Triathlon Dirt

Post Triathlon Weight Gain?

Two months ago I finished my very first half ironman. I was in the very best shape of my life. I was toned, healthy and eating as much as I liked of anything I liked. Admittedly a lot of carbs and protein but there was no limit to what I could put in my mouth. Really, no matter how much I ate, I still lost a bit of weight each week. Not a lot, maybe just a half or a quarter of a pound, so I just kept eating.

Now, I've realized that that can't continue and I'm going to have to reduce the intake. I'm not like normal people, I have very little self-eating control. Plus, what the heck is NORMAL intake. I'm going to have to play around and be disciplined to figure it out.

I wonder how much weight gain is normal or if you should aim not to gain any weight. I guess the latter would be ideal if I really was at my 'healthiest'. What do you think?

Oh, I should mention... I did start lifting some weights which I hope accounts for SOME of the weight gain, at least! I've only gained a few pounds (3-4) but I notice it and I'd like it not to continue.

Day before Jitters: Subaru Sprint Triathlon (2008)

I've just finished getting my race gear together for tomorrow's Subaru sprint triathlon down on Jericho beach. I'm not going to lie. I'm really, really, worried about it. I'm not worried I won't finish or anything like that.. but just worried about my performance in general. I think I've been slacking and it's going to show in my time.

I've biked twice since the ironman. (Ok.. four times.. but two of them really don't count because they were on the trainer and I didn't push it at all).

I've swam 3 times since the half ironman. Yes, you read that right.. just three times in well over a month.

The only thing I have going for me is the run portion. (I've been putting in my fair share of running since my marathon training started).

I did 'taper' this week. Only short and fast distances (skipped my longer marathon speed runs) though I'm not sure what I'm tapering from, haha. I stopped my stregth training too just for this week as I'm still getting sore after due to the newness of it all.

I've got a lot of pressure from my husband to perform and I think it's getting to me.

I also drank last night and am a tad hung over today. Will that affect me tomorrow? Probably.

I gotta get my positive thinking back. I'm heading down for the open water swim lesson at 3pm and to check my bike in. Maybe seeing my friends and getting in the sprint triathlon spirit of 'fun' will help.

Subaru Vancouver Sprint Triathlon

Ok, now I've officially entered the Vancouver Subaru Sprint Triathlon for next weekend. Actually I think it's official name is (for anyone who's searching is: SUBARU VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL HALF and SPRINT TRIATHLON).

It should be a great race, assuming the weather is good, as it's on Spanish Banks Beach with it's amazing views of downtown's skyline and the North Shore Mountains.

Tips for buying the perfect running shoe! (PDF from Running Room)

I got this great Running Room PDF in my email yesterday that gives out tips on how to buy the right running shoe!

Download the full pdf on tips for buying running shoes

Once you find a good shoe I recommend sticking with it. Infact, once I find a pair I like in Running Room I'll often stock pile them by buying a bunch. You'll often find they change or discontinue a style from time to time and you have to start the painful process over again. I often go online to a place like Amazon as well to compare prices.

** Remember a good rule of thumb on when you need new shoes is when you've logged approximately 800km or 500 miles. Or simply compare your old shoes with a new pair and see how much difference their is in support.


The Running Room classification system consists of:

Motion Control:

• You quickly break down midsoles, over-pronate and need a firm midsole with a sturdy heel couter.

Cushioning & Stability:

• You need cushioning, a flexible forefoodt and no motion control features. You under-pronate.

Stability:

• You need extra cushioning and some degree of stability and are no an excessive pronator.

My first longer run since the half ironman. (18km)

Sunday morning I hopped out of bed (a little late) and went for my first longer run (18km) since the half ironman. It's been two weeks since the competition and I decided it was time to get back on the horse.

I've been battling tightness and soreness in my hamstrings ever since the half ironman. Each time I go for a run I feel it start to irritate around the 10-15 minute mark. Being a person with exceptionally poor mobility in the hamstring area (I can't touch my toes, infact I can barely reach mid-calf) I find this a bit worrying.

You thought that was the last you'd heard of my evil bike, didn't you?

Well, it's not over yet. I thought during the half ironman I'd do my LAST PEDAL STROKE (ok.. last in a competitive way). I lied to myself. I'm back biking again but just not at the same distances.

I've decided to sign up for the Vancouver Life Sport / Subaru West Coast Triathlon sprint race on July 13th, 2008. They moved the triathlon to earlier in the season this year. Last year they had very rough waters to swim in and it was reportedly very cold. I noticed a lot of my friends who competed had bloated times that reflected this.

Anyhow, I digress. I'm back to biking and training.

I joined the FitXpress Gym in Vancouver on Commercial and 1st

Yesterday in the early hours of the morning (6.30am) I joined up with the FitXpess Vancouver gym on Commercial and 1st on a monthly basis. With all this extra time I've decided that the only way to improve my times and overall fitness is with some strength training. After doing as much endurance training as I did I feel like I've reached my limit and now in order to improve I must tackle what I like doing the least... weights. (They say you should always do most what you want to do least.. so here I am!)

The gym membership cost me:

• $5 for the membership card
• $20 for the 'enrollment' fee
• $36.50/month if you don't want a contract

(It's $24.85/month if you sign up for a year or $19.99 for two years)
*I may be moving soon and I just want to be sure I'm committed before I sign up for too long!

Make your own sports drink and get rid of the Gatorade!

Everyone talks about how Gatorade really isn't that great. You hear things like 'It's full of chemicals' and 'There are better sports drinks on the market'. Well, I couldn't agree more and I for one am sick of Gatorade after chugging liters and liters of the stuff recently.

So, here is how you make your very own SPORT DRINK!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of pure water
• 1 Organic Lemon Tea Bag (with or without caffeine, and feel free to try other flavors)
• 2 tsps cane sugar or honey
• 1/8th tsp of sea salt
• 4 tsps fresh orange Juice

What to eat race morning before a half ironman!

I'm heading up to the Oliver Half Ironman this weekend!
(Actually, I'm leaving in 2 hours)

Here's some meal sample ideas to eat 4 hours before the half ironman starts!

Try to eat at least:144-192g of carbohydrate
Examples:

• 2 cup of fruit yogurt + banana + 250 ml apple juice + 1 bagel with jam
• 500ml sport drink + 1 elevate me bar + 4 slices toast with jam
• 2.5 cups rice Krispie Cereal + 1 cup milk + 1 banana + 500ml gatorade

Can't stomach 'real food' at 4am on race morning? Try:


• Smoothie:
  500ml chocolate soy milk + large banana + 1 cup strawberries + 2 cups fruit yogurt

Packing for the half ironman triathlon this weekend!

I've started packing today as we leave tomorrow on our drive to the Oliver Half Iron. It's my first long course race and I'm very nervous that I'm going to forget something or screw it up.

I found this great resource online for creating your own race day checklists. It includes biking, running, swimming, clothing and miscellaneous (like sun block, walkman, bars). It's simple, you check off the items you need and compiles the list for you. All you do is hit print! :)
http://www.triathlon.racechecklist.com/