bstamps12

Thanks everyone!

I use the Garmin 310XT, which is made for triathlons. I love it. It definitely has too many bells and whistles for someone just running, but the Garmin website should help you. If you have a local running store, go there and talk to them about what you want. Garmin is AWESOME and I'll never use anything other than Garmin.

I personally don't like to run before I race. I run less than a mile no matter what the distance of the race I'm warming up for, I just feel like it uses up my energy reserves. I do a few strides if it is a 5K or 10K. If it's a half, I just use the first mile as my warmup. I really prefer stretching then running in place…

Yogurt and a banana are my go-to foods before any race--5K, 10K, or half. I only eat during a half marathon, you've got plenty of energy stored for a 10K, just drink some water at the stations. During a half, I eat a GU at mile 4 and Sports Beans at mile 9. There are tons of options and you just need to experiment with…

After your half marathon you need to flush the lactic acid out of your muscles. Walk or do easy runs or cross training (bike ride, swim, etc.) the week after the half. If you're well prepared for the half, that is plenty of time to allow your body to recover. Don't push yourself for 5-6 days after your half, but you should…

I'd do your s/b/r first if possible, then strength train if you are doing them in the same day. That will allow you to fully engage muscles and decrease risks of muscles cramping while doing the s/b/r. Also just think about the muscle groups and try to work out opposite muscle groups. If you are swimming today, do your leg…

I think practicing transitions is VERY important before your first triathlon, but not for time. It's important for stress relief on race day. You'll be tired from the swim and with hundreds of other bikes around yours can be disorienting. Who cares if you can't practice coming out of open water into your transition area…

I think I'm doing one in September. I've heard AWESOME things about the series.

Wow! I didn't realize how far you've come--AWESOME! You're so right...it's a lifestyle change and it's not going to happen instantly. Your pics look great! Keep pushing to make your nutrition better and your runs stronger :)

Yep, I would say maybe cut out one of the weight sessions 2 weeks before and one of the runs 2 weeks before, then stick with your plan for the week before, and you should be tapered pretty well. Just remember not to push yourself hard within a week of the race. You'll need your energy. Your pace is personal--you can…

We have to add calories to food for my daughter who needs to gain weight. We are new at it, but so far, we stir Carnation Instant Breakfast into her milk, yogurt, etc. You could buy protein powder and stir it into milk, yogurt, a smoothie, etc. If you are making scrambled eggs and you would usually eat 2, stir in 1 more…

Take a few weeks off after the first half. Do other workouts or EASY runs only. You need to let the small fibers in your legs heal before stressing them again. That would put you about Feb 1. March 6 is a Wednesday...if your half is March 3 (Sunday), I'd do 10-11-12 on Feb 2nd, 9th, and 16th respectively. If your half is…

I don't know what these "wispies" are...my hair is wet from the swim and by the time it would dry, it's drenched in sweat, so it is plastered somewhere. I have really long, straight, thick hair. I have always done a low ponytail, but by the time I get to the run, my ponytail seems to split in half and wrap around my neck.…

Sara, yes, running it in the morning would definitely wake others. Please reply again if you are able to make it the night before and keep it in smoothie-like texture until the next morning!

Arc told me the 1/2 Immodium thing when I posted this about a year ago. I take a 1/2 Immodium about 15 minutes before running and take the other 1/2 of the pill with me. Most of the time I don't have any problems, but if I start to feel a rumble, I take the other 1/2. I also watch my fiber the day before and eat really…

Thanks for all of your feedback everyone. I mentally decided to do the 13 miles, but a cramp in my right glute that's been giving me problems came back during the run, so I cut it to 8 miles. I was happy with that: it got me mentally excited for the race again and still gave me a chance to practice eating my sports beans…

So proud of you! You have accomplished SOOOO much. Heck, I am at my GW but I'm too scared to tackle a full. You're such an inspiration to many people, myself included. Keep challenging yourself girl!

I looked at your food diary and you are using a lot of supplements. The ripped freak pills are nothing more than appetite suppressants. Also, if you are taking pills to make you focus be aware that a lot of them are appetite suppressants as well. I.e., A lot of girls I went to college with took Adderrall to suppress their…

Congratulations! Who cares what place you finished? YOU FINISHED! That's the point! You may have been last, but you're last out of some really hardcore athletes--you're part of that crowd! You're wayyy ahead of everyone who slept in that morning; ahead of everyone who thinks about signing up for a triathlon but never do;…

What Trijoe said. LOL but really--if you're sure you won't injure yourself (which sounds unlikely since you have done all of the distances individually before!), what do you have to lose? I'm doing my 5th sprint triathlon tomorrow and I don't feel ready despite having fully trained for an Olympic distance (which got…

Personally, I run more in the off season. Last year, I built from a 5K to a half marathon in the off season and did 2 half marathons. I'll be running more this off season as well. I genuinely love love love the race atmosphere, so my off season choice is really driven by my desire to keep racing when there aren't any tris.…

As for the exposed middle, remember a lot of the tri shorts will go a long way to covering your midriff too. If you get a good fitting tri top, it won't ride up either. I hate exposed middle as well but I've never had that problem with my 2 piece suits. And I will have to go to the bathroom 5 minutes before race start no…

Sounds like a great season! You should be proud of your improvements over the course of this season! It also sounds like you learned a lot for next year. Congrats on a season well done!

Decent? That's an awesome race pic!

The actual tri suits dry out super fast on the bike as long as it fits you well, so there shouldn't be much chafing. That said, you can always use Body Glide on areas you are worried about chafing. For my first sprint tri, I didn't want to invest in a tri suit so I wore my swimsuit in the water then put on tri shorts over…

Love it!

This sounds super old fashioned, but check out your local library for a training plan book. That's where I got mine. I checked out a book with lots of training plans, spent an afternoon deciding which one would work best for me, wrote it all into a calendar, and returned the book. It's been a great plan so far (race is in…

Everyone else already gave the best advice, I'll just say you've got to be hardcore to do those 4 events in 4 weeks! Good luck!

He trained 9 months for the most grueling event in swimming. It's cocky and ridiculous. It's preposterous and I was rooting against him even though I am a huge team USA fan and a former swimmer. He didn't deserve it whatsoever. Lochte, on the other hand, has repeatedly said that he has been consumed with winning gold and…

Haha. I think she's a genius. She's having a great time and clearly relaxed before her event meanwhile I'd be too distracted to race my own event well.