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Pirate Mentors / Mentorees 2011
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I was just out for fun with a pal, and i'm not planning on having multiple cakes stops on all my IM training rides! I understand the commitment required... Up until now though, i've met some lovely folks through my woman's cycling club, and the social side of it has been just as important. My rides will change when in the throws of IM training though.
PUP, sorry i've not PMd you yet, been busy and keep forgetting. I'll try and get in touch soon
Glad you find me amusing, I just found your comment it a bit upsetting. I don't have time to read through all this thread at the moment, and probably won't have time until I finish coaching at trampolining classes on Saturday afternoon. Just was asking a few quick questions to see if it was worth following through when it's doubled in size by the time I get back to it in a few days. I tried to make light of it being a long thread rather than going on about why I didn't have time to read it, but obviously I need to be careful what I say in future.
Well, I attempt it!TST - I don't think you need to be miffed, the banter on here is all part of the fun and isn't meant to offend. As you know though, the pirates are first and foremost a group of RW forumites who know each other through the threads - someone seeking a mentor from the forums whilst seemingly not that interested in reading the adivce on the threads is going to ruffle a few feathers! Having said that, there has been some really super advice posted in the last few days and if you do have time to read back you're almost guaranteed to pick up some useful tips (as well as a load of confusing other stuff).
If you have a particular challenge in mind, a mentor can help you achieve it by acting as a sounding board. The first step is to work out what you want to achieve, then look around for a like minded soul whose advice you think would help you get there. For all other general questions just bundle into the threads and ask away.
TST - another thing to watch out for is that a reply can sometimes be sandwiched in amongst a load of off-topic replies so was that LOL for you, or more likely someone a giving a witty response.
Whilst people don't normally intend to deliberately offend, offense will be taken, shrug it off - I've just called Dozzer a cock, when actually he's quite a sensible chap and worth listening to.
Do you need to be doing ironman to take a mentor? Why is ironman so special, although you may find your mentor only wants to tell you what they did in their IM training!! But that's the luck of the draw. So in short, no if you'd like a more touchy feely 1-2-1 approach then ask someone to be your mentor.
As for Barley - why not find out the best way - come to the next social and introduce yourself.
we managed OK in hindsight
Thanks Gyraffe *stops sniffing* I've not been here long, and mainly my experience has been a thread I started for the Dornely Lake Ladies Only tri and a couple of threads about water bottles and goggles. I've tried to read some of the other threads, but they tend to be a bit over head as I really don't have any idea about anything, and I kind of give up. Guess I was trying to take a short-cut, but I find a lot of the time the threads are a bit like people talking in tongues when you don't have any experience. Guess I really wanted to know if people were looking to mentor for IMs only.
I'm aiming for a Half IM distance in a years time, probably the Vit as it's local enough to me and, apparently, flatish. Maybe I need to spend some more time on here though before I get an idea of someone who is like minded! Oh, and who doesn't mind mentoring someone with bascially no experience, no knowledge and no equipment, but who's stubborn as they come and, generally, full of enthusiasm.
Right, now I better go finish preparing for my dreaded appraisal tomorrow and ignore the emails telling me someone has replied to this thread! Will go back through it as soon as I get a chance
Just spotted your reply as I posted 10' TM. Some good adivce, thank you.
And you mean I could come and meet all you scary people in the flesh?!
When's your next one Norfolk way?! 
Nope, think it was a second or third sailing invention. Just Mon, RichM, Rosey, Candy and obviously TLD vet Barlos were all on hand. Plus you and few others had actually dipped your toe in the tri world, some even had bikes!
The trouble is we're all instant experts, myself included. Where there were only 5 experts we now have 500, its a little noisy and that's why I think the mentoring can be fantastic.
Also goals have changed, there wasn't anyone chasing cut-offs in 05 there was the lass that got married to another forumite after Austria then pissed off to NZ that successfully chased 17 hours but that was the first. There was never a question of not finishing the IM before, those that pulled out didn;t get brackets, they got a slagging. Harsh but fair, don't do the training then wtf do you expect. I'm all for the personal achievement of getting round but it doesn't excite me to be fair, sorry, that's the way I am. Now Candy limping 2/3rds of a marathon is inspiring stuff, people crashing or breaking their chain and carrying their bike 5 miles just to finish inspires me. Doing 6 hours training per week, having a whinge about being unready and then DNF / DNS bores the living shit out of me.
Edit Changed Must to Just
TST I'm sorry if you found what I said upsetting! Perhaps if I'd put a little smiley face on it, it might have made it obvious that my comment was lighthearted. But in fact, everybody here is busy, perhaps most of all those who do take the time and trouble to post the very useful advice that has been put up over the past day or so. As Meldy said quite politely, it would be very beneficial to read those last 10 pages or so.
My own, I'll say it again, lighthearted, comment did contain a grain of truth in it, perhaps, in that if you're too busy or whatever to read through fewer than 300 posts then do you actually have the time to commit to training for your half IM that you may or not be doing/racing/finishing?
And if you ARE going to be doing that I wish you the very best with it, truly. But if you are going to be coming to this little community for support and advice - and I strongly suggest you do, because you'll not find its like anywhere else - then please grow a slightly thicker skin.
...and my internet connection went down halfway through that so I expect the discussion's moved on now.
LOL. (At myself!)
what an absolute load of bollox this thread is. 280odd posts and no a single mention on how to inceminate a human egg with Bul'ls sperm and genetically raise a half bull half human super race. just a load of old rubbish about something called triatalon and a bit about some fairy with a list desperately trying to hard to get laid. Can you please please please not mislead the public with the titles of your threads in future
Thank you
Its ok, no offence taken, but if you ever come on a training weekend down here again I might have to kick your backside in the pool.
That is also the most sensible thing you have said on here too lol.
I'm sure you're not a complete arse
Can I start again?
Hello, I'm TST, I'm an idiot and I need to remember to read things properly, not take offence easily and giggle more.
I will work my way through the thread over the next few days - like Jj says I need to learn endurance. Then I will ask more stupid questions and hope someone is mug enough to want to help me 
tried to delete my last post, as I wrote it not having read back, but i'v read back now and can't bin my lst comment!
Anyway, thanks for the threadjacking, has been very useful.
mellifera wrote (see)
Yep, this is me. IM is massive challenge for me, and never having been sporty or fit, I worry that i'll do too little, or too much, or that the quality of training I'll do will not be good enough. I'll be following a training plan, but for me the hard bit is figuring out how much to do before the 'official' plan kicks off . Anyway, i'm going to read lots of stuff, and try to figure it out. I do find the advice from folk on these forums to be very, very helpful, and i'm taking note! I know other folk off-forum that have completed IMs, so I'll be chatting to them, and I think i'll get some coaching too, albeit it just a bit because i can't afford a lot! Mostly though i'm doing this because I enjoy it, and want to see what I'm actually capable of
you're playing my song mate...
Just read that yesterdays updates were more interesting and today's are just shit. Fair point....
So yesterday's discussion about intensity first or endurance first and the question about is this a form of reverse periodisation (which for those that didn't know is about building speed before endurance - take the house analogy and puts it on its roof I suppose).
Today's new thing to research is Macrocycles, Mesocycles & Microcycles and there part in planning your year. I've picked up on a lot of people gearing themselves up for a 20 or 16 week plan but not knowing what to do for the other 30+ weeks. So your homework is preparing a number of Mesocycles prior to you IM specific build up that help you achieve specific goals i.e. working on weaknesses, interim performance targets and what not. The dividing your first Meso into a number of Microcycles that will allow you to reach this goal.
So by Friday pm I want to see your next Mesocycle - including the why then how you plan to achieve this using your 2 or 3 Microcyles and how this Mesocycle works towards the overall aim of your Macrocycle.
(or maybe not - or ask your coach)
you should stop trying so hard, and just ask, if you don't ask you don't get!
can I use my singlespeed instead??
The original outing in 05 was full of people chasing cut offs either swim or bike to overall, that is nothing new. It was a smaller group and the dynamic was different but the sympathy was there and to be honest it had a simpler outlook, the whole thing is rather clouded now with many people who have different goals.
Not better or worse just different... in danger of sounding like a 'cock' but you had to be there to understand the difference.
Is everyone clear now ? Can training begin ?
I'd also advise novice pirates to become well versed with opening wiggle packages - they seem to be needed with alarming regularity and check the bottom of the box for the occasional free Haribo they sometimes send. There - thats my top tip !