I am a Triathlete

I talk about Coach Eric a lot... because I trust what he has to say. 

Before this training group I wanted to hire a swim coach, someone who could watch me and help with my stroke, to make me a better swimmer.  However, one of the things Coach E says, frequently, is I'm NOT a swimmer or a runner or a biker.

I am a triathlete.

"We" don't run like runners, bike like bikers, or swim like swimmers.  For example...swimming in open water with a lot of other bodies means I can't extend my arm out and glide through the water like a longer distance swimmer would.  I have to focus on propulsion that is protected underneath my body and fast turnover.  I also shouldn't rely on my legs since I need them for the bike and the run.  And since my run will follow the swim and  ride, my stride is most likely going to be shortened therefore I have to work with that and put my focus on a much faster cadence.

More than the competition in the individual sports...there are the transitions between them to consider.  Transitions can make or break a triathlete.  If I'm first out of the water but don't have all that I need to get on the bike quickly, I won't hang on to the lead for long.  Something as simple as easy laces can save enough time to make a podium appearance.

I dearly love this three-in-one sport.  I'm training myself along the way to stop thinking I wish I was a better swimmer or biker or runner...to simply thinking I'm training to be a better triathlete!!

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

Bricks

Yes, I've talked about "the wall" before...but that's not the kind of brick I'm talking about today.

A "brick" workout is basically a bike ride followed immediately by a run*.   I'm told it's so nameed because your legs feel like bricks; I can attest to that!!  The first time I did one, I kept having to consult my watch - I didn't believe I was actually running.  It felt like more like the "running man" (although NOT the running man featured in the link--amazing dance moves I have to say!).  Shockingly enough however, almost every time I've done a brick I'm moving much faster than it subjectively feels.

Today was no exception.

The workout was two and half hours on the bike (consisting mainly of intervals) then a fast two mile run.  Last week was my first solo long ride.  I noticed I wasn't nearly as fast as I am when riding with other people, so this week I concentrated on pushing myself.  I like intervals because the hard work is done in small chunks.  I tell myself I can do anything for X amount of time (and if X equals something believable it works!).  Knowing the run was going to be short I mentally prepared to give it all I had.  When I got off the bike and started moving, as usual it felt unbelievably slow.  However, I was ready for it.  Instead of looking at my watch and being overly concerned with the deceptive feeling of sluggishness...I just simply RAN.  I thought about leg turnover and keeping my stride short and quick**.

(Okay, so I did look at my watch...but I didn't study it as usual...and I didn't call it a liar as usual.)  When the split timer beeped at me, signaling the end of the first mile, I smiled at the result (9:02).  (Yes, I know that's not fast compared to some...but it's good for me, especially considering it followed 40 quality miles on the bike.)  I slowed a little on the second mile (9:20), but not much.

It's exciting to me to think I'm less than halfway through this training program and have seen huge progress in every sport.  I think we're going to be doing time trials soon so I'll have a quantitative picture of the improvement.  Bricks might not feel great, but they are producing RESULTS so I have to say I love them!!

Thanks for stopping in...come again soon!!
:D

*A brick can be any workout followed by another very different workout (a swim/run brick for instance) but, from what I understand, the bike/run brick is the most common.

**Interestingly enough, Coach Eric says a triathlete's cadence "should be" about 96 whereas a runner's cadence "should be" about 85.  And...I can say I'm much faster, and more comfortable, running with a shorter quicker cadence coming off the bike.

I SWEAT!!!

Not me...

I'm a little more than just a little embarrassed to admit what I'm about to admit to you...but I decided to go ahead and write about it just in case there are others out there who have this same "problem".

Let me start by telling you about yesterday's workout - power intervals.  It was a brick workout on the spin/stationary bike and treadmill.  I start out on the bike with a warm up then do intervals of very hard and very easy resistance for an HOUR followed by a cool down...then I go straight to the treadmill for a 10 minute warm up, some very fast/easy intervals and a cool down for a total of 30 minutes. 

I've done this workout four times now.  It's hard.  The resistance on the bike should be such that my cadence is 40-60 rpm (normal bike riding is about 85ish).  If you're a bike rider, you know how tough 40-60 is...if you're not, take my word for it.  The treadmill speed should be set so that it's CONSIDERABLY faster than I usually run.  (I comfortably run about a 9:45 pace now...my interval pace is anywhere from 6:00 to 8:20.) 

Yesterday I told myself to make the most out of the workout, not to settle for anything less than my best.  ((I've written before about not knowing exactly what it means to do my "best", and I can say I still have no idea!!))  Every time I increased the resistance I told myself to PUSH; there was not a single time I didn't have more in me than I initially thought. 

Let me explain...my cadence (how many times the pedal rotates in a minute) during the easy minute would average around 75-85.  If I wasn't paying attention it would fall to around 60.  When I increased the resistance (from 2 up to 17 or 18 on the digital readout on the bike) my cadence would drop down to 39ish if I wasn't paying attention.  My old self would have decreased the resistance--making it easier to get the cadence up to 40-60 where it was supposed to be....or maybe pushed enough to make it up to 40ish.  However, yesterday I tried each time to make my legs work to get the cadence up to the 50s (sometimes even going above the 60 mark--which told me I needed to increase resistance).

Not me either...

What shocked me was how much I would sweat during those tough intervals!  I know some of you are laughing.  ...Yes, I was shocked working hard made me sweat.  When I told my husband this story he knew EXACTLY why it shocked me---I'm NOT used to working hard!!!  I'm not lazy (or maybe I really have been).  I always feel like I'm working hard when I think I'm working hard.  However, I've been finding out my definition of hard may not be accurate.

Eric was talking about power intervals the other night; he said if you're doing it right you are slinging sweat everywhere.  I thought to myself what I always think when that topic comes up..."I'm sure glad I don't sweat like that!!"  I have always thought I just don't sweat a lot...but yesterday's workout gave me a different perspective.  I want to be clear here--I do sweat when I work out...but yesterday I was POURING BUCKETS, but ONLY DURING THE REALLY TOUGH SECTIONS WHEN I WAS CONSCIOUSLY CHALLENGING MYSELF. 

Hear this---I'm not saying how much you sweat is a perfect indicator of how hard you're working...however it was remarkable how I started dripping ONLY when I was pushing "as hard as I could".   I could have made the cadence be in the appropriate range with a decent resistance (40ish at 17)...and be sweaty and breathing hard.   To anyone watching it would appear I was working hard.  But when I told myself to work HARDER--to make it HURT and not be afraid of that pain--(pushing up to 60 at 18) it was as if my body turned on the faucet!!

It's funny...I usually take a towel when I workout...most of the time it's fairly dry (not completely, but FAR from soaked) when I leave (again...keep in mind, I thought I wasn't a profuse sweater like "those other people").  Yesterday, my whole hand towel (not small rag) was wet. 

As I have been writing this I've been thinking maybe yesterday was a fluke.  Maybe I really don't sweat that much...yesterday I was simply expelling some retained water and it won't happen again.  ((I've never even really sweat that much in a sauna...but I haven't been in many saunas for very long-it usually gets too hot!!)) However...from what I understand, sweating is the body's reaction to muscular activity.   It would stand to reason more activity would equal more sweat, right??

So...I've said all this to say...  I don't trust my perception of exertion anymore.  In addition to my heart rate as an indicator of how hard I'm working, I'm going to pay attention to my sweat!!