In case anyone was interested, this is the course map for the St. Anthony's Triathlon in Florida.
(Courtesy of http://www.satriathlon.com)
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday Swim Workout
Sunday, I thought I'd try training from the training schedule and swim workouts that TNT provides. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to attend any of the coached swims. Sunday was a self swim practice, which I thought went relatively well. The directions said to swim for 30 mins following the workout, and that it was ok not to finish. I definitely got worked, and was wasted after the workout. I think I swam about 750 meters of mix freestyle and other strokes.
A personal reminder, focus on form. My form just went out the window, once my body got tired, not that I know what proper form is. The more I read about distance swimming, the more I realize that I need to adjust my stroke. I hope to make at least one of the coached swims this week, to get help with my stroke. I'll keep you posted!
A personal reminder, focus on form. My form just went out the window, once my body got tired, not that I know what proper form is. The more I read about distance swimming, the more I realize that I need to adjust my stroke. I hope to make at least one of the coached swims this week, to get help with my stroke. I'll keep you posted!
Saturday Group Run
This past Saturday, I had an opportunity to meet some of the TNT Triathlon team. The group was a mix of the Half-Ironman Gulf Coast team, and the Olympic St. Anthony's team. The group was mixed; men, women, young, old - just a reminder that it doesn't matter how old you are or even what your current shape is, with some dedication and hard work, anyone can do a triathlon.
The group is high-energy, more than I could handle that morning - rolling out of bed at 6:30am and braving the 26 degree weather is not my idea of a relaxing weekend :) The first 1.5 hrs was a Tri 101 clinic, where the different coaches and TNT staff talked about safety, nutrition, equipment, and other administrative items. I knew for sure I needed additional equipment for winter training, and the clinic gave me some ideas and places to visit.
Before we got started that morning, Arline, an honored TNT teammate and Non-Hodgkin's survivor stood before the group and talked about her experience. Back in the 90's, two days before she was to run the Marine Corps Marathon, she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The doctor said, you can run the marathon, but you probably won't finish - but to her doctor's surprise, not only did she finish, but she recorded a personal best. Over the next several months, she underwent every known treatment at the time, non of which helped to mitigate the disease. She entered a clinical trial in NY, resulting in the removal of the disease. The trial treatment, partially funded by the very organization that TNT is training for, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, is the reason why Arline can stand before us and share her story.
Following the morning clinic, the group went out for a 30 minute run. Running is probably my least favorite thing to do alone, so having a group to run with was great. Whenever I feel the need to stop, or I feel like I can't go anymore, I think about people like Arline and Winnie, who have fought or are fighting the disease as we speak, and I am honored to have this opportunity to raise money for a cause that could, in the future be used to cure and save the lives of those we love.
The group is high-energy, more than I could handle that morning - rolling out of bed at 6:30am and braving the 26 degree weather is not my idea of a relaxing weekend :) The first 1.5 hrs was a Tri 101 clinic, where the different coaches and TNT staff talked about safety, nutrition, equipment, and other administrative items. I knew for sure I needed additional equipment for winter training, and the clinic gave me some ideas and places to visit.
Before we got started that morning, Arline, an honored TNT teammate and Non-Hodgkin's survivor stood before the group and talked about her experience. Back in the 90's, two days before she was to run the Marine Corps Marathon, she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The doctor said, you can run the marathon, but you probably won't finish - but to her doctor's surprise, not only did she finish, but she recorded a personal best. Over the next several months, she underwent every known treatment at the time, non of which helped to mitigate the disease. She entered a clinical trial in NY, resulting in the removal of the disease. The trial treatment, partially funded by the very organization that TNT is training for, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, is the reason why Arline can stand before us and share her story.
Following the morning clinic, the group went out for a 30 minute run. Running is probably my least favorite thing to do alone, so having a group to run with was great. Whenever I feel the need to stop, or I feel like I can't go anymore, I think about people like Arline and Winnie, who have fought or are fighting the disease as we speak, and I am honored to have this opportunity to raise money for a cause that could, in the future be used to cure and save the lives of those we love.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday Swim, Wednesday Run/Workout
Monday I returned from a long weekend trip in San Diego with Christine, like I mentioned in my last post. I did a whole lot of eating and a whole little of training. The last few days I've been focused on turning my diet back around, getting back into my original wake up schedule, and getting back in regular training.
Tuesday, I hit the pool after work. There was a team swim practice in DC at 5:30am, but lately, I've had to come into work early. I hope to rejoin the team practices next week. Not a great swim workout, but not a bad one either. My issues have been getting winded too quickly, and my arms run out of steam. Which brings me to my next workout.
Wednesday, I ran on indoor track.
Run Stats
About 2 miles
17:17 minutes
178 avg heart rate
I say about 2 miles, because I think I lost track of how many laps I did, since the indoor track is tiny. After my workout, I did some shoulder and back circuit training for about 30 minutes, about 7 workouts, 2 sets each, low weights, and high reps to try and build some strength and stamina in my shoulder muscles for the swim.
Today, I'll hit the pool again, and this Saturday, I get an opportunity to meet the team and do another run.
Tuesday, I hit the pool after work. There was a team swim practice in DC at 5:30am, but lately, I've had to come into work early. I hope to rejoin the team practices next week. Not a great swim workout, but not a bad one either. My issues have been getting winded too quickly, and my arms run out of steam. Which brings me to my next workout.
Wednesday, I ran on indoor track.
Run Stats
About 2 miles
17:17 minutes
178 avg heart rate
I say about 2 miles, because I think I lost track of how many laps I did, since the indoor track is tiny. After my workout, I did some shoulder and back circuit training for about 30 minutes, about 7 workouts, 2 sets each, low weights, and high reps to try and build some strength and stamina in my shoulder muscles for the swim.
Today, I'll hit the pool again, and this Saturday, I get an opportunity to meet the team and do another run.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Back Home!
So, I haven't posted in a few days now. I was away, accompanying Christine out west to San Diego, CA. The weather was chilly for SoCal, but beautiful as always. We spent most of our long weekend on Pacific Beach.
While on travel, I did have an opportunity to sneak a workout in, a 20 minute run along the beach. Can't really comment on the distance since I didn't really have any markers or a running pod with me. Aside from the one run, Christine and I took several walks up and down the beach, gosh I love San Diego! :)
While on travel, I did have an opportunity to sneak a workout in, a 20 minute run along the beach. Can't really comment on the distance since I didn't really have any markers or a running pod with me. Aside from the one run, Christine and I took several walks up and down the beach, gosh I love San Diego! :)
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Pre-season training - Day 2 on the Bike
Yesterday was great, the sun was out and the sky was clear, but it was still cold. I got into work extra early this morning, and left early to get a workout in while it was still light out. I'm still not getting up at a time I need to be getting up, but I'm getting there. I'll have a post dedicated to conditioning myself to wake up early.
The bike felt good, I was cold, but still had a decent workout. I ended up tailing a guy who was going at a speed that I could challenge myself with, so I just stuck with him. Things I wished I had with me today were better sun glasses, head warmer/ear warmers, and winter clothes that blocked the wind.
All in all, a decent ride, considering its only day 2 on the bike. Already, I made some progress, I can only improve from here. So, how am I getting my ride stats? I'm using a Specialized cycling computer that only tracks speed, time, and distance.
Ride Stats
33:25 minutes on the bike
8.69 miles
15.5 AvS
forgot my heart monitor, so, no heart rate - sorry!
Also, that night, Christine and I went to a free basic bike maintenance class at Conte's Bike Store in Arlington, VA. For the VA folks near Arlington, visit their website to see events and news. The class was about 2 hrs long, and was a great introductory class to bike maintenance. They covered preventive maintenance such as checking break, tire, and rim wear, rear derailer and break alignment, how to remove the handle bars, how to change a flat, how to lube your chain, and much more. Thanks Jody and the Conte's Bike staff!
The bike felt good, I was cold, but still had a decent workout. I ended up tailing a guy who was going at a speed that I could challenge myself with, so I just stuck with him. Things I wished I had with me today were better sun glasses, head warmer/ear warmers, and winter clothes that blocked the wind.
All in all, a decent ride, considering its only day 2 on the bike. Already, I made some progress, I can only improve from here. So, how am I getting my ride stats? I'm using a Specialized cycling computer that only tracks speed, time, and distance.
Ride Stats
33:25 minutes on the bike
8.69 miles
15.5 AvS
forgot my heart monitor, so, no heart rate - sorry!
Also, that night, Christine and I went to a free basic bike maintenance class at Conte's Bike Store in Arlington, VA. For the VA folks near Arlington, visit their website to see events and news. The class was about 2 hrs long, and was a great introductory class to bike maintenance. They covered preventive maintenance such as checking break, tire, and rim wear, rear derailer and break alignment, how to remove the handle bars, how to change a flat, how to lube your chain, and much more. Thanks Jody and the Conte's Bike staff!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
I made it to the pool!
I finally made it to the pool. I did a lot better than I thought I would. About two months ago, I badly sprained my right wrist in a flag football accident. It was so bad, I lost feeling and complete movement of my hand for about 15 minutes which was really freaky. Luckily I regained movement and feeling of my hand, and there were no broken bones. But to this day, I still have pain and limited range of motion, so I was pleasantly surprised when my wrist didn't bother me during the swim workout. I almost forgot that my wrist was still messed up, until I tried to get out of the pool and my wrist almost gave out.
My swim stats
approximately 30 minutes in the pool
14:43 minutes of actual swim time
13 laps/650 meters with breaks of course
My arms were dead. One tip I picked up when training for a sprint triathlon in 2008 was, less legs more arms, since you'll be using your legs in the running and cycle parts. You can imagine by the end of the swim workout, my arms felt like jello. One thing I know I need to keep working on is keeping my butt up and head down in order to maintain a streamlined form and efficient stroke. I was happy with the results considering it was my first time back in the pool in a while. I still have a long ways to go to complete a 1500 meter swim without stopping, especially an ocean swim.
So, what am I wearing these days?
2XU Endurance Compression Shorts are great TRI shorts. They have 2 small pockets in the back and some cushioning for cycling. Having a pair of shorts like these help with transitions, you don't have to waste your time changing, you can just get your shoes on and get moving on the bike or run. 2XU has additional products such as tops and full triathlon suits. I have never tried them, but I hope to at least get another pair of shorts, and maybe a suit. The shorts I purchased will run you about $50-$70 depending on where you get them.
I also have a pair of Speedo GCG competition goggles. These were a huge improvement from my previous non-competition Speedo goggles. The fit was better, the straps were better, the seal was better, and looked way better. The goggles put me back about $16 at Sports Authority.
That's it for swim gear. I've seen people workout in the pool with hand paddles or small flippers. If anyone knows what those are for, let me know, should I be using them too?
My swim stats
approximately 30 minutes in the pool
14:43 minutes of actual swim time
13 laps/650 meters with breaks of course
My arms were dead. One tip I picked up when training for a sprint triathlon in 2008 was, less legs more arms, since you'll be using your legs in the running and cycle parts. You can imagine by the end of the swim workout, my arms felt like jello. One thing I know I need to keep working on is keeping my butt up and head down in order to maintain a streamlined form and efficient stroke. I was happy with the results considering it was my first time back in the pool in a while. I still have a long ways to go to complete a 1500 meter swim without stopping, especially an ocean swim.
So, what am I wearing these days?
2XU Endurance Compression Shorts are great TRI shorts. They have 2 small pockets in the back and some cushioning for cycling. Having a pair of shorts like these help with transitions, you don't have to waste your time changing, you can just get your shoes on and get moving on the bike or run. 2XU has additional products such as tops and full triathlon suits. I have never tried them, but I hope to at least get another pair of shorts, and maybe a suit. The shorts I purchased will run you about $50-$70 depending on where you get them.
I also have a pair of Speedo GCG competition goggles. These were a huge improvement from my previous non-competition Speedo goggles. The fit was better, the straps were better, the seal was better, and looked way better. The goggles put me back about $16 at Sports Authority.
That's it for swim gear. I've seen people workout in the pool with hand paddles or small flippers. If anyone knows what those are for, let me know, should I be using them too?
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