Tag Archive for cross training

The Triathlon Rx | January 2, 2012
19 comments

Staying fit while on crutches

I am just shy of 3 weeks into this post-surgery rehabilitation period, and have another 3 weeks to go. While six weeks certainly isn’t the longest I’ve been on crutches (try 6 months!!), this is the most restricted I have ever been in terms of weight bearing activity and exercise. Despite my fears of turning into a whale… the scale has not really budged. Despite my fears of turning into a limp noodle… well,  my arms are still strong! ;)

When an injured athlete is faced with a period of non-weight bearing activity and handed the crutches of doom, all sorts of questions and fears may arise. Will I lose all my pre-injury fitness? Will I gain weight? Will I have to start over from square one? Will I be forced to give up coffee since I can’t carry a cup?! (Because really, that’s all that honestly matters.) While each athlete will have unique circumstances, I’m 97% confident I can say the answer to each of these questions is NO. Including giving up coffee!

Steps to staying fit while crutch-bound

(1) First and foremost, get medical clearance from your physician. Check what is OK, what isn’t, and keep your medical team updated as you progress through recovery.

Assuming you’ve been given the green light…

(2) Don’t check yourself out mentally!! Even if you “love” to workout, it’s pretty dang easy to hang up your handicapped parking tag over the couch and stay there for good. And what goes better with a movie than a pint of Ben & Jerry’s…?!

Don’t get me wrong – take your well-deserved time to recover and mentally/physically recharge. But don’t get too comfortable on the couch, because you will eventually be able to get back at it again, and there is no need for you to start over from the very beginning! Instead of getting down because of what you can’t do, focus on what you can. Which means…

(3) Upper body strength: Your arms will get a head start simply from using crutches, but if you’re an athlete who is used to putting in a couple of hours a day, chances are that won’t quite cut it. Free weights can be difficult to maneuver as you need  both hands to crutch, and probably shouldn’t try and grab that 35 pound DB with your pinky. Machines, however, are for the most part very doable. Push ups, yes. Pull ups, yes. (Just remember not to jump down!!) Chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back… you can hit em’ all.

The biggest hang up for me is that I superset all my lifts. The patience is simply not there to sit on a machine and just wait between sets. It drives me nuts!! But for the time being… I will get over it. Logistically it makes life a lot easier to take one machine at a time. If possible, try to hit the gym at a less-busy time of day.

(4) Cardio: It is still possible! Two options (that I know of… if there’s something else out there, please let me know!!): Hand cycle ergometer, and pulling in the swimming pool. Unfortunately not all gyms will have a hand cycle… but if you have access to one, I definitely recommend taking advantage of it! Forewarning: the first few times (just like when pool running) it will feel like you’re not doing anything. And/or it will feel very difficult. Possibly both at the same time. Chances are that it’s mostly mental because it’s simply not an exercise you’re accustomed to. Keep at it, and you will likely notice it starts to feel [mentally] easier, and you will actually start working up a sweat!

In terms of swimming, please make sure that any open wounds/incisions have completely healed before you get in the water!! You may be dying to get back to exercise, but not at the cost of big nasty infection. If your doctor has cleared you to get in the pool (submerged – not the same as showering!!) then hop splash to it! Assuming most readers here are triathletes, this is your golden opportunity to work on that often-dreaded portion of multi-sport. How much you can use your legs will depend on your doctor’s/PT’s orders – you may not be able to kick at all, or you may be able to do a light flutter. Invest in a pull buoy if they’re not available at your pool (usually between $5 and $10), and pull away. This is also a great time to work on stroke drills – fingertip drag, distance per stroke, single arm, catch up, rhythm, etc.

Some lower body injuries may still allow you to pool run. If you’ve been given the go to do this, and are wondering where the heck to start (or looking for pool running workout ideas!), check out two of my previous posts: Pool Running, and Pool Running Part II.

(5) Core stability: Although it will depend on what your injury was, you may very well be able to keep up your core work! Again, check with your medical team. Your regular routine may need to be modified a bit – typically the rapid, jerking movements may be best if skipped. There will also be some trial and error involved… you may find you can do planks just fine using only your “good leg”, or that Russian Twists use too much quad muscle to do comfortable.

(6) Physical therapy: This should probably be #1. If you have been ordered physical therapy, I can’t stress how important it is to keep up your exercises as prescribed!!! It may be tedious. It may be time consuming. But your physical therapists have been through four years of an undergraduate education, a competitive admissions process to their masters or doctoral program, and an additional 2 to 3 years of education. PLUS passing the National Physical Therapy Exam, as well as state certification exams. Read: they know their ****. They can determine proper exercises based on your current status, and help you advance them as you improve in recovery.

(7) Diet: No hate mail for this one please!! Truth be told, if you’re used to putting in Ironman worthy workouts every day and you’re now limited to 40 minutes on the arm ergometer, you may need to adjust your diet a bit. If your maintenance calories had been 3800… well, they’re probably not right now. Calories in = calories out… capisci?

On the flip side, if you’ve been down at that racing weight for maybe a little to long, or are one of those people who struggles to maintain a healthy weight, this could be your easy fix. If calories/eating/weight while injured is causing a great deal of anxiety, it may be worth checking in with a sports dietitian or sports psychologist for good measure.

^^ I can’t wait for the day I can get back to THIS! ^^ It was my first full triathlon (and first tri podium finish!) and I will do what it takes – even if that means being patient – to get back there! :D

In terms of other crutching tips… there are a couple things I would like to add:

  • Backpack. Or those nice little drawstring bags. Keep one with you at all times!
  • Travel coffee mugs. Lovely reader Brynna recommends the Contigo brand because she can throw them in her bag, and they don’t leak a drop! Unfortunately, most of the [ridiculous too] many mugs I have aren’t that leak-proof. I just picked up a Thermos brand “Stainless King Travel Tumbler” at CostCo, and honestly I’m pretty sure it could withstand a bomb. Put it in your above mentioned backpack and you’re good to go!
  • Remove floor rugs and their best attempts to trip you up.
  • Under-arm crutch padding… OR forearm crutches. There are some nasty injury/wound pictures lying within my iPhoto albums, but I’m glad I didn’t take one of my rib cage post-crutches. Rubbed. Raw. :(

Being injured is never fun. Ever. But keep your head in the game, and remind yourself that this just a speed bump in your life, not a road block. Do what you can do safely, and you will be back in action before you know it!

Reader Qs:

What do you do to stay fit/sane while you’re injured? Do you have any crutch-success tips to add?

-E

*This post has been added to Train on Top archives, where you can find other articles on training, cross training, nutrition, and injury prevention.

Category: Medical Monday | Tags: , , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 9, 2011
14 comments

Friday Confessional is back! 12.09.2011

Friday confessionals returning with a vengeance!! If you’ve never played before, do a quick check of the 101. Anything is fair game, and it really is more fun to play along! ;)

1. Sick chick.

And I don’t mean sick in the way cool / sick / tight / wicked / sweet / dope / fresh / anything that doesn’t actually mean “awesome”  but yet is somehow used interchangeably. Between last Wednesday (on my birthday. Not sweet, nor dope.) and this Monday, my temperature was bobbing between 102.5 and 100.7. What started out as a Dx of strep throat turned to a prescription for amoxicillin that wasn’t making me feel any better (or cooler). Turns out that I had pneumonia, which may or may not have been due to the strep that was or was not even there to begin with. So I’ve spent a lot of time here:

   

Influenza test -> Strep test -> cute note from “Kathryn” en español!

By the fireplace, under the covers, in the dark. (Creeper.)

Thankfully, since going back to the clinic on Monday and confirming pneumonia with the chest x-rays, they switched me to levoflaxacin and I’m feeling 97% better. My grandma has had pneumonia so many times and I never had any idea how miserable she felt!! :( It was I imagine a collapsed lung feels like. (My surgeon would not have been impressed with that come Wednesday….)

2. Five days until they cut my leg off.

Yes, the countdown is going strong. With all this sick business over the last week, I can tell you I was pissed bummed about missing gym time. And I have no problem fully admitting to hitting the gym the second my doctor said “I guess if you’re feeling bett…..” I have been asked multiple times by several friends:

You just can’t give it a rest, can you?!

Not today my friend. And I will tell you what… when you have two months of ass-to-couch time staring you down, you can make whatever decision you want concerning your last five days. But as long as I have been given the green light to exercise, and am not by any chance contagious, I will sweat it out until the very last possible minute.

3. I am actually scared to death for surgery.

Sure, it’s easy to look brave behind words… to say well, you can’t always chose the cards you’re dealt and there’s no way around it, so let’s do this thing! Slowly over this last week, the reality of the lifestyle changes I’m about to face has really started to set in. We have such a small amount of snow right now here in Minneapolis, and I know it’s only a matter of time before mother nature decides to unload 2 feet on us. Thinking about crutching out to my car and trying to scrape it off… thinking about crutching downstairs to/from my apartment… thinking about how the DUCK do I carry a coffee cup!?!?! All hitting the fan.

This is a rough estimate of the procedure they are doing… which I wrote more about in this post.

The wedge that you can see gets removed, leaving a brand new, fresh surface that needs to heal together. Along with the bone healing around the screws. And plate running along the lateral side of the femur. Not to mention there is a big unpredictable tumor chunk that has, until this point, proven to do whatever the heck it wants…

It never asked me if I liked the question “Why do you walk with a limp?” (No.) It never asked me if I wanted to run just one last marathon. (I started my list when I was 10.) It never asked me how I felt about crutches when it’s -20°, icy, and snowing. (Can I take coffee with me? No? Ok, angry.) It never asked me if ever wanted to sleep on my left side again. (How about just through the night?) It never asked me how I felt being left out of any/all plyometrics. (Like I’m defective.) It never asked me how it feels to explain what fibrous dysplasia is 100billion times and have every single person you just explained it to look at you and still not get it. (#GTFOH)

4. I feel super selfish.

Reread last paragraph. I can think of an equal 100billion ways it could probably be worse.

5. The Hand Crank…

- Is really kind of harder than you’d think.
- Burns like 1/3rd of the calories you can burn while running, and still feels kind of harder than you’d think.
- Is quite possibly more boring than pool running…
- Unless you find a good song that you can get krunk to crank to… in which case it might not be so bad.
- I’m going to need a lot of new songs on my iPod.
- Is kind of lonely, since there are only two in the gym (attitude correction: there are two in the gym!) and I don’t see anyone else on them.
- Which may be a blessing in disguise because I’ll never have to wait for it.
- Unless it snows two feet, in which case my butt ain’t gettin to the gym in the first place.
- Mmmm yep, still waiting for that attitude / perspective / expectations adjustment.

And that my chicostix… is about five things more than I’ve ‘fessed up to until today. And it does feel BETTER. :) Especially number 4. It’s good to get things off your chest….

#feelsgoodman

(1000 bonus points for the right reference.)

Reader Qs: Your turn!

-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , , , , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | September 25, 2011
10 comments

Train on Top 5.2: Pros and Cons of an Indoor Bike Trainer

No, it’s definitely not cold enough to hang up the wheels for the season just yet. I’ve gotta get to 32° and/or snow before making that call, and I’m hoping in Minnesota we’ll have at least another month until that point. But I will admit that I’ve had my trainer out several times within the last month, and truthfully, don’t hate it! If I had it my way, it would be a permanent fixture in the living room – if the bike isn’t being ridden out on the road, it’s waiting to be ridden inside. Unfortunately <<siiigh>> not everyone appreciates their living room being turned into a cycling studio. But I do what I can. ;)

[Busted!! Absolutely nothing wrong with a little nip/tuck at 5am.]

Using an indoor trainer has many benefits, but there are disadvantages as well. Maybe you already use one, and use it religiously. Maybe you’re thinking about buying one this year. Or maybe you take winter as an opportunity to strengthen your other sports. No matter the case, let’s look at some of the pro’s and con’s:

ADVANTAGES OF USING AN INDOOR BIKE TRAINER

  • Maintaining your cycling fitness throughout the winter, and getting to skip that “base 1″ or “build” phase come March.
  • Ability to focus on drills (single leg, high cadence spinning, focus boxes, etc.) Improve your efficiency and economy.
  • Avoid road hazards: traffic, pot holes, wet paint lines. (#FML. Dear Road Paint Manufacturer, Have you ever ridden a bike??)
  • Winter cross training for those who are “strictly” runners. No pulled hammies from slipping on the ice!
  • Immediate workout. No drive to the gym. (No risking your life to get a seat in EJ’s spin class… ya hear me SLP?!)
  • In comparison to a spin bike, using your own bike on a trainer allows you to maintain your own bike fit and geometry.
  • “An hour on the trainer is worth two hours on the road.” While I’m not sure I 100% agree with that statement, you take less breaks on a trainer than you would get outside (no coasting, downhills, stoplights, etc.).
  • As noted by the above photo… you can catch up on House MD. Or Modern Family. Or Mystery Diagnosis. Or I guess you could watch CNN or something… ;)

DISADVANTAGES OF USING AN INDOOR BIKE TRAINER

  • On race day, you’re not going to go set up your CycleOps on the starting line. Using a trainer eliminates some of the adversity you may have to face in the “real world”: wind, hills, rain, corners, etc. Solution: I can’t give you anything for technical/handling skills, but you can certainly include resistance and “hill” intervals by playing with your gears.
  • The trainer can wear down your rear tire. Solution: pop on a trainer tire during the winter. Especially if it’s going to get heavy use.
  • “Boring.” So they say… Solution: see last point of “advantages”. Set up trainer party in the living room. Check out The Sufferfest.

Clearly, you can tell by my “solutions” that I am slightly pro-trainer. ;) As a matter of fact, more and more pro-triathletes are reporting that they do the majority of their training indoors. Andy Potts, Chris McCormack, Nicole DeBoom, Tyler Stewart, and more. It’s clearly working for them. ;) The Sufferfest is something I’ve found just recently, and I only have two words on that: @$$. Kicking.

Reader Qs:

Do you ride a trainer in the winter, or do you pick a different activity? OR do you bust out the studded tires and ride all year round? If you do have/use a trainer, what brand and model do you have? I’m currently using* a Cyclops fluid. The Kurt Kinetic Rock & Roll trainer looks pretty cool, but I don’t know anyone who has one to let me try it. Do you have a “trainer season” or do you use it year-round?

-Erika

*Using ≠ “mine”. Time to give the baby back.

p.s. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve done a Train on Top post!! This will be linked with all of the rest of the Train On Top editions, which you can find by clicking on the Train On Top tab (or right HERE) at the top of the page.

Category: Workout Wednesday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | August 23, 2011
11 comments

Tried It Tuesday / Work Out Wednesday: Yoga

Otherwise known as the #FML edition. Let’s backtrack a little…

There are two things are typically considered un-enjoyable by the general public: admitting you’re wrong, and changing your plan. The former can be applied to most everyone, whereas the latter may be more common for the type A’s/stubborn/athletes/redheads. (All of which apply to me. WhoaDamn!!)

If you participated in the 8/19/2011 Friday Confessional, you’ll know that last week I begrudgingly endured one full hour of yoga. My LOOK cleats wouldn’t clip into the Lifetime Fitness spin bikes, and a friend of mine (who could sweet talk his way out of ADX Florence) started to spit his magic. Before I knew it I was in a downward facing dogs, hearing lots of words ending in –sana and –ata… neither of which were covered when I took Medical Terminology. No biggie though – we’ve all played Simon Says. I just did my best to follow along.

* Let’s add a third to the list of “things that are not enjoyed by the general public” – doing things we’re not good at. My flexibility is better than many – I can hit my left leg and center splits like I was still on the gymnastics team. But balance…? Lets just say I won’t be brining home any gold stars. By and large, we don’t like working on our weaknesses, and that can be applied to the sport(s) of triathlon, career life, family life, etc.

(*Balancing rocks? I know… it’s a stretch. I forgot to take photos for this one.)

It was a slow, slow hour, in which I probably checked my watch 45 times. I finished feeling like I wanted to take a nap. And instead of being able to give in to the looming sleepiness, I still had to check off the coaches’ workout for the day.  But is all of that really bad enough to be worthy of the FML status?

No. Until I finished the aforementioned coaches’ workout (an AT tempo ride), and slaughtered it. Average speed over the entire ride (in the city, mostly along river road) was 21.3, with solid sections of 23-24, including plenty of wind. That is a) an a-typical average speed for me, and b) a rare ability to HTFU into the wind.

I’ve been on top of my sleep game for over a year, and can finally say I average 8-9 hours a night. My sports dietitian has been doing an amazing job with my fueling and meal plans, and it finally feels dialed in and on point. Although I’ve been busy, life is really good right now, with stress is at a minimum. The only changed variable was the dirty four letter word: yoga.

Which brings me back to the three things most people don’t enjoy doing:

  1. Admitting I might be am wrong about yoga.
  2. Incorporating it into the weekly training plan. Something my coach had on my schedule at least 1x/week for TWO YEARS, over which time I maybe did it once.
  3. Working hard on the weaknesses: balance.

When I frame this third point in terms of general triathlon training, it seems like a wonderfully obvious idea. Balance is a key component of injury prevention, maintaining proper form, and delaying fatigue. But when I think of it as “I should do yoga do get better at balance…” I get the Mr. Yuck face. You’ll see me reporting back on this little experiment and how it’s going over the next few months. My starting goal will be 1x/week – preferably in class vs. at home because I feel like it does a better job of holding me accountable.

Reader Qs:

Do you do yoga? Is it your primary gig or a supplement to your ______ training? How do you feel it benefits you? How often do you do it?

-E

Category: Tried It Tuesday, Workout Wednesday | Tags: ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 22, 2010
11 comments

Work Out Wednesday // TRAVELING

[ETA: Reader Questions! I never forget RQs!! Sorry guys - they're at the bottom.]

Last Sunday I touched down at the Chicago O’Hare airport, and the flight attendant listed gates for those of us with connecting flights. Alphabetically:

  • Honolulu
  • Miami
  • Omaha
  • San Francisco
  • Shanghai
  • Tokyo

This is a very simple ACT question: one of these is not like the others…. (clue: all sound really fun, even vacation-like, except _____.)

Mmmm yep. I’ve been spending the last few days in Omaha, Nebraska. Actually, Grand Island… although that’s pretty misleading because it almost sounds tropical. My grandma lives in an assisted living home in Grand Island, and we went to visit for just a couple days (I’m back already). The woman is 88 years old, a little shorter than me, and cute as a button. I know a lot of people stress over getting their workout in when they’re traveling, so I thought I’d share a couple tips for getting your sweat on no matter where you are. This is a two-part post though, so if you really want the full deal, you’ll have to stay for the whole thing. I’ll try not to get too long. ;)

1 // Working out while traveling

I’d be lying if I didn’t say traveling used to stress me the #()@% out. As with many type As, you get your schedule and you stick to it. I liked reporting back to my coach with a full week of check marks and notes. I’d also be lying (by omission) if I didn’t say yeah – I belong to a 24-hour gym, and yeah – I’ve been there several times at 3am.

Although many hotels now boast that they have a “fitness center” … don’t be surprised if you get there and find it’s a closet lined with wall mirrors and a smith machine. Lots of hotels also now have swimming pools, but if you think you’re swimming laps, be prepared for about two strokes per length and 600 flip turns per mile.

Running: It’s a lovely creation because you can do it pretty much anywhere. You need a few extra sets of clothes, but bring your shoes and your good to go. No Garmin necessary – just run for time.

Biking: Sometimes an option – often, bigger cities have bike rentals, and if you can’t find trails, you can probably ride the roads. More often than not you’ll end up doing some “recreational” riding… but hey, you’re moving, right?

Swimming: You can sometimes find community pools that will just charge a minimal daily fee. OR, beach?? Open water swims?? That would be ideal. Swimsuit and goggles take about as much room to pack as a Clif bar, so no excuses.

Fitness Centers: Are. Everywhere. Even in Grand Island, Nebraska. From my hotel I was within five minutes of both an Anytime Fitness and a Snap Fitness. The bigger the city, usually the better your options. Snap was $7/day, Anytime was $15/day, and a YWCA/YMCA/Gold’s/Lifetime will usually be in the $10-$20/day region. Some places will give you a good deal for a week long pass, and you could even find that getting a MONTH pass is your best deal (as was the case when I went to Philly at the Philly Sports Club).

The SNAP we went to in NE – very nice!

At Home Workouts: For those of you that do the DVDs – Jillian Michaels, Yoga, P90X, etc. – you pretty much have it made. If you have a TV or even just a laptop, you’re golden. You can also get in a solid strength training workout with just body weights or a resistance band, and if you want some cardio, bring a jump rope.

As you can see… there are many options for getting in a workout while on the road, and if anything, it certainly doesn’t need to be the cause of stress. For the days when it’s absolutely just not possible – either due to lack of time or simply being in transit literally all day, then make that your rest day. Don’t take rest days? Then consider it a mental workout and take on the challenge to take a day off, or I guess stay home. Your call.

Which brings me to point two of this post…

#2 // What actually matters in life

As I said, I was visiting my grandma during this trip. She is 88 years old, living in an assisted living home where she doesn’t get many visitors (especially from me being so far away), and although she’s “with it” most of the time, her health is definitely declining.

Flight was super early on Sunday, and by the time I got to Omaha and drove the 3 hours to Grand Island, it was definitely time to go see Grandma. Getting out of the home is difficult because she has an oxygen tank, so we opted to have dinner in with her, and instead of having the usual “home” dinner, bring her something special. When we asked G-Ma what she would want to eat if she could have anything in the world, you know what she asked for? An Arby’s roast beef sandwich. No sesame seeds on the bun. Lady knows what’s up.

Could I have jumped on our hotel treadmill at 9:30 when we got back? Sure… but that would mean not actually finishing until like 11:30 when it’s all said and done, and then just being even more tired in the morning. Day one: no workout. Sitting on mass on airplane/in car/in grandma’s rocking chair all day.

Like I said, we were very close to both a Snap and an Anytime, so my dad and I chose to go to the Snap on Monday morning. We worked out together a bit on the Arc Trainer, and then I finished up with the treadmill and weights. I didn’t get in the total time I was scheduled for, nor did I follow the schedule. At all. But I was still able to sweat it out a bit and that was really nice. (More than anything – to workout with my dad! Living half way across the country from each other now, we almost never get to do that anymore!) Day two: 75% of scheduled volume, 0% of scheduled workout. The reason I didn’t stay for that last 15% was that we wanted to get to G-ma as soon as possible, and the time was tickin! Went back to her care home, and ate lunch (fried chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes and gravy) with her in the cafeteria. Spent the rest of the day either running errands for her or just sitting with her talking in her room.

My dad used to bike with me during LRs all the time! This was from when I visited him in Philadelphia.

The last day my alarm went off early enough in the morning to either pool run for a little bit, or jump on the Neolithic era treadmill. Instead, I turned my phone off, turned over, and turned into an extra 45 minutes of sleep. We had to leave pretty early in the afternoon to make the 3 hour drive back to Omaha, so again, time spent with grandma was limited. Day three: no workout.

On the way to the home, we stopped to pick up some white roses (her favorite) as well as a gift for the staff. We spent the last morning with this amazing 88-year-old white haired woman who has done so much for other people pretty much her entire life. Just a couple weeks ago she had some cancer removed from her colon, and she spends a lot of time worrying if it will come back. Saying goodbye to her was the worst, and my heart just about shattered when she said, “don’t let it be a year again.. OK?”

Honestly, this could be the last time I will see my grandma. I only got three days with her, because that’s about all the excitement she can take at one time without being worn down. What if I never got to see her again? What if I spent more time worrying about whether I could get a stupid workout in, or whether I’d stick to my schedule, and that was my last chance to talk to her. My last chance to sit in her room and play Christmas songs on her piano. My last time to see her smile?

Point is… Family is important. Working out… training… sure, on race day you want to be prepared. But when it comes down to it, when you’re on your deathbed (or your parents or your ____ or your ____), you’re not going to give a rats @ss if you took two days off. Or a week off. Or a month off. If you gained a couple pounds over the holidays. If you ate that piece of Grandma’s pie.

Many of you can disregard this message entirely, because spending time with your loved ones is clearly your priority and there is no second question. But based on the many, many emails and comments I receive, sometimes I think we need the reminder. You only get one family. You don’t get to hand pick them, trade them in, or ask for them back once their gone. Go hug someone you love, and TELL them how important they are to you! Not just during the holiday season, but any day, and every day.

Sorry if that turned into a high-horse moment. But this trip for me was certainly challenging in that it made me realize how limited my time is with this woman I love so much!! I don’t know when the next time is that I’ll get back to see her again, but I am definitely greatful for the time the last three days I was able to spend with her.

SO in light of all this heavy business – yes, working out on vacation is definitely possible. [ETA: AND fun!! Going  for a run or a bike ride is, in my opinion, the best way to see a new city!! I'm definitely not advocating that people just throw their workouts out the window during trips or vacations.] But if you are going to see family, and only have a little time with them – keep that in mind! J And while I’m at it, I LOVE YOU all!

Reader Questions: Do you usually workout on vacation? If so… what do you usually do, or if not, what would you like to try next time? And just for feeling good, if you could  go tackle anyone in the world with a bear hug right now, who would it be?

Happy holidays!

-E

(p.s. Survived finalsmovingfinals week! So happy to be home, and looking forward lots of RELAXING for a solid month! I watched a movie last night. Do you know when the last time I saw a movie was?? NEITHER DO I.)

Category: Workout Wednesday | Tags: , , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 15, 2010
8 comments

Workout Wednesday // MOVING

There are several life experiences that I hope everyone could have at some point… sleeping outside under the stars, holding a baby, seeing the ocean, falling in love, laughing so hard you cry…

But there is one item that is definitely ABSENT from that bucket list. And that would be moving. On the 15th of December. When it’s snowing. Below freezing. With one other [my sized] helper. Smack in the middle of finals week.

Good planning…? FAIL!

To make this a little more enjoyable, I will be equipping myself as best as possible to not turn into a cranky &!$@# at the end of the day. These tools include:

  • An extra hour of sleep last night
  • Ample supply of caffeination during the move
  • Good music playing to try and stay upbeat
  • My warmest of warm gloves so my hands don’t freeze solid
  • And lastly, turning this into a workout

I know I didn’t surprise anyone with that last one. ;) Today would have been a crazy day without moving involved: I have a test, a presentation, and a final – all before noon. UHaul will be picked up at 12:30, and from then until 8pm it’s GO TIME. That being the case, I wasn’t going to make practice this morning, and I definitely wouldn’t be at the double tonight.

I will however be reminding myself throughout the day of proper exercise techniques – applicable whether you’re lifting weights or lifting a king sized bed 4x your weight into the back of a truck. 8 tips to keep in mind:

  1. Stand close to the load and center yourself over it with your feet shoulder width apart
  2. Tighten your abdominal muscles
  3. Keeping your back straight, bend your knees and squat down to the floor
  4. Get a good grasp on the load with both hands
  5. Keeping the load close to your body use your leg muscles to stand up lifting the load off the floor
  6. Your back should remain straight throughout lifting, using only the muscles in the legs to lift the load
  7. Do not twist your body when moving the load. Instead take small steps with your feet turning until your are in the correct position
  8. Again bend at the knees using only your leg muscles and place the load in the appropriate spot

Sorry kids… no APA citations today – hahaha yes, I’m sourcing about.com. (Note: not recommended for college or professional writing ;) )

Progress…! Happy hump day to everyone. Four more finals and I’m FREE!

-E

p.s. if any of you local athletes want to get an extra upper body workout today and come help… haha I am ACSM certified – I can be the trainer! ;)

Category: Workout Wednesday | Tags: ,
The Triathlon Rx | September 22, 2010
18 comments

WORKOUT Wednesday – Weighing in on Weights

Heyyyo! It has been a great day here in Minneapolis… or at least in my own little world. Gettin. Stuff. Done. There is something very fulfilling about taking a fat red Sharpie and crossing items off the To Do list.

What is not so fulfilling is writing a two-hour Tried It Tuesday post, and then never actually POSTING it. What a dork. It had THREE product reviews, and photos, and everything. I might not win a Pullitzer Prize here, but I worked hard on that. TWO HOURS!! Look for it possibly this weekend, since I don’t want to wait another week. ;)

Anyways, today is not Tuesday. It’s Wednesday. And according to the sched, that means you get a workout. But I’m going to flex my administrative muscle here and say that WORKOUT Wednesday can be anything wko related – not just a specific workout.

On this wonderful Workout Wednesday, we’re talkin’ weights. And I say YOU as in you, me, a discussion…. feedback, interaction! Wow I feel like a teacher….

[…who is currently eyeing me and probably wondering why I’m typing so fast for a such an exciting lecture. Note the color.]

Alright. WEIGHTS! Of the people who do lift weights (1 in 5, according to a recent study by the CDC1) it seems like there is one of two beliefs right now. You have the “I don’t want to bulk up” low weights/high reps people, and then the go big or go home (lift heavy) folks. But who is right? And what the heck… I’m a triathlete and a distance runner! Wouldn’t my time be better spent putting in extra time on the bike than in the weight room?

So what’ll it be folks? Do you want to be like “arnold swartsanager” or the guys on Worlds Strongest Man? (Looks like someone missed the basics of capitalization and proper nouns…) I can’t tell you what’s “right” or “wrong” … although you will find plenty of “facts” out there on the world wide web telling you so. What I can tell you my opinion. (Which I do feel is quite educated, btw. ;) ) Lets take a look at these one at a time.

LOW WEIGHTS // HIGH REPS (LW//HR)

Low weights… high reps. 12 oz at a time!

(This was taken at 7:02 leaving my gym this morning. It wasn’t there an hour and a half before when I pulled up. Either someone was working off some guilt from last night, or they pulled the “it’s 5:00 somewhere” rule…)

The LW//HR style of strength training is typically held as the standard for endurance athletes, those looking for weight loss, pregnant women, and ladies to don’t want to “get bulky.” According to the American College of Sports Medicine, if your goal is “Muscular Endurance” then you should perform 15-20 reps of 1-3 sets.

HEAVY WEIGHTS // LOWER REPS (HW//LR)

(The guy in the middle is actually one of my buddies, from the Mr Minnesota 2010 competition!)

HR//LW is typically reserved for the goal of POWER. This is often employed in sports like throwing, jumping, and power-lifting. “Low reps” will vary depending on who you talk to, but could really be anything from your 1 rep max to 8, and “heavy weight” is obviously very unique to each individual. In the same ACSM publication, their guideline for those with the goal of “Muscle Power” is 3-5 reps, 1-5 sets.

MY FINAL WORDS

(Since I’ve managed to say all this without saying what I actually think yet.)

Ultimately, the strength training style you choose to use will be determined by your performance or fitness goals, and your previous experience. Not to mention how heavy you lifted on Monday and holy crap why are my arms still so sore? I include this last one because I see nothing wrong with doing a little of both.

Maybe you’re usually a heavy lifter, squatting 6 plates and always looking to stack on more. Maybe you had a max lift day on Monday, and you’re back on Wednesday but your arms are still toasted. Who’s to say you can’t change up your style and do some 3x15s? NO ONE is who. The way you approach strength training is a personal choice, and as long as it‘s working for you, then keep that chin up.

Which brings me to my true, one and only point. Is it working for you?

Time and time again I see people pushing around the same weight every. single. time. They’re not making any improvements, whether their goal is performance, weight loss, or just to “look good naked”. Or I’ll see people finish a weight circuit and go bounding out of the gym as springy as when they came in. I’m not saying you need to pummel yourself into the ground, but it should be hard. It should make you tired. You should feel fatigued. If you finish and you feel like you didn’t do anything… you probably didn’t. And it probably won’t “work”.

So no matter what your lifting style is… short and heavy or long and hard (ohhhh stop me. t. w. s…..), I say do what you do but make sure no matter what that what you do is work hard.

The end.

Almost… I’ve gotten many times the question “what do you do?” You, meaning me. Prior to working with my coach, I did what lots of runners do. Some core. Some pushups. I have always been a big advocate of using your body weight in strength training (squats, planks, lunges, wall sits, etc.) because you can do that anywhere. You don’t have a gym membership? You’re going on vacation? No problem. Now that I have knowledgeable guidance I’m able to utilize a lot of different equipment, drills, and techniques that I never even knew existed. And let me ask you… have I improved?


Cross Country invitational meet – Fall 2007

No meet. Just a face you can take to the bank. Fall 2010

Haha ok, maybe don’t answer that. I don’t take many “in action” shots… but maybe I will next time I’m hitting the squat rack.

What’s your method for strength training? Why do you do what you do? What are some of the crazy myths you’ve heard about weights?

If you stuck through all of that… send me your address because you deserve a box of cookies and a gold star. Thanks for stopping by and hangin’ out for a while! Have a lovely night,

-E

(*I will come back and edit this for the grammar mistakes I’m sure I made. But I have to make it to the store before they close!!)

Category: Workout Wednesday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | July 1, 2010
27 comments

Lose the faith of your patients in 5 easy steps

Sorry for the unexcused absence mis amigos! This last week has been full of settling into my new digs, work, and lots of swimming and biking. This following post will explain why. Although a little lengthy… I hope you’ll stick it out with me and read to the end – it’s a subject that’s pretty much universal to all athletes. Unless you’re made of gold. In which case pass me some of whatever you’re taking….

________________________________

Unfortunately, the title of this post reveals the fact that I’ve been at the doctor lately… but I’ll get more into that in the next post. For now though, I just need to get this out. My vexations observed in this post reveal a little bit about why I want to be a sports medicine doctor. They are also feelings that I’m sure all of you as athletes have faced at one point or another if you’ve EVER been to the doctors for an injury. So here we go….

(Vexation: noun. She stamped her foot in vexation. Annoyance, irritation, exasperation, indignation, anger, crossness, displeasure, pique, bile, disgruntlement, bad mood; informal: aggravation. That was your bonus word of the day BTW.)

Quick background: Since the beginning of June, I had been feeling some “stuff” going on in my left shin. Remember that day I said I had the run from hell? Turned around after two miles because my anterior tibialis muscle felt like it was made of steel? That was the start. At that point it was solely muscular feeling.. and I was thinking, oh crap… compartment syndrome?

Fast forward about a week (2nd week of June) and the muscle tightness was pretty much gone. Raced New Bri Tri and felt fine. Then towards the end of that week (around the 10th…) I started to feels some tenderness midway down the shaft of my Tibia. That’s your big shin bone for those that aren’t anatomy freaks. I say tenderness intentionally because that’s what it is – not pain, but feels almost like it’s bruised. Which does happen, so I sort of hoped for that.

However… I’m also not stupid. I might have been able to pull off the “well I didn’t know it was feeling bad….” thing off in high school. Since fracturing my hip and all having surgery on it in December 2008, I would like to say that I am a little bit smarter. No… I will say that. I am a much smarter athlete than I was several years ago. I love running basically as much as life, but I love it enough to know that I’d rather take the present moment to heal so that I can still enjoy running in my future.

Wow… I’m getting off track.

So I say my tibia was “tender” … but let’s be real – that’s still somewhere on the spectrum of “hurt.”  I had Manitou the Sunday after New Bri, and it was Friday when I had that “ohhhh crap” moment. I spoke with my doc, and we agreed that I’d go ahead and race Manitou. It was just a sprint… so that race (and really, just the 5K run) wasn’t enough to make or break any injury. So race Manitou I did. It was “tender” afterwards.. but still wasn’t “pain”.

By that Tuesday though (June 15th)… I knew I was not in a good spot. Tuesday nights are my regular runs with my guys group, and I went out with them with the intention of just doing one lake. Well one lake turned in to 7 miles, and let me tell you, those might have been the longest seven miles I’ve run in my life. There’s nothing like being out there on a run, KNOWING something is wrong, and having to just. get. home. Tell me – have you been there?

From that night, I said, “OK… running’s out for a while.” The words no runner ever wants to hear (or think…) – stress fracture – were like this high frequency buzz in the back of my mind. The thought was there, but I wasn’t fully aware of or accepting of the possibility. I think because I’ve been through stress fractures before (two – both fibular.. aka your “little” lower leg bone) I am almost able to minimize the situation – because in the end I’ve come through them stronger and faster than before.

So because ‘running was out’ … I ran 7 miles on our camping trip at Baker. Still no “pain,” but it definitely wasn’t one of my standard feel-good 7 milers. More than anything because I was just cognizant of it the whole entire time.

Which brings me to the doctor’s appointment. Because of my super awesome Student Health “Benefits” insurance plan that has such fantastic coverage… (I am declaring this the official color of sarcasm) I am not able to see my regular sports medicine doctor or treatment team. I was less than thrilled with this, to say the least. However, I was able to run the situation by him… because we’re neighbors. :)

Doc’s thoughts: it is less likely to be compartment syndrome. I should definitely get in for an MRI to figure things out and get started on a treatment plan. I should see Dr. F through my [one singular allowed and covered] clinic… he’s a good guy.

So I called my [one singular allowed and covered] clinic to schedule, and it turns out that Dr. F was booked out for quite a while. But the scheduler told me that Dr. A also “works with some athletes” and he would be just as good to see. And he was available the next day. So I took the appointment and the next morning I was off to the doc.

[Wait - did I say this was going to be a quick flash-back? Psych! Sorrrrrry.]

I will say right up front that I was a bit on edge before I even saw the doctor. I was not feeling good about seeing someone other than my USUAL doctor – the guy who has treated me for years throughout various injuries. Knows my history. Knows my personality. Knows my mentality. Knows my lifestyle. I was also a little on edge because I didn’t go in for my appointment for an HOUR after I was scheduled. If you know me… you might have realized I’m not the most patient person in the world.

So yeah, I was a little uneasy. And good Lord, I’m also long winded.

My doctor lost my faith in FIVE steps.

ONE // He entered the room, didn’t shake my hand, and just introduced himself. To me, at least in the professional world, that is sort of like the equivalent of saying “Hi. I’m  Important. I’m glad you have the chance to meet me.”

TWO // He took my patient history, and instantly had an impatient tone with me. I know I just said that I’m the one who’s impatient… but really? He asked when I first started noticing pain, and I said during the middle of an easy run on June 3rd. He asked told me “Can you please Be more specific.” Roughly how much more specific were you looking for Señor? The number of days out from the next Hailie’s comet?

THREE // He had me stand up barefooted and took a look at my feet anatomy. By just looking at me standing (stationary…), both facing forwards and backwards, he told me I “greatly overly” pronated. I’m not saying he’s not qualified to make such judgments… I’m not. But I’ve spent a lot of time with both my own sports medicine doctor and my physical therapy team. During that time I’ve had TWO video gait analyses done both at the beginning of treatment and several [rehabilitated] months later, and have definitely not been told I overly pronate. There is a slight bit of pronation on one side because I have a decent leg length discrepancy. That’s quite different than “severe over pronation” – much less “severe over pronation” deducted by watching me stand still for less than 15 seconds. Moving on…

FOUR // Not only have I fractured my femoral neck, but I have also had stress fractures in both fibulas in high school. I don’t say this because I’m proud of it or something… but to demonstrate the fact that I do know a thing or two about stress fractures. Not to mention… my field in school is kinesiology and sports medicine. In talking to this doctor, I got the impression that he thought I was about as bright as a box of rocks. I know that x-rays don’t typically show sfxs until they’ve already begun to heal. I know that I have a leg length discrepancy… in fact I just told you I have a leg length discrepancy before you responded with, “Well, you have a pretty big leg length discrepancy.”  I know that orthotics might help, and in fact I’ve been given several prescriptions for them, but your Student Health Shit Benefits insurance doesn’t agree that they’re necessary and won’t cover them. I don’t know any college student working to save and pay for rent/school/groceries/a car/gas/LIFE that can shell out $500 multiple times a year for new orthotcis, nor do I feel your 3rd degree interrogation of why I’m not wearing orthotics will help the cause.

[I love how each consecutive point is getting longer and longer and increasingly “vexated”….]

FIVE // Speaking of those x-rays that don’t really do much for sfxs (sfx = stress fracture… btw)… I had spoke with my usual sports med doc before going in to see Dr. A, and my usual doc told me to get an MRI. So when I go in to see you, tell you this, and you say, “Why would we do an MRI? An x-ray is all we need.” I will be slightly defensive, a) because I have complete faith in my usual doctor, and b) I have had wayyy more radiation than anyone my age should have by now. I do not want more (Sam I am). Not here, nor there, nor anywhere. Five minutes following the two x-rays taken, when you find them inconclusive and “suggest” we do an MRI, I will be slightly exasperated, frustrated, and annoyed. That exasperation, frustration, and annoyance will rise on the scale of 1 to insanity when you tell me that this MRI is also not covered by my Student Health Benefits, and will cost me roughly $260 out of pocket. Plus $500 because I really need to be wearing orthotics.

AAAGHHHHH! I feel something along the lines of this:

Flickr -> "Angry Redhead"

________________________________

When I first started writing this post, I wanted it to stay all cool-and-collected sounding, and keep more of a pleasant yet humorous tone. But over the two days plus that it has taken me to finish this, it has become apparent that I’m really kind of PO’ed. Not only because of the way I felt this doctor treated me, but because yet again – stress fracture or not – this is an injury.

So did I get the MRI? No. There is a point when you know what your prescription will be, pretty much regardless of the actual diagnosis: rest.

Resting I am. I haven’t run since June 15th (aside from that seven mile run while camping…) and I’m going to give it to at least the end of the week before trying it out again. I’m doing my best to maintain my sanity, because although I can swim and bike, it just doesn’t do it for me like running. And I am getting to that point where seeing other people/hearing other people talk about running is making me mad. I don’t like me mad.

Fortunately my July racing schedule was pretty skimpy. I might do a swim race (the Great Prairie Open Water Swim)  in the middle of the month just to still be racing. I thrive off having a goal and competition! And I’m PRAYING that I’m good to go for August, because my month is packed and FUN, and I want to be there for it. I will accept donated prayers as well. ;)

That post on pool running recently? Karma? I’m just sayin….

READER QUESTIONS: Have you ever “been there”? Do you have a good doctor, or one who makes you want to pull your hair out? Any of you currently dealing with an injury? What is it, and how are you hangin’ in there?

I hope the rest of my runners out there are runnin’ strong. Keep up your XT and your pre-hab!  I will tell you that I indulged in a little retail therapy at the AWESOME sale going on at Pure Blue right now. (Sale is ONLINE too for all you non-local folks!) I have two new swim suits, a matching cap (Oooh gosh… really?! Yes. Really.), and a new pair of tri shorts. In the mean time, you can find me in the pool!

-E

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | June 18, 2010
10 comments

Train on Top: Pool Running Part II

Hey there! T – 3 hours until camping kick off. AHHH I am so excited!

I wanted to make sure and get this posted before my friends all heal, rendering all of my expertise useless. ;) [UN]fortunately though, there will always be an injured runner out there, so I hope at least one person can find some use in what follows:

Some of you may know my buddy Kelly. Awesome lady, smart, funny, gorgeous, and sadly, injured. (Although since I wrote this post, things have definitely taken a swing in the right direction. I’ll keep prayin’ for you!) She, and another blogger, contacted me with questions about POOL RUNNING – something I have [far too much] experience with. I ended up writing them an email that took an hour and a half to finish… full of information and workouts, and I thought I’d share it here with you guys! This will be added to the Train On Top files, along with Pool Running: Part I.

Pool running isn’t only for when you’re sidelined with a stress fracture, or a torn ____. It can be incorporated into your training as PRE-hab, and help to keep you fit, and injury free. Sorry for being so lazy that I’m just doing a copy/paste of our email, but I have a pool to go swim in (or at least I did when I wrote this!!), and the longer I wait the greater my chances are of talking myself out of it. (Success!! I feel like my swimming hours are directly correlated with the temperature outside. It’s. HOT.) Train on amigos!!

_____________________________

BASICS

Like I said (in Part I), a pool belt is definitely helpful, unless you just want to do a shorter workout. There were always about 4 or so injured girls on the XC team in Boston, so I almost always had someone to pool run with. We would get irritated because the injured track kids would be in and out of the pool in like 20 minutes and we’d be in there for an hour!

Haha Kelly, sorry for the confusion. No water shoes required. The “two feet never touching the ground” thing was just my attempt at trying to hold onto some of RUNNER identity.

A watch where you can set up intervals is also helpful, but not necessarily necessary. Some pools will have a big electronic wall clock that you can look at, but truthfully, you’ll wish they didn’t. You could easily find yourself looking at the clock every 30 seconds wondering how it’s possible for time to go so effing slow. Not that I speak from experience or anything…. ;)

Deep Water vs. Shallow Water – I prefer deep, but you can do either. For you, Kelly, I’d definitely say deep. When you do pool running in water shallow enough that your feet touch, it changes the form, muscles used, and forces applied. Although it still seems like it’s 100% non-impact, you actually can make an injury worse if you’re not careful. Imagine running in like knee-deep water or waist-deep at a beach. A) it’s hard as HELL, and B) it can put an uneven strain on your hip flexors, because there is such great resistance to forward movement, but only from the waist down.

If I’m pool running, you can bet your butt it’s deep water. We used the diving well at school in Boston, but I have also pool run (ran?) in a regular lap pool, a crappy/steamy 6 foot pool, and even the lake. Any depth of water where you can’t touch is just fine.

FORM

If you’re not used to pool running, just know that it might will be frustrating for the first workout or two until you get a hang of it. You might feel like you’re doing absolutely nothing, but I promise you will break through… AND you can break a sweat! Know that your HR may be lower, but that’s because you’re in cool water which is cooling your body temp which (… full circle here …) helps keep your heart rate low. Instead of focusing on HR, pay attention to your breathing.

For your form, keep in mind forward motion. And by that I don’t mean that you need to be actually moving forward in the water, but restrict movement to the midsagital (front to back) plane. None of that crossing over, left to right  business, capish? It’s the same as running on land – crossing your arms (or feet, I guess) over the midline of your body is inefficient. It slows you down and hinders forward momentum. The pool is actually a GREAT place to really focus on and perfect on your form. I swear I came out of my sentence of pool running with a better and more efficient arm swing than I did pre-injury.

PACE & BREATHING

You’ll see me refer to pace in the workouts. I mentioned above that you would be better off focusing on your breathing (and therefore pace), and going by feel rather than scrutinizing your heart rate. However, when I say “focus on breathing,” that assumes that you’re very familiar with what your breathing sounds like and how it changes when you’re actually running, and running at different paces. Personally, I could tell you what my running pace is (give or take about 10 seconds) based solely on my breathing pattern – whether it’s 4/4 (basic, steady state), 3/3 (10K to 5K), 2/2/4 (mile repeats), or 2/2 (400 repeats). But again, everyone has a unique style of breathing when they run. You know you.

That also assumes that you’ve raced all sorts of distances, from the mile to the marathon, and multiple times to be that familiar with your breathing. If you haven’t, NO WORRIES! Just know that you’re on a gradient from a hard effort to easy or recovery (all out // 400 // 800 // mile // 5K // 10K // steady state).

[I don't have a huge difference between my half marry and marathon pace (though hopefully some day I will!), so that's why I didn't differentiate those two above. Personally, anything half marathon and above feels pretty "comfortable" - but by all means separate out the two if you have two drastically different paces!!]

ENTERTAINMENT

I’m telling you right now – nothing will make you more mentally tough than having a two HOUR steady state “long run” in the pool. Alone. Sans music. It can be like counting scales on a fish. Or watching paint dry. But truthfully it can also be kind of fun! Having other girls in the pool with me was obviously a huge benefit of being with a team, but there were many days when I had to go it alone. These are the things that helped me pass the time:

Music – As often as I say I don’t really like music while running, pool running is a different story. Our pool in Boston had a big sound system that was pumpin’ all the time. You might not be at a pool where you can blast music though. Towards the end of the year the sound system at the pool broke, and the coach decided not to fix it until the next year. SO, I took a leap of faith, put my ipod in a ziplock sandwich baggy, and tucked it up under a baseball hat. I had the headphones dangling down out of the sides, and I tightened that baby up, praying that the ipod wouldn’t slide out the back. And it worked WONDERS. Use the tempo of the music to your advantage. I have a couple workouts I based entirely on the songs I was listening to. :)

[I also have an underwater mp3 player now, which I use for swimming. If you want info on that... let me know. I love it!!]

Nu Dolophin Underwater Touch

Podcasts – Probably not as important to either of you, but I listened to “Dr. G’s Anatomy & Physiology” podcast and reinforced everything I was learning in lecture. Really cemented in my mind the concepts of T-tubules, mitochondria, and the like. ;) But for RUNNING and keeping hope and faith and your sanity, the podcast Phedippidations is pretty cool. Maybe a little cheesy at times, but there is some great information and cool interviews tucked in there. I used to listen to it all the time… in the pool, but also on long runs. Good stuff.

“Mental Organization” time - I only say that slightly jokingly. Yes, I do have an extra Martha gene in my body. ;) If you have an hour of solid, uninterrupted time, it’s great for planning out your next post, a paper you’re working on for history of world architecture, your shopping list, etc. Use that time to your advantage.

WORKOUTS

What you really wanted in the fist place! All of these are based on an hour in the pool, just because that was pretty much always a minimum on the schedule. If you want to cut it in half (which would be recommended if you’re just starting out, or just trying to get your form down) go right ahead! They can also be extended as you like, but I have a feeling that after an hour in the pool, you’ll be ready to get out. ;)

PYRAMID – only uses two “paces” – steady state, and hard. My favorite for making time feel it’s passing quicker. Once you get over the 5 min. interval, the build-down feels so much shorter!

15 min w/u
1 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
2 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
3 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
4 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
5 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
4 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
3 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
2 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
1 min @ hard
12 min c/d

8x3s – I used my “5K pace” for the 3 minute intervals… You’ll have 24 minutes total of your 5K pace, but for the “recovery” intervals, it’s important to not just slack completely. Like when you’re running intervals, don’t go to a “walk” to recover – keep working, just take it down.

10 minute w/u
[3 min @ 5K pace // 2 min @ recovery] x 8
10 min c/d

5x5s – I remember sometimes loving the longer intervals, and sometimes hating them. The shorter “recovery” intervals ensure that you keep working hard, which is why there is a longer warm up and a longer cool down.

15 min w/u
[5 min @ 10k pace // 1 min @ recovery] x 5
15 min c/d

THE MIXUP – uses not only pool running, but a kick set, and a set sans belt. This one I think is “fun”… :D

10 min @ steady state (with belt)
5 min kick (across the pool or up and down a lane) with a kickboard
5 min pool run without a belt
[repeat for a total of 3 sets]

I guess that’s a good place to start!! Once you get the hang of it and reach the point where you’re feeling like you’re sweating and getting a good workout, you can work in sans-belt pool running for your “working” intervals!! Trust me… it’s harder than you’d think. I hope this offers a little variety to your workouts, and if you’re injured – KEEP THE FAITH. You are only on the disabled list temporarily. You will be running again!!

Let me know if you have any more questions. All the best, and lots of love,
-Erika

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | June 1, 2010
13 comments

How to use your friends to your advantage

And I promise… I mean that in the best, nicest way possible. :)

First of all, I hope everyone had a nice long weekend to recharge, spend time with the fam, friends, and get a little R&R. Whether that means running & racing or rest & relaxation is up to you! I didn’t race, and I had a definite restFAIL, but the running and relaxation were accomplished! I had a nice 10 miler with my good running buddy on Sunday – his last LR before the Minneapolis Marathon this weekend. And I also had a great relaxing run with my mom for a total of 11 miles on Monday. Killing two birds with one stone. :D

No three day “weekend” for me, as I worked every day. Good thing I love my job!! The highlight of my weekend for sure was watching the Minnesota Twins game on Sunday at my mom’s house. She made a comment around the 5th inning, and she made me promise I wouldn’t “put on the website” … but I can still say that lady is hilarious. Are you sure you work at an elementary school mom? Love. YOU.

post-race conversation about “the stick” – mama got jokes.

Anyways, unlike many others, this post does have a point. And that would be Using Your Friends. By that I don’t mean using them to score their employee discount, free tickets to a game, or their man. No, I mean using your friends to your training advantage. Whether you consider yourself an athlete, or just someone who is striving to live a healthy lifestyle, chances are you have friends who think along the same lines. If you don’t, maybe you can bribe encourage a friend to tackle a race, a new distance PR, or a healthy goal with you! Not only is it quality time with your buds, but a lot of people claim that they can work harder/longer when they do it with a friend! (twHs…)

I’m fortunate enough that being part of several teams and training groups, I almost always have someone to train with if I want the company. Depending on what kind of workout is on tap for the day, I might call on different people. Here are several ways you and your compadres can work together to get into peak performance:

1 // to go harder, faster, longer.

When I need to run fast, I know who to call to keep me on pace. My good buddy Dave is one speedy guy – not only did he just post a 2:46 at Fargo Marathon, but my tempo pace is essentially conversational for him, so he can distract me from certain death the pain. Distance is one of the things that just isn’t an issue for me – it’s my time to think, chat with God, and enjoy just being outside in the fresh air. But 20 miles can get long when you’re going alone, so having marathon buddies certainly helps.

When I need to ride… be it a faster ride or a longer ride, there are about a million people I can call on. Let me tell you, I have room to improve on the bike. Despite the fact that I’ve been riding a lot more lately, I don’t think I’m necessarily getting faster, which is frustrating for sure. Yes, you can do drills, intervals, and tempo rides, but I think the real key is riding with other people who are just slightly faster than you. Not so fast that they’ll leave you miles behind, but fast enough that you’re working, and working HARD. Let them do the chatting… you just focus on pumping it out. Enter, el novio. Although he easily falls into the camp of “leave me many miles behind”, he won’t. He’s wicked fast, and also super knowledgeable and gives me helpful advice. Sometimes it’s hard to hear “well, you need to be in a lower gear – you’re just fatiguing your legs…” when I’m sucking wind, but I know its only said with good intentions.

One of the things I have yet to bring back this summer, but did all the time in previous years, was have a bike buddy! I’ve posted about it before (throwback from August 28th 2008!!), but my dad is my all time favorite parter to keep me on pace, pass up a water bottle, just catch up on life, and help the miles go by. I miss you pops!! If you really don’t know anyone faster than you, try recruiting a bud to rollerblade or bike along with you!

Dave and I – 3rd place finishers at the Get Lucky 7K!

2 // to recover

It took me many years, and two fibular stress fractures to finally learn the importance of a “recovery run.” Back in the day, if I was going to get sweaty, I at least wanted to feel like I had worked hard. High school cross country and track years were filled with running, but back then I would say I only had two paces – running, and walking. My coach would always say, “your not giving your legs a chance to recover if you go all out all the time!” and I didn’t listen. Until my fibula went carrrack! and I couldn’t run at all.

Some days it’s still hard for me to slow down though. Last weekend when I bricked it, and my legs felt like beef jerky? I was still running 7:30s, despite telling my self go slowwwer! The 10 miler I did with my buddy on Sunday – we both kept saying “ok, lets take it down” … and yet we continued to hit faster times, mile after mile, until the very last lake when I think we finally dialed it in. Even if you’re telling yourself you want/need a recovery run, your body doesn’t always listen.

Enter, your slower friends. :D Haha – that’s not a bad thing! If you’re like me, you know people at all different places in their athletic life. Some are recreational athletes, some race, some just do whatever they want, when they want! In running with a slower friend, not only would you not leave them in the dust, but you get to talk, you get to be the motivator, and you get your recovery run/ride/workout! While you don’t have to tell said friend, “Hey, will you run with me? I need to go with a slow person so I can get my recovery day in…” you can let them know you just want to take it easy! Otherwise they might think you have an expectation of them to go at your pace, and not only will you not slow down, you’ll burn them into the ground. ;)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being the “recovery person” – my mom is that person for me, I am that person running with Dave, and riding with my boyfriend. “Fast” is a relative term.

Him: shootin’ the breeze. Me: Gasping for air. Both: eating cereal. :D

3 // to motivate

Do you know anyone who has overcome some damn-near-miracles in their life, yet they continue to put themselves out there every day and put in the work? I do, for sure. Even if you don’t know anyone in real life, all it takes is a look at some of the pros. There are some amazing athletes out there who take on adversity like just a little sprinkling rain. Sarah Reinertsen is one of my idols, and no matter how many times I watch the Ironman 2004 DVD where she missed the bike cutoff by just 15 minutes, and they wouldn’t let her finish. She headed back to Kona in 2005 and became the first female above the knee amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship.

I don’t want this to come off as a pity party of 1 for myself, but I do know what it feels like to have your athleticism taken away from you. My hip was hanging on by a thread like a tooth attached by one single vein. The ability to run, jump, swim, ride, be mobile, run down the stairs, run to answer your phone, carry your own groceries… it’s not a given. It’s a gift. Remember that when you’re out on your next adventure… you get to do this. If you approach training with that frame of mind, you will find it a lot harder to moan and groan when you need to get in your workout.

4 // to try new things

Have you always wanted to try rock climbing? Or maybe rollerblading? There are lots of great cross training options out there, and XT is perfect for breaking up the usual routine and preventing burn out. Trying a new activity with a friend is tons of fun… and it makes you feel like less of a doof for being inexperienced! Here are some fun “new” things to try out:

  • new class at the gym
  • new route
  • new race
  • new activity – swimming open water, hiking, rock climbing, skating, snow shoeing, xc skiing, tennis, basketball, play catch, play frisbee, the list goes on!

A brand new form of XT is also a good way to get injured if you go at it too hard, so be cautious of that one. :)

Rollerblading battle wounds.

You didn’t think I’d end on a number 4… did you?

5 // to have FUN

There is definitely value to getting in your solo runs, your rides, whatever. I have sent the text many a time saying “sorry – I think I need to take this one solo today. Head clearing.” But training with other people, in addition to all the great benefits above, can be so much more FUN than going alone. Not gonna lie, we (me/mom, me/teammates, me/training buddies) gossip while we run. We crack jokes. We pull many a TWSS. We laugh. We cry sometimes, we vent, and we use each other as free therapists. We give high fives and hugs at the end of a challenging workout. We pass out in the grass. We foam roll and scream at the pain.

One of my most memorable runs was when we Traced Boston Backwards – myself and my best friend out at school in Boston, Maddie. I always knew that there would be something I’d miss from Boston when I moved back home, and this girl is it. It wasn’t necessarily that the run was amazing, but it’s the company and the memories I have now.

I’ve also found a really awesome training buddy here on my UMN Tri team – we run the same paces, we swim the same paces, we can talk about anything and everything. She’s awesome!! I feel so blessed that God has brought such amazing people in my life. :)

As always, 5 is a good number to end on. As is 3. Or 7. ;) So that’s where I’ll wrap.

Next time your alarm goes off at 5am, or you get off or work at 7pm, and you’re dreading your gym trip/run/swim/etc… think about phoning a friend. Invite that speedy girl to help push you on your mile repeats. Call your couch-to-5K brother in law to go for an easy jog. Think of your friend dealing with _____, tough as nails, and remember that you get to make the most out of today.

READER Qs:

Do you regularly workout with friends? Your hubby? Your kids? Who motivates you? What workout do you need that extra push for, and when do you prefer to go solo?

Have a good one kids! Got some fun stuff, including a giveaway, coming soon!

-E

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