I don't want to crowd this with a lot of text/thoughts because the video I'm about to link to is 13 minutes long. But it SO interesting if you're in to running at ALL. So instead of asking you to read anything, chew on this. You don't have to be a stellar competitive runner to benefit from the advice this video has to offer. That being said, the triathlon team president (who is a pretty talented runner) said the stride angle work may not be as applicable to athletes who aren't of an incredibly high caliber. Still, I have shortened my race pace by over 2 minutes/mile this year by getting more fit, bettering my form, and working on my efficiency. I hope to shave another 30 seconds off that before the season is out (and run at 5k in 26:30). Honestly, here is how one can reach these goals:
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
There's nothing to see here
I brought my wetsuit to Texas. It took up a good 1/4 of my suitcase. I told myself I would try some open water swimming. Until today, I had been here for 16 days (count 'em) and hadn't done just that. So I packed up the car (and the boyfriend) and drove 25 minutes to Mansfield Dam.
It had just started to rain as we encroached upon our destination. But hey, if it rains a little on race day, do you drop out? No. Then it was $10 just to get into the park, but I BROUGHT my wetsuit and I HAD to do this. So, we reluctantly handed over the only cash in our wallets. I wriggled into my wetsuit and trotted down the path to a beach of rocks. Yes, I probably should've used shoes in the water, but I didn't have any, plus that adds to your transition time. Would I wear shoes in a race? No. I was the only crazy person wading out into the 63 degree water to take a dip.
I started in, remembering some advice I'd heard or read once that said don't start or stop swimming until the water level is at your knees. Once I hit that point, I dove in to that beloved (not) freestyle that I've worked so hard on, determined to make it out to the buoy (around 75-100 meters out).
As I began to swim I was excited to have quite a bit of visibility - there were weird, interesting growths around the bottom of the dam. Yes, I swam into them, but at least I could see them. I thought "What is everyone talking about? The visibility isn't that bad."
Then the water got murkier and I began swimming into a void of brown-green water. Hey, at least it didn't taste bad, but okay, so yeah, there was zero-visibility. So I started sighting - SUCCESS! I saw the buoy. Oh! I saw it again! Look I'm swimming in a straight line! Then I got water in my nose. Then I started breathing every stroke and feeling the current. WHOA. PANIC. I started treading. Then I was on my back, telling myself to calm down, treading back in to shore. I flipped over to my front and swam until I could see the weird dam plants again. Once I could stand I turned around and looked at the buoy. I didn't have much time and I was, admittedly, freaking out, so I told myself "swim to the buoy, TOUCH IT, and then swim back and you can be done." Which had the added bonus: if I swim in a straight line AND entirely in freestyle, I achieve this faster and can be done sooner. I think I may be faster than usual in the swim at nationals solely because the faster I do it, the sooner I can GET OUT.
So I swam out to the buoy and although I was freaked out by the massive amount of algae that had grown up around it, I touched it. Then I swam back in, turned around to look at the buoy, and had never been quite so happy to get out of the water.
I'm glad I had this experience. I'm glad I know what I'm up against. If I waited until Tuscaloosa to discover this I probably would've been totally freaked out. I may have cried at the finish line solely because a good 30-40 min in this water would literally be the manifestation of my greatest nightmare.
It kind of did remind me of a nightmare. I don't know if this is just me - but that moment in a nightmare when everything is blurry and you know something is going to jump out to try to kill you. Yeah, that's kind of what looking into a murkier brown-green void is like. Then there are these fish called muskies and northern pike that sometimes bite people, which Phil so lovingly told me horror stories about (ok, so maybe I forced it out of him...). I did some research which says fish are unlikely to attack and the bites we did find look like average cuts (or you know, maybe you'd need stitches). Still, biking is likely more dangerous, right?
In the future, I'm all about swimming with lots of people who will freak the fish out. Yes. Game plan. So who is going to practice open water swimming with me? Eh?
Honestly though, part of what made today scary was feeling so alone. I get a little paranoid when I run by myself, and see no cars or people around me. So you can only imagine not being able to see, but knowing there's nothing around me makes for one lonely and paranoid swimmer.
But to make you (and me) feel better, here is what the bottom of Lake Erie looks like (you know, somewhere in the vast expanses of Lake Erie).
Boo scary fish. Yay triathlons!
It had just started to rain as we encroached upon our destination. But hey, if it rains a little on race day, do you drop out? No. Then it was $10 just to get into the park, but I BROUGHT my wetsuit and I HAD to do this. So, we reluctantly handed over the only cash in our wallets. I wriggled into my wetsuit and trotted down the path to a beach of rocks. Yes, I probably should've used shoes in the water, but I didn't have any, plus that adds to your transition time. Would I wear shoes in a race? No. I was the only crazy person wading out into the 63 degree water to take a dip.
I started in, remembering some advice I'd heard or read once that said don't start or stop swimming until the water level is at your knees. Once I hit that point, I dove in to that beloved (not) freestyle that I've worked so hard on, determined to make it out to the buoy (around 75-100 meters out).
As I began to swim I was excited to have quite a bit of visibility - there were weird, interesting growths around the bottom of the dam. Yes, I swam into them, but at least I could see them. I thought "What is everyone talking about? The visibility isn't that bad."
Then the water got murkier and I began swimming into a void of brown-green water. Hey, at least it didn't taste bad, but okay, so yeah, there was zero-visibility. So I started sighting - SUCCESS! I saw the buoy. Oh! I saw it again! Look I'm swimming in a straight line! Then I got water in my nose. Then I started breathing every stroke and feeling the current. WHOA. PANIC. I started treading. Then I was on my back, telling myself to calm down, treading back in to shore. I flipped over to my front and swam until I could see the weird dam plants again. Once I could stand I turned around and looked at the buoy. I didn't have much time and I was, admittedly, freaking out, so I told myself "swim to the buoy, TOUCH IT, and then swim back and you can be done." Which had the added bonus: if I swim in a straight line AND entirely in freestyle, I achieve this faster and can be done sooner. I think I may be faster than usual in the swim at nationals solely because the faster I do it, the sooner I can GET OUT.
So I swam out to the buoy and although I was freaked out by the massive amount of algae that had grown up around it, I touched it. Then I swam back in, turned around to look at the buoy, and had never been quite so happy to get out of the water.
I'm glad I had this experience. I'm glad I know what I'm up against. If I waited until Tuscaloosa to discover this I probably would've been totally freaked out. I may have cried at the finish line solely because a good 30-40 min in this water would literally be the manifestation of my greatest nightmare.
It kind of did remind me of a nightmare. I don't know if this is just me - but that moment in a nightmare when everything is blurry and you know something is going to jump out to try to kill you. Yeah, that's kind of what looking into a murkier brown-green void is like. Then there are these fish called muskies and northern pike that sometimes bite people, which Phil so lovingly told me horror stories about (ok, so maybe I forced it out of him...). I did some research which says fish are unlikely to attack and the bites we did find look like average cuts (or you know, maybe you'd need stitches). Still, biking is likely more dangerous, right?
 |
| A muskie (or a tiger muskie); See, he looks friendly! |
Honestly though, part of what made today scary was feeling so alone. I get a little paranoid when I run by myself, and see no cars or people around me. So you can only imagine not being able to see, but knowing there's nothing around me makes for one lonely and paranoid swimmer.
But to make you (and me) feel better, here is what the bottom of Lake Erie looks like (you know, somewhere in the vast expanses of Lake Erie).
Boo scary fish. Yay triathlons!
Friday, March 25, 2011
and sometimes you crash...
This past week and a half has been... depressing and thus I haven't really updated.
For one, I learned about post-race legs (which means you run about a full minute/mile slower than you normally do). That was lovely...err miserable.
I've also been working on those bike challenges and have continued to give myself bruises. Whoops. Yesterday I managed to successfully ride around Austin without crashing or dying or BRAKING DOWN HILLS (well, out of fear anyway). Still got to work on the whole hydrating thing, but I'm thinking I might be racing in nationals with my camelback racing pack. AWESOME. At least it's not super huge.
P.S. A couple of entries back I discussed how biking can make your arms/wrists hurt. This can be from bad form OR from your seat angle being too low, causing you to slide down and have too much to support with your wrists. CHECK THOSE SEAT ANGLES! (I need to check mine)
Running has continued to be a challenge. I haven't had much luck getting my speed back up to where it was. I don't know what is wrong - it may be the heat slowing me down, or my less-nutritious diet, or something. I'm frustrated, but I did speed work today and did NOT sign up for the 10k race this Sunday (even though I really really really wanted to) because I'm simply not in racing shape. Also, I've continued working in more strength training... which reminds me I've got to do that.
For those of you who don't know: I'm very into creating workout playlists. I do it for myself. I do it for the team (although they don't always love it... [: whoops) and it keeps me motivated. Here are some new tracks to consider while you run, bike... or whatever:
Beautiful People (feat. Benny Benassi) - Chris Brown
Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
21st Century Girl - Willow Smith
Ghost Town - Shiny Toy Guns
On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez (feat. Pitbull)
Rumor Has It - Adele
This girl next to me in the lap pool at UT (which is beautiful btw - the outdoor pool area looks like a resort, seriously, there are PALM trees) had an underwater iPod.
Underwater iPod (I die)
I am so unbelievably jealous. I want one SO. BAD. As someone who is motivated by music - I die. But, I don't exactly have an extra $150. For those of you who do - it's a thought.
For one, I learned about post-race legs (which means you run about a full minute/mile slower than you normally do). That was lovely...err miserable.
I've also been working on those bike challenges and have continued to give myself bruises. Whoops. Yesterday I managed to successfully ride around Austin without crashing or dying or BRAKING DOWN HILLS (well, out of fear anyway). Still got to work on the whole hydrating thing, but I'm thinking I might be racing in nationals with my camelback racing pack. AWESOME. At least it's not super huge.
P.S. A couple of entries back I discussed how biking can make your arms/wrists hurt. This can be from bad form OR from your seat angle being too low, causing you to slide down and have too much to support with your wrists. CHECK THOSE SEAT ANGLES! (I need to check mine)
Running has continued to be a challenge. I haven't had much luck getting my speed back up to where it was. I don't know what is wrong - it may be the heat slowing me down, or my less-nutritious diet, or something. I'm frustrated, but I did speed work today and did NOT sign up for the 10k race this Sunday (even though I really really really wanted to) because I'm simply not in racing shape. Also, I've continued working in more strength training... which reminds me I've got to do that.
For those of you who don't know: I'm very into creating workout playlists. I do it for myself. I do it for the team (although they don't always love it... [: whoops) and it keeps me motivated. Here are some new tracks to consider while you run, bike... or whatever:
Beautiful People (feat. Benny Benassi) - Chris Brown
Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
21st Century Girl - Willow Smith
Ghost Town - Shiny Toy Guns
On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez (feat. Pitbull)
Rumor Has It - Adele
This girl next to me in the lap pool at UT (which is beautiful btw - the outdoor pool area looks like a resort, seriously, there are PALM trees) had an underwater iPod.
Underwater iPod (I die)
I am so unbelievably jealous. I want one SO. BAD. As someone who is motivated by music - I die. But, I don't exactly have an extra $150. For those of you who do - it's a thought.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
the luck of the... not Irish
Today I did the St. Patrick's Day Triathlon in Keller, TX (my first "real" triathlon- I say that because I don't really count the indoor in Dayton) and have much to report.
I felt incredibly nauseous before the race and had the constant urge to pee (pleasant, I know). Apparently my nerves do that. My stomach is still in knots (6 hours after finishing). I ate a granola bar and a banana for breakfast and had three shot bloks (1/2 pack) before the race and this seemed to work out well in terms of fueling.
Looking back, there are some things I accomplished and some things I need to work on. Let's end with the good.
To do:
- Get more comfortable with longer swim distances
- Stop being afraid of going fast on downhills - scaredy-cat braking slows you down
- Get better at taking tight turns on the bike
- Figure out how to effectively hydrate on the bike (whoops)
- Buy a watch that is waterproof so I can time myself
Things accomplished:
- Was able to relax after the first 25 meters of the swim; had people swim over me and kick me and it worked out ok
- DIDN'T FALL OFF THE BIKE! WOOO!
- Clip shoes, mounting, dismounting, not dying: check
- FAST transitions (T1: 2:05, T2: 1:16)
- PR'ed in the 5k. It feels like you're loping, when you're actually running really fast. Noted. However, still important to keep pushing.
- Won for the female 20-24 age group. Awesome.
Goals:
- RELAX
- Speed bike up to average 18 mph (granted the course was hilly, but...)
- Finish national and finish strong (run the whole 10 k)
In the end, I finished in 1 hr 23 min which is pretty good considering my goal was 80 min (without transitions).
I have learned a lot and am incredibly happy to have gotten this experience before I go race at collegiate nationals! That would've been crazy - this was crazy.
For now, I leave you with a post-tri picture:
I felt incredibly nauseous before the race and had the constant urge to pee (pleasant, I know). Apparently my nerves do that. My stomach is still in knots (6 hours after finishing). I ate a granola bar and a banana for breakfast and had three shot bloks (1/2 pack) before the race and this seemed to work out well in terms of fueling.
Looking back, there are some things I accomplished and some things I need to work on. Let's end with the good.
To do:
- Get more comfortable with longer swim distances
- Stop being afraid of going fast on downhills - scaredy-cat braking slows you down
- Get better at taking tight turns on the bike
- Figure out how to effectively hydrate on the bike (whoops)
- Buy a watch that is waterproof so I can time myself
Things accomplished:
- Was able to relax after the first 25 meters of the swim; had people swim over me and kick me and it worked out ok
- DIDN'T FALL OFF THE BIKE! WOOO!
- Clip shoes, mounting, dismounting, not dying: check
- FAST transitions (T1: 2:05, T2: 1:16)
- PR'ed in the 5k. It feels like you're loping, when you're actually running really fast. Noted. However, still important to keep pushing.
- Won for the female 20-24 age group. Awesome.
Goals:
- RELAX
- Speed bike up to average 18 mph (granted the course was hilly, but...)
- Finish national and finish strong (run the whole 10 k)
In the end, I finished in 1 hr 23 min which is pretty good considering my goal was 80 min (without transitions).
I have learned a lot and am incredibly happy to have gotten this experience before I go race at collegiate nationals! That would've been crazy - this was crazy.
For now, I leave you with a post-tri picture:
 |
| Me and my snazzy medal post-race |
Friday, March 11, 2011
bike grease really suits me
Triathlon in t-2 days.
Today Phil (my boyfriend) and I ventured out to Veloway - a neat little 5k loop in Austin that is maintained exclusively for cyclists (well, and rollerbladers). I lapped it 5 times and it got a little monotonous, but it was definitely great training for this weekend! It was incredibly important for me to get some quality on-the-road time on my aunt's bike. (yes, my aunt so generously saved my life and let me borrow her road bike for the race!) I'll definitely be hitting it up a few more times while I'm out here.
Some things I learned:
1. You may think you have mastered your clip shoes: you haven't. Or maybe that's just me. I may or may not be a little scratched up from clip shoe mishaps. :]
2. Going fast is scary. Although you may be capable of pushing harder, are you brave enough to go that fast? My legs are not nearly as tired as they have been after some VisionQuest workouts I've done. Definitely could've gone harder and faster, but truth be told, as my speed climbs I get a little nervous.
3. Turns are not easy. I mean, they are something to grapple with. I thought I understood turns from taking them constantly around campus but there is a HUGE difference between taking a curve at 10 mph vs. 18 mph. The difference is: AHHHHHHH!!!!
4. Cycling makes your hands and arms hurt. Yes, it is good form to relax your elbows and shoulders as well as to keep a loose grip on the handlebars. Generally I think I am pretty good about controlling these things, but my arms are definitely still feeling this more so than they normally do.
Conclusion: thank GOD I had an extra day to mess around with this bike and do my second outdoor ride. I am nervous for Sunday but definitely feel better having had the extra practice.
I feel like a new driver.
Today Phil (my boyfriend) and I ventured out to Veloway - a neat little 5k loop in Austin that is maintained exclusively for cyclists (well, and rollerbladers). I lapped it 5 times and it got a little monotonous, but it was definitely great training for this weekend! It was incredibly important for me to get some quality on-the-road time on my aunt's bike. (yes, my aunt so generously saved my life and let me borrow her road bike for the race!) I'll definitely be hitting it up a few more times while I'm out here.
Some things I learned:
1. You may think you have mastered your clip shoes: you haven't. Or maybe that's just me. I may or may not be a little scratched up from clip shoe mishaps. :]
2. Going fast is scary. Although you may be capable of pushing harder, are you brave enough to go that fast? My legs are not nearly as tired as they have been after some VisionQuest workouts I've done. Definitely could've gone harder and faster, but truth be told, as my speed climbs I get a little nervous.
3. Turns are not easy. I mean, they are something to grapple with. I thought I understood turns from taking them constantly around campus but there is a HUGE difference between taking a curve at 10 mph vs. 18 mph. The difference is: AHHHHHHH!!!!
4. Cycling makes your hands and arms hurt. Yes, it is good form to relax your elbows and shoulders as well as to keep a loose grip on the handlebars. Generally I think I am pretty good about controlling these things, but my arms are definitely still feeling this more so than they normally do.
Conclusion: thank GOD I had an extra day to mess around with this bike and do my second outdoor ride. I am nervous for Sunday but definitely feel better having had the extra practice.
I feel like a new driver.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
all short people are created equal?
This video has turned my opinions on their heads. I don't know what to believe, but I now understand that saddles and handlebars definitely have some level of difference.
Here's what confuses me: Jamis, another tope biking company posts this on their site about their women's bikes.
"All our Femme models feature frame and fork geometry adjusted to women's bodies to ensure the best possible fit and best possible riding posture. This means frame angles, front centers and fork rakes have all been refined. Then we specify broader-based, shorter-nosed saddles, shorter stems, narrower handlebars, and shorter cranks to fully optimize fit and ride experience.
These are not just repainted men's bikes, nor are they roll-in-the-park recreational cruisers. These are 100% bonafide performance machines with every detail poured over to ensure the perfect fit for your body."
from http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/femme/index.html
Now, the key is that Jamis is another high-level bike company and it's headed by president Carinne Joannou (yup a woman). Don't you think a woman at the head of a big bike company would know her facts about women's bicycles and what her product is?
Professional triathlete Lesley Paterson is currently climbing to the top of the ranks of female triathletes, and she is sponsored by Jamis. In this month's Triathlete she is featured in a Jamis ad and has a feature article on her new found success saying that her Jamis bike is a race essential for her "The company is run by a woman, and I feel really connected to the brand."Hmmm are people dancing around the issue?
What gets me is that many other top bike companies have similar spiels.
Felt: The goal of Felt’s ZW Series is to honestly address the unique needs of women cyclists from both an engineering standpoint and an athlete’s perspective. Many manufacturers introduce women’s bikes by simply switching some parts, such as saddles and handlebars, and changing the frame graphics to set them apart from men’s models. But Felt started the entire design and engineering process from scratch.
Trek: WSD Bikes are engineered specifically for women. Each bike puts you in a more natural riding position by redistributing weight more evenly between hips and hands. That means more comfort, better control and optimal power.
Our team president, Brad brought up the idea looking at similar bikes component to component men's vs. women's. First, I looked up the Trek Madone 6.9 SSL WSD vs the mens. They were almost the EXACT same thing. The only differences I could find were in the seat, they give men two options for the crank and cassette (one of which was the one the women's bike was equipped with) and they were different colors. As I went down to lower models they continued to get more and more similar. Hmmm.
In comparing Felt's Z6 to the ZW6 they vaguely say the frames are different (one women's specific, one not). The women's is marginally lighter. The men's have different wheels and vary small, medium, large (instead of by cm, which I suppose it less specific).
While I'm not really able to conclude anything SOMETHING is up and this all seems a little fishy to me.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
that which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger
I've heard that every athlete has a "mantra." I believe this might be mine. Sometimes I have to repeat it to myself to get through the particularly hard parts.
I believe the actual quote by Nietzsche is "What does not kill him makes him stronger." (was ihn nicht umbringt, macht ihn stärker) - correct me if I'm wrong.
Today I had a 70 min run in my training plan. About 25 minutes in I started feeling really sick and then around 45 minutes I had to walk because I felt like death was very real (literally not kidding). I hate walking. I hate giving in and saying no and so I tend to push through until I just can't.
This got me thinking a lot about nutrition. I got up at 6:20 am to do this run and was out the door by 6:40 - I decided not to eat anything, which I know I'm not supposed to do, but I always thought it was because it makes you more tired. My logic: it was an easy run so I didn't need to push too hard plus, I didn't feel hungry because it was so early.
Well despite running on a "empty tank," my digestive system still decided to attack me with last night's dinner. THANKS!
After my awful experience this morning (which literally left me lying on my side through my first 90 min of class this morning), I was glad to see that Tri It Wear posted this link on Facebook: http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2011/03/08/fuelling-strategies-success/
While it doesn't explain why my stomach reacted so violently to last night's dinner 10 hours later, it does tell me to consider sucrose and fructose as pre workout meals/snacks.
Last weekend I started toying with Clif Shot Bloks and how those might affect me as mid-race nutrition. What I found: the strawberry taste like fruit snacks (yuuuummm) but they may cause me a little nausea on the run. This will require more testing. Gu freaks me out, so I don't consider it an option (in case you were curious).
Definitely something I'll have to keep toying with. I'm going to read this full handbook provided after the article and see what I can learn.
I believe the actual quote by Nietzsche is "What does not kill him makes him stronger." (was ihn nicht umbringt, macht ihn stärker) - correct me if I'm wrong.
Today I had a 70 min run in my training plan. About 25 minutes in I started feeling really sick and then around 45 minutes I had to walk because I felt like death was very real (literally not kidding). I hate walking. I hate giving in and saying no and so I tend to push through until I just can't.
This got me thinking a lot about nutrition. I got up at 6:20 am to do this run and was out the door by 6:40 - I decided not to eat anything, which I know I'm not supposed to do, but I always thought it was because it makes you more tired. My logic: it was an easy run so I didn't need to push too hard plus, I didn't feel hungry because it was so early.
Well despite running on a "empty tank," my digestive system still decided to attack me with last night's dinner. THANKS!
After my awful experience this morning (which literally left me lying on my side through my first 90 min of class this morning), I was glad to see that Tri It Wear posted this link on Facebook: http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2011/03/08/fuelling-strategies-success/
While it doesn't explain why my stomach reacted so violently to last night's dinner 10 hours later, it does tell me to consider sucrose and fructose as pre workout meals/snacks.
Last weekend I started toying with Clif Shot Bloks and how those might affect me as mid-race nutrition. What I found: the strawberry taste like fruit snacks (yuuuummm) but they may cause me a little nausea on the run. This will require more testing. Gu freaks me out, so I don't consider it an option (in case you were curious).
Definitely something I'll have to keep toying with. I'm going to read this full handbook provided after the article and see what I can learn.
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