Fenix 2

One great thing about my current job (yeah private sector!!) is that we get a $350 reimbursement yearly for a "Wellness" benefit. So basically, once you have been working there for six months, every year you can buy something related to fitness for up to $350 and the office pays for it. Neat, huh?

So once my first six months were up, I knew I was going to buy a new GPS watch. I had a Garmin 310 previously, which is good enough for running, but I have never had a waterproof multisport watch. I went to REI planning on buying the Garmin 910XT, since that's the one most triathletes use, but when I got to the store they told me about this watch that had just come out two months earlier: the Fenix 2.

It does everything that the Garmin 910 does, plus more-- you can use it for hiking and even tracking your skiing runs.

I originally hadn't been super attracted to these watches for the swimming distance tracking (unlike most triathletes, I completely refuse to use a watch when I swim in a pool) but for open water it's actually an amazing tool. I was able to glance at it during my race last weekend to see how far I still had to go and what my general pace was so far.

I also love the fact that you can sync it with cadence sensors on your bike and (if you so choose) your running shoe. I don't have a bike computer for my tri bike yet because I've already spent an unbelievable amount of money this year, so I usually just strap my watch to my handlebars before long rides and it's the same thing.

Anyway. It's awesome, and I love it.

National Running Day!

Four years ago, I would probably never have imagined that I would have completed a marathon, several half marathons, and several triathlons including a half ironman. Back then, I could barely run three or four miles. I'm so grateful that I became part of the community and that I have been able to learn how to love-- truly, LOVE-- running.

Today is National Running Day, which is a celebration of the community of runners in the U.S. So get out there and go for a run! I'm going to be doing track with my team tonight :)

What if you're not a runner, though, and you wouldn't know where to start? No problem. Believe me, I used to hate running. It can seem very daunting, but it's much easier once you break it down a bit.

If you feel like trying, just put on your most comfortable shoes and a watch if you have one and go to a park. Jog for a minute, and walk for five. If that seems easy, jog for two and walk for five. If you can repeat that a few times, you've probably gone a mile! You can build up to more, too.

Happy Running Day!

Weekly Check in (5/26-6/1) [Recovery week]

Monday 5/26

Planned: (2 hr holiday ride-- switched with Wednesday's run)

Hills run: 10-15 min w.u.
1/4 mile hill repeats-- run fast down hill, focus on turnover, jog back up (20 mins)
15 min cd.

Completed: ~4 mi 

I was supposed to ride today, but due to my still-sore body from Saturday, and the fact that I was hosting a barbecue that afternoon, I decided to switch and do Wednesday's run instead. It was fine, I took it somewhat easy (per Coach Kathy's instructions after the wreck). Luckily for me, this is a recovery week.


Tuesday 5/27

Planned: 1 hr Masters swimming

Completed: About 2900 yards in 1 hr

We were supposed to be doing best stroke/worst stroke 100s and 50s (one of Andrew's staple workouts) but he told me that due to my bruising on my knees I shouldn't do breast, and my shoulders were too achy to do fly. Sigh. I taped up my fingers and they felt good enough to swim back and free, so even though those are my two best strokes I just alternated doing those. I felt pretty strong considering how I was supposed to be "taking it easy." Mostly I am just getting frustrated that my minor accident appeared to injure me more than I had realized at the time.


Wednesday 5/28

Planned: 120 min ride

Completed: 60 min on trainer

This was sort of a fail. I couldn't ride outside even though it's beautiful out because my new contacts haven't come in. I know, seems like a lame excuse, but there's not really much I can do about it since I have pretty bad eyesight and I only have regular glasses, no prescription sunglasses. Sigh. So I just did the trainer for an hour because I started so late that I couldn't get two hours in. That's supposed to be like 80 mins outside, right?


Thursday 5/29

Planned/completed:  Masters swim team 1 hr

Nothing special. Did about 5 x 300 pull total, plus other stuff.


Friday, 5/30

REST DAY

I blinked twice when I saw there was a planned rest day on my schedule. I'll take it.


Saturday, 5/31

Planned: 1.5-2 hr recovery ride

Completed: 28 mi in 2 h 5 min, plus 15 min brick and abs

Okay, so I did more than I was supposed to, technically, but I wanted to try climbing Bear Creek. The ride itself was mostly pretty slow, too, because that trail is so curvy/windy. It was a gorgeous day out though and the climb wasn't too bad. I thought I'd tack on a short brick run since last week's brick got cut due to my wreck.

Sunday, 6/1

Planned: 6 mi recovery run EASY

Completed:  6 mi in 1:05 

Pretty slow, but then that was supposed to be the point of this kind of run, right? There's also something to be said for getting up earlier. I ran in the heat of the day which was a pretty big mistake, and I got pretty dehydrated. Note to self: just because you're not training in DC anymore doesn't mean it's still not pretty damn hot in the middle of the day.

Weekly Check in (5/19-5/25)

I'm going to try and do these every week to show my planned and completed workouts... we'll see how long this lasts.


Monday (5/19)

Planned: Bike/run Brick 1:25
WU: 10 min
MS: 10 min @ race pace focused effort/ 4 min easy spin- REPEAT X 4
CD: 10 min moderate
Run off bike 15-20 min

Total Completed: 20+ mi ride plus 1.5 mi run in about 1:25

I ended up going to work super early (8 am. Yes that's early for me) so I could leave at 5 and get this workout in, but between traffic, going home to get my bike, then getting out to the Platte, then my new garmin being on the fritz, it took me until 7 pm to actually get going. I have no idea why, but the distance and speed on my watch stop working when I put four data fields on one page. Grr.

But I felt awesome on this ride. I went into aero, and on the "race pace" efforts I was able to hold 20-23 mph no problem. Yay for having a tri bike! Total time for the ride was 1:10 ish.

Then I threw on my running shoes and did a mile and a half pretty quickly. I'm starting to see what they mean about the tri bike helping you recover faster for your runs.


Tuesday 5/20

Planned: 1 hr swim (LCM) -3,100

Warm-up:
200 swim /200 kick /200 pull

4X75 drill-SKIPPED

Main Set:
(3)X100 (3rd 25 choice) @2:00
4X50 kick @1:20
3X100 (3rd 25 IMO) @2:00
4X50 kick @1:20
3X100 (all free) @1:55
4X50 kick @1:15

Pull Set:  2X200 pull long and strong
Warm down: Didn't have time

Total completed: 2500 M  

I decided not to go to Masters at 7 pm because I wanted to actually go home and rest after work for once, so instead I got to the pool at 7 am and did my own workout. I felt pretty strong on the 100s, actually, and my long and strong work is paying off. I just have to keep my hip/torso rotation always in mind. I think swimming in the frigid water on Sunday at Grant Ranch helped too- the water felt practically balmy. I felt like my times were somewhat slow, but then again I don't swim LCM very much and I'm used to my pace for SCY.


Wednesday 5/21

AM workout Planned: Fartlek run (55 min)

WU: 5 min
MS:
4 x 3 minutes hard Z 4/2 minutes easy
2 X 8 minutes comfortably hard Z3+ with a 2-minute jog between each
1 x 10 minutes at half-marathon Z3

Cd 5 min

Total Completed: 5.25 mi in 54:33 mins plus walking
Avg pace (including walking): 10:23

Man, this was HARD. I have apparently been running really slowly lately, so now that I have my instantaneous pace on my new watch I'm hyper aware of how slow it is. I was fighting to keep my pace close to 830s in the Z4 part. Im going to have to work on speed. I only got 8 mins out of the last 10 min interval in just because of time (I ran during lunch and I'd already been away a long time).

PM workout Planned: Hills Ride 1-1:15 

Completed: 17.84 mi in 1:17:43
Ascent: 689 ft
Descent: 758 ft

Though there was a tornado brewing to the east around mid afternoon, by the time I got home it had mostly cleared up. I had seen that hills were on the schedule so I knew I was going to make myself do Cherry Creek. My legs were a bit tired from the run but I felt like I held a pretty good pace regardless.

Thursday 5/22

Planned: Masters swim 1 hr

Instead: did ladder workout with Sarah

400 wu

2x50 @1:00
2x100@2:00
2x150@3:00
1x200@4:00
2x150@3:00
2x100@2:00
2x50 @1:00

4x75 rotating IM
100 CD

Total Completed:  2000 y in ?

It was really fun doing this with Sarah! I haven't swum with her in a loonngg time. It was a slightly low-key workout, which was actually great for me.

Friday 5/23

Planned: 8 mi run in 1:10

10 min warmup
4 x(10 min at 10K pace, 5 min ez)
Cooldown remainder

Total completed: 8 mi plus walking in ?

Unfortunately, due to more torrential rainstorms, I had to do this on the treadmill. Ugh. But I put the incline up to about 0.5-1% so that it was slightly more like running outside. The 10K pace sections actually weren't so bad-- I did between 6.5-6.8 pace and I felt fine, like I could have even gone a bit faster.

Saturday 5/24

Planned: 3 hr ride/30 min run brick (skipped run due to wreck)

Completed: 44 mi in 2:49 
Ascent: 1139 ft
Descent: 1778 ft
Avg speed: 15.1 mph


This was a really fun ride. I got up at the crack of dawn so that I could meet Sarah at 6:15, since we were supposed to be wheels down in Boulder at 7 am. I swear, tris are the ONLY thing that can make me wake up at 5 am voluntarily on Saturday morning. I met up with Sarah near REI and we caravaned up to Boulder (Tom Watson Park) to meet up with some other Tribella ladies. We rode with three women who are training for IM Boulder, so they are all really strong cyclists, but I was able to keep up just fine. It was a beautiful ride, through the rolling hills near Boulder and up to Crater Lake. After we went around the lake, the other women went on (they wanted to do about 80-90 mi total) and Sarah and I headed back.

When we were less than ten miles from our cars, the wreck happened. I'll write another post about it, but long story short, I got in an accident. I'm okay, and my bike is okay. I didn't have to go to the hospital or anything, but I'm somewhat scraped up and my hand is swollen.  I'm pretty lucky, actually, because it could have been so much worse.


Sunday 5/25

Planned: Grant Ranch 2 mi OWS race (SCRATCH)

I was still feeling pretty banged up and not at my best, so I decided not to race. I was actually still going to do it but my family talked me out of it :( Oh well. There will be more races.

So you wanna be a triathlete?

Recently I was looking through some old emails and I found this one I sent to an aspiring triathlete about a year ago, so I thought I'd share it. If anyone who reads my blog was thinking about taking up tris, check this out for the ABSOLUTE BASICS of triathlon. Experienced triathletes, I'd be interested to know if you think I missed anything!

So here's the first thing: gear. You can go for broke on this stuff, but stick to the basics until you have decided whether you even like triathlon. I tell you this now because I was always trying to keep the cost down but you can really spend a lot- store clerks seem to see dollar signs when you tell them you are a triathlete. Honestly, you can even get by for your first race without buying any of this stuff and riding a mountain bike that you borrow from a friend, but if you are serious about getting into the triathlete world, these are the absolute basics that you need.

GEAR

For training: 

Swim:

-Goggles and a cap (you need to practice with a cap, because you have to wear one in every race)- I have my favorite kinds, but so does everyone, so just buy some that work for you

-Swimsuit obviously

-Optional: pull buoy, fins, paddles, kickboard (sometimes pools will have these, and I honestly don't think you need to buy them yet, but they are good tools)

Ride:  (here's where you can spend a pretty penny)

-The Bike itself: GO TO A BIKE STORE AND GET FITTED. Seriously. You will be really glad you did. You can even get a used frame if you want, but make sure you are getting the right size and general fit.  The biggest purchase you will make in your tri career will be the bike. Don't buy a tri bike yet (those are the ones with the gears in the aerobars). That's a huge investment, so just go for a road bike for now. I had the hardest time with this part because a lot of bike stores are hard to navigate if you don't know a lot about bikes.  If you have more questions about buying a bike, let me know and I can walk you through my limited knowledge. Basically it depends on your price range. I spent $1300 on just the bike itself and that is on the total low end (aluminum frame, components, etc)- some people buy $5000 bikes and beyond. Yeah.

-Pedals (these come separately, and you have them put on the bike)

-Helmet

-Gloves (not 100% necessary but nice for long rides) 

-Sunglasses (very necessary- keeps bugs etc from hitting your eyes)

-Bike shoes and cleats (you have to add cleats that match your pedals so you can clip in)

-Patch kit

-Extra tubes and C02 cartridges (for when you get a flat)

-Bike pump

-Bike shorts  (yes these are necessary. The saddle is very unforgiving over long distances.)

-Lube/rag/chain degreaser

-Optional: Buy a new saddle (that's the cyclist term for bike seat) that fits you better (I did, and it was a great investment). Also, at most places you can pay extra to get a real "bike fit," or it might even be included with your purchase of a bike. It makes a huge difference if they adjust it correctly to you; I was getting such a huge neck/shoulder problem from an improper fit last year that my arm went numb on 40+ mile rides. Yeah, not good. 
-Also Optional: Bike computer. These can be anywhere from 20 bucks to hundreds of dollars, but they are very useful. I used one last year that just told me my instantaneous speed, average speed, cadence and miles covered, and that was all I needed. Some people get the fancy schmancy ones with power output, but that's more bang than I needed for my buck. It's usually installed on your handlebars so that you can see it while you are riding.

Run:

-You probably have this covered since you're doing a marathon, but basics: 

-Running shoes (duh)

-Watch

ALSO OPTIONAL: GPS watch for running made a huge difference in my marathon and tri training. These are pretty expensive, but they give you instantaneous pace and overall pace, as well as time per mile etc. One of my favorite things ever. I have a Garmin 310- I can talk more about those if you want. The Garmin 910 is the new Big Deal in the triathlete world because it's waterproof so you can wear it all three legs (do I have stars in my eyes? Maybe.) {**UPDATE: I ended up getting a Fenix 2, another post to come on that}

The Race: 

(Again, you can spend a pretty penny on a lot of extra stuff, but I wouldn't do that until you know you want to keep going)

-Two towels for your transition area: one to put down, one to use to dry off after the swim

-Nutrition (extremely important for long distance races- olympic and above): such as gatorade, chomps/gels, even clif bars. Different people like different things, so it's best to try out different kinds of nutrition while you are training to see how your body handles them.

-Wetsuit- DON'T buy one yet. Just rent one for your first race. You can often buy one at a discount later. Also a lot of races in the summer are so warm that you don't need one.

-Sunblock 

-Proglide or vaseline to prevent chafing

-Tri suit or separates- basically, you wear this under your wetsuit and for the rest of the race (yes, it is wet at first when you get out of the water and onto the bike, but it dries quickly). Usually tri shorts are a sort of hybrid of running shorts and biking shorts- i.e., they have some padding but not so much that you feel like you are running with a huge pad in there after you bike. The top is like a sleeveless bike top.

-Optional: transition bag (just a special bag that is made to hold your helmet and wetsuit in a special spot, etc. Not completely necessary the first time, but cool to have. I bought a practically-brand-new one off a fellow triathlete for 20 bucks).

Related note: Setting up your transition area is a practiced art that is particular to each person, but it's really fun when you get the hang of it. I can tell you more about that if you want. But you probably don't care that much about your transition time for your first race so I wouldn't sweat it too much.

TRAINING

Whew. That was a lot of information already. Sorry about that, I hope it isn't overwhelming you. Feel free to stop reading at any point (ha). Now on to training. 

There are many, many training schedules out there. For my first tri, I just found an Olympic distance training program for free online, and I was totally fine (I think I even won my division...), and after that I joined a training program to get to my first Half Ironman distance. OH, that's another thing- join a triathlon club if you can!! I had so much fun with my tri club in DC, and you learn so much from the other triathletes as well as how/when/what to train. Usually big clubs are only about fifty bucks for a year membership, and it's definitely worth it.

Anyway, here is a very very basic training program that is similar to the one I used when I first started: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=29

Notice that you can click on "Swim Focused" or "Run focused" or 2x (or 3x) balanced. Basically, that means that if you feel you are worst at the swim, or bike, or run, you can do a program that focuses on that discipline. 2x or 3x balanced means that you do each sport the same number of times per week, either 2 or 3 workouts.  These are pretty basic because they just tell you the number of minutes you should spend in each discipline. You heard me right- they train by number of minutes, not by distance. That was the weirdest part for me at first, coming from being a runner. So the point is to build your endurance to a certain amount of time before working on speed.

There is a lot more you can do within workouts once you feel pretty solid: fartlek runs, track workouts, intervals on the bike, swimming training sets. I can tell you about those as well if you would like, but I don't want to get into too much detail here in case you really don't care about that yet. But if you do join a tri club, you can often do workouts with them and they have specific days each week where they work out at the pool together, do a long ride, or meet at the track. That's how you get your speed. 

Also I would supplement these workouts with strength training or yoga at least once or twice a week to keep up muscle mass.

Some more basics for training in each discipline:

Swimming: If you can, try to join a group or masters' team to swim with- or swim with a tri club. Especially if you are a newbie, your form could probably use a trained eye. Technique is the most important thing in swimming, and without it your times suffer a lot (it's not just about getting in and putting in a lot of time, like running). I was a swim coach for our tri club in DC because I was a competitive swimmer, and many triathletes are not very good at swimming just because they started out as runners or cyclists. Additionally, it's way better to swim with other people. I joined a masters swim team when I got back to Denver, and I love it- other people push you a lot more. If you feel like you are too new to swimming to join a team yet, you can try just practicing by yourself for a while, but go to the pool with a workout (don't just go swim straight for 45 mins). You won't mprove that way. I can send you some workouts if you would like.

Riding: For the shorter workouts during the week, it's usually better to try and mix it up so that you aren't always in Zone 2 or below (that means that you are just riding aerobically). Do some hills, or go to a flat area that you can do some sprints (like 8 mins fast, 4 mins recovery, etc). Or you can do a spin class, that's good too. For long rides on the weekend, it's just long and strong.

Running: Same idea here: you can just do the short workouts as a straight run, or you can do a track workout or intervals on the treadmill (like half mile steady pace, then 1 min fast, repeat). Long runs on the weekend are at an "easier" pace, just comfortable enough that you can carry on a conversation without breathing heavily (like the long runs for marathon training).

....Ok, that's the basics that I can think of. I'm sorry that I was so verbose, and if you already knew some of this stuff I apologize. There is obviously tons more I could tell you (Zone training, etc.) but it's not really relevant at this point. This is the basic stuff I wish someone would have outlined for me when I first started, so I am more than willing to pass on my "wisdom."  If you have any questions whatsoever about what I wrote, or anything else (including Marathon training, oy!) let me know. Obviously, I am extremely enthusiastic about tris so I am truly happy to help.

Yay newbie triathlete!

Amanda

Rolfing

When I was still in DC, I was often in so much pain from training that I started getting sports massages. Eventually the cost started adding up, so I joined Massage Envy. The membership is only only $60 a month, and you get one "free" massage each month. After that you have to pay per session, but it's still a lot cheaper than most massages.

I kept the membership when I came back to Colorado, but I really didn't need it anymore. I mostly did it to relax, but once I stopped training last year I was planning on getting rid of my remaining credits and quitting. So I made an appointment for a facial and a long massage to eat up some of the credits last February.

That was when I met Kyle, who works at Massage Envy. I told him I'm a triathlete and that I just generally get really stiff from training, which is what I tell all massage therapists. It turns out he's a specialist in Rolfing, which is pretty rare for someone at Massage Envy. In fact, I have never experienced it before, despite the fact that I constantly request "deep tissue" or "sports massages" when I made appointments.

No, Rolfing is not another way of saying "rotflmao" or something more fun like that. Rolfing was actually developed here in Colorado at the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration (RISI). This is what their website says about Rolfing: 

"More than fifty years ago, Dr. Rolf recognized that the body is inherently a system of seamless networks of tissues rather than a collection of separate parts. These connective tissues surround, support and penetrate all of the muscles, bones, nerves and organs. Rolfing Structural Integration works on this web-like complex of connective tissues to release, realign and balance the whole body, thus potentially resolving discomfort, reducing compensations and alleviating pain. Rolfing SI aims to restore flexibility, revitalize your energy and leave you feeling more comfortable in your body."

What does that even mean? Well, basically, it hurts. A lot. Kyle and those who are trained in Rolfing actually put a ton of pressure in the parts of your body that hurt most, which releases the tension at a muscular-skeletal level. He is so knowledgeable about the integrated aspects of the muscles and tendons of the body that I'm constantly surprised he's not a physical therapist or something. If I tell him that a certain spot on my foot hurts when I run, he works on my shin. If I tell him my right shoulder hurts when I swim, he works on the muscle under my arm. It's amazing, and fascinating, and it works unbelievably well. He works on parts of my body that no one else ever has, and it's gotten to the point where he knows me so well that he knows exactly what to do when I give him a two-second summary of what's been hurting during training that week. I always feel mountains better after I leave the ninety-minute or two-hour sessions, and they are worth EVERY penny.

Ciao, Bella!: The Journey to a Cervelo

I have been in envy of Cervelo tri bikes (well, let's be honest, tri bikes in general, but especially Cervelos) since I started tris a couple of years ago. I couldn't justify buying one at first, though, because I had just started the sport and I had no idea if I would even like it. I was also living in DC at the time, and the high cost of living there meant buying something that expensive was pretty much off the table.

Way back in the fall of 2011, I had finished my first marathon, but I knew that marathons were not really my 'thing.' I had also always wanted to do triathlons because of my background in swimming. I signed up for DC Tri Club New Triathlete program and bought my first ever road bike. I grew up in Colorado, where riding bikes was practically mandatory, but I had always ridden mountain bikes and/or hybrids... even when I did a 90 mile ride when I was 14. Yes, really.

Basically, had no idea what I was doing when I bought it. I thought you called cleats "clip ons," for example. I probably should have waited to get a bike until I had my Tri Club mentor to help me, but I did do some research first. I knew I wanted a road bike with an aluminum frame, not steel or carbon, and preferably with Shimano 105 components so that I could use it for several years without the components crapping out on me.

The biggest problem with cyclists,(bike shops for that matter) is that they are snobs. I'm sorry, but they are. I obviously had no idea what I needed in a bike, other than a few very basic things, but I really didn't want to buy something over $1500 total (including pedals and saddle). I must have gone to half a dozen shops looking for a bike, and each of them tried to upsell me. Looking back, I kind of wish I had gotten the Fuji carbon road bike with Ultegra components that was about $1700, because it might have gotten me further. At the time I couldn't really spend that much and I didn't really need that bike. I finally went to the Bike Rack in Dupont, and the guys there were really nice about the fact that I had no idea what I was doing. I ended up on an aluminum Giant Avail but no bike fit whatsoever, and I named her Ariana-- Ari for short.

I still remember going out for rides for the first time on Ari and thinking that it felt unbelievably fast. The first times I went out on Hain's Point with other triathletes, though, I started seeing Cervelos and tri bikes everywhere. My friend Jule even let me try her P3 out at one point, and I was in love.

I completed my first half Ironman on Ari, which wasn't that bad; I still averaged about 19 mph. Not long after that, I signed up for Ironman CA, and I knew I was going to need a tri bike sooner or later. During that winter when I was struggling with whether or not to do Ironman, I looked for used bikes. There were a couple that would have been passable, but I ended up deciding to take a break from tris before I bought one.

This spring, as you know, I decided to start training again. Once I had been on my first group ride with my brand new team, I talked to Coach Kathy about finding a tri bike, and she told me to get a frame finder fit from the Denver Fit Loft. I decided to do it despite the $250 price tag (and that's with my Tribella discount), and it's worth every penny. During the three hour long fit, Daniel did some pretty high tech analysis including seeing how I ride with sensors and lots of other cool stuff. Basically the point was to see what kind of frame would fit me best, and it turns out that Cervelo P2s are one of the best ones for me. Go figure.

I was planning on going out and looking for a used frame, but there was a P2 right there in the shop, brand new, and so shiny and pretty. "I'll just try it out," I said. Big mistake. Daniel set it up to fit me correctly, and I was off. It was an absolute dream, and I was in love right away.  I knew that the Tribella discount would take off quite a lot of the price tag, not to mention the fact that I was getting half of the bike for a birthday present-- so out of pocket, I would only be paying my original budget for the frame. I got back from the test ride, and I couldn't stand to part with the P2. I decided to buy her right there.

And let me tell you, she rides like a dream. It turns out aero position feels like it was made for me. I love riding now, when I used to hate it. I feel so much faster-- well, I am faster, actually. I've been able to keep up more on group rides and I have been able to ride harder and longer.

So that's my story. I am still a noob in relative bike terms, but I'm getting there. I am definitely excited to get into the saddle now, as opposed to dreading it like I used to. Here's a pic of Bella, my new best friend.

Back in the Saddle Again

Well, hello there. I know, it's been a while. More than a little while... almost a year and a half, in fact. So, what happened to me? No, I didn't ride my bike over a cliff. The short version is that I took a year off from triathlons.

Some background first. I moved back to Colorado from DC more than a year ago. At the time, I had still fully intended to train for Ironman Canada, and I even hired a coach. I threw myself right into training, which was easier to fit in than it had been in DC since I didn't have a full time job at first.

At some point, though, I realized that I just wasn't having fun doing it anymore. I had moved away from all my tri friends in DC, which were the main reason I had signed up for Ironman in the first place. Suddenly, my training mostly consisted of going on rides by myself and doing long fartleks on the treadmill in a mountain rec center after I was exhausted from skiing all day. I had left DC because my mental and physical well-being were not in the best place, but I wasn't necessarily getting better. Training had always made me put those things on the back burner to worry about them later. And I had signed up for the Ironman because I had thought it would be fun, and because, hey, everyone else seemed to be signing up for one.

Basically, I realized at some point that I was doing the Ironman for the wrong reasons, and I had gotten pretty burned out after training really hard for a few years straight. So I decided to take some time off. After all, triathlon would always be there.

After I decided to take a season off, I didn't stop working out; far from it. I skiied, I ran, I hiked. I joined a Master's swimteam and swam harder than I had since high school. It was really fun to concentrate on my favorite sport of the three for a while, in fact.

However, I suddenly found myself with way, way more time than I had ever had before. I ended up quitting the ski instructor job due to problems with the management, and then I couldn't get a job for a long time-- until November, when I finally got a full time paralegal gig at a firm in downtown Denver.

So what did I do with all that time? Well, among other things, I started writing fiction. I realized after not too long that I absolutely love writing. It's become my new favorite hobby, and I'm hoping that one day I can make it into my career.

In general, my mental balance has gotten loads better since I returned to Colorado and took some time off. I have accepted some things about myself (and especially my body) that had always brought me down mentally and physically. It took a lot of hard work and patience with myself, but I finally feel ready to do tris again.

My friend Sarah, the girl who had gotten me to sign up for IM CA, had been telling me to join her tri team for ages. A couple of months ago, I finally looked into it. After all, the reason I really loved tris was because I loved the sense of community and the friendships I had made while I was on DC tri. I'm sure triathlon wouldn't have been as fun for me from the get-go if I'd never met all the amazing people on that team. So I joined Tribella, a smallish all-female team based in Denver. And let me tell you, I LOVE it so far. I'm super stoked for my coach, and the women all seem really friendly while also being very encouraging.

I'll post my race schedule in the coming days, but basically I'm doing a couple OWS races, a couple Olys, and a 70.3 in August (non mdot race, since I waited too long to decide if I wanted to do it). But yeah. I'm back. WOOT!

(first group ride with Tribella)

It's Getting Hot in Here...

So take off all your clothes? (Warning, don't read this if you easily get grossed out by sweat).

I had my first experience with Bikram (also known as "hot") yoga last weekend. I had heard really great things about Bikram (it has a cult following almost like Crossfit), so when I saw a groupon for unlimited classes for a month, I jumped on it.  The caveat I had heard over and over again was that almost everyone has a really hard time the first day- but that it gets better from there.  I practice regular-temperature yoga somewhat often, but my only (short-lived) experience with Bikram was in high school, and I left after only half an hour.  So I braced myself for the experience.

I got to the studio 20 minutes early, as they suggested. I had seen that these studios were extremely expensive, but I didn't know why until I got there. They have a really nice pre-and post-workout lounge, with lots of water and cubbyholes for your mats, and showers/locker room. As I walked in, I saw all the women yogis in their hot yoga gear (which was basically a bra and spandex). I realized that my cropped running tights, running bra and loose fitting yoga tank top might be a little much. But I was also feeling like covering up my extra/post season flab, so I wasn't about to strip down in front of these people (they looked like toned, slender Yogi Goddesses, so how could a normal human match up?).

I also realized when I got into the studio that though I had brought my own yoga mat and plenty of water, I did not bring a towel to put on top of the mat- which turned out to be a pretty costly mistake.  Everyone was pretty quiet coming in, and either lay on their backs or sat Japanese style until the instructor came in. I'm telling you, these people take Bikram seriously.

If you have never heard of or done Bikram, let me enlighten you (pun intended). It is a set of 26 poses and two breathing exercises that are done in the same sequence and same number of sets every single time. Yes, you heard me. It's the SAME every time, which is very different from most yoga classes I have been to. Vinyasa is usually pretty repetitive in that you might do a bazillion sun salutations, but normally it is still in different variations depending on the instructor.

So anyway, I settled into my spot, and lay down, thinking, well it really doesn't seem that hot in here, actually! Maybe it won't be so bad. FALSE. The vents above us began to pump more and more hot air into the room.  It was getting pretty steamy pretty quickly.

Finally we started the class. The first pose wasn't bad, it was basically deep breathing.  The second pose (Half moon) wasn't bad either- it was kind of like a side stretch.  I caught myself hoping that maybe it would be easier than I thought- and I felt fine for the first half hour or so. I was starting to sweat "bullets," but it was not more than I am used to.  By the time we got to standing bow pose and balancing stick, though, I started to feel pretty lightheaded, and my heart started pounding. It is staggering to me that you can feel that out of breath from doing yoga- especially since I am not exactly starting from square one in terms of fitness.  Forget sweating bullets, I was starting to sweat RIVERS and LAKES (hey, I did warn you at the beginning), and I didn't have a towel to absorb it.  The pools forming on my mat made doing standing poses even more difficult.

At some point, it became a battle of wills- between my brain and my body.  At a couple of points I didn't think I was going to make it for the whole class, because I felt so nauseated and faint. At those moments, I stopped for a couple of seconds and sat in child's pose or took a sip of water, so that I would pace myself.  I am the kind of person who would keep doing something until it was dangerous, and the only thing that would be more embarrassing than leaving in the middle of class (damn it, why didn't I sit closer to the door??) would be to faint right in the middle of class.  Just like most times when I am doing a difficult endurance workout, I knew that most times, discomfort or pain will pass.

Still, I was having a pretty hard time with keeping my will to do this, but luckily for me the instructor said the right thing at the right time. We did triangle pose right after I had taken a slightly longer break, and she said "we are almost over the hard part," which was encouraging; I didn't realize that the standing poses were so much harder than the seated ones.  She also reminded us to breathe deeply a few times, which I realized I wasn't doing.  In fact, there were times when I stopped breathing altogether in the difficulty of holding a pose, and once I started to concentrate on making my breathing even, I felt much better. Finally we got to tree pose, and then we lay down in Savasana (dead pose) for a break before starting the seated poses.  I finally caved and took off my outer layer, using it as a makeshift towel to wipe down the mat a bit (need I say it again? If you go to Bikram, TAKE A TOWEL!).

Somewhere around this time, the instructor said, "Some of you might feel very faint, or nauseated, or both. Everyone feels that sometimes during practice. Just take it in, and let it go. When you find discomfort, acknowledge it, accept it, and move forward."

That phrase, "acknowledge it, accept it, and move forward" resonated with me on several levels. Yes, one one level it applies to discomfort or pain when doing yoga, or running, or Ironman triathlons.  But it goes even further. As some of you know, I have had to deal with (what feels like) myriad physical ailments and issues- including hypothyroidism and accordingly poor metabolism, gluten intolerance or celiac disease (I am still being tested), allergies galore, etc.  During class, I realized that I have been holding onto so much anger about these problems (why do I have to deal with this crap? Why me? Why do I have to have so many problems??), which is causing me to fester on them instead of moving forward.  I realized that I need to acknowledge that I have more issues than a lot of people have to deal with, accept them, and move forward, or I can never heal mentally and physically.  I need to put things in perspective- I am still able to work out and try to improve my health.

I felt like Bikram was more than a physical cleansing- I felt like I got rid of a lot of toxins I had accumulated from not eating well last week- but it was also a mental cleansing.  It's going to take some time, but I have to get rid of all the mental junk.  I'm going back to Bikram again tomorrow.

There IS No Off Season

Only a few days after Augusta, Pinata and her boyfriend E did a double-tri (an Oly one day and a sprint the next). I was still basking in my end-of-season euphoria, and I coached swim practice one night that next week. Pinata was still doing her normal hard core workout and discussing her splits with E, and I said, "You guys are acting like you have not just finished your season!" Without skipping a beat, E said "there is no off season with this sport."

After my half Ironman was finished (only a month ago, but it seems longer), I have been in a bit of a funk training-wise. Sure, I signed up for my Ironman and made preparations for winter training, including starting to think about the other races which will fill out next year. During the season I had gotten used to working out every day, sometimes twice a day, and an average of five hours a day on weekends. I have really dropped the ball.

Granted, my "dropped" state is probably still quite a lot by the average American's standards-  barring a hurricane-forced break (Monday) or the stomach flu (yesterday) I have been exercising more or less every day or every other day.  But I don't have the same vigor as before, and I feel purposeless.  I definitely don't do as much as before- I have only been on my bike once, and I haven't run over 6 miles. How do people do this all the time? How do you make yourself work out when you don't have a nicely planned out race and training schedule?? And what the hell do you do with all this free time? I guess I could take up knitting again....

Last year, after the marathon, I had a couple of days of euphoria, after which I sunk into the "post race blues" for a little while (this was normal, as Flash assured me).  I had known from before the race, though, that I was going to start doing triathlons after I finished so I had something to look forward to, a new mountain of fitness to climb. I think that's one reason why I signed up for the Ironman with such gusto. That post-race high and subsequent low is what makes us crazy tri kids keep coming back for more and more- harder, longer, faster races.

Jewel, the eternal optimist (as in, always turning my complaints and negative thoughts into positive ones)- says that I really need to give my mind and body a break so that I don't burn out. I know she's right. I tend to over-train, not only because I love it but because I want to make sure I am completely and utterly prepared. I also hate the feeling of losing all the fitness I worked so hard to achieve. 

And don't get me started on the fact that I have still been eating like a triathlete in training but haven't been working off enough of the calories.  Any time I complain about any of this, though, Jewel reminds me that I won Female New Triathlete of the Year for DC Tri club last week... which does make me feel better :)

Still, this is all supposedly "healthy" for your mind and body.  If you didn't stop and rest a bit after your big races, your body would just continue to degenerate and you would never be able to get better.  I read this interesting article in Runner's World recently about an elite athlete (I tried to find the article to link here, but for some reason I can't).  Basically, when he was asked what his secret is in terms of running such fast marathons, he replied that it is not to run. For eight weeks after his last race every season, he DOES NOT WORK OUT. AT ALL. He doesn't run, lift, anything. He even said that he puts on about 10 pounds (a lot for someone his size). The interviewers were flabbergasted, and so was I. But what he said rings true. Your body isn't rigged to do this kind of working out every single day, year round. So you have to give it some RnR (in relative terms) before stepping up to the plate for the next season.  I think I would go insane if I didn't do a single thing for eight weeks (I would get to antsy- like a junkie without a hit, I guess), but I get the general idea.

All that said, I still feel like I will never stop "training" until I cross the finish line in Whistler.  People sometimes ask me "how long I have been training" for races- and I honestly don't know what to say. You keep a baseline of fitness as much as you can through the winter, building your endurance, and then start working more on your speed as the weather warms up.  So, as E astutely pointed out, there really is no off season. You just work on your weaknesses, tweak here and there. And try new things! I love boxing, for one thing, and I never get to do it during high training time. No, I don't mean those stupid girly cardio kickboxing classes (sorry if that offends anyone... I just don't like them)- I mean the ones with wraps, gloves, and heavy bags. If anyone wants to try a new workout, try boxing. It makes me feel like I am dying after a few minutes- it gets your heart rate up so fast. And you can tell people that you have a mean left hook. 

I am also trying out Bikram yoga. I have heard that you will love it after you give it a few goes (at first you will hate it), so I got an unlimited pass for a month through LivingSocial, and I'm going to use the crap out of that baby.  One thing I definitely learned this season was that I need to do yoga more, since my muscles get really tight with no relief.

All in all, I know that this is a temporary lapse and that soon I will have to be kicking my own butt out of bed at 5 am just to go for a seven hour ride. So right now, I should enjoy the fact that I have more time to, say, sleep in on Saturday and go to brunch, or to coach more nights without worrying about getting in a workout. 

So with that, I leave you with a youtube video to ponder.... god, sometimes I wonder what I am doing to myself.