Support

As a sport and exercise psychology major (MS- thats a master of _ _ _ _ as opposed to just b_ _ _ _ _ _ _), I know the importance of support for any exercise or fitness goals.

Obviously a lack of support would be a slight ding in the success scale. You want to quit smoking and your spouse continues to offer you cigarettes- not helpful! You want to lose weight and your mother-in-law brings over your favorite dessert, thanks!
I also know there is a difference between positive support and just neutral support. If you want the best chance for success you have to surround yourself with people who know you can do it even when you're having a bad day.

There has to be a positive show of support. Not just staying out of your way or not caring if dinner is later than usual. Ideally, they'd be saying- "let's just plan on dinner late so you can get your workout in" or "tell me what I can do to help with dinner to make it easy for you." Whether or not you take them up on it- you know you have their support and no guilt need apply!

So at lunch with my mom, who by the way is in her mid 80's, she asked just what this thing was I'm doing. By thing, she meant the Ironman. For some reason she could only remember the marathon, a thought for which I think other family members may have contributed!

I tell her about the swim and the bike, followed by the marathon.
"You're going to kill yourself!" Her exact words. Not usually at a loss for words, what do you say to that? In my world its called living! Seeking new goals, not necessarily easy ones, making sure that the regrets you have are about things you have done or tried, not about the things you were afraid to do. (I think that one came from my sister so there is family hope!!)

We live in different worlds my mother and I. Different generations. Different values in some areas.
So I'm working on a recruiting campaign at the moment. Hiring a coach puts someone else on my side- even if I had to pay her to do it! The guy who asks how training is going a couple times a week in the swim lane beside me. The ONE who said he'd be at the finish line if I'm going to be there. I think the deck is still stacked in my favor. Maybe I'll give my medal to my mom.

Official week 1 down

This has truly been the first week under tutelage of new coach so it's fair now to say how it's going. I've had a great week of workouts and yet have to say that I was without Dusty most of the week so I had much more ease in fitting workouts in around just work. I can fit my office and computer work in around workouts but not as easily around taxi-ing and meals and other details that always seem to crop up with kids!

Don't get me wrong, wouldn't change a thing, in fact he's one of the people that even now when I'm training I really want to be at the finish line. (So if you want to volunteer to take him down, let me know!) That finish line moment will be mostly for me I suspect but along those last few miles knowing who will be there will get me through.

This next week will be a test but not as challenging as some as its spring break, so I'll really have a pretty good first three weeks when I think about it. That will feel good- and even better that it will practically be April by then and outdoors training can start anytime as far as I'm concerned. Two and a half hours on the bike trainer is a pretty long time to hang out with yourself without any scenery! OK, not entirely alone, Truman occasionally removes the sweat from my face and then insists I throw his bone a few times but even he gets bored!

I do feel a difference already. I'm spending a lot more of the run and bike time in lower zones to enhance ability to use fat for fuel which will mean I have much more endurance in the long run- pun intended! I'm wanting a snack all the time too so between eating exercise and working there are mounting dust-bunnies under the bed. Better go do that marathon right now.

Coach to Coach training

It's been about 25 years since I put on a mask and drooled on a bike for a VO 2 test but I did it again on Friday. Suprising to me it went faster than I imagined. If you know VO 2 testing, you know that isn't great. It isn't golf. You want to go far and have a high VO 2 so you have longer to onset of fatigue and the ceiling that keeps you from doing more.

Part of the brevity of the test was the one minute vs three minute intervals I had imagined. That makes it hard and quick or quickly hard. The one plus was the comfort of the mask- it was remeniscent of Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs but green. That'll haunt you for a while. Big perk is I got to take it home and I can wash it in the dishwasher. I'm trying to think when I might want to wear it again.

So the findings? Vo2 close to 50ml/kg/min which is pretty good considering that an average college age female is 37-42-ish. Yet, my problem seems to be where I've taken to training at higher intensities (due partly to short of time workouts) is not optimal for fat burning. I am going to have to go back to long slow workouts for a while and get my body used to burning fat for fuel in order to help me with the duration of this event I've got on the calendar.

I went for an endurance run today with no HR indications - and found I was wayyyyyy out of fat burning zones if we take the bike test to run. Something like 20-30 beats over - that's a lot of slowing down. Hoping that with more exposure to longer runs that's going to change sooner rather than later. Likely it will- long runs on the treadmill haven't been high on my list of things I love to do.

Swim tomorrow and run again Tuesday. Bike is getting tuned up so its ready for a long, and quiet, ride on Wed. Coach Julie sent me a week of workouts post VO 2 and so here we go!

Time to get serious

January and Febuary in fitness are crazy! It's a good thing for me they are- however amidst early morning voice mails and emails, mid day catch on up the same, and late evening last chance check on any customers who need service- all between articles, appointments, interviews, and working with staff members...my workouts are there but sporatic.

This week has been better and now I'm about to leave for four days of 'off' for the most part if you're talking tri-specific workouts. I have stocked up on several good base building rides over the last week- 3 2-hour and a couple longer runs- 2 60-minute (indoors) and a couple swims- the weak link due to more scheduling issues (and a soft pillow calling).

I'm feeling fit and ready and looked over an epic/extreme camp option for June that is one long mega weekend of swim, ride, run and eat basically. Sounds like a great time- and crazy that there are other people who actually would also think that was fun!

Monday is March 1. I get on track with training programs this day and will do some testing late next week to get going.

Here we go!

Super Sunday Weekend

This weekend I got a heavy does of biking and ran short of running goals. About to make up some running mileage right now.

My intention was to pre-plan for getting in what I need to this week with the hope of running outdoors - in shorts- while in Vegas- two mornings! However the weather may prevent me from getting to the airport or getting off the ground.

I hit intensity hard on Sat and Sunday and then finished the bike Sunday with the two-hour limit and a brick to short run. Even so, made it for the Super Bowl!

I've got more red meat in me than usual- weekly I've had at least two or three red meat meals and I think it's just necessary for doing the kind of endurance that its going to take. I've got an Irish lamb stew recipe that is slowcooker friendly and is even 'clean'- so that helps a lot. If its something I can get Dusty to eat, so much the better. He's not tired of it yet! Lamb is surprisingly more tender than beef and we both like it better.

I'm behind on swimming but am going to let that worry go until the weather makes it a bit easier to get in regularly- shoveling takes its toll on my time and I can't fit it all in. Another four weeks still gives me plenty of time to ramp up and I can keep the minimum swim times and then give it more attention in a month.

Time to hit the treadmill now!

New Month New Goals

I actually reserved a room in AZ and started worrying about how to transport my bike. Knowing me, until I have this figured out, this will be my biggest worry. Finding a way to get it there, get it assembled and tuned and then taken apart and flown to my door step afterwards will be a load off my mind!

A company that does this of course doesn't come close to touching Iowa soil. So I'll be seeking input from tri coaches, Bike World and anyone else willing to share expert advice. I need simple. I'll worry about getting me to starting line and then finish line if someone else will take care of the rest!!

I've officially got just under 10 months. I'm getting more serious about a program but have definitely decided I need a coach in some form, for the accountability and back and forth volley of what I'm doing, how its going, taking a look at the micro and macro cycles. It's like getting organized at work to me. I have the year all planned out and specials, promotions, events, professional development- then its easy to go into action- I'm not constantly planning and starting from scratch. Things come up and you consider them too but for the most part you just have down a timeline and do it. That's what I need from a coach- someone to work on my business of training while I work away in the business of training.

With limited time and too many hobbies, I don't want to dedicate the energy necessary to study myself and my program options! I'm too close to it. I know myself well enough to be either a pain or a help to a coach by telling them what works for me and what doesn't- but that will have to do!

I'm starting a one month challenge and getting off the busy New Year roller coaster of eating and sporatic exercise. I've been cross training, and doing tri-specific training as well- but not with real goals. Time to switch.
This week- cleaning up the eating with better planning, and also plan to get my bike to Bike World for a tune up, tire change for next few months of on-trainer training, and new magnet set up- the dog ate the last one. (Probably can't take him through an airport. Hope the vet isn't following.) I've been content with time and HR monitoring but now want to see mileage and rpms.

Weight and body comp today as well. I'm not concerned about weight loss, but would like to gain height this month?!

Ironjourney

My iron journey this week is slow going! So, I'm in the second week of experimenting with orientation for Trifuel, and its going fine. Just that the "iron" I've pushed most recently has been the ice chopper. I saw my driveway just in time to have it snow and blow about 3-4 foot drifts across it and my sidewalk again.

"nuff said- well except that I've not started my snowblower all winter and I doubt it wants to start today. This is not good. Once again weighlifting could take on a different form today. Kids are two hours delayed and yet my teenager is at his dad's so that's no help to me!

The mind is the biggest factor in training there's no doubt. For the last two weeks I've done an easy run in the evening as a second workout on two different days. I haven't preferred to run late in the day for about 20 years! My knees and head just feel better doing that early in the day. I could bike late, lift late, swim late(that's just a nuisance late in the day) but not run- or so I had my mind made up.

My mind set has changed to - if that's what I have to do, that's what I have to do. It has felt great actually!

I'm off to set my mind on clearing the driveway and then hitting the bike right now! I'll let you know how it goes!