Tri Talk Tuesday - Mad Skillz

Wohoo! Two Tri Talk Tuesday articles in a row? I'm on fire! Joining Courtney and Cynthia once again for this week's discussion on Skill Development.

This is this is a hard one for me given my fairly newcomer  (3 years and counting) status in the triathlon world and the fact that I, myself, am still in the development stages of the game. I guess that stage never really comes to an end, does it? We've all got things to improve on, especially if we strive to be our best. So in light of trying to sound like an expert (which I am not in any way shape or form) and in order to keep it short and sweet,  I figured I would share my favorite drill that I've incorporated into each discipline when focusing specifically on skill development.

The Swim

Stroke Counting - It's as simple as it sounds. The practice of counting the amount of strokes it takes for you to go from one end of the pool to the next. Adding this drill into your weekly workouts is a great step towards increasing your SPD (Stroke Per Distance). Keeping track of the number of strokes you take per lap will force you to start focusing on lengthening your stroke while adding speed and distance. And isn't that what we all want? The ability to travel further and faster using the least amount of energy? Heck, we still have a bike and run to stumble through! :)

"Hell, I'm just trying to make it from one end to the next without drowning! Who the heck has room in their head to worry about counting your strokes?!", you say.

Haha - I totally get it and understand that this might be a little too much for some to think about. But I'm a firm believer that this is a great drill for weak and strong swimmers alike. I've been doing this throughout my swimming career and am still trying to get my counts down.

So what next? Below is a great article from Active.com on exactly how to find your target stroke count:

Finding Your Target Stroke Count

The goal should be to bring down your average stroke count per length. Great swimmers like Alexander Popov or Ian Thorpe may be able to scoot through the water at record speed while taking 30 strokes per length (50 meters), but this low stroke count does not have to be your golden number for improving your stroke.

First, determine what your range is. Try to swim most of the time at the low end of your range or below your lowest stroke count. Don't worry about speed at first- you can influence this later, perhaps as you begin to learn what your "ideal" stroke count is.

Here is an example of a set that can help lengthen your stroke, as well as build endurance:

• Do a set with yard distances of 50+100+150+200+200+150+100+50
• Take 10 to 30 seconds between swims
• Count your strokes each length on the way up
• Try to maintain or lower your stroke count on the way down while keeping the same pace

Just another tool to keep handy in your training box. Try it out once and see what you come up with. You'll be surprised with how focusing on lowering your stroke count can actually help to improve your overall form!

The Bike

Hill Repeats - So we all know that one of the most important sections of a triathlon and where your end results are closely tied with, is how well you do on the bike. If you want to have more energy on the run and better your overall finish times, you definitely need to focus on your cycling skills. That being said, one of the best ways (IMO) to increase speed is strength training. Which in cycle talk = hill training.  Ugh! No, no hills! Like the picture above says, "It doesn't get easier, you just get faster!". Again...isn't that the whole idea?

Here's an easy session to implement into your mid-week training plan. Remember, hill repeats focus on building strength so don't incorporate long distances. Treat this day like you would your track workouts for the run.

1. Warm up for about 15-20 mins at a high cadence (low effort) of 90 - 100 rpms.
2. Find a hill on a low trafficked road with 7-10% grade that will take you at least 1 -2 minutes to get to the top.
3. Start at the bottom in a low gear that will be difficult to sustain all the way to the top.
4. Stay seated and start climbing HARD and hold that effort all the way to the top.
5. Once at the top roll back down and begin again immediate as you hit the bottom.
6. Do as many planned reps as you have then cool down for about 15-20 mins.

Start with 4 reps and then build onto that. Oh, and make sure that the following day is a rest day - your legs will thank you not only for the down time but for those faster bike splits as well!

The Run

Trail Runs - What the what? Seriously. I'm lucky enough to have a short 2 miler right outside my house which I utilize at least once a week. It's so great to have a break from my usual paved route and the stinking dreadmill. Here are a few of the benefits you will experience when incorporating trail runs into your training:

• Softer surface - so this doesn't necessarily fall into the "development" category but it does provide a huge stress relief on your joints that normally get a pretty bad pounding. As a result it helps to decrease your risk for injury. Wohoo!
• It slows you down - How many of you out there really take it easy on your scheduled "easy" days? Hands? Yeah, me neither. Enter my old friend, Injury! Michael Spence, 2009 US 10k trail running champion and an 8:30 steeplechaser says, " On roads I tend to be very conscious of my pacing and sometimes push harder than I should. The hills and turns of the trail force me to focus more on how my body feels and less on my watch." Enough said.
• Focus - as trail running requires intense focus, it helps to keep your mind fresh and energized. A nice break from your usual paved route that you can basically run bored and blind folded.
• Activates and strengthens other muscle groups in your legs and core that are otherwise ignored out on the road. Utilizing these muscles more will give your larger, more overworked muscles groups a chance to breath and ultimately reduce the chance of injury.
• Nature - get out there and breath some fresh air! Not only is it good for your lungs but your mind and spirit with thank you as well.

Did you notice a common theme here? 'REDUCES YOUR CHANCE FOR INJURY' That right there is enough to get me out on some trails.

So there you have it folks - just a few of my favorite drills that you might think about incorporating into your own training. If not one of the above, hopefully you're able to find something that proves beneficial for you! Skill development is key - If we're not growing we're dying. (ouch, that sounds a little harsh. True but harsh.)

~ Cheers, Rebecca

What are some of your favorite drills?

IM Boise 70.3 Week 14 - Training Recap

Although it was another seven days of being banned from the pool, I actually had a great and much needed motivational week of training! Got all my planned rides in and managed two decent runs. Still working on upping my mileage to where it should be, but the simple fact that I was able to get in both an 8 and 6 mile run without any hip pain is a triumph in itself! I'd say I'm well on my way towards being 100% for Boise, and that is my main goal at the moment.

                                  

Another great part of the week worth mentioning is that after confirming our last two member spots, we finally got around to registering our team for the Gorgeous Relay. This 60 mile/6 person relay event runs through the Columbia River George and ends at Base Camp Brewery in Portland.  80 teams and 60 miles on one of the prettiest courses you could imagine. We've got a team of crack ups and total badasses so I'm super excited to participate in what sounds to be like the beginnings of another great Oregon relay tradition.

So onto this last week's recap -Week 14:

Monday - Planned: 1:30 min bike
                 Actual: 1:30 hour bike (trainer)

A few of you have asked me what exactly I do while on the trainer, so this week I am going spell out what each workout looked like.
Interval work:
10 min warm up
4x15 min @80-85% LTHR - harder gear every 5 min while maintaining rpm
5 min recovery
15 min cool down

Tuesday - Planned: 3000 yd swim + 12 mile run
                  Actual: 8 mile run

Still slowing building up my run base after the hip issue so 8 miles on the treadmill it was (far too wet outside).

Wednesday - Planned: 1:30 min bike
                       Actual: 1:30 (trainer)

Interval work on the trainer once again:
10 min warm up
Fast legs 1x10 min @ 95-100 rpm. Includes 10 min power burst every 2 min.
5 min recovery
5 min 75-80 rpm low zone 3
5 min recovery
5 min race cadence zone 3
5 min recovery
10 min 70-75 rpm zone 2
5 min recovery
5 min race cadence zone 3
5 min recovery
5 min 65-70 rpm zone 3
15 min cool down


Thursday - Planned: Rest Day
                    Actual: REST DAY!            


Friday - Planned: 3 hour bike
               Actual: 3 hour bike ( trainer)

3 hours - done. The Kid had swim practice that night as well as a buddy staying over so I wasn't able to get started on my ride until 8pm. 8pm on a Friday night after a long week of work?! Needless to say I kept the lights off in my bedroom, put my head down and pumped out 3 hours. Late night smash fest complete.


Saturday - Planned: 3 hour Brick (2 hour bike + 6 mile run)
                   Actual: 3 hours of success!!

Awesome, awesome, awesome brick workout this day! Though my legs were still a bit wobbly from Friday night's ride, I kept to the plan, spun at race pace for two hours, practiced my nurtition plan to a T and then headed out for my 6 mile run immediately after.

I've been playing with the idea of introducing the Galloway run method into my training and decided to test it out today. Knowing full well that my body will probably decide NOT to run the full 13.1 in Boise, I would much rather have a plan of action to incorporate some scheduled walking breaks rather than just go by feel come race day. In doing do I chose to test out a 5:1 (5 min run/1 min walk) method during the run portion of this day's brick. And dare I say it was a huge success?! The route I took was a 2 mile loop around my neighborhood that included at least a half mile hill on each loop. Even with the hills, by using the Galloway method I managed to complete 6 miles in just under an hour (barely). Average pace on the hills was at 10:30 and 9-9:30 on the straightaways. The best part was not feeling like I was going to die by the end. My legs were turning over just fine and energy level was excellent! Much needed motivational day!


Sunday - Planned: 2800 yd swim
                Actual: Foam roll and stretching

Really wanted to get back into the pool this morning but decided that I would give my arm one more day of rest and test things out on Tuesday morning.


TOTAL:
Swim - 0
Bike - 138 miles/9 hours
Run - 14 miles


That's it for now folks. Have some fun posts heading your way this week so stay tuned!

IM Boise 70.3 Week 13 - Training Recap

You're noticing something, aren't you? Yes, I skipped week 12's recap.  Not much to report, really. This was the week after my race in Corvallis and that frustrating bike accident. After being given the diagnosis of a sprained right elbow/wrist as well as dealing with a nasty hip bruise, I decided to take the entire week off to heal. Didn't really have much choice...

Right arm + sling = no swim/bike/run for this gal.

Needless to say that week was pretty much a fail training wise. And unfortunately I went into a bit of a poor me phase as a result. So frustrated that I was unable to workout in any way shape or form. Worried that the last 12 weeks of blood, sweat and tears had gone down the drain and that Boise was now just a dream. Pissed that even if I did get to Boise, that my strongest event could now possibly be a massive struggle if the arm doesn't completely heal....blah, blah, blah, you get the point. I was in a downward spiral for sure. The brain is a real monster isn't it?

Here are the sessions I missed in week 12:

Monday: 1 hour bike
Tuesday: 30 min swim + 8 mile run
Wednesday: 1 hour bike
Thursday: Rest Day
Friday: 1:30 bike
Saturday: 30 min run
Sunday: 30 min swim

So I missed a bit, yes. But as I constantly tell others my home, let's focus on the positives. Good things to come out of week 12?

• It was a recovery week so all of my scheduled workouts were much less than their normal volumes/intensities anyway. 
• Pretty sure this was my "Break down and freak out" week. I've come to find out that I have at least one while training for each year's A race. Here's hoping it's all smooth sailing from here.
• The biggest positive of the week? All that extra rest actually did wonders for my hip! Finished 6 miles on the road yesterday with minimal pain. Big smile!

Alright, enough of that. Let's move on to last week where I was finally able to snap out of my rut and get to training. Week 13 Recap:

Monday - Planned: 1:30 min bike
               Actual: 1 hour bike (trainer)
Ooo boy did this hurt, youch! Very hard riding in aero while bearing weight on my right forearm so I only lasted an hour.

Tuesday - Planned: 3000 yd swim + 13 mile run
                Actual: Nada, zip, zilch
After how much it hurt to ride on Monday, I had no motivation to run whatsoever. And of course swimming was still out of the question.

Wednesday - Planned: 1:30 min bike
                    Actual: 1:17 min bike (trainer)
Though I had to spend a lot of time sitting straight up in my saddle to keep my arm free, I was at least able to get in a full hour plus of spin work with manageable pain.

Thursday - Planned: 3000 yd swim + 45 min run
                 Actual: 45 min run Yahoo!
No swim again (reeeeally hoping I only have two more weeks to wait before getting back into the H20), but I did manage to get myself onto the treadmill for a 4 mile run. Wasn't sure how well my hip was going to cooperate, so I took it slow and got 4 miles in - SANS hip pain. Woohoo!

Friday - Planned: 3 hour bike
            Actual: 3 hour bike ( trainer)
I'm baaaaack!!! Wow - this ride felt super good. The arm definitely bugged at times but I managed with 30 mins in aero and 15 mins up in the saddle. Just enough to give my arm some rest. Also practiced (for the first time I am ashamed to admit) my race nutrition. Aiming for 200-300 calories per hour so I made a conscious effort to get this done by mixing in solids (real foods) and some GU gels. Still testing out what works be best but I am leaning towards sticking with just the GU and Nuun tabs for hydration. More to come though.....

Saturday - Planned: 3.5 hour Brick (2.5 hour bike + 7 mile run)
                Actual: 2 hour bike + 6 mile run
Whew - 2 hour ride the following day after 3 hours in the saddle is a bit of a Queen killer. Hoo Ha Glide is my friend.
2 hours on the bike followed by a 6 mile run outside. First real brick in quite some time. Wish I had pictures for you as the sky was gorgeous this day even ran a few miles through an awesome sun shower. The hip felt fine during even on the hills but was a bit sore that night. Lots of rolling and stretching afterwards followed by an overnight stay in my compression tights. Glorious compression.

Earlier that day The Kid participated in his team's annual Swim-A-Thon. 2 hours of swimming as much as you can. His goal? Swim at least an Ironman distance. And by golly he did it! 178 laps - 4,450 yards - 2.52 miles. So awesome to see the exhausted smile on his face when he finished. He's only been swimming on an organized team for about 4 months now - super excited to see how far he can take this.

Isn't he a cutie? 13 going on 21, I swear.

Probably the only kid who preferred to have a Muscle Milk for recovery versus the donuts/cookies/chips available. 

Sunday - Planned: 2800 yd swim
              Actual: I'm sure you can guess by now. No pool time but I did do a ton of stretching, rolling and a nice epsom salt bath to help my tight quads. Ahhhh.....

TOTAL:
Swim - 0
Bike - 125 miles/5:17 hours
Run - 10 miles

Not the amount of miles/hours I'd like to see 7 weeks out from Boise but still happy that I was able to get some good workouts logged, my arm is mending fairly well and I was able to kick the negative self talk in the arse. No more of that nonsense allowed. For the next 2 months I am making a promise to myself - I have too many positive and supportive people in my life that regardless of injury or what other stumbling blocks I may face, I will not discredit their belief in me nor the hours upon hours of hard work I have invested in myself by replacing it with crap talk. This gal's brain is a negative free zone.

7 more weeks till Boise - let's do this!

OSU Beaver Freezer Sprint Triathlon - Race Recap

Where to begin...where to begin....

I guess we'll start that Friday evening before the race - calm night at home, spending my last few hours getting everything prepped, feeling confident and excited for my first tri of the season. P tells me that he needs to go out and pick up my last birthday present as I'll need it for the race tomorrow. Um, ok, dude...see you in a few! I continue to pack......where's my Glide?! Where the heck is my Glide?!! Not.a.clue. Guess I'll be racing without it - crap.

Take a break from packing and begin to stretch out when P comes home with my "birthday surprise"....is it some weird sticker for my bike? A new helmet that screams "Newbie!"? A new tri suit that I've never tried on?!!! All these scenarios running through my head and I'll admit, I was pretty nervous about what this item could possibly be. P is the very best sherpa around but when it comes to racing, I am kind of picky about what I wear/use etc. Will he get his feelings hurt if I don't use this "thing"?

To my pleasant surprise it wasn't a race item at all, rather my bestie who flew in to spend my birthday weekend with me!!!!! Could there be a better birthday present?! Needless to say, I finished packing up and we pretty much spent the rest of the night chatting about any and everything. It's almost tradition that the first night we spend together is spent talking till the wee hours of the morning - race or not, I wouldn't have it any other way. Should I have gone to bed at 10 as planned? Sure....but who really gets a good night's sleep the evening before race day anyway?

Race morning - as the course was being held on the OSU (Oregon State University) campus, we were looking at an hour and a half drive away. Not too bad - and given the fact that start times were based on your swim heats (10) I was scheduled to be in the pool at 10:30am and wasn't required to check into transition until 10am at the very latest. This gave us plenty of time to wake up and eat some breakfast (my usual coffee and peanut butter toast). P decided to stay home and let Lauren be my sherpa this time around. Couldn't have asked for anyone better - she is the original sherpa, having escorted me to my very first tri two years ago - she is a Pro. :)  The temps were on the chilly side but we had a beautiful drive through the Oregon valley, praying that the rain would stay away for at least the next three hours.

Make it to the race sight....cue, "What-can-go-wrong-goes-wrong".

Right off the bat I notice that I had forgotten all of my water bottles (snafu #1) - none in my bike cages nor any in my tri bag - good Lordy! Oh well, here's hoping they have something available for purchase at one of the vendor tents. Aaaaand that's a negative (really, OSU?). Knowing that this was just a sprint and not nearly long enough to be too concerned with hydration, Lauren went to a local vending machine and at least snatched up a bottled water which I promptly crumbled up a Nuun tab into.

Registration - Check!
Water - kinda, Check!
Body marking - Check!
Transition set up - Check!

Not sure I took one "serious" picture all day

With transition set up done, we had nothing left to do but go find the pool that I was scheduled in (2 being used - 1 for the women's heats and one for the men). BTW - the OSU campus is really pretty but the route from transition to my pool was totally creepy. Up narrow stairs, through old, dank, and dark locker rooms.....boy was I happy to find out that this was only their practice pool. The pool where they actually hold all their NCAA meets was breath taking. Got a chance to sneak a peek when I used the locker rooms to shower off later. Whew - you had me worried PAC-12!

Made it to the pool and met a fellow Swim Bike Mom, Meg, while waiting for our heat to start. Her first tri in over 4 years and holy moly was she impressive! 

So theory had it that I was in heat 9 - online schedule confirmed it as well as the listing they had posted up on the wall. I get into the water just in time for a decent 5 minute warm up and the timers tell me to get out, that I'm in heat 10! What the what?!! No dudes, heat 9. We walk over to take a look at the posted times and whaddaya know...they have me listed in two different heats, both 9 and 10! - oh brother (snafu #2). Because our start times are based on the heat you're assigned to, we had no idea what my results were going to reflect as no one could confirm what heat I was officially assigned to. 

I see how this day is going to go. 

Nevertheless I decided to swim in heat 10 (4th spot) and just get over it. First race of the year and I have already been thrown off track a little so let's just have fun. Fix settings on my new Garmin and get ready to blast out my 500 yard swim. 

*GO*

During warm ups - Check out the stroke!! I was pleased. :)

Knowing that I could pretty much sprint this 500 I didn't worry about pacing at all and in turn found myself knocking the feet of the gal in front of me within 100 yards. Rules in a pool swim is that you are supposed to stop at the wall and let the person in front pass....did she? No....200 more yards in and the girl STILL wouldn't let me pass. MOVE OVER!! By now my pace was definitely slower than the norm but I was still just trying to go with the flow. 250 yards in and she FINALLY stops at the wall. Hallelujah!! Not that she had much choice...I timed it so that I would be heading into my flip turn at the same time she was. Sorry, Charlie - that might make me a rude lane buddy but this is a friggin' race and I've been sitting behind you patiently waiting!

One gal lapped and I was immediately on top of the next one. Why the heck did they put me in the fourth spot anyway? These girls must have really over estimated their times. Thankfully girl #2 was kind enough to stop at the wall about 350 yards in to let me pass. Now I could really book it - about 400 yards too late but just trying to focus on sprinting to the end. 500 yards done and I lapped my Garmin at 7:20!! Wohoo! 

Out of the pool and run down to transition - the timing mat was about 10 yards outside of the building so my official swim time reflected 7:42 (blech). Barefoot down to transition (which seemed liked forever away) and on to my bike. No gels or water at this point but the weather was still pretty chilly so dehydration wasn't something to be concerned with.

Official Swim Time to Mat: 7:42

Actual 500 yard time: 7:20:15

Haha - too fast for Lauren to snap a shot! See that tub though? Smart idea for potential rainy races - need to remember that for Boise.

T1 Time: 3:18

Out of T1 and onto the road. B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L course through the countryside of Corvallis. A few fake flats to deal with but I was sprinting along, warming up my legs and ready to feel the burn. There were quite a few turns as well with which didn't allow for me to be in aero for too long but volunteers did a wonderful job of directing traffic and keeping the riders safe. Mile 8 rolls along, I get comfortably into aero and my mind starts to wander a bit.....cue loose gravel....cue Rebecca laid out on the road. (snafu #3). Seriously.....my first real bike accident and of course it happens during a race. I can't say exactly what the issue was other than my mind not being as focused as it could have been and not having spent enough practice time in aero. Boo....thankfully I fell pretty flat onto my right side. Banged up the outside of my hip and right forearm but no broken bones. "Are you ok?!" - "Do you need help?!" - thank you sweet fellow racers but no, this ding dong is fine. If I can walk I can finish. Picked myself up off the road, fixed my bent handle/aerobars, brakes and chain, then saddled up to finish the remaining 4 miles. 

I get to the last turn around at mile 9 and at this point I knew I had injured something pretty bad. My forearm was on fire and I couldn't put any pressure on it. Poop. Make it back to T2 in time to see Lauren cheering me on. "Holy crap I think I really hurt myself!", I say. "Still going to finish though!" Took a few swigs of my water, grabbed a warm long sleeve shirt and my running shoes (which was quite possibly the most painful thing I could have done at that moment.) and headed out for 3.1 miles of foot to pavement. Right arm at 90 degrees, where for some reason it hurt the least, and I was good to go.

Office Bike Time: 43:08

Take 4/5 minutes off for the crash and I would have probably been at 38/39 - av 18.9 mph? I'll take it!

T2 time: 3:57 (not bad for being in terrible pain!)

Off on the run - three loops around the OSU campus and I would be done! The legs in general felt fine coming off the bike. The outside of my hip where I had fallen was tender at this point and my arm was on fire but Beastmode kicked in as usual and the adrenaline completely blocked out the pain. My body wanted to stop and walk for a bit but my head screamed a few profanities in it's direction and made it run the 3 miles. It was a fun run, truly it was. So many smiles from people participating in their first triathlon - it gave me a great opportunity to throw out some words of encouragement which in turn gave me even more momentum. Loop 1 done, loop 2 done and loop 3, from what I had thought, done.

Official Run Time: 20:07

Ummmm........yeah. No way I ran a 5k in 20 minutes - that would put me at an average 6:29 mm?!! No way...something must have happened to my timing chip or I must have cheated the run course at some point. What about my Garmin? Perhaps that logged the right time?! Another no....I completely forgot to hit my laps after the swim so I only had an overall time recorded. (snafu #4 & #5)

Done and DONE! Whew - had my shoulder checked out while waiting around for fellow SBM, Meg to finish and was happy to know that my collar bone was good and shoulder intact. 

Official Total Time: 1:18:14 

Probably more like 1:28 if you add another 10 minutes to my run time. If that is the case this wasis still a PR for me by at least 2 minutes!!

(L to R) Me, Meg and Meg's speedy friend - I think she podiumed for her age group!

See...still goofing around at the finish.

Race done, a nasty hip bruise and arm sprain later, Lauren and I decided to hang out on campus for a bit, get cleaned up, wait around for the age group awards and grab some lunch. A giant plate of Panda Express never sounded better. But first we had to take a pic with the famous OSU Beaver. :)

Overall it was a very interesting experience. Other than my very first tri, this was the only other race that I had not been able to check out the course ahead of time. I definitely felt like this was to my disadvantage, but what can ya do?!

Lessons learned?

SWIM:

Nothing too much to improve on other than perhaps over estimating swim times in my next pool race so that I can potentially be put in the front and not have to worry about passing etc.

BIKE:

Need to keep my head in the game, always. Also need to make sure that I get off the trainer and out for many, many rides before Boise so that control while in aero is no longer an issue.

RUN:

Pay closer attention to the course! Especially if it's a multi-loop run. I am pretty sure I missed the last loop on this run but was too distracted by my bike crash and cheering along all the first timers.

Despite the many snafus, overall I really enjoyed the Beaver Freezer and plan on doing it again next year. Being able to get out so early in the season really helps to justify all the training one does while cooped up over the winter. The environment is a very relaxed one and having 10 different start times really makes for a jumble-free transition area. Great course for first timers as there is a lot of support.

So what about the arm? After going to urgent care the following day, I was diagnosed with a right elbow/wrist sprain. Thankfully NO broken bones or anything too serious. For now I am out of the water for a few weeks, with the arm in a sling, until everything heals. The good news is that after taking almost a full week off from training my pesky hip feels great! Lol.

 If it's not one thing it's another, right?!  :)

IM Boise 70.3 Week 11 - Training Recap

Disappointed to report that I'm typing this update with a pretty banged up arm (insert first real bike accident) so last week's training recap is going to be quick and to the point. Hoping to have enough energy/typing strength to finish my race report by Friday (as you'll definitely want to read up on the plethora of non-sense that took place) but for now let's see how last week played out...

Recap:

Monday - Planned: 1:30 hour bike
               Actual: 45 minutes bike - OUTSIDE!!

Though last week was still a rainy mess, I was able to sneak in a 45 minute ride outside while the Kid was at swim practice. A little wet and muddy but I get some decent tire to pavement time and made the most of the opportunity to test out my aero bars/new saddle....all is well so far!


Tuesday - Planned: 1 hour swim + 6 mile run
               Actual: 0 swim + 45 min yoga + 1 hour of PT + 1 hour run/elliptical

Total fail on getting up in time for my morning swim session this day but I am really trying to give myself a bit of grace and move on when something doesn't go quite as planned. I preach the attitude of giving others (as well as yourself) grace A LOT in our house so I suppose I should start doing a better job of leading by example. : \

PT that evening was great! More ASTYM massage plus some strength work. I am so very pleased to have found my Physical Therapist - she is so personable and seems genuinely concerned with getting my injuries resolved so that they do not impede with Boise training. LOVE HER!

Starting an hour and a half workout at 8:30pm is never fun but I refuse to be lackadaisical about my scheduled runs, especially when I'm forced to substitute the elliptical for the majority of my planned miles. It was indeed a late night for me.


Wednesday - Planned: 1:30 bike
                    Actual: 1:30 bike (trainer)

Nothing exciting here...just more fun time spent on the trainer.....again.....GO AWAY RAIN!!


Thursday - Planned: 1 hour swim (3000 yd) + 6 mile run
                 Actual: 3000 yd swim - OWNED IT + 1 hour run/elliptical

Have I mentioned before how much I love swimming? This mornings' set included 5x500s at sprint pace on 7:30:00 with a 10 sec rest in between - felt amazing to get those lungs burning. I know most folks usually get into the sport of tri through their love and experience with running but not this gal. In turn I am very lucky and thankful that the seemingly hardest leg of this race comes easy - I do not take that for granted.At.all. Now if could only apply that same enthusiasm to my run........blerg.

As for my rehab running regime,  I was able to increase the amount of run time sans hip pain to 40 minutes with a 1 minute walk - definite improvements!      

Friday - Planned: 3 hour bike
            Actual: Bike? What bike?-  stretch and rest day in prep for Saturday's race

I know, I know - this was a long session that I should have gotten in after work but figured I'd cut myself a break and take this as a rest day since I was racing that next morning. And boy was I glad to have made that decision......Best part about my Friday night? My Birthday surprise arrived! P, quite possibly the best fiance EVER!, flew my best friend in for the weekend - talk about doing a little happy dance?!!! The little sneaker told me that he had to run out and pick up a last minute birthday present that someone had been working on.....comes back an hour later with one of my favorite persons on the planet! I was so surprised and pretty much giddy for the remainder of the weekend.


Saturday - Planned: 3 hour brick
                Actual: Beaver Freezer Sprint Triathlon - so technically I did a brick anyway. Just about half the time/distance :)          

Details to follow in my race report but let's just say that this race contained a random mix of comedic errors that lead to forgetting pertinent race supplies, a bad timing chip, swim lane mix up, nutrition mishaps (as in I completely forgot to take in anything) and one bad crash that has left this gal in an arm sling.....

Yep - this about sums it up!

Sunday - Planned: 30 min swim
              Actual - 0 swim....instead spent the morning in Urgent Care and the rest of the day/night enjoying time with my bestie!....with a glass of wine in my hand.....and my arm in a sling. Lol


TOTAL:
Swim - 3500yd swim
Bike - 3 hours
Run - 3 miles + 2 hours on the elliptical
Other - 45 min yoga + 1 hour strength + 72 hours of bestie time!!!


Last week was a total mixed bag of emotions. Very glad that I was scheduled for recovery week these next 7 days since I'm pretty much out of commission at the moment. The spill I took on my bike during Saturday's race (aero + loose gravel = Rebecca on the ground) has me pretty banged up but thank the Lord free from broken bones or any permanent damage. Diagnosis is sprained right elbow/wrist, one giant softball sized bruise on my right hip (of course the hip I am already getting physical therapy on), many other scrapes and bruises and a bike that might need to go back into the shop for a once over. Details on the incident to come later but figured I'd at least let you all know that though I've definitely hit a bad patch in the road, at least it's a ditch I can crawl out of.

People keep asking why in the world would I continue to do something that causes me pain and what seems like injury after injury?

My answer has always been and will continue to be....

Have a great rest of your week folks.

IM Boise 70.3 Week 10 - Training Recap

We've reached week 10 folks - halfway through my training plan for Boise!! The hip issue has definitely made things a bit frustrating and I feel like I've taken two steps back....but knowing the issue is a temporary one, I've been trying to keep a positive outlook and focus on what I can do right now.

Recap:

Monday - Planned: 1:30 hour bike
                 Actual: 1:30 hour bike (trainer)

All good here - nothing exciting to speak of.


Tuesday - Planned: 4000 yd swim + 12 mile run
                 Actual: 3800 yd swim + 1:45 hour elliptical

No run? No problem - 1:45 elliptical.....O.M.G. somebody shoot me if I ever have to do that again. So glad it's over.

Also took Ben (bike) into my local Tri shop for a tune and scheduled my Retul bike fitting to coincide with pick up. More on that later - let's just say that it was the best $$$ I have spent on the sport yet!


Wednesday - Planned: 1:30 bike
                     Actual: 1:30 bike (stationary - gross!)

This was the day I forced myself into PT over the lunch hour for my hip. So very thankful I did - tight ilispoas was the diagnosis with a script for lots of stretching, icing and massage. I also won't be able to do much in the form of running for the next few weeks -  LPT has me on a 3:1 run/walk for a max of 30 mins routine until I am back to 100%.

With my bike in the shop, I made due on the gym's stationary bike this night. It's been years since I've been on one of those things and man alive, I don't know how people do it! I kept having to clench my butt to keep from sliding forward and eventually off the seat (which was gigantic by the way). In turn I spent over an hour fighting a ton of booty cramps - just about the most uncomfortable 1:45 hours of my life. Never thought I'd see the day that I would prefer a tiny hard road bike saddle over a large cushy seat.


Thursday - Planned: 3000 yd swim + 6 mile run
                  Actual: 3000 yd swim + 30 min run/walk + 30 min weights

Swim felt good - glad to have a shorter distance workout in the mix.

This was also the first day of my run/walk - 30 mins of run for 3 and walk for 1. Happy to report that it went pretty good! I could definitely feel where the tightness was lingering but in no way was it that sharp jabbing pain that I felt on last week's run. Hooray - seems like I am right on track! Really wanted to push the envelope and do another 30 minutes but I practiced a bit of self control and instead did some strength work on my arms and core.


Friday - Planned: 3 hour bike
              Actual:  Rest Day with a little stretching/rolling mixed in

So with my bike still in the shop and that horrendous experience from Wednesday's stationary still on the brain, I decided to take a rest day instead. Stretch, couch and wine and P time. Perfect "recovery day". :) Oh, and I had a salon appointment that afternoon too - hallelujah this gal is a blonde again! Funny how something like a quick color and cut can really brighten your spirits.


Saturday - Planned: 2.5 hour brick (2 hour bike + immediate 50 min run)
                  Actual: 2 hour Retul bike fitting + the Opera!

Ok, so the 2 hours I spent at my bike fitting really doesn't count towards my planned brick but without a bike to ride in the AM, I will count it as such this one time. :) What exactly is a "Retul" fitting, you ask? I've got a whole separate post to address this - but let me tell you that it is one of the BEST things you can do for yourself.

Ooooo, and let's not forget the Opera......

That's right, I'm an Opera loving triathlete - crazy combo isn't it?! I wouldn't have it any other way!


Sunday - Planned: 3800 yd swim
               Actual: 3800 yd swim


TOTAL:
Swim - 10,600 yards (that's 6 miles ya'll)
Bike - 5 hours
Run - 2:5 Run/walk/elliptical
Other - 30 min strength


And just like that another week down and 10 more to go! Sh*# is starting to get real. I've got my first tri of the season this Saturday and I'm nervous to see where everything stands. So curious as to how the work I've put in so far this year will benefit my short distance. This week calls for 14:30 hours of training so no true tapering for Saturday's race. As it's just a Sprint, coach Meredith and Brett say it should treat it just like any other brick workout and nothing more. That would have sounded insane to me two years ago....love seeing how much I've progressed over these last few years and how much stronger I've become!!

How many weeks left until your "A" race?
Tips for biking in the rain?