Training 6/23 - 6/29...and tri-preview

But to me the bottom line is the more education you can give yourself, and the more preparation you can do, the less chance of failing. -- Stuart Pierce

Of course training is a huge part of preparation -- and my training has been very solid since we've gotten back from vacation. But this weekend we also added another level of preparation for my next triathlon.  In July, I'm doing an Oly length tri at Colonial Beach, so yesterday we drove up to Colonial Beach, worked on some OWS where I'll actually be swimming, and drove the bike and run courses.  I'll give you my thoughts on the course, but first this week's training:


Sunday 6/23 - REST (although it wasn't really a rest day -- hubby's triathlon, so lots of chasing him around)
Monday 6/24 - 75 minute swim (Masters), 78 minute bike on Freyja (21.19 miles, practicing aero)
Tuesday 6/25 - 4.83 mile run (slow - I need to get used to the heat/humidity)
Wednesday 6/26 - 2.75 mile run (treadmill), 60 minute swim (Masters)
Thursday 6/27 - 75 minute bike on Freyja (intervals on trainer), 2.68 mile run (treadmill)
Friday 6/28 - 7.74 mile run (hot, even starting at 6:30a)
Saturday 6/29 - 79 minute bike on Freyja (20.31 miles), 500m open water swim practice at Colonial Beach

Anyway, we went up to Colonial Beach yesterday.  We'd never been up there before - it's not a nice enough beach to make us want to drive up there generally, but it was good to see where the race is going to be held.  Plus, I got to get a little more comfortable swimming in open water - which is exactly what I need.

Here's the beach.  At least yesterday afternoon, around low tide, there was negligible current and few waves -- mostly off of boats that flew through the middle of the river.  So for swim practice, hubby swam about 50m out and pretended to be a buoy - I would swim out behind him, round the "buoy", and swim back in.  It wasn't a ton of distance, but it got me much more comfortable than I have been with OWS.

Then we hung out and let the kids play in the water for a long time - hopefully they will grow up without the OWS-monkey that I have.  I, unfortunately, got stupidly sunburnt.  Yowch!

Later we left the beach and drove both the bike and the run course.  The bike course leaves town and is pretty flat for about 6 miles, then it is fairly "hilly" for the next 4-5, and then kinda flat until the turnaround near 12.5 miles.  There are some substantial uphills, but as hubby reminded me - those uphills will be downhills on the way back into town -- and vice versa!

Here are a couple of pictures I took of the bike course.  It's really pretty - lots of trees and farms.  There's also a winery on the route, but I figured that would probably cut into my time, so instead we visited the winery yesterday so I don't have to do it during the race.

Finally the run course is pretty much 100% flat.  It's an out and back in town, down one side of the coast and up the other, then back again.  Not a hill in sight.  Should be a fast 10K - if I have such a thing in me after the swim and bike.

I'm glad we did this yesterday - it's good preparation both to get me in the open water and to be able to think about the courses and know what I'm getting into.  More preparation = less chance of failing.

It's not the heat...

I'm like a mosquito, I love humidity.  I don't sweat. -- Shakira

I realize it is incredibly unlikely anyone would confuse me for Shakira.  But just in case they needed one more difference in order to tell us apart...I am NOT like a mosquito.  Acclimating to the weather has been rough on me this week, and I haven't even really given it a good test.  Tuesday morning (around 9:30) and this morning (around 6:30) I went out for longish runs.  And nearly died.  Both times I carried my camelbak filled with water and nuun - I know I need to stay hydrated, but dang...my pace was slowed and I felt awful.

Here's my camelbak - it's cute, isn't it?  It holds 50oz of water plus has some pocket space for fuel.  (I think I actually have the previous year's version, because I got a killer deal on it this past spring.)

[photo:  REI]

Anyway, there was an article on Active.com this week about whether training in the heat is good for you.  Apparently the answer is yes - sometimes it is good, kind of like altitude training.  Of course it's important to stay safe & hydrated...but this morning I think the answer was no.  It was not good.  It made me feel like crap.  But there's a real good chance that I will be running in the heat for the races I have left this season, especially the HIM.  I guess I just need to get used to it.

Or else, I could channel Shakira and pretend I'm a mosquito.

Continuing my Pursuit of Swimming Adequacy

A thing is worth what it can do for you, not what you choose to pay for it.  -- John Ruskin

So we made a big decision this week.  I joined Peluso Open Water Masters - this is the same company I had been taking private lessons from, but now I'm planning on swimming with them 2-3 times per week.  Somehow, some way, I need to build up my swimming confidence - both generally and in the open water.  I am hoping that swimming with POW will increase my confidence in both areas.

Monday night I went to the Masters program and swam - it was tough, but I was able to hang in the slow lane with only minor difficulty.  And I swam much further than I ever did in the free Masters program that I had been doing at the YMCA - the folks at POW take it seriously.  I think that was part of what was missing at the Y, at least in the turtle lanes.  This morning I went to the Stroke/Technique program (it's like a mini-masters...it's only 60 minutes instead of 75 and it's in the "shallow" pool vs. the 7' pool).  Again, in 60 minutes, I swam more than I ever swam in the same time frame at the YMCA and I felt like I was actually working on something (rather than just swimming what was written).  Today's workout was focused on pacing - interestingly enough, I have one pace: slow.  :)

I'll also get to swim additional OWS with this group, assuming the river stays normal.  Unfortunately we'll have to miss this Friday's OWS because it's date night with hubby.  But we are thinking of going up to the race site for my July Oly triathlon and swimming there (as well as checking out the bike course, etc.).

This all sounds great, but the problem is that there are prices to pay for this:  not only do I have to pay fees and join US Masters Swim, but I also have to buy my own set of swim toys (pull buoy, fins, paddles) and I have to drive ~30 minutes, one way, to get there and then get back.  I do think, though, that the program will be able to do great things for me - or more accurately, if I put in the work, the program will help me to do great things, like get faster and more confident.  And that - as far as my swimming goes - is worth a lot.

Training 6/16 - 6/22 ... and Triathlon as Spectator Sport?

You can observe a lot by just watching. -- Yogi Berra

First, last week's training:


Sunday 6/16 - 1:45 bike (27.48 hilly miles, on Baby)
Monday 6/17 - 45 minute swim (lesson)
Tuesday 6/18 - 3.62 mile run, 25 minute swim
Wednesday 6/19 - 60 minute swim (including broken mile on 0:10)
Thursday 6/20 - reverse mini tri (30 minute run, 60 (58) minute bike on Baby, 30 (24) minute swim)
Friday 6/21 - 50 minute swim
Saturday 6/22 - 20 minute OWS, 5.31 mile run

For last week and the next two weeks, the training plan is going discipline specific.  Last week was swimming - you may have guessed that.  I've never smelled so much like chlorine in my life...although I'm pretty certain that if I'm going to keep this up, I'll need to continue to smell like chlorine is actually oozing out of my pores.  Maybe then my swim phobias will be quelled.  Anyway, this week is run and next week is bike.  Should be interesting.

So, the swim monkey - hubby was racing this past weekend and there was a practice swim the morning before.  I went out and swam a bit there.  The water was fairly calm and wetsuit legal...not that it matters for a practice swim, but just sayin'.  Unfortunately, although I did much better than I have in the OWS practices here in town (where the current has been ungodly), I still didn't do well.  I have a problem believing that I'm making any progress.  It's a common thought - in the pool, when you're swimming, there are walls every 25-50 meters.  You can see the end of the pool always and you make progress quickly to the wall.  In OWS, the buoys are a hell of a lot further away and it takes a long time to get there...and you just feel like you're swimming forever and going nowhere - even when you are.  This really bothered me.

On the plus side - not bothered by not being able to see the bottom.  Not bothered with having to sight and correct course (at least not on Saturday when the current wasn't bad).  There weren't any people around me, so I didn't have to worry about being kicked or run into.  It should have been a good swim - but I got hung up on that whole..."will I ever make it to the first buoy?"...thing.  Not good.  Need to fix that - but unfortunately it's all mental - and I'm not good at fixing mental.

The other thing I did this weekend was spectate.  I'm not usually a spectator at a triathlon.  But hubby was doing his first Oly so we made a short weekend of it.  We didn't get to see his swim start due to a bit of traffic snafu, but we saw him in and out of T1 (switching from swim to bike), in and out of T2 (switching from bike to run), and then the girls got to run in with him.  It's a really sweet gesture on the part of REV3, the race company, to let the finishers bring their family into the finish line with them.  Most races don't let you do that - and really, triathlon, no matter how you slice it, is a family sport.  The family suffers while the triathlete trains.  This is part of why we are making it a family affair - if the family watches and the family does triathlons, then the activity doesn't seem like so much of an imposition on the family as a whole.  However, with regard to spectating, watching a triathlon is kind of boring (if you aren't me).  You only get to see your athlete for limited snatches of time before having to kill an hour or more.  Now personally, I think it is cool to get to see other peoples' bikes and cheer for everyone, but I'm kind of a nerd - I try to learn from watching other people and what they have and what they do.  But for the normal mortal (or my children - close enough to normal mortals) - BORING.  They were troopers though.

I'm concerned, though, about their spectating at my half this fall - because it won't be killing an hour between sightings - I'll be out on the bike for over 3 hours...probably closer to 4.  Not sure how they're going to kill that much time - although I guess they can leave and come back, but that too is a pain in the behind with traffic and parking due to the race.  There's a good chance they won't even be able to come, given their busy schedules.  But if they do, I do not envy my husband at all - keeping them entertained as tri-spectators is not easy.

Thirsty Thursday and Happy Birthday to Me!

Every year on your birthday, you get a chance to start new. -- Sammy Hagar

So today is my birthday.  I'm finally the age that USAT has considered me since January 1.  (In triathlon, everyone changes age on the same day to make things easier for rankings, etc.)  Last year I turned 40 and had a bit of an existential crisis.  This year, turning 41, it kind of seems like no big deal.

Of course, I am celebrating - like any good training bunny would...by following my training plan.  Today called for a reverse mini-tri...30 minute run, 60 minute bike, 30 minute swim - ideally scheduled back to back.  And that's just what I did.   I did the run, came back and drank a little water from my water bottle for the bike, and then set out on the bike.  On the bike ride, I drank 20 oz of Nuun (electrolyte enhanced water).  Then I came home, put on my swim gear and hit the pool.  This whole schedule was carefully planned to allow me to finish my swim right before I had to pick up my youngest daughter for piano lessons.  (Swim at the pool at the Y, child in camp at the Y, piano lessons at the Y - perfect!)  I got done with my workout, got cleaned up, picked up child, and as we walked back into the Y for piano lessons, I realized I was about to die of thirst.  Not exaggerating - well, maybe a little exaggerating, but my mouth was so crazy dry.  I bought a G2 Gatorade from a vending machine at the Y and drained the bottle.  Still thirsty.  Refilled the bottle at the water fountain.  Drained it.  Still thirsty.

The problem is, if you get that thirsty, you are way too late.  I clearly did not hydrate appropriately on the run, bike, or swim - which is something I'm supposed to be thinking about with every workout -- not just because it is important that day, but to get myself into the groove of doing it automatically so it will come easy on race day.  I'm kind of embarrassed that I screwed this up.  Thankfully I didn't hit any of the other symptoms of dehydration.

That being said, since it is my birthday and I'm fully rehydrated now, I am going to quench my thirst with something a little more fun than water and G2.  There's a bottle of Hardywood Saison Rustica in my fridge, calling out my name.  Happy birthday to me!

Fueling Up

Food is fuel and not a solution to anything other than giving your body nutrients.  I love chocolate like the next girl, but it's not going to change my situation. -- Gabrielle Reece

It's totally weird that two of my sports idols are volleyball players, isn't it.  (Remember my lovefest for Kerri Walsh?  Yeah.)  Sometimes it seems that they are a little more normal and a little more balanced than some other athletes.  Don't get me wrong - I love triathletes like Chrissie Wellington and I enjoyed her book, but her lifestyle is not mine.

Anyway, enough hero worship - food as fuel.  That's been on my mind a lot recently.  It could have something to do with the 4-5 pounds I've gained in the last couple weeks, between Disney and the beach.  I don't want to lose those 5 pounds just for the sake of losing them - heck, I still fit in my skinny jeans (although I'm aiming for a skinnier pair of skinny jeans and another 10-15 pounds beyond those 5).  Mostly I want to lose those 5-20 pounds to feel like I am as healthy as I want to be.  Right now, I don't think food=fuel is necessarily driving all of my choices - and maybe it shouldn't drive all of my choices, but I want to make it a more integral part of my inner dialog.

And it's not just for myself.  With two athletic girls and a tri-husband (meaning he does tris, not that I'm trying him out...ba dum bump), we should probably eat better as a family.  Sometimes it's easier than others - I like to cook (most of the time) and I don't do a lot of pre-prepared meals, although I've sunk into them recently as our schedules have been insane.  I'd like to cut out more of the processed food the girls take in their lunch boxes, but that too would require additional time and a little more adventurous spirit from them.  They are actually really good eaters - but hey, would you rather take a (organic & minimally processed) granola bar or carrots & hummus in your lunch box?  Exactly.  They'll eat hummus at the dinner table, but in front of their buds who eat cheetos and fritos and doritos, oh my!  Yeah.

Throughout the spring, I've eaten a modified-paleo type lifestyle (not diet).  Meats, veggies, fruits, limited processed carbs, etc.  That, of course, went to hell in a handbasket during our vacations.

I'm intrigued about taking it a step or two further, but I'm not sure I'm ready to commit.  I've been studying the Whole30 program - but I'm not sure it's something I can even really consider until after the HIM.  I'm still trying to figure out nutrition/hydration for the race, let alone trying to do it all natural.  (Besides that, the Whole30 would take away dairy (I eat yogurt occasionally but could live without it) and alcohol (NOOOOOO! Don't be messing with my wine and beer.).)  

I realize the idea of healthy eating is about moderation - but to take a few steps away from the small amount of processed food we eat would be so interesting to me.  Believe it or not, I'm not a freaky granola mom.  I wasn't a baby-wearer and I have no qualms killing many trees, printing documents at work.  It's not an environmental thing or even an ideological thing - I just wonder if the purported healthy effects would be worth the extra work.  Just something on my mind.

Training 6/9 - 6/15...and back to the regularly scheduled training program

I do like taking stuff seriously that a lot of people look at as nonsense.  I enjoy the insanity of that.  And I like the commitment that is needed for that. -- Christian Bale

It is time to buckle down and seriously get to work on this training thing now.  I'm 81 days out and starting to get nervous.  About the swim - of course...but also just in general.  I'm thinking about things that need to be thought about, like hydration systems and eating and all that.  Jeezh.  Makes me just a little bit insane.

Last week was a slow training week - supposed to be a drop-back week after a long building phase, but for me it was more of an intro back into training post-Disney.  Unfortunately, we spent a few days at the beach, so my training wasn't spot on plan, but I did manage to get a bunch of workouts in.

Sunday 6/9 - rest (travel back from Disney)
Monday 6/10 - 40 minute swim Masters (cut short due to lightning)
Tuesday 6/11 - 3.5 mile run
Wednesday 6/12 - 45 minute swim
Thursday 6/13 - 60 minute bike (trainer ride on Freyja)
Friday 6/14 - 3.05 mile run (5k race with youngest daughter)
Saturday 6/15 - 3.88 mile run

Yesterday I had a good bike ride, over 15 mph even with hills.  And then today starts a crazy swim week - the next three weeks in my training plan are event/sport specific.  Sounds like a blast, no?  Tonight is my last swim lesson.  After that, we need to reassess how to make sure my swimming gets to where it needs to be.  Because 81 days is not all that much time in the grand scheme of things.  But I am a little bit insane and I have the commitment.  So let's do it.

Public Persona

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.  -- Kurt Vonnegut

I am not a jewelry girl.  Hate it.  I'd prefer to wear only a running watch and even that is sometimes a drag.  (I also hate wearing shoes, but that's a different story.)  Jewelry often tells the public a lot about who you are, so I have chosen mine carefully.  Obviously my most important jewelry is my wedding ring.  It tells the world that I am a wife, a mother, a friend.  These are personas that are precious to me, but also fairly public.  I am regularly seen with my husband and/or my kids, I talk about them, etc.

My other persona, the "athlete," if you can call it that, is a little less public.  I've not been terribly open about my running and triathlon activities - in part because I'm slow and in part because people don't get it.  To many, I'm either totally insane (guilty) or totally amazing (not so much).  But at least before I decided to share this crazy journey, my athletic endeavors were generally something that I did not talk about, etc.

Despite keeping my athlete persona largely private, though, I have decided to wear jewelry that signals its existence.  I have two pieces of jewelry, one older and one newer, that are very special to me that say "athlete" to people who bother to look.

First is a necklace that my husband got me many years ago - probably during my 1st or 2nd year of doing triathlons.  It is from a company called Triclique (which doesn't seem to be in business anymore - too bad...although Milestone Sports also has some cute tri jewelry) and is a pretty representation of the three disciplines of triathlon.

(photo triathlongoddess.blogspot.com)

When I stopped doing tris a couple years ago, I stopped wearing it.  I felt like a poser proclaiming that I was a triathlete when really I was just a couch slug.  But last fall, after doing the couple of sprints to get me back into triathlons, I started wearing it religiously again.  In fact, I managed to break the chain.  Bummer - I bought a cheap one but it's getting kind of nasty, so I need to get another nicer chain so I can keep wearing it every day.

Last year was a big running year for me, so for Christmas, husband bought me this ring from Endure:

(photo endureshop.com)

(It says "live love RUN" for those of you with bad eyes...).  I wear this a lot of the days - it's a bit delicate so I have to be careful with it, but I love wearing it...at least as much as I love wearing any jewelry.  ;)

Will I get another piece of jewelry after I finish the HIM?  Maybe - I have a pendant that says 26.2 from when I finished my first marathon...I wore that for a while, but it started to feel like it belonged to someone else, so I stopped wearing it.  On the other hand, when I finish the HIM, I think I will always feel like a rockstar, so maybe getting a pendant or something to commemorate that will be the right way to celebrate.

(Don't ask me about the tattoo I want when I finish a full IM - that is a touchy subject!  Hubby and I are debating between celebrating with a car sticker (which he hates, but likes better than tattoos) or a tattoo (which I will really want when I do a full IM).  There are many years before that debate needs to be completed however.  One race at a time!)

Training 5/26 - 6/1, vacation 6/1-6/9...and stormy weather

Long stormy spring-time, wet contentious April, winter chilling the lap of very May; but at length the season of summer does come.  -- Thomas Carlyle

We got back from vacation yesterday - Disney was a lot of fun (except for the rain) and a fairly successful vacation (except I met none of my goals for the break).  Good food, good family time, and quite relaxing...until that whole craziness that happens anytime you get back from a long vacation -- like a hundred loads of laundry!

The biggest problem was the rain.  The storms.  Rain, rain, and more rain.  Rain nearly every afternoon - and a complete washout the day we were supposed to play at the hotel all day.

Before I left, I was in the last week of a build phase:


Sunday 5/26 - 7.78 mile run
Monday 5/27 - 2 hour 54 minute bike (41.36 miles)
Tuesday 5/28 - 45 minute swim, 2.7 mile run
Wednesday 5/29 - 1 hour 6 minute bike (16.82), 2 mile run (BRICK)
Thursday 5/30 - 45 minute swim, 2.72 mile run
Friday 5/31 - 30 minute swim, travel day #1
Saturday 6/1 - travel day #2, arrive at Disney

Then I took an entire week off my training plan (by design - I moved everything around it).  So instead of telling you how I trained, I'll use my platform to give you a short restaurant run-down...because I can.  And because you know I love to eat.

• Saturday 6/1
• Lunch @ Sanaa (Animal Kingdom)
• Bread service (naan, chutneys, raita) - excellent
• Lamb kefta sandwich - very good
• Dinner @ Cape May Cafe (Epcot resorts)
• WORST. DISNEY. DINING. EXPERIENCE. EVER.
• Nasty seafood buffet.  Lousy service.  Low quality food. The list could go on.
• Sunday 6/2
• Breakfast @ Cinderella's Royal Table (Magic Kingdom)
• Princess breakfast
• The food choices have gotten infinitely better here than 3 years ago
• Steak & eggs (chipotle frittata, roasted potatoes), pastries, good coffee
• Lunch @ Liberty Tavern (Magic Kingdom)
• Shared the Thanksgiving feast w/ elder daughter - not bad
• Dinner @ Artists Point (Wilderness Lodge)
• Shared the buffalo strip steak with elder daughter, along with a flight of pinot from the Pacific northwest, and dessert with the husband.  Yum - but not the best steak I had at Disney.
• Monday 6/3
• Breakfast (in our room for the remainder of the week - bagels, trail mix, crackers, etc.)
• Lunch @ Hollywood Brown Derby (Phantasmic Prix Fixe) (Hollywood Studios)
• Appetizer - crab spring rolls (good)
• Entree - char-grilled filet of beef w/ white truffle oil mashed potatoes, haricot verts, & golden beets...ZOMG
• Dessert - banana white chocolate toffee tower (kinda like bananas foster on steroids)
• Delightful.  Way too much food - but it was prix fixe.
• Dinner @ Hollywood & Vine (Hollywood Studios)
• Standard buffet food...not my favorite, but we were trying to hit different restaurants than before, and we hadn't hit any buffets last time.
• Tuesday 6/4
• Lunch @ Yak & Yeti (Animal Kingdom)
• Shared spring rolls with the table and tempura shrimp with elder daughter - OK, not great
• Dinner @ Boma (Animal Kingdom lodge)
• This could have been very cool - an African-inspired buffet.  But the food was weird, it was way too crowded and noisy, and just a generally unpleasant experience.  I much prefer Sanaa and Jiko to get my African food on.
• Wednesday 6/5
• Lunch @ Tappan Edo (Epcot)
• I've had better hibachi at home.  For cheaper.  Both the entertainment and the food were seriously lacking.  I mean seriously.
• Dinner @ Kouzzina by Kat Kora (Epcot resorts)
• Bread with 2 types of olive oil - yummo
• Greek tasting trio - also yummo, especially the pastichio (Greek lasagna) - DELISH
• Thursday 6/6
• Lunch @ House of Blues (Downtown Disney)
• Got a spicy burger and sweet potato fries - nothing special, but I didn't expect much
• On the other hand, the menu was created by Aaron Sanchez (regular judge on Chopped), so maybe I should have expected a bit more
• Dinner @ Aloha Luau (Polynesian Resort)
• This is more for the entertainment than for the food, but the food wasn't awful
• A variety of salads, ribs, chicken, pulled pork, dessert, and nasty beer
• Despite the nasty beer, they did keep bringing it (and we got two servings of dessert -- pineapple bread pudding w/ caramel sauce), so that was OK
• Friday 6/7
• Lunch @ Via Napoli (Epcot)
• Excellent brick oven pizza (Naples-style) along with a pitcher of good beer (Birra Moretti La Rosa)
• Dinner @ Monsieur Paul (Epcot)
• The upscale French restaurant...NOM NOM NOM
• Bread service - amazing
• Entree - no surprise, I chose the filet - yep, amazing
• Dessert - warm chocolate & almond cake with a lava center, praline ice cream...holey cow!
• Saturday 6/8
• Lunch @ Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)
• Another day, another buffet - probably the best one we experienced food-wise and otherwise
• Plus we got to see the characters from Winnie-the-Pooh
• Dinner@ Narcoosees (Magic Kingdom resorts)
• Possibly the best meal of all...
• Nice bottle of wine
• Bread service - sourdough with Hawaiian sea salt butter, yummy
• Entree - well, duh - the filet...Best Seasoning EVER.

Anyway, so now we're back to reality.  I seem to have gained about 5 pounds, but I'm certain some of that will melt off when I start eating properly again.  And we got back in time for me to start training last night...of course, the storms cut an early end to Masters swim.  :(  Plus the crappy weather all along the east coast has the river running around flood stage nearly all the time - don't know when I'll get in the open water again.  And I sure as heck don't know when it will not be a crazy current!  Enough for now.