Merry Christmas, back to training...

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays everyone!  Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to the pool for my 60 minute workout Christmas Eve, and I didn't workout Friday on Christmas day.  But, I did however, make it to the pool today, for a good, hard 60 minute swim workout for a total of 1,950 yards including warm-up and cool down.  On our way to the pool, Christine and I had a discussion about training intensity.  It's important to have intensity in your workouts if you want to reach the next level, but how much intensity is the right amount without hurting the body.

The last three weeks, I've been following the Level 2 swim training program that TNT provided, and while it was tough, I thought I would strive for the Level 3 program.  It's a reach, but I figure, it will help me get to the next level quicker.  I just need to make sure I don't kill myself before the race :)

Example workout:
Warm-up

Set 1
4x100 Freestyle
4x50 Kick/Rolling Drill

Set 2
2x100 Freestyle
4x75 Catch-up Drill

Set 3
2x100 Freestyle
2x100 Fingertip Drag

Set 4
2x150 Freestyle

Cool Down

Run, Bike, and the Importance of Hydration!

These days, the roads are still covered with snow, and the sidewalks are no where to be seen, but I still need to run and bike.  So, Tuesday, I ran on the treadmill.  Not my favorite thing to do, but it got done.  I ran 40-45 minutes on the treadmill for about 3.75 to 4 miles.  Still stuck in 10 minute mile land, I have 4 months to bring that down along with all my other times.

Today, I used a spin machine since I can't take my bike out and I don't own an indoor bike trainer.  The spin machine was new, and came with a touch screen and video.  The plan was to bike about 45 to 50 minutes, but I ended up doing 23 minutes for about 9 miles because my calf started to cramp.  Which brings me to an important issue, hydration.

I was clearly not hydrated enough in my bike workout, resulting in a cramp.  One of the downsides to having a desk job all day, and being busy.  One thing I've done in the past to ensure I drank enough water throughout the day was to bring along a water bottle, like nalgene bottles:

Taking a water bottle to work ensured I drank water throughout the day.  Another thing to consider is performance energy drinks before and during a workout.  Many people know the major players - Gatorade and Power Ade.  But, there are many others out there, depending on an athlete's needs and how well their stomachs handle the drinks.  Other drinks include Cytomax and Hammer Perpetuem to name a few.  Visit http://www.trisports.com/drinks.html to see a list of more drinks.  Try them out to see what works best.

Some Awesome News from Winnie!

I recently got word from our good friend and honorary teammate Winnie regarding her recent doctor's visit.  I am happy to report that results of her latest scan show that 99% of the tumors are gone, GONE!!!  I wanted to share the great news, and if you haven't done so already, visit the Facebook page "We Love You Winnie Liang!" and leave her a word of encouragement - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=162258426346&ref=ts

Monday 30 min Swim

Monday's swim was supposed to be Sunday, but due to the winter storm, all the county facilities were closed.  I adjusted my workout schedule this week to include a 30 min Monday swim.  These swims serve as a baseline for me, how am I doing? am I improving?  I must say that today's swim was tough, and overall, I did more of the workout this week than I did last week.  I did notice though, that the first half the workout is strong, good form, and my endurance is ok.  Towards the end though, no matter how hard I try, my form falls apart, and I need to take a break.  The promising news though, was the timed 100 yard sprint at the end - a 15 second improvement from the previous week, albeit small, it was still an improvement.

Weekend Snow and Bike Trainer Info

Friday was supposed to be my rest day, instead I ran for 30 minutes for about 3 miles.  This needs to improve, I would like to get down to a 7 minute mile, but I'm not sure how feasible that is, especially after a swim and a bike ride.

Unfortunately, Saturday was out of the question since nature decided to dump 18 inches of snow on us.  I spend most of, if not all of Saturday shoveling two feet of snow out of our driveway.  I got a good forearm, shoulder, and back workout.

Sunday ended up being a pretty lax day, did some remaining shoveling, and slept a lot.  That evening, Christine and I visited Maple Ave Restaurant for dinner, one of our favorite places to eat in Vienna, VA.

(CycleOps Fluid2 Trainer)

Lastly, I've been on the lookout for an indoor bike trainer, but I have no idea what to look for.  So, I reached back to my teammates in Team in Training, and received tremendous assistance.  One of the run/bike coaches Leighton and another teammate Mark provided great feedback on what to look for in a bike trainer.  Thanks to Leighton and Mark for providing a lot of the info you are about to read below, here you go, for anyone interested:

• Wind - provides resistance through a fan.  
• Pro: Least expensive option; resistance progresses with your speed for realistic feeling of riding on the road. 
• Con: Noise, limited resistance
• Cost: Can be purchased for less than $100
  
• Magnetic - uses a magnetic flywheel to provide resistances.
• Pro: Quieter than WIND trainers; adjustable resistance options.
• Con: Resistance has an upper limit.
• Cost: Can be purchased for $150-$200+
  
• Fluid - combines a magnetic flywheel with fluid-filled chambers. Resistance increases as your cadence (how fast you pedal) increases.
• Pro: Near-silent operation w/ progressive resistance; most realistic road-feel.
• Con: Most expensive type;  In some models, there are reports of leaking caused by the expansion and contraction of fluid
• Cost: Can be purchased for $200-$400+

The most consistent feedback I've received so far is, go with the Fluid trainers.  The CycleOps Fluid 2, pictured above, comes highly recommended if you can afford it.  Additionally, keep in mind that there are some accessories you may consider such as: a mat to place under the bike, a leveling stand for under the front tire, and a "bike-thong" which is a chamois cloth that helps keep some of the sweat that will be pouring off of you from getting on your bike.

Tuesday and Thursday Swim!

I haven't posted my workout schedule for the month of December yet, but I will soon, hopefully this weekend.  Tuesdays and Thursdays are scheduled team swim practices, and Sundays are personal 30min swim practices.

Tuesday
I was hoping to make the Tuesday morning swim practice, which is at 5:30am in DC.  I even had all my stuff prepacked the night before so I could just roll out of bed and leave.  Alas, I did not get up, and did not make the group swim practice, but I did manage to fit a swim in, in the evening at Spring Hill RECenter (See "Thursday" for details on the facility).  The more time I spend in the pool, the more comfortable I am getting.  I think I swam about 1000, to 1100m in total, took me about an hour.

Also that evening, Christine and I had a chance to visit a swim shop in Arlington, VA called Sport Fair.  They were kind enough to keep the shop open late for the Team in Training participants.  Only one showed up that night, ME! :)  If you're looking for a swim specific shop, Sport Fair is a great place.  Sometimes its difficult to find a bathing suit for swim practice, and Sport Fair has everything - wall full of goggles, swim caps, and suits galore.  They do NOT however have Tri specific gear eg. Tri shorts.  I ended up buying another pair of goggles there.  The goggle prices I saw at least for the Speedo GCGs were comparable to Sports Authority, but in terms of selection, Sport Fair's has much more to choose from.  If you can find what you are looking for at Sports Authority or any other large sporting goods store, you might as well purchase from there since they generally run sales more frequently, however, if you have trouble finding specific swim gear, Sport Fair is a great fall back.  You can find them here:

Sport Fair

5010 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22207

Wednesday

I didn't get a chance to fit in a bike workout yesterday.  I need to get myself an indoor bike trainer, anyone have any suggestions?

Thursday

Today, I managed to get myself out of bed to 5:20am practice at:

Spring Hill RECenter

1239 Spring Hill Road
McLean, Virginia

That was tough, but I got there, kind of on time, and got a good workout in.  Did about 1100m to 1200m in about an hour.  The coaches and other teammates are great.  The facility itself is nice, the pool has many lanes, but the RECenter offers a lot of programs, so it can get crowded at times.

New Gear

Sorry for the long post, last thing before I end for the day, the new goggles I got were Speedo Vanquisher 2.0 Clear Goggles.  Great fit, the cushion around the eyes is not foam, instead its silicone.  I think come race day, I will get myself another pair of the vanquisher's.

No Bike Monday...

...instead, I did P90X Plyometrics.

(http://workoutjourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/p90xplyometrics.jpg)

The weather on Monday was ok, but the ground was wet, and there were some slick spots.  It was also a bit late in the afternoon, I would have gotten stuck on the trail in the dark without any lights, which are on my list of things to get.  Plyometric exercises or jump training are supposed to produce fast, explosive, powerful movements.  The exercises are intense, high impact, and not for the faint of heart.  The exercise was about an hour long including warm up and cool down, and my heart rate probably averaged around 160, all in the comfort of my own home.

If you're looking to improve athletic performance, plyometrics is a great exercise to consider.  I did it on Monday, because it gives me a great workout.  My legs get worked, and so do my lungs.