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!

To Eat or Not to Eat?

 Nutrition is one of the most controversial subjects in the triathlon community.  Some people believe in the Paleo diet, while others think Vegetarian, some preach organic, and some just eat whatever theywant.  The wise Chris "Macca" McCormack (this years Kona winner) said at a CLIF panel interview that he once had scientists calculate exactly what he should eat and drink during an ironman they advised him to focus on all natural foods and little to know processed sugars.  This diet caused him to BONK hard almost to the point of pulling out of the race as a DNF.  However, a fellow triathlete found him in his depleted state and informed him that he'll be fine if he takes down some Coke and water.  With a little processed sugar and caffeine he managed to finish Kona that year in one of the top positions.  The point is there is NO Perfect Nutrition Plan.  Everyone has different needs based on their body, metabolism, weight, and sport.

This topic is very important to me because I am a pre-race NON-EATER.  Yes, that's right I don't eat before a race, I just can't or I will spend the rest of the day miserable with GI tract issues.  However, I do have some nutrition tips for each sport that I have found work for me.

Firstly, before I begin let me address the non-eating.  Everyone thinks Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and normally I would agree, but I have found there is nothing wrong with not eating before a race.  Don't let people convince you it is bad for you, I can tell you I feel much better not eating and I have even performed better without food.  I do make sure I eat at least something within a half hour after finishing and this process has not failed me yet.

The Swim: There is not really any nutrition advice I can give you for swimming in an actual event, but you can prevent cramping while training.  If you make a point of having an electrolyte replacement drink like gatorade, accelerade, or cytomax with you then you are less likely to cramp.  I also find that Clif chews help as well.

 The Bike: I used to love Almond Butter and Jelly, hard boiled eggs, and nuts with dried fruit on the bike, but these foods pose a problem when racing.  I would advise any endurance cyclists (80-100+ miles) to try these foods out, especially dried fruit and Coke if you feel you are about to Bonk, they really help get sugar and caffeine into your system fast.  For triathlons and shorter race simulation rides I prefer perpetum.  Usually I fill a bottle with as many scoops as hours I plan on riding.  To accompany my perpetuem I usually use an electrolyte replacement called Heed.


The Run: Any run under 10 miles I can just use water, over 10 miles I prefer to use either clif bloks and water, or perpetuem.  I always add a bit of salt to my water to help replenish my electrolytes.  Even when running after cycling I find my stomach does well with perpetuem.


My only bit of advice is try everything before race day to see if you can stomach it.  Anything new on race day could be dangerous to your final stats.  Also, I try to keep everything in the same family when eating i.e. all natural stays with all natural (perpetuem, heed, and clif bloks).  When I mix processed sugars with natural products I have issues.  (I do just fine with gatorade and gu I just can't mix gu with perpetuem or I feel sick).

The life of an endurance athlete

This is what I have realized every time I train for an endurance event...
1) I am always hungry:  I used to exercise so I could eat anything I wanted.  Now, I eat everything 3x over.  My life is filled with constant snacking...My favorites

- quinoa w/ pesto, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives

- Costco nut clusters

- any kind of fruit (bananas, berries, peaches)- rice cakes w/ almond butter and jelly

- baby carrots

2) All the bookmarks on my computer are athletic related...

- possible events I'd be interested in doing

- various training calendars

- activewear: a person can never own too much workout apparel

- the latest studies on stretching, lifting, rolling and speed

- Blogs and forums on my friends lives as athletes

3) My calendar is marked w/ what events each paycheck goes toward: different events go up in price by certain dates, I only get paid once a month so I must budget and plan ahead

4) My phone calls and rendezvous w/ friends either involve eating or exercise: I don't mean to, but I've noticed a pattern, I love having company for my workouts and a girl has got to eat!

5) My music playlists have a specific form and function:

--> The running playlist

--> The cycling playlist

--> The easy run mix

--> The race mix

--> Kicking my butt up hills mix

6) The words "binge drinking" have changed in meaning: My talk of binge drinking always referred to alcohol, but now I have to binge on 8 or more glasses of H20 of I feel like crap, almost as bad as a hangover 

7) My body has no concept of sleeping in: after 5 or 7 a.m. workouts or just from work I have lost the ability to sleep past 7.  I can't even lay in bed, I get antsy like I should be doing something.

8) I have a 2 drink maximum: Not only do I perform worse after drinking so I avoid alcohol, but I am just a light weight.  More than 2 drinks = awful hangover or spending time praying to the porcelain gods.

9) I own a pair of shoes for everything and I don't mean heels: I have 2 pairs of running shoes, fins for swimming, cycling shoes, more flexible lifting tennis shoes, trail shoes, and the list goes on...

10) My vocabulary is filled with words the average person would never use and numbers don't have much to do with math: Cadence, Tempo, Fartlek, Triggerpoint, Chamois, etc.  not to mention 3x800 swim w/ 10 sec rest, 4x1000 @10k, 1 minute intervals on hill 60-70 rpm.