He did not much like this early morning business, but the idea of forgoing it, even for one morning, never crossed his mind.
-Once A Runner

Love that quote!!!

I have received several tweets/emails/questions regarding morning workouts, and “becoming a morning person.” These may or may not have been in response to 4am foursquare check-ins at Lifetime Fitness. I can’t claim that I can make anyone into a morning person, but hopefully some of these suggestions can make mornings (and morning workouts) a little more tolerable.

Dome inflated… Downtown Minneapolis edited sunrise! Still pretty!

1. PACK YOUR BAG THE NIGHT BEFORE

This includes laying out your workout clothes and whatever else you may need for that morning’s workout. Shorts, sports bras, which SHOES you’ll need, swim cap, pull buoy, HEED for your water bottle – whatever. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten out of the shower after practice, only to find I don’t have underwear. Or didn’t bring spin shoes. Or ______.

2. SET UP YOUR COFFEE THE NIGHT BEFORE

If you’re a coffee drinker. If the blaring alarm playing Good Feeling isn’t enough to get me out of bed, the smell of fresh brewed coffee and knowing it’s hot and ready waiting for me will do the trick. If you’re not a coffee drinker… that’s unfortunate one less step for you.

3. TURN LIGHTS ON RIGHT AWAY

It’s probably one of the last things you want to do. You’re in your warm, cozy bed. Your eyes are only half open. You want a nice gentle awakening, right? Wrong. Get your butt out of bed and turn your lights on bright to signal your brain that it’s time to WAKE UP!!

4. MOTIVATION

Play your pre-game playlist or something upbeat. If you are in a situation where you need to be cognizant of others (hmm.. Dear upstairs neighbors, can you hear me in the morning?) you could listen to an iPod, dance around your kitchen, get the RW Quote of the Day, do SOMETHING to trick your brain into thinking WOOOH it’s 4am let’s DO this!

5. NUTRITION

This one is pretty individual. Some people can’t fathom a workout without something in their stomachs. Some people can’t fathom the idea of something in their stomachs before a workout. I tend to fall into the latter camp, but after working for a long time with a sports nutritionist, have finally bent a little on that. I typically mix a Carnation Instant Breakfast into my coffee (don’t knock it till you try it…) and that’s my “topper” to the fuel stores. I also tend to eat a pretty late dinner, so rarely ever wake up feeling “hungry.” Long story short: do what works for you. It’s worth experimenting and playing with…

(Side note: there are definitely benefits of doing the occasional fasted wko. Enough material there for a separate post, so I won’t get into it now.)

6. GET YOUR SLEEP

If you rolled in at 1am, and are planning on getting up at 5, your chances of actually abiding by that alarm are diminishing quickly. I will absolutely admit to being a 22 year old granny and going to bed ridiculously early. I take my wake-up time, subtract 8 hours, and make sure I go to sleep by that. There are definitely occasions where I’ve had to pull off above-mentioned situation on 4 hours of sleep, and it’s usually not a very productive or beneficial workout.

7. MAKE IT EXCITING!

If you have any say in your weekly workout schedule, make it something to look forward to. Take a spin class. Try Zumba. If you’re looking forward to whatever workout you have ahead of you, the temptation to hit snooze will likely diminish.

8. FIND A COMMITMENT BUDDY

Were there not people expecting me to show up every morning… would I? OK, probably. I’m one of the people that enjoys and prefers 5ams over anything else. BUT there have definitely been occasions where I have had to convince myself, “Tom is expecting you to be there today” or “You told Michelle you’d meet her on the mats at 5:30!!” If you have committed to meet someone else for your early morning sweat session, you probably won’t leave them hanging.

9. REMIND YOURSELF WHY YOU DO THIS

Because it’s your quiet time. Because it’s your natural “energy drink” to keep you going the rest of the day. Because you have meetings until 8pm. Because you want to see the sun rise. To take advantage of the early morning light (now that it gets dark at 5pm). To get it out of the way. Because the gym is less crowded. To stay consistent (because you never know what the day will bring). To clear your mind. To refocus. To regulate your sleep. To jump start your metabolism (not sure I believe this one, but if it gets you goin…).

10. SAFETY PLEASE!

This one isn’t exactly a tip to help you get in your morning workout, but just a friendly PSA. If you’re going out on your own in the still-dark morning hours, be smart. Where something reflective. Let someone know your usual routes. Consider carrying a phone. Consider carrying mase. Consider bringing your dog. Run with one earbud out or no music at all.

Annnd that seems like a good place to stop. Morning workouts might not be for everyone, but if your schedule requires it or you think it’s something you’d like to try, these ideas might make it a little more enjoyable.

Reader Qs:

Anything I’m missing? Do you workout in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Without limitations of schedule, when would you work out?

-E

Anyways… I thought I could at least take 30 minutes and pop out a quick Friday Confessional. I don’t need to embarrass myself too much, but it has been a rather entertaining week. If you don’t know how to play, check the 101 and then come on back. Game time!

(1) I did yoga. For an HOUR. If you know me in real life, your jaw might be on the floor right now. Don’t get me wrong – I have absolutely nothing against it or anyone who does it, but yoga has always been like this dirty four letter word to me. WHY did I do yoga then? I brought new shoes to spin on Tuesday, and they wouldn’t clip in. Instead of going downstairs and doing XT like I wanted to, two of my buddies dragged coerced me into the yoga studio. I don’t know if I’ve ever looked at my watch more times in one hour. The worst part of this whole story? My ride later that afternoon was awesome. Ridiculously fast, and even with lots of wind which is usually my downfall. The only difference was the yoga. ⠋ ⠥ ⠉ ⠅!! (There’s the braille for you Mr. James…) I might finally need to give in and do it once a week.

(2) Had my first (in a long time) can’t drive home moment. Actually… maybe my first ever. All those other times were in situations where I a) lived in a city with a subway, b) was not the driver anyways, c) was within walking distance. I’m all for having a good time, but my motto has always been that you should stay within your means. Did anyone hear about the US ski team guy who “urinated next to an 11 year old” on a Jet Blue flight? After having a couple EIGHT cocktails? Yeah. So I was in NO WHERE near that condition… but it was a good call to not drive home. I know you were being generous Mr. HotToddieBartender, but 3 oz. of gin is not the equivalent one drink

(3) I didn’t swim from July 21st to August 14th. So much for consistency! I posted a Medical Monday about my EMG and my pinched ulnar nerve, and that pretty much prevented me from keeping the fingers on my left hand closed. Understandably, that made swimming a little difficult. On the 15th I got in a CHOPPY open water swim, and yesterday I got in a solid 3,000 with ZERO left hand weakness. Fingers crossed that I’m in the green blue.

There was another incident involving a yellow jacket down my sports bra while riding aero and flashing an entire baseball diamond (and team/fans/parents) while trying to get it out, but that one’s pretty self explanatory. Umm…. any other blushing moments? Yes. But I’m going to save a little dignity and cut it at that…

Reader Qs:

YOUR TURN!!

-E

p.s. Please don’t think I’m kidding… it is taking me FOREVER to get through this Tried It Tuesday review because it has SO MUCH information!! Maybe I should stop short and just take a picture and say it’s awesome. But I feel obligated to do a more in depth review. So yes, it’s coming. If you’re looking for any more Dr.TriRunner writing, you can check out my post from yesterday at Groucho Sports: Strength Training for Cyclists (/Triathletes). Also, I am officially blogging for the College of Education and Human Development and the Kinesiology program at the U of MN. Any other collegiate triathletes out there? Anyone high school seniors looking at schools? You can check out that blog here!!

[Disclaimer - if you don't like needles, there is a needle picture coming! It's teeny tiny though. And no blood.]

(Marking nerve landmarks. Please ignore unfortunate/awkward position of the hand.) Last week I had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of an EMG, or Electromyography. That E_G sequence may look familiar to you, as in ECG (electrocardiogram), EEG (electroencephalogram), EKG (same as ECG). An electrocardiogram is for monitoring your heart, and an electroencephalogram for picking up electrical activity of the brain. (Question for you Dr. Greg or anyone else who can answer… why is an EMG -graphy, and ECG and EEG are -gram?)

So then, what is an EMG?

An EMG, or electromyography, is a diagnostic test used to evaluate the health and functioning of motor neurons and the muscles they stimulate. You can use electrodes placed on the surface of the skin to detect or transmit electrical signals, and/or you can do a needle EMG, in which case a needle is placed directly into the muscle and records electrical activity. I was fortunate enough to do BOTH, because really, who doesn’t want to be shocked and skewered by their doctor?

The electrodes were moved around as he shocked different nerves. A made-me-jump shock at my elbow felt like a finger tap on the medial side of my palm. Hmmmm….)

Your doctor may order an EMG if you are experiencing tingling, numbness, loss of motor control, weakness, pain, or cramping. An EMG may be used for preliminary testing for muscular dystrophy, polymyositis, myasthenia gravis, carpal tunnel syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or a herniated disk in the spine. Putting my sarcasm aside for a minute – I am very thankful that I have none of these are my diagnosis, and honestly and deeply do appreciate my health.

A neurologist typically reads the graphs/charts created during the EMG, and will go over it with your doctor, who will go over it with YOU. There are really only two outcomes: normal tells you you’re fine, but doesn’t solve the question/issue you were trying to solve by doing an EMG in the first place… and abnormal tells you you have more testing to do.

And that, my friends, is more than I’m sure you ever wanted to know about electromyography.

(Needle EMG! It was honestly the size of an acupuncture needle… teeny!) If you’re wondering why I was getting an EMG in the first place, it’s a long story that I’m about to make really short. A couple Sundays ago, I was in the middle of a pull set (in the pool) when I realized water was flooding through my left hand. No matter how hard I focused on it, I couldn’t keep the fingers on my left hand together. I was only about 1,000m into the workout, and it was a pretty easy swim to begin with, so I was reasonably frustrated and confused. (Imagine trying to kayak with a paddle full of holes!!) No pain, just weakness and lack of motor control. If you have ever come in from a winter run and you can’t coax your fingers to turn a door key or untie a shoelace, that’s exactly how my fingers felt (/feel). Fortunately, I already had an appointment scheduled with my sports med doc anyways for later that week, so I was able to get in and get her (doctor’s) opinion relatively quickly.

However, the issue is still not resolved, as I haven’t been able to successfully swim more than 1000m before losing strength in my left hand. (I know – cry me a river. But even if you don’t love swimming, you’d probably miss it too if you’re used to swimming on a regular schedule!) It’s mostly affecting the extensors and the pinky and ring finger, which to me sounds like an impinged ulnar nerve. The person reading the EMG had the same consensus, and now, I think, it’s just a waiting game.

Reader Qs:

Have you ever had an EMG, ECG, or EEG? If so, why was it ordered, and what did it show?

See … Mondays aren’t really so bad. You get to learn something new, and you don’t even need to sit through a whole semester of PHAR 5201! Make the start of the week a good one!

-E

(Sorry if I just offended anyone – of course there are plenty of amazing triathletes who are also great swimmers. But in the scope of the whole triathlete pool, let’s face it… >75% are more like manatees.)

[(Bad example - while manatee's usually swim around 5mph (still fast!), they can hit up to 15 mph in short bursts. And swim on their own an hour after being born. Thanks National Geographic!)]

ANYWAYS. I have gotten the sweet opportunity to witness a lot of amazing swimming, and it’s only just getting started. The University of Minnesota has had the honor of hosting this year’s NCAA DI Men’s National Swimming & Diving Championships! Today (Saturday) is the LAST day of competition, with prelims starting at 12:00 and finals beginning again at 7:00. There are around 50 schools competing, and they all remembered to bring their game – I lost count of how many new records have been set, but I expect more to come today! There are several students who have competed in the Olympics (and will be returning for 2012), so the bars are set high!

If any of you are in the Twin Cities metro and interested in checking out the REAL fish I’d encourage you to head over to the U of MN and check out the LAST day of competition!! Today schedule is:

NOON – PRELIMS

• 200-yard backstroke
• 100-yard freestyle
• 200-yard breaststroke
• 200-yard butterfly
• 400-yard freestyle relay
• platform diving (trials start at 1:30)
• 1,650-yard freestyle (all but last heat of time finals)

7:00 PM – FINALS

• 1,650-yard freestyle (last heat of time finals)
• 200-yard backstroke
• 100-yard freestyle
• 200-yard breaststroke
• 200-yard butterfly
• platform diving
• 400-yard freestyle

I know what I’m the most excited for… but truthfully this is all amazing, fast swimming! This is also a great event to bring your kids and get them excited about the sport of swimming. I talked to a couple little tater-tots last night who were standing front row about their favorite strokes, and you could see the excitement in their eyes. So if your free and in the area, come on down!

READER Qs:

If you’re a triathlete – did you swim growing up or not until you picked up tri? What is your favorite stroke?

I swam on a club team from 5th-8th grade, and varsity in 9th grade. Took three years “off” (in my strictly-running days) until my hip surgery forced me back in the pool! I usually swam breast and back when I was on the team, and actually hated free until I started swimming with my tri team. (Once in 9th grade my coach put me in the 500 free, and like 300 yards in I said &#%@ this! and started swimming breast. Hahahha he was heated!)

GO GOPHERS!

-E

(p.s. If I have any readers who live IN Puerto Rico or anyone who as attended one of those schools – Universidad Central del Caribe, UPR, or Ponce – please please please contact me!! I would love to talk with you about it!)

SO. First of all we have a brief (mmm, maybe) rundown of the trip, with commentary kept to a minimum. Truthfully I had a very athletic week while there, and knowing that 99.9% of my readers are athletes, I hope my “review” may help you in preparing for a trip to PR or in narrowing down your vacation options. Secondly, the Ironman San Juan 70.3 is TOMORROW (Sunday – 3/19), and my hotel – the Caribe Hilton – happened to be the host hotel for the race! So for anyone considering the San Juan 70.3, I have a little “course preview” and race info for you as well. AND lastly because it’s Friday, you get one confession. ¡Vamos!

From Minneapolis it’s about a 5 hour direct flight to San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport… which is the “big one” that you would likely fly into. Even though San Juan (the capital) is on the northeast side of the island, the sweet thing about Puerto Rico is that the entire place is just about 3x the size of Rhode Island. MEANING you can rent a car and be to any of the other coasts in about 2 hours max. Which I did when I went to el Yunque National Forest (see photos below)!

In terms of things that travelers/tourists may want to know:

• I can’t speak for all of PR because I was staying in San Juan, but IMO it was VERY safe. I ran alone, I ran with random locals, I ran with other travelers, I took off exploring on my own. Sin problemas. Granted, I don’t do dumb $#!& to put myself in dangerous situations… but nonetheless, I felt safe the whole time.
• You don’t need to speak Spanish… at least in San Juan. Just about everyone can speak English at a functional level where you can order food/get directions/get a taxi, etc.
• That being said, if you do speak Spanish (or are learning?) … GO FOR IT! Aside from talking to the people I was traveling with, I spoke Spanish the entire time. Even if you are just learning, don’t be shy! Being immersed in it a foreign country is hands down the best way to learn a language.
• Typical Puerto Rican food has a lot of rice and beans and plantains. But if that’s not your thing there are plenty of options. (siiigh) They too have Micky D’s, KFC, etc.
• There is a lot to do! National rainforest, beaches, parks, old forts, restaurants, the bioluminescent bays, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking… there is really no reason to be bored.

(On the way to the rainforest and it definitely looks like it’s going to be wet!)

(so much green!! // repping Ragnar in the rainforest (note the footwear!!) // whoever lives there has a pretty sweet view)

(I found some gallinas in the rainforest… wanted to bring them home for my friend Willie but thought customs might pose a problem.)

And now para mis atleteas – what can you do to keep up your training in Puerto Rico? You’ve got options! I guess my only disclaimer would be that if you’re on vacation, don’t let stress about getting your training in ruin your time. Know that you might not get in your “usual” volume… know that you might be enjoying some, um, late nights out in Condado. The point is you can still keep up your fitness on vacation without sacrificing the fun! This info is also for any prospective Ironman San Juan 70.3ers – information on pre-race course access and what’s available in San Juan!

• SWIMMING: Is definitely doable. Lots of the hotels have pools… I was thinking mine had a lap pool but found out I was WRONG when I got there. I got some good ocean swimming in though… aside from the part about my Timex Ironman Racer flooding with water and dying the second I hit salt water. (Not kidding… I wanted to cry. [No - that's my Friday confession] I use that watch for EVERYTHING!! NTM I don’t really have $200 to drop on a new HR monitor/watch.)
• SWIMMING IMSJ 70.3: If you get to Puerto Rico and you see the wind and the waves and your thinking oh hecccck no… don’t worry. The swim is protected in Condado Bay, and goes from there for 1.2 miles over to DIRECTLY outside of my hotel lobby. The exit swim exit is up this ramp… which when I took this photo (below) looked kinda iffy. They guys building it said they were going to put something over the wood to make it a) non slippery, and b) not splintery. I would recommend NOT standing up anywhere along the swim, even though at times it is like 3 feet deep, because there are rocks and you could easily cut yourself. The water is very nice and you should NOT need a wet suit at all. It’d just add time to your T1. Also be prepared for a good distance jog from the water-exit to the transition.
• BIKING: I didn’t ride at all while I was out here, but my dad rode with me for one of my runs!! (We’ve been doing this for a long time together (see PHILLY 2009) … it’s kind of “our thing”. I miss you dad!) My hotel had bikes to rent for $15/hour or $25/day. I was expecting them to be huge slow beach cruisers, but we were pleasantly surprised to see some nice Treks!
• BIKING IMSJ 70.3: If you want to ride the course pre-race, please BE CAREFUL. The first 5-10 miles of the bike course are in an area with HEAVY TRAFFIC. There is a reason they’re closing the road for the race!! The bike portion starts out going south out of San Juan, and then rides west along the coast. At about mile 12.5 you start a loop – of which you’ll complete 2 – before retracing your steps back to SJ. Personally, I wouldn’t ride with a disk because the winds can be pretty strong coming off the ocean. But that’s coming from someone who weighs under a buck and would probably blow to the south coast of the island. The choice is totally up to you, but know that there WILL be wind.
• RUNNING: You can run your heart out in Puerto Rico… and I happened to do just that! There are plenty of miles of paved paths to get in whatever you need. Know that it is HUMID so if you are coming from a place like, oh… Minnesota, it might take some acclimating. I was staying in between Old San Juan and Condado (which is convenient, because those are both the neighborhoods with the “things to do”), and you can run either direction. There were so many other runners out too!! That was in part due to the fact that triathletes were arriving for the weekend’s race, but also because people are active in PR. I joined up with some local guys who happened to be running at the same time on a couple of the days (HI if your reading!!), and the other days I ran alone. Shortest run: 7. Longest run: 14. Every run: BEAUTIFUL.
• RUNNING IMSJ 70.3: You have open access to run the course at any time. The run course starts at the Sixto Escobar Stadium (which was literally a minutes jog from my hotel lobby) and head west along the Atlantic coast (during this part you will hopefully get a nice breeze off the water to cool you down) to an old fort (San Felipe del Morro) before turning back. I think it’s a DOUBLE loop out and back… just an FYI.

(Run map going out through Old San Juan. While it was fun going running over in Condado and even to Isla Verde, Old San Juan was definitely my favorite place to run. They have a paved path that goes outside of the old city wall which is pretty cool too. You can also check out the official swim map and bike map for the 70.3)

I know it’s a little early to start building a 2012 race calendar, but unless I face grave injury or severe financial instability, I will definitely be returning to San Juan next year for the Half Ironman. (In bold because I need a commitment, dangit!) It’s kind of at an inconvenient time if you live in a cold state, since you probably won’t have ridden your bike out on the real roads in a few months. And you for sure won’t have been swimming in any open water! Which sounds to me like all the more reasons to make a week out of it and get acclimated. I’ve already put the word out to a few of my MN tri buddies and it seems like there is definitely interest there. Julia? Steve? Whattya think…? March is a good time for a family vacation!

This San Juan 70.3 is part of the Ironman 70.3 series – so as all other Ironman events, you can expect a very well put on race. They’ve obviously put on enough races by now to know how to make sure everything is organized and running smoothly, and there are volunteers galore to help ensure a successful day! I, however, have not done any races that far away. So if anyone wants to give me advice on shipping/flying with a bike, I’d definitely appreciate it!

Some more photos from the trip:

(El Fortin de San Geronimo – right outside my bedroom! You can also watch the swim portion of the 70.3 from here.)

(L: This guy is kayaking in the proctected lagoon that the swim is held in… also right outside my room! Just for an idea of how smooth the water is. // R: The Caribe Hilton’s protected bay. Nothing too exciting in terms of marine life in there, but nice that it cuts the waves!)

(PEACOCK! Totally not phased at all..)

(Go ahead… ♪ shake ya tail feathers ♪)

This is my one Friday Confession. You guys know how big I am on sun protection and usually I am SO good about it! On this trip I had my faithful Kinesys packed, including my 30spf spray bottle and the sunscreen “stick” for lips n’ face. And both of these products worked without fail… when you remember to put them on!! DOH! On ONE single day I forgot to put on sunscreen, and yes I did burn. That nice little quemadura there is from like two hours without sun block.

Of course my face is peeling now, which I’m sure looks super attractive. I feel the need to explain myself wherever I go… like “oh, just ignore the layer of skin coming off my forehead – I just got back from a trip.” Cuuuute.

I think that about wraps it!! At the time I hit publish, San Juan 70.3 is 13 hours and 21 minutes away!! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE RACING TOMORROW!! See you next year!

• Reader Qs:
• Have you ever been to Puerto Rico?
• Where did you stay and what was your favorite part?
• Have you ever raced in a different country or over seas? What can you tell me about shipping/flying with my bike!? Seeing as how MyCardCan’t (%&@# you Delta!) I am expecting some large fees.
• Anyone out there gone to medical school in Puerto Rico?
• Any other fun spring break / race trips this spring?

Ohhh Minnesota. It feels about 33% good to be home. Warm up a little and we can readdress this. Totally unrelated, but for you locals – GOOD LUCK GET LUCKY RACERS!

-E

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.)

Sorry guys, I know it’s been quite a while. And while sh¡ts and giggles about eating “tree stars” for breakfast is nice and all, that’s not what Dr.TriRunner is about. Thankfully though, Betsy was nice enough to call me out on it. I have definitely shaken the funk that brought me down in early July when I first found out about my sfx. That’s great – obviously no one enjoys being down. But I still don’t feel like I’ve fallen into any sort of “normal” routine or training schedule yet.

Athletically speaking, a “normal” summer for me (“normal” I guess only in reference to the last 4ish years. I’m not that old…) would look like ~50-80 mpw of running, gearing up for or gearing down from a marathon, plenty of core and XT, but damnit anyways!! I still HATED biking. I’d do it to and from work – it was free transportation, but I got zero enjoyment from the “sport.” A permanent Gomer tan around my arm, with sports bra/shorts lines to match. Racing ~2x per month. And expecting to be fast.

Please let me introduce Sperly Summer 2010:

• On Tuesday, June 15th, I stopped running. I didn’t know what was going on with my tibia, but I knew it was no good.
• On Wednesday, June 30th, I marked in my calendar “Long ride – SOLO!!” Emphasis on solo… not so much long. It was only 40 miles, but the first time I had done anything 30+ on my own. With two exclamation marks to follow, it sounds like I might have been kinda proud of that.
• On Thursday, July 8th, a left tibial stress fracture was confirmed. The MRI also showed evidence of fibrous dysplasia (the genetic b.s. cause of my femoral neck fracture in 2008) in my right tibia. I was there to find out about my possibly-fractured left tibia though… so that was like a free bonus I think.
• On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 9th/10th/11th, I pool ran without a belt for longer than I ever have in a teeny tiny bathtub swimming pool in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• By Wednesday, July 28th, I had pretty much married the words long+ride+Wednesday, because looking back at my calendar I hit 40+ miles, solo, every Wednesday in July. A new normal? Which is a good thing, because…
• On Friday, July 30th, on my way to the swim workout, I realized my clutch was on the floor. We already knew my Honda was essentially dunzo, so the mad dash to find a [used] new car began. From Saturday 07/31 to Wednesday 08/04 I logged 151 bike miles.
• Realizing that trying to research/find/purchase a car in one week was putting me on anxiety-overload, I decided to fix my clutch. In doing to, I RAN, three miles, at turtles-running-through-peanut-butter pace, from the auto shop back to my house. $200 later, I have been reunited with my accord, but I can say YES I am keeping my Wednesday long rides, and YES I am still a runner, and YES I am a triathlete. !!

(And no, I don’t still “hate biking.”)

I know no one would watch it on TV… not even me. But pool running might just be my only chance at becoming an olympic athlete!!

So here I am. I have run. I have ridden. And I have REALLY [needed to make this alliteration work] loved swimming in Lake Harriet. All my mini-apple triathletes… come join me! The water is crazy clear, and the buoys are set on “long course.” I really am serious though… I’m not waking up at the butt-crack of dawn to do it, but I WILL be continuing my OWSs in my back yard lake. And I’d love the company. Eh? Mr. Speedo? Fit Girl? M.Dot? DRog? BigGreen? All the cool kids are doing it. Two words: Peer. Pressure.

(By “all the cool kids” I think I mean me. And Mr. Wrinkles who was there today, but let me tell you that man was way cool, side strokes like a beast, and super willing to share the lake.)

But just because I feel like I AM still a triathlete  - shoot, I don’t even care about the tri part right now – that doesn’t entirely establish a “new normal“… leaving me still without a plan. If you aren’t fortunate enough to know anyone who is “very Type A” or as I like to say, type A+ … I will inform you right now that [I] they don’t function well without a plan. In fact, they might very well implode. And because imploding is generally frowned upon, I turn to coach. Coach Jodi.

If you read Dr.TriRunner via Google Reader, or something of the likes, I encourage you to click through. See that left side bar? See that Model Per4mance logo? That is how I have come to know/love/fear/admire Mrs. Jodi Jones. She knows her stuff. She will be honest and straight forward with you. She will call you out if it is merited. She will push you to push yourself, and she will help you to reach your goals. And then, she’ll help you celebrate them! This is starting to sound like a girl crush diary entry, so I’ll just end in saying that I’m getting new PLANS from coach Jodi this week. My goal is to improve my swim time. And with these plans, I feel confident I’ll settle into some sort of “new normal.” Alleluia.

Reader Questions: What does your normal summer look like? Does your training change seasonally, or does it stay the same year round? What is your current goal?

With THAT my friends, it is time for me to run to Target. With my brand-spankin-new clutch. And my Grandma’s Marathon Finisher tee.

I AM [still] an athlete. !!

-E

The Kayak Theory….

Go ahead on the right hand side and type “kayak” in my search Where Do I Find? Bar. (Or don’t… cause I’m just gonna’ tell you what happens.) You will be directed to my New Bri Tri race report. Upon hitting ⌘F (find!) and typing this auspicious word, you will be taken to the swim where I tell you “I have this kayak theory…” and then that’s about all you get.

Helpful… right?

OK, ok, I’m just waisting time here. I think because it’s hard to explain what the “Kayak Theory” is.  But I will try.

Kay•ak The•o•ry:

Noun. A mental state and self-imagery technique employed in which you visualize yourself as a kayak, moving swiftly and effortlessly through water. You are streamlined, and completely aerodynamic (aquadynamic I know is not a word… is there a word for that?) with no drag and zero inefficient-ness. Your arms are like paddles, alternating left, right, left, right, taking the same amount of time on each side to complete a stroke. Your hands are the blades, slicing just perfectly into the water, fingers staying tightly together and propelling you forward. And to top it all off, you’re headed for this:

The first time I ever felt like this kayak while swimming was last summer at one Thursday group workout. Thursdays are typically reserved for longer endurance swims, while Tuesdays are shorter speed intervals. We had a 1000 steady on the plan, and I remember after a few hundred yards something clicked. Suddenly I felt more efficient, smoother, sleeker, faster.

Thus, the Kayak Theory was concocted.

Thinking of this “kayak theory” has helped me on numerous occasions. There was one time when I was definitely mid-panic in the lake, and I talked myself out of it by reminding myself to just “get like the kayak!” And then there was New Bri Tri… where I felt AWESOME in the ¼ mile swim back to shore. I was the kayak.

You too my friend can be the Kayak.

If goodness-gracious all that is just too much for you to handle… (or you missed the memo on the color “sarcasm”) my girl Dori will give it to you straight.

“Just keep swimming… Just keep swimming!”

-E

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.

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. 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.

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

WELL. Seeing as how life goes back to “normal” in four days, I figured I better get my rear in gear and get ready for practice to go back to normal too. Collegiate Nationals are on April 17th, and without time to count the actual number of days between now and then, I’ll just say it’s gonna come up sooner than we think!

Over break, there has been a much more slacker relaxed attitude with the practice schedule. Yeah, I still get my time in, but I’ve also gotten to change up the cardio a bit and do things like the stair mountain. (Which I really grew to like actually! Might have to sneak that in on the weekends… )

My view from the top!

Here’s an early “Friday Confessional” for ya – I’m pretty sure I have been in the pool all of ONCE over this entire break. Part of practice going back to “normal” would involve me in a pool and 4000+ yards three times a week. I’m not saying I’ve entirely forgotten how to swim, but this is a pretty clutch time for me to be honing in on stroke technique and intervals. To pour on a lil’ more lame-sauce, I even got the ONE thing I really wanted for Christmas to make my swimming “more enjoyable” :

That would be the NU Dolphin UNDERWATER mp3 player. Haha one kid on the team called it “spoiled”. Since that was my one big gift and it was just over $100, I wouldn’t go that far.. NTM the word “spoiled” leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I would like to call it “dedicated” since the intention was that it would help get me in the pool more often and help keep me focused. Haha, well I guess I ALSO can’t go that far because I clearly haven’t gotten in the pool more. YET! For fairness sake, the first time I was headed to the pool with this lil guy, I had music all loaded and everything, decided to check it at home just to figure out the controls and everything, and nothing played! Turns out it plays only mp3 files (just like basically every single non-i-ANYTHING….), and so I had to convert a whole bunch of songs to transfer.

Here is ME, holding ME accountable. I am leaving to the pool the second I hit publish. I have my mp3 player loaded with a bunch of songs that better motivate my a$$ to swim hard. I will be crazy sore because muscle memory can only last so long, and baby, it’s been a lonnnng time. (TWSS. Bahaha. Sorry.) ”Base building” stops today tomorrow (I can promise today won’t be “fast”). Lubbock, Texas.. watch your back!

I will report back, complete with workout, playlist, and plenty of DOMS. If you find yourself in the same situation as this lil red head, I encourage you to wander over to the Train On Top tab at the top of the page, and explore your various training modalities that you may or may not be neglecting. As I just did with SWIMMING: VOLUME 1.

Going. NOW.
-E

Hahah lied. Had to do this first – Shelly’s having her first giveaway, and Katie’s having a giveaway too!

[EDIT-EDIT-EDIT-EDIT-EDIT]

Success!! I was really surprised at how easily I jumped right back in. I was expecting a not-feelin-it kind of workout, but the whole swim I felt like I was pulling strongly and efficiently. I LOVE IT! Annnnd, the mp3 player was a BIG HIT. Aside from kinda hurting my ears, because I pull the swim cap over the ear buds to stay in tight, I was really impressed with the sound quality and volume in the water! Expect a complete product review to come!

WORKOUT:

(I like to split my workouts into 1000′s – for some reason it just feels like it goes faster!)

SET ONE: warm-up
1000 yards free, straight. minus two stops to dump out goggua (goggle agua. oh so clever.)

SET TWO: kick intervals
200 kick flutter
200 free
200 kick dolphin
200 free
200 kick flutter

SET THREE: IM distance mixup
100 free
100 back
100 breast
100 free
200 free
200 back
200 breast

SET FOUR: SKIPS COOLDOWN
200 swim (free)
200 kick (alternating btwn flutter on back and sides)
200 IM
200 pull/hypoxic drills
200 swim (free/breast/free/breast)

I gotta get out the door NOW for spin with the boy, and make it home by 8:00 for Grey’s! Talk about a perfect Thursday! If you really do want the playlist from today, lemme know and I’ll throw it up there!

NEXT UP:

1. Reader’s choice playlist! Don’t miss your chance to get your song on there!
2. a GIVEAWAY!! make sure you keep checkin’ back!
3. NU Dolphin Underwater mp3 player

Ciao!
-E