

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yes, I have been lurking here for almost a year.  I used to do tri’s, but a shoulder injury keeps me from doing the swim correctly.  I did two tri’s this year, I’m the one doing the breast stroke in the swim… far in the back. When I discovered RST a year ago, I posted and replied to several messages.  Never got much of a response.  Somehow, I get the impression that if you are not a regular poster to this group then your opinions, thoughts, questions are deemed below normal status.  This is why I lurk and only pop up occassionally. Before I get flamed, I am not being critical, just trying to be observant. There are some really interesting people in this group, and if I ever make it to a tri where you guys show up I’ll stop by to say hi. —John

Did not want to let you go off feeling unloved by just reading this and not reponding, so here it is. BTW I see your postings way to often for you to claim lurk status, face it you’ve become a computerized trigeek like it or not. TriRef

Response:

Yes, I have been lurking here for almost a year.  I used to do tri’s, but a shoulder injury keeps me from doing the swim correctly.  I did two tri’s this year, I’m the one doing the breast stroke in the swim… far in the back. When I discovered RST a year ago, I posted and replied to several messages.  Never got much of a response.  Somehow, I get the impression that if you are not a regular poster to this group then your opinions, thoughts, questions are deemed below normal status.  This is why I lurk and only pop up occassionally. Before I get flamed, I am not being critical, just trying to be observant. There are some really interesting people in this group, and if I ever make it to a tri where you guys show up I’ll stop by to say hi. —John

Response:

I posted and replied to several messages. Never got much of a response.  Somehow, I get the impression that if you are not a regular poster to this group then your opinions, thoughts, questions are deemed below normal status.  This is why I lurk and only pop up occassionally.

Hey, sometimes I post and it just sits there like a beached whale.  I choose to think it’s because my posts are received reverently, like a benediction.  All other posts on that day are quickly replied to and dismissed, mine is up there marinating like a good steak. QRman

Response:

Yes, I have been lurking here for almost a year.  I used to do tri’s, but a shoulder injury keeps me from doing the swim correctly.  I did two tri’s this year, I’m the one doing the breast stroke in the swim… far in the back.

Firstly, John, I would not call you a lurker.  I can remember reading your posts about Speedplay covers, selling bikes, and roadie vs. tri-geek comments.  I also remember your posting on doing a short triathlon in Texas — further research reveals that TriDork and Diana McLaughlin gave you encouragement for completing this tri. When I discovered RST a year ago, I posted and replied to several messages. Never got much of a response.  Somehow, I get the impression that if you are not a regular poster to this group then your opinions, thoughts, questions are deemed below normal status.  This is why I lurk and only pop up occassionally.

This thought has crossed my mind, but I’ve found that posting and getting replies on the newsgroup can be really hit or miss.  Sometimes people really are interested in your ideas, other times you barely get a response and on even more occaisions, people grab onto a tangent in a post that you never expected.  Overall my experience from when I first started posting has been favorable in that I have never felt that my questions have been deemed "below normal".  It’s also helped to have met people face to face at RST get togethers at races and carry on conversations online, but off newsgroup. Before I get flamed, I am not being critical, just trying to be observant. There are some really interesting people in this group, and if I ever make it to a tri where you guys show up I’ll stop by to say hi.

I don’t believe you’ll get flamed.  Whether you want to admit it or not, you’ve done pretty well by the newsgroup, so chin up and keep posting. Tucker Newberry p.s. Now if you’d only lowered the price of the Kestrel you were selling, I might have responded to more of your postings

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I posted and replied to several messages. Never got much of a response.  Somehow, I get the impression that if you are not a regular poster to this group then your opinions, thoughts, questions are deemed below normal status.  This is why I lurk and only pop up occassionally. Hey, sometimes I post and it just sits there like a beached whale.  I choose to think it’s because my posts are received reverently, like a benediction.  All other posts on that day are quickly replied to and dismissed, mine is up there marinating like a good steak. QRman

As the original poster stated..the RST group appears  at  times to be "clickish", and after reading QRman’s post I just laughed out loud..it’s true that if you’re not a name nor a ‘placer’ … you’re just a another "wannabe" or a number coming across the finish line.. while some of us dont have all of that fancy equipment and we survive some of the events (like for me..the swim is the worst! Maybe be cuz I haven’t trained in that area).. Someday, just maybe someday..we’ll be able to stand in your  presence and look you immortals and say,  "Yup! I’m a RST lurker!" but we’ll be the ones looking at you from a distance and won’t dare walk over to where you’ll all be meeting… maybe next year

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I posted and replied to several messages. Never got much of a response.  Somehow, I get the impression that if you are not a regular poster to this group then your opinions, thoughts, questions are deemed below normal status.  This is why I lurk and only pop up occassionally. Hey, sometimes I post and it just sits there like a beached whale.  I choose to think it’s because my posts are received reverently, like a benediction.  All other posts on that day are quickly replied to and dismissed, mine is up there marinating like a good steak. QRman

I’ve seen the same thing happen to some of my posts. Have you also noticed that you often see replies to posts that you never saw? My ISP explained to me that often items that one posts never get past their own server, hence no response since no one sees it except the persons on that server. Also servers can’t pick up every article on every group due to various reasons. One server may be down while another is retrieving articles, etc. My server was down off and on every day for about 2 weeks and I was only picking up 4-5 articles a day from RST. If I checked my AOL newsgroups, nothing I had posted was there. No big loss to you out there, but this always seems to happen when I have something to say. It’s probably not working now. Andrew Peabody Coconut Grove,FL — Internet Communications Of America

Response:

Question:

  Several texts on training (Training Distance Runners by P. Coe and D. Martin, or to mention a recent one In fitness and in Health by P. Maffetone) recommend a period of several month of strictly aerobic training, what we usually refer to as base work (to be correct Coe & Martin recommend something like 1 workout below AT / month during this period)   For a weak swimmer like me this is a problem. I need to work on my technique, esp. body position, which puts me quite close to AT. Lately I’ve noticed that after 2 out of 3 swimming sessions I’m down with a cold for 1 day (bye bye schedule) while running and biking (indoors) is fine.   Should I cut down to 2 or 1 swimsess./week and try to keep the pace or use a buoy to do arms and legs separately and lower the pace to something more aerobic? Any advice ? jarek

Response:

Jarek: Great insight about how poor technique handicaps a triathlete (who does not have a formal swim bkgrnd) from following the conventional swim training recommendations. So many people who advise triathletes to follow a "cookbook" training sked (X parts AT, X part VO2max, etc) for swimming just as they do with running and biking, don’t realize that if your basic swim skills aren’t good, workouts don’t work. I teach hundreds of triathletes a year at Total Immersion Adult Swim Camps that they have to turn their swim "workouts" into swimming "practices" and they have to practice proper technique. I tell them that fitness is something that happens to you while you’re practicing technique. You do it through drills and "effective" swimming — stroke counting, minus cycle swimming, mixed drill-swim sets, etc. most of it set up on intervals similar to swim sets, but with different intentions than simply working the CV system. I don’t know how to send you info by E-mail, but if you send your address or fax# to me by E-mail I can send you a booklet of drills to do. Everyone who has adopted this system has improved dramatically over the results they’d been getting by just working out.

Response:

  Several texts on training (Training Distance Runners by P. Coe and D. Martin, or to mention a recent one In fitness and in Health by P. Maffetone) recommend a period of several month of strictly aerobic training, what we usually refer to as base work (to be correct Coe & Martin recommend something like 1 workout below AT / month during this period)   For a weak swimmer like me this is a problem. I need to work on my technique, esp. body position, which puts me quite close to AT. Lately I’ve noticed that after 2 out of 3 swimming sessions I’m down with a cold for 1 day (bye bye schedule) while running and biking (indoors) is fine….

It sounds like you need to learn to relax when you swim (which by the way is the key to swimming fast).  If you are truly doing technique work, you shouldn’t get close to your AT.  My first reaction is that you are breathing incorrectly.  Two common breathing mistakes are 1) not exhaling underwater and 2) taking too big of breathes.  By doing either 1) and/or 2) you tend to approach hyperventilation quickly and subsequently push your heart rate sky-high.  The simple remedy is to think "breathe easy and breathe often".   Hope this helps!  If I’m off the mark, email me a more detailed description. Pat —    W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_    Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-                                       /    cis:      72410,3372        /  

Response:

Luberek) writes:

<<<I need to work on my technique, esp. body position, which puts me quite close to AT. Lately I’ve noticed that after 2 out of 3 swimming sessions I’m down with a cold for 1 day (bye bye schedule) while running and biking (indoors) is fine.  Should I cut down to 2 or 1 swimsess./week and try to keep the pace or use a buoy to do arms and legs separately and lower the pace to something more aerobic? Without knowing anything else about you, consider using a heart monitor in your swim sessions but stay aerobic. If you do this, and nothing is metabolically wrong, 2-3 swims a week shouldn’t be a problem. It also sound like you need to build more base. Just my opinion. Philip Maffetone

Response: