New swim program ...

Shake, shake, shake …

This morning I dropped in on a swim program I’m thinking of signing up for in the New Year.

Shake, shake …

In earlier posts I had mentioned that I thought I’d do my swimming on my own with help from a colleague with a swim background but I don’t think that’s going to work out (read: I can’t get motivated enough to get my ass in the pool). Also, the public lane swim times for the pools in my area SUUUUUUUUUCK.

However, if I sign up and pay for this program, you better dang well believe I’m going to get in the pool and get my money’s worth. Plussss, the program gets prime swim time (M/W/F 6-7am) and is located near my office.

Still, it’s pricey so this morning I wanted to check out the coach and the other members before I decided to commit – and see how hard it would be to get up at 5am (to be on deck for 6am).

Shakeshakeshakeshakeshake …

Outcome:

- Coach was very welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable.

- Members were very welcoming and friendly.

- Members also varied greatly in their swim level and (small victory) I wasn’t the slowest J.

- Getting up at 5am … not horrible. (Snooze button is my enemy!)  

This morning’s workout:

Warm up – 200 m front crawl, 100m legs only

Drills – 100 m zipper drill (Drag your arm up your side – like a zipper – on each arm stroke. This enforces proper body rotation).

Core – 5 x 300m, 1 min rest in between

Shake … shake …. shake …

Outcome:
- A black eye. Ok maybe not a real black eye but my googles, with their (a little too awesome) suction, gave me some nasty popped blood vessels around my left eye leaving me with what looked like a tiny bit of a shiner.
- Legs are fine. Arms need work. Left shoulder is weaker.
- Zipper drill will be key because when I don’t focus I stop rotating my body and end up just wind milling my arms.

- Need to breathe less. (I breathe every two. Would be better if I could breathe every 3 or 4 even).

- Need to learn how to properly do a flip turn at the end of a pool length to make my turnarounds more efficient.

I didn’t finish the 5 x 300m. I definitely got 4. Maybe 4 and 100m. (Anyone got any tricks for keeping track of lengths?) I’m pleased because that means overall, in an hour (with some breaks) I managed to complete 1700m. That’s half the ironman swim distance. And the time cut off for the swim is 2 hours 20 min. So from the get go, I’m under! (Although this is in a pool, and the ironman will be in open water – but shush! – let me have my moment J)

SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE …

Now if I get just get this damn water out of my ear.

She blinded me with science ...

My VO2 max bike test

In November I started a new bike/run program with the Peak Centre. To start, I had to do a VO2 max test for both running and biking so that my training zones could be established (on which my training plan is then based). I'd always heard of people training within specific "zones" before but I never really understood it until my trainer explained it to me all scientific like. (Little secret : Talk nerdy to me and I'm all yours). I was crushing on her by the end of the results session :)

So, Zone 1 will be my new best friend for the next 8 months. I'll also train in other Zones (2,3,4) as that will help increase my Zone 1, but for the most part, I'll train in Zone 1 as I'll race the Ironman in Zone 1.

Below is my weekly plan, duration of run/rides increases weekly. 

Sunday: Bike (Z1) + Run (Z1)
Monday : Bike Z1*

Tuesday: REST

Wednesday: Run (Z3 + Z1) + strength training

Thursday: Bike (Z3 + Z1)

Friday: Run (Z2 + Z1) + strength training

Saturday: REST

* I try to sneak in a CrossFit class once a week.

Some other information the VO2 max test results provided me with was the amount of carbohydrates I use at various levels of physical effort. Knowing this, I can calculate what I need to stay properly fueled throughout a workout. (I <3 Science!)

Anywho, having just finished my first month, I'm stoked. I completed all my training, except one day (nasty 24-hour stomach bug) and it's felt good. Real good. Also, I've managed to fore-foot run for most of my runs and haven't had any nasty foot-pain episodes. *Knock on wood*

The tricky business of transitioning ...

I may have timed my foray into fore-foot running poorly.

I went to a clinic on Sunday called Re-Learn To Run. Held at a local running store, the 2.5 hour clinic is about making your running more efficient (read: teaches fore-foot running).

The clinic started off with some history about running and how/why the heel-strike method has become so prominent despite it not being ideal (in a nutshell - marketing). It then moved on to the essentials of fore-foot running: (a) a shorter stride and (b) quicker turnover (or increased # of strides per minute). A considerable amount of time was then spent on drills to help re-condition the body to fore-foot running. Lastly, the instructor talked about how to safely transition from heel-strike to fore-foot running. The key: go slow (i.e. 6 - 12 months is a safe, common timeframe). This time period is essential to help your foot, and the muscles in your foot (specifically your arch) strengthen so that it can take the added stress you're putting on it.

Crap.

I new it would take some time but, 6 - 12 months? My Ironman is in roughly 8 months away. And this isn't my off-season like it is for most. I can't take it easy on my mileage. I need to be steadily increasing my mileage over the next few months. Eep.

To make matters worse, although I felt fine throughout the clinic and was comfortably fore-foot running by the end of it, Sunday afternoon/evening was terrible. I kept on getting random spams in my feet (top part of foot, above the arch). They'd hit mid step such that I couldn't put any weight on my foot.  I almost keeled over in the grocery store (which would have made for a fun picture for this entry but unfortunately no one caught it on camera).

Frig. 

Not sure what I'm going to do. SoleFit's Knowledge Centre (available from my 'fave links') has a number of foot exercises I can do to help strengthen the foot. I'm thinking I'm going to do these religiously over the next two months and see if it helps with the spasms.

Born to Run

Ever since I can remember, I've loved to run. I never did it competitively. Just for fun. In high school I remember sitting in class staring at the clock, willing it to move faster just so that I could go home and go for a run. This continued throughout university and into my first few years in the working world. About 6 years ago though, I had a string of injuries and running stopped being fun. After some failed attempts at fixing my issues, I pretty much stopped running altogether.

I can't say enough about this
book.  It made me fall in
love with running again.  

Two years ago, while buying some books online, Kobo suggested I read this book, Born to Run. The short of the long is that I read it, loved it, and started running again. In future I also hoped to change my running style from heel-strike running to fore-foot running - a more natural and efficient way of running which the book strongly promotes.

Fast forward a year. I'd toyed around with changing my running style but it never stuck. However, having signed up for the Ironman I figured, if there's ever been a time to really try to learn how to run more efficiently, this is it. So ... I headed out to buy some new kicks - something that would be more conducive to fore-foot running.

At the shoe store, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. The salesperson took one look at my motion-control shoes, complete with arch supports and shook her head. "I just don't see how you can safely move from those, to these [minimalist shoes]," she stated frankly. I was not to be deterred though so, thinking that the first place to start would be to talk to someone about my arch supports (as I questioned how much I really needed them), I asked for a reco and she sent me to Solefit Orthotics. And I am ever so thankful for that reco. 

At SoleFit, I learned that my motion control shoes + orthotics were overcorrecting my foot. I also learned that I likely don't need orthotics (Note: this comes from someone who sells orthotics!). Lastly, but most importantly I was shown - via some cool video analysis (see below) - the mechanics behind heel-strike running and fore-foot running so that I could really understand why the latter is so much more efficient, as well as how to do it properly. 

It truly was an eye-opening experience and has made me even more excited about getting out there and pounding the pavement again.

Video analysis of my running initially
(heel-strike) and after I got new shoes
 (transitioning to mid-foot running).

Some training highs and lows ...

I haven't posted in a while so I'll catch you up quickly.

Week of October 1:

Training low - Monday CrossFit

Quite the humbling experience. I'm typically one of the first in my sessions to finish a WOD or get the most RAP and, in a given day I'm always above the median. Today I was dead last in the WOD and had one of the slowest times of the day. Only redeeming factor is that I held it together. I didn't curse. I didn't scream. I didn't throw anything (although it would have been soooo satisfying to throw a 85 lbs barbell). I didn't cry (thank god). I just kept going and finished. Huh, maybe this is what they call "maturing with age" :P

Training high - Tuesday Speedwork

Finally got outside. 8 x 800m with 1.5 min rest in between.
I averaged 3.30 with my last 800m in 3.21. BAM!

Week of October 8:

Pretty much a total wash. Was travelling internationally to see family I hadn't seen in about 8 years so to make the most of a very short trip, there was no running, biking or swimming. There was a helluva lot of walking and a CrossFit workout at CrossFit Praha (great place, great coach), but that's about it.

After a tough WOD at CrossFit Praha,
I managed to snag a shot with owner Zdenek Weig.

Week of October 15:

Easing back into things this week.
- CrossFit x 3
- 1.5 hr run

I've signed up with the Peak Centre and will be starting a new bike/run program shortly. I decided to switch as they're program also includes a strength portion, nutritional counselling and a facility at which to workout. Looking forward to it, but am a little scared of the VO2 max tests I have to get done to start things off next week. *cringe*

First Swim!

Last Saturday I got in the pool for the first time in 14 years!

I'd been dreading this for a while but I figured the unknown (how bad my swimming really is) was worse than the known (it can't be that bad, right?), so I made a swim date with my friend/former competitive swimmer/former swim coach and off we went to a local community pool.

Ofcourse this was preceded with the painful experience of getting a one-piece swimsuit (who new getting a decent one piece would be harder than getting a bikini?), but that's a story for another day - or never - I digress.

So we meet at the pool, hop into our bathers and head for the pool deck. At this point I start to worry that the 1.5 hr lane swim time slot we've showed up for probably won't be enough time for me to even GET IN the water (it takes my FOREVER to get into anything below 24 degrees) but much to my surprise, the water is super warm and I jump in without a problem. (Family and friends : True story, no lie, I have a witness!)

Anywho, the next hour and a half was spent doing various 25m length combos to warm up, show my friend my front crawl, practice arms only, practice legs only, and then practice based on some specific feedback. Turns out my crawl isn't as bad as I thought. Granted, to date it's relied heavily on my kick and my arms have contributed nothing but a pretty little windmill movement but it's nothing a few tweaks can't fix (JD, I hope you were being honest and weren't just sugar-coating it :).

Needed tweaks:

- keep my hands closed
- rotate my body more in the water to get more power from my stroke
- extend my stroke all the way past my hips
- alternate breathing.

Overall I think I swam about 1km that day. Not bad for my first time out.

Here's a great vid my friend shared with me that addresses some of the issues listed above.

"C" is for Complete!

Wohoo! I'm finally managing to complete my weekly training schedule - it's been two weeks now. All it took is a little time management and determination. I'm feeling a lot better about my training now than I did in my last post. Feels like I'm finally "getting in the zone".

The past two weeks have looked as follow ....

Two week ago
Monday : CrossFit
Tuesday : running (speedwork)
Wendesday : Est. 50K bike (trainer)
Thursday : 45min. run (hills) + CrossFit
Friday : Rest day (w/ 1.5 hr. massage!)
Saturday : Long bike  (+ a swim!)
Sunday : Long run

This past week
Monday : CrossFit
Tuesday : Missed running
Wednesday : 45K bike (outside!) + Running (speedwork I should have done on Tuesday).
Thursday : 45min. run (hills) + CrossFit
Friday : Rest day
Saturday : Long run
Sunday : Long bike (trainer)

Boy did I ever need that massage last Friday. The ride on the trainer was particularly brutal. After about the 1.5 hr mark my calves started to seize on me every 10 minutes or so, so I kept on having to stop and stretch them out. Then Thursday's hills left my hammies pretty sore. Here's where the mental training begins ... pushing through the pain and soreness.

The "F" word : Frustrating

This past week's training was a total wash.

The week started off with some unexpected travel which cut out my long run on Sunday. I made up for it on Monday (typically no run/bike day), but missed CrossFit.

Tuesday's speedwork didn't happen (still travelling).

Wednesday's bike ride didn't happen and CrosssFit was just pathetic.
I figured I'd start to see some negative gains eventually due to my increased endurance work but I didn't think I'd see it so soon. Grr ... I hate looking at the WOD board at the end of the day only to see my times and weight dropping behind that of people I was matching just a little while ago.

Thursday & Friday : training got skipped due to work drama.

Saturday & Sunday : hubby and I went camping for the weekend.

So frustrating week to say the least. Camping was good though. The complete disconnect was needed and very much appreciated. It gave me a chance to put some decent thought to my training and build a new plan of attack. I'll implement this week and see how it goes.

Next time I'm super frustrated,
I just need to look at this picture :)

Need to get my sh*t in order ...

A week and a half into my training and it's obvious I need to get my sh*t in order. It already seems like there aren't enough hours in the day and my training is pretty light right now compared to what it eventually will be.

Sooooo, like people who track every expense in a given time period to see where their money is really going, I'm going to track my time over the next week to see where it really goes. I'm hoping this will help me find some wasted time that I can put towards training. A few things I've already identified :

- Need to use my mornings (i.e. prime running time)
- Spend less time getting ready for work.
- Leave work at work.
- Need to go to bed and wake up at more regular times.

Training for this past first week wasn't bad. I haven't yet felt run down or super tired. But, I'm sure it's on its way.

Tuesday - speedwork run (treadmill)
Wednesday - CrossFit (as a substitute for not making it out biking)
Thursday - run (outside)
Friday - CrossFit
Saturday - bike (on trainer)
Sunday - nothing (should have run)
Monday - run (to make up for Sunday - treadmill)

Saturday's bike ride was in the basement on a trainer due to this weekend's torrential downpour. Interesting learning : I have no problem running on a treadmill -- time seems to pass pretty quickly. On a trainer though, time goes by painfully slow. Ugh. I'm going to need to find a way to change that given the cold months are coming up quickly and all my rides will soon be indoors.

  

Basement trainer set-up - thanks to my awesome hubby!
Yup - that's an old PEUGEOT bike. I'll replace it with mine
once the weather turns cold.

Training has officially started!

So it's good to know that a few people are reading this and as a result have nagged me about not posting in a while (Thanks VM). Really. I appreciate it. It keeps me honest about my training. So here goes ...

Over the past few weeks I've continued to work out, even up'd my game a bit by running a few times per week in addition to my CrossFit workouts, but I can't say I've been training for the Ironman per say as I haven't been doing anything really ... organized (for lack of a better word). Until today!

Today was Day 1 of my first run/bike program. (Program provided by the tri coach I mentioned in my last post, who I've signed up with for the next three months to see how it goes). Today's workout involved speed work:

2 x 1 km (1:30 rest btw) First at 10K pace, second at 5K pace.
4 x 500m (1:00 rest btw) All faster than 5K pace.
2 x 1 km (1:30 rest btw) Both at 5K pace.

I didn't get home until late and once dinner was done it was dark and raining so I headed to the gym. Although I would like to do as much running as possible outside, no matter the weather so that come race-day I'm prepared for anything ... not today. Instead I just added a bit of incline to the workout. I was also thinking that, given the workout was speed work, the treadmill had the added advantage of being able to easily monitor my pace and distance.

The work out went well. I was feeling pretty good after (although looking back at it now, I probably could have and should have done the 4 x 500m faster), so I threw in three rounds of Cindy for good measure (since I missed CrossFit the other day). Not my best idea. First off because I couldn't remember Cindy properly (instead of 15 squats, I did 15 burpees - which did me in) and because the bar I did the pull ups on had a crap grip so I almost flew off and landed flat on my back. LOL. All is good though. I will live to see another day.

I'm happy to say I did this after a tough ride on Sunday -- a 56 miler from Kanata to the Gatineaus, up to Champlain Point and back. (Thanks for the company DG!) It was a good mental/physical check to see where I stand with my biking. At 56 miles, the ride was exactly half the Ironman biking distance (112 miles) and somewhat comparable to the hilly Lake Placid bike course. The ride took us 3.47 so if I can maintain that pace for two rounds, I'll be looking at finishing the bike portion in just under 8 hours. I hoping my training can get me down to 7 hrs.

That's it for now. I need to get more sleep (she says as she signs off, 1.5 hours after her intended bedtime).

Baby steps ...

I may not have posted in about two weeks but know that a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes. I've turned into an information whore -- scouring the internets for triathlon training plans, tips, forums, support groups in the area, etc, etc. I also found some inspirational Ironman videos.

Example :

As luck should have it a colleague at work has a brother who's in the business of coaching triathletes and I'm meeting with him tomorrow. I'm hoping to talk to him about how to structure my training (i.e. do what, when and for how long). I think it will take a load off knowing I've got an experienced Ironman telling me how I should train instead of trying to figure it out myself and worrying it's not enough. 

I've also got an experienced swim coach as a colleague and she's offered to get me started in the pool (i.e. take a look at my stroke, correct any bad habits, etc.) I have yet to take her up on her offer though. It will sound ridiculous saying this considering I've signed up for the Ironman but ... I'm dreading getting in the pool. 

The last time I swam was in my late teens as part of lifeguard training. As part of the NLS certification  we had to swim 'x' distance -- I can't remember what 'x' was right now, but it's safe to say it wasn't anywhere near 2.4 miles -- and I never could get comfortable with my breathing, so never quite felt at ease swimming long distance in the water. Needless to say, that will have to change. 

Training this past week:

Monday : CrossFit

Tuesday : CrossFit

Friday : CrossFit

Saturday : CrossFit + 5k run

Sunday : 50 km bike

That 5k was my first real run since ... April(?). It felt good. Real good. Especially after a tough CrossFit WOD (the universally dreaded 'Fran'). And I managed to pull off a pretty decent pace (5 min/km). 

As for my bike, I've been biking regularly over the summer. The 50km is a regular weekend ride along Ottawa's parkway. This time though, on my own, I was thinking I'd really "Punch it Chewy" but I didn't really see a noticeable pace difference. 27km/hr -- only a bit faster than my historical 25 km/hr pace. Hmph. 

As for nutrition ... it's not horrible but I could be a lot better I'm sure. CrossFit preaches Paleo which in theory makes sense (cut out processed foods, diary & grains, eat more natural veggies/fruit and meat. However I've also read a few books about endurance athletes and they all seem to follow vegetarian diets. And it obviously seems to be working for them ... More research required.
For now though, I'm happy with my success of significantly curbing my sweet tooth. Baby steps.

I've gone and done it ...

So, I've gone and done it. I’ve actually DONE it.

I’ve registered for the 2013 Lake Placid Ironman. WTF?

(For those of you that are unaware of what an Ironman is, it's a triathlon race consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, concluding with a 26.2 mile run).

[Psychotic laughter] ... [Stunned silence] ... [Psychotic laughter]

[Stunned silence] ... [Stunned silence] ... [Stunned silence]

Ok, so … if I’m going to do this to do this, I’m going to need to :

(a) stay focused -- vewy, vewy, focused and,
(b) get support -- lots and lots of support.

To stay focused, my plan is to use this blog to meticulously document all of my training (i.e. hours & discipline, routes, HHH status, etc) and daily food intake. I'll also use it to work through any frustrations, moments of weakness, and host of other emotions i'll likely encounter during my training. If you don't see a post here every few days, call me on it. Please.

Support-wise, I think I'm starting off pretty strong. Knowing full-well that he'll see little of me over the next year and that he'll have to take up the slack on a lot of household responsibilities, the hubby is behind me 100%. Similarly, most family and friends have been supportive. There are a few individuals that have expressed doubt and some discouraging words but, I can see where it's coming from. It's hard to watch someone you love and care for put themselves through something so physically grueling. I can only hope these individuals come around.

On that note, i'll end this inaugural post.

Today is July 29, 2012. The 2013 Lake Placid Ironman is July 28.

I have 365 days to get ready to race 140.6 miles.

Wish me luck.