Sunday, September 2, 2012

Everybody's NOT working for the weekend! Thoughts and question...


This week’s return to school marks a new beginning and with that uncertainty comes many questions about the future. Today’s post focuses mainly on questions-about my training, triathlons, school, and life.

                                         Kirk and I in our new suits-bring on Wallis Sands!
 
First, a quick TRI training update. I was able to jump in the ocean once again yesterday with mixed results. The workout was decent but difficult. My TRI brother-in-arms, Kirk, and I decided on an ocean swim after a birthday party filled day with pre-teens. Our choice of beaches was probably not the wisest-Plum Island is known for its’ decent surf, strong currents, and powerful undertoe. Just to make sure we made things as challenging as possible, we jumped in at high tide. The workout was one of the hardest I’ve had(out of only a handful) because of the big waves but we both lived to tell about it.  Despite the tough seas, I was glad we ended up at Plum Island. The kids had a tremendous time and provided plenty of smiles. My youngest daughter, Riley, was running around chasing after seagulls and yelling ‘Ducky’! ‘Ducky’! Riley was a huge help during the swim workout. While finishing the last leg of the swim, it was impossible to sight anything with the sun in our eyes. Luckily, we could hear Riley yelling ‘Daddy!’ so we knew exactly how far to go! Could this be my secret advantage during the race next month???
                                                                  Riley patrolling the shore
My last weekend of summer vacation has been fast and furious. Cookouts, birthday parties, visits to the beach… just living the dream. It has been the greatest of summers. Two more days till classes start so there is still time to squeeze in a few things more. I’m thinking more ocean swims, back-to-school shopping, and 1 more BBQ!

After that…questions. What will school do to my training schedule? Will there be enough hours in the day for work/school/play? Only time will tell.

While thinking of these questions, quite a few triathlon questions have come to mind and I thought that if I posted them, maybe some of you could offer some insightsJ

·        What exactly is in an ‘essentials bag’? I get it- kicks, glasses, etc. But what accessories? Snacks? Type of fluids besides water? Things a newbie wouldn’t think of????

·        Does it make sense that I can train in the pool for 75 min, but 15 min in the ocean wipes me out?

·        Sneakers- are $100 running kicks really worth it?

·        Duran Duran or Pet Shop Boys?

·        Water bucket in T1 or water bottles for cleaning up?

·        Short/quick rides on bike or longer/steady pace?

·        Need a new pre-race tradition before first race. Have seen dance poses by some. I’m leaning towards a history theme for my pre-race ritual…after all, I am a history geek!

·        Swimming- we do people run for cover from the pool and oceans when it rains?

·        Cycling shorts or no cycling shorts during race?

·        Other traditional snacks during race besides gels/powerbars?

·        Will Scott Brown win a U.S. Senate re-election bid just because he is a triathlete?

·        Let Obama and Romney run in the Lobsterman, ME, half-iron, winner gets the keys to Pennsylvania ave!
Feel free to offer your thoughts, opinions, or expertise!

Shop, bike, BBQ, pool with kids today! Hope all of you have a great holiday! Cheesy sounding, but I will be back teaching in front of kids soon so I need to start getting in character!

4 comments:

  1. Finding the RIGHT shoe for YOU is key. It doesn't matter if it's an $80 shoe or $150 shoe. If you buy the wrong shoe to save a few bucks it will cost you in the long run. Also, triathlon is dirty...don't try to clean up in T1! Embrace the funk! Good luck with training.

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    1. Thanks for the advice Amy. My backup kicks are feeling good and i'm gonna stick with them for race #1 in 2 weeks.

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  2. Amy's advice is spot on. Get the best shoe for your foot (that you can afford). It's worth it to go to the local running store and perhaps pay a bit more than if you just went to the big megastore and picked a shoe based on its cool factor.

    No water bucket in T1. Waste of time and space! And as you will see, space is a precious commodity in the transition area!

    Duran Duran

    Your training really depends on what race you are training for and how much time and energy you want to dedicate. My coach always had me do: 3 swims per week (1 long/endurance, 2 drills/sprints), 3 bike rides per week (1 long/endurance, 2 shorter/tempo), 3-4 runs per week (1 long/endurance, 1 track workout, 1 brick workout, and if time maybe one more tempo-ish run). Lots to fit in, so most days I did doubles -- swim in the a.m., bike after work, etc. The distances all depended on what I was training for. Obviously, for a sprint tri you don't need to be doing 30-40 mile bike rides and 10 mile runs! So use your time wisely and train for your goal race. Don't worry about what anyone else is doing; they may have different goals.

    As far as snacks, practice with different things during your training. NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY! If you know your race will be serving Gatorade, buy some Gatorade and make sure your stomach can tolerate it while you work out. If it can't, keep experimenting until you find what works for you (my digestive system likes HEED the best) and bring it with you to the race. I usually have 2 water bottles on my bike -- 1 water and 1 HEED, especially for a longer race. For a sprint, you may be able to get by on water only, but again only you can figure that out during your training. Sport beans are easy to digest and portable, but make sure they work for you. Again, nothing new on race day!! You want to be confident about all aspects of your race, and that includes your digestive tract. :)

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  3. I think for next TRI season, i'm going to start some group training an get some coaching.

    Your advice is in line with everything i've read in my web surfing. Thanks. Couple of weeks left and feeling "Hungry Like the Wolf"!

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