Racing Gear

    I do know that racing is more about training than gear. I do. Honest. Racing is training, building, and learning to drive the supercharged vehicle I have created. But I also know that some basic gear can add to my edge. No, I am not talking about a $5000 high tech, carbon fiber, ultra triathlon bike (though I wouldn't say "no" if someone wanted to give me one), or the latest in gadgets, gizmos, and trendy bits and bobs. I am looking at, and considering a few additions to my gear bag of tricks: a time trials cycling helmet for better aerodynamics, aero bars for Joshua, an aero water bottle for hands free drinking on the bike, Under Armor compression tights, better road running shoes (love my Merrells for trail running, but pavement is hard on my body), and an odometer for Joshua. That's it. Nothing too untoward or excessive. If I were planning on just doing Sprint or even Olympic Triathlons none of this would be much of an issue, but bumping up to Long Course means that my comfort, aero dynamics, and fueling are going to be more critical come race day. This also goes for the hours and hours I will spend training. Nothing can discourage someone from training more than unnecessary discomfort. Yes, there is necessary discomfort, even a level of pain involved, not to mention fatigue and chronic sore muscles. But that just comes with the territory. I want to eliminate as much discomfort as I possibly can while still training balls to the wall. So, I am shopping eBay and Amazon, keeping my eyes peeled at the thrift stores, shopping sales and discount sporting goods stores. As much as I want to add the aforementioned additions, I refuse to pay the exorbitant, full price that most of these items carry. I just can't bring myself to do it. Nonetheless, I do feel that these additions can give me a little bit of a hand on my way to completing my 70.3 mile race in September, as well as the half-marathons and trail runs I have on my summer racing schedule. This is promising to be an epic season, and I want all the help I can get.   

New Training Month

    Starting into the new training month. My crazy-busy weekend has left me rather scatterbrained this week. In the course of 60 hours I interviewed for and got an epic, new job, aced my written and practical finals in Firefighter Academy, trained in Wildland Fire, and then graduated from Academy. Life has taken on a whole new level of awesome in a very short period of time. I am still reeling in shock with all that has happened, changed, evolved. Hard work, determination, and sheer stubborness have paid off in an astonishing way. So, Brain is scrambling to catch up, Body is tired, and Spirit is running around like an overexcited toddler full of Halloween candy. I need to regain my training focus.
    Yesterday was a rest day. Today should have been swim and cycle day, but in my scrambled Brain mode I left my swim gear at home *wahhh!* But, it is a gloriously sunny, spring day and I do have my running gear in the truck, so I get to trail run after work. Honestly. I need far more work on my running than on my swimming. I think this training month will be run focused. I am running a 10.5 mile run the first weekend of May. I don't know that I am quite ready for it yet, but it will give me a good idea of what it will be like to run a half marathon. I am planning my race fueling for the day, using it as a practice session to test a few different fueling options. A 10.5 mile run is short enough, that short of violently explosive reactions to foods, I should be able to manage just about anything. I will likely stick with Clif Shots and Chews, since they are made with simple ingredients, and no creepy chemicals. I may try Gu, I hear it is good stuff. I would like to find something a little less sticky than the Clif Shots, trying to down one of those when your mouth is a little dry is recipe for potential asphyxiation. Once an actual race day hits I will attempt the recommended 80 to 100 calories of carbs every 20 minutes. That is the recommended intake for long distance Triathlons. It is something I will practice as often as possible. So much to think about, plan for, and practice.

Big Week Redux

    Choosing to self-coach for my upcoming racing season, I have become a bit of a spaz about searching and researching every bit of information I can get my eager hands on. No, I do not take it all at face value, or try to incorporate everything into my training, if I did I would be even crazier than I already am. Instead I winnow through the bits and bobs, finding what makes sense to me, letting the rest blow away on the wind. One vital piece of information that I have taken to heart is a training schedule. This may sound like a no-brainer, but many people (myself included, in the past) are willing to "just train." It is easy enough to just go along with a standard weekly schedule thinking it will get us where we want to be. Yes, it will, but it won't take us as far as we could get. I do have a weekly schedule that looks something like this: Sunday, cycle and strength train; Monday, run and core conditioning; Tuesday, swim and cycle; Wednesday, minimal workout and firefighter drill night; Thursday, swim and run or cycle; Friday, run and strength train. Saturday, run and/or cycle, and core conditioning. Pretty standard stuff. Yes, I also work in stretching and myofascial release work.
    Now, here is where an actual training schedule steps in. I could do my same old, same old weekly workout program and do decently well in the shorter triathlons. Kind of a Weekend Warrior level participant. But I am bumping up to longer distances this year and know that the same old, same old is not going to cut it. Oh sure, I could manage to finish a half-Ironman by sticking to a standard weekly schedule, but would likely be miserable, and just about have to crawl across the finish line. A training schedule will let me build up each week in an intelligent, set fashion. Each month will be comprised of two weeks of Building, one Big Week, and one Recovery Week.
    I just finished my Big Week. Actually it ended up being 9 days, because I had 2 days when life didn't let me really workout. Life is funny that way, and I have to be flexible enough to adapt. My Big Week meant doubled up workouts on almost every day. And not just my standard workouts, but workouts when I pushed myself that extra mile, those extra minutes, those extra laps. I incorporated speed drills, strength training, lactate threshold cardio, and plain old endurance work. I averaged about 2-1/2 hours of workouts on every day that I did workout. I added stairclimbing with weights, and CrossFit style workouts to bump up the intensity. This is where I am good at self-coaching. I can push myself harder than most people. Granted, a coach would likely push me even harder.
    Now I am a few days into my Recovery Week, dialing it down to one workout a day. I ran an easy 4 miles on Monday, and my legs felt great. I swam 2 miles on Tuesday, and again, I felt great. Tonight I will swim, and maybe do some cycling after.
    This training schedule works well for me, and for my style of training. I am always inclined to push myself hard, sometimes to the point of overexertion with painful implications. Knowing that I have a Big Week, as well as a Recovery Week, lets me ramp it up, but then forces me to let my body recover and adapt. Recover and Adapt, vital keys in a solid training program. Next week I get to start building again, building towards my next Big Week, and it feels good.

Consistency

    To improve at anything you must be consistent. Better, faster, stronger, smoother, leaner. Anything. It requires that we be consistent in our methods of training and practice. Repetition is key, whether it is running, writing, swimming, drawing, driving. We must train Body and Brain to understand and execute. Brain must have the information to understand what it will be driving Body to do. Body must be allowed the time and patience to commit the actions to muscle memory, as well as time to adapt to being pushed harder, further, longer. And the two need time to learn to work together easily, smoothly, flawlessly. There is no easy way, no Magic Bullet, there is only consistency, practice, diligence.
    I am nothing if not consistent. I have worked out diligently for years. Honestly, years. I have rarely taken more than a day or two off in over a decade, nearly two decades, it is my nature. I have had focus and intensity, tailoring my workouts towards my particular athletic endeavors. In the past I have been more concerned with strength, owing to the particular rigors of armored combat. Now, as a fledgling endurance athlete, my workouts are very different from what they were even a year ago. Yes I still strength train, but that has taken a backseat to the sport specific workouts that have taken over a large part of my time. Not only do I train consistently, I study consistently. I am always seeking to perfect my technique, knowing I will never be perfect, but knowing that as long as I am reaching I will continue to improve.
    Consistency is the Key. It does not matter what it is you are reaching for, hoping for, wishing for, be consistent in your pursuit. Only then will you stand a chance of success.

FoodFoodFood

    Food, lots of food, has been on my mind much of the time lately. Partially due to the fact that my digestive tract has turned traitorous this last year or so. But mostly because I know how important fueling is. Not to mention the fact that I am hungry all the time. Seriously. All the time. The only exception to this is the 15 or 20 minutes immediately following a meal. Yes, I am eating small, frequent meals consisting of protein, carbs, and fresh fruit or veg in the proper ratios. I am eating more carbs than ever before, I think, but I am burning them with the steady flame of intense workouts. I love the way Body is burning fuel, I am eating mass quantities, but my weight has stabilized at a nice, trim 160ish pounds.
    I think of food first thing in the morning, and am studying nutrition the last thing at night. During the day I am planning my evening meal, or a shopping trip to top off my overflowing fruit basket. I am experimenting with recipes from quick, raw smoothies, to wonderful vegan whole grain dishes chock full of nuts, seeds, legumes, greens, and savory spice blends. I am eating very little animal protein; a few eggs, almost no meat, and no dairy except for an occasional sprinkling of cheese.
    One of my current favorites is a whole grain blend I have found consisting of a variety of rices; brown, red, black, and wild. I mix 2 parts of the rice blend, 1 part quinoa, 6 parts water, copious amounts of fresh, minced garlic, curry powder, and hoisin sauce. Once it is cooked, I top it with roasted, unsalted cashews and sunflower seeds. I have a pint jar of it in my lunch bag as I write, and it is whispering my name. I have used this cooked grain mix in a number of different dishes, as well as eating it as is.
    Another favorite is fresh guacamole, chopped spinach, some legumes, maybe some of the cooked grains, a handful or so of the toasted cashews and sunflower seeds, wrapped up in a toasted corn tortilla. It is beyond delicious.
    A variation on this is the delightful, and soul satisfying Pupusa. Kind of a homemade hot pocket with the outer layer made of masa flour, a bit of gf flour, warm water, a dash of salt and oil (basically, home made tortilla dough). Roll out 2 thin rounds of dough, top one side with about an inch of yummy stuff (beans, grains, seeds, cheese), leaving a half inch border free and clear of filling. Moisten the outer edge, top with the second round of dough, press down gently to compress the filling, and seal the edges by pressing them together and rolling them up a bit. Lift with a wide spatula and carefully transfer to a hot, ungreased skillet on about medium heat. Cook both sides until lightly toasted. Top with guacamole, or salsa, or the traditional spiced, vinagered, chopped cabbage. I like mine topped with chopped spinach mixed into some fresh guac. This will fill me up for a while, and is a favorite when I have been feeling particularly famished.
     I love to cook and experiment with new foods and will do a dozen variations on a theme. This has been very evident in my winter of baking gluten free quick breads chock full of cooked pumpkin, acorn squash, applesauce, cooked or grated raw yams, pepitas, roasted cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pecans, oatmeal, cornmeal, banana, dried cherries, raisens, dried blueberries, dried apple, granola, flax seed, hemp seed, agave syrup, ground raw cashews, and, and, and... whatever happens to be in the cupboard and fridge at the time I am stirring up the batch for the week. Topped with peanut butter, this has been a staple in my diet since the first of the year. It is wonderful toasted on a light oiled skillet and served with a cup of herbal tea.
   I really do think of food most of the time. I am constantly trying to better my eating habits, refine my recipes. Now, all that being said, it is time for lunch. I have some delicious, savory grains and quinoa with cashews and sunflower seeds, and a giant tangelo whispering my name.
   

Doubling Up

    So much to do, so little time. I am looking down the road at upcoming races and feeling the pressure of never enough time to train, rest and recover effectively. Of course, being me, what time I do have I am more inclined to spend training and not resting and recovering properly. This is my "Big Week." The week this month when I am pushing my limits as best I can, swimming harder, cycling longer, running further, and cramming in strength training and stair climbing for good measure. I am on day 5, and this is my rest day, since it is also drill night and I will not have the time to fit in a workout.
    To achieve maximum gain this week I am doubling up on my workouts whenever I can:
Saturday: Noon, Stair Climbing; 3 flights of stairs X 20 laps = 60 flights up and down; 10 laps in regular workout gear, 10 flights with SCBA pack and a tunnel crawl every lap. Evening, 60 minutes upper body and core strength training with weights, kettleball, slosh tubes, medicine balls, and resistance bands. 30 minutes ab work with medicine balls. And 30 minutes of yoga, stretching, and myofascial release work.
Sunday: Noon, Stair Climbing; 10 laps to warm up, 5 laps 2 steps at a time, 10 laps with SCBA pack, all laps included a ladder climb to the roof access hatch. Evening, Cycling, 40 minutes, and 30 minutes stretching and myofascial release.
Monday: Quick Run, 3.67 miles, stretching.
Tuesday: Long Swim; 1h 45m, 1.5 miles. I started slow, taking time to warm up and do some sculling drills. Then I alternated crawl and back stroke every length for 5 laps, hand paddles for 5 laps, crawl 5 laps, fins 5 laps. Finally fully warmed I switched to Death Sprints for 10 laps; 3 lengths as hard and fast as I can swim, 1 length strong backstroke. 5 laps with hand paddles. Finished with 15 laps at hard race pace, steady, no slowing, good technique, long pull. It was a great swim that left me tired. Then home to cycle hard for 35 minutes, and stretch for 20 minutes.
    Friday will be my long trail run, and strength conditioning in the evening. Saturday I plan on doing an indoor cycling/run brick for 90 minutes before breakfast, and then try to get to the pool for an extra swim. Sunday will be run, stair climb and strength training. Monday will be, thankfully, the beginning of my Easy Week to try and let my body recover. Then we start the cycle all over.

Eating Like A Horse

    I have taken the concept of "Eating like a Horse," to a whole new level. I feel like I am eating an obscene amount of food these days, and yet my weight is holding steady, and actually slipping down a bit as I ramp up my workouts. I am always hungry. I can eat a big meal, and within an hour or two I feel like I am starving. It seems impossible to eat enough to stave off the hunger.
    In the vein of "Eating like a Horse," I am also consuming a diet that is chock full of oats, grains, greens, fruit, nuts and seeds, with very little animal based additions. I feel like I am grazing constantly. I am very nearly a full-blown vegetarian these days. Very nearly, but not totally. I am using eggs, cheese, and a bit of butter in my cooking, but even this is getting less and less as time goes by. My biggest concern, as with all vegetarian diets, is getting enough protein to refuel after workouts. But the reality is that our bodies can only utilize a limited amount of protein at any given time, and it is less than what we often think we need. I am eating quinoa, whole grains, and legumes daily which provide excellent, plant based protein. I have found a nice protein powder made with pea protein (I am avoiding soy), and a plethora of good, greeny kinda things like spirulina and blue-green algae that makes a good post-workout smoothie when blended with raw spinach, berries, banana, and almond milk.
    So you see, I am truly taking "Eating like a Horse" into a whole, new level. Quality and quantity. I know that as long as I am consuming fresh, whole foods, and avoiding sugars and unhealthy fats, I can very likely continue eating damn near as much as I can and want to stuff into my maw. It is an interesting journey, learning and relearning, searching and researching, finding and feeding in a new and yet familiar way. I have always been a decently healthy eater, but I feel as if I have moved into greener pastures.