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?

Girlfriends & Dudes Triathlon - Race Recap

Hello folks - long time no hear?! As you can tell I took a little time away from the blogging world in order to hang with The Kid who is on his way to High School **shakes head in disbelief** this week. Knowing that I only have 4 more years before he's off to college is just terrifying. Who in the world believes that it really goes by THAT fast?! Sheesh.....

Anyway, as this race recap is over a month in the making, I tried to make it a good one......"tried" being the operative word here.

So, Girlfriends & Dudes Sprint Triathlon - Vancouver, WA. My first chance to race with The Kid! Super jazzed! Thankfully this was a local venue and with a later start time (9am) so no throwing the alarm across the room at 4am. This lead to a pretty easy going race morning with a quick breakfast, gear pack-up and a sleepy teenager to rouse.

I think I am finally starting to get a bit more, dare I say, "relaxed" on race day? P (my ever faithful sherpa), The Kid and I got to the venue about 45 minutes before the start, set up transition and then just hung out with a cup of jo before it was go time. Oh, and I can't forget to mention meeting a fellow Swim Bike Army member, Tammi, for the first time! (no photos though - next time Tammi!) Normally I am super paranoid, trying to ensure that we get to the site with oodles of time to spare. Maybe because this was "just" a Sprint and my first race coming off of Boise, but either way I was cool, calm and collected.  No one had to suffer the wrath of my usual race morning nerves - Winning!!



The Swim (.5 miles/804 meters)

Goal - 13 min or under

Doesn't look like it but I swear I'm running in this photo! :)

Ah, the swim - my fav. I debated the night before on whether or not I wanted to wear my wet suit for this race. I knew the water was a comfortable temp and given the short distance wasn't concerned with needing any additional support. Since I was also planning on trying to PR, I figured the amount of time spent in transition trying to strip my suit off wasn't really worth the extra few seconds it might save me in the water. Decision? Go without. Result? Mixed

The swim course was a point-to-point straight shot down the Columbia River.  A quick half mile walk up the beach to the race start and we were off. No wet suit? No problem.....well, kinda. It appears that my one piece tri suit had stretched out quite a bit since Boise (that or I lost some upper body weight since that time...ya right) leaving the top half to create a ton of drag in the water. Ugh - not what I wanted to happen but what can you do? 800 meters done, and given my PR, I'd say the drag was more of a mind game than anything else. Whoop!

Official Swim Time - 0:12:33  (PR from last year's Sprint of 14:46)

T1

Goal - 2 minutes

Awe yeah......pickin' up my transition pace, ya'll! I'm pretty sure it had everything to do with not bothering with a wet suit this time around but regardless I am stoked about my T1 time - 2 full minutes faster than last year?! Whaaaaat??!! Other than speed, nothing much to report. Didn't bother grabbing a drink or fuel, just threw the helmet/shoes on and Goooooo! I do need to learn how to do an awesome flying bike mount this off season -  I hate having to come to a complete stop at the mount line. Waste.of.time.

Official T1 Time - 01:49 (PR from last year's Sprint of 03:52)

Bike (12.5 miles)

Goal - Under 40 minutes

A nice flat, beautiful course - I was stoked. My goal on the bike was to average 20 mph, keep my legs pumping and do not slow down regardless of how much it burned. It is a sprint after all so EVERYTHING should be done as fast as possible. I think I'm finally starting to understand that. Both up and back down the course I only had 3 people pass me. And to my credit they were crazy 20 something year-old studs complete with speedy bikes. 12.5 miles out and back to the dismount line with a few sips of water/Nuun but no additional fuel. Although I didn't meet my 20mph sustained goal pace, I did managed to pull out quite a few miles at that speed and overall maintained 19.3mph. And let's not forget the ultimate desire of going under 40 mins - BOOM! Getting faster!

Official Bike Time - 0:38:55/av 19.3 mph (PR from last year's Sprint of :43:20/17.3mph)

T2
Goal - 2 minutes

What the what? Again with a fast transition?! I owe my T2 time to Lock Laces and Lock Laces alone. Those things are a life saver and I swear were the sole reason I took at least a full minute off my time! If you don't know what these beautiful creations are, check them out here. Shoes on, quick swig of hydration and out on the run course.

Official T2 Time -  1:36 (PR from last year's Sprint of 02:48)

Run (5k):

Goal - under 30 minutes

You know you're actually becoming a triathlete when you no longer deal with "transition" legs at the start of your run. I honestly felt great and ended up going out quite a bit faster than I thought I was, averaging around 8.5 min/mi at the first mile. 8.5?? Is this a dream?! I had no idea as to how I was able to keep that pace for a full mile but no part of me was going to complain. Halfway through the course I grabbed some hydration (without stopping - another win for me!), chugged it down and kept at it. My legs felt pretty darn good and my breathing was a bit labored but hey, it's a freakin 5k, I had better be going all out!

Through the finish and this gal was done!

Official Run Time - 28:46 (av 9:16 min/mi - PR!)


Holy crap. Is this time right? Couldn't be.....no way....did I just PR my 5k and my Sprint distance?

Check.it.

Official Finish Time - 1:23:42

2/25 Age Group

19/127 Female

55/211 Overall

Still unbelievable. I PR'd every event and took 8 minutes off my fastest Sprint! All with a 2nd place to show for it. 

Still on a crazy high from my podium spot (I literally got to have my picture taken on a podium with fellow 1st and 3rd placers - righteous), it was time to get The Kid ready for his race.

The RD (Race Director) put together such a fun event for the kids. The distance for each leg was based on age group. The Kid was scheduled for a .25 mile swim, 3 mile bike and .75 mile run. Pretty easy for a 14 year-old but the object of the event was for him to gain experience in a fun race environment. Mission accomplished.

The Kid's Tri wasn't timed and I was a ding-dong and didn't think to do it myself, so we don't have any specifics. Overall he really enjoyed himself and didn't need much coaching from me at all! He says he's ready to tackle a full Sprint next year. Hopefully I've created a monster. :)

Disappointed in his age group swim distance of 200 meters. He wanted a full mile!

On the right at the very end - away from the weaker swimmers so he can speed by. Smart play kid...smart play.

T1 - "Why is this taking so long?!!", he says. You'll get there dude. 

3 mile bike - Needless to say he wants a roadie now.

Out of T2 and on to the run! Looking strong!

                                   

Into the finish!!

Done! And exhausted. ;)

Love this Kid! 

Awesome race, with awesome support, and an awesome outcome. How could I ask for anything more?

So let's see..........

Recap done - check!

Back on the blogging wagon - check!

Kid successfully off to High School - check!

Training back in motion - check!

The break was definitely needed but I've got to get moving or I am going to drive myself and those around me completely nuts! Next on the race agenda? The 60 mile Gorgeous Relay on Sep. 21st and am  trying to nail down one more Tri before the season is over. The Beaver Fever is the sister race to The Beaver Freezer I did back in April. You know, the one I had that epic bike fail in? The OSU Triathlon club opens and ends the Oregon Tri season with these two sponsored races so I think it's only natural that I do the same. 

~ Cheers, Rebecca

IRONMAN Boise 70.3 - Race Recap 1 of 2

Why hello there! It's been awhile hasn't it? Well, after my race in Boise a few weeks ago I decided to take a mental and physical break from all things triathlon related, including blogging. And it was very much appreciated, let.me tell you. Now that we're back on that horse again, I figured it was about time I gave you a recap of my race - the one and only - it's a long one folks, so buckle down and enjoy....


Thursday, June 5 

Time to head out! After P dropped the pups off at their kennel, or as we call it "summer camp", we packed up and made our way on down the road.

Minus Ben and an ice chest - not too bad for three people!

Someone wasn't too thrilled about the 6 hour drive. He slept most of it anyway.

After 6.5 hours and one stop for gas and lunch, we made it to Boise. It was kinda fun seeing all the cars with race bikes in tow making their way along the same stretch of road. I often shared knowing glances and big nervous smiles with the folks we passed . "You racing this weekend? Me too! Holy crap I'm scared!" - I love being a part of this tri community.

After arriving to the house that we rented for the weekend, my brother and I (I told you he was racing too, right?) had planned on driving up to the reservoir to meet a local tri club for some OWS, test out the water temp and get a lay of the land. Unfortunately we had planned our drive based on west coast arrival times, completely forgetting that Boise, ID is on MT. So our assumed 5pm arrival was actually 6pm. Although the club was only meeting for a short while, we dropped our families off at the house to get settled and work on dinner and decided to drive out to the water anyway. 

40.minutes.later. 

Ugh - so yeah, although renting a house outside of downtown did prove to be very relaxing, the amount of driving we had to do while prepping for race day is not recommended. As the reservoir is 20 minutes away from downtown and the race finish, it made for A LOT of driving. Anyway, we made it to the water and actually had plenty of time to take a quick dip! The course start was already blocked off by Ironman personnel, but thankfully there was a nice little spot just around the corner that is used by the locals.

Not a bad venue, eh?

All that I've been reading about in past race reports was how freezing the water is here. I guess being a fish and having grown up on the beaches of SoCal, I really didn't notice. Heck, I could have swam that thing sans wetsuit and have been just fine. Whew!! One less thing to stress about. Bro and I did a few laps between bouys to get a feel of the chop (water was a bit cranky this day). I was content with the conditions and overall very pleased that we had a chance to test things out ahead of time. Another 40 minute drive back to the house and in for the night!


Friday, June 5

Picked Mom and Aunt P up from the airport this day - yay! They both flew in from Colorado to watch us race. So blessed to have a family that easily offers up their support. After welcome hugs and kisses, we made our way downtown to the race village where we met the rest of our family for registration and the mandatory athlete briefing. Ho-ly cow there were some seriously cut folks out there! Definitely a lot of nervous energy as we made our way through the multiple lines picking up packets, bracelets, race gear etc.

Locked and loaded!

Afterwards we treated ourselves to lunch at a local grill. P and I always make sure to stay away from chain restaurants when in a new town. We want a local experience - and this place had it all.

The whole crazy crew! Couldn't ask for a better group of supporters.

With lunch over we headed back to the house so that everyone could drop their bags off and relax a little before the next day's craziness began. Everyone but my brother and I, that is - we still had to head back out again in order to drop our bikes off at T1. (why we didn't just bring them into town with us earlier that day I don't know - poor time management!) So another 40 min haul up to the reservoir it was.  Kind of nervous leaving Ben out in the open overnight but they had the place pretty well guarded so we had nothing to worry about. Good thing we chose to do this on Friday though - the last minute madhouse we witnessed on race day by those who waited to do so did not look like fun. Parking is super limited at the reservoir in general and even less available during race day so you can only imagine how long of a hike those poor souls had to make that morning. As luck would have it though, my brother and I got to rack our blue beauties right across the the aisle from each other!!

Ben and I - ready to make some magic!

                             

Bikes dropped we decided to drive a little bit of the course just to see how it compared to the elevation map that I had been obsessing over. Except for a few long hills the course looked pretty tame - I was convinced that time and pace would be close to what I've been maintaining in training. That was before I remembered to factor in the wind...oh you crazy, high plains desert-like wind..........

Needless to say, this day was full of running around...so much so that I was pretty exhausted by the time I was finally able to crawl into bed. **TIP - do not wear flip-flops during the days leading up to your long distance event. With over 10 hours of walking around to do this day, I fully regretted not wearing a good pair of running shoes. Lesson learned!**

Back at the house with a full stomach of delicious spaghetti dinner in my belly later, it was time to pack my transition bags. Because of the multiple course locations, this was a "clean" race, meaning all gear for each transition must be able to fit into the bags they provided during check in. Not the typical set up with everything laid out before hand. Nothing left on the ground before or after transition. I think I actually prefer doing it this way. Made for a heck of a lot more room to change gear in and you didn't have to worry about another racer's junk splayed all over your area.

624 is all packed up and ready to go!

10pm and  it was lights out for this gal!


Saturday, June 6 **Race Day**

I slept fairly decently the night before, and with a noon start there was no getting up at 4am for once. I set my alarm for 7am but naturally woke up before then. As part of my race day nutrition plan I knew I needed to get in a regular breakfast but the stomach just would not cooperate. Normally I don't have issues eating on race morning but I did have a bit of trouble this day. Still managed to get down at least half a peanut butter bagel (my go-go), half a banana and a nice large cup of coffee. I brought a PowerBar with me and planned to take that down about an hour before start time. Thankfully my stomach had settled by then and I was able to eat the whole thing.

Nervous but happy racers!

So, everyone out of the house we made our way downtown. Found the perfect parking spot, **TIP - get there early**, dropped off our T2 run bags and hopped on the first bus that would take us up to the reservoir. Very thankful to Boise for providing these buses free of charge, not only the athletes, but our families and spectators as well. A quick 20 minute ride and we were there - Ironman Boise 70.3!!

Holy.crap. The place was housed!!

With a noon start you are bound to get to the venue quite a bit early and given the time of day, will be sitting in the sun for a few hours. We had no idea what to expect and definitely learned a few lessons. **Tips #1. Bring an umbrella! Nice for your support crew but even better for you, the racer. Sitting out in the hot sun for 2 hours before your start can be a bit energy draining. Try to shade yourself as much as possible. #2. Bring chairs for your support crew! As the bike course takes the road leading back down from the reservoir, your support crew will be stuck up there until the last biker is down from the hill. This can mean they are waiting around for another 2 hours after the start, just itching to get back on those buses and back down to T2. #3. Bring an extra pair of sunglasses - once transition closes you still have about 45 minutes before start time. Sun in your eyes for that amount of time is also an energy suck. #4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! 2 hours in the sun without taking in water and electrolytes can be very detrimental to your race. Starting out dehydrated is no bueno. Thankfully the volunteers had plenty of water available for everyone but no additional electrolytes, so bring your own. Do it folks - your cramp free swim will thank you.**


THE SWIM

My age group was set for Wave 7 and my brother's Wave 8. This gave us a great chance to view the Pros take off on the swim. Even little Apollo Ono......yes, he was there! Apollo is this year's Chocolate Milk sponsored athlete. And just like Hines Ward he is also training for Kona with Boise being his 70.3 prep race. Though I personally never got a close up, P and The Kid were apparently eye level to him coming out of the water - guess the poor guy was a bit disoriented and looked whipped. He had a great swim time though and overall a very fast race. Congrats to Apollo!

Anyway, back to my start - after a quick good luck to my bro and a round of hugs, I said good-bye to the fam and lined up on the boat ramp. I was ready. Given the amount of time I had already spent in the sun, the thought of that "cold" water sounded ah-mazing. 1 minute after the wave before us took off we were allowed to enter the water and swim over to the start. This was my first in water start and something that I prefer. As usual I decided to stay in the middle of the pack (though I should be starting up closer to the front) and tried my best to make some space. Ladies 35-39 were fired up! Lots of nervous looks but you could feel the energy bouncing around.

And GO!!!!!

I'm somewhere in this mess!

Almost immediately I had trouble with my goggles - the effers kept leaking!! The darn things have NEVER given me an issue!  Unfortunately the leak was big enough to where I couldn't possibly ignore the water, so I spent a good 300 meters swimming/stopping/fixing goggles/swimming - best guess I lost about 2 minutes messing with the dumb things. Errr...oh well, no panic, just correct the issue and get moving. Once I finally got them settled I was off once again. Honestly the swim, other than the goggle incident, was pretty uneventful. Given this was my first 70.3 I wasn't sure about pacing so I took it easy (a bit too easy) and focused mainly on keeping my hear rate down. I found a group of pink caps (my wave) that were keeping a good pace so I just stayed with them. The water was fairly choppy but the bouy set up was awesome allowing for super easy sighting. About half way in I started to pass up the swimmers from earlier waves - although this is a great motivator, usually these folks are a little weaker in this portion of the race so it can get a bit hectic trying to wade through the flailing arms and legs.

It stayed like that through the last half of the swim but by the time the boat ramp came into view I was honestly sad to have it over! I could have easily done another loop without issue......such is the life of a swimmer. Now it was time to fret about that darn bike....and the wind! Out of the water I made my way up the boat ramp - usually I run all the way through to transition but knew that anything but an uphill walk would irritate my calf and decided to take it easy.  P and the fam were right there cheering me along the whole way....

It's soooo bright out here!!

Total Swim Time -  00:36:51
Age Group - 13
Gender - 67
Overall - 278

**Like I said, wasn't pushing myself and could have gone sooo much faster**


T- 1

Can I get a shout out for the WETSUIT STRIPPAS!!!! That was awesome. Lay down, stick your feet in the air and swoosh - that sucker is off! It's normally pretty easy to take my suit off but I just had to experience this. :)

In addition to the stripping, T1 had another "interesting" moment. I knew that I was going to take a few extra minutes in order to put my compression socks on properly (which is not an easy task to do with wet skin, mind you) but had no idea how much I was going to need to pee! Holy cow I must have swallowed the whole dang lake. In the heat of the moment I dried myself off, stuck the towel in between my legs and just went....and went.....and went. Sorry, TMI, I know but it was crazy! Never once did it occur to me that perhaps a quick trip to the port-a-potty might be in order. Nope - "What's the fastest, most efficient way to do this?" I thought....hey, it kept me from having to worry about how to go on the bike, so there's no shame in my game! :)

Total T1 Time - 00:07:12



Part 2 of 2 - The Bike, Run and Finish ...........to be continued........

IM Boise Week 16 - Training Recap

Recovery week - wohoo!!...wait....what the heck is that??

Let me help - training places a tremendous strain on your body, we all know that. When you exercise, you are tearing muscle fibers which your body must find time to repair in order to make you stronger. Your body doesn't get stronger or build endurance while you are training, rather its the period after your workout when it's making all those important changes. It's vital that you give your body time to repair itself or your fitness will more than likely plateau or even decline if you continue to push yourself.

Enter recover days/weeks.

Actually, recovery week can be a little tricky. Though my body appreciates the decrease in miles/hours, the head, however starts to play it's naughty little tricks because of those same changes in schedule.  "You've been so super lazy this week!", "Your times are so slow, what the heck is the matter with you?!!", "Why does your knee hurt?!!", "You're so not ready for Boise".....and so on and so on...and if you're not careful, pretty soon you'll start feeling like my furry friends above.

But the week is over now and I was able to block out most of the negativity that wanted to creep in. Dare I say my mental training is starting to pay off? Back to three more weeks of high mileage and stupid hours before my last tapering begins. Here's a recap of what last week's training consisted of.....

Monday - Planned: 1:00 min bike
                 Actual: 1:00 hour bike (trainer)

Easy spin - when the brain shuts up, man do I LOVE recovery week!


Tuesday - Planned: 30 min easy swim + 8 mile run
                  Actual: 8 mile run - moved my swim to Fri morning

Runner "duck" face anyone? Lol 

Nothing too exciting to report. The run went just fine - despite the gnats (gag!) and getting a late start, I got that sucker done. I chose to stay on a fairly flat paved trail this night. Decided that hills were probably more appropriate for shorter distances. As such the hip felt great and my energy up.


Wednesday - Planned: 1:00 min bike
                       Actual: 1:00 (trainer) + PT appointment

First appointment with my PT since the bike crash during last month's race. Thankfully the bruise on my upper thigh had subsided enough to where she could give me another round of ASTYM. That in combination with some additional strength exercises and I was done! I mentioned that my bike accident may have actually been a blessing in disguise as it forced me to completely rest the hip for 7 days. She agreed, was pleasantly surprised at how well I was doing, and sent me off with one last check in scheduled before Boise.

Unlike previous years, I am so happy that I went in to the doc immediately following my hip pain. Having a good Physical/Massage Therapist in your corner can be one of the best tools in your training box . There are all kinds of ways to injure yourself in triathlon and having someone you trust to find and resolve the issue is imperative in ensuring that you limit permanent damage and can continue with your race schedule as planned.


Thursday - Planned: Rest Day
                    Actual: Rest Day

Ahhhhh, rest day......no more of these for the next 3 weeks so you better believe I took advantage of the down time.


Friday - Planned: 30 min easy swim + 1.5 hour bike
               Actual: 30 min easy swim + 1.5 hour bike

Wohoo!! Yes, I said yes!! FINALLY able to get back into the water after taking these last 4 weeks off to heal from my elbow/wrist sprain. I was super excited to jump in the pool and get going that morning. So that I didn't risk the chance of pushing my arm further than it was capable of, I took it easy and did a 1000 swim followed by a 500 kick. Thankfully it was recovery week and I was only scheduled for 30 minutes anyway. The arm felt "ok" but the wrist started to get a little aggravated on my pulls so 1000 yards it was.


Saturday - Planned: 30 min run
                   Actual: 30 min run

30 min trail run...or should I say 28 min trail run?!! Forgot to charge my Garmin so I ended up strapping the ol' iPhone into my arm band and tracked my mileage the old school way - via MapMyRun. Reeeeeeally hoping that 9:08 min/mi pace was accurate. I definitely felt the push.


Sunday - Planned: 3000 yd swim
                Actual: 2000 yd Mother's Day morning swim

The Kid and I - somebody get that poor guy a haircut!! ;)

Perfect way to spend my Mother's Day morning - quick 2000 yard swim before a day of celebrating with my boys. Even though the arm felt even better than Friday, I chose to keep it at 2000 yards vs. the planned 3000 just to be safe. I'm still taking it easy on the pulls so my times are a bit slower than I'd like but the simple fact that I was able to increase my yardage so quickly has me very hopeful for a 100% recovery before Boise!

After my morning swim, P, The Kid and I went out to brunch a local restaurant. It.took.forever. They sat us fairly quickly but I swear it took at least 30 mins for the server to take our order and another 30 just to get our food. The place was definitely hopping due to the holiday but we were starving! :) Food came (finally), we stuffed our faces and headed out.

After brunch P and I headed downtown for the last of our Opera Portland shows: The Pirates of Penzance. Such a silly little show that I know all too well - both P and I were a bit disappointed in the sound quality of the production. Being played in The Keller Auditorium, one of Portland's largest theatres, there was definitely something missing. Individual performers are not usually mic'd during an Opera, rather they count on stage sounding to pick up their voices - I think there may have been technical issues last night - we could barely hear the orchestra and the performers were definitely muted. Either way it was a fun way to close out the season.

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One finally cap to a wonderful Mother's Day? Gifts!!! Flowers, a homemade card, new pack of my fav Espresso Love GU and the prettiest Swim Bike Mom necklace ever!! I had hinted to P about this necklace over a month ago and was really hoping that it would magically show up. :) So.in.love. Meredith over at Swim Bike Mom designed the piece and still has it for sale on her SwimBikeSell.com site if anyone of you tri moms are interested. It is quite delicate with the pendant being only about 2 to 2.5 '' long? It's so pretty on.....you must get it! :) 

I feel super blessed to have such great guys in my life who made me feel uber special on Mother's Day. The only missing piece? Being able to see my own mom.....not to worry though, her pretty face will be in Boise just a few short weeks away!

RECOVERY WEEK TOTALS:
Swim - 3500 yd 
Bike - 55 miles
Run - 11 miles
Hours - 5.5


So, only one more month to Boise and I've decided to focus these last few weeks on specific goals to help ensure I am at my best come June 7th.. Here's what I plan on addressing this week:

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - not just during training but all throughout my day. Even more than normal.
2. Along with hydration - 0 alcohol. And yes, that goes for wine as well. It's going to be hard, very hard....but I want my body at the starting line of Boise to be 100% clean.
3. Core - I've lacked on my strength training since the crash last month. This week will be focused on incorporating my kettle bell workouts back into the regular routine.
4. Staying on track during this weekend's trip to Chicago. Currently have one OWS planned and have directions mapped out to the nearest gym (20 mins away!) 5am morning workouts isn't the most fun way to spend vaca but it is a imperative one!
5. Vitamins - once again I've been neglecting these needs.

Cheers to another week down and four more to go!

Do you utilize recovery days/weeks in your training plans?

Tri Talk Tuesday - Sighting Your Way Through Open Water Swimming

Today's post is about my favorite portion of triathlon - swimming!!

The swim is this week's subject in a new Tri Talk Tuesday link up that I will be participating in with Cynthia from You Signed Up For What?, my blogging buddy Courtney from The TriGirl Chronicles and Miranda from The Cupcake Triathlete - all pretty awesome women with blog names that kinda put mine to shame! So be on the lookout each Tuesday as we tackle a new subject and try to provide you will all kinds of great tips and tricks to this crazy sport!

Ok - so back to the topic at hand.....

Swimming has always come naturally to me. I was lucky enough to grow up in Southern California where you couldn't swing a dead cat (sorry, bad analogy) without hitting some form of water. From a friend's backyard pool to the one at the local park, I was either in the chlorine or swimming with the fish in the Pacific. So much so that I ended up swimming competitively for my High School where I had a fairly successful career, breaking a few school records and qualifying for State Finals three years in a row. I've also been a lifeguard and swim instructor, teaching babies from 6 month old babies to adults, as well as coaching my first team right after college. From then on I took about a 10 year break from the sport (child, career - you know, the important stuff) before joining my local Masters swim team here in Oregon.

So, what does all of this mean for my triathlon endeavours? As the swim tends to be the the hardest and most certainly scariest (open water, constant fear of something touching me etc.) portion of a Tri, I am hoping to pass along some useful tips and tricks that might help those of you who are still in that gray area of terrified and comfortable.

There are SO many particulars to swimming that we can discuss but for today, let's skip some of the basics, assume you already know how to swim and start right out of the gate tackling the process of "sighting" during an Open Water Swim (OWS).

"Sighting", or "Spotting" are terms used to describe the process of staying on track in an open water swim. Not knowing how to "sight" can have you swimming in the wrong direction, wasting time and energy that can be better utilized in the bike and run as well as just plain causing you to freak out! Here are some basic guidelines that should get you started in "sighting" your way successfully through your next, or perhaps even first triathlon swim.

• The swim course for most triathlons (if done in open water) usually runs in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction, starting at one side of the beach and ending at another. Buoys are placed out in the course to help guide you through. Some races, usually Olympic distances or longer may even have you doing two laps of the same course. Meaning you finish your first lap, reach the shoreline and run to the start once again to finish the next lap.

• First things first - in order to feel more comfortable with the distances between each buoy and the overall swim, I would highly suggest checking out the course ahead of time (race directors usually have the buoys set up the day before) if possible. You might even have the opportunity to jump in and at least get comfortable with the conditions. (i.e. calm and smooth allowing for easy "alligator" sighting, or rough and windy which will require much more effort in pulling your head up and getting your eyes on the prize)

• So it's game day, what next? After the chaos of the start (we won't even go into how frustrating this can be) and spending the first 100/200 yards either kicking or pushing others off of you ("Gee, this open water swimming thing sure sounds fun, Rebecca!!"), find an "open" space and settle into your swim rhythm. 

• Assuming you are swimming freestyle (or front crawl) and side breathing, take between 5-10 strokes. The amount of strokes depends on your comfortability level but let's pick 8 for this example.

• For basic sighting used in most cases, especially rough waters, at the end of the breath on stroke 8, look forward (just above the water line) and search for, or "sight", the first buoy just before you put your head back in the water to breathe out. This should be one continuous smooth movement - easier said than done, I know! It also helps if you can master bi-lateral breathing (rotate breathing on both side of your body) as this will allow you to sight on either side which can be very helpful if water conditions aren't conducive to just the one side.

Example: At the end of his side breath, he is sighting the next marker

• On the breathes, if you notice that you're heading in the wrong direction, re-align yourself!

• Keep moving so that others behind you (who may very well be drafting off of you) don't slam right into you.

• Speaking of drafting - be very careful in not relying on doing this as the person in front of you may not necessarily be the best "sighter". The last thing you want to do is blindly follow someone off course and not realize it until you're 400 yards outside of the pack.

• Upon reaching the first buoy you may need to lift your head up more frequently in order to ensure you have rounded the correct side and are now going in the right direction towards the second buoy.

• Once you have rounded the first buoy, take your 8 strokes and and "sight" the second buoy.

• Continue this pattern until you've passed all buoys and are now "sighting"for the swim exit on the beach. Usually there will be large markers on the beach giving you something easy to search for.

• Swim as far as you can onto the beach. Running in deep water can be exhausting and depending on the body of water can contain sharp rocks that may lead to cuts and bruises (I know this all to well cutting a 2" gash into the bottom of my right foot after the swim portion of my Oly last year!)

I also wanted to mention one more style of sighting, the "Alligator" method - my preferred method if water conditions allow. In smooth waters, Alligator sighting might be a better option for you. In this situation you are lifting your head out in front of you just enough to get both eyes out of the water (nose and mouth still under) to scan your next next buoy/marker. It can be a little tricky though as lifting your head too high can cause fatigue and may also cause you to drop your hips and legs - so be careful and practice, practice, practice!!

 Alligator example: eyes peaking out just enough while keeping both his nose and mouth under the water

Either of these methods can be practiced in the pool during your regular swim sessions. As my first OWS swim gets closer, I usually take about 500 yards of my scheduled training session to focus mainly on sighting. Of course it makes the process a lot easier in a pool as you will have lane lines to help guide you BUT the method of closing your eyes while under the water and only opening them when you come up to sight definitely helps. 

At the moment I am still laid up from doing any swimming of my own due to last week's bike accident but hope to be back in the pool by sometime next week as I miss it so! In the meantime I hope this info will be useful for some of you and know that I am here for any of your swimming (open water or not) questions and/or concerns. Just hit me up!

What are some of your biggest concerns regarding the swim?

Are there any trips or tricks regarding "sighting" that been the most beneficial for you?