The power of the hill

I may be a really sick person, but throughout the years I've learned to really love hills.  It may be because I've never been an athlete and cycling up hills was the one thing I could do better than the rest of my TNT cycling group, or maybe it is because so many songs have good hill climbing beats, but one of my favorite ways to train is hill repeats. 
The reason I thought about this is because my morning spin class yesterday started out with hill repeats, and with the daylight increasing hill repeats are now on the schedule of weekly forward motion workouts.  Unfortunately, I will probably not be able to partake in them this year due to my sensitive piriformis (pain in the butt), but they are still one of my favorite workouts. 
Usually when people want to get faster and stronger they stick to intervals, but hill repeats can add to your strength and speed, sometimes even moreso than interval training.  Here are some links and advice on hill repeats...Hill training for runners, Runners World and Hills, Hill repeats on the Bike.





I would like to take a moment to mention the tragedy in Japan, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

What I know now that I wish I knew then

Yesterday was a very rainy sunday, and although I don't usually mind running in the rain, sometimes I even enjoy it, but I started thinking, "I'm so glad I own rain gear."  See when I started these three sports I didn't know anything about them except to put one foot in front of the other, that you pedal clockwise, and don't drown.  Now I have realized there are many techniques, tactics and gear to every sport that are necessary not only to try and win a race, but also to stay healthy and injury free.  Here is what I've learned...

Drink lots of water, if you have problems with cramps and side stitches this could be your problem.  I always have a water bottle on me.  If you feel thirsty your already dehydrated. 

Try not to increase workouts by more than 20% each week.  For instance, if you ran 25 miles last week then you should aim for no more than 30 miles the next week.  If you increase too fast you risk injury.  This is usually why a training schedule is a good idea. 

Try to vary the intensity of your workouts: what I mean by this is if you do track or tempo runs then take it easy the next day.  I injured my pirifomis by doing track on wednesday nights and then doing hill repeats on thursdays.  Your body needs recovery time even if you need to get the miles in so sometimes slow is better.

Practice what to eat and when: I have really strong glycogen stores so I can't eat before a race which means I can usually do long runs on empty.  I only need water after 11 miles (unless it is a race), I prefer perpetum to gu while running or riding, and I know what combonation I need to get an awful upset stomach.

Be prepared for different situations:  Don't assume you'll never get a flat, carry tubes (I always carry 2 just in case, I've had to use both of them on various rides) and levers and learn how to change one even if you have tires of steel.  I've had so many flats I could win a tire changing contest.  Check the weather, it may seem warm or cold but you may want to leave some layers at home or bring a few more with you.

Change your running shoes:  Typically you need to replace your shoes every 300-500 miles or if you run 25+ miles a week this is every 3-5 months.  I used to go forever without replacing them which caused some problems with my feet and legs.  If I start having problems then I know I need a replacement pair.

Roll:  I never knew about mayofacial release which is a real bummer because it really helps to prevent injuries and improve range of motion.  I make a point of rolling after every workout and I'm trying to get better about doing it before I workout as well.  If I have any pain this usually helps to get rid of it.

Cool Down and stretch:  I knew the importance of warming-up and stretching but I really didn't know how important it is to bring your heart rate down and stretch after.  I've been told that this may even be more important.  This is still something I'm working on, but I find I feel better when I stretch after.

Use heat:  So everyone always says use ice if something hurts, but using heat is just as important as using ice.  Heat helps to loosen up tight muscles so they can be stretched (or at least this is my basic understanding of it) so after you ice an injury it's a good idea to apply some heat as well.

Every 3 weeks go down 30%:  I always thought it was important to build up your workouts while training, but I didn't realize that every once in a while you should take a step back to recover.  Most training schedules are designed for the 30% step back, but if you train on your own then you may be missing this element which could increase your rise of injury.

Hit the weights: I never realized how important weights are until this year.  I still find them boring, but I now know they are important for keeping my bone density strong and healthy as well as building muscle.

Intervals are a must: This is really my first year of speed work and I've improved exponentially.  Track, tempo, spin, and masters have improved my performance and helped me capture a few PRs this year and even a few top 3 age group medals.

I'm sure there are many more I can't think of, but I find I am still learning. 

Rest is better than Burn out

Right now I'm on week 10 of my training plan with 8 weeks to go and March is the magic month where I can either hit my training hard and burn out or take this all one day at a time.  See March for teaching is a bit chaotic, it is the month of the CaHSEE test (California High School Exit Exam), it's the last month before California State Testing, it's a month without any three day weekends and multiple after school activities (now you may think thats how most jobs are, but teaching 6 hours of rowdy hormone filled teenagers is no easy task), but most of all, as an advisor for the class of 2013 it is a month of Trojan Olympic practices, meetings and decorations (here's the kids dance from last year).  Trojan Olympics is a class competition where students compete against one another in different categories: dance, games, school spirit, bribes, decorations...all coming down to a trophy and bragging rights for the rest of the year.  This means my Mondays start at 7 and go to 9:30 with a meeting at lunch, this also means that I'm wired when I get home and can't fall asleep until 11 or later (I'm a 10 or earlier kind of person).  I've always been bad at resting and taking it easy so I've decided I really have to try hard to listen to my body this month, which means, dun dun dun, missing workouts.

The reason I chose this topic today is because today I needed to get in a second workout and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  I even planned alternate workouts (yoga/weights) to my cardio to get me to the gym and maybe I'll change my mind, but I realized I'm better off exercising my arm lifting the remote off the couch than hitting the gym.  (This post is helping me reassure myself of this) If I don't rest then I don't recover and workouts where I feel sluggish suck more.  It is also harder to push myself and I'll have a harder time making it to my workout tomorrow.  Now this isn't a rest day for me, usually triathletes have a few days a week where they workout twice and today was a bike and swim day, possibly even a bike and run day, so I did make it to workout #1 spin class at 6a.m. but the work day got the best of me.  Some people have an easy time resting, but I have a million and one guilt trips that cross my mind...did I eat too much junk? Should I make up this workout?  Will this set me back?

Does anyone else face this dilemma or is it just me?

Why do I do this to myself?

Gasping for air, legs are burning, I can almost feel the vomit rising, I'm talking about racing a 5k or 3.1 miles.  Today I raced my second 5k for a time, the annual Lake Merritt Couples Relay.  Now I've said before that I love and am addicted to endurance athletics, however, every once in a while I get talked into the 5k (dun, dun, dun...).  I love endurance athletics because you can take your time and although it may get difficult toward the end I still can get through to the finish and know I've accomplished something not many people can or have achieved.  However, these 3.1 mile races kick my butt and the distance leaves me feeling I should put a few more miles in after.  For those of you that prefer and love running the shorter races I truly admire you and wish I had your passion.  So this is how the 5k works:

You are jam packed behind a white line made of flour (or at least in this case) where you are trying to stay warm and hear the race director as they go over directions that you'll never remember.  Chances are they could just say follow the flour arrows and the lake should always be on your right or you're going the WRONG WAY!

Next, they start with the on your mark, get set, go! business.  This is when all hell breaks loose.  Now today's race was a relay so the female (or more feminine partner for all male or all female teams) runs the first leg (3.13) miles and the male (or more masculine female) runs the second leg.  This means that there are fewer people than usual at the start, which is nice and means my boyfriend and I will each take turns suffering.  Here I am starting out calm and collected.

The 5k is so short that you'll be done in 20 minutes or so which means you have the opportunity to push yourself as hard as you possibly can for the full thing and maintain a pretty fast pace.  Doing this in theory sounds easy after running 26.2 miles, but it is a real butt kicker.
Make sure you don't go out too fast or you'll blow-up, but don't go too slow or people will pass you (you want as many road kills as possible).  As the chaos ensues you're struggling to breath and you look down at your watch thinking, "This has got to be almost over."  But no, you've only run 1 mile and you still have 2.1 to go.  This is where you start saying "just a little further, just a little further, I can do this!"  As the woman behind you tries to catch you, you push yourself a little harder and a little further thinking "Oh hell no!  You're not passing me today lady!"  You keep this motion and mentality as long as you can trying to catch up with as many people as you can.  The cold headwind is making it harder to breath and a day that started out so damn cold is now so freaking hot, but I can't take my arm warmers off, it will take too much time and I'll need to slow down.

Fortunately, just when you want to give up you see the finish line, then the deadly sprint begins where you try to cross the finish line and not vomit, in this case Nick's 5k experience begins.  Overall, a good race, Nick and I finished 5th in our age group and 17th overall... I PRed with a 21:52, or 7:03 minute miles, and a 10k couples time of 40:53.  I'll probably give myself another month before I try to conquer the 5k again.

The Awesomeness that is the Forward Motion Couples Teams...Yay us!

The gear that keeps me going...

In the past year of training for various events there is certain gear and products I have become very attached to.  The reason my mind drifted to this topic is because I am in the market for new cycling shoes.  Now finding the right gear is very difficult for me, especially when it comes to shoes!  This is what I have learned...

Body Glide is a definite must!  Anything over 10 miles I will have chafing issues, and so to avoid the scream of pain in the post-run shower I use this product.  I find I can wear almost any combination of clothing if I apply body glide first.  For cycling, I often need a bit thicker of assistance with chafing so I use various chamois butters.  The most common brands I use are beljum budder and chamois butt'r.

I am a huge fan of arm warmers, and my favorite brand so far is shiela moon.  These are perfect for spring and fall days where the morning starts off cold, but warms up quickly.  I recently lost one arm warmer so I'm trying out sugoi warmers with fleece inside, I'll let you know how they work.


Personally, I hate wearing leg warmers so I often try to wear capris or just bare the cold, but right now I'm sporting sugoi midzero leg warmers because it is just too cold outside.  I really like the fleece in this brand, hence why I'm trying out their arm warmers.

The I-Fitness carrying case is great as an I-pod touch holder.  I used to always run with my I-Pod on my arm, but it is a bit heavy and I sometimes have some chafing issues.  However, the I-Fitness holder stays in place and holds other items I may need while out on a run.


No these are not leg-warmers, but post run compression sleeves.  I occasionally wear Recovery Sock compression socks, but I've become a bigger fan of compression sleeves.  I find socks are a bit thick on warmer days, and I can opt to wear sandals while sporting my Zensah compression sleeves.  You can wear these during activities, but I use them more for recovery.

In terms of headware in these cold winter months, I love the lululemon running hat.  Not only does it keep my head the right temperature, but it has a convenient pony tail hole in the back.  My hair will drive me crazy if I have to wear it down or in pig tails so I prefer a pony tail.  I also am a huge fan of visors, I don't do sunglasses when I run so I've started  sporting visors on a regular basis.  Since the running tri/club I belong to (Forward Motion Race Club) has Avia visors (all my visors until Surf City were FOMO visors) I tend to prefer this brand, but I also like my new HALO visor.

For shoewear, I've been cursed with awful feet.  They have gotten me a long way, but they do have lots of problems.  I don't have a whole lot of choices when it comes to footwear since I have flat feet and narrow heels but I have settled on a few brands.  For the run I'm a huge fan of ASICS, I have loved both the gel evolutions and the foundation 9s.  They offer strong support and aren't as hideous as many motion control shoes.
To be honest I don't have good cycling shoes, but I've decided to try out a new pair, the shimano tr31tri shoe.  Since I haven't actually tried the shoe I can't say I'm attached yet, but I really like how comfortable and light they feel so far.  In the past I used the forte mountain biking shoe, which is great for spin, but a bit heavy and a heel slipper for the road bike.


This is not all my gear by far, but I like slowly adapting to new bits and pieces, but all these items have a different story to tell on my triathlon journey.  

Just laughing it off...

As you may know this week has been quite the rut for my swim, bike, and run schedule.  I've found myself tired, cranky, and overly frustrated with not being able to get my cardio in, not to mention I'm drowning in a sea of tissues.  I know not every week of training is sunshine and rainbows, but this definately sucks!  Although I'm at the tail end of this chest cold and I'll be back in the saddle tomorrow I definately thought I could use some laughs to make the best of my necessary laziness so I thought I'd share what I found.

 I know quite a few people that would prefer to compete in this triathlon!

 This is what I imagine hell would be like, I think I've actually had this nightmare before.

 This is how I feel every time I go to Sports Basement, athletics has become an addiction, it may be more expensive than smoking, but at least it is better for me.

 Probably what I look like when I go for a run.

 We always need some motivation

Definately a scent I wouldn't want to bottle

 So that's how you do it

All the new things I had to learn it is like getting a masters in triathlon with a minor in insanity.

The sick athlete

It happens once every year, I come down with some illness in the midst of training.  During my first marathon it came at the week of my 18 mile run and this year it comes at week 9 of Wildflower training.  Luckily I still have 9 more weeks to go, but any illness just like any injury is definately a setback.  My training usually continues if the illness is just a head cold, but if the illness hits my chest then I'm in trouble and I have to stop any heavy cardio workouts.  Otherwise I risk getting bronchitis which will put me out of commission for even longer.  I can't lie, I'm definitely stubborn, I don't ever want to give up my workouts for an illness, but I'm trying to get better.  Here is what I do to keep my mind and body as healthy as I can while fighting an illness.

Do some yoga: Stretching and flexing won't bring my heart rate up or cause me to cough up a lung so there is no reason I shouldn't take some deep breaths and get in touch with my chi.  Don't have a gym pass, that's okay there are several locations that offer yoga for free, just wash your hands and bring your own mat  and towel if you are sick.
Sports Basement WC:  Pilates Weds. 12-1
Pilates Sat. 9-10
Yoga Sun. 11-12.  If you want to look up a location near you go to this link Sports Basement
Also Lululemon WC offers yoga for free on Sundays 9:30 a.m.
You may be able to find other classes or just pop in a DVD

Hit the pillow: rest is key to getting better so call it an early night!

Get some weight training in: once again wash your hands but lifting some light weights won't hurt you if you aren't putting in vigorous effort

Your trainer can become your best friend: I mean your bicycle trainer.  Although you can't put in heavy workouts you can put in some base miles at a steady pace.  Make sure you control your speed so you don't raise your heart rate too much and start breathing heavy, but a nice steady pace will add a few miles to a fairly inactive week.
Don't have a trainer?  You can always get on a stationary bike and put it on a low setting.

Drink lots of fluids: You may not be working out as much but your body gets dehydrated a lot easier when it is working hard to make you healthy so focus on taking in fluids and it is always good to throw in a glass of electrolytes as well.

Roll: You may not be working out but it is still important to get in your daily myofascial release, especially since you may be sitting and laying down more.  I know when I sit for long periods of time my piriformis and IT bands ache.  Even though you may not be lifting heavy weight or putting in lots of miles it is still good for you no matter how much it hurts.


Take in Vitamins:  Even if you aren't usually good about taking them be sure to take them now.  I try to get a lot of Vitamin C in hopes it will chase all the bad guys in my system away.

Review your training schedule: Take a look at your plan for training and make adjustments for your illness.  You don't want necessarily pick up right where you left off or you might risk injury.  I will probably cut back my mileage a bit next week to adjust or reduce my number of speed workouts and focus on longer easy pacing.

I hope this helps anyone dealing with an illness during this cold and flu season!  Stay healthy, take care of yourself, and wash your hands!