Stomach on The Frontline. Again.

    Those who know me know how I am prone to excessive research on any given subject. I can't help myself, I like to get a wide view of a topic, then allow the information to ferment in my noggin for a bit before drawing conclusions or forming a working plan. Also, those who know me know that over the last year my digestive system has decided to launch an all out war against me. I have cut wheat, dairy, most sugars, almost all refined foods, fried foods, "bad" fats, non-organic fruits and veggies, and 99% of the artificial crap that the modern American diet seems to be rife with. I have followed this slightly restrictive diet for several reasons: it is healthier, it is safer, and most of all, because of my wonky, traitorous digestive system. Being a glass-half-full, silver-lining type of girl, I look at these forced restrictions as enforcement of healthy eating habits. Unfortunately, it does not really seem to be working. I still suffer from an assortment of problems that range from annoying to embarrassing to painful. I would like to be able to sit down to a meal without having to wonder, "What will this do to me today?" So I research. I study. I read. I make mental notes of my symptoms and try to pinpoint a possible cause, which foods are triggering my issues. I am beginning to think that food is only a portion of the problem.
    If foods are not the main cause, or single cause, then what the hell is going wrong with my body? Well, you may very ask, "WTF?" There are a number of things that could easily be at the root of this evil, some can be remedied and managed holistically, others would require drastic measures. The next arsenal that I am going to deploy are of course, holistic:
    Nsaids are notorious for causing stomach and intestinal problems. I have been a steady user of ibuprofin and naproxin sodium for years in an attempt to manage my osteoarthritis and chronic pain. I take a dose every night before bed so I can sleep relatively pain free for at least a few hours. I am thinking this practice may very well have to end. This makes me sad. But I will take an aggressive approach to adding more anti-inflammatory foods and supplements: Feverfew, Vitamins C and D, tart cherry, walnuts, kelp, turmeric, green tea, papaya, pineapple, olive oil, yams (my favorite), grapeseed extract, ginger, aloe vera gel, MSM, and glucosamine-chondroitin. I will stick with the occasional aspirin if I need to knock my pain down. This is not going to be easy, it may make me grumpy and irritable. But I will try.
    Another possible, and likely, cause can be the disruption of the flora and fauna needed for proper digestion. My problems really started up last spring/summer after my knee surgery when I was pumped full of a number of meds before, during and after surgery. I don't know if there is a connection, or if it is just coincidence. I did take probiotics for a while, and was eating yogurt religiously until my body suddenly rejected dairy. I will go on a more intense regimen of probiotics and acidophilous to see if I can't get things back in balance.
    Another possibility, a gross possibility, would be internal parasites. Yeah, I don't even like to think of this one, at all. It grosses me out in a very primal way. But our bodies can be kinda gross sometimes, it is Nature at her finest. Just to rule this out in a benign manner, I will take small doses of diatomaceous earth over the course of several days. As you can see, I am desperately grasping at straws here.
    This is my next plan of attack. A full frontal, homeopathic assault. If this does not produce any results I may have to be examined for the potential medical culprits: Crone's, peptic ulcers, GERD, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, to name a few of the more common ailments. I don't think it is any of these, seriously (at least I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is not). Maybe I am just getting old and "sensitive." Do I need to go down to a bland diet of white rice and boiled chicken breast? Dear gods I hope not. But this is beyond annoying, it is really beginning to piss me off.
 

Cycling Indoors, and Redefining Focus

    The single advantage to nursing my minor muscle strains is that they have encouraged me to get my bike up on the trainer and get back to pedaling. True, the only thing more tedious than a run on the treadmill is cycling indoors. But it allows me to work on building my cadence and rhythm, slowly build my base, and start toning muscles that haven't been used in a bit. Joshua has sat mostly silent and patient since late last fall. So, the last two nights I have cycled. Tuesday night, I opted to skip my regular swim to baby my strained pec, and instead I alternated 10 minutes of hard, fast cycling with one set of my upper body regimen, and repeated this 3 times. It felt good, and I was mildly sore the next day, knowing I worked myself well. Last night was drill night so my time was limited. I cycled a solid 30 minutes at decently high revolutions, then ran on the treadmill for an easy 1.25 miles. I wanted to run further, but was testing out the strained calf muscle, happy to report that there was not even a slight twinge, so I will start back running. I will force myself to add running time slowly and carefully to avoid further mishaps. I followed last night's workout with 20 minutes of stretching, paying special attention to the piriformis strain. It was a great workout, short but sweet. Then I scarfed down a dinner of chicken breast and baked yam before dashing off to drill night at the station.
    Training for triathlons is not easy. It is time consuming and has the potential for overuse injuries. I know I need to "Make haste more slowly," but that is really difficult for me to do. I like pushing my body, finding my limits and stepping just beyond, but this can be a recipe for injury. I have tested the waters of muscle strain and overuse injuries already this year, and I can attest that they are cold and bitter. As much as I know that I need to reach a high level of fitness by the end of August, I also know that sidelining myself with strained or pulled muscles will only frustrate me and interfere with my agenda. I have to work Smarter, not Harder. I need to redefine my focus.
    I am thinking that the best way for me to train will be in "blocks" of about 4 weeks. Each block will have a  slightly different emphasis, a tighter focus on one of the disciplines. I have been very intent on my swimming since the first of the year, pushing myself harder and further. It is now no big thing to swim 2 miles, but I am beginning to develop a few twinges of tendinitis in my shoulders so it may be time to back down a bit from distance and focus on drills. Now will be a time to start building my cycling base, while continuing with running, and maintaining my swimming base. In four weeks I will switch up to running as my main focus, but maintain my cycling and swimming levels. This will be much like the idea that it is safer to play seasonal sports as they come along, than to focus on one sport the entire year. Sports physicians report a higher level of sport related injury in young athletes who focus on only one sport, versus the all around athletes who compete in a variety of sports throughout the year. I will take this concept and shorten my "seasons." Then, as I hit summer I should have a solid base, no injuries (*fingers crossed*), and can spend several months refining and building, adding bricks (one long workout combining two disciplines), and reaching September in the best condition I can reach in the time I have. It is a thought, a plan, and a good one, I think. You know me, I always like to have "A Plan."

Where Will I Find The Time?

    The more I delve into training schedules, and understand what it takes to get where I want to go, I am feeling the pressure of never enough time. I do have a lot of demands on my time, all of which are fun and part of my Year of Grand Adventures, my job being the exception, of course. I have no idea how or where I will find the time I need to train as much as I want and need to.
    Ideally, I would swim 3 times a week for a minimum of 90 minutes, and try to sneak in an open water swim once a week once the weather improves. 6 to 8 hours is considered to be the absolute bare minimum to devote to cycling, and that does not factor in the long, endurance rides that I will need to build my cycling base. And then there is running. Ohdeargods, running. Ideally I would run a minimum of 3 times a week for an hour or two, with one of those runs a long, endurance run. Oh, let's not forget the essential strength training, and stretching, another 3 workouts per week, for an hour or so each.
    So, where does that leave me? Let's see. Hmm 90 time 3, divide by 60, add 8, carry the 1, add 6, plus 3....  Basically, I need about 20 to 25 hours a week devoted to training. And if I were to do one workout a day, I would need 13 days in a week. No shit. This doesn't even touch on the time spent in the kitchen cooking the gluten free, dairy free rocket fuel that I need. So, where will I find the time? I don't know how people manage. If I was coming into this as a distance runner, or cyclist, then I would be able to take a few shortcuts, since I would already have a solid base. But I am coming into this from a whole 'nother world. Oh sure, I could sever all of my connections with the outside world, live the life of a hermit. But I have lived that life before, not by choice, and not for any lofty goal like a Half-Ironman, and it is not a healthy alternative. I wish I could quit my day job and be a full time athlete and writer, wouldn't that be living the dream? Yes, I do fantasize about that, more often than I should.
    Back the the question at hand. Where will I find the time? I don't know. I will keep my head up and looking forward. I won't allow myself to shirk. I will squeeze in workouts when and where I can. I can do this. I know I can do this.

Gimp: Part Deaux

    The best laid plans, blah, blah, blah. With a strained left piriformis, and strained right calf/Achilles, I decided I could get in a good swim Thursday to make up for forced inactivity in the running department. Well, guess what? Yeah, kinda over did it in my usual fashion. Halfway through my second mile, I felt a twinge in my right  pectoral muscle, kinda up in the arm pit area. I chose to think I just needed to pay heed to my stroke technique. That did seem to help as I finished mile 2 and then did another 10 laps just for good measure. I did manage to get in two 20 minute sessions with the aqua-jogger belt to boost cardio and keep from totally neglecting my legs. As I climbed out of the pool, I knew in my heart that I had over done it, my right pec was giving me some grief. Once home, I took my vitamins, my anti-inflammatory supplements, made a nice anti-inflammatory dinner, chased it with arnica pilules under the tongue, and massaged my tender pec. Sure, it was a bit tight the next two days, but I figured it would be okay. Until I had to climb through a chest high, narrow window opening in 60 pounds of firefighting gear during training Saturday afternoon. I felt the twinge of a tweaked muscle. Okay, okay, it was more than a twinge. It was more of a holymotherofthegods that is gonna hurt later. I continued with the training scenarios, though the next time I went through the window I just went in head first, not taking any strain on my chest or shoulders... and what the hell, I am wearing a helmet and protective gear. Again, dinner was anti-inflammatory foods, anti-inflammatory supplements, and arnica pilules for dessert. That night, as I started undressing for bed, pulling my sweatshirt up over my head hurt so f'king bad I almost cried. It hurt enough that I thought for a moment I would be trapped in my shirt. But I sacked up and managed to pull my shirt off. The discomfort made my sleep a little restless, I had to use my left hand to reach for my drinking water. Oddly, the next morning I felt much better. Yes, still tweaked, but at least I could dress myself without making piteous noises that scare the dogs.
    Training Sunday there were more than a few moments that reminded me that I had boo-boos in every quadrant of my body. Belly crawling, dragging loaded hose line, shagging 5" hose, it was a good workout, and probably less traumatic than what I do to myself willingly. I need to allow myself to take it easy, but that goes against my nature.

Bring In The Gimp

    As I attempt to get Body ready for the racing season, and especially my Half-Ironman, I find I am being thwarted by that same Body. I refuse to think that I am too old for this, that is bullshit. But g'damn, as if my ongoing battle with my gastrointestinal system and osteoarthritis weren't bad enough, now I've added muscle strains to the list. For a few weeks I have been nursing a strained left piriformis muscle, a thin muscle under the glute. Simply put; a pain in the ass. I have been diligently stretching, warming up carefully, taking it a bit easy with squats and lunges, and yet the pain persists. Then, last night during my quick, before-drill treadmill run, I strained my right Achilles tendon. It pulled me up short. I tried to stretch a bit, then run some more, but the pain continued to worsen. I barely ran a mile. Fortunately, drill was very physical, moving loaded 5" hose which weighs about 8 pounds per linear foot, so I still got a good workout. But g'damn it, I need to be building a solid running base if I am to improve my times, and extend my distances this year. As much as I hate to, I will back off of running for a few days, or more, hoping to get relatively pain free as quickly as possible. Until then, I am going to try and maximize my swim time.
    Tonight, if I head straight to the pool, I will have more than 2 hours in the water. I plan on swimming a mile, doing hypoxic drills, and death sprints. Then do a solid 20 minutes with the aqua-jogger belt, to work my legs. Then swim another mile, then another 20 with the belt, then swim at race pace until they kick me out. This should help make up for the dearth of running in my regimen.
    Now that we are having more daylight I have really been hoping to get in trail runs on my way home from work. I even have a few maintained trails I can hit if I bring my gear and change before leaving the office. I have got to build my running base. It has to happen. I have 6 months to make it happen. Six Months!  That is not long, but it has to be long enough. There is no time to waste being a Gimp.

Rest

    The most difficult thing for me to factor into my workout regimen are Rest Days. I do not like them, no, I do not. It is a tough sell, convincing Body that rest is essential. Brain understands the theory, but Body rebels. Even on days such as today, when I am tired, sore, and bruised from a long weekend of arduous, physical training scenarios at Academy, Body is pissy that Brain made us leave all the workout gear at home. Instead of racing home, or to the pool to get in a long solid workout, we are heading to a  relaxing evening that will include a hot tub and a nap. Body keeps whispering, "You know, we could pick up some workout gear at the thrift store, maybe just get in a little Pilates and Yoga, maybe some ab work, or even an easy run." No! Body needs rest to allow muscles to recover from the intense physical demands of the last 48 hours, and the previous week of training. Muscles must have down time to reap the benefits of a hard workout.
    To become stronger, improve fitness, build speed and power, requires several things:
1. A physically demanding workout, not an easy peasy, gentle 30 minute workout. We're talking an hour or two, or three, of pushing the muscles to the point of exhaustion and a little beyond.
2. Nutrition. I have said it a bazillion times, you need rocket fuel to feed the machine. Good food, not garbage: Garbage in = Garbage out. You have to eat nutrition dense, simple, minimally processed foods to rebuild muscles torn down through hard workouts. And in a balance of protein, carbs, and fats that works for your own needs. There is no magic formula, it is trial and error. I eat a lot of fruit and veg, lean protein, and complex carbs. It works for me.
3. (and this is my nemesis) REST. You must allow the chance to Rest and Recover. The reason we get stronger is that a strenuous workout actually tears down the connective tissue between muscle strands, and the body reacts by making the muscle stronger to protect itself. But this takes about 48 hours. I cheat this a bit by alternating my workouts. I do not work the same muscle set 2 days in a row (except on the rare occasion that I swim 2 days in a row), upper body one day, legs the next, etc. I allow 48 hours of recovery time to allow a muscle group to recover before the next workout. Rest includes plenty of Sleep, which I never seem to get, especially these days, and Down Time. A proper workout schedule will actually have one day of nothing, just Rest. I do not like this day. But I am learning.
    On a day like today, tired, sore, and bruised, when breakfast was black coffee and Aleve, it is a bit easier to convince Body that we can take the day off. That it is okay to rest, We will not lose tone, or pack on the pounds, or backslide. No, we need Rest to Recover, so that tomorrow we will be even more awesome.

Bread

    On a nutritional note, I realize that I am glad my body has decided to be sensitive to wheat and dairy. This has let me cut out a lot of foods that I know I should not eat anyway, and has me creating delicious substitutes. This evening, I was creating this week's loaf of quick bread; a gluten free, wheat free, whole grain, pumpkin, banana bread chock full of rolled oats, toasted pumpkin seed, walnuts, dried cherries, flax seed, hemp seed, and toasted brown rice, and I was delighted to be able to make such a beautiful fuel for my body. I use this bread as a replacement for a normal, store bought, yeasty loaf of wheat bread. Yes, there are some great breads available with all sorts of ancient grains, nuts, whole grains, etc, but they do not compare to the epicness of my home baked delights. So, even though it requires a bit more forethought, I am glad my body has led me down a healthier path, even though it was a bit heavy-handed about it.

Essential Fueling

    As I rev up my training I am running into a problem I almost hate to admit. I know this may raise the ire of a number of people, but I am having some trouble eating enough. I am not even doing "Big Weeks" or "Peak Weeks" yet, and already I am hungry all the time. I am shoveling in food at a goodly pace, and, oddly enough, my weight is actually dropping a little. A solid pointer in some of my studies has been to pretty much eat as much as I want of whole, wholesome foods. I have eliminated processed foods from my diet, with the occasional rare exception, and fill my gullet with leafy greens, fruit, whole grains, lean protein, legumes. I do all my own cooking so I know exactly what I am putting into every dish. Even my coffee is organic, very lightly sweetened with evaporated organic cane syrup.
    I eat hearty meals, and snack regularly. Breakfast is usually a handful of raw walnuts or almonds, organic granola with hemp seed, brown rice, flax seed, pumpkin seed, rolled oats and just a touch of cane juice, topped with unsweetened almond milk, and a banana. Lunch is often 3 eggs, an orange, and a slice of whole grain, gluten free pumpkin bread chock full of pumpkin seed, nuts, flax and oatmeal, topped with peanut butter. Or leftovers, as I had today, black bean and whole grain cassoulet with brown rice, barley and quinoa, and an orange and slice of pumpkin bread. A favorite dinner is 2 or 3 chicken breast tenderloins and a mass of fresh spinach topped with fresh guacamole, and a pumpkin/blueberry/cherry smoothie. Snacks are usually fruit and raw nuts, maybe a small bowl of granola.
    So, as you see, I eat a lot. And frequently. But I am careful of what goes into my maw, opting for whole foods, and organic when I can get it. I eat a lot of fruit, usually 5 to 7 pieces a day. Dinner I load up on the veggies, my current favorite is sauteed mixed greens with kale, spinach, chard, collards and mustard greens. I have become the queen of the smoothie, daring to try wild, and tasty concoctions. My latest has been cooked pumpkin pureed into organic 100% blueberry and black cherry juice (no sugar added), toss in a ripe banana and it is better than any milkshake.
    I have eliminated so much sugar from my diet that I know it has been key in getting and keeping my weight down. Yes, I do indulge in a small handful of organic, dark chocolate chips almost every evening, but that is largely the extent of my sweets intake. Since my body made me eliminate dairy, it really does limit my ability to splurge on heavier foods, especially anything with cream cheese or cream. Yes, this does make me a little sad, but it really has been for the best.
    So I come back to the need to be able to adequately fuel my body for my upcoming training regimen. I imagine I may very well lose a few more pounds before I step into the water for my early season triathlon sprint, and will definitely be lighter come September when I am hitting the water at my first half-Ironman. Fueling is essential. A bit difficult at times, but essential.

The Right Mindset

    I have learned that the right mindset is invaluable, in all aspects of life, and especially when we want to make changes and realize dreams. "What do I have control over, here and now? What can I do to get me closer to my goal." This from an article on Ironman mentality. It is pertinent to all aspects of life. I have always been a firm believer in making "A Plan." Yes, I always envision it in capital letters, A Plan. Especially in times of extreme stress or duress, I will struggle to make A Plan and lock on to it to help propel me through tough times. This can be as simple as keeping nutrition and exercise on line and moving forward despite the obstacles life tends to throw into my path. What it boils down to is finding some aspect of life I have control over, and using it as a light through the chaos. This has kept me on track and ever improving my life in all aspects. Find one thing I have control over, and make it work for me. Pushing past or eliminating the negative aspects of life that are beyond my control. Fitness has always been my tether to sanity, and that one thing that can make me feel as if there is some order among chaos. People have commented on my workout ethic, they don't realize that it is more than an ethic, it is a lifeline.
    Now, as I set my sights higher and higher, upping the ante, pushing myself further and further, I am still mindful of maintaining A Plan, keeping my head in the present. What do I have control over, here and now? Breaking the race that is my life into smaller, manageable segments so I can experience small successes, small triumphs on my way to bigger and crazier victories. By keeping my head in the present I can stay focused, and prevent life from spiraling into unmanageable chaos. Small steps eventually cover a considerable distance. Staying focused, having A Plan, keeping the right mindset will move me ever closer to my goal. To all my goals and dreams. The Right Mindset will get me where I want to go.  

Goal Clarity

    In my studies to help self-coach myself to a successful triathlon season I came upon an article, "6-Step Formula to Triathlon Success." The first, and most important step is "Get Goal Clarity." Identify what I want, and why I want it. This was easy enough for me in the athletic aspect of my life, I want to compete in a Half-Ironman to prove to myself that I can. To prove that hard work pays off, that age is just a number and not a limiter. So I train, hard. I have always had a strong workout ethic, but this last year, and for the upcoming season, I am dialing it up, taking it to the next level and beyond. To me, this is simple, I can do this, I have no doubts. I have identified my Goal, my Objective, my Dream, and I will pursue it with a single-minded compulsion. It is what I do. It is how I am.
    Goal Clarity is important in all aspects of life, beyond the athletic arena. I am moving into whole new arenas, in all aspects of my life. Goal Clarity, identifying my dreams and ambitions, finding the paths that will lead me where I want/need to go. I have made list of dreams to achieve, in this, The Year of Grand Adventures. A long list of unfulfilled dreams, some that go back to my youth, some that have been on the backburner for a decade, glorious dreams that will finally be realized. I like being able to put names to things, it makes them substantial and gives me power over them, be they demons or dreams. Now I have a name for my list of dreams: Goal Clarity.

Swimming Downhill

    Have I mentioned that I love swimming? I think it may have come up a time or two. Last night was swim night, and now that the high school swim team's season is over I can get into the water earlier. I hit the lane at  5pm, thinking I would get in a good swim and maybe manage to get home a bit early. Well, knowing myself as I do, I should have known that I would still swim right up to the moment when the young lifeguards are about ready to tap me on the head and politely mention, "Ma'am, it's past closing time." Now that the crawl has become my comfortable Go-To stroke I feel better about tossing in backstroke as a way of working different muscles. Last night, I was feeling pretty tired as I slipped into the water and started my warm up laps. It took me about 20 laps before I felt like pushing myself. In the end, I swam 75 laps (2.13 miles) mostly nonstop. I don't take breaks when I swim, except when I am changing out the tools of the trade; flippers, hand paddles, pull buoy. I did hypoxic drills, sprint lengths, and death sprints. Once I hit the 2 mile mark I kinda wanted to drag my ass out of the water but decided to do another 5 laps alternating crawl and backstoke on each length. It was a good way to finish strong.

    Last night I hit another epic moment in perfecting my form. I am always striving for better alignment and streamlining. Last night I reached the point of good alignment so that it felt as if I were swimming downhill. It is an eerie feeling. As I strive towards Total Immersion Swimming technique I have a thought in my mind of how it should feel to glide effortlessly and smoothly through the water, and every once in a while I feel it. Last night, I was feeling it. Head down, hips aligned, torso rotating and powering my arms, legs straight and relaxed, breathing calm and easy. And feeling as if I were swimming downhill. Add in the fact that I am now wearing earplugs when I swim, it makes for a surreal experience. Exhilarating, but surreal. Tonight I will return to the pool and hope to recapture the feeling, commit it to muscle memory and to the little grey cells inside my skull. Have I mentioned that I love swimming?

Ouch

    I am almost embarrassed to confess just how tight and sore my hip flexers are after the half-marathon this last Saturday. I have never experienced anything quite like it. I now understand why older people with bad hips tend to sway or waddle when they walk. I have a pronounced waddle at the moment. Yes, they do loosen up after a few strides, but they tighten back up whenever I sit for a time. Which during the workday is most of the time. I approached this power-walked half as a training experience to fully understand the distance, time factors, and to just get an overall feel of what I will be getting myself into a little further into the racing season. I think the most valuable lesson learned is that I need to work on my hip flexers. I have known for a while that I lack flexibility, and am trying to increase dynamic stretching, and add some yoga at the end of every workout. But so often I am cramming in as intense a workout as possible into a narrow time frame before dashing out of the house to my next obligation. Inevitably, it is stretching that gets pared out. There is never enough time to get everything done that needs doing. Never, ever. My hip flexers have encouraged me to do some serious stretching over the last 48 hours, but whether or not I will keep up the pace is yet to be seen.

Half-Marathon

    Yesterday I power walked a half-marathon with my friend. I approached it as an excellent training experience, and a chance to understand just how long a half-marathon is. I admit, it was much more pleasant traversing it with a companion than it would be to do it alone. But come September I must be able to run a half, after swimming 1.2 miles, and cycling 50 miles. That will give a whole new meaning to fatigue, I think. But I know I will be up to the task. One piece of the puzzle at a time, I am filling in the border, soon I will be working on the center, to complete the whole picture. I know I must make haste slowly. As much as I want to rush my training, push myself too hard, reach goals now, not later. But I have to build my base carefully, avoiding injury and overuse. I don't want to stress my body to the point of causing damage. Walking a half-marathon was an essential step towards being able to run the same distance. It was an interesting test of muscles and joint. I think my joints take a harder pounding from walking than they do from running. Walking it is near to impossible to not strike the ground hard with the heel, sending that shock up from the rigid heel bone, through the tibia and straight to my arthritic knees. Running, on the other hand (or foot, as the case may be), I feel my forefoot flex as it is designed to do, gently absorbing the footfall, my knees are bent, further cushioning my entire body, and since my stride is so much quicker my foot is on the ground much less. Running, the foot and leg are like a spring, coiling and uncoiling, loading and unloading, transferring energy instead of driving it into the ground. But I still need to build my stamina. I can walk 13.5 miles at a strong, steady pace, but I am as yet unable to run such a distance without slowing to a walk. First you must crawl, then walk, before you can run. I will continue to build my base, one step at a time.

Swimming Strong and Long

    Despite what seems to be tendinitis in my shoulders I had a great swim last night. I haven't done a Long Swim for a while so I decided to go for distance, all the while incorporating some hypoxic laps and sprint drills. I know the people swimming in the lanes near me haven't a clue, but I race them. Yes, I do. I set my sights on the leader and do my damnedest to catch up and pass. Last night there was a dude in the lane next to mine swimming sporadic laps, I think he pegged to the fact that I was racing him, because he seemed to pick up his pace. I was swimming with a pull buoy, so all upper body, and focusing on long, string strokes and keeping my body streamlined. We swam neck in neck for a few laps, and then he would stop and rest while I continued swimming. After a bit he would start swimming again, always getting just ahead of me at the beginning, making me work to catch up and pass. It was a fun way to add some intensity to a long swim. I came up 4 laps shy of 2 miles, I ran out of time (actually swam over the time just a tad, but was trying to let the gaggle of tiny swim students get in and out of the locker room before me). It was a great swim, my shoulders felt good, my strokes stayed long and strong, my body position improves with every session, my breathing is good. I have noticed that it is hard to fatigue myself in the pool without really pushing myself with death sprints, which amazes me, since it was a mere 7 months ago that swimming 20 laps was a major accomplishment and left me feeling tremulously exhausted. I wish I could build my running base as efficiently.

Crazy-Busy

    I am finding it difficult to build my Running Base. It is my main focus right now; adding strength, stamina, and speed. I am learning to enjoy running, but it seems as if turning myself into an endurance runner is very slow going at best. True, in less than a year I have gone from "I am not a runner," who couldn't run 1/4 mile without a struggle, to being able to run 4 miles at my penguin pace, and sprint at 7.5mph. I admit, I prefer to run fast, it feels like it is easier on my body, I just can't maintain a fast pace for very long. I don't even think that I am all that fast of a sprinter, but it feels so good to just let it go. It is possible that one aspect hindering my efforts is the crazy-busy schedule I have inflicted upon myself. I am getting 2 days off every 3 weeks, and those "days off" are filling with other things to do. I am lucky if I get one day a month to sleep in, truly rest, and recover. Next month sleep may become an even rarer commodity as I get released to go on fire calls, and my nights may be interrupted without warning. That will definitely add another dimension to the insanity. But I am squeezing in workouts as often as possible, running 3 to 4 days a week, swimming twice a week, adding strength training at least 3 days a week. Yeah, crazy-busy.
    As it stands, I am running 3 or 4 times a week, focusing on interval training and hill repeats. I do not yet have the "legs" for seriously long runs. At this point I am focusing on running mechanics, form, and slowly building my stamina. I am continuing with strength training, especially core, because I know the importance of a strong body in all the aspects of racing. As I venture further into trail racing, I know my strength will play a good part in my stamina, and then naturally my stamina will increase. It is a a self-fulfilling conclusion. I am having to force myself to "make haste slowly." I am inclined to overdo it too often, especially where running is concerned. This last weekend was a prime example. I had 2 great runs over the weekend, but my calves paid the price. There is a huge difference between treadmill running and road running. Treadmill running tends to be more quad heavy, road running requires more calf, glute, and hamstring. They are very different beasts. Now that we are likely past he worst of the winter cold weather I need to make it a point to get out and run whenever possible. I have decided that lunch breaks during Academy days are perfect for short, intense, interval training runs. The area around the station has a lot of quiet streets, and more hills than you can shake a stick at, as well as several great staircases to add a bit of a twist (I do have to prep for the Stairclimb in September). So I will get in as many runs as possible, bearing in mind the fragility of my knees and ankles, and build my base slow and steady. They do say, "Slow and steady wins the race," which is patently not true. But Slow and Steady will build the base for Speed and Stamina.

One Food At A Time

    Once again I am reduced to fractionated eating. One food at a time, wait for potential reactions, then sample something else. It is not working very well, everything seems to upset the delicate balance of me. If I don't get my gut under control, or at least understood, I am in for a potentially miserable existence. For the last week I have suffered near nonstop distress in one form or another. This has included, but not been limited to cramps, heartburn, nausea, sharp pains, bloating, gagging, and the notorious "I-just-threw-up-in-my-mouth" grossness while working out or getting horizontal. Needless to say, this has not been a stellar week. I am not even sure if there is one particular culprit, everything seems to cause one problem or another, or multiple problems. How am I to fuel the engine that is me if I cannot find a fuel that doesn't befoul the system? I don't want to have to "get used to it," as I have told myself on occasion. I don't want to be limited to a handful of bland foods. I want to be able to freely enjoy the vast array of beautiful, delicious, healthy foods that I need to stoke my body. My weight is where I want it, I don't want to compromise that by either not eating enough, or having to eat the "wrong" foods because they are all that my body will tolerate (white rice and chocolate being a few of those). It is an ongoing dilemma that I need to get sorted soon. I can't go into the racing season without being able to eat what I need to power myself as far as I want to go. This will require more analysis and research. Fortunately, I am good at both.

Running

    I took the bulk of last week as my Rest and Recovery week. I did swim hard 2 days, but kept running to a bare minimum since my legs had lost much of their spring, choosing to walk instead. Saturday the sun was shining so I figured it was time to lace on the Merrells and see how the legs were feeling. I opted for an easy three miles on fairly level ground during my lunch break at academy. I wanted an easy run because I knew I would push myself on Sunday. I felt good, my breathing was easy, and my muscles had shed the fatigue that had plagued me all week. Yes, my calves were a little stiff and sore on Sunday, but that is the peril of doing the bulk of my training on a treadmill during the wet, dark, winter evenings. Treadmills are okay to keep the cardio on track, but they do not work the leg muscles in the same fashion as road or trail running. Sunday, the weather continued to be dry, and academy let out early so I had my gear in the truck waiting. I had already decided I would do Hill Repeats. My initial plan was to do Hill Sprints, but since my calves were a wee bit tight I opted for the Long Hill Repeats instead. I ran about a mile to warm up while seeking the right hill for my plan. Silverton is a great town for running; nice sidewalks, low traffic, plenty of greenery and scenery, and hills aplenty. There are two types of Long Hill Runs: Short, steep hills that take a minute or two to ascend at a strong race pace; and the long, easy grade that can take five to ten minutes. I chose a steep section that was two city blocks long as my challenge for the day. This was the Short, Steep Run. The objective: Run the hill at a steady, strong, race pace, jog down, and repeat. Hence the name "Hill Repeats." This hill was perfect, the last 20 feet or so were pushing me to the point of near failure, which is exactly what I wanted. I did 4 sets, thought about doing more, but did not want to over do it on my first weekend back on pavement in a while (I can be sensible, sometimes). As I was running back to the station I spied a long staircase climbing the side of a hill. How could I resist? 65 steps, 10 laps, alternating single quick steps, two steps at a time, and running up, my quads were burning pleasantly by the end. I will be adding this staircase whenever I run in Silverton, I want to be ready for the Firefighter Stairclimb in September.

    Today my legs are pleasantly sore. Not terribly so, but enough to let me know that I worked my legs well this weekend. I have to improve my running, it is definitely my weakest discipline, and the one I have to use the most caution with as well. I will take it slow and steady, adding a bit every week, until I will have confidence in my ability to run the half-marathon leg of my Long Course Tri in September. Half-Ironman, here I come!

Inflammation, Get Thee Behind Me!

    I am making a full frontal assault on inflammation. Over the last year I have slowly stopped taking the assortment of supplements that used to be de rigueur. Partially because of the expense, but largely due to my ridiculously delicate digestive system. But holy hell, I am an achy, whiny bitch lately. Oddly it is my elbows, shoulders, and hands that are causing me the most pain. Especially my elbows. I imagine this is from the hours spent in the pool, I think I may be developing tendinitis, or possibly bursitis from repetitive movement. Whatever the hell it is, it hurts! To this end, I am upping my diligence with diet and supplements in an attempt to get things under control without adding more anti-inflammatory drugs and nsaids. Curiously, as my joints, bones, and muscles seem more painful and sensitive, so is my digestive tract. I have been suffering from heartburn, indigestion, and cramps for over a week. Is there a correlation? An overall flare up of inflammation throughout my body? I do not know. I do know I will not let it slow me down or kick my ass.
    On the frontline of my battle I have upped my intake of vitamins C and D, will increase my consumption of tart cherry and turmeric, reintroduced fish oil for Omega 3, and am trying Feverfew as an anti-inflammatory and circulation booster. Tonight I will start taking Arnica before bed as well. This is just the beginning. I will go with this for a few weeks, decide if there seems to be any improvement, and then go back on MSM, and add CoQ-10. On the food front I will become more relentless in my gluten free eating.
    Add to all of this, an attempt to get more sleep. That will be the toughest, since I seem to be so short on time every day, but it is important for my health and well being, as well as for my training. Sleep should be factored into a workout schedule as firmly as running and swimming.