Cross training + speedwork

Running only about 30-35 kms per week, I find myself with some extra energy and free time over what my marathon training schedule was requiring so I decided to start cross training again. When I was in the Caribbean, I swam a lot and when I came back I started to miss it so I got a membership at my local pool and started swimming twice a week.
I'm also looking forward to summer and biking outdoors so I started getting ready for it and dusted the stationary bike and started using it once or twice a week when the weather outside is not appealing enough for a run. Hopefully with a late fall marathon in mind, I will be able to enjoy a bit more physical exercise for fun this summer, last summer's intense marathon training left me too tired and time stretched to do any biking or hiking for leisure.

I know where you think this is going :) There is no triathlon planned in my immediate future but I'll keep all options open...

I've also started assessing my speed and where the bronchitis and training hiatus has left me. The bad news is that I have lost some speed. The good news is that I am still fairly fast by everyone's standards. My intervals sessions that were challenging me at 4:15m/km with 5:00m/km rest for 6 sets in October are now challenging me at 4:30m/km with 5:30m/km rest for 3 sets. I can't wait for the snow to melt at the track so I can really get at it and get my speed back.

I think I am better off than I was at this time last year. I'm not expecting to get back to my previous speeds in time for Montreal in April even if I aim at a new PR there. There is plenty of time to gear up for my A goal race in May where I hope to break 1h35 for the half in Ottawa.

Super Swim

After more than 2 weeks without swimming, I wasn't sure what to expect today. I thought the swim would be though and slow. On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised. Since I don't seem to find the time to go as often as before, I changed my sets to be a bit longer, hopefully that will come out to the same in the end.

So my new sets of 900m took me about 16 and 20 minutes. Very impressive! I had a cool-down of 270m of breast stroke in there as well. I'm very satisfied. The goal over the winter is to move to sets of 1500m so I can be ready next year if I want to move on to Olympic triathlon distance.

I feel really good right now. I don't think I ever got this nice of an endorphin buzz from swimming before.

I am a triathlete!

It's official now! I am a triathlete! I have new respect for people that do this all the time, it's hard stuff!! I think I rocked my first race by meeting both my goal of 1h45 (8s over!) and also beating my friend that was also racing to the finish line by 21 seconds! It may sound like an exciting close call but due to the staggering at the beginning of the race, I actually had to wait 5 minutes to find out!!!
So let's start from the beginning. We got up at 5:30am and started packing up. After breakfast, I worked on my nutrition plan, mixing a heavy sports drink for the bike part and a lighter one for the run (just how I like it :). I also got a bottle with water for my spare on the bike in case I get really thirsty and loaded my running belt with a gel pack in case I needed a boost. We packed the bike and all my bags in the van and left in somewhat of a hurry, not knowing how much time I would need to get my transition zone prepared and do the body marking.

This is where I unknowingly took a cue from Judi and forgot a whole bunch of stuff at home. About 20 minutes into the drive, I realized that I did not pack my swimming goggles. It's funny because I actually woke up during the night, knowing that I forgot, but too lazy to get out of bed to pack them in the bag. I'll remember for sure I thought in the wee hours of the night. After rationalizing that at 7am on a Saturday morning, all stores were closed and that turning back would definitively make me late for the race, I decided to try my luck with the on site vendors. That worked out quite well since I got a pair of [probably overprice] goggles that I was told are the best non fogging goggles in the business. When it came time to unpack the bike, I looked and saw something missing.... My water bottles!! Shock! Horror!! They stayed in the kitchen with my running belt. I had brought a couple of bottles of Powerade for after the race so that would have to do for me. The vendors again saved me where I got 2 new bottles for my bike to hold said Powerade for a dollar each! I set up my transition zone a few times, practicing/simulating what I would do and make sure everything I needed was easily accessible and in the right order.
It's too bad I don't get the transition time from the chip because I think I did fairly well and I am pretty proud of my setup, especially for a first timer.

Next up was body marking which was pretty easy since there were lots of black markers and Alex was happy to use indelible ink on me :) We then headed to the beach after a quick stop to the washroom. I was really relieved that the water wasn't as cold as I had feared. Relative to the chilly morning air, the water was quite comfortable. I tried to listen to the instructions but I couldn't make sense of them, it sounded so complicated. What had I got myself into? I got the important bits from other participants and was determined to follow them since they seemed to know where they were going. Note to organizers: Just tell me in plain language what to do, no need to spend five minutes on it. Run into the water, swim to buoy A, turn around and head to buoy B, then buoy C and come back to the beach. It was actually pretty simple once you got into the water.
I was now ready to start my adventure. Just in time for the countdown:5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I did nothing at 1. I waited for everyone else to get their stuff over with and followed them into the water thinking I would be one of the slowest swimmers anyways. After a few seconds of being a deer in the headlight, and asking myself why I am doing this, I jumped in. Ran as far as I could and then settled into a breast stroke. The journey to the first buoy was chaotic, everyone seeking their place and paddling over each other. After the first buoy, things weren't getting much better. I even swam backstroke for a bit trying to get my bearings. Looking around, I wasn't the only lost soul.

As the crowd thinned up a bit, I finally got into a groove and started my crawl. I think I was pretty fast, judging by my breathing, I would say I never pushed that hard while in the pool. When I reached buoy 2, there was ample room to swim around unencumbered. I started heading to buoy 3 and I had such confidence at that point that I didn't even slow down to look where I was going. OOPS! I was zigzagging and almost collided with the second wave of swimmers. I adjusted my trajectory and got back into the groove only to look out of the water and realize I had overshot and was swimming away from the course towards the middle of the bay! I got back on the right trajectory and having learned from my mistake, looked out every 30 seconds or so to ensure I was going where I was supposed to. I reached buoy 3 and turned heading towards the beach. Even then, I was a bit too much to the left of the beach but I made it in time to see Alex, my mom and her boyfriend cheering for me! What a wonderful sight out of the water. It gave me the boost I needed to run the 500m or so to the transition zone.
Open water swimming is quite different from the pool. I think it's faster and there's currents you have to be mindful of. There's also no markings or rope to lead you in a straight line. And at Mooney's bay in particular, there was a lot of weeds. Even in the middle of the course, they would reach up all the way and sometimes if I dug in too deep while swimming, my hands would get tangled with seaweeds. Swimming was the part I was the most afraid of, because of water temperature, speed issues and not knowing how deep it is. It turns out that in retrospect, it was probably the funnest and most pleasurable part of my race.
I headed to the transition zone and quickly changed into my shoes and put on a shirt. There didn't seem to be a real sense of urgency to the transition as I had expected, maybe I was late to the party. My head was still spinning from the swim so I took it easy but I don't think I took too much time to get ready to head off on the bike.
I was quite surprised by how much running there was to the bike portion. The area is grass and rocky so I had to carry the bike for parts of it to be faster. That could definitively be better in some future races. I attempted (and succeded somewhat) a fly mount where I ran to get some speed, put all my weight on the handlebars and jumped on the saddle. I probably saved about 5 seconds for doing that but the pain that it caused me was probably not worth the extra time. I'm sure I looked like a total pro if anyone was watching ;)

Once I got on the bike course, the first thing I noticed is the wind. Thankfully, I had lots of training under windy conditions so it didn't faze me too much. However, after putting in a good effort for the swim, I found it hard to get the bike into the higher gears. The Garmin says my average speed was 32.3km/h. I still managed to pass quite a few people on my first lap but nowhere near as much as I had hoped I would. Some guys (and even girls, yes, I got chicked a few times!!!) would pass me as if I was standing there doing nothing. They had the expensive bikes and the waterdrop helmets so I didn't challenge them too much for it. During the second part of my first loop however, someone name Nicholas passed me and that was too much, I decided that I would not allow him. I passed him back. We played this game back and forth for about 8km.
Once I was into the second loop, I started passing more people. Laggards from the swim that were in their first loop perhaps? I didn't think there could be that many people behind me after my less than stellar swim. I finally allowed Nicholas to pass me not able to put in the effort to keep challenging him. I was really glad to approach the end of the second loop. I had been looking forward to the run for the whole race.
I quickly transitioned into running (ie: dumped bike, dumped helmet, pick up hat, drink a bit and run away from the mess :). Ouch. My legs were heavy. Everyone says it, I've even experienced it in training a few times, but I can never be fully prepared for it. I just couldn't get any speed at all :( As much as I would push the machine, there would be no response. The run was embarrassing really. I call myself a runner. I love running. And yet everyone was passing me. Boys, Girls, Men, Women. I even joked about it with some girl on the course when she was challenging me and she said that if I didn't like being chicked, I should just run faster :) I was happy when I saw the finishing stretch where Alex was waiting for me.
After seeing Alex, I managed to get some more energy and somewhat sprint to the finish where my mom and her boyfriend were waiting for me. Coming up to the finish line, I was relieved to see the clock turn from 1:44:59 to 1:45:00. Despite the pain and the perceived slow spell that hit me today, I had accomplished my goal. I waited impatiently at the finish line for my friend to whom I had issued a challenge to cross. He started 5 minutes after me, so he had to come in at least 5 minutes after. He finallly showed up 5m21s after me, so that makes it a pretty tight race even if only for the clock.
For those that like graphs, here is the speed chart for my bike course:
You can clearly see the bits where I had headwind and the parts where it turned into a tailwind. I think having Nicholas challenged me helped a bit as well, I do much better competing against someone than being on an empty course. The run was also touch and go:
My first Triathlon was a lot of fun but also a lot of work. It's too soon really to take a decision about my future. If I had to choose today, I would stick with running. It's simpler, requires less equipment and generally easier to manage in the schedule. If I am to continue doing triathlons, I think it's obvious that I need to invest a bit in a crucial piece of equipment: a racing bike. I could probably shave a few minutes off my bike time by simply getting better gear. I think I would also go for a longer event such as an olympic distance. It would also be more even on the bike vs running portion. I would need to do lots of brick training also to get my running to where I don't get passed by everyone and their cousins. I felt that Triahtlons, especially sprint type events are more geared towards attention deficit disorder and strategy masters while running is more about being focused on the end goal. Triathlons are much more fun to watch however, so if I want to please my family and friends when they come and watch me at races, Triathlons is definitively the way to go.

Triathlon Simulation

Yesterday after work, I set out on simulating a Triathlon. I decided to do the full distance of my Sprint race in a few weeks.
So I headed over to the pool to get started and did my 750m. 15m30s is a pretty good time for the swim, I was doing well. The almost 6 minutes transition was partly because my shoes were in a locker and my bike was also locked to a post. I'm sure that I can do much better at the race. I was very surprised at how light headed I felt rushing out of the pool. Having experienced it now will probably help me do better and realize that it's normal when I do the triathlon for real.

Then for the bike portion (30km, 1h15). I seemed to catch all the red lights! Didn't those guys know I was being timed? I can't say I'm completely satisfied with the bike portion, I thought I would be much faster. Still, I am encouraged by the speed of the few segments where I did not have to stop at a light.
My transition into the run (5km, 25m52s) was pretty smooth. It could have been faster but I think I managed to do pretty well. The run was a bit though. Slogging through what would usually be a routine easy distance was very humbling. I tried to kick it with no juices left in the tank. Thankfully I had some beautiful positively uplifting music to carry me through. What a relief it was when I finally reached my goal. The Endorphin lemon had been squeezed dried and a sense of accomplishment coursed through my veins as I began my stretching.
Overall, I'm a bit disappointed by the 2h05m total time. I'm really glad I did this simulation to know more what to expect. I realize now that I will have to work extra hard to get my 1h45m goal. I can probably shave off 15m on the bike portion on account of traffic alone. Making sure I have smooth transitions and proper tapering/fueling should take care of the rest.

Yesterday's practice run also served to validate my wardrobe strategy of wearing my swimming jammers the whole way.

Surprisingly enough, while I am a bit sore today, nothing really hurts. I'm taking this as a positive sign that I have finally adjusted to triathlon training after a bout of various overuse injuries.

In the mix today was Big Wigs and Astralasia's Something Somewhere.

Isn't this Friday already?

Phew. This is a long week. I'm not sure why. It must be the long weekend coming. I so need a long weekend. Looks like the weather will be gorgeous, at least for us folks in Ottawa.

So yesterday I went swimming at Goulbourn pool. It was the most chaotic swim ever, lots of people, all swimming different speeds and lots of people just hanging around at the end of the lane. As @selves mentionned, this is a great opportunity to test my swimming skills when there's lots of people around. I felt like world war 2, fighting for a piece of wall to turn on while everybody just sat there chatting and taking up valuable wall space. I ran into a guy a few times, I think we didn't have the same understanding of what coming back in the middle lane means. I still managed decent times with 16 minutes and 18 minutes for each of my 750m sets.

As I was finishing up the swim, I started to feel a cramp coming on. When I got out of the pool, my right leg muscle, must have been the soleus or gastrocnemius, froze on the "ON" position. It HURTS! Kind like a pinch that won't go away. After a few seconds (or was it minutes) it relaxed a bit but it still is sensitive even today.
So today the weather is gorgeous. I couldn't resist biking to work. I decided I could justify it if I took it easy and made it a "recovery" ride. I think it helped loosen the stuck muscle from yesterday. The commutes times weren't that bad at over 59 minutes and 1h10 on the way back (I did do a detour to run an errand).

Not sure what I'll do tomorrow. If I feel like it I'll ride to work again, otherwise I'll stop at the pool downtown on my way home. That one always has lots of room and everyone is pretty much the same pace.

In the mix today is Transwave's Helium and Sandman's Psychotoons.

Saturday Swim

I stopped blogging about my swimming every time since it was getting a bit boring. Today, however, I became speedy enough to warrant a quick update. I swam my usual two sets of 750 meters in 14 minutes and 16 minutes. Not quite sure if the pool I was in is smaller than my usual one (they claim 25m) or what was the real reason for such as speedy swim, but I'll take improvements wherever I can find them!!!

I think I'm ready for my first Tri in September. All I have to do now is keep on pushing my training so I can improve my time :)

Quick update

I'm resting today (again?) since I'm a bit too busy/lazy to fit anything in. I'll bike to work tomorrow, in the rain if I have to, to make up for it.
I swam yesterday. Another good one with times of 16 and 19 minutes for each of my 750m sets. The pool felt pretty busy so when I saw this picture in the Ottawa Citizen this morning I felt their pain.

Apparently, as some of my readers pointed out, I need a race to 'officialize' my 10k PB so I will have to find a race around here and do just that. It will be exciting, I never raced a 10k before.

Catching up + THR turns 1

So in the last 4 days I swam twice and did two stationary bike workouts. I know I'm finding excuses not to bike even tho Mel says there are none to be had. I just don't feel ready (job-wise, not fitness-wise) to do it. I'm still acclimating to the new environment so my new bike-in goal is next week.

My two swims were pretty good. I'm averaging about 18 minutes for my 750m so I'm pretty happy. The biking is fun as well as it allows me to catch up on my TV viewing (I record shows/movies onto a portable DVD player that I watch while working out).

These news are pretty bland I know. The real reason I'm writing an entry today is to wish The Happy Runner a happy 1st blogging birthday and at the same time put myself up for some fabulous prizes that he is generously giving away. Time flies and blogging allows one to look back, literally, and realize the effects of time gone by. I wonder what my blog will look like when it turns a year old.

I hope to find time to be a bit more creative with the theme. Updating my PBs and picture from 3 weeks ago would be a good start indeed, I'll start with that right now ;)

Short Swim

Went for a short swim after work just to loosen up a bit. I did my usual 750m in about 20 minutes then a dozen breast stroke to cool down before catching the bus home...

It looks like gorgeous weather for Sunday if the weather gypsies are right, Yay!

Short Swim

I stopped quickly by the pool on my way home tonight. I left work a bit late so I didn't have time for a double set. I did my usual 750m in about 20 minutes followed by a few intense breast strokes. It could be much quicker since I lost count 3 times and my counting policy is to go to the last known count when that happens. I guess I have lots on my mind right now with work, the long weekend fast approaching and tapering in anticipation of my race in 10 days.

I wore the swim cap again. I'm not sure its making me faster or more fashionable but it makes me feel like Alex is swimming with me so I like that. Tomorrow I will try a relaxed/loose 10km run at lunch if I can make the time for it.

Swimming Thoughts

Another great swim today. I had a new piece of equipment thanks to Alex. I wore a swim cap for the first time and it felt a bit weird but okay. The sounds were a bit muffled and the water in my ears got really hot. I'm not sure if it affected my speed much with a 750m time of a bit over 18 minutes but I will keep on wearing it, my hair doesn't feel as sticky with chlorine as it usually does. I lounged around the pool for a few breast strokes and then another 750m before calling it a day.

I'm becoming a much better swimmer than I ever expected I would be. When I was originally undecided about the triathlon, I thought that the swimming portion would be my achilles heel so to speak. I am now more and more worried about the bike part. I've yet to find the right balance of training with the bike to keep my strength and ward off injuries. We'll see about bike training strategies after the race in about 2 weeks.

Double swim again

I went to the pool today and did two 750m sets again. I'm starting to like this routine. Alex would be proud that I am maximizing my investment by swimming more. The first set was done in under 19m but I must have miscounted cause it didn't eel that quick. I didn't time the second set. I did a dozen breast strokes in between and another half dozen at the end to cool down.

No sensitivity at all in my knee today. I hope to go for a short run tomorrow, time and weather permitting, With the race in two weeks and the break in my training, I feel like a kid in high school that is facing a test un-prepared. We'll see how much cramming I can do before tapering starts the week before the race.

Swim A-OK

I went for a quick swim today after work. My knee felt great, almost all of the sensitivity is gone, even when I did breast strokes. My usual 750m took only 19m so that's pretty impressive. I lingered in the pool for another 15-20 minutes doing breast strokes and some more freestyle before I decided it was time to go home.

Double Swim

I'm getting better!!! Today when I woke up my knee was still a bit sensitive but definitively not painful. After a few stretches I could barely feel that there was anything wrong. Unless I thought or focussed on the knee everything was normal. I'm still thinking no cycling or running until Monday, but it will be tough to restrict myself if I keep on feeling that good. I will have to busy myself this weekend so I'm not teased.

So after work today I went swimming. I swam my usual 750m in a pretty respectable 19m30s. I then did a few laps with breast stroke, paying special attention to my left knee. While it was sensitive, again I wouldn't qualify the feeling as pain... I felt so great that I did another set of 750 freestyle in about 25m. I really needed an outlet to expense all the energy that would usually be channelled through the pavement. After my second 750m set, I did a lap doing backstroke and felt that my muscles were close to seizing up in cramps so I did a few stretches and went on my merry way home.

I feel great!!

Regenerative Swim

The swim today was really fast. I swam my 750m in about 18m30s. That's pretty much a record for me. My cool down was really short since the frog kick from breast stroke was not feeling right for my sore left knee.

I diagnosed the problem on my left knee as patellofemoral syndrome or runner's knee which I had a bit of last year in the training leading up to the marathon. It's most likely an overuse injury brought on by ramping up too fast with the kilometers. I could also blame the crazy winds for making my bike commutes more intense than they needed to be. So my prescription is a short period of slowed down training where I will focus on stretching and strengthening everything around my knees.

Quick Swim

The pool was fairly busy today so I didn't go too fast. I completed my 750m in about 21 minutes and stayed in for another 20 minutes doing breast stroke. A quick stay in the sauna and I was on my way home.

Swimming really has some regenerative benefits. I had a bit of soreness in my left knee this morning and I feel much better after the swim. I think the root cause of the sensitive left knee is an insufficient amount of stretching since my hamstring feels really tight on that side. It could also be that the running shoes I use at the office are getting old. On that subject, slashdot (of all places!) has a discussion about running shoes sparked by an article in a UK newspaper that claims that modern running shoes are a main cause of running injury compared to running barefoot.

Swim and Run

I don't know if I can call what I did today a Biathlon, but I went for a swim and then hit the trails for short detour on my way home. The pool was quite busy since there are no Saturday lane swims at GRC. Once I started swimming it got a bit better as people realized they didn't need to be in the only reserved lane if all they were doing was floating around. Still, with the few swimmers doing laps at different speeds, I couldn't go full tilt. I did my 750m in about 25 minutes, so it's not that bad. I lounged around another 20 minutes doing breast stroke and then left for my run:
I took a section of the Trans Canada Trail going west until I saw a nice path that led North. I didn't expect to do trail running when I woke up this morning but it was a great run. The trees are budding and the water is flowing in the creeks. It's a very beautiful and enchanting setting. The rain kept its distance even though the gypsies at the various weather bureaus have been calling for it. Going North I eventually hit Hazeldean and came back to civilization with the associated busyness and noise of cars and trucks. It wasn't long until I reached home where I will take a warm bath and relax for a while, I think I earned it!

Order Odonata 6 in the mix (during the run, no music while I swim!)

Easter Swim

I found myself stranded downtown for about 2 hours today so I found a pool that was open and got my workout in. The pool in question was at the Plant Recreation Centre. Since I had to do with one of their leisure swim timeslot, the training was not the best but it was better than nothing :) As I swam in between the kids jumping from the tarzan rope and the diver using the springboard, I managed to get a good workout and get a start on digesting my easter brunch.

I swam for about 45 minutes, most of it doing freestyle with some breaks once in a while to get some breast strokes in. At the end I enjoyed a nice little dip in the jacuzzi to relax my muscles. The swim was really good to loosen me up after yesterday's run.

As a nice reward after the swim, I went over to the My Sweet Tea bubble tea shop where I sat down to write this very blog entry while enjoying a delicious lychee bubble tea!

18m30s Swim and Play

I swam really well today with some nice tumbles. I think I invented my own tumbling technique today, however it seemed to work really well with my breathing and I came up in the right swimming position so I was happy with my performance. I sticked around at the pool for another 20 minutes of breast strokes and freestyle to ramp up my endurance.

After the swim and some shopping, we went to see Robert Lepage's Blue Dragon. It was very interesting and thought provoking on a number of subjects such as interpersonal relations, love, freedom and parenting.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be mostly a rest day. I say mostly because I'm sure I could find some fitness description to ceramic tile setting at my mom's and call it stretching or strength training.

I'm hoping I can find some time this easter weekend for a long run. I haven't done anything high impact in a while and I'm starting to itch for some intense action :)

Under 19 minutes again!

Swimming today was a breeze. I came in at about 19 minutes again and this time the count is accurate :) I tried some tumbling but then the pool got busy so I used the touch and turn to make sure I don't hurt anyone.

After my regular laps, I did a cool down with about a dozen laps of breast strokes. I then lazed in the pool for another 15-20 minutes, alternating between freestyle and breast stroke. When the pool got quieter, I even practiced a bit of tumbling. I'm still struggling with my breathing technique pre-tumble and my return to swimming once I turned. I have to watch some more videos to figure out how I should emerge and start swimming again. I could also improve my technique so I don't get so much water in my nose!!

I was having lunch today with my friend that runs foodiePrints (check it out it's full of delicious recipes and restaurant reviews). He commented on my running and calling it impressive or a similar compliment. My immediate reaction, besides blushing, was to say that it's not that crazy. 30km a week of running is not uncommon and when I look up at my running role models, I find that I am really not that special. However, if 10 years ago, my 19 year old self was to read this, he most probably would think that whoever is behind this blog is nuts. Funny how constantly challenging your limits will make these limits move away further and further :) Thanks for bringing me some perspective Don!!