Triathlon SeasonBegins 3/28

Are you ready for triathlon season?  I think I am.  So for my first day of tri season I swam...no. Biked, everyone bikes during tri season...hell no.  Ran, yes, I ran and also lifted weights.  3 miles really easy at a 10 min pace and then did a CrossFit workout.

What?  "I thought you said you were in tri season?".

I am in tri season.  I will get to it.

The big strength workout on my first day of tri season was CrossFit Games 16.4 WOD (Workout of the DAY).  It was an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) for 13 minutes of
55 Deadlifts #225
55 Wall Balls #20 @ 10'
55 Calorie Row
55 Hand Stand Push Ups
I was able to do 165 reps or 3 of the 4 exercises.  It was actually a good score and I was very proud of it considering my weekend adventure.

So how does that even equate to a swim, bike, and run? 

For the past 4 years I have been participating in the CF Games workouts and one of the last workouts always falls when I have my 50 mile trail run at Grasslands.  So my issue is this, do the workout as prescribed RX or scale the workout so it's not as hard and possibly do the actual workout on Monday.  On Monday...after I have run a bijillion miles!  These are my issues.

So last Thursday I did the 16.4 scaled workout which was
55 Deadlifts #135
55 Wall Ball 20# @ 9'
55 Calorie Row
55 Hand Release Push Ups
232 reps or all the exercises plus 12 more deadlifts.

I did the scaled because

A) I lifted the 225# and knew my back would be out of commission for a couple of days.

B) I had a 50 mile run on Saturday.

I figured that if I could walk after the Grasslands 50 mile run and was not too sore then I would do the RX 16.4 on Monday. So, not too shabby for two days after a fitty.

Now on to tri season. Last year my tri season was more like my running season with some biking every Saturday and some swimming in my backyard.  If I can simulate biking, swimming, and running in a gym setting then why not try it to see if it works. Last year I biked for a total of 500 miles and swam for a total of 15K and that includes my 140.6 mile race.  That's it.  Sure, I had the endurance foundation, strength, mental and previous experience but 500 miles and 15K?  Come on!

I am hoping that I will get more biking and swimming in since I joined a triathlon club here in Frisco (They are a crazy and fun bunch!) and 24 Hour Fitness (so I can swim whenever I want). We will see how the bike and swim go.

Now on to my massage.  Cheers to a great Summer...

Nutrition and Hydration

Summer is almost here in Dallas and it's getting hot! Training in the heat is bearable if you do it correctly and safely.

 Rule #1...lots of water.

 Rule #2...lots of water very close to you. I have a water bottle I run with...during the group runs I have a five gallon jug near...if it's a long run I carry money to stop at a store. Sports drinks are good too if you go over an hour but I would recommend only water in the jug because you would get very stickey if you poured sports drink on your head. Use small towels or bandannas to pour water on and wrap around your neck or to put on your head.

Rule #3...wear a hat or visor. You can put ice in your hat or a towel under your visor.

 Rule #4...it takes time to acclimate to the heat...do not overexert yourself for the first couple of weeks.

Here is a site that talks about heat and exhaustion.

http://www.marathonguide.com/training/coachmindy/heat.cfm

Nutrition...let's do the easy version then a site.  

Pre-workout...100-200 calories 30-60 minutes before workout...I say banana, apple, protein smoothie...easy to digest.

During workout...water if under 60 minutes...sports drink over 60 minutes.

Post-workout...4 to 1 ratio carb to protein. Chocolate milk is a good recovery drink. Try to get food in you 30 to 90 minutes after working out.

http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/Protein-Carbs-and-Endurance-Performance-Finding-the-Right-Balance.htm?cmp=306&memberid=65932664&lyrisid=20688374&page=2

Hope this helps...and remember Distance is Relative. -Ham

New Running Project

I squashed a thought someone had a couple times this month..."I want to run 100 miles in a week."

I told him that in all my training I had never even run over 55 miles in a week unless it was a race or some other event that was 50 miles or above. While I am excited about his enthusiasm, I do not want to see him hurt, unable to train. I remember that feeling of the unknown...wanting to see what I can accomplish...asking "How far can I go?"...reaching small attainable goals to build a strong foundation.

So, in the past week I have...

#1 Listened to my compadre in running, Patton "The Dominator" Gleason, say that for the next adventure we will be "dipping our toe in the Red River", running to the White Rock Marathon, and running it. 100+ miles in all and starting Saturday morning.

#2 Decided I would run the 100 miles in a week that I have been trying to talk my friend out of.

#3 Watched the movie "Running the Sahara"...3 friends decide to run from the west coast to the east coast of Africa...crossing the Sahara Desert...115 days and 4500 miles!

And last #4 reading "Born to Run" a story about the best ultramarathoners on the planet and their 50 mile race but most importantly...why they, and WE, run and their untold stories.


So on to #1 and #2...Why?...the answer Because. I am 45 miles into it and am feeling quite good. I have split my runs into morning 15 miles and afternoon 5 barefoot, or Vibram, miles. This will get me mentally ready for the runs we will be doing throughout the next 5 months. We will see...

Follow Up... Not only did I accomplish the 100 miles in a week but a couple of years later I completed 200 miles in an 8 day span.  The week leading up to my birthday run I ran a marathon a day for 6 days (10-15 miles the day before) and 40 something miles on my birthday run.  I can't specifically remember the year.  Challenging and tiring both physically and mentally.  I also have never done #1...it would be fun though!

Major Change In Programming Thinking

The last two weeks I have been playing with timed interval training and tabatas...not just sets and reps. I think that if we can slowly increase the time per exercise, increase the number of exercises per interval training with minimal rest, and focus on total body and core exercises, we can simulate the running experience and make the body perform at a higher level for longer times.

 I have always somewhat known that interval training is the secret to strength and endurance for runners but the actual secret is how to get maximum intensity into a short training session. By making it timed instead of actual repetitions, workouts can be challenging, quick, intense and fun.

Follow an interval workout and rest breaks as close as you can and try not to take too much time for set up in between the workouts. Some exercises require different weights so make sure you have everything you need close. Strength sessions can range from 10 minutes to 50 minutes.

Running can take a back seat if needed but do not eliminate it.  You can even make any run an interval training session or tabata.  Do at least one hill or fartlek run during the week and 1 EZ run. Saturday is essentially an endurance day with running and strength training together.

Enjoy the week.

Intensity, Strength, Time and CrossFit

I had the opportunity to workout with the guys from Frisco Crossfit yesterday at Luk's Locker in Plano. We only did 16 minutes of tabata work but those 16 minutes were all out effort.

Tabata is known also as HIIT or high intensity interval training. You do 20 seconds of work and have 10 seconds off and repeat this 8 times or 4 minutes for each exercise. The exercises are basic moves and that's the beautiful part of tabata...anyone can do it and you do not need any equipment.

So what were the exercises...jump rope, burpee, squat, ball slam. That's it. The new Frisco CrossFit location should be opening soon in the Pizza Hut complex.