training songs

I wanted to share my favorite song with you:
http://youtu.be/G6ZjBPXSmnE

This is a popular song for triathlon
http://youtu.be/P3oBZ4_TNys or http://youtu.be/jnqpYKx8Fvk

This song makes anybody move, tho I don't particularly like the video since it seems to contradict the lyrics.
http://youtu.be/vXtJkDHEAAc

you can dance, enyoy the lyrics, AND the video with this one:
http://youtu.be/q1OqrXK-Fws


tell me your favorite songs please!

You are who you practice to be

The only way to get faster is to go faster
The only way to lose weight is to eat less

My first speed group workout

Last night I went to my first speed group workout thru the tri group I belong to. Prior to going, I came up with so many reasons not to go: my knee hurts; it's drizzling; too cold etc. I went anyway. I thought about my goals for doing well in the Brooklyn Half on May 21, and if I keep on postponing this speedwork, I will not accomplish the goal. Also, the primary REAL reason I was hesitating to go is

Heart Rate Monitor training

There are so many different opinions out there on how to train for a triathlon. One of these is training using a heart rate monitor. If you google heart rate monitor training, you can find various opinions on how to determine your maximum heart rate, and there are sites that say it's too dangerous to try finding your maximum heart rate. Many sites concur that using the generic formula of 220-your age

Al Gordon Classic 4 mile

Tomorrow, I will be running in the Al Gordon 4mile race in Prospect Park. I am planning on biking before the race. I want to bike at least 10 miles, but ideally I would like to bike 20 miles. Twenty miles is 6 loops of the park, which should take me 15-16 minutes per loop - so about 1 1/2 hours. I'm hoping that time per loop is less now that I have been doing the biking in the Computrainer as well as the spinning classes.
Right now, it is 10:15 pm, the night before this race. Just came back from walking the dogs and it is frigid cold right now. I have set out my clothes, and my gu gels. I want to take it easy on the bike - 'zone 2'; and I want to be able to do less than an 11mm pace in the run. I am confident I can do that in the run but what is disturbing me is that I really want to go less than a 10 mm, which I don't think I'm ready for yet. Still, it is gnawing at the back of my mind. I want to treat this as a training event, not a race. I will need to keep this in mind as I am running. I am running with my heart rate monitor, so this is an added ingredient in my training repertoire that will be interesting to experience how it feels while doing these things tomorrow.

I am posting this now to increase the likelihood that I will do it. Also, I would like to document how my perspective changes pre and post events. Much of the struggle is not the physical, but the mental gymnastics that I go through trying to get through the day and the week of training and exercise. Dealing with the unknown outcome is another part of this that is difficult. It is so easy to look back and say 'this was great' but prior to the event, there are many more unknown variables that can overwhelm a person (namely me) into inaction.

Computrainer first!

Today I came in second on the Computrainer, out of 6 individuals, and first out of 4 women!! I was very proud of myself. I guess the recent strength training and the addition of the spin classes have really helped. I went in to the class today hoping to find out my maximum heart rate. I just bought my Garmin 310xt, and wanted to see what my heart rate would look like while bicycling.

The psychological hurdle that I had to jump over today was feeling competitive and going with it. It's one thing to be competitive with strangers in a race; it's a whole other ball game to feel competitive with people you like. Part of me wanted to back off, slow down while the other part of me wanted to do the best I possibly could.

Is there is a difference between feeling competitive and wanting to do my best? I think so. I think generally, I wanted to do my best today and since a peer and I were neck and neck, it provided the scenario to push me along in order to stay ahead.

I was having a difficult time writing this entry because I knew I felt great about having done so well/ about having 'won' the race and I also knew that I was feeling 'guilty' and I didn't like that feeling and I couldn't figure out why I was feeling that way. At first I was going to write about all my insecurities but then I resolved to write something inspirational, like a daily meditation : 'today I resolve to not let guilt get in the way of feeling joy in my accomplishments' .

Now I understand, just as I am writing this - that in 'competition' there is only one 'winner'; but when I think of myself as 'trying my best', then there could be more than one person trying their best and it's ok.

Today, it's ok to try my best, and push myself as hard as I can. It's ok for others to do the same. The final outcome is out of our hands.

Short legs

Do I have short legs or am I too wide for my height?

That was the question I posed to myself when I looked at myself in the mirror while wearing my bathing suit. I could only look in the mirror for a few seconds before I had to avert my eyes. I don't think I looked especially horrible, but I've always had a hard time looking in the mirror in any prolonged manner. My butt did appear to be abnormally close to the ground, and my legs - in those split seconds where I went from my butt to my legs and then away - seemed very 'stout'.

I usually keep these kinds of thoughts to myself but fortunately I mentioned them to someone else who is also in the class who reassured me that it's the mirror and not me. I was only half reassured. The other half wondered about folie a deux.

-- lemmefineout - Brooklyn

What's the Alternative?

The other day I started wondering whether I was cut out for doing triathlons - both physically: do I have the stamina; as well as timewise: it is such a big time commitment. Lately it has been very hard to get in the planned workouts due to the weather. Yesterday morning was my scheduled Computrainer class, but did not go due to the snow that had just fallen. i did go running however, so I suppose that was balanced out. Last week I didn't go, probably due to the weather as well, but I don't recall. I was in Florida, visiting my mother for 5 days. I did manage to get 2 runs in, but I did not swim as I had planned - the pool was not open due to the cold weather - it was consistently around 60-65 degrees. I had my wetsuit, but the beach had no lifeguard, so didn't want to risk it.

So, after some missed scheduled workout, I felt bad about myself and pondered the question of whether I was cut out for triathlons. "a real triathlete would have gotten themselves to the Computrainer class"

"a real triathlete would have no fear" - of snow, of falling or getting hit by a car.

I am not sure what the correct response to those statements would be, but A little lightbulb went off in my head when I realized 'what's the alternative?'.

Triathloning is a lifestyle. Having the goal of doing well in a triathlon involves discipline in exercise as well as in nutrition. Triathloning gives me a way of measuring my progress; of focusing my exercise routine to meet the goal of triathlon. Wondering whether I am cut out for triathloning is putting the cart before the horse - 'am I cut out to exercise and eat right?'. The answer is very clear when the question is posed that way.

Question: "Am I cut out for triathloning?"
Answer: "if the answer is no, What's the alternative?"


-- lemmefineout - Brooklyn

Another Day in the Journey

Physical: This morning I ran 6 miles; I had two layers of pants; two shirts plus my jacket; balaclava, hat and gloves. It was a very slow run (>12mm), but I was happy that I did it. Yesterday I was able to swim despite being asked by my boss at the last minute to go with her to a meeting in the city. I googled how to get to the pool from this meeting and was able to do my 30 minute swim ( a little faster than Monday I might add!)

Mental: I was happy with the fact that I had gone out to run. The most difficult part for me is actually leaving the house. The first part of the run I spent the time ruminating about the fact that I felt so slow. I also spent time changing and re-changing my plan for the run as well as for the week. This is something that I have struggled with in the past - making a plan and then not following thru: either not going out to exercise or pushing past what I'm ready to do because I feel strong at the time. More shall be revealed.

-- lemmefineout - Brooklyn

Crossroads

My training is falling apart. I am out of money and it's way too cold to bicycle around the park. I've been running and swimming, but have not been able to pull it together for the biking. I am thinking about buying some bicycle rollers but am hesitating. I recently folded my credit cards to make them unusable, but didn't destroy them or throw them out. I could still use them for online purchasing...


Really, my training is not falling apart. I definitely would like to ride more , but the fact is that the amount of hours that I have spent exercising the past 2 weeks is much greater than the first 2 weeks of December - I now have, in fact, the same number of activities as of 1/15, that I did for the entire month of December.

So, right now, I'm feeling like a loser, or at least quite uncertain about myself. On the one hand, I understand that there are ebbs and flows in training. On the other hand, I know that I can make excuses for myself and one down day becomes weeks. This definitely is a character flaw of mine.

At the beginning of this month, I became overwhelmed at the thought of my training schedule. I couldn't figure out how to make it. I was helped a little when I bought a training log, where I could hand write my training, in addition to the website/iphone logs that I use (Ontri and Runkeeper). I have since signed up for a couple of workshops thru the triathlon group that I belong to - one on nutrition this coming week, and another on 'how to plan your season' - scheduled for next month in February.

My aim for right now is to keep on moving forward. However imperfectly I may have done my training up until now, remorse will not help me move forward. I just need to keep looking ahead. Keep an open mind and learn from my mistakes and be open to learn from others.

First Time not Last

Physical:
I did my computrainer class Tuesday morning. Slightly over 1 hour of non- stop bicycling. Since it is a new session, there were a couple of guys that have not ridden in a while. I was able to go faster than one of these guys and I felt great! I did 16 miles.

Mental: i couldn't sleep; it was 31 degrees outside; the streets are still recovering from the snowstorm. I was apprehensive about going out in the cold and afraid of how the streets would be. I had to plow through those thoughts and proceed out the door. I had prepared the night before to wear my new tri outfit; however I was feeling insecure of how I look in it. I ended up leaving my short sleeve, looser top on during the class, over my skimpy tri top. I was able to venture into wearing my tri shorts despite my feelings about my legs. My plan is to do arm weights and my Ana Caban core pilates workout to improve my 'physique'. It's hard to believe right now that I could get to look better but I suppose I will try. It almost seems like it would be easier to remain insecure and do nothing. Trying to do something about the fact that I feel/am flabby is sort of strange. It sort of runs counter to 'accepting yourself as you are' - but not really. I have to think about that some more.

-- lemmefineout - Brooklyn

Fear

Today, I'm due to swim. I have a fear that I will not follow through. For some reason I will not be able to make it and thus, ruin my training. This is not an unfounded fear, as there have been plenty of times over the years where I resolve to do something and promptly forget or fail to follow through despite remembering. I also know, of course, that one missed swim will not really ruin anything. The problem however, as with eating (i also have this problem), I can say 'one doughnut won't hurt'; but that ends up becoming a series of donuts; and missing a workout becomes a series of missed events.

I recently read something about 'hope' and 'hopelessness'. The writer spoke about the need to eliminate 'hope' because it is in the future and does not involve any action. It would be better to remain in the present focusing on the 'next step' rather what could or should happen.

-- lemmefineout - Brooklyn

My Training Schedule

Tuesday: R 3.35 miles ( one loop of the park I run in)
Thursday: R 3.35 miles
Friday: B 10 miles biking (round trip commute to work)
Saturday: R 5 miles
Sunday: R 3.35 miles TOTAL: Run: 15 miles Bike: 10 miles

This changed on Saturday because one mile into the 5 mile run I pulled a calf muscle. In the end, I did walk a total of 5 miles during that Saturday. On Sunday, I bicycled 10 miles - 3 loops in the park

This coming week, I plan on running the same for Tuesday and Thursday.
I plan on commuting to work on Monday and Wednesday.

Monday: B 10 miles biking
Tuesday: R 3.35 miles
Wednesday B 10 miles biking
Thursday: R 3.35 miles
Friday: R 3.35 miles
Saturday: R 5 miles
Sunday: B 10 miles TOTAL: R 15 miles B 30 miles

I want to keep this schedule through Thanksgiving where I will run the "Turkey Trot" race, which is 5 miles.

In addition to the above, I am doing arm weights following the runs and trying to remember to STRETCH after running. This is my weak spot!

I have been having ongoing problems with my calf. Mostly it has been due to doing too much. Increasing my pace; distance; frequency of running all in the same week. This is why I would like to stay the same for a good period of time without increasing the distance; and my plan is that all the runs and biking will be done at a leisurely pace. My most recent calf problem is due to jumping rope. It is probably a great way to exercise, but I overdid it and blew both my calves out the week before. Really sad. Very very sad. I keep on doing these things - go FASTER!, get BETTER!, do MORE! - it doesn't really work and I end up going backwards in my so-called training. This is the vicious cycle right there - I can't run, and then when I can, I try to push myself to catch up.

Did I say that exercising is my spirituality? These types of struggles, and my attempts at overcoming myself are what bring me closer to having more serenity and peace of mind. Most life situations are not 'events', they are a 'process'. We are so used to instant gratification in so many things that it becomes difficult to just show up, one day at a time. I am hoping that I will be able to show up for myself - one day at a time.

Making the Decision

I made the decision to run the 'first ever' Pocono Half Ironman sometime this past week. This decision is like a line in the sand, although there is no line, and there is nothing really different: the day after this decision is essentially pretty much like the day before this decision. The part that is different is putting my two feet over that proverbial line-in-the-sand. I am the Queen of half-measures; starting but not completing projects. This Half Ironman is different. You can't really 'just do it'. You really have to train; otherwise most likely you won't finish; get injured; or be pretty immobilized afterwards... On second thought - those are possibilities even if you do train!

Exercise and these types of goals are my spiritual practice. I need something concrete like this to keep me moving forward towards a goal. Tell me I need to run 15 miles in a week or in a day; I can do that. Tell me to pray, and I get lost - I don't know what to look for - am I getting better? How do I go faster? These types of questions just don't work with prayer or more 'traditional' ways of getting closer to a higher power.

Actually, I have to be honest or more honest, I should say. I'm also bad at being told I need to run 15 miles in a week or in a day.. I'm the type of person that tries to change the schedule; tries to go faster; or going longer than planned for the day. I change the plan at the last minute - Not out of necessity, for example - due to inclement weather, or being sick, but just sheer laziness, or some self-defeating behavior/self-sabotage, procrastination... or even excitement. "Stick with the Plan" will be my mantra for the next year.