Training for a triathlon...

[ajoneen 0]

I found another sprint Tri in my area Oct 4th. I really want to do this. Only problem is my trainer said that doing a Tri is not the best way to lose weight. He thinks I should concentrate on getting some more weight off and train over the winter for a spring Tri. There is a lot of science to back him up. Now the question is do I want to do the Tri more then I want to get to goal?

Any thoughts?

[UT LB Loser 0]

Amanda,

We are all doing this (lapband and triathlons) for our own reasons. My reasons are the same for both the band and the tris. I am doing this to get healthy and to become fit. Triathlons enable me to get closer to both of those things. Weight loss has always been secondary in my mind. I have obsessed about my weight for so many years. I've also tried many diets. You know the definition of insanity, I'm sure... If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always got. I made a very cerebral decision not to diet with the band and to pay less attention to the weight loss. The second really is the most difficult for me. Progress is normally measured by numbers. Weight is a number. I definitely pay attention to the numbers, but they are secondary to the fitness progress I'm making. Don't know if this philosophy works for everyone else, but I know it works for me.

That being said, triathlons are for me a great measure of my fitness level. I'm not stopping them to reach any number. The numbers keep coming down as a byproduct of increased fitness.

I saw something last night that really helped me understand my weight loss. I've been measuring body fat as well. I have a scale that gives me weight, body fat and Water content. It's slick. Here is an example of measuring body fat vs weight loss: Let's say you start out at 200 lbs. Your body fat (bf) is 40%. That means that you are carrying 80 lbs of body fat. (200 x .4 = 80). You lose 25 lbs. You bf is now 36%. Your bf is now 63 lbs. Your weight decreased by 25 lbs, but your body fat was only reduced by 17. 3 lbs of the loss was lean muscle. Please don't get me wrong, you still lost 20 lbs. GREAT!!! Decreasing bf is the better goal than weight loss.

Sorry for such a long post. Hopefully it helps someone. Looking at things from a different perspective can't hurt!!!

Edited August 6, 2008 by UT LB Loser

[kagoscuba 0]

Ditto what Chris said. I now weigh 199, and my original goal was 180, when I started last September. My gym trainer who recently tested me says me making 180 is probably not going to happen. Why? Because as of right now, I have 16% bodyfat. That means I have approximately 32 pounds of bodyfat. If I lose 19 more pounds, and say it would all be fat, I would have 13 pounds of bodyfat on a 180 pound frame, which would put me at 7.2% bodyfat. Possible? Maybe, but I'd be a rail.

The point being, I am happy where my body is. I'm in size 34 jeans again, I can feel ribs, and my stomach goes WAY below my ribcage when I lie down, instead of being Mauna Loa. All in all, very happy. :cry_smile:

[whosyadaddy 0]

Good comments!

check out this Tri bike! Crap or ok?

2006 K2 Red Zone Tri Road Bike @ Performance Bicycle

Today is my bandiversary

[UT LB Loser 0]

Looks good to me Jon. My bike has Shimano 105s too. Sounds like you've picked a winner!!

You and I share this day. It's my original bday and your rebirthday! My rebirthday is 12/6. Good days to celebrate!!!!

[ajoneen 0]

Happy Birthday

&

Happy Bandiversary!!

Edited August 7, 2008 by ajoneen
Opps I missed it by 6 minutes.

[whosyadaddy 0]

Happy b day!!

Yeah i sent it to my Team USA Tri coach how was in the bike industry for 20yrs and he said it was a good deal too. But i am just afraid to mail order a bike!

[UT LB Loser 0]

Jon, it's time to JFDI!!! You deserve this bike for all of your hard work. Buying stuff online really doesn't carry any more risk than buying it at a store. You'll be fine. Use a credit card that protects your purchases. It's an online retailer that guarantees 100% satisfaction. Just Freaking Do It!!! Order it Monday and you'll probably have it to ride by Saturday. You won't regret it.

[2labpups 0]

Hi Everyone. First post here in the cycling forum, how exciting!

Amanda, I just got off a year of doing sprint triathlons. I ended up doing 4. I started doing triathlons because I thought I could drop the weight faster. It didn't work, I just injured myself. First was almost a year ago, a shoulder injury. This past June I did Danskin Women's Tri and I ended up with shin splints which are extremely painful not to mention the damage I was doing to my knee joints. To this day, I am still the same weight I was when I first started training, 220 lbs. The pain and damage that you do to your joints isn't worth it. Try and lose the weight BEFORE you run. Swimming and bicycling is easier on the joints.

My husband is an avid cyclist and has really been getting out riding my bike with his training group. He is extremely supportive and so is his training group. 6 months ago I signed up to do a 63 mile bike ride this Saturday. Well, there is no way I can do 63 but there is a 32 miler being offered and I will modify to that.

My surgery is scheduled for August 27th. I am trying to get in as much cycling in as I can, I need some strong legs while I am recovering.

Jon, I have bought and sold several bikes online without a problem. Good luck with it!

[UT LB Loser 0]

2labpups, are you getting a lapband? If so, congrats to you!!!

Again as I said in an earlier post, we're all doing the lapband and triathlons for our own reasons. The LapBand is a tool to help me gain fitness and better health. I am definitely not going to do something that will jeopardize my health! My experience to date has been that training for 5Ks or Tris has been very motivating and allowed me to measure my fitness in a different way than just the scale. I am already losing weight due to changed habits and the control the Band allows me to have over food. Exercise is essential to my tool. Just like greasing a machine is essential to a precision machine shop.

I completed my 4th and 5th 5Ks this weekend and today. Today I ran in a Corporate Olympics 5K. It was my best time to date!!! I'm taking a few days off on the run and will being doing a 15 mile bike ride in those same Olympics on Weds.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

[UT LB Loser 0]

BTW Amanda, how was Bermuda? Or are you still there??

Edited August 12, 2008 by UT LB Loser

[2labpups 0]

2labpups, are you getting a lapband? If so, congrats to you!!!

Yes, I am, thank you!

Again as I said in an earlier post, we're all doing the lapband and triathlons for our own reasons. The LapBand is a tool to help me gain fitness and better health. I am definitely not going to do something that will jeopardize my health!

I was just sharing with Amanda my experience when her trainer wants her to lose some more weight. It IS hard on your joints. It's a HUGE and AMAZING accomplishment and the journey getting there is well worth it.

My experience to date has been that training for 5Ks or Tris has been very motivating and allowed me to measure my fitness in a different way than just the scale. I am already losing weight due to changed habits and the control the Band allows me to have over food. Exercise is essential to my tool. Just like greasing a machine is essential to a precision machine shop.

And all I was doing was sharing my experience. I loved the discipline of the training and even though I am still my same weight I am a lot fitter.

I completed my 4th and 5th 5Ks this weekend and today. Today I ran in a Corporate Olympics 5K. It was my best time to date!!! I'm taking a few days off on the run and will being doing a 15 mile bike ride in those same Olympics on Weds.

Congratulations! And thanks for the warm welcome :wink2:

[lanie527 0]

Any one doing the Danskin in Seattle this weekend? I am participating for the fourth year adn very excited to be competing just four pounds from my first weight loss goal.

Keep moving forward!

Lanie

[UT LB Loser 0]

Good luck Lanie!!! Four years of triathlons? That rocks! Have your times improved year to year? What was you first tri time? And now?

I'm doing a course preview on Saturday for next week's tri. I love the previews. I get alot of good info and begin to build the mental picture that sustains me through the race. My brother is doing the preview with me. He'll do his first tri on 9/6 with me. That will be in a pool. This is in a mountain reservoir. The whole open Water thing concerns him right now. We'll only doing a portion of the swim in the preview as the course isn't setup.

Good luck to efveryone this weekend, whether you're just training or racing!!

Edited August 15, 2008 by UT LB Loser

[UT LB Loser 0]

I had a bike accident while doing a training ride in the course preview for next week's tri. I injured my shoulder. It is much better today than yesterday. I'm still hoping to compete, but if I can't swim, well there's no sense in risking it.

I saw my dr. yesterday. He happened to be the dr working in the urgent care clinic. I hadn't seen him for nearly a year, since he gave me the green light to do the lapband. He was amazed at the change! He told me that I should bottle whatever I'm doing and sell it. My blood pressure is awesome!! I didn't want to see him until I had lost around 100 lbs. I'm glad he was the dr. on duty however. He's now a believer in the LapBand! He had read alot of good things but I'm the first patient he's seen with such great results. He is a fairly young Dr.

I really hope this week goes well and I get full range of motion out of my shoulder. I'll swim on Thursday and guage whether I can swim on Saturday.