Update on Training

This past year's training bordered on disastrous. I lost three months of prime base building time to sickness and injury. I just barely managed to get in enough training to complete a half iron distance race in September. And that was a bit of a stretch. The last 5 miles of my half marathon were sheer torture, and I questioned whether it might be better to sit down and wait for an ambulance to pick me up.

Still, I got through it, and my training has taken a turn for the better.

I did finish the triathlon season with two or three months of consistent, disciplined training. I've been able to maintain consistent running and cross training since my triathlon season ended at the beginning of September. I'm confident in my ability to prepare my body and mind for an Ironman in 2015.

After Rev3 Cedar Point on September 8, I gave myself two full weeks off. The only exercise I did was teaching cycling, yoga, and water aerobics classes. After those two weeks, I started easing back in to running, with a goal of averaging 15 miles per week for the next month. I planned to do a 5k in October, a 10k in November, and a full marathon (my first!) in March. My plan was to see if I could still run (relatively) fast, gradually build a run base again, and start marathon training at the end of November.

I did a 5k a couple of weekends ago, and surprised myself with my time (27:57, after "running" a 3-hour-plus half marathon at the end of my 70.3). It hurt, in the way that races do, but it's such a short-term pain; 5 minutes after crossing the line feeling like death, I was ready to run another one.

I plan to do a 10k the weekend before Veteran's Day, if I can find one nearby. And I'm signed up for the Shamrock Sports Weekend in Virginia Beach on March 20. I'm excited that the sponsor for the race is Yuengling. I love Yuengling lager. It's like PBR, but from Pennsylvania instead of Wisconsin (PBR is from Wisconsin, right?). That will be my first full marathon. I'm using a basic plan adapted from Run Less, Run Faster, plus a four-week build-up from my current 15 miles per week to 25 miles per week. I'm teaching two cycling classes a week and taking one water aerobics class (with a client) for cross-training. That means I'm basically getting paid to train; I'm practically a professional athlete, here.

I've noticed a lot more soreness and cramping, so I'm also trying to incorporate more weight-lifting, corrective exercise, yoga, and self-myofascial-release. You would think that it wouldn't be so difficult to make myself do these things, considering that I am a personal trainer by trade and spend a good amount of my time at a gym. Alas, it's just as difficult for me to make myself get on a foam roller or a weight bench as it is to get my clients to do it.

So that's what I'll be doing for the next six months. I'm eyeing Ironman Barcelona for 2015. I'll let you know when I pull the trigger and plunk down my 650 Euros!

Spinning Workout S&H6 - Chase & Pursuit

Taught this profile a few weeks back at my 6:00 a.m. Monday spin class. It was hit with the group, and it gave me a good workout, so I thought I'd share! Click the link below to download.

S&H6 - Chase & Pursuit
Nothing at All - Third Day (90 BPM)
Sober - P!nk (91 BPM)
Love the Way You Lie - Eminem (87 BPM)
Fistful of Sand - The Bravery (103 BPM)
Take on Me - A-Ha (168 BPM)
Walk This Way - Aerosmith (104 BPM)
Midnight Show - The Killers (140 BPM)
Acqua 'nfunn a Via - Enzo Avitabile (93 BPM)
Toxic - Brittney Spears (143 BPM)
Even Flow - Pearl Jam (103 BPM)
Feel Good, Inc. - The Gorillaz (144 BPM)
For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic - Paramore (206 BPM)
City of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie (76 BPM)
One Sweet Love - Sara Bareilles (100 BPM)

Spin & Smile!

Race Report: Glory Days Grill XC 5k

I found this race in the local, free running magazine, Run Washington. One of the great things about living in such a dense, metropolitan area is the multitude of resources available to niche groups. One of the downsides is all the people. But I digress.

This 5k is held in Centreville, about a half hour drive from where we live. My roomie, Emily, wanted to do the race with me. Race day goal number one was to wake her up early enough for us to drive to Centreville, pick up our race packets, and warm up (she's not usually an early riser). The day was cloudy, cool, and rainy, which I consider perfect weather for an October XC race.

We got lost trying to find packet pick-up, because I trusted GPS for directions over e-mailed instructions from the race directors. I really need to ween myself off of Google Maps. When we pulled in to park, I realized (thanks to the signs warning that XC meet parking would be $5) that this race is held as part of a larger high school XC invitational. I love watching high school and college XC meets, so I was excited to (almost, kind of) be a part of one.

Packet pick-up included a very nice, day-glo yellow, dry-fit T-shirt and a commemorative race pin. Not bad, although the entry fee was more than I'm used to for a 5k ($35). There were a beautifully excessive number of porta-johns at the race site. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I made use of them multiple times before, during, and after my warm-up. I'd had a lot of water (and maybe a beer or two) the night before.

During my warm-up, I noticed a stocky, Asian woman about my age. She wore running shorts with a matching singlet, and held herself in a--how do I put this delicately?--gay way. I'm serious. She was clearly a lesbian. I'd found my nemesis (please note that this was because of her age, not her supposed sexual preferences).

We got to line up in the staging area for the race. I bounced around, trying to stay warm, like a happy bunny while Emily stood staring at me sullenly. She still wasn't quite awake. We finally got the call to take our marks, then we were off. I held back in the first 150 meters, letting the faster runners go in front of me. Most of the first quarter mile went downhill, and I enjoyed stretching my legs out. The race was laid out in three loops, each about a mile long. I imagine that's because the high school races are run at different lengths for different groups. The ground was soft, not too muddy, although there were a few sloppy puddles that we all had to run around. There were a few short climbs, and some absolutely brutal long ones. It was a cool course, and I enjoyed it.

I started off at a comfortable pace, and ramped it up through the first lap. I passed a lot of people, including my nemesis, within the first mile. I never saw my nemesis again, either, so I did not choose well in terms of race-long motivation. The second mile took a lot out of me; it was mostly uphill, and some of the hills were quite steep. I made up as much time as possible on the downhills, and I was getting passed now and then. There was a little boy who looked about seven who ran right past me. He stayed within reach the whole time, but the one time I tried to pass him, he put on a little kick and kept me away. What a competitor!

One woman, a short, slight, black woman whom I passed in the first mile, came back to me somewhere around the end of mile 2. She passed me, but I kept her within reach. I passed her back on a long, downhill section, but she was able to stay in touch, too. I gradually ramped up my pace to try and drop her, but she kept with me. Finally, I had given all I could at that faster pace, and I had to pull back. She passed me and ran off. It was great, though! It felt like I was actually racing someone, and she definitely pushed me to run faster than I would have run without her!

I crossed the line in 27:57, and felt like I'd given all that I could. I used this race as a measurement tool. I've done slow, zone 2 running almost exclusively this year. My 10k times in my olympic races have been upwards of an hour, and my half marathon time at Rev3 Cedar Point . . . I don't even want to talk about it. I haven't trained myself for hard, fast running, and I've kind of forgotten how to push myself to that level of pain. So I wanted to get a reading on how fast I could run a short race, at this point.

I exceeded my expectations. I was really hoping to be able to run in the low nines, and I managed to run almost exactly nine-minute-miles at this race, on a challenging course and off-road, no less! I'm very happy with my performance. I won 2nd in my age group (F25-29, taking into account that two of the top three overall women were in my age group), and my time would have placed me well in the 30-something categories, too. The 40-somethings, though, were all 21 minutes in change. I would have been way out of contention if I were 20 years older! Isn't that amazing?

I was really happy with this course, the organization, the race amenities (the pictures they took are amazing, and free!), and the atmosphere of the race. Something about going off-road seems to make people a little more laid-back; I've noticed it at XC races and at CX (cyclo-cross) races. There was none of the preening that I've seen at other races and from other athletes (cough, triathletes, cough), and there's no high-tech or expensive gear to show off. I think XC and CX races might be my favorites.

By the way, Emily finished in 33:38 in her first 5k, her first XC race, and her second event ever!

Weekly Updates, Whatever Happened to Those?

You might assume I forgot that I ever had a blog.

I didn't forget; I just lost the motivation to post. I suddenly realized that, in spite of my earlier aspirations, I have no desire to be a social media rock star, or to have a wildly popular blog, or to achieve any level of fame at any time ever.

That said, I do appreciate those of you who read my blog, and I'll continue to post (more regularly, even).

We moved on May 17. Since then, I've done two international distance triathlons, one half iron distance, and a 5k. I'll write up race reports on those with what I can remember of each race. Here's a preview: they were all difficult, I was undertrained, my times were way slower--some of my slowest ever--but I still managed to come away with a few awards. Easy age group, I guess.

I never really got my feet under me with training this year. First there was the cat-scratch fever scare, then the twisted ankle. Between those two medical interruptions, I had absolutely no base building this season. By the time I was back to a point where I could ride and run, we were in the process of moving. After the move, I was able to train regularly--I hardly missed any workouts! There were still inconsistencies, mostly because I was trying to establish a routine in a completely new area. And after losing most of the spring to sickness and injury, all I could do was put in as many miles and as much time as possible, and hope it was enough to get me through.

It was enough, but just barely.

Anyway, I'll leave that to the race reports. I'm just realizing that I have a lot to catch up on, so I'll split it into multiple posts. Here's a preview of what I have coming:

Sunday: race report for Glory Days XC 5k (my most recent race)

Monday: a new FREE CYCLING WORKOUT! It's been forever since I've published one!

Tuesday: info on my current training plan and upcoming goals

Wednesday: info on my current eating plan

Thursday: recipe for a "semi-splurge" meal--a fancier meal that takes longer to prepare but is still reasonably low-cal and incredibly delicious

Friday: maybe a Friday Funny, like Steve in a Speedo does. We'll see.

Weekly Update: Weeks 2-4

Ah yes, training. It has not been going well.

I got sick again, and that took me out for a good week. Then I was fine, and started training again, when I twisted my ankle badly during a thirty-minute run. I stayed off the ankle completely for three days, then went back to work. It's been a week and a half since the injury, but my ankle is still black and blue and swollen. I'm not going to be running anytime soon!

Also, I moved to Virginia. My "roommate" got a job with CapitalOne--a very good job!--and so I quit QuikTrip (which did not make me sad at all) and moved out here with her. We are living in Falls Church, just outside the Beltway, in a beautiful area with plenty of trees. There's a Trader Joe's, a library, a park, and a running store just a short walk away. This area has beautiful running and biking paths, along with what seems like a vibrant running and triathlon community! One of the top women's rugby clubs in the country is in D.C. Basically, this is the perfect place for me to live.

I don't have a job yet, and my "roommate's" job pays well enough that I need not rush out to find employment. If you live in D.C. or the surrounding area and know of anything, I'd appreciate any help in finding employment.

I'm strongly considering a doctoral program in physical therapy, and will start looking into available programs in this area next week.

I feel like the world has opened up once more, and it's full of possibilities!

Thank you all for supporting me and reading my blog!

Stuff I'm Using: Saucony Guide 7

I got these shoes for free as a promotional item from Saucony. I did not pay for these shoes. I'm still trying to decide whether or not the free stuff I got through my Dick's job was worth the pain and suffering of working there.

Anyway, the Guide 7. Normally, I don't like stability shoes. I prefer to run in neutral shoes, even though I'm a moderate overpronator. Since there's no real evidence to support running in corrective footwear to prevent injury, I figure I'll run in whatever I want, and work on strengthening my lower-body kinetic chain, instead.

However, these are the best shoes I've ever run in. They have the perfect amount of cushioning for me, they have a moderate amount of stability that isn't particularly noticeable, they don't feel overly heavy or built up. My feet felt happy, running in these shoes.

I love running in Saucony shoes (even when they give me blisters), and the Guide 7 reminds me why. In these, I forget all about shoes, socks, and gear, and focus solely on my run. These shoes are what all running shoes should aspire to be.

My one issue with these shoes: I loathe the colors. I think it's the pink. I don't mind the blue so much. But they feel so good on my feet, I'm willing to overlook the colors, and plan to do the majority of my running in these shoes for the foreseeable future (I have a pair of Mizuno Wave Sayonara for speed training that I'll review soon). And when I wear out my free pair, I will buy another pair (in a different color). Thanks, Saucony, for changing my mind about stability shoes.

Back To It!

I got the go-ahead from my doctor this morning to go back to training! She did restrict me to 30 minutes max of cardio, though, and I have to stop again if my lymph node grows or gets painful.

I drove to the downtown KC airport this afternoon for a 45-minute bike ride. I figure 45 minutes of cycling is the same as 30 minutes of running, right?

The wind was brutal, and I was super slow, but I don't even care; I'm so excited to get to train again!

Weekly Update: Back to Week 1

Today, I started my training over again after 3 weeks off on doctor's orders. I see my doctor tomorrow, and hopefully she'll give me the go-ahead to work out. Otherwise, I'm going to need to re-evaluate my training goals for the next two years. If I can't start working out this week, the Rev3 half-distance in September will move out of my reach, which means a full-distance race next July may be too big a stretch. I still have a hard lump in my armpit from an inflamed lymph node, and the elbow lumps are sticking around. They're small, though--I hope small enough that my doctor won't continue my no-exercise therapy.

I finished with Dick's Sporting Goods, as of Wednesday. I have never experienced such a negative working environment. Everyone (almost) that I talked to, at least all the other "associate" (retail monkeys) felt the same, but they didn't have better options. My over-arching feeling while working there was, "I can do better than this." The worst part was the walkie-talkies that we all wore. Managers would call down employees on the walkie-talkies on a daily basis. That's just terrible management. If you have an issue with an employee whom you supervise, that should be addressed in a private manner; public humiliation does not make for proper discipline in a professional environment. What's worse, when employees would explain their actions on the walkie-talkies, the management wouldn't take their concerns into account; they maintained their derogatory position, even if it didn't make sense, based on new information. Heaven forbid a manager should admit to making a mistake! Aside from publicly criticizing employees, they tried to delegate and direct employees without knowing the full landscape. One day, two managers told me to do completely contradictory things. When the first manager came back and asked why I was doing something other than what she'd instructed me to do, I told her I was directed otherwise; she was surprised, and put me back on the original task (which, honestly, was the one that made more sense). You'd think these managers would talk to each other and craft priorities as a group, but no. Each one of them knows best. Except that none of them knows best, because none is particularly intelligent.

So the management was the worst of it, but there were other things. I quickly became (in my own opinion, at least) the most competent person in the footwear department. The most competent. Within a month. It's more proof, first of all, that I'm too good for that job. But it's also an indication that no one really cares, or wants to work hard. That comes from the top down; part of the reason the managers rarely knew how to direct us properly was that they were never working with us. And I imagine that managers higher up the corporate chain set that unfortunate example for the managers of my store.

In short, I now think that Dick's is a terrible company. I don't know if I'll shop there ever again. There are plenty of other big-box sports retailers, and I prefer to give my money for biking and running to locally-owned merchants, anyway. I'm much, much happier, now that I'm done with Dick's. QuikTrip is a great company--one of the most positive work environments I've ever experienced. And the schedule will allow me more time for training, anyway. There are much better prospects for advancement. And I enjoy my job. Thanks to those of you who left encouraging comments for me. I know I seemed down after my last post. I'm in a much better place now.

My dad did his first marathon on Sunday in Abilene, Kansas. Maybe I can get him to do a race report for me! I'm super proud of him, although I'm jealous that he beat me to that distance!

Weekly Update: Week 9

I gave my two weeks notice at Dick's. It's a relief to be done with that job. It was a poor fit for me.

I've also re-tooled my training schedule to focus on shorter races during the summer, then build to the Rev3 Half in September. It will give me plenty of time to build my fitness up, without getting injured. Hopefully, I'll get the go-ahead from my doctor to get back to training next week!

I'm a little concerned about money; I was very excited about the amount I was making working two jobs, but with just QuikTrip, it's going to be tight. I feel like I'm better than this. I'm in the 98th percentile, in terms of intelligence. I became the most competent person in the footwear department at Dick's in a matter of weeks. How am I just scraping by nearing age 30, while plenty of people (who are not nearly as smart or capable as I am) my age are settling comfortably into the middle class?

Weeky Update: Weeks 7 & 8

The armpit lumps and elbow lumps did not go away. In fact, they got larger and more painful. Last Monday, I went to see my doctor again. I kind of (totally) broke down and cried in her office. I'd been feeling teary all weekend. I'd been stressed and overworked. I haven't had time to train, or the energy to train, and when I did get to train, it was crappy. My armpit hurt so badly that I couldn't stretch my arm overhead to swim. My running and biking was suffering from the overuse injuries, a result (I think) of a combination of too much training, not enough recovery, and too much time on my feet at both jobs. In short, training had not been pretty.

My doctor called me off of training. No exercise. None. I felt relieved, though; now I don't have to feel guilty about missing workouts, because I'm not allowed to do any.

I also had a sonogram, and I may have to have surgery to have the lump removed and biopsied, still, but they're pretty sure that it's cat scratch fever (stupid cat). I went back to the doctor today, and she told me to keep resting for the next two weeks. With this long lay-off in training, the lack of training before, and the lack of time after, I'm watching Ironman 70.3 Kansas slip away. It's just not going to happen. The best option is to focus either on a shorter race or one farther away, build base and lift weights until that one, then target the Rev3 Cedar Point Half hard in the fall. There's still a chance that I can make it to IM Zurich next July. This is just a hiccup along the way.

I feel much happier and much better this week. I haven't felt stressed or sick or weepy, like I did last weekend and last Monday. I've determined that it's best to quit my job with Dick's. It pays better than QuikTrip, but the commute is longer, and the working environment is way worse. I'll talk more about after I give my two weeks; I don't want to say too much now, while I still work there.

Maybe I can volunteer at IM 70.3 KS. If I do, I'll still see you there.

Stuff I'm Using: 2XU Compression Socks

I got the yellow and teal pair.

I got a pair of 2XU compression socks to try out from the 2XU rep who works with my Dick's Sporting Goods. They were free. I love my job more and more.

I've always been skeptical about the value of compression socks. Besides which, I thought they looked ridiculous on all the triathletes and long-distance runners who adopted them about four years ago.

I may be changing my mind, though.

I've only run in them once. It was a brief run, cut short by soreness in my calves (which I attribute more to a day spent on my feet than to the new socks). They didn't seem to help much, or make much difference.

But I've been wearing them to work, where I spend 8-12 hours at a time on my feet. And they make an incredible difference. I feel significantly less pain in my calves and feet when I'm wearing my compression socks. I can see how they would make a big difference in a long day. I don't know that a marathon--or even a 70.3--is long enough. But an iron-distance race? I could definitely get behind that.

I have a pair of the running socks, which differ from the recovery socks in positioning of support and compression. I gather that the recovery socks are better for walking and standing, where the running socks facilitate activities where more plantar flexion is involved. I may just go and buy myself a pair of recovery socks! I've worn the pair I got for free so much that they're starting to stink!

2XU has done a fantastic job over the past few years of widening their reach. They've moved from a niche brand marketed almost exclusively to triathletes to the kind of mainstream brand that you can find at a big-box retailer like Dick's.

Update: Weeks 6 & 7

After my first week of epic work schedules, I got terribly, horribly, awfully sick. I skipped every single workout of week 6. Every single one. And it was the right thing to do. I needed the recovery badly. I missed several days of work. The lumps in my armpit and elbow got much bigger and much more painful, so painful that they kept me awake at night. So I went to see a doctor last week, and she put me on antibiotics. She said it's most likely just an infection in the lymph glands; it happens sometimes; she's seen it before. It could also be something more serious, but she suggested that we try antibiotics first, and go from there.

So that was week 6. Stayed home from work, and did absolutely no exercise.

Week 7 brought recovery again, which was a good thing. My first day back after being ill, I meant to do a short hill interval session, but my body felt weak and tired after the warm-up, so I kept it to a 45-minute recovery ride. Got a swim in on Wednesday. The swim felt reasonably good, and my times were passable, but something felt a little off. I felt like my arms were weak, not from sickness, but from lack of strength training this winter. So I did a long pull set! My Wednesday night run didn't go well at all, though. It had been relatively warm during the day, so I didn't dress warmly enough for the icy wind and snow that began shortly before my run. It was my first run in the Brooks Ghosts, and my achilles tendinosis made itself known in the first quarter mile. I'm not blaming the Brooks; it could just as easily be lack of warm-up, or the fact that I'd spent the whole day on my feet.

Speaking of which, standing all day takes a toll on my body. Plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinosis, and a wicked case of piriformis syndrome that's shooting pain down my left leg. I'm not sure what to do about it, though. I've been rolling on a tennis ball and stretching. I don't want to prop up my aching body with insoles; that will just make it worse in the long run. I may just need to work in more therapeutic exercises.

My armpit lump is still swollen and painful. I swam today, and I can feel the lymph node stretching painfully every time I raise my arm overhead. I'm worried about it. My roommate thinks I need to take it easy with my training until the lumpy armpit resolves itself. I don't want to take a break, of course. After all, exercise is supposed to be good for you!

That's where I am right now. I'm disappointed with the lack of consistency in my training, and fearful of the prospect of missing even more. So we'll see how this week goes.

Spinning Workout: Variety Workout

I put this workout together for a Springsteen fan, so it has plenty of music by The Boss. The workout profile follows the same pattern I use for a standard spin class. It gives you a good, high-intensity workout with plenty of variety.

Variety Workout

All the Old Showstoppers - The New Pornographers (93 BPM)

Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers (98 BPM)

You Make Me - Avicii (124 BPM)

American Land - Bruce Springsteen (140 BPM)

The Monster - Eminem (111 BPM)

Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (148 BPM)

Always - Erasure (103 BPM)

Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen (117 BPM)

Hall of Fame - The Script (85 BPM)

Further on up the Road - Bruce Springsteen (138 BPM)

Note: After purchasing the workout, I will send you an e-mail with instructions on how to download.

This is one of my paid workouts. Looking for the free workouts? Go here!

Well poop.

I got sick. I think I've been working too hard, and too much. The stress made me susceptible to sickness. And now I'm sick, unable to workout! Currently, I'm on my second day of sick leave from both jobs, and my third day of missed workouts. Hopefully, I'll be well enough to go back to work tomorrow, but I'll probably take my training easy for a few more days.

So boo. Stupid sick.

Update: Week 5

Hurray for recovery! I feel much better after a week of relative rest.

This week, I began incorporating higher-intensity intervals, like short hill climbs, track speedwork, and fast 25s in the pool. I've never experienced such a dialed-in training plan; I feel like every interval workout challenges me the perfect amount--the first half are easy, the next quarter are tough, and the last few are almost unbearable. It's like I can feel my fitness increasing! I'm not sure if it's because I've got more room to improve, after two years of sporadic triathlon training, or if this is what it feels like to transition from the high-power, high-speed fitness that I associate with youth to the endurance peak in the mid- to late-thirties. I'm not even thirty yet, but I feel like my body is changing.

My training this past week wasn't perfect, unfortunately. I've mentioned previously that I got two jobs. One is full-time with Dick's Sporting Goods. The other is part-time with QuikTrip. Both companies hired me almost simultaneously, though, so both had my schedule as full availability. The result? Two fourteen-hour workdays in which I worked from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dick's, then from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at QT. I considered hitting the YMCA for a swim/run combo on Friday morning, but thought better of it. Twenty-eight hours of work in a 48-hour period stresses my body enough without adding two workouts, even of only moderate intensity. I missed three workouts this week--one in each discipline. I think I've got my availability tuned in for both jobs now, but it won't take affect until next week, which means that this week will be another bruiser. Still, at least I'm working and making money! I see a new bike, lots of races, and a trip to Switzerland in my future! Oh, and the opportunity to pay off some student loans.

I'm already experiencing one of the benefits of being a running specialist at Dick's: complimentary promotional shoes! I got a pair of Brooks Ghost 6 running shoes to evaluate! I'm liking this job more and more. If you live in the Kansas City area, come see me at the Zona Rosa Dick's sometime! We'll talk tri!

In other, somewhat-related news, I have a large, painful lump under my right armpit, with smaller lumps at my elbow. I think they're swollen lymph glands. The armpit one has been there for about a week, the elbow lumps for less than a week. This worries me. I speculate that the lymphatic pathway down my right arm is reacting to . . . something. No idea what. Something potentially serious, I fear. Or not. My roommate thinks it's just stress from too much work and exercise, not enough rest. I'm giving it another week or two, and if it doesn't go away, I'll get it checked out.

Additionally, my right shoulder, which I messed up in the business of being born, has slipped over into full-on shoulder impingement. Expect an article soon on how to deal with shoulder impingement. If I can get to it between two jobs and half-ironman training, that is.

Week 4 update

My body felt very tired after three weeks of exercise. After this first meso-cycle, all the others will be three weeks instead of four, so I hope that this is as tired as I'll be this year. I missed most of my running the third week because the weather was so gross. I know that sounds pretty lame to my readers who are buried under three feet of snow, but I didn't have access to a treadmill, and there were no safely cleared paths on which to run. So I didn't run. I also skipped a bike ride.

Week 4 provided some much-needed recovery. I skipped two of three swimming workouts, because I've had pain in my shoulders. After two years of minimal swimming, I think I've shocked my body with this sudden onset of swim training. So I gave my shoulders a break and skipped a couple of swims. My legs felt tired during my bikes and runs, too, but I got them done!

I hit my 1000m swim test, though; I did 1000m in 17:55! I know it's not a world-record time or anything, but it's one of my faster times. Not bad, considering I just started swimming again a month ago!

I also joined the YMCA in Kansas City last week. I wanted to join the community center where I've been swimming up until now, but their hours are more limited, and I've got two jobs now. The Gregg/Klice pool is open from 10:45 to 5:30, and I'm sure there will be days when I can't get there during those times.

It's nice to be making money again, and to have a job where I work certain hours and get paid for them. Self-employment exhausted me, as much as I enjoyed setting my own schedule and self-directing. It's refreshing to have someone else tell me what to do, at least for a while. I don't know how long I'm going to be able to combine two retail jobs, though, not to mention half ironman training. I may be overly ambitious.

Stuff I'm Using: TomTop Underwater MP3 Player

I got a job offer on Tuesday! But it's just for a part-time job with Quiktrip. Great company, great benefits, but not enough to fund my triathlon habit.

So I'm trying to monetize my blog just a little bit more. Please forgive the blatant commercialization.

I can't bear to endorse just any product, so I'll only profile things I actually use.

TomTop Waterproof MP3 Player


I can't believe how much these things have come down in price! I first used the Finis SwimP3 for underwater music, and it cost around $125. Then I got a cheap, made-in-China player a few years ago from Amazon, and it was $45, and the cheapest I could find. Now you can get one for $20! It works perfectly well, too. I don't imagine it will last for very long, but that's to be expected. Besides which, my expensive SwimP3 only lasted for 18 months, before the chlorine and water corroded the connections. A cheap, waterproof MP3 player makes a nice investment for long, endurance-y swims.

Runner's High: Game Day

Best part about running long on Superbowl Sunday afternoon?

You get the roads all to yourself.

Trihardist Workout: Pre-Season Yoga Part II

Last time, I shared my lower-body pre-season yoga routine. Here's the upper body routine. It focuses primarily on ameliorating my shoulder impingements and fixing my jacked-up right shoulder, elbow, and wrist. Being born messed up my shoulder, as that was the first part of my body that entered the world. I hyper-extended the elbow a few years ago playing rugby. In my first game ever. During warm-ups. Rugby didn't start auspiciously for me.

Anyway, here's the routine:

Ardho Mukha Svanasana for 6 breaths (Downward Facing Dog)
Plank for 6 breaths
Chattaranga Dandasana for 6 breaths (Yoga push-up)
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana for 6 breaths (Upward Facing Dog)
Repeat with 3 breaths, then with 1 breath
Dhanurasana (Bow)

Uttkatasana (Chair pose) + shoulder opening routine
Garudasana (Eagle's Nest)
Vrksasana (Tree) + Gomukasana (Cow Face) arms
Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III) + Gomukasana arms
Setu Bandhasana (Bridge)
Purvottanasana (Reverse Plank)
Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow)
Eka Pada Setu Bandhasana or Urdhva Dhanurasana (One-Legged Bridge or Upward Bow)

Parvatanasana (Pyramid)
Padmasana (Lotus) + Garudasana arms
Padmasana + Gomukasana arms

Bandha practice, pranayama, seated meditation

Half-Ironmman Training Plan 2014

I'd like to share my training plan for the first part of this year. There are plenty of sources for free training plans, of course; the one I've used in the past with some success is Ontri.com, but if you search online, you'll find a dozen sites offering a similar, free service. I purchased Triathlete Magazine's Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide by Matt Fitzgerald several years ago. Best $30 I've ever spent on triathlon. I have a few other training books, too: Triathlete's Edge by Marc Evans and The Triathlete's Training Bible by Joe Friel. I base all of my training plans around Fitzgerald's format, modifying based on Evans's and Friel's advice and my own experience.

I modify my training plans for my own needs, but if your needs are similar to mine, you may find my 2014 half-ironman plan helpful. Some details about my personal plan:

• I borrow heavily from Fitzgerald's interval recommendations; the base training plan is his, not mine.
• I write all my own swim workouts, but derive the substance of main set intervals from Fitzgerald's book.
• Most training plans follow a 3 week on, 1 week off pattern--that is, you spend every fourth week recovering. I've found that my body works best with a recovery week every third week. So my training plan gives you 2 weeks on, 1 week off. 
• It's a 20-week training plan, but (as you may notice) 20 does not divide evenly by 3. So the first training block is 4 weeks: 3 weeks on, 1 week off.
• There's a 2-week taper before the half-ironman race.

My training begins next Tuesday (Jan. 21); if you want to do Ironman 70.3 Kansas with me, yours should too! Here's the first training cycle; it covers the next four weeks.

2014 70.3 Plan (Meso-cycle 1)

And a few notes to help you interpret it:

• There are 3 workouts in each discipline each week.
• S=Swim, K=Kick, I=Individual Medley, P=Pull, so SKIPS means 100 swim, 100 kick, 100 IM, 100 pull, 100 swim. It's my favorite warm-up.
• I recommend always doing backstroke for cool-down, to try to reverse some of the repetitive stress on the shoulders from so much freestyle.
• The third sheet in the file has a chart for your heart rate intensities, but it's up to you to determine your training zones; do a quick online search, and you'll find plenty of articles on how to do it.
• This plan uses time instead of distance to set run and bike volume.

If you have any other questions, e-mail me or leave a comment below!