Lots has happened between last week and this week. I managed to try a supplement (Hammer Perpetuum) and had a good breakfast before hand, and rode my fastest 50miler thus far. I bought a wetsuit of my own so I’ll be more prepared in being comfortable in wetuits swimming outside (and booties, and a neoprene cap, as well as swimming gloves). I know that gloves are not allowed in competitions but since the water here outside is chilly, and I want to start OWS’s somewhat soon, I wand to be warm in cold water. I also started seening my triathlon coach again to help prepare more for Timberman, since it is a different type of race than Mooseman (different course I mean). And, since she is an amazing mountain biker, she’ll help with preparation for mountain bike races–my first being June 10th, the first of the New York State Mountain Bike Series.
Tuesday
– Mtn Bike ride 90 minutes
– Swim= total 2000 yards
Warmup (WU)= total 300 yards of drills
Main Set (MS)= 1500yards –>12×100 with :20 RI
Cool Down as you like for 200 yards
Wednesday
– Run= tempo
WU first then–>4×1 mile with 2:00 RI at 8.00 pace
Thursday
– Bike= Hill repeats/tempo (70minutes)
Find a hill that takes 10:00 to climb and at a 6% grade. From the bottom of 299 and 44/55 to trapps bridge in New Paltz might work well) Climb seated 50-60 rpm. Zone 3.
recvoer 7:00 easy spin. Do total of 3 times.
View from Burger Hill
Friday
– Swim= tempo/ total 1700 yards
WU= total 300 yards drills
MS=1200 yards–> 6x 200 at planned HIM pace with :20 RI
CD as you like for 200 yards
– Run= speed
WU first then 6×2:00 HARD up Burger Hill with 3:00 easy recovery inbetween
– Mountain bike lesson (even though I kind of know what I’m doing out there)
Saturday
– Bike= LSD (40miles) + t-run 10min
Sunday
– Run= 9 miles
– Possible Mtn bike ride, depending on weather
Memorial day Monday
– Bike= Ride to Hudson and back (about 50-60 miles round trip depending which routes I decide to take)
If you are training, be safe, train hard, and have FUN!!! 🙂
testing the water in the lake behind the house, back in July
Well, I just signed up for the Timberman 70.3 race in New Hampshire, and I am looking at this race with a completely new set of eyes. Looking back at Mooseman– I Â wasn’t prepared. The OWS terrified me, and if I got into the groove quicker and actually put my head under the water and start to swim, my swim time would have been drastically faster. Another thing I wasn’t prepared for was lack in nutrition. I was not at all eating enough, or the right types of foods to help me be in peak physical condition. I think I have mentioned this before in another post. And, I did want to do Mooseman, to go back and finish the race I wasn’t able to finish, but I think that is too soon. And with Timberman being in late August, gives me the opportunity to do a couple little triathlons in preparation. Who knows, maybe I could make it up sometime to NH and swim in Lake Winnipesaukee and try out the bike course!
court. of Ironman
This year, with a new set of “eyes” so to say, I am determined to finish this race. Oh, and I just signed up for my first road bike race! And am kinda freaked out, since I have no idea what road racing is about– and it is different than biking in tri’s. I hope to get in some rides with other people, which I think will help ( I know, I know, lots of people have told me about Thursday night rides….I guess I was just too scared to go on them at that time). I hope training with other people will help my endurance, and speed.
court. of Biking Reviews
I also signed up for a half marathon in March, which I think I should be able to do. If I can do a half marathon, and then bike with other people, and do as many OWSs before the time comes (well, with it being winter, my dates with chlorine, and time spent on the TD might need to occur when the weather outside is either freezing, or raining.)
Last spring, things kinda got in the way of my training, and for this race, I’m not going to let those things get in my way anymore. Train, but also be social. Eat healthier–eat more–even on long rides.
I don’t give up that easily, and am determined to try my best to finish this race- not to beat records, but to finish it, so that I can tell myself I can do it, and …it is possible.
Sorry if I was rambling. Just some thoughts.
Follow your dreams, believe in yourself, and don’t give up. – Rachel Corrie
Upon finishing my delicious dinner of Peanut Butter Clif Bars and settling down for the first time today (yes–I was up all day, during day light hours! Unimaginable! And, yes, the Clif bars were tasty, but I’m really craving a large portion of Pomme Frites covered in salt and a beer at the moment), I realized it has been quite a while since I’ve written a post. And after running (not literally–it was more like stumbling) into a friend of mine who exclaimed, “I think the last time I saw you was in early March,” (my response, “Really? Dude, that’s a long time.”) I thought it is about time to resurface from my semi-hermit-nocturnal lifestyle and attempt to do things during daylight hours like the majority of the rest of the world.
So, what do I write about? Thank goodness the heat wave seems to have left the area, and I thought about writing a post on sports nutrition, but then decided I’m probably not the best to give advice on nutrition if I just ate Clifbars for dinner, and the fact my stomach for some odd reason cannot tolerate gels or energy things during races or training (as I found out the hard way yesterday when I scarfed down a package of Gu-bloks right before riding up Platte Clove Road. Less than ten minutes up the hill, I felt the gelliness (is that a word?) creep into my throat and had to stop to puke). However, my knowledge of nutrition is quite extensive due to a career in nursing and juggling an athletic/vegan-vegetarian lifestyle…My enthusiasm towards creating and cooking new dishes has actually increased recently–only a hand full of people who have eaten the food (and survived) would believe that since the juices and beverages are basically the only habitants of my refrigerator, except for the lone jar of pickles. A favorite website of mine is Fat Free Vegan Kitchen which has amazing dishes.
In my defense, I prefer to go food shopping on days I cook and only have enough for me or whomever is joining me to eat so that the chances of anything going rotten is slim. On that note, I also prefer to shop locally instead of large chain stores. Yes, the food might be a bit more expensive when not bought locally (there are farmer’s Markets in most towns where you can get local fruits and veggies as well as local butchers) but you are helping the local economy stay afloat. And, honestly, after my last trip to Wal-Mart I was not only terrified by the condition of the people shopping there, but I just felt gross leaving. In no way am I suggesting people who do shop at Wal-Mart are unconscious of their health. And, Wal-Mart does have some good prices for certain items….But if I can buy locally, I’ll do so. Below is a site that lists of farmers markets in the Dutchess and Ulster counties. I know I’ve spoken about CSAs before–and those are fantastic during the summer months…Although the summer is quickly passing and fruits will be off the vines soon, but it will be apple picking time in no time! Mmmm, I love baking Apple pie. Adams seems to have amazing food, and if you eat fish, it seems to be the best fish I’ve found in the area– so fresh, and you can find fish that were wild caught, not farm raised.
Back to the post about Cycling. I have a couple of friends who will be participating in the Tour of the Catskills this weekend, which is a three stage road race up through the Catskills. It is mountainous with sharp ascents and long descents, winding roads, and on a beautiful day, the views on parts of the ride are breathtaking. It’s intense. Lots of thigh burning.I decided to do one of the stages yesterday because I needed to get my long ride in, and was bored with Dutchess County and thought, “Hey, I’ll do the stage 2 course!” I got lost so my ride wasn’t exactly the same, and my written instructions of where to go were useless when I ran into rain going from Windham to Durham.
I’ve ridden over in Ulster/Greene county before, and the one time I’ve ridden up Platte Clove was at the beginning of my ride. In the tour, the ride up Platte Clove, or “the Devils Kitchen” is after riders have been riding for over 50 miles–and thats the higher category cyclists. The pro’s and cat 1/2 do a longer loop, but still end up going up Platte Clove Road.
I give the people racing this weekend an incredible amount of credit for what they are about to do. The kicker of the race is Platte Clove road, a road only open seasonally (according to the Daily Freeman last week, a hiker fell somehow off the road and was seriously injured) and this road is over 3 miles long with a 7% grade incline. And after riding over 50 miles, having to ride up it is a b*tch. As I was riding along route 32 from Durham towards Mountain Road, I looked over at the Catskills and a horrible thought came over me: I need to get back up there to get to my car…. and it’s up there.
I’m not a fan of hills, or mountains I should say, when biking, especially after riding for over 50 miles (I know, hardcore road cyclists think that is nothing). I’ve only done Platte Clove once, and it is like the hill from hell– it’s just plain nasty. It is never-ending. Once you think you are at the top, you still have a couple of miles of rolling hills to get to Tannersville, or Haines Falls where I parked. If you were to pass me, you’d hear my “ughs” and the swearing started once mosquitos decided to have a feast on my arms. However, I did stop along Platte Clove and wrote in large letters a couple of names of people I know who will be riding up this devilish hill this weekend. However, by that time, most of it will be just one large smear of orange from the cars and if it rains. (Crayolla Sidewalk Chalk is amazing–there is even glow in the dark chalk! But, its washable– who makes washable sidewalk paint?).
Once I made it to the top after having a break to speak with someone who was walking their dog (I might be semi-quiet in general, but seem to be able to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger over useless, random topics of conversation.)
Training wise, I went to the lake to swim today  which was wonderful, and actually found a rope swing which I just could not swim past and no try it. It was fun; I haven’t been on a rope swing in years.
Onteora Lake-- complete peace
My next race is the Timberman; I decided to sign up for the sprint, since it is in the middle of my ten day vacation (woohoo!) and I plan on doing lots of mountain bike rides and road rides up in Vermont and New Hampshire so I would prefer if I was able to walk and do activities after the race. However, after my ride yesterday and my swim today, I think I could technically do the full half IM, but since it’s my vacation, I want to be able to do more hiking/road and mountain biking with by babies. My long run is tonight, so depending how that goes, I’ll decide what I’ll do. Then, I should really start planning my trip (insert extremely happy face). I really would love to do the half IM, but am not sure it’s possible now, especially with my insane, nasty night-shift work schedule which make it hard to train because you are so physically exhausted. Ohh the day when I can work during normal hours… Imagine how much easier it would be to train!
Before I end his post, I am going to share some useful info for you regarding cycling, and doing anything outside in the Catskills, even if it is only 0700.
1) Bring sun glasses, or those clear cycling glasses you can wear. They not only help on a bright day, but also keeps rain from pelting your eyes so you can see during sudden rainfall (however, there is nothing like riding in the rain).
2) Reflective cycling jackets are a smart idea to wear when you are riding right when the sun comes out and when you are cycling in fog. It helps drivers know you are there.
3) Not all reflective jackets are waterproof, as evidenced by my drenched, wadded up pathetic paper directions of my route (perhaps the reason I didn’t know where I was a couple of times… thank goodness I kind of had an idea of where I was going).
4)Even when it is overcast, you can still get burnt. I think I have three different shade of color on my upper arm from wearing different sleeve-length jerseys.
5) If you carry a cell phone, put it in a plastic bag so incase you do run into rain, it does not destroy the phone. This I learned the hard way after a mountain bike ride when my phone, along with my whole body and bike, fell into a stream.
We’re approaching July 2011. Can you believe it? Can you remember what you were doing, or where you were a year ago? Take a minute and think….And then take a minute to breathe. Deep inhale in…and out. I have a feeling most people, myself including, forget to take that time out to stop doing, doing, doing, and just be. Now if you’re at your kitchen table, desk, sitting on the couch, or wherever you might be reading this, how does it feel to just be?
View of the Catskills from Snyderville
At first when I did that, I was sitting outside on the deck, drenched with sweat after my 37mile bike ride (Â Milan Hill-> Snyderville->Elizaville->Red Hook route) . Having swam earlier in the afternoon, the bike ride zapped me of the remaining energy I had, but it did not matter. Evening was turning into the night. Fireflies were out. I just sat, and was. I did not think about how crazy my next couple of weeks at work are going to be, nor lament the fact I do not have a normal job thus making tri training more difficult. I didn’t think about recent events, or future events. I simply closed my eyes and listened to the breeze and frogs and nocturnal bugs.
You should do that. It takes two minutes. And it feels fantastic to for those few moments not to be worrying about jobs, families, races, relationships, training…Etc.
I’m looking at life differently now, perhaps it was an eppiphany I had. Who knows. But I realized (again), how you live your life, and the value you bestow upon it, are all about your attitude and perspective on it.
My first attempt at Mooseman was a disaster. Yes, I got 2/3 of it done. But mentally I went into it fearing I would be unable to complete it (and, yes, there was that fear of my first open water swim in a competition setting). I learned a lot from that race–and now I know more and how better to train for my next one.
Yes, my job isn’t ideal for training for these types of events, especially when working overtime or picking up extra shifts in the week. And, i’m jealous of those who have normal 9-5 jobs and weekends off, which can make training easier. By no means am I saying those types of jobs don’t have their stress! My job itself can leave me physically and sometimes emotionally drained. And mustering up energy to go for training rides/runs is difficult. But, it’s possible, as seen by yours truly.
But I’m looking at the next race, Timberman, with a different light. I’m actually looking at life with a different perspective. I’ve come a far way from my fear of swimming in open water (now, open water in large lakes is another thing, and swimming with lots of other people, is also different). As in my last post, yy time in the lake is time for me. Where I don’t need to think about everything else that is going on in my life. I can just concentrate on swimming.
Sun setting behind the Catskills, taken somewhere along route 19
For Mooseman, I did a couple brick workouts, but not alot. Now, I’ll do them more. On my long rides and runs, I never thought to bring fuel with me, or adequately nourish my body with the important nutrients needed for both significant training, and for work. Scratch that thought, I just ate poorly. I lived off of peanut butter and graham crackers at work. Now, I’m trying to look at food as a way of nourishing my body so that I do have the strength to train with my hectic schedule, and not it being simply food. You can eat anything, but it’s amazing the affect it can have on your system. More protein, more whole fruits and veggies, gluten-free foods, less sugar, more water.I’m pretty sure I’ll feel some improvement in how my body feels with these modifications, which might even help sleep and I know help with energy levels and performance.
A healthy dinner of a Molly's twist on a two bean salad,fresh lettuce from the garden, and herbed couscous
Also, to stop comparing myself to others who do have more time to train, and to get rid of any  (silly) feelings of jealousy
Men. Ahh, that’s a topic I’m not too fond of. Especially with the complications of my last “friendship.” But, you need to be completely at peace with yourself, be able to take care of you, and actually love yourself before you can love another person. And even though I might look like I have my shit together, I really don’t. And as somewhat heartbroken as I am about what happened, I’m not going to go crawl into a ball and weep to sleep (cause, I’ve already done that haha). Whoever coined the term “heartbreak” was dead on–I did feel like my heart was actually cracking in my chest. Â But, I’m not going to dwell on the fact it did not work out, even though I was hoping it would. This opens up opportunities that I have for my future. Like travel nursing. I’m young, single, have great work experience under my belt, have no family or mortgage to worry about. It’s the perfect time to go out and try new things while I still can. Travel, and see different places. And, if the travel positions do not work out, well, I go somewhere else. I don’t want to look back at my life and think, “Man, why didn’t I do that?”
That’s one good thing I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
A Rendezvous with Sneakers 