Swimming Visualization

Last Friday, I had a fantastic swim workout. I felt like I was flying through the water. I think it was just one of those anomalies, but I did watching this fantastic video and used it as a visualization tool during the swim. Maybe it worked...and maybe someday I can swim as smoothly and fast as this guy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJpFVvho0o4

Looking for and Living Life

Last night, I was watching "The Sound of Music" and I was surprised to hear a few very profound statements. It was during the part when Maria is speaking with her Mother Superior, just before the song, "Climb Every Mountain." The nun said two things that I have been thinking about today. She said, "You have to live the life you were born to live" and "You have to look for your life." I definitely haven't figured these two statements out, but I have given them some thought.

I do believe that each of us has certain experiences and accomplishments that we were born for. I'm not sure if we know what these experiences are when they're happening or even after they've happened, but perhaps someday, we'll be able to say, "I was born for that" or something like that. I do not know what I was born for. I'm not sure which of my experiences and/or accomplishments are truly meaningful in the grand scheme of things. I'm don't know if I'm leaving the life I was born to live, which I think ties into the other statement.

So, how do I look for my life? I don't know... I'm not sure if it involves living life while looking for opportunities to learn and grow. I don't know if it involves an actual search, like maybe there's some sort of list that you go through of new and different experiences before you figure out which direction to head. For me, it seems like I usually know which direction I want to go in, and knowing comes from that gut feeling of "this is right" and I should head this way. In my world, I just try to roll with what feels right and good and true, and I allow those things to drive my life.

I'm not sure if I'm living the life I was born to live and I'm certainly still looking for my life. In the mean time though, I'll keep doing what I'm doing, working hard, enjoying my job, racing, training, laughing, and living, because I think perhaps maybe the process is part of the answers to those two questions or statements...

Week 2 Utah 1/2 IM Training

March 31, 2008

SWIM - I could not fall asleep last night, so waking up for swimming this morning was tough. I woke up feeling rotten, so I'm sure my workout was effected by that. I did the workout in 35:14 and was struggling with the cooldown. I am trying to work on my form and breathing on both sides this week.

Warm up 300 yds. Drill set 8x25 yds. Base intervals 6x100 yds. Kick set 8x25 yds. Cool down 300 yds. Total 1600 yds.

BIKE - I just finished my bike workout and it went okay. I struggled to get my HR up and ended up with an average HR of 128. I felt like I was working hard, but my HR only went up when I switched up to the bigger gear.

Power intervals 7x20s. (1 h. 10 m.)

April 1, 2008

SWIM - I had an okay swim workout this morning. I got my 1800 yds done in 38 m. My speed intervals went well, although I did them backwards (recovery, build). The pool was a little warmer than usual, and I was totally grossed out when the guy in the lane next to me blew his nose into his hands and then rinsed them off in the water. The gross part was that I actually kept swimming...

Warm up 300 yds. Drill set 8x25 yds. Fartlek intervals 8x100 yds. (25 build, 25 descend) Kick set 8x25 yds. Cool down 300 yds. Total 1800 yds.

RUN - I had to skip this run last night because I ran out of hours in the day. I left my house at 5:30am for my swim and didn't get home again until 9:30pm, so running would have involved driving to the gym and I was ready for bed. Plus, I knew there was a brick workout in the morning, so no run for me last night.

Fartlek run 8x30 s. (40 m.)

April 2, 2008

BRICK - I had a fantastic brick workout this morning. I got out of bed pretty easily (only laid there for 20 m.) hopped on the trainer, with my ipod again and started pedaling. My average HR for 60 m. on the bike was 138. I hopped off, threw on a long sleeved shirt and headed out the door, so my T2 time was 1:35. I started running and felt fabulous. There was none of the wobbly legs or tired legs or what was I thinking sort of feeling. It was so nice to be running in shorts, although when I saw the temperature (24 degrees with the wind chill, I probably should have thrown on a hat and gloves and pants). In fact, I felt ready to run a longer-type run. However, I followed the training schedule and ran my 20 m. with an average HR of 163, which felt really easy. So, my first brick of the season went incredibly well and I feel empowered. I'm not sure if this means I need to go harder on the bike or if I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing, but it was definitely an awesome workout and a great way to start off the day.

1 h. bike/20 m. run, both at moderate aerobic intensity

YOGA - Yoga was cancelled due to illness, so tonight ended up just being a relax and stretch evening.

April 3, 2008

I had the best intentions to go to sleep early last night (8pm) and wake up at 4:15am to get both of these workouts done. However, I woke up at 12pm and was awake until after 3:30am, so I slept until 5:30am before heading to the pool. I'll have to fit in the bike tonight at around 9:30pm...long day...

SWIM - I wasn't sure how my swim was going to go since I was/am sleep deprived, but I think it went well. I finished the swim in 38:43 which I'll take. I felt good and was able to push myself, and I did get the long workout done which is always a nice feeling.

Warm up 250 yds. Base intervals 1500 yds. Cool down 250yds. Total 2000 yds.

BIKE - I skipped this bike workout out of pure exhaustion. I left my house at 5:30am and didn't get home until 9:30pm and I was tired. I probably could have hopped on the trainer, but my hips were achy and I was seriously tired, so no ride for me. I thought about throwing it into Friday morning, but I want to have fresh legs for the race, so I guess I'll chalk it up to poor time management on my part. Now, if I can just stop feeling guilty...

Foundation bike 1 h. 15 m. at moderate aerobic intensity

April 4, 2008

REST - Today is my scheduled rest day and I've been looking forward to it all week, except that now that I missed my bike workout yesterday, I'm feeling guilty for taking a day off. I guess I just need to get over that and move on. I'm trying to remind myself that I'm running a 1/2 marathon this weekend and need to be fresh because there are hills, so I'll do my stretching workout tonight and rest and relax and prepare to head to St. Louis for the weekend.

STRETCH

April 5, 2008

RUN - I ended up running for 35 m. and then I listened to my body and stopped to walk since my legs were feeling kinda heavy. I came home and stretched for about 15 m. which felt absolutely glorious. I need to remember to stretch more often...

Recovery run 20-30 m. at easy aerobic intensity

REST

April 6, 2008

RACE - ST. LOUIS 1/2 MARATHON - Goal - Run negative splits

See race report.

The Power of Music

If you've been following this blog, you know that I've started training for my first 1/2 Ironman. On Wednesday evening, I had a 60 m. trainer ride which wasn't supposed to be a big deal. However, it turned into quite a big deal because for some reason, I REALLY struggled to complete that workout. In fact, I think I got off the bike 3-4 times and had to talk myself back into completing the ride. After I finally finished the ride, I was thinking about why it was so hard. It wasn't hard physically...I knew that I could do that, but it was very hard mentally. Looking ahead on the schedule, I knew that I had a 1 h. 45 m. ride today and I was dreading it.

This morning, I woke up and struggled to get out of bed, knowing that the dreaded trainer ride was looming. I considered lying in bed and waiting until tonight to do the ride, but I have a run tomorrow morning and wanted to have fresher legs. I considered skipping the ride, but knew that wasn't truly an option and that I was being lazy. I laid in bed for 45 m. considering the options and decided that I needed to get up and get it done...especially since I was dreading it so much. Who wants to dread something all day long?!?

So, I finally got up, got dressed, got the water bottles ready (*note to self - fill water bottles at night), set up the bike on the trainer, checked my e-mail, realized that my ipod was all charged, decided maybe I should listen to music instead of turning the tv up loud, and eventually got on the bike at 5:48am (my alarm went off at 4:47am). I turned on the music and started pedaling. I geared up for a bit to get my HR going and kept on pedaling. One of the things I'm working on is getting my HR up on the bike and working hard, so I decided to keep my cadence tuned in to the beat of whatever song I was listening to. Once I got going, I realized this was going to be a good ride and I settled in and started working harder.

At some point, maybe around 45 m. the song "Beautiful Day" by U2 came on. If you've ever watched any of the Ironman videos on youtube.com, you'll see that several of them have "Beautiful Day" playing in the background, so apparently I've associated this song with races. As the song came on, I felt this incredible surge of energy, like the surge of energy that comes at the beginning of a race. All of the sudden, I was visualizing myself racing in the Utah 1/2 IM. I could see myself swimming well out in the Provo harbor. I could see myself pushing hard on the fast bike course and I could see myself passing other cyclists. I could see myself crusing into T2, hopping off the bike, and heading out on the run. The best part of this entire visualization was seeing myself cross the finish line with my arms raised in the air. I had a smile on my face the entire time I was riding during this song. It was awesome! I think I may have finally found my power song!

As my ride went on, I started to get tired and ready to get off of the trainer. I think around 1:15 m. I really started struggling mentally, but then the song "Crawling in the Dark" by Hoobastank came on, followed by "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis, followed by a Coldplay song that I love, and then I was done! (I think there may be some other songs in there, but I don't remember them right now.)

While I enjoy music and I like to listen to music during runs, I haven't been listening to music very often, mostly because I like talking to my training partners while running. This morning though, I was able to truly draw on the power of music during my workout. I felt so energized and empowered during my ride, and while I will never ride outside with my ipod on (who would do that?!?), I hope that when I'm struggling during an event, I can draw on the power to overcome my mental struggles.

The coolest part of this workout was the unexpected visualization that occurred during "Beautiful Day." I know that, from now on, whenever I hear this song, I will think of this ride and I will think of my races and know that I will be successful in them. I will see myself smiling as I cross the finish line. I will see myself accomplishing my dreams and goals. I'm pretty sure this is the song that will be playing in my head when I race at Kona!

So, because I have no idea who looks at this blog, except for a few people, what songs do you hear in your head? What are the power songs in your life?

The Constraints of Life

While I was eating my lunch today, I came across the following article (http://www.xtri.com/coaches_display.aspx?riIDReport=4540&CAT=11&xref=xx) on xtri.com. In this article, Gordo Byrn, a triathlon coach discusses the constraints of life and how they impact triathlon training. He mentioned four points that highly motivated triathletes struggle with including

1. Time to train - maximizing personal training load
2. Concern over lack of support from their inner circle
3. Quantifying relative talent - personal genetic potential
4. Optimizing training info and protocols.

As I was reading through this list, I realized that I think about each of these points regularly, regardless of what event I'm training for. I always try to make the most of my workout time because I kind of follow the philosophy that you get out of something what you're willing to put into it. I want to leave my workouts feeling like I accomplished the goal of that workout. I've been pretty lucky to have a pretty supportive inner circle regarding my endurance training, but I still hear those comments like, "Why would you do a triathlon?" or "Who would want to run 26.2 miles?" I often wonder about my potential as a triathlete and do I have the necessary components to race at Kona. Will I qualify? Am I good enough to be good at triathlon? I also don't know my potential for triathlon yet, so while I'm seeing improvements, I'm not sure how long those improvements will last. Finally, as most of you know, I'm a great information gatherer. This is mostly helpful, but I struggle with putting all of my information into practice and have to remind myself that I'm still learning and that frankly, learning through experience is probably the best way to develop myself as a triathlete. Of course, I'm hoping that some of the information that I'm gathering is playing a role in me developing experiences that will truly help me learn and reach my potential.

So, the recommendations for dealing with these four points were as follows:

1. Sleep - Lack of sleep impacts all areas of life and most people are operating in a sleep deprived state. So, how do we find more time to sleep? That involves removing something from our schedule.
2. Nutrition - All endurance athletes know that in order to perform at an optimal level, they must fuel their bodies with the appropriate fuel. However, putting that into practice becomes tricky, mainly because of the convenience/busyness factor of life.
3. Stress - Training is a stress on the body. Add that to the rest of the stress that comes with life and you have a pretty stressful life.

How can I do better at these recommendations...Well, I need to give up some of evening reading/tv watching and go to bed earlier. I know that my workouts are in the morning and I know that I am a morning person, so in order to get enough sleep, I need to go to bed earlier. Good thing I don't have a huge social life... I am working on my nutrition and am actually working on a menu and grocery list of "clean" foods that I can use to fuel my 1/2 IM training. When I started working out more regularly a few weeks ago I realized that I was hungry. I also realized that I don't really want to eat McDonalds and whatever takeout is on the way home, but in order for me to eat healthy, I have to be responsible and cook and shop and do the things that I really don't enjoy eating. Oh, and I do want to drop 10 lbs to be race ready, which involves eating more healthy foods.

The last recommendation of removing stress is tricky, but the author mentioned two statements that I really liked. He said that "the most successful athletes tend to operate under their personal limits for most of the year," and that "the greatest benefit to leaving myself underscheduled is having room for new opportunity." Perhaps, I need to take a look at my schedule and make sure that I'm leaving enough room for new opportunities which could help me achieve my goals and reach my potential.

I've been thinking about this idea of "underscheduled" and I really like it. I think that more people ought to think about this. Sometimes, it seems like we need to operate in "busy" mode in order to be successful, but maybe (and probably) that's not the case. There is so much in our lives that takes up time that we would rather be spending on something else, so why do we let that stuff take up our time. The good news is that we truly get to choose (most of the time) how we're spending our time and sometimes spending our time exactly the way we want to is exactly what we need.

So, for me, the takeaway from this article was to leave some time for new opportunities, to spend the time on what I need to and want to in order to achieve my goals, and to recognize that almost all triathletes experience the same things mentally and there are ways to combat those feelings. It's kinda nice to know that I'm not alone in this endeavor.

Why I Tri!

Well, day one of 1/2 IM training starts tomorrow and I have to admit, I'm totally stoked to get going on the training and to complete this event. In 20 weeks, I'll be a 1/2 Ironman and that is pretty darn cool. So, here's my list of why I tri in no particular order...

I tri:

-because it's fun.
-because there is absolutely no bettter way to start off the day then watching the sun rise over a glistening lake, jumping into that lake and swimming, heading off on a gorgeous bike ride through the countryside with the sun warming your back, and finishing all of that off with a run.
-because it's helping me achieve my dreams.
-because it's a great way to crosstrain and take care of my body.
-because I want to set an example and influence others to go after their hopes and dreams.
-because it's helping me to overcome my fear of swimming in open water. Perhaps, one day (hopefully this summer), I'll be able to open my eyes when my face is in the water in a lake.
-because I want to race at Kona and swim behind the gods of surfing, and ride out to Hawi and run through the energy lab.
-because triathlon is a lifelong activity.
-for all of the people who want to but can't.
-to travel around the world and see the world from a very unique perspective. Who wouldn't want to cross the finish line with a baby elephant?
-to challenge myself physically and mentally.
-to become a better endurance athlete.
-for the feeling of peace of mind that comes from training and racing. I wouldn't trade those moments of clarity for anything.
-because I have many things to learn and much to improve upon and the only way to do that is through training and practice.
-because I want the body of a triathlete.
-because triathletes are incredible people and I want to surround myself with people who challenge themselves and who are truly awesome and super.
-because I want to and think I can become good at this sport.
-because I'm a competitor.
-because I love to race and I get to race three times in one event.
-because I can.

Week 1 Utah 1/2 IM Training

March 24, 2008

BIKE - I completed this ride while watching "Planet Earth." I burned 847 calories and my average HR was 131. I really need to work on this whole HR thing while cycling.

Power intervals 7x20s. (1 h. 10 m.) - 20 s. intervals done in a high gear @ speed intensity with 2 m. active recoveries; warm up and cool down long enough to reach total time

March 25, 2008

SWIM - I had a great swim this morning and finished the workout in 39 min. I really need to work on my speed, but that will come. During my drills and intervals I worked on breathing on both sides and I also worked on kicking from the hips which is definitely a workout.

Warm-up 300 yds. Drill set 8x25 yds. Base intervals 5x100 yds. Kick set 8x25 yds. Cooldown 300 yds. Total 1600 yds.

RUN - I just got back from my run and it was tough. It was a gorgeous day, but really windy. I ended up running north on the Constitution Trail with a strong crosswind out of the west. I was a little overdressed, but it was okay. My average HR was 166 and I burned 769 calories.

Fartlek 6x30 s. (41:50 m.) Foundation run with 30 s. bursts at VO2 max/speed intensity

March 26, 2008

BIKE - I just got off the bike and I think that was one of the hardest rides I've done in awhile. I'm not sure why I struggled so much, but I was ready to get off the bike after 20 min. The good news is that I stuck it out and talked myself into finishing this workout. I rode for 60 min, with an average HR of 126, and burned 670 calories. It was definitely mentally challenging, but hopefully that will pay off in August.

60 m. foundation ride at moderate aerobic intensity

YOGA - I did yoga with Sherry and Diana today. It was not as tough as last week and I was able to do my chatarungas without putting my knees down. I struggled with the balance poses, but I think I'm getting better.

March 27, 2008

SWIM - I had a good swim this morning, although I should have looked at my workout before I went to the pool. I ended up doing 5 fartlek intervals, an 8x25 kick set, so I ended up doing 1500 in 34 min.

Warm-up - 300 yds. Drill set - 8x25 yds. Fartlek intervals - 8x100 yds. (25 easy, 25 hard, 10 s. rest) Cool down - 300 yds. 1600

RUN - Well, I'm being a slacker and skipping my run today. It's raining and cold and I despise running in the rain and it will take me until Sunday to be warm after being outside in this weather. I'm tired...physically tired. I'm not sure I have the mental energy to get this run in after fighting so hard to get the trainer ride in last night. It is thundering, so at least I can acknowledge that there may be lightning. So, here's my first cancelled workout...

Foundation run (60 m.) at moderate aerobic intensity

March 28, 2008

SWIM - Apparently today is a great training day. I just did my swim in 35:12. I guess the music this morning must have carried over into my day.

Warm-up - 300 yds. Base intervals - 1200 yds. Cooldown - 300 yds. 1800

BIKE - I did my trainer ride before work this morning and while it did take me 45 m. to get out of bed, I did get up and do it. I worked hard on keeping my HR up and ended up having an average HR of 140. I listened to my ipod instead of watching a movie and it was amazing how powerful music is. I definitely need to remember that for the next ride.

Foundation ride (1 h. 45 m.) at moderate aerobic intensity

March 29, 2008

RUN - Well, I finished my 1/2 IM training with a not so great run. I ended up doing 6 miles or so in 1:02. My average HR was 164, but got up to 174 so I slowed down a bit. I burned 1144 calories. I'm just glad I made it through this first week of training.

Foundation run (55 m.) at moderate aerobic intensity

March 30, 2008

REST

STRETCH - I completed 55 m. of "The Athlete's Guide to Yoga."