Fueling

    In the spirit of getting back on track I have got to get my winter eating reined in. No, I have not gone whole hog (as it were), but I have been consuming a few less than optimal choices lately. My weight has remained relatively stable, although I am up about two pounds since the first of the year, and about five pounds heavier than I was at my lowest, during my heaviest training last summer. My indiscretions of choice have been organic dark chocolate, and sweet potato corn chips which are a bit like crack to me with their sweet/salty, crispy goodness. Yes, the corn chips are organic, gluten free, whole grain but that does not dismiss the fact that a bag is about 1400 calories of delicate, crackling deliciousness.
    I have also increased my consumption of animal protein, in the form of eggs. It is a cheap form of protein, and with the strength training I have been doing, I know I need to be consuming at the very least about 60 grams of protein a day. Hemp and brown rice protein powders are not cheap. Neither is pea protein, which does odd things to my digestive tract, although it is tasty. And I avoid too much soy, since I worry it will do freaky things to my already freaked out hormones. Yes, I do consume a variety of plant based proteins with my diet, but I know I can use a bit more than I get with quinoa, beans, and wild grains. I am debating going back to a vegan diet, which held me in good stead through the summer, but I do enjoy my eggs. It is an ongoing dilemma.
    I tell myself that it is the dead of winter, and I am doing far better than years past when my average winter weight gain was about 10 pounds, and I wasn't losing it in the summer. This year I have no doubts that the tow pounds, and then some, will disappear soon enough. I am already ramping up the training a bit, but with increased workouts comes increased appetite. Yes, I am hungry all the time.
     Here is where I get back on track, cutting back the chocolate and chips, and chocolate chips. I may cut out, or at least cut back on the eggs.  I eat clean and healthy, if I don't I pay the price. The new plan is to eat as much as I want of nutritious, clean, nutrient dense foods. That's all. I know my body is pretty good at self-regulating, as long as I am eating clean, fresh, plant based rocket fuel I can eat without restricting intake. As my training increases, I will burn all I eat, and maybe more. It is a balancing act, no doubt about it.

Leveling Up

    It is time to take it to the next level. Yes, I am still base building, and as a novice endurance athlete, it is likely that my entire season building up to my big race will be all base building. I am not in this to win, place or show, I am in it to finish it. If I can do it in a timely fashion without killing myself, then all the better. After my 13 days forced layoff from swimming, I do feel like I am actually swimming stronger, after the first few swims anyway, which made me feel like I had lost a lot of conditioning. I am planning on this being a decently heavy swim week, although work, traffic, and a medical call foiled my plans for a swim last night, instead I did a decent upper body, swim specific, strength workout. Tomorrow I will try my damndest to get to the pool in as timely a fashion as possible and try to get in as close to 2 miles as I can. Saturday I am aiming for a 5K, timed.
    I am also pushing my cycling time up, and soon enough I plan on joining the B.O.B. (Butts On Bikes) group for longer weekend rides. They have done several out my way, starting at Mount Angel, and Champoeg. This will be a great motivator for me. I do need better riding gear though, mine is not wind resistant enough.
    As always, running is my weak link, my "Limiter." I ran well saturday during the Buck Mountain Mudslinger, but was pretty damned stiff and sore for two days after. I do have good recovery speed though, and will just have to keep pushing myself. It did reaffirm my decision to not do any trail runs longer than 6 or 7 miles though, since I think they will do more harm than good in my current training program. I do love trail running, but I have to keep my eyes on the prize, and train in the most intelligent manner. This means no trail half marathons this year, though maybe next year.
    In the spirit of taking it to the next level, I must focus on getting more sleep. I never get quite enough rest, and rest is vital to recovery. On that note, now that my rosemary tea is down to the dregs, it is time to go get my recovery sleep. Night time reading? Either "Twentieth Maine," a Civil War historic novel about Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and his unit, or "Going Long, Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge." I am leaning towards "Going Long," it is where my mind is at tonight.

Buck Mountain Mudslinger

    First trail run of the year is now in the books. The Buck Mountain Mudslinger lived up to its name in grand fashion. There was a mountain, and plenty of mud. There was more than mud, there were several sections of trail that were quite literally flowing creeks. The first water crossing was within the first quarter mile, so the entire 6-1/2 miles was run with very wet feet. Some sections of trail were so churned up it reminded me of the ground around the pond in the field of dairy cattle that was in the next field over from the little farm we lived on when I was young. Amazing how the feet of a couple hundred runners can create a wallow that would make a pig feel right at home. This run was steep, it was a mountain, after all. Long steep inclines were the name of the game. I chose to power walk the steeps, I can go nearly as fast with a lot less energy, and not risk triggering my asthma.
    It was a truly glorious day for a mud run. And we were in the Silver Falls State Park, one of the most beautiful forests on the planet. Yes, it was chilly ("Snotslinger" would have been an apropos name for this race), but the sun came out and it was glorious. Throughout the run I kept thinking what an absolute joy it was to be running through such a gift of nature, with the sun on my face, the fir tree fed oxygen rich air filling my lungs, and my body feeling strong and fantastic. I ran well, my legs and lungs felt great. Yes, I was running slow and easy, keeping it all below asthma level, but it was fabulous no matter what my speed. I was letting myself find the quiet within my heart and soul, not fretting about any minor tweaks and twinges, or if I was running fast enough, or how many people were ahead of me on the trail. None of that mattered. All that mattered was the sheer joy of being exactly where I was, doing exactly what I was doing.
    I did take a nice nap later in the day, I confess to having been out a bit too late the night before, and not following pre-race protocol, at all. I am surprised there wasn't a penalty to pay for my rambunctious evening. I promise I won't make a habit out of it, I need to practice my pre-race regimen for those races that are a bit more serious. Not that this race wasn't serious, it was 6-1/2 miles of rather technical trail, steep climbs, steep descents, and plenty of mud causing extra energy expenditure as well as the potential for knee wrecking injuries. I did a 70 minute recovery ride in the evening, followed by 20 minutes of stretching. as well as ate good recovery meals with ample protein and carbs. But today I am paying the price of those long downhills. I have to say, my quads are killing me, downhills are much harder on knees and quads. I did great on the climbs, having spent the last several months doing a lot of leg strength training for strong glutes, quads, and calves. But it is hard to train for downhill running, except to run downhill. This run did strengthen my earlier decision to not run any trail runs longer than 6 or 7 miles, it is pretty rough on the body. This year, no trail half marathons, I think they were at the root of some of my leg cramp issues. This year, all half marathons will be road races.
    Today I did another hour long recovery ride followed by stretching and massage roller work. Even so, I am pretty sure my legs will still be a bit sore tomorrow. But it is a reminder of a great run in a beautiful forest on a glorious day. I can't wait for my next trail run.

Food Hangover

    Last night was the awards banquet for my fire district. The food was not what I would normally eat. At all. It was a limited menu, of delicious food, and I went there planning on letting myself eat as much as I wanted of whatever I wanted. Grilled chicken breast (probably the healthiest thing I ate),  prime rib roast (even trimming all the fat, it is still rich beef), mashed potatoes (no doubt made with half and half, and butter), basic green salad loaded with dressing and croutons. I did not eat the dinner rolls, but I did eat 3 of the large, fudge topped brownies and enjoyed every bite of them. I haven't eaten meat since Christmas, when I had some turkey, and I feel loaded down and ten pounds heavier (I know I'm not, but it is how I feel today). I haven't eaten that much sugar in, I can't really remember when. Oh, and by the way, I also had eaten a large amount of dark chocolate earlier in the day, justifying it with, "It is my birthday, and I will do what I want." Honestly, that was depression talking as much as anything. I feel as if I will be spending this coming week making amends to my body for such a cavalier attitude. No, I don't actually regret eating what I did yesterday, I enjoyed it, and it really was my birthday. But my body isn't used to having to deal with such heaviness, I haven't even felt hungry yet today, though I know I should have something healthy, clean, low fat, and low sugar before I start my morning workout. It is funny how the cleaner I eat, the cleaner I have to eat, and the cleaner I want to eat. Okay, time for a vegan green smoothie, plenty of water, and some long cycling.

Back In The Water

    I decided to stop being such a whinebag about not being able to swim until my new gear arrived, and hit up the Goodwill. I found and purchased the two least mangled pair of swim goggles they had, for $4. They did not have any swim caps, sadly. Goggles were the only absolutely vital piece of gear I needed though since I have a few suits (though not my best or favorite, those were stolen), and I don't really need a cap or hand paddles. So last night I was back in the water, after 13 days away. It felt glorious. I did notice a loss of fitness, two weeks off is a long time in the world of training. It did give my left trapezius time to heal up, it had felt inflamed and agitated for several weeks, all the way from the point of my shoulder to the base of my skull. I forced myself to take it kind of easy last night, because I knew I would be swimming again this morning. And this morning I didn't push myself as hard as I might have, since I wanted to make sure I didn't re-injure my trapezius. What I focused on was technique, in particular lengthening my stroke and lessening the number of strokes it takes me to make it the length of the pool. Longer stroke = fewer strokes. It used to take me 16 strokes to swim one length. I got that down to 15 strokes, and hung there for a long time. Now I can swim the length in 12 strokes if I really push it, but 13 is comfortable. That is what I worked on, lap after lap. I am having a little frustration on my longer swims, my lower back is tightening up rather painfully. I don't know if there is some tweak I can do to alleviate this, or is my form somehow poor? I don't know. I am hoping to get someone to video me swimming a lap so I can analyze my stroke, and more importantly, my body positioning. I need to be able to swim 5K in 2-1/2 hours, that could be tough. Once I can swim open water again I think I will invest in a waterproof watch so I can time myself. I need to do this. Until then, I am back at the pool, and really loving the feel of the water, I missed it more than I ever thought I would.

Swim Smart, Ride Strong, Run Tough.

    Swim smart, Ride strong, Run tough. That is the plan. That is what I am training towards. I had an interesting thought just last night, the realization that if I wanted to, after a week or two to taper, I could very likely do a half-Ironman right now, if I chose to. The run would be a bit rugged, but the swim and bike I could do today. I think that is amazing. Now I train to double that distance. Which I also find amazing. Amazing, intimidating, inspiring, nerve wracking. I am looking at the cutoff times for each leg, and hoping I can manage the times: 2-1/2 hours for a 5K swim, that is about the equivalent of 44 laps an hour, I can do that. 138 mile bike, in about 8-1/2 hours, that is about 16.5 mph, I will have to push just a little for that. 25K run in 3 hours or less, I should be able to do that. This will be tough, no doubt about it. It will likely take me the full 15 hours to complete the course. Yeah, this makes me a little nervous. It will all come down to gutting it out, finding out just how tough I am. Swim smart, Ride strong, Run tough. Holy gods, what am I getting myself into? Only one way to find out.

Diligence

    Without swim gear, I have  been away from the water for 10 days, the longest stretch without swimming that I have had in a year and a half. I broke down and ordered goggles, cap, and hand paddles on Speedo's website. Happily, they were having a free shipping day today. Hopefully my gear will be here in a few days, but until then, I am still swimless.
    On the plus side, I really do need to be devoting more time to running and cycling. I have increased my cycling time and intensity, but I must confess that the running is not coming along as well as I would like. But this year, I am going to be steady and consistent, and not allow myself to over extend myself like I did last year. I keep re-examining my running issues last year, especially the leg cramps I had during my second trail half-marathon, and during the running leg of my 70.3, and I think I may have an idea of where I went wrong. My first half-marathon was The Wildwood Trail Half, not only a very steep course, steeper than a road race would be, but also the trail sloped to the side, so we were running at an odd angle for the majority of the race. I really think this put a bizarre stress load on my muscles that I couldn't quite recover from. So this year, any race longer than about 6 miles will be on the road or at worst on a relatively flat, dirt road. I need to focus on training like I will race, and the reality is that all the races I will run this year are merely long training sessions for the real deal. Yes, I wish I could build my running base as diligently as I have built my swim and cycle base. But, truth be told, I have a niggling fear that I will damage my knees if I run too much. So I am hoping to find the balance of enough, but not too much, a delicate balancing act, for sure.
    Another aspect I am adding into the training program is to run after nearly every cycling workout. I plan on running at least an easy mile on the treadmill after my longer cycling sessions, this will be in addition to my regular running. Yes, so far all my training has been inside. I am hampered by weather, lack of daylight, and absence of any street lights or sidewalks out in my neck of the woods. Soon there will be enough light that if I take my running gear to work with me I can do a run in town where there are pathways, as well as lighting if I stay out a bit late. That will be hard to fit in between swim sessions though. Damn, there just aren't enough hours in the day, or days in the week.
   

Wanted To Swim, Cycled Instead. Bastard Stole My Swim Bag.

    Well, tonight was going to be swim night, and a rest for my legs. Then some motherfucker stole my swim bag out of my car while it was in the parking lot at work. What the hell? It was a cheap, nappy, net bag that that you can see through, so it's not like what was in the bag was secret. The stuff in the bag had no value to anyone but me, and it would cost over $200 if I went out and replaced everything that was in the bag: 3 pair of Speedo goggles, 5 swim caps from my various races, hand paddles (really nice Speedo ones), my 2 favorite Speedo suits, my best towel (seriously, I don't have very many nice towels), some shampoo and conditioner. See? Nothing worth stealing. So what the hell?!! I wish I had noticed as soon as I got to my car, then I would have spent a few minutes looking around, because I bet whoever stole it took one look at what it contained and threw it away. To say it is aggravating is a definite understatement. I feel cheated, frustrated, weepy, and really fucking pissed. What a sleazy thing to do to someone who can't really afford to replace any of this stuff, but has notchoice because without it I can't train. I have extra suits, but I have to have goggles and a swim cap, and I really want hand paddles.
    On the up side (up side?), I had planned that this would be an easy swim week anyway. So even though I had planned on giving my legs a break tonight I decided to do a 90 minute cycling workout. I need to up my cycling and running, since that is where I will be expending the bulk of my energy come my September event. Cycling is where I need to be strongest, since I will spend more hours in the saddle than in both the other legs combined. So, when there is spare time, cycling is always a good idea. Despite the workout, I find I am short tempered tonight. Justifiably, I think, but I'd rather feel my normal, post-workout mellow.
    Tomorrow is drill at the station, so I will take the day off from training. I know I should take one day off a week, so since I can't workout Wednesday evenings, I might as well make it be Rest Day. I have a book on the way, "Going Long: Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge," to hopefully give me help in setting up a viable training program. I know I could likely do it on my own, but this event is not something I can fake my way through. Oh sure, I could struggle through it, miserable for a good part of the 250 kilometers, but I'd rather be trained to the highest level I can manage between now and then, and that will take some doing. I am slowly working on my mental game. During my workouts I seek to relax my mind, find that relaxed, zen point that lets me forget aching muscles, complaining knees, and any self-doubt. It is something I need to train in every bit as much as stroke technique, pedaling cadence, and proper foot strike. Ultra-endurance triathlon is more about mental strength than it is physical endurance. I get excited thinking about giving this everything I have, 100 percent. Excited, scared, delirious, amped, insane, freaked, and more than anything else, abso-fucking-lutely stoked.

Back On The Road. Finally

    I finally got Joshua out on the road yesterday. It was dry and almost sunny, but definitely not warm. I don't have proper winter cycling gear, so made do with what I had. My Columbia Titanium shirt is great for running and hiking in the cold, but does not block the wind as well as I could have wished, my torso was fine but my arms got damned cold. The worst part were my feet. Cycling shoes are designed for ventilation in the heat, which means good air exchange for hot, sweaty feet. The problem? When it is 45 degrees outside my feet are neither hot nor sweaty. As a matter of fact, I was only a few miles into my ride before my feet were seriously chilled. By the end of my ride they were numb with cold. Besides minor discomfort from the cold, it was a great, quick 18 mile out and back ride. I originally wanted to do the 25 mile trip from Mulino to Oregon City and back. It is long, decently hard hills, a wide shoulder for bikes, and will make a great training route later. I decided against it though, because of the cold; long, sweaty uphills make for long chill inducing downhills. Instead I took the loop out behind me, into Scott's Mills, back out to the highway, and towards Silverton. It is nice, rolling hills, a few short steeps and some long, grinding slopes. I pushed a bit harder than I would for race pace, but I knew I was only going out for about an hour. It felt good to have the wind in my face, and beautiful country rolling past. It gave my mind time to find some silence, and peace. It has been a rough month or so, and Brain has been in overdrive. I needed a chance to try and regain my balance, the cold air biting my cheeks, and burning my lungs was just the ticket. I do wish I had a cycling buddy, but I think it is best that I am alone, I may not push quite as hard, but my mind can find the quiet it needs.

Aches and Pains Be Damned

    Swimmer's Shoulder. Runner's Knee. Cyclist's Hip. Every discipline has its own, special kind of pain. Interestingly, I suffer from all three. Not to any extreme, but definitely feel the usage my body undergoes. Of the three, my knees take the brunt. The repetition of cycling exacerbates the discomfort of running, which is compounded by osteoarthritis. Go Me. I know that knee pain is one main reason I am disinclined to want to run. It is hard for me to increase my mileage when each and every run leaves me with sore knees for a few days. Oh, they're not so painful as to be intolerable, but they definitely ache. After my knee surgery, my physical therapist told me that I should never run more than, "The occasional 5K." Of course, I poo-pooed the idea then, and still choose to ignore it, even in the face of evidence proving her right. Damn professionals and their highfalutin, educated opinions. My leg cramps during the run of my 70.3 reinforce my determination to have a more solid running base come September. I have to, or I might as well not even bother to register for the 250K.
    On that same note, I know that I have to have an even stronger cycling base. More time is spent on the bike than in any other leg. I have to be able to ride for 220K, get off the bike and still have enough juice to run. The repetitious motion is not only hard on my knees, but definitely makes for tight hip flexors. All the same, I can build mileage easier, more safely, and with far less pain on the bike than I can in my run.
    As for swimming? I can already swim three miles and walk away only moderately tired. But my left trapezius has been tweaked since my swim last weekend, and both shoulders make an interesting cacophony when rotated. I am swimming about six miles a week right now, I wish I could swim more, but know I likely should not. That is three swims a week, two mile and a half, and one 2 to 3 mile, which is about all I can afford, time wise. The rule of thumb for training is three workouts in each discipline every week. That is nine workouts a week just in the basics, that does not count four strength training workouts (two each upper body and lower body), two core strength workouts, or stretching and massage roller work. Egads, no wonder I have no social life, and I'm not even into the heavy part of training yet.
   It makes me wonder just how achy I will be in the coming months? My body already wakes me in the middle of the night with varying complaints. I have been avoiding any pain relievers, and stopped taking my nightly dose of naproxin sodium (Aleve) about three months ago, since NSAIDs interfere with muscle and connective tissue repair. Instead I drink rosemary tea, take MSM and vitamin C, and drink cherry juice daily, all of which have anti-inflammatory properties. I don't know if it works, I do ache all the time. Oh well, Rule Number Five: Be Prepared to Suffer.