This was an interesting run.  I got caught up in a meeting and noticed the clock was 5 minutes past 12. 

I quickly checked outside and everyone was ready to go.  I did have a moment of thought where I could back out, settle into my chair and close my eyes for a moment however that’s not an option.  I just know how much better I will feel after I get some exercise and it’s so much fun hanging out with this crew I just couldn’t back out.

 I said that they should start and I’ll change quick and catch up to the pack.  I didn’t think that I would be that long, however….I had to SPRINT a couple KM to get to the pack. 

I kept wondering where they were at and if they took a different route because I was literally sprinting in Zone 3 HR solid and could not find anyone for 20 minutes.  I was also in full compression head to toe so I wasn’t lollygagging.

FAST!  That group is quick.  I caught up with them 1/2 way through the run. 

Of course we have Torsten at the front with a trail of fire behind him.

Hanna and Bonnie looking strong

 

Super Mary with a steady pace that made me gasp today.   She’s a machine!  She’s so amazingly bright my eyes had to shut for this picture.

Sometimes things don’t go to plan due to schedule, misscommunication, weather. 

When things don’t go our way or to plan it’s easy to bail out on a workout.  I learned today that when things don’t go to plan you should still make the most of it.  That’s what Hanna, Alex, Andrea and myself did today. 

We took on the park, did our workout, supported one another and had a great time.  The sun was shining and we had smiles on our faces.   There was a moment where we could have turned around and walked to our favorite pizza place but we stayed focused and made up our own workout routine.  We were laughing, sweating and had a great time.  We also feel like we had accomplished what we set out for.  That is the greatest feeling and that’s what keeps me moving forward.

It’s hard when you get back into your workouts after slacking off the training and diet over Christmas. 

Let my pain be your motivator! 

Jason at BONDTraining met me at lunch to help me get back into my workout routine as I’ve had some troubles over the holidays and feel really out of tune with myself.  Rain or shine, gym or no gym, no excuses!  As my daughter says never never give up!

It was great to get back out there and still see that my body responds well to the workouts and that I’m not as winded as I thought I would be.

Jason is going to be posting some amazing video footage of us working out in the elements around the town, grass roots type of stuff!  Can’t wait to see it!  Keep checking in at his website at www.bondtraining.ca

Hope everyone has an amazing, safe and Happy New Year!  All the best to you for 2010! 

I’m not trying to push the boundaries on this discussion and I hope I don’t make anyone uncomfortable but I have a genuine question that I’ve noticed since I started training in September that relates to menstruation.

I’ve noticed the week prior to a womans regular cycle there is an added lethargy even when iron levels are adequate.  I’ve been to my GP to get things checked out to make sure it isn’t something else underlying.  I pretty much feel drained, little to no energy.  It’s 20 times harder to get out to the regular workouts on this week before the cycle begins.  It’s pretty consistent.

wow, another hurdle!

Coach Kline (@coachprs) had mentioned that it is a useful tool to know how your body responds monthly regarding monitoring fatigue and physical change. When you are ovulating actually can have an effect on your respitory patterns and affect your performance. Nice to know if this is going on during intense workouts and race days.

Here is a really great website for further information on menstruation, http://www.fwhc.org/health/moon.htm

I found information on diet very helpful regarding low blood sugar.  This part specifically. 

Sugar craving, fatigue and headaches signify a different type of PMS. In addition to sugar, women may crave chocolate, white bread, white rice, pastries, and noodles. These food cravings may be caused by the increased responsiveness to insulin related to increased hormone levels before menstruation. In this circumstance, women may experience symptoms of low blood sugar; their brains are signaling a need for fuel. A consistent diet that includes complex carbohydrates will provide a steady flow of energy to the brain and counter the ups and downs of blood sugar variations.

I’d like to get some feedback on your experiences, or if you have any website or reading recommendation please feel free to post a comment.

I can’t talk enough about coach, he’s amazing.  He just posted a really great Q&A session, check it out

http://www.dailymile.com/people/coachprs/entries/702732

I think what I like best about the workouts that he posts on  his site is the feedback that you put into it.  You log not only what you have completed but how you feel, this helps him plan out your next week.  And that’s what he does, completely personalizes your plan for you.

I’m having so much fun with my workouts, even the hard days because I see progress and if I have a question I call him or email him or send a note on twitter and he’s there for me.  Amazing.

His philosophy is Live Healthy, Have Fun, Train Smart

Check out all of the best info on www.prsfit.com

That’s all you need!  Everything else will fall into place.  Make coach a part of your daily routine, you will benefit from it in every way, your life will be better.

Endless trays of cookies, candies, breads, chocolates.   Decorated bowls of treats, hot chocolate as far as the eye can see.   Christmas is  such an endless supply of sugar.

I find it easier now to eat treats in moderation, and it’s easy for me to walk past these trays and trays of sweets and not want them.  It’s just not worth it.  I feel like garbage when I eat all of these sweets.   One or two every now and then is fine but the visual overload of refined sugar really disturbs me.  It’s easy to get caught up in it as well.  I had guests over the other night and had two bowls of different chocolates out.  I tried to balance it with some cut veggies, fruit, edemamme beans and healthy crackers.

Why so much?  Fruit baskets are nice, fruit plate, veggie plate, healthy dips, natural sweets.  Something that won’t make you go into a sugar coma while still being festive and treating yourself properly.  It’s not about weight or gaining weight, it’s about feeling and being healthy.  No need to overload on one special week and then have to detox afterwards.  Everything in moderation.

What do you do over the holidays?  Are you able to maintain a steady level of health or are there days of over indulgence?  What is your method for Christmas?

When I didn’t have an exercise plan and when I wasn’t working out I never really had an outlet for stress or frustration.  I’d work through it as best as I could with certain methods but never really felt like I’ve accomplished getting rid of all that anger, frustration, confusion, stress.

Even before when I was training and racing years and years ago I never used sport as a way to get all that frustration and stress out of my body, I would write in my journal, meditate, take a cleansing breath, treat myself…….and pretty much didn’t get rid of all of it.  Never felt like I really got it all out of my system.

I’m not sure what changed but now I can use all of those frustrating events that happen in the day like fuel for my training.  It actually propels me towards the gym and my workouts are faster and feel more like I’ve done something, like I’ve really accomplished something.  Basically through exercise I can barf all of the stress out of my body.  (not literally barfing) more like a full body release.  Swimming the stress out, running the stress out, biking the stress out.

It really works.

If anyone has children that go to public Elementary school, especially in the younger grades can relate to a lot of daily stress.  Sometimes overwhelming stress.  That seems to go on and on and on and on.  This is the fuel that will get me through my brick workout tomorrow.  I actually can’t wait to get to the gym and burn off the stress, roar it out!

I do my best to deal with the school stress professionally with my husband, meet with the principle if necessary if something is not properly taken care of, make sure my daughter is ok and is hoefully learning the lesson, remain calm and collected and then after everything is serene it’s mama’s turn.  Gimme a 1700m swim and a 40 min run and watch me go, you might want to give me a lane to myself……just incase (kidding)

I notice a difference in my kick now that I’m doing drills with fins on.  Immediately after the fins are off my kick is different and more efficient.  It’s nice to see progress in technique.  The swim is my favorite, it’s the only time I feel that sense of calm in the day, I don’t think about anything but breath and technique.  It’s nice to just go into that mode, clear your head and give your mind a break.

There’s so many different people at the pool, all ages, all shapes and sizes, different swimming methods.  Some training plans all supplied by coaches, some people have their own methods that has worked for them for years.  Some people will do the butterfly for about 4000m non stop and pretty much run you over if you attempt to get in the way.

It’s interesting how people interact when there is a bit of a traffic jam in the lane.  It’s also interesting to see how people pick the lane that they are going to swim in.  You see three lanes that have no label on them and another few lanes that are signed with moderate and fast.

I’m not a phenomenal swimmer but I can hold my own, I go into the moderate lane.  I wouldn’t go into the fast lane because it’s too stressful for me to think I’m holding anyone up or that someone is on my toes.  Kind of like the jaws theory, or like having 3 brothers chasing you in the pool grabbing your feet…..

I end up in the moderate lane and sometimes I need to pass someone but I won’t, I’ll just slow up and play in the bubbles.  Wait at the end of the lane another 30 seconds and then go.  Is that too polite?  I’m in between moderate and fast.  Maybe I can make up a new lane called “more than moderate but not fast yet” or “almost fast”

Here’s my workout today.

300 warm up as 200 swim, 50 kick, 50 drill
4×50 swim @ 1:30
2×200 swim w/ :60 rest
4×50 pull @ 1:30
1×200 pull w/ 2:00 rest
4×50 w/fins @ 1:30
1×300 w/fins w/ 2:00 rest
100 cool down

Was pretty good, felt strong, not winded at all.  That’s a good sign.  Encouraging.  Gives me more confidence as this winter I’m going to be doing some serious training.  Need to psyche myself up!  Coach has a plan and it’s all going to pay off in the spring!

I’m not sure how I feel about going back to the gym.  Number one, it’s really expensive and I’m going to have to get up at 4:30am again.  And it’s dark outside.  I really liked the break from it before, getting outside on the bike, getting outside on the run, getting outside.  However, it’s really cold, where there is cold, there is ice, where there is ice…..there is slipping.  No thanks!

I’m really excited to get back in the pool.  It’s my favorite part of the triathlon and my training.  Coach has some nice workouts coming.

 

How do you stay motivated in the winter?  I could see how it’s easy to fall off the wagon with nutrition and workouts.  You are warm in your house and there are Christmas cookies on the table……yikes!

I’m pretty motivated so I’m focused but I want to know how do you stay motivated to train for the next few months indoors?