Just another day of training

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 or how far you've run, you can become quite crazy. It was really really difficult not to look at the clock constantly. So instead I zoned into my legs. I basically just analyzed how each leg felt as it hit the conveyer belt. I tried to keep my steps light, my upper body straight, and my pelvis level. It was actually pretty effective. That is why I don't use treadmills at the gym. So I did 35 mintues in total, with 25 minutes of intervals: 2 minutes at a higher heart-rate (150-160bpm) and 3 minutes at 130-150bpm. With 5 minutes to warm-up and cool down. Oh yeah, and I kept the incline at 4.0.

Tonight my coach schedule me an hour and a half on the bike, but I did 1:10 and then did some core and some push-ups. I did 10 full-length push-ups at one time. It was awesome! The last couple were shakey, but I still did them! All-in-all, a very productive workout day.

Treadmills

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 run! I bring clothes to work and leave them here for the week. It actually works out pretty well.

Mental block

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 around on the internet for videos on spinning intervals and asked my coach about it. Eventually I called her to talk about it and we talked about how it doesn't matter if I don't do every workout she gives me and that it's just important to get through the winter doing SOMETHING. With it being -20oC outside, winter is here to stay.

So while we were talking about the issues around this, I got my bike on the trainer, changed into my bike clothes, and started spinning. I spun for 60 minutes at a 130BPM heart-rate (I just got my heart-rate monitor working again too). I am so glad that I have such a great coach & friend who will spin with me while talking on the phone for 40 minutes. THAT, dear readers, is why I have a coach.


And stay tuned for bike workouts coming up!

I just kept on running...

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 into my busy full-time life. On Saturday, I decided that I wanted to take "the plunge" and break 10km. So I did. It was slow-going and my ankle started to hurt at the end. That is always the first sign that I need new shoes, so I might go tomorrow and pick some up. Then yesterday, on Sunday I went to the tri club's coached session. After a good warm-up, including some accels, I did 2 sets of 4x400m at 26 second 100s. Then we did our hurdle workout, which was so hard. My hamstrings and glutes are super sore, so I did some yoga this morning to stretch it out.

Biking outside has been extremely fun because it's so warm! I mean, right now it's 0 degrees C... that means that biking to work has been a treat instead of a burden. In a way I kind of hope it stays like this. I still haven't put my bike on the trainer... I'm basically avoiding it because I hate it so much, but I definitely have to change my attitude towards it. I have to LEARN to love it!

Tomorrow I wanted to bike with the tri club, but I have a meeting. So I'll try to get the bike on the trainer tonight so that it's ready to go tomorrow after the meeting. Fun times will be had... I hope!

Training in Saskatchewan isn't always easy, but it is often innovative!

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 I assure you that I worked my butt off for every single step. No roads were cleared, the sidewalks were snowed in, and the city was dark. While it was really hard and I was sweating a lot, I enjoyed every second of it.

Tonight I was supposed to go to the bike session, but in a whirlwind of leaving the house late I forgot many items necessary to do a spin class (like a water bottle and a towel), so instead of suffering through, I decided to just keep biking outside. It's still snowing and the wind is blowing hard from the NorthWest, but for some reason I'm loving the power that is Mother Nature right now. So I biked as hard as I could through the snow drifts and on the roads and paths. I did a good 40 minute bike ride around my area before I made myself home and could FINALLY have a nice, big glass of water.

I will be the first to admit that training in the winter in Saskatchewan isn't always easy or enjoyable, but it is challenging and sometimes just requires a little bit of imagination and innovation to make it work. Tomorrow is my day off from training. I hope to get my heart-rate monitor going, and my bike computer on my bike and onto the trainer. I'm also thinking about playing badminton again. It would be a nice cross-training sport for the winter.

My coach is awesome!

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 not imperative right now and I have lots of time to get the kinks worked out. In later months, I will definitely have to put in my time, but for now enjoying the workouts and getting a schedule that works for me.

But one thing that IS working for me is yoga!!! Wow, thank goodness for yoga. I'm still sore from badminton and it's because of yoga that I'm not walking with a limp. Not only that, but it grounds me in the day. I start my day and week off in a positive manner and that, to me, is the best thing I could do for myself.

Also, even though I'm not training as much as I could be, I'm still biking everywhere and running 3 times a week. So I still have a good fitness base.

Cold runnings

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 training more.

The other day I found all of the parts to my heart-rate monitor. All I need to do is change the battery in the watch and I'll be set to do some testing with my coach. The testing that we do will definitely help to keep me motivated. I love being competitive with myself.

On Friday, I used muscles by playing badminton that I never use in training for triathlons. I'm not sure if it's beneficial or not, but it sure was fun. I used to play competitively, so when I was challenged I had to take the challenge. The next day I could hardly walk. The main areas of soreness: butt, back, abs, calves, arm, shoulder, and neck. There is so much twisting, lunging, and side-to-side motion in badminton that is just not present in swimming, biking, or running. Triathlon is very "up-and-down" whereas badminton is very side-to-side. It was good, but now I'm super sore. I wonder if this would be good to incorporate into my cross-training... I'm not even sure that I need cross-training, but it might be fun to go and play badminton on Friday nights. I'll have to think about that.

Honestly, I think the only thing that kept me going the past couple of days is yoga. Without it, I think I would be in bed, unable to move. Instead, I stretch and do some breathing exercises and I feel way better. I can feel my body recovering faster from workouts because of it. I'm loving being a yogi triathlete.

Today's run was pretty good. It wasn't super cold out (the other day it was -25!!!), only around -11 degrees. The ground was a little slippery and I think I'm going to get those plastic spikes to put on the bottom of my running shoes. Last year I was pretty envious of the people who had them and I kept thinking "When I can afford those, I'm totally getting some!" and now I can! So I'm going to pick some up in the next couple of weeks. Last year I fell a couple of times on the snow and ice, so it'll be good to have a plan.

This week, I'm onto my coach's training plan. I still have to get some things in order: the bike computer on my bike (it measures cadence), my HR monitor, my wind trainer needs to come out of storage, cleats for my running shoes, and starting to use the gym near my work for workouts.

Icey

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 night and today off. Done and done! My lower back is really sore from previous injuries that got inflamed from biking on Sunday. Today I have to spend many hours in the car for work (should be fun with the snow), but I will have to stretch frequently.

On Monday, I went for a good little 4km run and it felt great. Easy as pie. This is a good sign for me. I'll up the ani a bit either this weekend or next weekend and start doing some longer runs (in the 10-12km range). By the end of December I hope to be up to 20km. It's not unrealistic I think.

Also, I'm looking into working out at the gym near my work. I think that is the best way to ensure that I workout. I also may switch my swim times from night with the triathlon club to mornings with the Master's Swim Club. Decisions, decisions.

A pain in the neck!

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 comes to neck-related headaches, I don't really see the point in prolonging the pain. I've been stretching and trying to relax my neck muscles, but the headache is persisting and making my evening and football team's victory seem sub-par. The problem is that it isn't just the muscles, it's the "junk" in the neck that gets inflamed when I spend an extended period of time in my aero-bars, ie. on any ride over 15 minutes. So tonight I'll be babying my neck and trying to stay away from bright lights and loud music, which shouldn't be too hard to avoid on a Sunday night. I'll be seeing my chiro on Tuesday [he doesn't work on Mondays].

Biking outdoors in November?!?

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 fantastic time. It took me about 10km to get my legs going, but after that it was gravy. However, with that ride, I've decided to skip my running session. My legs are just a little too tired. Plus, I have a report to finish for my old boss.

In summary...
Distance: 34.84 km
Ride time: 1:31:14
Avg speed: 23 km/hr
Max speed: 41. 1km/hr

Tonight I'm going to hook up my new bike computer that measures cadence. I'll put my old computer on my mountain bike. Things never stay the same.

New job, new schedule

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 because I'm very goal-oriented and it will be good to see progress every few weeks.

Yesterday morning I did a 4.8km run. It felt really good and by the end of it, I had the feeling that I could run forever. However, my schedule is all over the place and I'm not even supposed to run on Fridays so that I can do a long run on Saturday. However, it just didn't work out this week. So after I run around the restaurant all day, I'll pick it up on my trainer tonight for an hour or so at an even pace. This weekend is my weekend to organize stuff, but all I want to do is sleep. Perhaps a bit of both will ensue.

Spinning my wheels

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 really tight. I stretch all of the time, so hopefully it gets worked out.

Our session went like this:
~ 2 reps of spin-ups... spinning fast and then settling in at a high cadence for 1 minute
~ 2 x 3 reps of 3-minute intervals at Zone 3 heart-rate, 2 minutes rest in between the intervals, 5 minutes rest in between sets
~ stretching and abs

It was a pretty good workout. I will try harder to sweat more next week.

The road to Ironman is long and winding...

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 letting me bail from training. Maybe a couple "get out of jail" free cards a week. Or better yet, a realistic schedule. I am meeting with my coach on Wednesday, so I will talk to her about it. Also, I know that I need to set my Ironman a little higher on my priority list. The hard part of training for Ironman isn't just the physical part, it's the commitment part; one must give up certain things in order to train. So I've decided that I won't go to any shows that fall on a weeknight, that includes Sunday.

That being said, this morning I went for a stellar run! A 4.8km run with some sprint intervals in there. It felt good, even if the wind was fairly cold on my face. This morning it is -8oC and a pretty strong 17km/hr wind, making the windchill -15. Winter is here, my friends, and it's only going to get colder. While I'm not always "for" cold, I definitely like the crispness of the air in the morning, as the sun starts peaking over the horizon. Ahhh, winter. There's nothing quite like it.

Kicking it up a notch!

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 this:
5 x 200m in 26 seconds, 26 second rest
5 minute rest between sets

It was good to remember what it's like to be consistent and find a rhythm that works well. We kept the intensity up and our group even did our last 200s in 25 seconds. While I think that this work is a little "exact" to be doing for triathlons, it really helps with form and finding a rhythm. It also helps to work on form. Apparently triathletes are known for their poor form. I'm definitely working on mine and these workouts will definitely help. My coach used to be a hurdler here, so he is all about form. While some people think that he's too intense and too hard on us, I think that we are lucky to have him coaching our club.

Workout ratings:
Energy level: 9/10
Skills worked on: 8/10
Fun level: 9/10
Overall: 9/10 - a great workout!

Running and swimming... and yoga

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 a while, so I wasn't sure how I would feel. It took a long time to warm-up and get my rhythm, but I did eventually get it. It was after about 6 kilometres that I felt like I could run forever. I love that point in a run. The point where everything feels loose and good, the breathing is even and uninhibited, and there is nothing that is hurting... and I feel like I could run forever, Forrest Gump-style.

After the run, I did a 40-minute yoga session from my "Power Yoga for Happiness" DVD that I absolutely love. I did the workout called "Daily Dose of Bliss" and it was quite blissful. After that, I felt good and grounded for the rest of the day. Not to mention thoroughly stretched and limber. I love yoga!

This morning, I woke up at the crack of 9:30 and decided to go swimming at the YWCA. I did a continuous swim for 2200 yards. I discovered that either I swimming extremely fast 500m intervals or it was a shorter pool. I think it's the latter. It was a good swim, but nothing really to write home about. Other than my shoulders feel tight now. That'll work itself out tonight at running, I suppose.

Settling In

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 difficult. This summer it was much easier because everyday I worked the same hours. It's basically a mental hurdle that I have to get over... and soon.

Last night I had a good session at swimming from 10-11pm. I'm enjoying the late-night sessions because they tend to not interfere with the evening, which is nice. The session went like this...
300m warm-up, choice of stroke
4x50m, 25m skull/swim (skull=arms-only)
25m drill/swim
6 x 100m freestyle, 5-10 seconds slower than race pace
200m non-freestyle
6 x 50m, 25m kick/25m swim
6 x 100m freestyle, at race pace
200m cooldown
Total= 2400m

I swim in a lane with 2 other girls who are a bit faster than me. This is a good thing because it makes me kick it up a notch. Last night I started to throw in the ol' flip-turns, which I haven't done in a long time. I basically have to do the flip-turns because the other girls do them. It also makes everything faster and smoother. Plus, I don't get that extra breath of air when turning, which I tend to rely on too often. It's taken me a while to get back into flip-turns because I only do them when I'm truly comfortable with swimming and my stroke.

I go back-and-forth on whether flip-turns are useful or not because they are never used in triathlons. However, I've come to learn that they are useful in the pool. When you're swimming and get to the end of the length of the pool, stopping your whole body to change directions stops the flow of the stroke. When flip-turns are used, it keeps the flow going. This is key in a triathlon and I think that flip-turns might be good for this. At the same time, they are hard and sometimes I get water up my nose. Because I taught myself how to do them and I've never had it verified that they are correct, I'm a little self-conscious about them. I'm worried that I flip crookedly or that my push isn't right and that I'll be judged by the others. Sometimes the ego gets in the way of training. It's kind of weird, but it is a barrier that I need to get over. Perhaps I'll talk to my coach about my flip-turns. That's what she's there for!

This swim session was really good for my form. I actually felt like my stroke was coming together. I've been a fairly good swimmer for most of my life and I've been coached for a while, but my freestyle stroke always needs improving. Last night I tried to experiment with my hand and thumb position in the water. Trying to make it more like a spoon and less like a fork. I am slowly, but surely learning to push the water with my hand, not move my hand through the water. Pushing and feeling the water on my arm and hand is key in accelerating the stroke and pushing the whole body forwards. In triathlon, it is important that one doesn't use up their legs during the swim. It is very important that most of the swim is done with the arms. It's really the only time that the arms should really be tired. The rest of the race, they are just making things less difficult for the legs. It is important that I work on this now so that I can work on speed and endurance in the next phases of my training.

I just wish the biking and running would be at this same point. That's where settling into the rhythm of my workouts is key. Rhythms of the workouts, of the stroke, of each step and breath, and of each pedal. Triathlon is really about rhythm. Three different rhytms put together in one race. I love this sport.

Dear Crystal's body,

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. Your performance went well with my yogi focus. Soon enough, we will be a swimming machine. Tonight we did 2400m in under an hour. We can do better.

Thanks for listening.

Yours truly,
Crystal's brain

Doomed to have DOMS

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 the end from my sore neck - a chriopractor appointment was made.

On Tuesday, I got up early and wanted to go for a run. I thought I'd take it easy since my hamstrings and glutes were pretty sore. Just a slow 5km run. It turned out to be THE SLOWEST 5km I've run in a while. My legs were so sore. It took me over 45 minutes to run the short route I had set out. It was brutal. Nonetheless, I had to go to work, where I walked almost the whole day. Most of the day was spent in pain, but by the end of the day I felt a lot better. My legs had loosened up and my back was feeling a bit looser.

I made my appointment with the chiropractor to be after work, so I had to sprint there on my bike to make it on time. He said that considering the amount and type of exercise I'm getting, my body is handling it very well. I give a lot of credit to doing yoga 3-4 times a week. I'll have to tell him that next time. I'm basically going to have to go see him every 2 weeks for as long as I'm training the amount that I am. I'm pretty okay with that because it really seems to help my body recover faster and I have little to no back pain anymore. That is worth it in my books. My chiropractor and I have just had our 1-year anniversary. Happy Anniversary!

I ended up taking Tuesday night off because I was bagged, but I've been doing a lot of biking lately sprinting on my commuting rides so I don't feel that bad. Today is Wednesday and I am taking it off. That's right, another Wednesday off. I think I am going to play Wednesdays by ear. If I feel ambitious and well-rested, then I will do a workout, but if I'm just not feeling it, I'm not going to push myself. 5am is very early to wake up and it really does mess up my body for the rest of the day. However, it's a whole day that I'm not sure I can afford to take off. From past experience, though, I know that rest is just as important as activity. In all aspects of life.

OUCH!

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...
30 seconds of split jumps
200m sprint
30 seconds push-ups
200m sprint
... well, you get the picture. We did that twice. I will repeat myself... OUCH! After the first set my stomach was so not happy and I had to sprint to the bathroom to relieve myself. I felt a lot better after our second set, but I still felt like I was going to throw up.

Also, after we warmed up, my chest started to hurt a little. It went away, though. I couldn't help but hear my mom's voice in my head telling me to get my heart checked out before I do the Ironman (I have an irregular heartbeat that I've had checked out before and it is perfectly fine). But I didn't have it the rest of the time, so I think I'll chalk it up to just muscles jamming on me.

After the drills of death, we did some hurdle work. Since I am significantly shorter than most of the triathlets in our club, I had a lot of trouble with it. Luckily, I am extremely flexible and could get my legs up very high to get over the hurdles. However, it's the crotch thing that gets me with hurdles. It's just really uncomfortable. I hope I don't have any bruises! We basically did a lot of leg lifts and leg kicks. I've discovered that I can kick really really high. Good to know.

Yes, it has been a week...

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. Saturday is the big race, which can be seen at http://www.ironmanlive.com/. I hope that Grant has a great race!