tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318722942011-04-21T21:19:04.906-06:00On August 26th, 2007 I, Crystal Clarke, joined the Ironman family. It was an intense experience and one of the best days of my life. As a vegan triathlete, I was happy to have reached such a goal. Now what? New goals, a new season, a new standard. Watch for my website www.vegantriathlete.com in early 2008.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.comBlogger1041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-6603190294694683202008-03-05T11:32:00.001-06:002008-03-05T11:34:23.603-06:00

I have not put anything up on here lately because I have started using my website! Vegantriathlete.com is becoming a reality for me. I'm very excited about this. For regular updates to my training, my schedule, and lots more that will be on my website, check it out!

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-8286934833523382092008-02-27T10:37:00.003-06:002008-02-27T10:52:21.524-06:00

I was tagged by Charlie, a fellow vegan triathlete. I've never done a meme on this blog, but I guess there's a first time for everything - I will try to keep it sports-related.The rules are as follows:# Link to the person who tagged you# Post the rules on your blog.# Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.# Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-27054930677947666932008-02-27T10:24:00.003-06:002008-02-27T10:33:20.495-06:00

I have not posted in almost two weeks. Even I am shocked at the amount of time between now and my last post. I suppose time flies when you are training, get sick, have to work a lot, and am working on my new website!A couple of weekends ago I went on a lovely cross-country ski trip with some fabulous friends. Unfortunately, their wee child (as I like to call the "Germ Monger") had a virus that

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-49243481042454015702008-02-14T07:54:00.005-06:002008-02-14T08:12:17.751-06:00

I discovered yesterday that sitting in a car for two hours while driving for work does not help the delayed onset muscle soreness (ie. DOMS) from a run the day before. Yesterday, however, that was what I did. My legs have been sore since Tuesday - my hamstrings, groin, hip-flexors, butt, quads. The whole shebang. My engine and everything around it. The only time my legs weren't sore was this

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-28674650811533705132008-02-12T08:17:00.000-06:002008-02-12T08:25:49.424-06:00

This is my first week of testing and I have to say... it hurts. A lot.This morning I did three intervals: 200m, 800m, and 1500m. I thought I was going to die after sprinting for 200m and it scared me for the other two. My lungs burned and my legs felt like bricks after the first 100m. I thought I was going to puke, but luckily I did not. That would have really ruined the rest of the workout. My

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-76754879284222812672008-02-09T09:54:00.000-06:002008-02-09T10:15:42.736-06:00

Yesterday my good intention was to complete one bike workout for the week, but I only got through half before I cut it short to head to yoga. Yoga was definitely my priority yesterday because I have been having some neck problems lately in the form of a neck headache that lasted almost 3 days. I went to the chiropractor to get it adjusted and he said it was a little swollen at the top of my neck.

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-41378133336625502872008-02-08T08:06:00.000-06:002008-02-08T08:14:14.720-06:00

So after BRAGGING that I hadn't missed a workout yet this week, I missed a workout last night. I was tired and actually fell asleep against my wishes after supper. I was in no mood to hit my dreaded trainer. Even watching "Sex and the City" didn't inspire me to get on my trainer. The biking has definitely suffered this week. I need to love my trainer. Tonight I'm going to make up this missed

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-46272468730100511122008-02-07T14:27:00.001-06:002008-02-07T14:40:48.708-06:00

This week was my first week with my coach's training schedule and me being ready and raring to go! My coach and I had a good chat last weekend about a schedule, my goals, and how I'm going to achieve it all. We talked about the burnout the I always feel around the beginning of August (although last year it was in June) because I train too hard in January and February. This year is going to be

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-67255145236865582422008-01-28T18:50:00.000-06:002008-01-28T19:04:39.207-06:00

The past couple of weeks have been wrought with travelling for work. This makes it slightly difficult to keep a steady training schedule. So I have found myself kind of binge working out. Some days I'll do all of the workouts I want while other times I feel completely worn out from driving and meetings that I just don't want to do anything but eat peanut butter toast. However, I think that I've

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-90208190530650771472008-01-21T08:54:00.000-06:002008-01-21T09:03:06.305-06:00

After a bout of insomnia last night, I decided to use my lack of sleep and tiredness to get in a good swim this morning. A nice 2000m in 1:15, but I'm not really worried about time right now. I'm focusing on form and just getting back into the pool. It feels pretty good and I'm committed to working on my swim technique right now and my arm strength. I am hoping to get in 3 swim workouts this week

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-68299779993101893822008-01-12T11:43:00.000-06:002008-01-12T11:53:02.404-06:00

This week was my first week transitioning back into training. I would say it was pretty successful. I only missed two workouts, which is pretty good considering I gave myself a pretty difficult schedule.On Tuesday I got "back in the saddle" and rode my trainer for 45 minutes on Sky, my trusty road bike. This was the first time I've rode her since Ironman. She still has the IM stickers on it and I

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-5390004961298440152008-01-05T17:15:00.000-06:002008-01-05T17:19:19.793-06:00

Each off-season I make a resolution to myself to do more strength training, but have yet to find a workout that works for me. Nonetheless, I believe it to be helpful and I'm trying to figure out how I can do it without it boring me.I found this good knowledge to have when it comes to strength training:UPPER BODYUpper body exercises reduce the amount of oxygen you use when running, lowering your

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-28037460435489754852007-12-30T21:15:00.000-06:002007-12-30T21:17:04.114-06:00

I know that it is only December and winter has only been around for a couple of months, but I'm really loving it right now and I hope the love continues on into March. It stems from my newfound love of cross-country skiing. It is relaxing and a great workout at the same time! Because my feet are still not feeling 100%, I am mixing my running with skiing and I think it is adding a lot of good

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-55839054881058583892007-12-18T11:47:00.000-06:002007-12-18T12:00:50.164-06:00

On Sunday, I embarked on my first cross-country ski adventure of the winter. It was a beautiful, crisp, sunny day and my friend and I went out for a quick run on a ski trail that I hadn't been to before. Admittedly, this is the first time I have ever sought out skiing in the city, as last year I went skiing for the first time in my life and went to a beautiful area in the northern part of the

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-90571380412646078602007-12-15T21:42:00.000-06:002007-12-15T21:50:55.218-06:00

Today I did some holiday baking and knew that I had to get out into the winter wonderland that I live in. So when I got my first reminder about Saskatoon's 30th Marathon, I was reminded that I am going to do my first running race since I was in Junior High School. I have completed an Ironman, two half Ironmans, numerous other triathlons and duathlons, but I have never ran a long-distance running

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-42355069725630861112007-12-14T10:41:00.000-06:002007-12-18T12:19:57.917-06:00

So I subscribe to many online 'zines about triathlon. The one I got today from Trifuel is a really good one on racing for Ironman. I tried to transport myself to a year ago when I was starting on my training plan and thinking about what this article would have done for me. I don't honestly think I would have known what it was talking about, but now that I've been through it I can really

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-45026041225144876402007-12-13T11:36:00.000-06:002007-12-13T11:42:20.809-06:00

In yoga, balance is my biggest problem. Some days are better than others, but usually I have a hard time standing on one foot for too long. This is quite opposite from when I was a kid and the balance beam was my favorite part of gymnastics. So it really isn't surprising that I need more balance in my general life as well as in my yoga practice.Last night I went running with my friend and her

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-22295229379833600022007-12-06T22:16:00.000-06:002007-12-06T22:26:55.055-06:00

This week I spent more than 12 hours in a car driving for work. The work I did was worth it, but my body felt more than lethargic. Last night when I got home, I had to muster all of my strength just to eat some food before crawling into bed. Long days do that sometimes. I had every intention of popping right out of bed and into my running shoes, but when the alarm went off and my eyes had to open

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-23459452905131551072007-12-03T22:04:00.000-06:002007-12-03T22:12:07.129-06:00

Tonight I went to a 2-hour yoga session that my friend, Georgina, teaches. It was so so fantastic! We did a ton of partner stretching and poses, which was really awesome. It works the core, the balance, and the strength. I couldn't really do much for inversions tonight because I was having lots of issues with dizziness and blood pressure, but I did do a tripod headstand and held it, which I

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-21845161438818443392007-12-02T21:07:00.001-06:002007-12-02T21:16:09.311-06:00

Today I went for a run-walk and it felt really good. My feet feel good and my body was happy to be back into doing cardio workouts, even if the weather is a little on the chilly side (ie. -20 degrees Celsius). I love it when the frost collects on my eyelids and on my neck warmer. I wish I could get a picture of it, but it melts as soon as it hits the warm air of my house. After my run, I did some

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-46007021141001639042007-11-09T08:51:00.000-06:002007-11-09T09:04:50.148-06:00

The other day I was massaging my feet and realized that they haven't hurt in a couple of weeks. I felt the familiar pang to go running, but I know better than that. So I thought about what I could possibly do to get back into exercising. Honestly, I have little desire to get on my road bike. I have not ridden it since Ironman and I'm sure that she's kind of mad at me, but I just can't do it yet.

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-68832718706006101652007-10-31T13:00:00.000-06:002007-10-31T13:04:50.661-06:00

I have to admit that being out of the training routine has made me a bit antsy. I always have enough activities and interests to fill my time, but I am really missing getting back into my routine.My feet are healing nicely, which may in part due to the calcium supplements that my naturopath recommended (side note: liquid calcium tastes yucky!). I think I am going to take most of November off from

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-30028148713798150022007-10-12T08:50:00.000-06:002007-10-12T09:10:55.530-06:00

I honestly can't believe that it has been 7 weeks since Ironman. The time has flown by! I have spent much time with my family and friends. I've been doing yoga like nobody's business and I've been getting [almost] weekly massages and chiropractor adjustments. Between all of that, my back is feeling almost 100%! My feet, on the other hand, are not.Yesterday I saw a sport doctor about some pain

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-56314644491029525592007-09-14T11:34:00.000-06:002007-10-12T09:55:57.862-06:00

The day after Ironman was intense. I awoke at 9:30am to pain. Every molecule of my body screamed in pain, even my hair. I whispered to Luke to wake up and he asked me how I felt and I winced a smile. I hurt. A lot. Even more than I thought I would. I slowly got up and shuffled my way around the room. By the time I got dressed, Luke had already made oatmeal. It was demoralizing how slow I moved...

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-87793565224258468682007-08-31T10:36:00.000-06:002007-09-11T20:34:09.401-06:00

Ironman Canada Race Report - August 26, 2007Penticton, British Columbia, CanadaThe morning started bright and early at 4am, but it definitely wasn't bright outside. Luke made me some oatmeal while I made sure I had all of my Special Needs bags and a couple of last-minute details for my bike. The day before I had checked my bike and my transition bags, which took a lot of pressure off for the

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-41499287435658520212007-08-26T05:25:00.000-06:002007-08-26T05:30:09.020-06:00

It is 2.5 hours before the canon goes off and I'm completely ready. I had a good night's sleep. Well, mostly. It was a little restless, but for the most part it was a good one. We went to bed at 7pm, which I don't think I've done since I was a kid, except when I was sick.Today I plan to stick to my race plan and take it easy on the swim and bike, and walk up the hills and at the aid stations on

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-90096648049943298702007-08-16T13:04:00.001-06:002007-08-16T13:22:50.647-06:00

I have to admit, I'm extremely nervous. In 10 days I will be doing the race. I'm still reading "Going Long" and apparently it is normal to have doubts and feel nervous.I spent most of my 27th year of life training for this race and I hope that I don't look back on it and think it was a bad idea. Last Friday was my birthday and I had so many well-wishes for a wonderful year. Honestly, I can't wait

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-50103849369020453562007-08-01T11:04:00.000-06:002007-08-01T11:28:14.995-06:00

I honestly think that hardest part of this race is going to be the mental part. While I am pretty good at pushing myself and mentally preparing myself, this is going to be an event that is beyond anything I've done before. It's so exciting. I started re-reading the chapter of Going Long that talks about mental training. Apparently at the start of a race people either think that they have not

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-56000787769545612862007-07-29T21:14:00.000-06:002007-07-29T21:33:12.274-06:00

At 3:30 today, it was at least 30oC (close to 40 with the humidex) and the wind was strong (26 to 37km/hr), but I made sure to get on my bike and get in a ride. Ironman is less than a month away and I know that I should be tapering, but I'm not quite ready. Well, maybe I already am, but it's mostly by accident. There are many things going on with me right now and it is inhibiting my training in a

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-2368547357066398872007-07-26T15:22:00.000-06:002007-07-26T15:35:06.419-06:00

I had a rough night last night and my anxiety levels were very high. This morning I woke up feeling like I had just been hit by a bus, not unlike what Michael Rasmussen must be feeling today as he watches his fellow cyclists leave him behind. I watched the Tour de France this morning, but was vibrating the whole time. My heart-rate was elevated even though I was not spinning my legs on the bike,

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-37079228461075533442007-07-25T20:24:00.000-06:002007-07-25T20:42:13.752-06:00

I can't believe it's been over a week since my last update! There are a number of reasons for this: a 4-day weekend with no real training, the heat may have gone to my head, and the Tour de France is so controversial that I can hardly concentrate on anything at all!Last Tuesday I did my first lane swim in an outdoor pool. It felt quite fabulous and now I'm trying to make my two swims during the

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-52722448215218701982007-07-16T13:26:00.001-06:002007-07-16T13:36:36.741-06:00

Last week, I committed to myself to get in a good weekend of training hard. So I did that.On Saturday, I went swimming in the pool. I think people were surprised I was at the indoor pool rather than the outdoor pool, but the outdoor pools here don't have lane swimming (I think that this is ridiculous and would like to see it change). I didn't push it too hard because I think I've forgotten how to

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-84092536450931769012007-07-14T15:00:00.000-06:002007-07-14T16:26:39.085-06:00

Yesterday I went for a grueling long run by the river. It was so hot! It was about 31oC and felt like 36 with the humidity. It was almost unbearable. The first few kms were especially hard. I would run for a few minutes and then stop to walk. I did almost 11km in a little over an hour, which is pretty good for me on an average day, let alone a really hot one. I drank gatorade with my new fuel

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-15503525182624829702007-07-11T09:55:00.001-06:002007-07-11T10:26:53.896-06:00

Last week was my recovery week from the Half IM and I have to admit that I loved every minute of it! I slept in, went for walks, and biked slowly to work. I went to a concert and I watched movies with my family. It was glorious!At the same time, I feel even more inspired to continue the building period of my training. So this week has been about getting back into the swing of training. It's funny

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-53163623886251158862007-07-04T11:45:00.000-06:002007-07-10T14:22:37.556-06:00

Two years ago I embarked on the Half Iron(wo)man in Stony Plain because it was recommended to me by my training partner and friend, Maybel. We did the race and I had a blast. It was my first long-distance triathlon and was by far the hardest triathlon I had ever done. It was at this race that the idea of a full Iron(wo)man popped into my head. Maybel had done Ironman Canada and she is one of

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-27804369653379529172007-06-25T09:39:00.000-06:002007-06-25T10:39:05.251-06:00

I know it has been almost a month since my last update. There really is no excuse. However, I guess it could be seen as I've been training more than putting time into the internet... and I have. I have been in emotional turmoil about the upcoming Iron(wo)man and considered dropping out. Not because I couldn't do it, but because of the anxiety that I have felt surrounding it. Alas, I decided to

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-70332814433551407792007-05-29T16:01:00.000-06:002007-05-29T16:14:18.450-06:00

Friday night I was lame. All of my friends were out dancing and I was at home sulking at the fact that I was getting up at 6am to go riding. I love it and hate it at the same time. On Saturday morning at 6:30am there is almost no traffic, the sun was shining, the air was a little nippy, but it felt good. I did a good 70km at a good pace:Distance: 69.65kmTime: 2:46:47Avg speed: 25.1km/hrMax:

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-63288482653121334052007-05-23T10:28:00.000-06:002007-05-23T10:36:46.556-06:00

In Penticton, the wind is a prairie myth. On the prairies, it can be a cyclists best friend or worst nightmare. Yesterday, it was a little of both. That's what a cross- to head-wind can be. As I cycled out to meet my friend (thank goodness for Heather as my motivator!), I couldn't help but think about how painful it was. After back-to-back runs Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, my thighs were

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-12876881305940553352007-05-22T09:42:00.000-06:002007-05-22T10:58:26.175-06:00

I find that balancing my home life with my work life with my training life to be the most difficult part of training. It is a kind of training in itself. This weekend was a long weekend and I had big plans of a long road ride and a long run. Well, I guess 1 of 2 is good. It probably just wasn't the right "one." I went for a longish run yesterday (Monday):9 minutes running:1 minute walking for 8km

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-33914936795650256012007-05-17T09:46:00.000-06:002007-05-17T11:01:02.002-06:00

Training inside on the trainer is like torture to me. I feel lethargic and I don't really care. I find it hard to do intervals because I have no incentive. There's no downhill, there's no wind at my back.Thank goodness for outdoor training!!! This weekend I hope to get in a good 60 to 80km ride. For the past couple of Tuesdays I've been doing some hills on Highway #5 because it feels so good. I

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-67567299422813916112007-05-14T16:46:00.000-06:002007-05-14T16:53:21.086-06:00

The holidays were great for my mind and soul, but bad for my training. It comes as no surprise, really. So last week I started getting back into it with some walk-runs and short bike rides. This week is building on that and next week I will be in full swing. Here is what it looked like:Monday: short run-walk, bike to workTuesday: 4km run-walk, bike to work + 40km bike rideThursday: 5km run-walk,

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-11836894279682385262007-04-17T13:14:00.000-06:002007-04-17T13:36:58.458-06:00

I can't believe it has been so long since I updated. Sometimes blogging just slips my mind.Easter weekend was basically a write-off. Between family, moving, and relaxing, training was minimal. I did do a lot of lifting and reaching - I'm sure that can be counted as weight training. I did go on some long walks with my partner and my family's dog, but it was really cold that weekend and it was

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-78785041778232658332007-04-03T14:21:00.000-06:002007-04-03T16:06:43.743-06:00

For the past three or four years, I have wanted to run the Saskatoon marathon. For a mish-mash of reasons, it has not happened. One year I had a stress fracture in my foot, one year I chose mountain biking over running (which I will do most days of the week), and other various reasons. However, I have decided that this is my year. The run of Ironman scares me the most, so I figure why not curb

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-39961176704243203952007-03-28T13:44:00.000-06:002007-03-28T13:48:58.553-06:00

Tuesday I was out of town for work, so I knew that I had to get a workout in before we left at 7:30am. I woke up at 6:09 and was out the door by 6:15. It wasn't the best for my performance, but I just wanted to get it in. I got in a good 30 minute workout. It felt great to be out in the fresh air and I'm glad I did because the weather has taken a turn to being really wet. Wet rain and snow has

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1173333320782685242007-03-26T11:24:00.000-06:002007-03-28T14:19:21.497-06:00

This Saturday I did a very sprint triathlon. It was a 500m swim in the pool, 8km on the bike, and 3km on the track - no transitions. Overall it was great, but I really noticed how different it feels to do short distances as opposed to long-distance training. It's funny because I felt like I was hitting my stride at about lap 8 of the swim, the last kilometre of the bike, and about lap 11 of the

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-76545036845007386382007-03-23T10:30:00.000-06:002007-03-23T10:39:54.029-06:00

Last night I had an event for work, which included supper. The staff did "all right" accommodating for me. However, think of this scenario:A room full of "the good ol' boys" club of agrologists (ie. fairly conservative farms who all have trucks and absolutely LOVE their Canadian beef) mingling with alcohol and talk of the disappearing family farm. The announcer then asks the TWO people who

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-85633707477437668802007-03-22T10:13:00.000-06:002007-03-22T10:23:51.919-06:00

This morning I went for a good half hour run along the river. It felt great, like I hadn't missed 3 weeks! My base must be really great for me to just be able to do 3 km in half an hour. My lungs now feel completely oxygenated and my mind is completely clear. I'm ready to get working!On my run, I realized how wonderful it is to run in the light. Dawn was just breaking when I headed out and the

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-71482795586008231092007-03-21T10:21:00.000-06:002007-03-21T10:38:27.625-06:00

Getting back into training is really hard on my body. I never really realized it before. I guess it's because I don't usually stop training once I start, but two colds in the last 3 months have really kicked my butt. So I'm really trying to get back into biking to work everyday, training on top of that, working hard at work, and having an active social life. I have come to realize that I may

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-67011390785415600522007-03-20T09:46:00.000-06:002007-03-20T10:09:54.396-06:00

Last night I biked a good 45 minutes after work on my way home in a round-about way. It was good, but I was exhausted by the time we got home. This boded well for L and my new leaf of going to bed early. Sure enough, I was sleeping by about 9:30!This morning I did some VO2 Max testing at the University. I signed up to be part of a study of female vegetarians, partially so that I could help out

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-90999285929566893902007-03-19T15:37:00.000-06:002007-03-19T15:53:21.829-06:00

Here is my racing schedule for the 2007 summer (italics mean "tentative," bold means "confirmed"):March 24 - Indoorman in Saskatoon, U of S Tri ClubMay 13 - Regina Beach MTB race in ReginaMay 27 - Saskatoon Marathon in Saskatoon, Saskatoon Road RunnersJune 3 - Moe's Triathlon in Saskatoon, Bike DoctorJune 10 - Prince Albert MTB race in Prince Albert, Fresh Air ExperienceJune 17 - Spin Off Spadina

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-8503027245272017082007-03-19T15:23:00.000-06:002007-03-26T11:24:01.833-06:00

As my lack of posting confirms, my training has been sparse these days. I got sick again and it took another two weeks to get over. Now that I'm back to 100%, I'm back in the pool and back on the bike. It's taking a bit longer to get back into running for no real reason.This week I'm hoping to be back to 100% training. I was looking at my races coming up for the season. I have a busy summer ahead

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-25673806701527317282007-02-22T13:54:00.000-06:002007-02-22T14:22:31.625-06:00

After a couple of weeks of being on the road, I am finally settling back into my training rhythm. I've been swimming twice a week, about 3500m in 1 hour and 15 minutes, with the Masters' swim club. I have not gotten any heartburn since I started swimming in the morning. It must be an evening thing.I've been trying to bike to work as much as my schedule will allow it. On Tuesday I biked with the

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-41535207842368720422007-02-13T14:04:00.000-06:002007-03-19T16:25:16.360-06:00

I am really starting to get back into training, which means that I'll be updating more often from now on. Last week, I was on the road with work. Luckily, there was a gym in the hotel I was staying at so I worked out every day I was there. I didn't do a lot, but it was better than nothing!On Saturday, I did an hour on my trainer at home while watching some Sex and the City. I'm hoping to

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-54545055142630500202007-02-03T19:19:00.000-06:002007-02-03T19:30:35.054-06:00

On Tuesday I went for a quick 4km run and did it in under half an hour. That is about race-pace for me at this time. It felt good and I felt great.This week has been brutal for traveling for work, thus making training very difficult. However, with the help of my new special friend, I have been pushing through.On Friday, I hit the pool for my second swim workout of the week. We focused a lot on

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-57109786542780988552007-01-29T08:22:00.000-06:002007-01-29T09:04:05.511-06:00

It felt so good this morning to hit the pool. Last night I made a pitiful attempt at biking. Motivation was not there and I couldn't find my headset so I couldn't talk on the phone, plus I ran out of time. So I did half an hour on the bike. I did get my heart-rate up a bit, so that was good.This morning I was up bright and early at 6:00 and swam with the Masters swim club. It always feels so good

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1169746937792494002007-01-25T11:37:00.000-06:002007-01-25T11:42:17.803-06:00

So now I'm healthy in the sinus/lungs department, but I irritated my achilles heel dancing like a crazy person at a concert I went to (I considered it a workout!). On the advise of my coach, I am holding back on training because a small problem with an achilles can turn into a big one. I am so antsy to get out running and biking, but I am holding tight and enjoying the extra time I have right now

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1169513990497279902007-01-22T18:50:00.000-06:002007-01-22T18:59:50.506-06:00

A mere two days ago, I ran 3km at a snails pace and felt terrible. It was my first run since being healthy again. Compare that to tonight, when I went for a 6km run in 45 minutes. I felt great from the very beginning. The temperature was perfect at -4 degrees C and the sun was just starting to set. I think it was a mind-set thing. I had a short day at work and it felt very spring-like as I walked

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1169332261675714352007-01-20T16:27:00.000-06:002007-01-20T16:31:01.686-06:00

After being sick for over two weeks, I did my first outdoor activity today: I ran. It wasn't very long or far, but it sure felt good. It's nice to use my legs again and get my heart pumping and the sweat flowing. Tomorrow I'm going to swim and go bike riding, but I think I'm going to skip running. I'm going to skip running because I went dancing the other night and I strained my achilles. It is

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1168219249507305142007-01-07T19:15:00.000-06:002007-01-07T19:20:49.516-06:00

I really have nothing to report. I have been sick since Wednesday night. I caught a chest cold and have decided not to train until I have recovered 100%. Last year a friend of mine trained through a chest cold and it developed into pneumonia. She was out the whole season. So I'm erring on the side of caution. Plus, my left foot has really been bugging me. I went to the chiropractor and he said

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1167676251607483792007-01-01T12:26:00.000-06:002007-01-01T12:48:38.026-06:00

2007 is definitely going to be one for the books with Ironman, marathon, biking, and lots of training! I'm excited to train hard and be prepared for this year's triathlon season.This morning I went on my new year ritual run solo-style. It felt good running today. I really like new beginnings and I look forward to this year being a good one. Last night I kind of had a crap time, but I came home

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1167517070619181532006-12-30T16:11:00.000-06:002006-12-30T16:18:20.383-06:00

I started my bike workout today thinking it would be a piece of cake. 1 hour?! No problem! However, about halfway through the workout, my legs were really fatigued. "What is going on?" I asked myself. Then I remembered that I haven't even been on a bike in a week. A whole week! Usually I am on a bike at least twice a day. Usually more. But once a year I am forced to take time away from my bikes

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1167435021196189452006-12-29T17:06:00.000-06:002006-12-29T17:30:21.206-06:00

I thought that I would do a lot less training over the holidays than I did, but it still wasn't very much. On Boxing Day I went on a 6-mile run. It was one of the best runs in the past little while. I was at my parent's farm in middle-of-nowhere Saskatchewan and my dad suggested I do a run "around the block." In Saskatchewan, the gravel roads are set up in a grid with 2 miles between them. So it

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1166753622173351482006-12-21T20:09:00.000-06:002006-12-21T20:13:42.183-06:00

Yesterday was my day off. My hamstrings were still a bit sore, so that was good. I didn't do a lot of anything, except walking around trying to get Christmas shopping done. This is what I have found to be most difficult: juggling work, training, AND getting ready for Christmas. Really, it's ridiculous! I'm so exhausted and I'm not even training as hard as I could/should be.So I took this morning

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1166564479384523162006-12-19T15:31:00.000-06:002006-12-19T15:42:28.266-06:00

I wimped out yesterday. Yep, I did.I did yoga in the morning, but was so extremely tired after work that I could NOT make myself get on the bike. It really didn't help that I had a brutal commute home and was almost hit twice and had a verbal altercation with a guy driving a huge van. So I was emotionally and physically spent.My hamstrings are so sore. As I was running on the treadmill at work

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1166409313007250072006-12-17T20:17:00.000-06:002006-12-17T20:35:13.016-06:00

Today I did everything I wanted to in the way of training. I feel so accomplished!This morning I got up bright and early and hit the pool. I did a solid 2500 yards (2286 metres) in the pool. I just did intervals of 500 with a 250 warm-up and 250 cool-down. Simple and easy is the way for me.This afternoon, we had a killer run session with the tri club. 26 second 100 metre intervals that went like

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1166327548579549462006-12-16T21:49:00.000-06:002006-12-16T22:47:19.236-06:00

So my inspiration came at about 8:30pm, but I took it. I got on my bike more out of boredom than an actual want to train. I suppose my results won't be as good as if I was actually inspired, but at this point I'll take all I can get!Total time: 1:10 (ie. 2 episodes of Sex and the City, Season Six Part 2)In zone: 0:56:47Average HR: 143 bpmNow I'll do some core and push-ups and I'm going to go for

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1166310896063643932006-12-16T17:05:00.000-06:002006-12-16T17:14:56.073-06:00

The past few days have been pretty sketchy in the way of training. Between feeling a little blue about a friend dying, our staff Christmas party, really uncooperative training, and sleeping poorly, I just have not really felt like training. Last night I biked for about half an hour on my trainer and I did some yoga yesterday. This morning, I slept in and it was snowing so I didn't even run! I'm

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1165983116663817122006-12-12T21:59:00.000-06:002006-12-12T22:11:56.673-06:00

Wow, I haven't updated for a few days. It's been an emotional little while with a loss of a friend. However, I've still been training.On Saturday, I did my first long run in a really long time. I ran with a couple of friends for a 12km run. It felt good, but hard at the same time. My left ankle started hurting about 10km in for no real reason. It is totally fine now, so I don't know what the deal

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1165497862843716982006-12-07T07:22:00.000-06:002006-12-07T07:24:22.856-06:00

Yesterday, I had a day off of training. My body needed that so much. My legs were pretty sore and my muscles needed some time to recover. I love having my recovery day on Wednesdays. It's like in the middle of the week, I have the whole day to myself. Back to the grind today, though. A good swim tonight!

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1165379831085995162006-12-05T22:25:00.000-06:002006-12-05T22:37:11.096-06:00

Today I had a heavy day of training. At lunch, I ran 40 minutes and just over 3 miles (our treadmill is in miles for some reason) and did intervals within that. It felt good, but kind of boring. I really need to get a poster to put up in front of the treadmill. Maybe I could learn a language or something. Our treadmill is in the middle of the office and everyone is amazed at my training and such.

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1165286354747102402006-12-04T20:28:00.000-06:002006-12-04T20:39:14.756-06:00

If this "saying" is true, then I just felt a whole lot of truth. This week is Testing Week! And everybody loves tests, right? Actually it wasn't that bad, which makes me think I should have pushed harder. A kudos goes out to my roomate for being my timer. This is to test my HR, I believe. So I went 8 minutes as hard as I could and at each minute, I told my timer what my HR was. It went like this:

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1165197907597091982006-12-03T19:46:00.000-06:002006-12-03T20:05:07.610-06:00

So my mantra for the next little is going to be "in pain there is truth." At least, it will be until another one comes along. I have it written in red, capital letters on a card that I put in front of me when I'm biking.Today I started off my day with my first swim in weeks. It has been almost a month since I dipped myself in chlorinated water. I got a new Sugoi poly Turbo Swim Racer swimsuit, so

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1165117261050523222006-12-02T21:32:00.000-06:002006-12-02T21:41:01.066-06:00

It's true. It is confession time.I love to watch The O.C. It is my guilty pleasure. I don't even watch t.v. normally, but I have been addicted to this show for many years now and since it doesn't hurt me that much, I accept it as a weakness. So what does this have to do with training?I find it really hard to gear myself up to get on my bike trainer. REALLY HARD. I hate biking in one spot and not

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1164773213116550882006-11-28T21:59:00.000-06:002006-11-28T22:06:53.126-06:00

Today I ran on the treadmill for the second day in a row and have decided that I've got to get a motivational poster to put up on the wall in front of it. I remember going to the gym for the first time and thinking that the t.v.s were stupid up on the walls in front of the treadmills. Now I know why: when there is nothing to do except look at the clock and analyze how many calories you've burned

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1164730686756934652006-11-28T10:09:00.000-06:002006-11-28T10:18:06.773-06:00

Generally I hate treadmills. I dislike running in one spot. However, it sure does beat running outside in -20 oC weather in a snowstorm. So that's what I've been doing the last little while. Yesterday I did 30 minutes on it and today I'm doing some sort of fitness testing that my coach has set up for me. We have a treadmill in the office and it's pretty slick. I don't even have to go anywhere to

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1164597776246310352006-11-26T21:17:00.000-06:002006-11-26T21:22:56.256-06:00

Sometimes I have no problem actually doing something, but get hung up on the details of it. Biking on my wind trainer is one of those details. I just got a computer that measures cadence and distance on the back wheel, but I have not put it on. So before today, I had not put my bike on the trainer because I was waiting to do this bike computer thing. It's a motivation issue. I started looking

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1164078023999478792006-11-20T20:52:00.000-06:002006-11-20T21:00:24.190-06:00

So I have been biking to and from work, but I haven't hit the pool in a couple of weeks. I need a new swimsuit and I don't want to use my other one. It's not so much about looks as much as it is about logistics and comfort. However, I've been running a lot. In fact, it's what is keeping me going.I ran everyday from Thursday to Sunday. Thursday and Friday were short runs that I could barely fit

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1163558294859358422006-11-14T20:29:00.000-06:002006-11-14T20:38:14.873-06:00

This morning I awoke to a blizzard for my Tuesday run. Well, maybe not a blizzard, but a snowstorm for sure. This is the second week in a row that we've gotten dumped on by the snow gods. I have to admit that I don't always love the snow or the winter, but most days I at least tolerate it. So I got up and perservered through the snow drifts and had myself a little run. It was extremely short, but

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1163480087014194102006-11-13T22:30:00.000-06:002006-11-13T22:54:47.026-06:00

This morning I didn't lift weights and tonight I didn't go swimming. There are scheduling issues that I'm trying to work out... not to mention motivation issues. Also, there is a snow storm that is hindering my love of cycling outdoors.So I called my coach. I have been kind of "beside myself" lately with my lack of motivation and scheduling difficulties. However, she was great. My training is

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1163351625342289982006-11-12T10:48:00.000-06:002006-11-12T11:13:45.360-06:00

Today I FINALLY went for a longerish run (that's a technical term, longerish) of 8.76km with a friend of mine. Motivation levels are definitely not where I would like them to be. My excuses: it's cold out, it's dark, and I really like being at home. Well, maybe those are more like reasons than excuses. However, I've recommitted to myself that day-by-day, week-by-week, I am going to get into

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1162985366328323312006-11-08T05:24:00.000-06:002006-11-08T05:29:26.346-06:00

The past couple of days have been difficult, logistically, to working out. With freezing rain yesterday and the snow coming down today, it is difficult to get to where I need to go. Not to mention I fell off my bike twice yesterday on the very slippery roads and I was extremely lucky to not have been killed by a car. So last night after work I went to my chiropractor. He told me to take last

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1162776420962793412006-11-05T19:21:00.000-06:002006-11-05T19:27:00.976-06:00

Every year at the beginning of cycling season, I spend a couple of weeks with a sore neck and frequent trips to the chiropractor (actually, the chiro thing just started this year). Today's ride has really messed up my neck. How do I know that my neck is messed up? There is one sure-fire way of knowing that my neck is sore: headaches. I'm not usually a person that takes painkillers, but when it

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1162766206066792882006-11-05T16:31:00.000-06:002006-11-05T16:36:46.076-06:00

I feel like I robbed winter today. It was +3C this morning, so I had to get out on my bike. It was so great! I thought that I had my last outdoor ride a few weeks ago, but today was awesome. I came home with frozen toes, oxygenated lungs, and super sweaty. It. was. so. good.There was a tail-wind on my way out of town, so I got kicked coming back. That's all right, though, because I just had a

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1162655478447517562006-11-04T09:42:00.000-06:002006-11-04T09:51:18.456-06:00

I started my new job on Thursday and I think it is going to be a challenge to do all of my workouts. However, the meeting with my coach was really good and between the two of us, we should be able to figure out how to make it all work. We are going to do monthly "tests" that measure my progress. She said that'll help with motivation instead of a race that is almost 10 months away. I like the idea

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1162403280371049142006-11-01T10:32:00.000-06:002006-11-01T11:48:00.386-06:00

Last night I went to the triathlon club's spin session, after missing it two weeks in a row. It was a pretty good session. I didn't sweat nearly as much as I could have, but it's all right. My right calf muscle was borderline cramping up on me and it did not feel good. I'm not sure what the deal is. It feels like most of the time, but every once in a while I can feel the top of the muscle being

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1162308808914721592006-10-31T09:18:00.000-06:002006-10-31T09:33:28.936-06:00

I have to say... yesterday was a crap-shoot in terms of training. After such a great day of training on Sunday, my legs were tired and my energy was low. After a long day of being on my feet at work, the last thing I wanted to do was train. So I didn't. The guilt I felt was not what I would like to feel often in the next few months leading up to Ironman. I think there needs to be some leeway in

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1162181076728212592006-10-29T21:09:00.000-06:002006-10-29T22:04:36.740-06:00

Tonight at running, we did a lot of short intervals. It was hard, but good. And I didn't even feel like I was going to throw up!It helped that I ate some good food before I went. I also had a smoothie which helped with keeping my intensity. My smoothies include soy milk, frozen berries, hemp seed, and frozen bananas. So good! I love the smoothie train.So tonight, we did 4 sets that went like

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1162148684275533422006-10-29T12:48:00.000-06:002006-10-29T13:04:44.286-06:00

Yesterday, I did what I am considering these days as a "long" run. An easy pace for 8.75km along the river. The run started out kind of painfully. My shoulders were tight and my glutes were screaming at me. It must be residual from Tuesdays painful run. After I did a thorough dynamic warm-up and took it easy for the first kilometre or so, I settled in. I haven't went on a longish run like that in

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1161985948609594132006-10-27T15:29:00.000-06:002006-10-27T15:52:58.436-06:00

Settling into a routine is key in training this far in advance for one race. The pot of gold at the end of this very long rainbow is hard to see, so it's important to incorporate the workouts into my daily life.Lately, I've been having a hard time settling into this routine. It's mostly because of my hectic and chaotic life at the moment. Working shifts and trying to fit in workouts is fairly

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1161929272550566342006-10-27T00:04:00.000-06:002006-10-27T00:07:52.563-06:00

It would be really great if we could just get along. Cooperation will get us a long way and right now we're not cooperating very well. I understand that you're a little sore and I can give a little leeway, but soon you're going to have to keep up with me. Especially if we're going to do Ironman in under 13 hours.Tonight at swimming, you were definitely performing better than in the recent past.

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1161821374587047282006-10-25T17:56:00.000-06:002006-10-25T18:09:34.606-06:00

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness... an athlete's enemy. I have been plagued by DOMS ever since Sunday, but I have walked, run, biked, stretched, and swam through the pain. I actually think that it has helped. On Monday I was pretty sore, but I did yoga in the morning, worked all day, and still managed to swim over 3000m at our coached swim session that night. However, I ended up with a headache at

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1161577828924754292006-10-22T22:23:00.000-06:002006-10-22T22:30:28.933-06:00

Today was my first workout in over a week. I had a coached running session with the triathlon club. I thought that it would be no problem because I could go at my own pace, which I mostly did. However, the workout was really hard. We did a circuit session with a 200m sprint in between. The exercises we did were split jumps, push-ups, crunches, back extensions, and toe hops. This is how it worked.

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1161275700045390902006-10-19T10:02:00.000-06:002006-10-19T10:35:00.056-06:00

A week has gone by and I have barely trained. Sometimes life just gets in the way, making it difficult to train. This was one of those weeks. However, I should be back to training by the weekend.This weekend is the Kona Ironman. Grant Bryden, Saskatoon's most popular triathlete currently, is down there with his IronMATE Shannon Bews. They are posting blogs on STCI's bulletin board. Check it out.

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1160721277050560762006-10-13T00:23:00.000-06:002006-10-13T00:34:37.060-06:00

While Wednesday was technically an "off" day for me, I ended up biking about 15 kilometres commuting, so I'll count that as a light bike workout. :o)This morning I did a 5km run with some short intervals in the middle. It felt good to get back to running after not running for about a week. Tonight was a late-night swim session with the Tri Club and it was pretty good:200 warmup4 x 50m, kick/swim4

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1160539990715185332006-10-10T22:03:00.000-06:002006-10-10T22:13:10.730-06:00

After a fairly sedentary weekend (but I think hauling wood for a fire counts as lifting weights, right?), I had a couple of good biking days. Normally I wouldn't bike two days in a row, but I could not resist. Yesterday we got back fairly early from our weekend up north and the sun was shining and the road was calling my name. It is probably my last outdoor road bike ride before the snow flies,

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1160182672157906412006-10-06T18:55:00.000-06:002006-10-06T18:57:52.166-06:00

This morning I did some yoga before hitting the gym. I did a few light sets of the same workout from Monday. I felt really good. After that, I did a good core workout and tried out the ball. I kept on falling off, which was really embarassing. So I gave up and just did some planks. All-in-all, a great workout. The muscles felt good, good energy, but I forgot my music and they played the Grease

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1160100462917620122006-10-05T20:02:00.000-06:002006-10-05T20:07:42.936-06:00

I feel like when I go for bike rides, I'm racing with the sun to see who gets home before who. Tonight, the sun won. It really is dangerous to bike after dark, so I try to avoid it, but it gets dark by 7:00. So I try to go faster and faster so that I can get in a little bike ride before the snow starts to fly instead of the leaves.Distance: 26.82kmRide time: 1:01:49Average speed: 26.03km/hrMax

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1160012886313109002006-10-04T19:45:00.000-06:002006-10-04T19:48:06.326-06:00

While I'm not scheduled to take a day off today, I'm going to. I have what feels like the beginning of an earache and/or infection, which is causing me to have a bit of a head achiness that I would like to go away as soon as possible. Also, today was a bit stressful in my life, so I'd rather take it easy. Plus, I'm going to see Kinnie Star tonight!

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1159936461435712312006-10-03T22:24:00.000-06:002006-10-03T22:34:21.446-06:00

Before I becamse vegan, I used to have chronic heartburn. I think it had a lot to do with my being lactose intolerant, more than anything else. When I went vegan, my heartburn pretty much went away. I rarely get it unless I've eaten a lot of greasy foods in combination with inactivity or some other very rare circumstances. So whenever I get heartburn, I can't help but wonder what the cause of

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31872294.post-1159935630422988032006-10-03T22:02:00.000-06:002006-10-03T22:20:30.453-06:00

Today, I slept in due to staying up after the late-night swim last night. I worked all day, which is a workout in itself. Anyone who has served in a busy restaurant knows that being on one's feet all day is definitely some kind of workout. My chiropractor concurs. I went and there was definitely some issues with my upper back and neck, as always. My neck is constantly in need of adjustment.

Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285796298533056875noreply@blogger.com0