Friday Five: Benefits of Cross-Training

Linking up today with Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney for Friday Five.


A couple weeks ago I talked about weight lifting, but I also think it's important to do other kinds of cross training - even though we love running, there are benefits to be derived from branching out into other activities (aka doing a triathlon). Here are some of my top reasons for doing cross training for even cardio, instead of just running.

1. You can get some impressive weekly mileage by including biking. Check this out - I'd never get to 65 miles on running alone! (And I'm not even doing anything like training for the 112-mile bike leg of an Ironman...) If you've ever thought you didn't want to take up biking, perhaps this can convince you otherwise. (Swimming, on the other hand, will have the opposite effect - I'm currently working to build back up to an entire mile in a single swim session.)

2. It helps you mix up your tan lines. You get the short shorts and racer back from running, the longer shorts and farmers tan on your arms from biking, and then put on a swimsuit to reveal it all! 

3. You can hurt in different parts of your body. Calves tight from running? Not to fear, spend today making your quads sore with biking instead! 

4. You get more options for not wearing underwear. It starts with bike shorts - everyone knows you don't wear underwear with bike shorts, that's the whole point. Then you add in a swimsuit. Eventually, you become ok going commando in your running shorts (fine, I guess I knew that's why that panty thingie is part of them anyway). And then, just for good measure, the next term I take ballet class I plan to actually buy the real gear and do it in tights and a leotard.

5. On the (hopefully rare) occasions when you just don't feel like running, you still have something to do to find some endorphins. If pounding the pavement doesn't sound good, maybe a relaxing swim or fast-paced pedaling will be exactly what you need. 

Best in the West: Half Ironman Recap (Guest Post by Abe)

Walking out of the hotel, we saw another racer wheeling his bike out to his car, presumably having stored it in his room overnight. Seeing this, I shared with Margaret how nice it was being able to store our two bikes in the back of my Honda Insight. Sure, I had to take the front wheel off of mine, and it was a little snug in the back, but it seemed the preferable alternative to affixing a bike carrier to the back of the car and worrying about bike theft...

After the 30 minute drive to the park, we pull the bikes out of the car, and I remount my front wheel. But for some reason, the front brake was too tight to reattach. And I still had to mount my aero-bar. Hmm...well, the aero-bar is the bigger job, so I set to work on that. It didn't take much time at last year's race to mount, though I did end up using strips of folded newspaper for shims, and it ended up sliding a bit towards the end of the bike ride. Just need to make it a bit tighter this year, I guess. Well, for an as yet unknown reason, the bolts are not threading straight, and it takes 10 minutes for Margaret to convince me to see if anybody in the transition area would be able to help.

So I go. And I find a bike maintenance tent. Sweet. Dude fixes my brake in seconds, and sets to work on the aero-bar. I tell him about not having pieces of rubber (he's the one who reminded me they were called shims) to secure the aero-bar. Shouldn't need 'em, he says. Well, after working for a while, he finds that the aero-bar is not actually the right size for the handlebar, and that at least one of the threaded holes is stripped. Probably wouldn't make for the safest 56-mile ride. So, with 20 minutes to get in the water, I decide to scrap the aero-bar plan. I still had to set up my transition station, use the bathroom (plus waiting in line for port-a-johns - no TP in the park's bathrooms), put on run shorts, bike shorts, and the wet suit on top of that. Maybe not a huge deal for the seasoned pro...actually, I wasn't really too freaked yet, but I knew if I was going to make it, it was going to be pretty close.

The wife helped quite a bit, by taking the aero-bar and hardware back to the car, and I ended up making it into the water with enough time to warm up a bit. Good thing they started late.

Like many other runners who only train for the occasional open-water swim in the pool, I hate swimming in crowds. Maybe this loathing is more widespread among triathletes than I assume. Regardless, my approach to the swim is to get and stay quite far away from the pack - in this case I started in the back, and was probably a good 70 feet wide right of the sensible route once I had managed to uncomfortably pass a few people. Somehow I ended up with a swim time of better than the median.

And my transitions sucked.

The bike started really fun. I didn't have aero-bars, so I knew I'd be passed by many with aero-bars, and lots of people who had better bikes than me. Still, it was nice to ride without the weight of the tool kit, phone holder, and headlight (and aero-bars). I had just replaced my front tire the day before, so I was banking on not getting a flat. In all honesty, if I ever got a flat during a race, I don't see myself trying to fix it. Dropping out, or waiting for the maintenance team that I heard was to be out there just seemed much more appealing. I entered this thing to finish in a decent time and have some amount of fun. Trying to fix a flat in a race doesn't seem like something that would significantly help my time, and it doesn't seem like any fun. After the halfway turn-around, I did pass a guy who was allegedly fixing his 2nd flat of the race. What a bummer. But also, what a bad ass. Much more so than me, anyway.

Speaking of bad asses, around the first quarter of the bike leg, my left cheek was feeling strained. This got to be so bad that I wondered whether I'd have trouble finishing the leg, and whether I'd be able to run on it for any significant amount of time afterwards (somewhat important). It also made dropping my grip and leaning forward for the downhills too uncomfortable to do. Luckily I was still able to stand and go up hills fine.

But I also needed to pee (getting off the bike and stretching for a bit would be nice too), and I didn't know where the next station for that would be. The first one, 14 miles in, happened to be at the bottom of a hill, so I didn't want to stop and lose momentum. So I kept going. Mile after mile, I kept thinking there'd be an aid station soon, because I was nearing the 28 mile turn-around, which I knew came at the BOTTOM of a sizable hill. So when I turned the corner at the TOP of a sizable hill, and didn't see any official aid station, I was rather relieved to see a porta outside of the Lacomb grocery store. I took the 50 meter detour from the course to use it. Please don't tell anyone - I'm not sure that was USAT legal.

I passed the actual aid station maybe 1000 ft further along the road. Still at the top of the hill, but previously out of sight.

And I made it down the big hill, across a nice bridge paved with wood, and around the turn around cone, and back around the nice bridge paved with wood (the most smooth and pleasant surface to bike across), and I started the trek back up the big hill. At some point during that downhill, a lady had passed me, saying something to the effect of "this sure won't be fun to go back up." She certainly wasn't the first lady to pass me, but this lady and I would pass each other somewhere between 5-10 times throughout the rest of the race. My left cheek had more or less started behaving itself again after the turn around, and I still felt pretty good going up the hills, which is where I'd typically pass the lady, saying "don't worry, you'll pass me back." And then when aero-bars were useful on the flats or downs, she would pass me back, "hello again." After one turn, she commented on a gust of wind. I grouched about the recently bumpy road. We got on swimmingly.

Marginally returning to the beginning of the course, the roads flattened somewhat, and I fell behind, thinking "perhaps I'll catch her again at the dam hill (since you asked, the hill leading to the dam, which encloses the lake in which we had started). But I didn't. There was a really fun down where I got to run a stop sign at 40+ mph, but then mostly flat roads following the Santiam River. Two more ladies chicked me, I made it to the top of the dam, and held off one more guy behind me to close the bike. But then he must have passed me, because

my transitions sucked.

Having finished my water on the bike, but not much of the two gel flasks (filled with honey, molasses, salt), I gulped most of one, and a lot of remaining water at my station. I wasn't feeling up to trying unknown gels at the run aid stations. Deciding to leave my bike shorts on, I set off. Actually, first a quick bathroom break (which racer 58 complimented as a good idea (?)). Then I was off.

The run consisted of two loops around a 3-legged sea star (basically 3 out-and-backs), which made for lots of monotony-preventing passing. As I always do, I passed a fair number of people over the course of the run, basically trying not to walk except at aid stations (alternating water and dragonade, with the occasional salt capsule). Thankfully, I was inspired, amused, and reminded of my goal by many signs, including a famous actor saying "ain't got no time for [Christopher] Walken." Love it.

I did finally pass my biker tag-teamer for the last time. But as I returned to the center of the sea star for the last time, I was passed by the owner of the fastest half-marathon of the weekend, who was kicking some serious ass, without any legs, in his adaptive three-wheeled arm-pedaling contraption. I'm sorry I don't know what this is actually called, but I recognize that it was amazing (even if it did secure me as 4th place out of 4 in our age division).

And so, after two more rolling hills, one last cheerful aid station, and much ado about nothing, I kicked into the finish of my first and (methinks) last Half Ironman. I missed my goal for the run but safely met my goals for the swim and bike (!), which put me under my total goal time, despite sucky transitions. I wouldn't be devastated if some supernatural being decided to compel me to train better and do it again (I know, where do/would these supernatural beings get off?) But as I explained to my tag-teamer at one of our passings, even though it was a great event (amenities, attitude, and action), I find myself classifying a race of this length as insane. She corrected my "insane" into "awesome." But I'm not quite certain where to place fine lines between potentially inclusive descriptives. Then again, who can say? Maybe fictional abstract lines will prove themselves to be a migratory species. Maybe the supernatural can make it so.

Best in the West: Sprint Tri Recap

Long story short - I did everything faster than my goals and finished 23 minutes faster than last year's sprint! On the swim and bike in particularly I'm not really sure where it came from, but the speeds I kept up felt way easier than I would have anticipated. It's still not "fast" in the grand scheme of things, but starting to approach middle of the pack. (Actually in top 50% of my age group and women! Though the race is very beginner friendly and thus attracts some slower finishers, it's also associated with the OSU team and some (I'm not sure if the sprint was included) of the events were some kind of championship races, so it also has some very fast participants. The website didn't have a way to view all - men and women - results together, but comparing to the men and adding up the pieces, I was in the top 55% overall.) 

(Separate post coming of spectating Abe's half ironman the remainder of the day, and general thoughts on the race itself. Also check out a guest post recap by Abe of his race!)

Pre-race

Best in the West takes place in Sweet Home, Oregon, a little town just east of I-5, sort of near Corvallis. The park where the race is held is also a bit east of town, so about a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Portland - I suppose doable to drive out in one day, but not an early morning I'd be excited about. There's camping available on site, but I prefer indoor plumbing and a nice bed before a race. There are only two motels actually in Sweet Home (one promoted by/affiliated with the race), but they were booked up by the time we got around to it. Instead, we found a Best Western in Lebanon, about a half hour west of the race. (It's a newer hotel and probably the nicest Best Western I've ever stayed in! They even have turn down service. I'd definitely recommend it - it was a smidge expensive for the area (the only one we looked at that was over $100); but location aside, for the amenities included it was a really good deal.)

We left Portland around 1:00 (so as to beat Friday rush hour heading out of town), and arrived in Lebanon to check into our hotel before 3:00. Packet pickup didn't open until 4:00, so we decided to have a late lunch/early dinner, at a pizza place. We then continued on to Sweet Home, checked in - packets had race bib/bike stickers, wristband, ankle timing chip, t-shirts, and a few flyers/coupons - and then got in the lake for some swimming practice (including getting re-used to a wetsuit). We then stuck around for an athletes' briefing - which wasn't super organized (lots of "let's see, what else... oh, you should know...") but provided some helpful general information, including specifics of rules like drafting on the bike.

We then headed back to the hotel, ate leftover pizza and oreos (that I insisted we stop to buy on the way back - they just sounded like the perfect race carb at the time), watched crap TV and went to bed reasonably early.

Race morning

With Abe's race starting at 8:00 and mine at 9:00, we wanted to arrive no later than 7:00. The hotel breakfast started at 6:00, so we got up in time to dress and pack the car by then, eat a quick breakfast as soon as it opened, then be off to the race. I got my stuff set up in transition, helped Abe a bit with his, and then watched the half iron swimmers start. Then headed back to transition for final preparations including putting on my wetsuit (the real first leg of a triathlon), and headed to the lake with plenty of time to get in the water and again remind myself how the wetsuit felt, that I could still breathe, etc.

How cool is the garmin data for multi-sport recording now!? It didn't have this last year.

Swim

Goal time: 15:00
Official time: 14:15 - 13/20 AG
Garmin time: 13:12 

After warming up in the buoyed off park swim area, we had to get out and enter the water one by one for our wave (all sprint women) (they were counting so they'd know if anyone was still in the water), waited for a minute to head off (the people in the front may have had to tread water, but there was plenty of room to stay in the shallow area to stand while waiting). I stayed near the back right - to stay out of the way - but shortly in I ended up basically smack dab in the middle of the back of the pack. 

I felt pretty good the whole time - the wetsuit was pressing against my neck as I knew it would, but I was able to ignore the sensation reasonably well. I was able to, mostly, put my face in the water and do a real freestyle stroke (versus weird combinations of side stroke and breast stroke which I'm prone to do in open water to avoid freaking out) (not with good form - I mostly breathed up/forward instead of side, rather than doing real sighting in coordination with side breathing like one should, but still something clearly resembling freestyle). The whole time I was keeping up with the same people, and not infrequently actually passing people! It was ridiculous. I kept glancing at my watch and being amazed at how fast I was going, sure from half way through that at least I'd be way under 15 minutes, the question was by how much.

The water was amazing - I guess the lake is partially man-created, it's a reservoir from a dam, but it's ridiculously (relatively speaking) clear (not like, pool clean, it's sort of tinted dirty, but you can totally see the bottom through it, even in the middle of the swim, farther from shore, I think I was still seeing the bottom). The entrance/bottom of the normal park swim area is concrete and large rocks, so pretty easy to walk into. The first half of the swim there wasn't even really any plant life at all (uh, not sure what that means eco-system wise, but it's a positive for swimming!); nearer the end (which was the opposite edge of the park swim area) there were some plants, but small and relatively spread out, so you weren't constantly getting whacked on your limbs with stuff. 

The lake was pretty much the best situation I could possible imagine as a beginning swimmer and someone adverse to open water swimming. I almost kind of regret not doing this last year as my first triathlon (the tri group I was involved with last year had people doing it, so it was on my radar in a general sense); I think the experience here, especially for the swim, would have been a lot better for a first tri.

Photo by race photographer

I lapped my watch into transition as soon as I got out of the water (there was even a little finish arch there), but the timing mat was up the hill at the actual entrance to the transition area, so that reflects 1:03 between exiting the water and entering the transition area. But 13:12 of time actually in the water! Less than 2:30 per 100 yards (actually, 2:11 per the slightly long distance on my garmin due to not swimming tight against the buoys), which is completely in line with what I swim in the pool (just the slower end of normal for me)... which is ridiculous! 

Triathlon Prep & Goals

(Last year's prep post and race recap post of my first triathlon.) 

So, I'm doing a sprint triathlon this weekend at Best in the West. (Abe is doing his first half ironman!) Taking a half day off work so we can beat traffic and arrive in time for practice some open water swimming/wetsuit wearing, and be at one of the athletes' briefings. 

Sprint distances aren't 100% consistent race to race (though always similar) - this one is slightly shorter than last year's, with swim and run the same (500m and 5k, respectively), but the bike is only 12 miles (15.5 officially and 13.7 per my Garmin in last year's).

In my past 8 weeks of half-assed training, I have not done any brick workouts. I've swam a total 10,810 yards, including 600 straight a handful of times. Sort of attempted open water swimming when we were at the lake, but not really, and hopefully we do get a chance to get in the water tomorrow, and remember what the constriction of a wetsuit feels like. I've biked 89.8 miles, with the longest on the road being 10.25 - not quite race distance, but reasonably close. And I've done way more running than anyone should ever do in preparation of a 5k, so at least that part should be ok.

The stuff

Wearing to start for the swim: 

• Tri short
• Sports bra
• Swim cap
• Goggles
• Garmin
• Wetsuit

For the bike:

• Helmet
• Gloves and glasses (in helmet, hanging from bike)
• Shoes (no socks)
• Bike jersey (unzipped and ready to put on)
• Towels to wipe off feet

Water bottle with coconut water on the bike. Planning to eat some shotbloks or nut butter quickly in transition with some coconut water, and not eat anything during the bike. (Have not worked on my handling skills, so would have to actually stop to fuel during.) Also have some electrolyte tab thingies that I haven't used before, but since it will be a bit hot might be useful (though the coconut water will also help with that.) A bit more coconut water at least after the bike as well. (I know it's a short race, but at my speeds it's long-ish, approaching 2 hours. I do need to fuel somewhat.)

For the run:

• SPI belt with bib pinned on
• Hat

Swim (500 m)

Last year goal: 12:00
Last year actual: 15:55
This year goal: 15:00

The few times I've timed my swimming this year have been about the same, maybe a touch faster than last year. Wetsuit gives speed, but anxiety slows me down. 500 m in the pool should absolutely not take me more than 12 minutes, but open water is different, and I think anything faster than last year will be completely satisfactory.

T1

Last year goal: 4:00
Last year actual: 4:30
This year goal: 4:30

Depending on race setup, this can include some running between swim and transition areas. Have to peel off wetsuit, goggles, and swim cap; dry off feet; and put on shoes, jersey, helmet, glasses, and gloves. Eat and drink something.

Bike (12 miles)

Last year goal: 1:02 (15 mph)
Last year actual: 57:12 (16.3 mph official; 14.4 mph garmin)
This year goal: 55:30 (13 mph)

I've only been doing about 10 mph on the road, but that includes neighborhoods with a fair amount of stop signs; on a closed course I believe I can get closer to my trainer speeds in the 13 - 14 mph range. The bike is still by far my weakest of the sport, and I really didn't do anything to improve it since last year.

T2

Last year goal: 2:00
Last year actual: 1:33
This year goal: 1:30

Just have to rack bike, take off helmet and gloves, and put on race bib belt (and hat, depending on how sunny it is), and at least drink some coconut water.

Run

Last year goal: 37:00 (12:00)
Last year actual: 39:10 (12:36)
This year goal: 34:15 (11:00)

Of course the run at the end of a tri will never be as fast as a standalone 5k. But at this time last year my standalone 5k PR was over 2 minutes slower than it is now. I think 11:00 miles (PR is 10:00s) sounds reasonable, but anything under 12:00 will be ok. 

Triathlon Training with a Team

At the beginning of the summer I wrote about re-learning to swim and bike on my own (after a 15-year-ish break from them). After that, I continued to learn how to swim and bike - with a group! I joined TRI Team PDX (the name stands for Train Race Inspire); specifically, the Portland Triathlon training group) (before knowing that the group was targeting a specific race, I was already planning on doing Aluminum Man; but it was only two weeks before the Portland Tri, so at one point I figured I'd do both). 

The cost was $299 for 14 weeks of training. This was all inclusive - access to weekly workouts (swim, track, run, bike) that would otherwise have drop-in fees, with weekly workout plans designed for the group (including the group workouts and additional workouts to do on your own during the week), and coaches at the workouts to guide you.

Swimming 

The weekly swim group workout was held at the PSU athletic center. I'd guesstimate there were usually around 30 people. The pool has, if I'm remembering right, 6 lanes. People were assigned to lanes based on abilities and speed; we in the beginners group were in lanes 1 and 2, with detailed instructions on how to do the drills, especially in the first few weeks. People in higher lanes had more advanced drills and longer distances to cover in the same time.

We learned a variety of drills throughout the season, designed to improve swimming form in different ways. Things like fingertip drag, pull, catch-up, front scull, to name a few. Nearer the end of the season, we focused more on improving endurance for longer distances and intervals of harder effort. In addition to the group workout, we were supposed to do an additional swim on our own, including some of the drills and also working on endurance on continuous distance.

After developing some basic swimming skills, the group also helped us with open water swimming. I unfortunately had to miss some of those session, so I didn't feel nearly as prepared for open water as I would have liked, but really any chance to get in open water is helpful! The coaches were super helpful about making sure you were comfortable, giving tips, and staying nearby those with extra nerves. They also encouraged team members to attend free weekly open water swims sponsored by Athlete's Lounge during the summer for additional experience.

Current ability level: 

Can easily do 1,000 yards (total, not continuous) in a workout even when I haven't been consistently swimming, including up to 400 - 600 continuous without too much trouble. When I was in the habit of going to the pool a few times a week, 1,200 yards or more wasn't an unreasonable total for a workout. 

When I first got a watch with swim functions, I was around 2:30 per 100 yards; that's now closer to 2:20 - still pretty ridiculously slow, but nonetheless a consistent improvement.

Open water swimming is something that I still need to work on a lot before doing another triathlon. I ended up just doing it once without a wetsuit, and once with a wetsuit. Better than nothing, for sure, but not nearly enough to not have a near panic attack at the start of the race. Regardless of whether I train with TRI PDX again, going to the Athlete's Lounge open water swims in the river as often as possible will be a very crucial component.

Biking
There was an assigned weekly bike workout to do on our own, focusing on intervals with high effort or RPMs. I rarely ended up doing those workouts.

There was also a long group bike ride each weekend. The first week the beginners group did about 12 miles; eventually working up to about 25 miles. Depending on which coach was leading the group, there was more or less of a coming back to check on those in the back to make sure they were ok, but it does seem to be team policy for the leaders to stop at major turns on the route to wait for everyone to catch up and ensure no one's gotten lost or anything.

One note: Sauvie Island is the best place to ride a bike, especially if you're a beginner. It's a bit of a drive from most places in Portland, but totally worth it. The main loop around the island is just over 12 miles, with a little rolling hills but nothing too steep up or down. There isn't much of a shoulder, but it really is low traffic, and the cars that are out there are well aware of the bike traffic, and give you plenty of space when passing.

Current ability level: 

Longest solid ride was 22 miles (I did 27 in a day, but it was broken up by too many stops to count it as actually my longest) (did distances in training assuming I would be doing the Olympic distance at the Portland Tri, which I ended up not doing). Assuming good conditions (dry roads, minimal wind, etc.) I could go out for a 10 mile ride anytime now and feel pretty comfortable with it.

My average speed on long rides by the end of the training season was around 14.5. I easily got above 25 mph on downhills - but tried very hard to slow down to not get faster than that! On flats or small inclines, not too hard to maintain 15 - 16 mph, but difficult to keep up 10 mph on steeper hills going up. 

I still can't take my hands off the handlebars while moving long enough to do anything like eat or drink. I'm super nervous on wet roads or in the wind. I'm basically still terrified that I'll kill myself while riding. Still willing to put more work into it next summer, but I have my doubts that this will ever be my favorite sport.

I'm an Aluminum Man!

(Yes, the name of the race and being able to say that was a significant factor in choosing this to be my first triathlon.)

I found out about Aluminum Man a couple years ago when I first started thinking about the possibility of doing a triathlon. I not only like the name (aluminum was chosen as the metal for the pun name because there used to be an aluminum factory there), but my sister lives in The Dalles, so my parents also visited for the weekend to spectate the race and make a family weekend of it. I took a half day off work on Friday, and Abe and I headed to The Dalles early enough to beat the worst of rush hour traffic leaving Portland.

When we arrived we immediately headed towards the race area and drove the bike course - a bit hilly, then checked into our motel. Abe put his aero bars on his bike and did a short ride and run; I stuck with an easy shakeout run with a few strides. 

After swinging by the park for packet pickup (super quick and easy!), we met my parents and sister for dinner at Baldwin Saloon, one of their favorite restaurants in The Dalles. They don't have a ton of vegetarian options, but the handful that are on the menu are good! I carbo loaded with fettuccine alfredo, followed by key lime pie. We then had a relaxing evening at my sister's, playing boggle and being entertained by the four cats (three kittens and a teenager) she's currently fostering. 

We were staying just a couple miles away from the race site, so Abe and I were able to "sleep in" (it's all relative on race day!) til 6:30, take our time eating breakfast and getting ready, and still be some of the first people to arrive about 7:30 (with the race starting at 9:00 for the Olympic distance and 9:30 for the sprint).

This is me heading in after the bike, but it
shows almost half of the entire transition area -
small enough to easily find your stuff!

It's a small race - this year less than 200 people total in Olympic, sprint, and relay races - so it was easy to walk right up to the registration table to get bodymarked, then start setting up our stuff in transition.

I basically set everything up just like planned. Bikes are hooked onto the rack bars - generally with the front of the seat hanging over it. Abe had to instead hook the handlebars on - his seat is too tall to fit under the bar, whereas my bike is so short that it was actually hanging from the bar - the front wheel angling down from the bar just barely grazed the grass, not actually touching the ground!

At about 8:45, they called an athlete's meeting, and everyone gathered around the timing tent while they briefly went over the courses and instructions for getting and out of each section. As that was wrapping up, Abe ran off to get his wetsuit on, then head down to the swim start. I wish I could have seen him off, but I then had to get ready myself! (Triathlons really have four legs - getting on a wetsuit is quite the workout itself!)

I finally managed to get my wetsuit on, and by 9:15 or 9:20 started heading out of transition with my cap and goggles in hand... and my glasses still on my face. Whoops! I've done that a couple times getting into the pool, too, seriously considering getting contacts to use for races and long workouts. Turned around, put my glasses in my helmet to put back on in T1, then headed to the swim start.

Race spectators and personal photographers extraordinaire!
Also, I suspect this is Dad's first selfie!

Prepping for My First Triathlon

It's race week! Saturday is my first ever triathlon. I'm not sure I truly feel ready, but also have a little more prep work planned to do this week. The forecasted high for Saturday is currently 93 - I should be finished by about 11:30 am, so fingers crossed it will just be merely in the 80s while I'm still out there.

I did a brick workout last weekend, and as part of that I did a mock transition set up. I started in tri shorts and a sports bra (what I'll be wearing under a wetsuit for the swim portion of the race), and had everything else I needed for the bike and run set up just like it will be. Came in from the bike and quickly switched out my helmet for a visor, and immediately headed back out for the run.

Transition

For the bike: 

• Glasses and gloves in my helmet, hanging from the handlebars. 
• Waterbottle on the bike.
• Fuel (Shotbloks or gummy candies) in jersey pocket.
• Jersey, unzipped and ready to pull on.
• Shoes (same shoes for bike and run - not ready for clipping in yet!), with small towel for wiping off my feet. (No socks - minimalist running shoes are designed without significant seams or other chafing-prone areas, so I rarely wear socks.)

T1 goal: 4 minutes. Will start peeling off wetsuit while running out of the water. Wipe off feet, put on running shoes (I'll hopefully make it to a store this week to buy elastic laces, so I don't have to take as much time to tie my shoes). Put on jersey, glasses, gloves, helmet.

For the run:

• Handheld water bottle, with fuel in the pocket.
• SPI belt, which will have my race bib attached via rubberbands.
• Visor

T2 goal: 2 minutes. Just take off gloves, switch out helmet for visor. Put on race belt/bib and grab handheld water (maybe - since run is only a 5k, I think it'll depend on how unfueled and/or dehydrated I feel coming off the bike).

Not part of the transition area, since it will all be on before the race begins, but for the swim:

• Wearing tri shorts and sports bra under a wetsuit.
• Bodyglide around the legs, arms, and neck of wetsuit.
• Goggles.
• Swim cap provided by race.

Leg-specific prep

Swim (0.5k): Last night during my swim workout I practiced sighting (looking up efficiently to see buoys and make sure you're on course, when you're not in a pool where you can see the bottom); it still feels a bit odd, but much better than last time I attempted it. I'm also going to go to an open water swim on Thursday, put on by the store where I'm renting my wetsuit. Fortunately the wetsuit rentals are Thursday through Tuesday, so I'll get my first chance to feel what it's like to swim in the wetsuit before the race!

Goal: 12 minutes - 2:24/100m pace. This is a totally feasible pace based on what I can do in the pool, but I'm uncertain how it will translate to (1) open water (will likely slow me down) and (2) wearing a wetsuit (should speed me up).

Bike (25k/15.5 miles): I've only biked once since my fall a couple weeks ago, and I still feel a bit unsafe. It's going to take a lot of riding before I truly feel comfortable in this sport. I'm definitely not going to do any eating or drinking while moving! But to maintain energy for the run, I'm planning on stopping every 5 miles to eat a gummy candy or shotblok and take a drink of water. 

Goal: 1 hour 2 minutes - 15 mph. This is a smidge faster than I've done my past couple long bike rides, which have been closer to 14.5, but included slowing down for stoplights and maneuvering around traffic. On a closed race course, plus adrenaline, I should be able to step that up a bit.

Run (5k/3.1 miles): I'll have a better idea of what pace is reasonable after I do speedwork tonight, but I know, since this is after a swim and bike, I won't be as fast as my standalone 5k PR. I'm getting a bit nervous because I've slowed down my running the past couple weeks due to tapering for Hood to Coast, and then starting aerobic base training. But, this is the leg I know the best, of course, so I just have to survive the other legs, and once I start the run I know I can finish!

Goal: 37 minutes - sub-12:00 pace.

Total goal: Under 2 hours. If everything goes perfectly, I think 1:45 might be in reach, but pretty sure that a lot would have to go wrong to go over 2 hours.

Any experience triathletes reading - what is your best tip you have for someone's first triathlon?

Three Things Thursday: New Experiences

I'm a person who thrives on routine. I love the familiar. I can eat one dish for dinner 70% of the time for months on end. I can listen to one song on repeat for hours, for weeks at a time (I assure you that my college roommates loved me for that). 

I like to call this trait "loyalty". And while it does have some positives, it also has the downfall of keeping me from trying out new opportunities. There are times when, for the sake of my mental health, I feel I have to keep myself fenced in like that. 

But this year, I'm in a pretty good place, and I'm trying very hard to push myself to experience new things. That's why my goals for the year include trying new restaurants and new recipes. And just in the last month, I've stretched myself quite a bit: 

1. Re-learning how to swim and bike, and joining a triathlon team. Swimming has been fun; biking is a bit terrifying. I can feel new muscles in my body being worked for the first time, and I think I'm finally losing some weight without much deliberate effort. Interacting with team members and doing group workouts is something that doesn't come easily to me, but I know will be helpful both in terms of the sports and otherwise.

2. Joining Toastmasters. I've brought up the intent to join in my annual eval at work pretty much every year, but hadn't yet committed to it. I'd been to a couple meetings at different clubs - one was in the evenings, and out of the way once I moved a few years ago. Another was in a building that required going up to the host company's office, than being accompanied to the secured area where the conference room was - just a bit of pain.

Finally, after mentioning it yet again in this year's evaluation, I checked the available meetings again, and found a lunchtime one near by. It seems like a really great group of people, with a wide variety of ages. I'm actually looking forward to scheduling my first speech!

3. Learning to use TriMet public transit. Ok, this one might not seem like a big deal, but it's a new thing to me! I grew up in a little town with no public transport (nor any real need of it); and since then have lived in various suburbs of Portland. Technically TriMet reaches out to the suburbs, but in limited ways - for example, the area I work in only has buses, no lightrail, and only during a couple hours in the morning and evening for rush hour on weekdays. 

I finally live in an area a bit closer into downtown that's on the MAX (lightrail) line, though, and it's quite convenient to take into downtown Portland for evening or weekend activities. I'm still a bit nervous that I'll miss my stop or end up walking 5 miles around downtown trying to find where I'm going, but even after just a few trips I feel way more comfortable. And thank goodness I live in the era of smartphones for instant access to google maps!

Re-Learning to Swim & Bike

I know I'm still a total newbie at these two sports, but since the beginning triathlon group with TRI Team PDX is starting up, I wanted to jot down some thoughts of starting out on my own, and later plan to do a similar post about learning the ropes with a team and coach.

Swimming

I honestly expected this to the be the most challenging and anxiety-provoking of the new disciplines, but now I'm not really sure why. Though I was never on a swim team or did competitions or anything like that, I did take swim lessons for 8 years as a kid, plus our neighbors across the street had a pool that they let us use regularly. Even though I wasn't swimming laps in it, I was clearly comfortable in the water. But it's been at least 15 years since I was in the pool all the time, and I've probably only been in a pool twice since then.

I suppose when it comes to race settings and open water swimming, it still might be scary (actually, I'm quite sure it will be, largely with the not being able to see the bottom of the water - at the first team swim yesterday, just swimming in a pool with a legit deep end, seeing the bottom of the pool so far away freaked me out momentarily). And the idea of plant life and possibly even animal life floating around me is a bit disturbing, not to mention what I've heard about mass starts at races with people swimming over each other.

But at least in the pool, I'm quite enjoying it! It's actually really relaxing, in a different way than running. Although I love the runner's high, to get a similar workout in the pool without dripping in sweat or feeling the impact of the roads is also a nice feeling. I'm not thrilled about it requiring leaving my house and interacting with strangers at the pool, but I know that's probably something that's healthy for me to do on occasion.

The actual technique came back to me easier than I expected; I'm sure I still have a long ways to go at improving form and such, but the basics feel very familiar and comfortable. I was also able to utilize my friend Jessica to go with me to the pool the first time, and learn about pool etiquette and such from her (and I've continued to annoy her with emailed questions since then). 

Current ability level: Have swam total of 5,100 yards in 7 workouts since starting a month ago. Have completed up to 1,000 yards in a single workout. Can do 50 yards nonstop, but start getting out of breathe and fatigued by the end of this distance.

Swim start-up costs: 

As far as the cost of starting, swimming isn't too bad. Cheaper than running in some ways - a swimsuit, goggles, and cap can cost a lot less than quality running shoes! However, it's also more expensive in that you have to pay for access to a pool, rather than just utilizing the free, great outdoors.

• One-piece swim suit - $32 from Lands' End. I bought this on clearance last fall, but it shouldn't be hard to find a suit for at least under $50.
• Goggles - $15 from REI
• Swim cap - $10 from REI
• Monthly pass to local parks & rec district pools - $29. Drop-in fees are $4.50, but as long as I go at least two times most weeks, the monthly pass makes each use fairly cost-effective. (This pass also provides access to the district fitness centers so I have treadmill access as a bonus!) The price per month drops if you pay for 3, 6, or 12 months in advance, and also if you have a family membership. Adding Abe when he moves in and prepaying at least 6 months will drop the monthly cost per person to about $15. 
• Before race-day, I'll want to rent or buy a wetsuit - but depending on the area you live in and the races you choose, this isn't necessarily required gear. It looks like a full length sleeveless wetsuit can be had for around $100.

Total: $57, plus another $100 likely before my first race. $15 - 29 recurring monthly.

Biking

Similar to swimming, I did a fair amount of recreational biking as a kid; nothing competitive, but spent enough time riding around the neighborhood to be comfortable. 

I did own a mountain bike about 5 years ago, that a friend was getting rid of. I attempted to ride it twice, I think. And was super nervous, wavering back and forth, not getting the hang of riding it at all. So I'm not sure why I thought I'd be super cozy on a bike now? That's been my only bike-riding experience in the past 15 years or so.

The day I bought my current bike, I rode it around in my apartment parking lot for a bit first. I felt less wobbly than the last time I'd been on a bike, so that was good! I felt like I was starting to get a hang of the brakes and gear levers, so I headed towards the street - and promptly fell as I realized I had to go downhill to exit the parking lot and panicked. 

I've had a few more not-so-good experiences (largely involving hills and rain), and some better experiences since then. I'm still not at all comfortable in my ability to control my bike, and to quickly stop and dismount if needed. I'm terrified of not being able to stop if I'm riding in a residential neighborhood and a car backs out of their driveway; I'm also scared of crashing on my own just by going too quickly down a hill. 

It makes me super nervous to think of working up to speeds that are comparable to a car - but without any protection of a vehicle around me!

Some of my discomfort is probably at least due to how my bike fits me (will have a chance on Sunday for the coach to look at it and see if there are things I should adjust), and also just learning how to use its set up for the brakes and gears (this bike has drop handle bars and integrated gear shifts with brake levers on the lower part of the handlebars; my bike as a kid had flat handlebars, dial gear shifts, and brake levers nearer the center of the handlebar).

Current ability level: Have ridden total of 15 miles on the road in 5 workouts since starting a month ago. Have gone up to 4.2 miles in a single workout. My fastest average speed for a ride is 9.2 mph. The fastest I've seen during a ride is about 16 mph (going downhill, on a very non-trafficked road!). 

Bike start-up costs: 

Obviously, this is where triathlon costs really start to add up! The only real necessities are the bike and a helmet, of course. Helmet should always be purchased new (they're no longer effective once they've been through a crash), but if you're anywhere near average size, looking for a used bike should be feasible (but go to a bike shop to be sized first). (I'm short, and short-legged even relative to my lack of height, so if I'd waited for a bike in my frame size to show up on Craigslist, I'd still be waiting for a long time!)

• Road bike - $552 from REI. I got it for 15% off during their anniversary (full price was $649), so this was an exceptionally good deal, but typical price for an entry-level road bike seemed to be $650 - 750. 
• Helmet - already owned this (from brief mountain-bike-owning mentioned above), but they start around $25.
• Bike shorts - $50 at REI. Bike shorts are weird. They really feel like a diaper.
• Tri shorts - $50 at REI. Tri shorts are intended to be worn for an entire triathlon: quick dry fabric and minimal padding to get wet during the swim, a little cushioning for comfort on the bike, and minimal padding also keeps them comfortable for the run. I've found it's plenty of cushioning for up to a 30-minute bike ride, and feels a lot better otherwise than full bike shorts.
• Gloves - $22 at REI.
• Air pump - also previously owned, but these cost about $15. Be sure to note whether your bike has a Shrader valve or a Presta valve and buy accordingly (though the pumps I've seen have adapters for both).
• Maintenance stuff: 2 spare tubes, multi-tool/allen wrench (to adjust seat, etc.), C0₂ cartridges (to fill tires when you're on a ride without a pump handy) with pump attachment, tire levers (used to remove tire to replace a tube) - I'd estimate a total of $35.
• Saddle bag to carry maintenance stuff on rides - $25 at REI. This attaches to the frame right underneath the seat.
• Visibility - my bike came with reflectors on front and back, and my parents gave me some lights that they weren't using, but lights can easily be found for $10 each.
• 2 bottle cages ($7 each) and 2 water bottles ($10 each). The team recommends having space on your bike for two bottles, so you can carry both water and a sports drink.
• Trainer - $150 used via Craigslist. These run at least $200 new (and most way more than that), but there are tons available used (definitely one of those things people buy and then realize is just taking up space in the garage), and they're pretty universal - the higher quality ones make less noise, but generally speaking there aren't any differences in size or function that would make much difference in which one you buy. (I found this terminology a bit odd when first hearing it, so FYI if you don't know, a bike trainer is a stand that turns your bike into a stationary bike indoors.)

Total: $793 for riding outdoors, $150 for riding indoors, and another $60 worth of stuff I already owned or got from family.

Post-Marathon Fitness Goals

I feel like a bit like I've been focusing on the marathon forever. I registered for it a full year ago, the day after the 2012 race. Although I've done some half marathons since then, the marathon was always in the back of my mind when considering how to focus my exercise energy and time. Now, I'm looking at a few other things.

Running

Although I want to keep up a decent amount of weekly mileage (both to meet my annual goal of 1,000 miles, and just to keep a good base for future race training), I'm going to switch gears somewhat to focus on speed instead of distance. 

Specifically I want to:
1. Run a mile in under 8:56 (my life-time mile record, set in 8th grade PE class). My current adult record is 9:55 9:50 (Monday night).
2. Run a 5k in under 30 minutes (9:39 pace). My current official race PR is 34:11 (11:00 pace), but more recently I did a training run 5k in 31:33 (10:10 pace). 
3. Set a new 10k PR - I've only done one, and it was an off day so it was a ridiculously slow pace even by my standards.

Fall/winter races:
November 16: Cause and Event 10k
Thanksgiving: Our holiday plans are still up in the air, but I'll hopefully be able to do a Turkey Trot
December 15: Holiday Half 5k
January 1: First Run 5k

Spring races:
March 1:  Champoeg 30k - maybe? I'm sensing a pattern of being overly optimistic when it comes to races, but given a two week taper, this would have peak training February 15, which isn't so far into tax season, I think that might be doable. Or maybe save this race for 2015, as a precursor to the next round of marathon training?
April 19: Hip Hop Half 5k
May 4: Bloomsday 12k
May tbd: Hippie Chick half marathon 

Triathlon training

Yep, I want to get into triathlons. Do at least one, anyways. My goal race is Aluminum Man next fall - ideally the olympic distance, but there's also a sprint option.

In the past ten years or so, I've swam once, and attempted to ride a bike a couple times (it's scary! The whole "it's just like a riding a bike" is kind of true, but not completely, in my opinion). I swam and rode a bike tons as a kid, though, so I'm not starting completely from scratch, but I do need to re-learn a lot of the nuances.

When I started running, all I needed was a pair of shoes and a watch. For this, I'll need a bit more stuff. (Though there is a stationary bike in my apartment complex's fitness center, so I can get started with that.) On my to-do list before I even start pre-training:

• Buy a swimsuit. I just received a suit that I ordered on clearance from Athleta, but need to return it to try different sizes.
• Buy swimming accessories - goggles and swim cap. I assume swim caps are pretty generic across the board? No idea what to look for in goggles. Eventually, I'd like to get prescription goggles. I can see well enough to follow a lane in a pool, but for an open water swim I'd rather have corrective lenses.
• Find a place to swim. I think there are a couple gyms near by with indoor pools, but they cost more than I'd rather pay each month, especially since I wouldn't necessarily be taking advantage of other amenities like classes. Maybe put this off until after tax season so I know I'll use a gym or pool membership enough to make it worth the cost?
• Buy a bike. I'd like to buy a used one, but through a bike shop so I make sure I get the right size and get fitted.
• Do I need any bike accessories? What kind of distance/time on a bike is feasible before you need padded shorts? I'm not aiming to do a century or anything yet, so would I probably be ok wearing running shorts? I'm not planning on getting clip-in pedals until I'm more comfortable riding a bike in general, so I won't need biking shoes yet.

Strength training

Yoga: Been going once a week, and planning to continue that. I'd like to go to class twice a week, but I don't think that's feasible schedule-wise, especially with everything else I want to do. Perhaps adding in a yoga video once a week in addition to a class is doable.

Kemme Fitness: This is a functional fitness workout system, designed to be as accessible as possible (there are even instructions to make the equipment needed). You can just select individual workouts, or follow a 12-week program. I attempted the K-Fit program a while ago, and it was pretty tough. Especially since so many of the exercises are body-weight movements, it's harder to scale them down, the way you could by merely reducing the weight on a machine exercise. I think I'll give K-Basic a try.