Current Exercise plan

As I stated in the previous post, I am currently focussed on losing weight as my primary goal during these winter months.  Now that it is the 'off season' I can reduce the number of calories I take in and not worry about the impact it would have on my training.  You can't focus on building up speed or strength for a race while at the same time losing weight. 

Of the three activities, swimming, biking and running; I am only going to be doing my spin class for the bicycling during these winter months.  I did set up the trainer in the living room on the off chance that I may get on it, but I am not especially thrilled about this.  My main goals for this winter are to improve my swim technique/speed and improve my run.  To this end, I am doing strength training - weights, and a 'body sculpting -core workout' class at the gym.

Having a good core is the foundation for remaining injury free and being able to have good form in each of the three activities.

Swimming:
Tuesday morning: swimming 1/2 hour - drills: this link talks of various drills that are good to do on a regular basis.
http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_swim/tno_swimarticle_16.asp

Saturday: long swim

PLEASE check out this video (link below)- I had never seen anything like this up until a few days ago.  I tried it for the first time today, and it is quite hard, but it acutely shows you what angle your arm should be in during the recovery phase.  A running analogy may help visualize what I mean: - in running, the general consensus is that as a 'heel striker', you are braking on your momentum forward and thus creating a higher risk for injury, and slowing yourself down.

Swimming a freestyle stroke completely underwater lets you feel the resistance with the water in the recovery part of your stroke, and enables you to shift the hand re-entry to reduce the 'braking' action that would occur with a different angle.  It's hard to explain, but watch this video, and then try it the next time you swim, and you'll see what I mean.
http://www.goswim.tv/entries/6325/freestyle---underwater-free.html


Biking:

Friday morning: bicycle spin class
If I can get my act together, I will commute to work.

Running:

Tuesday evening: speed work - alternating weeks
   week 1:  intervals : run at a fast pace for 5 minutes, then recovery pace for 1 minute.  Alternate for 3.35 miles,  which is 1 loop of the park that I run in.

   week 2: hill repeats - run up the same hill, approximately 1/2 mile long 4-6 times

Thursday morning: 4-6 mile run

Sat/Sun runs 5-7 miles
every other weekend: long run: 10 miles on Saturday or Sunday.

Strength Training:
Monday evening - weights
Thursday evening: body sculpt/core building class at the gym

So, what is your exercise routine? - I would love links to training tips that you have found informative - they always help.  Happy exercising!

Pat.

learning - Nutrition

So far, this is the weakest link.  I have drank/eaten too fast/too much in the Black Bear, the NYC tri, and the Poconos HIM; leaving me feeling bloated on the run.  I have read how you can lose 600-800 calories per hour in a triathlon, but your body cannot take in more than 200-300 calories per hour.  I was trying to adjust my nutrition plan to that calorie count but I never even come close to eating everything that I put in my bento box and still feel full/bloated.

I have felt satisfied with my pre-race hydration plan - I have drunk just Gatorade in previous races, and during the HIM, I also took in some Nuun tablets in my water.  I wonder if that is why I look like I am 20 lbs heavier in the HIM photos.  As soon as the race was over, by the next day,  I lost that bloated, fat feeling I had been having....maybe too much sodium? 

I like to eat my usual oatmeal with strawberries and blueberries, approximately 3-4 hours before the race start, then a piece of toast with butter and jelly a couple of hours later.

I have generally used Cliff bars; Cliff shot blox; more recently, I have tried the honey waffles.  During this last race, I did not feel much improvement in energy except when I ate 1/2 a banana at a couple of different points in the run.

I have to find out if the calorie counts cited above apply to a woman who is 5'2".  Most triathlon data assumes the reader is a young male; so maybe the caloric needs are less...

Group Ride

Tomorrow is my first official group ride training for the Poconos Half Ironman. I cannot believe that I am going to race that distance. Mountain Valley Bicycles, in the area of Stroudsburg, PA is sponsoring this ride. Apparently, we will be riding the whole 56 mile route plus an extra 14 to and from the start from the bicycle store...Some people have been contemplating running afterwards! I know that I have run after a long bike ride, but not 70 miles! But the only way to go is onwards and upwards as they say...someone, I'm not quite sure who.

I googled the phrase and this is what I got:

Fail not for sorrow, falter not for sin,
But onward, upward, till the goal ye win.
- Francis Anne Kemble (1809-1893)

Pretty cool, and the little bio that I found about this woman was interesting as well. A little side trip away from triathlonlandia.