Question:

Somehow, I think my body has devised a way to maintain my weight, which unfortunately 40 pounds more than I wish.  I have been running for a couple years, every other day with a long run once a week or so. Not too long ago, I upped that to 3 days during the week and a longer run on the weekend, and now I am doing 4 days a week with a longer run on the weekend.  (This week for example, Monday through Thursday will be 3, 5,4 3, and then 10 on Saturday.)  My eating is the same and so is the weight.  I got some dumbbells over a year ago and do an upper body workout a couple times a week. I am in "better" shape than I was, but personally, I thought some weight would come off. I know the unfortunate answer, I am going to have to eat better foods and eat less to lose weight.  But I am amazed at how my body has seemingly adjusted to whatever I do and just seems to keep that same weight. It’s almost if there is something inside striving to maintain this weight.  If I eat less, it does something to conserve, and if I eat more, it discards the unneeded food. I ran a marathon in February and would like to do one this fall.  I would really like to do this one without the extra 40 pounds, so I am going to try to convert to an eating lifestyle that will help.  I just hope the "little man inside" will cooperate and let the weight come down.

Response:

I’m in the same place .. all these thin people will tell you eat less / run more and its off.  Well 2 years later of really watching it, no real weight loss will going from 0 to 20 miles per week and now running every day; weights, biking and swimming every other.  I even went to diet pop and heavy on veggies and still 230 lbs.  However I feel much better, look a lot thinner just weight the same.

Response:

However I feel much better, look a lot thinner just weight the same.

Good point to ponder. It’s possible you both (original poster) have a far smaller percentage of body fat, but weigh the same. Extremely skinny people often put on weight when they take up running from putting on muscle. Muscles much heavier than fat. "Make no mistake about it! Without humor, freedom would drive you insane." Bill               I am so cool, that sheep count ME before they go to sleep. http://hometown.aol.com/mrrobottow/

Response:

Somehow, I think my body has devised a way to maintain my weight, which unfortunately 40 pounds more than I wish.

This happens with me also, though not to the extent you describe. Bodybuilding mags occasionally run articles on it.  One strategy is to eat more frequent, smaller meals each day – 4 or 5 meals daily.  This raises the "metabolic setpoint," which exercise should also be raising, which means you should burn the calories more efficiently.  (For one thing, your body is working to digest food most of the time.) – Phil

Response:

This is all a bit hazy, but there’s a concept – I think it’s called "set point" – which means a set weight that the body adapts to. If you lose weight below your set point, your body will drop its metabolism to try and get the weight back up. If you gain weight the metabolism is increased. The theory says that it is hard to get the set point lower and not so hard to get it higher. To lower it involves a long term reduction in food intake and increased exercise levels. Personally, I’m pretty much the same, if I lose a bit of weight it doesn’t stay off. But I don’t tend to put much on if I stop running, and it comes off quickly. I also feel a lot healthier when I am at what I think my set point is, rather than when I have lost a bit. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Somehow, I think my body has devised a way to maintain my weight, which unfortunately 40 pounds more than I wish.  I have been running for a couple years, every other day with a long run once a week or so. Not too long ago, I upped that to 3 days during the week and a longer run on the weekend, and now I am doing 4 days a week with a longer run on the weekend.  (This week for example, Monday through Thursday will be 3, 5,4 3, and then 10 on Saturday.)  My eating is the same and so is the weight.  I got some dumbbells over a year ago and do an upper body workout a couple times a week. I am in "better" shape than I was, but personally, I thought some weight would come off. I know the unfortunate answer, I am going to have to eat better foods and eat less to lose weight.  But I am amazed at how my body has seemingly adjusted to whatever I do and just seems to keep that same weight. It’s almost if there is something inside striving to maintain this weight.  If I eat less, it does something to conserve, and if I eat more, it discards the unneeded food. I ran a marathon in February and would like to do one this fall.  I would really like to do this one without the extra 40 pounds, so I am going to try to convert to an eating lifestyle that will help.  I just hope the "little man inside" will cooperate and let the weight come down.

Response:

Based on my own experiences and info in various books, magazines, newsgroups, etc., I’d say the best way to minimize bodyfat% is to maximize muscle.  But I realize that puts the endurance athlete in a bind, since long duration events tend to limit muscle development. Most of the bodybuilding types recommend 2-3 interval training cardio workouts per week of no more than 20 – 30 minutes each.  Thus, if you were going to follow that strategy, you’d have to limit yourself to 5k runs and/or very short sprint triathlons.  Depending on what your current bodyfat% is, heavy weight lifting might actually make you lose more in fat than you gain in muscle.  Thus, it very well could be beneficial to the 5k and less runners. That being said, I actually weigh several pounds more now after I’ve routinely been doing 1.5 – 2 hour triathlon training sessions usually consisting of 2000 – 3000 M swim + 20 – 30 minutes on stationary bike or treadmill, ~45 minutes on a real bike followed by several miles of running, etc.  Before I got into this triathlon business, I was lifting weights 3 times a week for roughly 1

Question:

   Sorry, the time I mentioned was assuming 1200 meter repeats. A 5 minute 1200 meter time would equate to about a 6:35 mile pace. As a 20 minute 5k requires a pace of slightly under a 6:30/mile, 1200’s at a 5:00 to 5:15 pace seem to be the most beneficial and realistic repeats for  me. Repeats of much longer than a five minutes seem to have diminishing returns. Granted, a faster runner than myself could do mile repeats in the same time I take on 1200’s. Not sure this 48 year old body has any 5 minute miles in it.     As far as shorter intervals for longer races are concerned: I have found that more repeats of shorter distances (combined with tempo runs) seem to help build the stamina needed to maintain a faster pace over a longer distance (maybe one of our more physiological minded folks here would comment on this). – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Excuse me for not understanding. Can you give me the distance you are using fo the 5:15 pace your are mentionning ? Is it for a mile (ie. 1,6km) or the 1,2km repeat ? Too slow to be for a single km. Me too will go down under 20min this summer. Also, why the shorter distance repeats would be more suitable for longer distances ? Thank you beaucoup!                                     Daniel.    For me, I have found that speedwork repeats of 1200 meters to 1 mile are the most beneficial for reducing 5K times. 400’s and 800’s work well for longer distances(when combined with tempo runs), however the 5K is much more intense and is essentially a well timed sprint. Your body has to get used to running fast for a longer period than almost any other distance event. I concentrate mainly on longer (10K to Marathon) distances, but I do have one sub-twenty 5K in the books. If you can work up to 4-6 1200 meter repeats at a 5 to 5:15 minute pace, with a 400 meter recovery  jog in between, then you have a pretty good shot. Don’t go out too fast and concentrate on negative splits. The 1200’s will help you gauge your pace come race day. Hi, I’m a 35 yr old male who has been a runner off and on for a few years. Been running 20-30 miles a week for 3 years….before that….6 to 10 miles/week. I want to run a sub 20min 5k.  My best time so far, without specific training is 23:09.  I ran sub 12 min 2 mile runs when in the Army 10 years ago. What sort of training do I need to do?

Response:

Thanks for the precision. I think I stumbled on the unit of measure when pace values are used. I’m good with International System of measurement. Presently learning standard (I learned a couple of months ago that a mile = 1,6km because of the speed in mph only on the gym’s threadmill). So when the folks talk about pace, it is usually the time per mile even when used on a metrical distance. Cool! I can compute that  ;-) Thanks again and best regards                                                 Daniel. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –    Sorry, the time I mentioned was assuming 1200 meter repeats. A 5 minute 1200 meter time would equate to about a 6:35 mile pace. As a 20 minute 5k requires a pace of slightly under a 6:30/mile, 1200’s at a 5:00 to 5:15 pace seem to be the most beneficial and realistic repeats for  me. Repeats of much longer than a five minutes seem to have diminishing returns. Granted, a faster runner than myself could do mile repeats in the same time I take on 1200’s. Not sure this 48 year old body has any 5 minute miles in it.     As far as shorter intervals for longer races are concerned: I have found that more repeats of shorter distances (combined with tempo runs) seem to help build the stamina needed to maintain a faster pace over a longer distance (maybe one of our more physiological minded folks here would comment on this). Excuse me for not understanding. Can you give me the distance you are using fo the 5:15 pace your are mentionning ? Is it for a mile (ie. 1,6km) or the 1,2km repeat ? Too slow to be for a single km. Me too will go down under 20min this summer. Also, why the shorter distance repeats would be more suitable for longer distances ? Thank you beaucoup!                                     Daniel.    For me, I have found that speedwork repeats of 1200 meters to 1 mile are the most beneficial for reducing 5K times. 400’s and 800’s work well for longer distances(when combined with tempo runs), however the 5K is much more intense and is essentially a well timed sprint. Your body has to get used to running fast for a longer period than almost any other distance event. I concentrate mainly on longer (10K to Marathon) distances, but I do have one sub-twenty 5K in the books. If you can work up to 4-6 1200 meter repeats at a 5 to 5:15 minute pace, with a 400 meter recovery  jog in between, then you have a pretty good shot. Don’t go out too fast and concentrate on negative splits. The 1200’s will help you gauge your pace come race day. Hi, I’m a 35 yr old male who has been a runner off and on for a few years. Been running 20-30 miles a week for 3 years….before that….6 to 10 miles/week. I want to run a sub 20min 5k.  My best time so far, without specific training is 23:09.  I ran sub 12 min 2 mile runs when in the Army 10 years ago. What sort of training do I need to do?

Response:

Hi, I’m a 35 yr old male who has been a runner off and on for a few years. Been running 20-30 miles a week for 3 years….before that….6 to 10 miles/week. I want to run a sub 20min 5k.  My best time so far, without specific training is 23:09.  I ran sub 12 min 2 mile runs when in the Army 10 years ago. What sort of training do I need to do?

What sort of speedwork Do you do? Also, the fact that you’ve been running the same amount of weekly mileage for three years, more or less, suggests that your body stopped responding to the challenge of that amount of training long ago – you’ve simply gotten used to running X amount a week, and your body has adapted and no longer needs to "improve" to complete the tasks you are presenting. You should increase your mileage as well as looking into the speedwork, too. All my opinion, of course. good luck, — David (in Hamilton, Ont) "I gotta go faster, keep up the pace, just to stay in the human race I could go supersonic, the problem’s chronic… Tell me does life exist beyond it?"                                                            bad religion http://www.angelfire.com/nc/swstudio/home.html –

Response:

I’m just like you, 35 years old and trying to break that 20 minute 5 k.  My PB in 21:21 last summer.  I’m training a lot harder this summer and I’m going to break it this summer then run the Columbus Marathon (Oct 20) in under 4 hours. Here is my typical workout if it helps any.  If anybody has any other suggestion let me know! Sun–Long run 13-22 mi. (starting at 10 mi. and working up to 22 mi. by Oct. 20 for marathon) Mon–rest Tues–7 mi. run Wed– Speed workout  10-12 reps at ..25-.35 mi. at about 75% sprint pace. Thur–7 mi. Fri–Hills  5-6 reps of two hills.   One hill is about 100′ in elevation over about .25 mi. and the other hill is about 60′ over .15 mi. Sat-rest I plan on increasing the workout intensity (no of reps and distance of speed runs) every other week to try to improve on that time — — If you want to email us, you must remove the upper case wording between the attempt to conquer the unwanted SPAM. Never kiss a girl whose brothers have knife scars! Don’t poke beans up your nose!

Response:

We are in the same situation. ALthough 14 years "older" I am shooting for my first sub 20 5K. For me it means more speed work. When training for 1/2mar. I tend to do more long runs. For 5K, I intend on doing speed work twice a week. One workout will be on the track either 1/4 or 1/2 repeats, the other will be Hill repeats or tempo runs. A sub 20 minute 5K means a slightly faster then 6:30 pace, so you need to gauge your speed work with that pace in mind. Depending on how far off you are right now from such a pace will determine how long it takes to get there. INcrease gradually.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m a 35 yr old male who has been a runner off and on for a few years. Been running 20-30 miles a week for 3 years….before that….6 to 10 miles/week. I want to run a sub 20min 5k.  My best time so far, without specific training is 23:09.  I ran sub 12 min 2 mile runs when in the Army 10 years ago. What sort of training do I need to do?

Response:

Hi, I’m a 35 yr old male who has been a runner off and on for a few years. Been running 20-30 miles a week for 3 years….before that….6 to 10 miles/week. I want to run a sub 20min 5k.  My best time so far, without specific training is 23:09.  I ran sub 12 min 2 mile runs when in the Army 10 years ago. What sort of training do I need to do?

First you need to get your cadence up to 180 steps/minute. Then work from there. Increasing cadence will easily buy you the first 1-2 minutes. — Return e-mail is a spam tarpit.

Response:

Count me in also.  My best 5k has been 20:46 and running with a 16 oz camera. My fastest 2 miles was in 12 minutes, but it was the first part of a 5k that was pretty much down hill until right before the 2 mile marker. I have run a sub 4 marathon, but just one so far. I tried breaking 20 minutes in a 5k last year, but because of an injury after a 1/2 marathon an running with flats that were 1/2 size too small, I ended up taking a lot of time off.  I’m pretty sure it was the beginning of that Morton injury. Hope to break 20 minutes this year. Thanks and best wishes,         Roger – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m a 35 yr old male who has been a runner off and on for a few years. Been running 20-30 miles a week for 3 years….before that….6 to 10 miles/week. I want to run a sub 20min 5k.  My best time so far, without specific training is 23:09.  I ran sub 12 min 2 mile runs when in the Army 10 years ago. What sort of training do I need to do?

Response:

    For me, I have found that speedwork repeats of 1200 meters to 1 mile are the most beneficial for reducing 5K times. 400’s and 800’s work well for longer distances(when combined with tempo runs), however the 5K is much more intense and is essentially a well timed sprint. Your body has to get used to running fast for a longer period than almost any other distance event. I concentrate mainly on longer (10K to Marathon) distances, but I do have one sub-twenty 5K in the books. If you can work up to 4-6 1200 meter repeats at a 5 to 5:15 minute pace, with a 400 meter recovery  jog in between, then you have a pretty good shot. Don’t go out too fast and concentrate on negative splits. The 1200’s will help you gauge your pace come race day. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m a 35 yr old male who has been a runner off and on for a few years. Been running 20-30 miles a week for 3 years….before that….6 to 10 miles/week. I want to run a sub 20min 5k.  My best time so far, without specific training is 23:09.  I ran sub 12 min 2 mile runs when in the Army 10 years ago. What sort of training do I need to do?

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m just like you, 35 years old and trying to break that 20 minute 5 k.  My PB in 21:21 last summer.  I’m training a lot harder this summer and I’m going to break it this summer then run the Columbus Marathon (Oct 20) in under 4 hours. Here is my typical workout if it helps any.  If anybody has any other suggestion let me know! Sun–Long run 13-22 mi. (starting at 10 mi. and working up to 22 mi. by Oct. 20 for marathon) Mon–rest Tues–7 mi. run Wed– Speed workout  10-12 reps at ..25-.35 mi. at about 75% sprint pace. Thur–7 mi. Fri–Hills  5-6 reps of two hills.   One hill is about 100′ in elevation over about .25 mi. and the other hill is about 60′ over .15 mi. Sat-rest I plan on increasing the workout intensity (no of reps and distance of speed runs) every other week to try to improve on that time

I’m in a similar situation myself.  I am 30 years old and I did something like an 11:20 2-mile in high school.  I did 20:54 in a 5k race this morning.  I have stayed in fairly good shape since high school, although I’m only starting to re-enter competitive events this year, which so far have been a short triathlon (400 m swim, 6 mile bike, 3 mile run) and today’s 5k run. Since I’m heavy (193 lb) and tend to get accumulating soreness from running more than ~12 miles per week, I have chosen focus my training efforts on short triathlons (with 3-4 mile runs) and 5k or shorter road races.  Since I started training in early March, I’ve only averaged about 2 runs per week, usually 2 – 4 miles each, and often as 1/2 mile repeats or immediately following a good hard swim or bike ride.  I’m sure that weekly running mileage would not have been enough for me to break 21 minutes, had I not also done all the swimming and biking.  Now, the question is, will it get me below 20 min. I am planning another 5k run in 2 weeks and somewhat longer triathlon (17 mile bike, 3 mile run) 1 month after that.  It is a balancing act to train for both events simulataneously, but I think the key is to combine long bike rides with short, hard runs.

Response:

Excuse me for not understanding. Can you give me the distance you are using fo the 5:15 pace your are mentionning ? Is it for a mile (ie. 1,6km) or the 1,2km repeat ? Too slow to be for a single km. Me too will go down under 20min this summer. Also, why the shorter distance repeats would be more suitable for longer distances ? Thank you beaucoup!                                     Daniel. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –     For me, I have found that speedwork repeats of 1200 meters to 1 mile are the most beneficial for reducing 5K times. 400’s and 800’s work well for longer distances(when combined with tempo runs), however the 5K is much more intense and is essentially a well timed sprint. Your body has to get used to running fast for a longer period than almost any other distance event. I concentrate mainly on longer (10K to Marathon) distances, but I do have one sub-twenty 5K in the books. If you can work up to 4-6 1200 meter repeats at a 5 to 5:15 minute pace, with a 400 meter recovery  jog in between, then you have a pretty good shot. Don’t go out too fast and concentrate on negative splits. The 1200’s will help you gauge your pace come race day. Hi, I’m a 35 yr old male who has been a runner off and on for a few years. Been running 20-30 miles a week for 3 years….before that….6 to 10 miles/week. I want to run a sub 20min 5k.  My best time so far, without specific training is 23:09.  I ran sub 12 min 2 mile runs when in the Army 10 years ago. What sort of training do I need to do?

Response:

Hi, I’m a 35 yr old male who has been a runner off and on for a few years. Been running 20-30 miles a week for 3 years….before that….6 to 10 miles/week. I want to run a sub 20min 5k.  My best time so far, without specific training is 23:09.  I ran sub 12 min 2 mile runs when in the Army 10 years ago. What sort of training do I need to do?

Response:

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – … 40-41!!! Somebody slap that guy, give him a cup of coffee. Any slower and they’d be pronouncing you. ;^) Same here, and that’s after the alarm. It was down to 38 when I was in IM shape! And I’m 40. Not that my HR has anything to do with my competitive efforts, sadly Okay, I feel compelled to join this pissing contest.  A week before IMC this year I measured a 36.  That’s after waking up but before getting out of bed.  I don’t have a recording HRM so I can’t find the sleeping min.  I’ve wondered if there’s a lower limit to healthy min HRs but I figure that as long as my low HR is due to good diet and exercise then my body knows best and wouldn’t let it become an issue. Btw, I’m 32y.o. Oh yeah, I’m nowhere near qualifying for Hawaii.  So min HR is not equal to competitive for me either.  ;-) But it sure is fun to watch and tracking min HR is a good way to avoid overtraining. arthur

Supposedly (and I say supposedly because I don’t know really for sure), Big Mig (Indurain) had a resting heart rate of about 28.  Or something wicked crazy like that. marian

Response:

Yes that was published in an article a few years back along with the fact that his lung capacity was 1/3 larger than any other measured cyclist. But resting heart raye does not totally equate to great performances. Lance Armstrongs RHR was something like 37 (if I remember corectly. Mine is 36 and I don’t think I’m anywhere near his legue…or even in the same zip code! If it does then I guess I have yet to reach my full potential! B.Oliver – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Supposedly (and I say supposedly because I don’t know really for sure), Big Mig (Indurain) had a resting heart rate of about 28.  Or something wicked crazy like that. marian

Response:

Well, no, it doesn’t mean you’re FAST, but it should mean you’re FASTER, faster than when your RHR is 10-20 percent higher … is that not the case?

Not really sure.  RHR can tell you your relative cardiovascular fitness level I suppose but speed is governed by biomechanical concerns like your arm and leg muscles.  There’s a general correlation only because we use our muscles to increase CV conditioning which also helps our muscle conditioning.  However, I can imagine using swimming with a pull buoy to get great arms and CV conditioning (and low RHR) and yet see no corresponding speed increase running provided my running speed is limited primarily by my legs versus heart. arthur

Response:

I generally take mine after waking, using the restroom,and then lying back down for 5 minutes in a comfortable position. I use the same routine every day. At 37years old I usaually am at 36bpm when rested and about 39-41 during hard training phases. B.Oliver

Response:

40-41!!! Somebody slap that guy, give him a cup of coffee. Any slower and they’d be pronouncing you. ;^) Sounds like you’re in great shape. Congrats. I’ve been working mine down and when I broke 55 I threw a party. Of course, then I ate the cake and drank the beer, gained 5 pounds and the rate spiked back up to 60. BW

CORRECTED POST BELOW —some how a one got in from of a few numbers. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, you might want to give me a swat across the head also…:-) My sleeping HR average is about 48 (in regular training) about 51 (out of regular training).  Lowest HR recorded was (taken from 2 hr. long readings of 6 data sets taken over 6 months) is 31 (occured 14 times during all six data sets).  I find my resting HR taken when awake records 6-8 beats/min. higher than my average sleeping HR.  And, the lowest recorded resting HR (not sleeping) was about 44.  I looked at some HR records 10 yrs. ago…and they loosely compare to the same number (I was 34-ish then and am now 44).  The only significant difference is the ave. HR’s and min. HR’s were about 1-3 beats lower. During that 10 yr. period, my weight has fluctuated about 6 lbs. (154-160) and median range for a tempo paced 5k run 25m20s-26m50s. Unfortunately, I wished I could say that joint aches had the same narrow range of problems. I believe low HR’s are by-products of 2 elements: 1) Physical Condition (some age relation may exist when ref. condition) 2) Genetics Some people have larger hearts and naturally take lower HR readings. This doesn’t mean they can kick Lance Armstrong’s butt (whose sleeping HR is supposedly below 30…geeez,now that’s someone who would need a crash cart…CLEAR!…ZAP!). Joe "the Bob Eucker of Tri’s" Moya "You have lies, then more lies…then you have statistics"

Response:

jkmsg wrote Joe "the Bob Eucker of Tri’s" Moya

Joe, pardon the ignorant kiwi here, but who is Bob Eucker? "You have lies, then more lies…then you have statistics"

Actually, being somewhat of a pedant, its "Lies, bloody lies and statistics".  From an ex English Prime Minister, may have been Palmerston, not too sure.  Im sure I will be corrected.

Response:

Well, no, it doesn’t mean you’re FAST, but it should mean you’re FASTER, faster than when your RHR is 10-20 percent higher … is that not the case? –stv – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text —— Original Message —– Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 6:08 PM le.com … 40-41!!! Somebody slap that guy, give him a cup of coffee. Any slower and they’d be pronouncing you. ;^) Same here, and that’s after the alarm. It was down to 38 when I was in IM shape! And I’m 40. Not that my HR has anything to do with my competitive efforts, sadly Okay, I feel compelled to join this pissing contest.  A week before IMC this year I measured a 36.  That’s after waking up but before Posted Via Binaries.net = SPEED+RETENTION+COMPLETION = http://www.binaries.net

Response:

jkmsg wrote Joe "the Bob Eucker of Tri’s" Moya Joe, pardon the ignorant kiwi here, but who is Bob Eucker? "You have lies, then more lies…then you have statistics" Actually, being somewhat of a pedant, its "Lies, bloody lies and statistics".  From an ex English Prime Minister, may have been Palmerston, not too sure.  Im sure I will be corrected.

Benjamin Disraeli Phil – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

jkmsg wrote Joe "the Bob Eucker of Tri’s" Moya Joe, pardon the ignorant kiwi here, but who is Bob Eucker?

Sometimes called "Mr. Baseball,” Bob Eucker, was a wacky sports announcer in real life and also played one in movies. He only recently retired as the play-by-play man for the Milwaukee Brewers. He has also had a (sorta) successful professional baseball career – holds many of the worse baseball records.  But, he became most noted for his TV commercials for a beer company (Miller Brewery Co.).  Those commercials highlighted a lot of no-named sport figures and poked fun at their lives – really funny. I think he most noted for his attitude about life and sports.  I associate with him because he never had a stellar career in baseball but managed to have a fabulous attitude about life in general. It seems he never thought of winning in quantifiable terms but only in subjected "feel good" terms (…a lot of funny one liners).  In short, He had a whole lot of fun NOT being the best. I guess his personallity can be best summed up in his quotes.  Here are a few "Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues. But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat. "I signed with the Milwaukee Braves for $3,000. That bothered my dad at the time because he didn’t have that kind of dough, But he eventually scraped it up. "I set records that will never be equaled. In fact, I hope 90% of them don’t even get printed." "I led the league in ‘Go get ‘em next time.’" "Baseball hasn’t forgotten me. I go to a lot of Old-Timers games and I haven’t lost a thing. I sit in the bullpen and let people throw things at me. Just like old times." "If a guy hits .300 every year, what does he have to look forward to? I always tried to stay around .190, with three or four RBI. And I tried to get them all in September. That way I always had something to talk about during the winter." Many more and a picture at the following sight: http://www.heybob.com/Spotlight_Bob%20Uecker.htm FWIW  Joe Moya

Response:

The best way is to wear a heart rate monitor that is recordble and downloadable and view the file after a night’s sleep. I use UltraCOACH 3.0 and it works great with all the downloadables.  You can trend the data as well.

I suppose that if you are simply monitoring the trend then it doesn’t matter where in your routine you measure it as long it is at the same time and conditions each day. Anybody have ideas on this? What do most of you guys do?

– Posted from cbl226.pool018.ch001-riverside.dhcp.hs.earthlink.net [24.41.82.226] via Mailgate.ORG Server – http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Response:

40-41!!! Somebody slap that guy, give him a cup of coffee. Any slower and they’d be pronouncing you. ;^) Sounds like you’re in great shape. Congrats. I’ve been working mine down and when I broke 55 I threw a party. Of course, then I ate the cake and drank the beer, gained 5 pounds and the rate spiked back up to 60. BW

Well, you might want to give me a swat across the head also…:-) My sleeping HR average is about 48 (in regular training) about 51 (out of regular training).  Lowest HR recorded was (taken from 2 hr. long readings of 6 data sets taken over 6 months) is 131 (occured 14 times during all six data sets).  I find my resting HR taken when awake records 6-8 beats/min. higher than my average sleeping HR.  And, the lowest recorded resting HR (not sleeping) was about 144.  I looked at some HR records 10 yrs. ago…and they loosely compare to the same number (I was 34-ish then and am now 44).  The only significant difference is the ave. HR’s and min. HR’s were about 1-3 beats lower. During that 10 yr. period, my weight has fluctuated about 6 lbs. (154-160) and median range for a tempo paced 5k run 25m20s-26m50s. Unfortunately, I wished I could say that joint aches had the same narrow range of problems. I believe low HR’s are by-products of 2 elements: 1) Physical Condition (some age relation may exist when ref. condition) 2) Genetics Some people have larger hearts and naturally take lower HR readings. This doesn’t mean they can kick Lance Armstrong’s butt (whose sleeping HR is supposedly below 130…geeez,now that’s someone who would need a crash cart…CLEAR!…ZAP!). Joe "the Bob Eucker of Tri’s" Moya "You have lies, then more lies…then you have statistics"

Response:

Lance’s sleeping rate is below 130? Well I should hope so. Perhaps there’s an extra 1 in there? Any Brits reading this remember "Wilson" the comic book character? Phil … SNIP – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, you might want to give me a swat across the head also…:-) My sleeping HR average is about 48 (in regular training) about 51 (out of regular training).  Lowest HR recorded was (taken from 2 hr. long readings of 6 data sets taken over 6 months) is 131 (occured 14 times during all six data sets).  I find my resting HR taken when awake records 6-8 beats/min. higher than my average sleeping HR.  And, the lowest recorded resting HR (not sleeping) was about 144.  I looked at some HR records 10 yrs. ago…and they loosely compare to the same number (I was 34-ish then and am now 44).  The only significant difference is the ave. HR’s and min. HR’s were about 1-3 beats lower. During that 10 yr. period, my weight has fluctuated about 6 lbs. (154-160) and median range for a tempo paced 5k run 25m20s-26m50s. Unfortunately, I wished I could say that joint aches had the same narrow range of problems. I believe low HR’s are by-products of 2 elements: 1) Physical Condition (some age relation may exist when ref. condition) 2) Genetics Some people have larger hearts and naturally take lower HR readings. This doesn’t mean they can kick Lance Armstrong’s butt (whose sleeping HR is supposedly below 130…geeez,now that’s someone who would need a crash cart…CLEAR!…ZAP!). Joe "the Bob Eucker of Tri’s" Moya "You have lies, then more lies…then you have statistics"

Response:

I recommend that folks wake up, take a pee, put HRM on, lie in bed and relax — take HR when relaxed. g

Response:

<<some stuff snipped Anybody have ideas on this? What do most of you guys do?

If you have, or have access to a graphing downloadable HRM (such as the Polar S410 or above, you can wear the HRM to bed and download your sleeping HR the next day.  I’ve done this and have found out that my lowest HR is 40-41, instead of the 46 I’d measured after waking. Jim Christian Houston

Response:

40-41!!! Somebody slap that guy, give him a cup of coffee. Any slower and they’d be pronouncing you. ;^) Sounds like you’re in great shape. Congrats. I’ve been working mine down and when I broke 55 I threw a party. Of course, then I ate the cake and drank the beer, gained 5 pounds and the rate spiked back up to 60. BW – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <<some stuff snipped Anybody have ideas on this? What do most of you guys do? If you have, or have access to a graphing downloadable HRM (such as the Polar S410 or above, you can wear the HRM to bed and download your sleeping HR the next day.  I’ve done this and have found out that my lowest HR is 40-41, instead of the 46 I’d measured after waking. Jim Christian Houston

Response:

… 40-41!!! Somebody slap that guy, give him a cup of coffee. Any slower and they’d be pronouncing you. ;^)

Same here, and that’s after the alarm. It was down to 38 when I was in IM shape! And I’m 40. Not that my HR has anything to do with my competitive efforts, sadly Phil Sounds like you’re in great shape. Congrats. I’ve been working mine down and when I broke 55 I threw a party. Of course, then I ate the cake and drank the beer, gained 5 pounds and the rate spiked back up to 60. BW

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <<some stuff snipped Anybody have ideas on this? What do most of you guys do? If you have, or have access to a graphing downloadable HRM (such as the Polar S410 or above, you can wear the HRM to bed and download your sleeping HR the next day.  I’ve done this and have found out that my lowest HR is 40-41, instead of the 46 I’d measured after waking. Jim Christian Houston

Response:

… 40-41!!! Somebody slap that guy, give him a cup of coffee. Any slower and they’d be pronouncing you. ;^) Same here, and that’s after the alarm. It was down to 38 when I was in IM shape! And I’m 40. Not that my HR has anything to do with my competitive efforts, sadly

Okay, I feel compelled to join this pissing contest.  A week before IMC this year I measured a 36.  That’s after waking up but before getting out of bed.  I don’t have a recording HRM so I can’t find the sleeping min.  I’ve wondered if there’s a lower limit to healthy min HRs but I figure that as long as my low HR is due to good diet and exercise then my body knows best and wouldn’t let it become an issue. Btw, I’m 32y.o. Oh yeah, I’m nowhere near qualifying for Hawaii.  So min HR is not equal to competitive for me either.  ;-) But it sure is fun to watch and tracking min HR is a good way to avoid overtraining. arthur

Response:

Hi,  I have been looking at a few suggested Tri logs and some recommend keeping track of Resting hr on a daily basis. They advocate this as a good indicator of on coming illness, overtraining etc.I was wondering how people measured this. Do you strap on a HRM when the alarm goes off in the morning? do you then snooze for 10 mins to allow your HR to relax from the shock of the alarm? How do you get it to be accurate. I suppose that if you are simply monitoring the trend then it doesn’t matter where in your routine you measure it as long it is at the same time and conditions each day. Anybody have ideas on this? What do most of you guys do?

Response:

Question:

Is anyone else having problems with the Results search on the Bolder Boulder site. I was able to access the top 2000 men and women and elite earlier today but now I get an error when trying to search. Ken Ken Parker Runner’s Web A running & triathlon resource site. http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html

Response:

They are getting hit very hard so there may be some delays in gettuing a connection.  They also appear to be having troubles getting the results on line.  They keep changing the time the searchable results should be available back by two hours.  Last year they took two to three weeks to get the results on line os at least they are making an effort to improve. Tom

: Is anyone else having problems with the Results search on the Bolder : Boulder site. : I was able to access the top 2000 men and women and elite earlier : today but now I get an error when trying to search. : Ken : Ken Parker : Runner’s Web : A running & triathlon resource site. : http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html

Response:

Question:

I also disagree. I talked to two guys there and they both said that they wish they were on shore when the lifeguards called the swim.  The announcement about the bikes was unexpected and it was a complete draftfest but I don’t consider the race a disaster not the race director at fault.  However every year I’ve done this race the surf has always been tough-execpt in ‘97. I don’t feel I was cheated nor will I ask for my money back.  I always know I’m not going to win and that I’m just doing the race for fun! BTW-did you notice the surf had subsided after the swim.  It was almost flat!!!! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have to agree — the race was poorly organized and had problems for the second year in a row.  Last year there was a screwup with the timing for the race.  The race director publically apologized and promised to never use that timing group again. The high surf in this years race should not have been a surprise — the surf has been high all week and there was a race the weekend before just up the coast with exacly the same conditions.  The way the swim course was laid out, the competitors were never really out of the breakers.  It seemed obvious that should have changed the course so it was an out-and-back course that would allow the competitors to be free of the breakers for most of the swim.  Plus, a contingincy plan should have been made if the swim was cancelled.  That seems like a race director 101 sort of thing. I was pleased there was high surf that day, as I am a strong swimmer and a weak runner.  The conditions suited my strengths.  Part of trialthlon is competing against the elements in each discipline. I was very disappointed.  I paid $52 for a race, not an un-timed bike-swim brick. Anthony For the first time in my four year triathlon career and after at least 20-30 ocean swims, I experienced a first today at the Solana Beach Fiesta Del Sol Triathlon (California). Foe those of you not there, let me explain: The race was slated for a 1/4 mile ocean swim. This cove is small and the race was set to have several waves. The tide was somewhat choppy, I certainly have raced in worse and the race director explained that if you did not wish to complete the swim, you could indicate thus and continue. The first few waves went out and several people came in form the swim. A few people appeared to be having difficulty getting out however I saw only one person that required lifeguard assistance. He was under 14 and I do not know his swimming ability. Then the race delay was announced. Several minutes later the race director said that the lifeguards had asked for everyone to exit the water. (I will discuss that later) Then the race director told everyone assembled to head back up to the transition area and "sort it out". We all started heading back at a leisurely pace. I figured the start would be staggered just like the swim start. Then as I was nearing the transition the race director out of the blue yells for everyone to get on their bikes and start riding. Total Pandemonium! People are falling over each other, the transition area is packed! Then out on the bike course the roads are jammed. People are blocking and drafting. Disaster. Needless to say this race was armed robbery considering the $55.00 entry fee. I understand that we have to follow public safety officials. This clearly is poor planning due to the race director. There should have been supplemental rescue personnel provided by the director. I will not second guess the lifeguards, but alot of the people I saw were obviously accomplished triathletes. Everyone was given the chance to bail out of the swim. Then to have a start that was not even organized just led to the confusion. Needless to say, I tried to get my money back, but suspiciously the sign in table was missing and now I will just have to call. I know it is probably hopeless, but I will try. I believe if you are having a race that there should be a contigency plan to alter the course to put everyone back on a level playing field. We have all seen other races that have turned into duathlons and well organized. Sadly, this was not. A failure to plan is a plan to fail! Well, maybe I can file a police report to document this theft.

Response:

I see your points.  I was out of transition before all this mayhem hit so I had a different experience.  I did notice ALOT of drafting (esp  #94- if you’re out there,you cheater!!) and I only saw one bike accident. There was alot of confusion as to the time penalty for sitting out the swim, and the delayed wave starts were a mess.  But what I’m saying is SH (shit happens).  Unless your livelihood depends on it, roll with the flow.  I’m sure that the RD feels worse about this than anyone. And make no mistake- that surf was dangerous for even strong swimmers.   I think we just have different outlooks on the day. Peace, toddzi  San Diego

Response:

I have to agree — the race was poorly organized and had problems for the second year in a row.  Last year there was a screwup with the timing for the race.  The race director publically apologized and promised to never use that timing group again. The high surf in this years race should not have been a surprise — the surf has been high all week and there was a race the weekend before just up the coast with exacly the same conditions.  The way the swim course was laid out, the competitors were never really out of the breakers.  It seemed obvious that should have changed the course so it was an out-and-back course that would allow the competitors to be free of the breakers for most of the swim.  Plus, a contingincy plan should have been made if the swim was cancelled.  That seems like a race director 101 sort of thing. I was pleased there was high surf that day, as I am a strong swimmer and a weak runner.  The conditions suited my strengths.  Part of trialthlon is competing against the elements in each discipline. I was very disappointed.  I paid $52 for a race, not an un-timed bike-swim brick. Anthony – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For the first time in my four year triathlon career and after at least 20-30 ocean swims, I experienced a first today at the Solana Beach Fiesta Del Sol Triathlon (California). Foe those of you not there, let me explain: The race was slated for a 1/4 mile ocean swim. This cove is small and the race was set to have several waves. The tide was somewhat choppy, I certainly have raced in worse and the race director explained that if you did not wish to complete the swim, you could indicate thus and continue. The first few waves went out and several people came in form the swim. A few people appeared to be having difficulty getting out however I saw only one person that required lifeguard assistance. He was under 14 and I do not know his swimming ability. Then the race delay was announced. Several minutes later the race director said that the lifeguards had asked for everyone to exit the water. (I will discuss that later) Then the race director told everyone assembled to head back up to the transition area and "sort it out". We all started heading back at a leisurely pace. I figured the start would be staggered just like the swim start. Then as I was nearing the transition the race director out of the blue yells for everyone to get on their bikes and start riding. Total Pandemonium! People are falling over each other, the transition area is packed! Then out on the bike course the roads are jammed. People are blocking and drafting. Disaster. Needless to say this race was armed robbery considering the $55.00 entry fee. I understand that we have to follow public safety officials. This clearly is poor planning due to the race director. There should have been supplemental rescue personnel provided by the director. I will not second guess the lifeguards, but alot of the people I saw were obviously accomplished triathletes. Everyone was given the chance to bail out of the swim. Then to have a start that was not even organized just led to the confusion. Needless to say, I tried to get my money back, but suspiciously the sign in table was missing and now I will just have to call. I know it is probably hopeless, but I will try. I believe if you are having a race that there should be a contigency plan to alter the course to put everyone back on a level playing field. We have all seen other races that have turned into duathlons and well organized. Sadly, this was not. A failure to plan is a plan to fail! Well, maybe I can file a police report to document this theft.

Response:

For the first time in my four year triathlon career and after at least 20-30 ocean swims, I experienced a first today at the Solana Beach Fiesta Del Sol Triathlon (California). Foe those of you not there, let me explain: The race was slated for a 1/4 mile ocean swim. This cove is small and the race was set to have several waves. The tide was somewhat choppy, I certainly have raced in worse and the race director explained that if you did not wish to complete the swim, you could indicate thus and continue. The first few waves went out and several people came in form the swim. A few people appeared to be having difficulty getting out however I saw only one person that required lifeguard assistance. He was under 14 and I do not know his swimming ability. Then the race delay was announced. Several minutes later the race director said that the lifeguards had asked for everyone to exit the water. (I will discuss that later) Then the race director told everyone assembled to head back up to the transition area and "sort it out". We all started heading back at a leisurely pace. I figured the start would be staggered just like the swim start. Then as I was nearing the transition the race director out of the blue yells for everyone to get on their bikes and start riding. Total Pandemonium! People are falling over each other, the transition area is packed! Then out on the bike course the roads are jammed. People are blocking and drafting. Disaster. Needless to say this race was armed robbery considering the $55.00 entry fee. I understand that we have to follow public safety officials. This clearly is poor planning due to the race director. There should have been supplemental rescue personnel provided by the director. I will not second guess the lifeguards, but alot of the people I saw were obviously accomplished triathletes. Everyone was given the chance to bail out of the swim. Then to have a start that was not even organized just led to the confusion. Needless to say, I tried to get my money back, but suspiciously the sign in table was missing and now I will just have to call. I know it is probably hopeless, but I will try. I believe if you are having a race that there should be a contigency plan to alter the course to put everyone back on a level playing field. We have all seen other races that have turned into duathlons and well organized. Sadly, this was not. A failure to plan is a plan to fail! Well, maybe I can file a police report to document this theft.

Response:

The tide was somewhat choppy,

I’m going to have to disagree with you there. The surf was so powerful that it broke the buoy anchor three times during the race, and the second buoy took off towards Oceanside. Also, one of the lifeguards’ JetSkis capsized. A few people appeared to be having difficulty getting out however I saw only one person that required lifeguard assistance. He was under 14 and I do not know his swimming ability.

I saw many, many, other people receive assistance from the lifeguards, however, the majority of the people who had trouble simply turned around and made it back to shore on their own.                Steve Fredericks                Oceanside, CA

Response:

Several minutes later the race director said that the lifeguards had asked for everyone to exit the water.

(Sorry,  I accidently hit the send button) Yes, the lifeguards deemed that the conditions were unsafe, not the race director. this race was armed robbery

Having to cancel the swim due to unsafe conditions is not armed robbery. This clearly is poor planning due to the race director. There should have been supplemental rescue personnel provided by the director.

The problem was not a shortage of lifeguards, it was extremely rough conditions. The surf was breaking so far out (Much farther out than normal) that the lifeguards were struggling just to stay on their surfboards and jetskis. I will not second guess the lifeguards, but alot of the people I saw were obviously accomplished triathletes

I’m not exactly sure what this means.  Needless to say, I tried to get my money back, but suspiciously the sign in table was missing and now I will just have to call.

To take down the sign-in table after the race is over is not normally considered suspicious. We have all seen other races that have turned into duathlons and well organized. Sadly, this was not.

I’ll have to agree with you there. Well, maybe I can file a police report to document this theft.

I would suggest that instead you write or call or E-mail the race director ( Rick Kozlowski) and tactfully give him some constructive criticism.I agree with you that the mayhem that ensued after the swim was canceled never should have happened, but  this is a great, fun race, that has been around for a long time. Bashing it or the RD is not going to do the race or the sport any good.                Steve Fredericks                Oceanside, CA

Response:

I experienced a first today at the Solana Beach Fiesta Del Sol Triathlon (California).

I have to side with Steve on this thing.  I’m not a great ocean swimmer .Back on the right coast all I did was lake swims, so waves kind of freak me out. But the surf at Fletcher’s cove was intense.  I’m glad they cancelled the swim, better that then have to go looking for a body. Plus I think the attitude at the race,  being an incredibly short 1/4m swim-9m bike-3m run,  was more "have fun"  than competitive.  For those of us who didn’t do Wildflower,  this was a tune up and "check the engine" race.  I enjoyed seeing Michellie Jones, PNF, Scott Tinley etc doing what they do best and they were all smiling. If you were up for prize money, than you might have a legitimate complaint, otherwise lighten up and have some fun.  I got a great workout, a cool shirt, and an awesome time.  Plus , if you paid 55 bucos,  you must have signed up at the race or days before, and we all know how a bunch of late registrations can muck up a race. Rick Koz is one of the few people willing to put the in the time and work required so that triathletes in San Diego have a place to race.  I’m willing to let him have the benefit of the doubt . toddzi San diego

Response:

I think that my comments were taken the wrong way. I cannot represent everyone, but when you are preparing to do an ocean swim you should expect to have waves; high or low. Alot of us train in the ocean so you should know what to expect. Anyone could have opted out of the swim and that is fine. However, we are in a competitive race. The director should have anciliary plans for conditions. We see this all the time "No refunds, Rain or Shine". Why should this be any different with the swim. There should be supplemental rescue pesonnel available. Just like having people on the run and bike course. After having been to several adventure races in the middle of large expansive areas I cannot stress the need to be prepared. Each person has to make his own decisions. I feel that there would have been no safety problem for most of the experienced triathletes there. At the very least there should have been some type of organization to help get the event back to some type of normalcy. To blatantly mislead the entrants inot thinking that there will be a reorganizing at the transition area and then to just yell out for people to get on the bike and start riding is unacceptable. There was no need for urgency. Why not wait to get people back together and have a salvaged race? When have you ever been in a small crowded transition area such as that when people were falling all over each other? It was insane. As for the cost, I guess I would not have minded as much if the race had been salvaged. Otherwise I could have gone out for a training ride and saved the $30.00 gas and the $55.00 fee. I don’t know if either of you has had much experience with ocean swims, but what would happen if this occurred at one of the two Escape races in the San Francisco Bay? If I pay for an organized race I expect that all safety issues will be addressed by the director. Just like having a closed bike course and wearing helmets. The swim should not be any different.

Response:

Question:

I have very wide feet, I tried Carnacs and then I tried the Sidi Mega’s.  The Sidis were much wider and more comfortable for me.  This is only true in the 2 shoes they offer in the Mega width.  I would say the regular Sidis are slightly narrower .  HTH, Mike

Response:

I also have wide feet, but I found that, with the exception of the Legend, Carnacs (at least up through 1999 models) were too narrow (pointy) at the toe for me. The Sidi T-1 fits me perfectly, a bit roomier at the front of the toe box, but snug in the heel. My advice: Try them both, see which one fits you best.

Response:

I also have wide feet, but I found that, with the exception of the Legend, Carnacs (at least up through 1999 models) were too narrow (pointy) at the toe for me. The Sidi T-1 fits me perfectly, a bit roomier at the front of the toe box, but snug in the heel. My advice: Try them both, see which one fits you best.

I had exactly the same reaction to the two shoes and also bought the T1 (three years ago). They’re still comfortable and have held up well. Ditto the advice on trying them. David Schoonmaker (AG 50-54, USAT official)

Response:

Thanks for the input. The reason I posted the questions No LBS sells either the T1 or TRS5/4. Looks like mail order both send back the one that doesn’t fit.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I also have wide feet, but I found that, with the exception of the Legend, Carnacs (at least up through 1999 models) were too narrow (pointy) at the toe for me. The Sidi T-1 fits me perfectly, a bit roomier at the front of the toe box, but snug in the heel. My advice: Try them both, see which one fits you best.

Response:

Yeah, I forgot… the Mega’s are wider… my skinny foot is also wide

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have very wide feet, I tried Carnacs and then I tried the Sidi Mega’s. The Sidis were much wider and more comfortable for me.  This is only true in the 2 shoes they offer in the Mega width.  I would say the regular Sidis are slightly narrower .  HTH, Mike

Response:

Anyone with experience using these shoes that can lend feedback?????

Response:

Anyone with experience using these shoes that can lend feedback?????

The Sidis are fairly narrow, the Carnacs width depends on the style, some are very wide while others are more "normal". A big difference is durability, with the Carnacs you pay a bit more up-front but it is the shoe of choice for bike couriers for a reason. As they say, "Pay now or pay later". G

Question:

        my bike seat stem has evidently rusted and merged itself to my frame.  i cannot get it out.  my bike frame is steel and the seat stem is aluminum.  i have been dripping liquid wrench down into it to no avail.  does anyone have any

Hate to nitpick but it’s a seat post, not a seat stem. That said, sometimes you can’t get them out with Liquid Wrench or even heating.  Too much twisting in the vise at the shop can damage the frame.  If it’s really and truly stuck then the only thing you can do is chop off the seatpost just above the frame, go in with a hacksaw blade and make two longitudinal cuts about 1/4" apart down the inside of the post, stopping just before you get to the frame.  Use a chisel or pliers to pull out the 1/4" section of post and the rest should come out cleanly.  It’s a long hard and potentially destructive job but sometimes there’s no other choice.  A steel frame and aluminum seat post (or stem) can bond very very tightly.   Next time keep that post greased! Scott —  Scott E. Anderson               —       __o        /

Response:

I had a similar problem with a stem and took it to my local bike shop.  They said the liquid wrench type products will work, but not every time.  It think thye ended up heating up the frame and/or stem (Im not sure which), and the expansion/contraction caused by the heating and cooling apparently loosened

Whatever method used to get frozen seats out, you don’t want to be around when it is done.  I work in a shop, and we’ve pretty much seen/tried it all.  The old "bike-upside-down-seat-in-the-vice-three-people-tugging" method has worked, as has the mallet method, as has the get out the jig saw and cut the bastard right out of there. It always strikes fear into the eyes of the customers in the store at the time

-mark

Response:

Jodi Hope Nashman said…        my bike seat stem has evidently rusted and merged itself to my frame.  i cannot get it out.  my bike frame is steel and the seat stem is aluminum.  i have been dripping liquid wrench down into it to no avail.  does anyone have any I had a similar problem with a stem and took it to my local bike shop.  They said the liquid wrench type products will work, but not every time.  It think thye ended up heating up the frame and/or stem (Im not sure which)

Heat is not a good idea when it is an aluminum seatpost inside a steel frame, because aluminum expands twice as much as steel when heated.  Ammonia is good for attacking the aluminum corrosion…Liquid Wrench works on rust, but aluminum doesn’t rust. I have an article on unsticking seatposts on my web site at: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/biz/hub/Stuck_Seatposts.html Sheldon "Urrrrrrgh!" Brown Newtonville, Massachusetts |    If brute force doesn’t work, you’re not using enough!    | |                                             –Bob Simon     |           http://www.sheldonbrown.com/biz/hub/ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts (617) 244-1040  FAX  244-1041

Response:

Jodi Hope Nashman said…        my bike seat stem has evidently rusted and merged itself to my frame.  i cannot get it out.  my bike frame is steel and the seat stem is aluminum.  i have been dripping liquid wrench down into it to no avail.  does anyone have any

Liquid Wrench works on rust, but aluminum doesn’t rust. Ammonia is good for attacking the aluminum corrosion. I had a similar problem with a stem and took it to my local bike shop.  They said the liquid wrench type products will work, but not every time.  It think thye ended up heating up the frame and/or stem (Im not sure which)

Heat is not a good idea when it is an aluminum seatpost inside a steel frame, because aluminum expands twice as much as steel when heated.   I have an article on unsticking seatposts on my web site at: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/biz/hub/Stuck_Seatposts.html Sheldon "Urrrrrrgh!" Brown Newtonville, Massachusetts |    If brute force doesn’t work, you’re not using enough!    | |                                             –Bob Simon     |           http://www.sheldonbrown.com/biz/hub/ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts (617) 244-1040  FAX  244-1041

Response:

Hope Nashman said…        my bike seat stem has evidently rusted and merged itself to my frame.  i cannot get it out.  my bike frame is steel and the seat stem is aluminum.  i have been dripping liquid wrench down into it to no avail.  does anyone have any

I had a similar problem with a stem and took it to my local bike shop.  They said the liquid wrench type products will work, but not every time.  It think thye ended up heating up the frame and/or stem (Im not sure which), and the expansion/contraction caused by the heating and cooling apparently loosened it up.  I don’t think I would try this at home, however, as they probably used pretty intense heat.  Any GOOD bike shop should be able to handle your problem at little expense.  Remember, bike repairs can be done at home, but sometimes you need to bring in the pro’s.  They can also chesk to see if there is any significant damage to the frame.  You wouldn’t want your seat tube peeling apart while you’re out on a ride. — Marty Miller Proprietor of The Triathlete’s Web http://w3.one.net/~triweb

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Question:

OK, I may be in big trouble with my landlord (but he does like the homebrew, so maybe I just bribe him with an entire batch). I have your normal, run-of-the-mill electric stove which I used for the first time last weekend to brew a batch in a 5 gallon aluminum pot (I just moved here).  I had read that electric heating elements can cause carmelization, etc., and all of my previous batches have seemed a bit darker than they should be.  Well, someone mentioned using a metal trivet as a spacer, and that I could make one from a coat hanger. I did this, however, when I cranked the heating element up the stove became charred in a perfect circle around the burner corresponding in diamter to that of the brew pot.  Seems like the heat was reflected off of the bottom of the pot onto the stovetop.  I removed the hangar,turned the heat down slightly, and it stopped.   Questions: 1.      Do I need to worry about carmelization of the wort?         -i stir pretty well when I add the extract 2.      Is there anything I can do to help my poor stove? Thanks! — Marty Miller Proprietor of The Triathlete’s Web http://w3.one.net/~triweb

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, I may be in big trouble with my landlord (but he does like the homebrew, so maybe I just bribe him with an entire batch). I have your normal, run-of-the-mill electric stove which I used for the first time last weekend to brew a batch in a 5 gallon aluminum pot (I just moved here).  I had read that electric heating elements can cause carmelization, etc., and all of my previous batches have seemed a bit darker than they should be.  Well, someone mentioned using a metal trivet as a spacer, and that I could make one from a coat hanger. I did this, however, when I cranked the heating element up the stove became charred in a perfect circle around the burner corresponding in diamter to that of the brew pot.  Seems like the heat was reflected off of the bottom of the pot onto the stovetop.  I removed the hangar,turned the heat down slightly, and it stopped.   Questions: 1.    Do I need to worry about carmelization of the wort?   -i stir pretty well when I add the extract 2.    Is there anything I can do to help my poor stove? Thanks! — Marty Miller Proprietor of The Triathlete’s Web http://w3.one.net/~triweb

Don’t use an aluminum brew kettle. An investment in a good heavy stainless steel brewpot is well worth the extra cost.

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1.      Do I need to worry about carmelization of the wort?        -i stir pretty well when I add the extract

Remove your brew pot from the burner and THEN add the malt extract. Stir well and when all is well mixed, place back on the burner. 2.      Is there anything I can do to help my poor stove?

There are burners available made for this type of heating – they are called CANNING elements.  They sit higher up and let heat escape so as not to burn themselves up.  By having the pot in direct contact with the element you should not cause any problems with the element, your pot, or your brew. Brew on!!! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Thanks! — Marty Miller Proprietor of The Triathlete’s Web http://w3.one.net/~triweb

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OK, I may be in big trouble with my landlord (but he does like the homebrew, so maybe I just bribe him with an entire batch).

you want big trouble with your landlord? have a boil-over on your electric stove! it’ll look like it was hit by the exxon valdez. (obviously from first-hand (bad) experience) jim kramer

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I have your normal, run-of-the-mill electric stove which I used for the first time last weekend to brew a batch in a 5 gallon aluminum pot (I just moved here).  I had read that electric heating elements can cause

carmelization, I have always belived that it was the opposite,- burners could cause caramelization due to the higher heat delivery. Myself, I use an electric stove and have never tried a burner so I have no data to add except that my light colored brews ARE light,- in color that is | I always misspell the | ye   sye yes      yes |  the word ‘paradox’   | ye y  ye yes esye yes

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, I may be in big trouble with my landlord (but he does like the homebrew, so maybe I just bribe him with an entire batch). I have your normal, run-of-the-mill electric stove which I used for the first time last weekend to brew a batch in a 5 gallon aluminum pot (I just moved here).  I had read that electric heating elements can cause carmelization, etc., and all of my previous batches have seemed a bit darker than they should be.  Well, someone mentioned using a metal trivet as a spacer, and that I could make one from a coat hanger. I did this, however, when I cranked the heating element up the stove became charred in a perfect circle around the burner corresponding in diamter to that of the brew pot.  Seems like the heat was reflected off of the bottom of the pot onto the stovetop.  I removed the hangar,turned the heat down slightly, and it stopped.   Questions: 1.    Do I need to worry about carmelization of the wort?   -i stir pretty well when I add the extract 2.    Is there anything I can do to help my poor stove? Thanks! Don’t use an aluminum brew kettle. An investment in a good heavy stainless steel brewpot is well worth the extra cost.

Unfortunately this will do nothing to save your stove.  To keep the stove from discoloring, I cover the entire area under and around the burners with aluminum foil.  Keeps me out of trouble with the wife. Maybe it’s my imagination, but it seems to heat better too. Kent

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Question:

Hello all, Out of three sports in triathlon, running has been my best event; however, after trying to bring up the other two sports up to the same level as my running, it has sort of become the one I like the least. One of the contributing factor is a funny knee condition I have when I run. It started about half a year ago. Usually runners experience knee discomfort when they land, but mine is when I am taking the stride. This only happens to my right leg: when it is in the air to take the stride, flexing from back to the front, it feels like someone inside the knee is rubbing on a funny bone on the right side of the right knee. The precise location is just under the right knee cap, on the outside edge of the knee joint. It would start out to be some kind of slight annoying feelings, like someone is tickling a nerve, then develop into an intolerable sharp and short burst of sensation on the nerve inside in about 10 minutes. The feeling is so intensive that it makes my heart "skip" everytime I am in the air taking the next stride. I would not categorize it as pain because it goes away right immediately if I don’t aggravate it. But it is very uncomfortable. When I land, however, it is no problem, nice and firm, but when my right leg is in the air, it rubs on some nerve and really bugs me. The condition is not consistent; some days if I ignore it, it goes away and I will only feel it if I walk down the stairs after the run, but the annoyance is tolerable. Some days it decides to stay, and progressively gets worse as I run. After a while, it is so annoying that I cannot keep running because whenever I am in the air flexing my knee, the sensation of rubbing on the "funny bone" is so great that I literally "jump" in the air, affecting my concentration on taking the next stride. This is particular upsetting when I am running really well: no muscle fatiquing, no breathing problem, every thing is just fine, and I am forced to stop to walk the rest of the way because of this intolerable annoyance. Has anyone had experienced this symptom? I went to see my school’s doctor, and he said : "oh, you have runner’s knee. Just rest." Well, that does not really tell/help me anything; we all know we need to rest if we are tired, but how about when we are not tired and what is stopping us is not mental or physical fatique? Thank you for any advice!! Chia — This is my signature file. ps. boring, eh?

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What you have sounds like ITB (Ilio-Tibular Band Syndrome). Basically there is this band that is rubbing against a bone on the outside of your knee which gets inflamed and causes pain.  It can be a very difficult injury to get rid of, I’m currently battling my second case of it in two years.   I think the most important treatment is stretching.  My favorite stretch is as follows.  To stretch your right knee, stand with your right side facing a wall.  Cross your left foot in front of your right.  Lean your body towards the wall stretching your right hip and the outside of your right knee.  I stretch every morning and evening and also before and after every bike and run. I also the ice the knee after running.  Some people recommend alternating ice and heat, though I don’t know how to heat the knee. (Hair dryer?!?  :-) I am at the point where it never hurts while I run (though I don’t push it) but it sometimes hurts later that night. If you can, try to find a more useful doctor, they are hard to find but they are out there. Jeff O’Neill

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What you have sounds like ITB (Ilio-Tibular Band Syndrome). Basically there is this band that is rubbing against a bone on the outside of your knee which gets inflamed and causes pain.  It can be a very difficult injury to get rid of, I’m currently battling my second case of it in two years.  

Hello, I suspected it was ITB, but I thought the runner experiences discomfort when landing. Since I did not have any symptoms during landing, I wasn’t sure it was ITB Syndrome. That is why I posted for confirmation. I did try to do the ITB exercise, but I guess I did not do enough of it. Thank you for your opinion. Chia — This is my signature file. ps. boring, eh?

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Hello all, Out of three sports in triathlon, running has been my best event; however, after trying to bring up the other two sports up to the same level as my running, it has sort of become the one I like the least. One of the contributing factor is a funny knee condition I have when I run.

Chia

I am no expert but it sounds as though you have aggravated a nerve on the lateral side of the right knee.  Although the main nerve trunk runs posteriorly, you may have some local nerve endings on the lateral facet of your lateral condyle.  I suggest you try a brace (Cho-Pat) that medializes your patella and see if this helps reduce the irritation.   If your cycling shoes are on a tilt or your seat is too far back, you may be aggravating your ACL. Hope this helps.  Good luck Bruce Ackman

Response:

Hello all, Out of three sports in triathlon, running has been my best event; however, after trying to bring up the other two sports up to the same level as my running, it has sort of become the one I like the least. One of the contributing factor is a funny knee condition I have when I run.

Chia

I am no expert but it sounds as though you have aggravated a nerve on the lateral side of the right knee.  Although the main nerve trunk runs posteriorly, you may have some local nerve endings on the lateral facet of your lateral condyle.  I suggest you try a brace (Cho-Pat) that medializes your patella and see if this helps reduce the irritation.   If your cycling shoes are on a tilt or your seat is too far back, you may be aggravating your ACL. Hope this helps.  Good luck Bruce Ackman

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –        - The "Use it or Lose It" dilemma is real.  after six weeks of total inactivity, you are physiologically indistinguishable from a lifelong sedentary. I’ve read stuff like this before and I find it a bit hard to believe. If the above were true, then how can I lay off for 6 weeks (or more) due to injury and still be able to run 3-4 easy miles on return? Furthermore, within a month or so 10 miles is no problem.  I quickly feel as good as new.  A touch slower maybe, but not much. Can a lifelong sedentary person do that? Mark Harris UUCP: …!uunet!mjbtn!raider!omhftre!harrism

Please turn off the flames, people, I mistyped.  I meant to say six MONTHS of inactivity. This is based on results of laboratory tests reported by David Costill in "Inside Running:  Basics of Sports Physiology" ,  Benchmark Press, Indianapolis, 1986. Some further results reported in this book (p. 145 ff):         – A well-trained runner accumulates very little blood lactate during long runs.  By the fourth week of detraining, blood lactate is well on its way to reaching the untrained level during aerobic-anaerobic running.  With six to eight weeks of detraining, Costill estimates that the endurance advantage gained from five months of training will have been lost.         – Runners who are well-trained, rested, and properly fed have 50 to 100 percent more muscle glycogen than untrained individuals.  By the fourth week of inactivity, muscle glycogen levels in an idle athlete may be no better than those in an untrained individual.  Such a change would be noticed by the runner as an inability to do a long run or to train hard on two or more consecutive days, although he or she might be able to do one run and feel fine.         – The rate of retraining seems to be affected by the status of conditioning prior to the lapse.  In one study, a group of runners experienced an average 26 percent decrease in vo2 max after 20 days of bed rest.  The two most active subjects required one to two months of retraining to regain their aerobic capacities.  The least active subjects returned to the initial levels with only 10 to 15 days of training.         – In general, there is no loss of performance for five to seven days layoff.  After more than a couple of weeks, expect to return to your previous level of fitness over a two to four week period. — St. John’s, Newfoundland A1C 5S7 Canada

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Can a lifelong sedentary person do that? Mark Harris UUCP: …!uunet!mjbtn!raider!omhftre!harrism Please turn off the flames, people, I mistyped.  I meant to say six MONTHS of inactivity.

Ooops, you did get beat up by the masses a bit much.  Sorry, no flame intended. Mark Harris UUCP: …!uunet!mjbtn!raider!omhftre!harrism

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   - The "Use it or Lose It" dilemma is real.  after six weeks of total inactivity, you are physiologically indistinguishable from a lifelong sedentary.

    This is contrary to what happens when one goes from being lifelong     sedentary to fit.  One change, which can indeed revert to pre-training     levels, is red blood cell count.  These little guys are produced at a     rate proportional to your training level.  They last a relatively short     time (120 days?  It’s been so long…) before needing to be replaced.     As you become inactive, the rate of replacement decreases.     However, it is my understanding that another effect of training is the     opening of ancillary networks of blood pathways – more capillary     networks, widening of major veins and arteries, etc.  You are suggesting     that these will somehow shrivel up/shrink in six weeks to the     pre-training state.  I would be curious to know how this occurs, since     it frequently takes considerably longer than six weeks to achieve that     condition.  I suspect this is not the case.     For anecdotal evidence, I submit the following: every year I go through     a period of inactivity in the winter.  My major (sole?) source of     exercise is running.  I typically run 5 miles, 4-5 times a week.  This     tends to stop after the first lasting snowfall – I had a bad experience     slipping on uncleared sidewalks during a couple of runs after snow fell,     and it kind of soured me on winter running.     In the spring, I begin again.  I admit, the first few weeks are tough,     and it sure feels like I’ve never done it before.  But I’m typically     back up to 5 miles in a month.  It took me far longer to achieve that     distance when I first started running, suggesting that some long term     changes have taken place.  I suspect someone who was sedentary all their     lives would probably take longer to reach my range and speed than a     month.  (And I’m not that fast!)     Fitness doesn’t disappear in six weeks.  You lose some, surely, but you     are still distinguishable from "a lifelong sedentary."     – Scott     Open Software Foundation      |  are you?"

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   - The "Use it or Lose It" dilemma is real.  after six weeks of total inactivity, you are physiologically indistinguishable from a lifelong sedentary.

I’ve read stuff like this before and I find it a bit hard to believe. If the above were true, then how can I lay off for 6 weeks (or more) due to injury and still be able to run 3-4 easy miles on return? Furthermore, within a month or so 10 miles is no problem.  I quickly feel as good as new.  A touch slower maybe, but not much. Can a lifelong sedentary person do that? Mark Harris UUCP: …!uunet!mjbtn!raider!omhftre!harrism

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       - The "Use it or Lose It" dilemma is real.  after six weeks of total inactivity, you are physiologically indistinguishable from a lifelong sedentary. I find this hard to believe.  I can believe you loose some fitness but not that you loose all of it unless by "total inactivity" you mean having to just lie in bed for 6 weeks.  Any other knowledgeable comments from other netters? Les Brodie

I disagree.  While long spells of inactivity definitely have a major impact on overall fitness, there are talents you learn through training that you do not forget.  One is form.  I have run on and off for the past ten years and not for the last year.  When I go out for a brief jog now, my experience of running and my form are absolutely a different event from when I first started in 1980.  I think the thing that had the most significant long-lasting impact was doing speed work on the track (I was primarily an LSD runner, using weekly to monthly 10k’s to enhance my speed.  In 1986, I set a specific training and performance goal of breaking 40 minutes in the 10k.  An experienced friend designed my training program and included a weekly workout on the track doing something like 10×440 (can’t remember the interval.) Anyway, I did break 40 at the end of the period but the point is, during that fast work, my running changed and is still changed to this day.    - Tom Fredericks      Ithaca, New York

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       - The "Use it or Lose It" dilemma is real.  after six weeks of total inactivity, you are physiologically indistinguishable from a lifelong sedentary.

I must strongly disagree with this statement as well.  A former roommate of mine is an elite triathlete. He had to stop training for quite a few weeks to recover from a hernia.  Yet, his physiology was far from being life long sedentary. This may be an unfair comparison for some, because of the level of training for a triathlete.  But from my own experience (I train nowhere near as much) this was not the case.  Weight training suffers the most for me, when I am away from it for a while. But I have never gone back to the shape I was in before weight training.  I was really surprised though at the speed I run when I haven’t run for a while.  Of course my endurance is down, and I don’t run at my quickest paced, but I certainly don’t run as if I were sedentary all my life. Of course the longer one, stops training, the harder and longer it is to reach the previos levels of fitness. But I would say for most people this is substantially longer than 6 weeks. — Tom Kuchar Department of Astronomy Boston Univerity

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   - The "Use it or Lose It" dilemma is real.  after six weeks of total inactivity, you are physiologically indistinguishable from a lifelong sedentary. I must strongly disagree with this statement as well.  A former roommate of mine is an elite triathlete. He had to stop training for quite a few weeks to recover from a hernia.  Yet, his physiology was far from being life long sedentary.

And I disagree with with your assessment.  I suggest everyone has different innate athletic abilities and most people can go a long way toward improving them.  Age makes a differce too.  Some teenage college boys here can build up to the hour endurance needed to run the Bay-to-breakers in a week or two. Other people take months.  Be glad if you are one of the lucky former.

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Generally, a couple of weeks is enough for me to "get back into it" after an illness.  However, if it takes more time, then so be it. There’s no need to rush. Mark Harris UUCP: …!uunet!mjbtn!raider!omhftre!harrism

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   - The "Use it or Lose It" dilemma is real.  after six weeks of total inactivity, you are physiologically indistinguishable from a lifelong sedentary.

I find this hard to believe.  I can believe you loose some fitness but not that you loose all of it unless by "total inactivity" you mean having to just lie in bed for 6 weeks.  Any other knowledgeable comments from other netters? Les Brodie

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  I would like to solicit net.wisdom on resuming running after a layoff.   I started running in the beginning of summer and had worked my way   to 5 mile (40 minutes) runs every other day. I had to take 2-3 weeks   off because of cold/flu and associated problems. For a seasoned runner   it may not be such a big deal but I find that after 2 miles I can’t go   any farther, which is approx the same level where I was when I started   running four months back. How long does it take (on an average) to reach   one’s earlier state of fitness after such a gap? I sure hope it won’t   take me another four months to regain that level. Are there any thumb   rules for training after sickness, so that one does not push oneself   too hard too early. BTW, "listen to your body" stuff doesn’t work too   well for me.

I don’t have a direct answer to your question.  However, we do know the following:         – The "Use it or Lose It" dilemma is real.  after six weeks of total inactivity, you are physiologically indistinguishable from a lifelong sedentary.         – The better shape you were to begin with, the LONGER it takes to restore your previous fitness. I have found that for me, average daily mileage in the previous month is a good indicator of what I can do safely.  Allow 5-10 percent increments a week. This is probably pretty conservative advice.      Thanks for any help,    Sanjay

– St. John’s, Newfoundland A1C 5S7 Canada

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  I had to take 2-3 weeks  off because of cold/flu and associated problems. Interesting.  I ‘ve noticed that regular running has greatly reduced my frequency of colds to about one per year.  Furthermore, exercising during a cold, though at a reduced amount, seems to help it go away faster.

I think there’s a dual effect here.  On the one hand, running raises your internal body temperature, much as a fever does (an excellent reason, by the way, not to run when sick — body temp get raised both ways, perhaps to dangerous levels).  Anyway, the effect of this is the same as a fever — some of your internal nasties get killed off. On the other hand, it is undeniable that really heavy training stresses the immune system — leaving you more vulnerable to infection.  A regular part of my Boston Buildup is my March Flu.  I haven’t run Boston healthy in years. — St. John’s, Newfoundland A1C 5S7 Canada

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