Race week is here! It's time to let the body rest and recover for race day. Let your mind focus on the upcoming task at hand. Knowing that you are capable of training longer or faster, but that you don't have to for this week is a great feeling.
Confidence. The training is done. Trust yourself. Wildflower is going to be an unpredictable race. You know what you have to do to get through the race, but be prepared for the curveballs. Remain calm. Keep going. Last year the air temperature dropped 20-30 degrees from the long course to the Olympic Distance. The water temperature went from 72 to 68 with the weather change. That's the nature of this race. You don't know what to expect. Just be ready for anything. Also, we already know that the course is changing due to the drought. We're getting out of the swim and starting a 2.2 mile run! Visualize what that involves. Know what gear to pack and which transition to take each item to.
This is my first race of the 2014 season and also my first race in the big kid age group (25-29). I'm excited to see what this race and what this season has in store. I didn't exactly have the training that I thought I was going to due to an injury, but I have recently had PR's during training, so I am ready to go!
See you at the lake!
Thank you to my sponsor Gu Energy Labs and my coach and teammates at Total Intensity Sports and my family and friends.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Monday, April 14, 2014
Running Safety
After seeing a woman wearing all dark clothing running in the street at night on the wrong side of the road a few weeks ago (I almost didn't see her), I felt that running safety would be a good topic to discuss. Running is a great way to exercise and it's probably the easiest form of working out since it requires little preparation time and you don't have to go to a gym to do it. Just put on clothes and shoes and go!
#1 Run during the day. The main purpose of daytime running is so you are easily visible to traffic. Obviously you don't want to be hit by a car or bike or anything else for that matter. You also want to be able to see where you are going. You don't want to hurt yourself because you can't see the crack or bump in uneven surfaces where there is limited or no light.
#2 Wear bright or reflective clothing. You can even get a reflective vest to put over your clothes. If you are starting or ending your run in limited light, make sure people can see you. You can attach a light to a hat or carry a flashlight if you have to.
#3 Pedestrians should always be on the left hand side in the absence of a sidewalk (this includes on trails!!!) As my mom always taught me, "you want to be able to see the expression on the driver's face before he hits you." But seriously, you want to be able to see on-coming traffic so you can avoid accidents. It helps to be able to make eye-contact with the other person, whether it's a driver or a cyclist, so you know what the other person is going to do.
#4 If you are running on a sidewalk and you end up crossing the street or over a driveway, make sure you look for cars. Not all drivers pay attention to pedestrians. Yes, they are in the wrong if they don't stop, but you would be the one who's hurt in that type of accident, so take precaution. Car v. Person is no contest. Make eye-contact with the driver before crossing, especially if the driver is turning. If the driver is not looking at you, he clearly does not see you, so stop and wait.
#5 Use the buddy system if you are running on a trail. Especially for women, but true for everyone, you should not run on a deserted trail by yourself. It's just not safe.
#6 If an old, shirtless man (or anyone for that matter) stops in front of you as you are getting ready to start your run and suggests that you run in the woods behind his house, please don't do it! (And yes, that actually happened to me when I was living in Boone, NC). But seriously, trust your instincts.
#7 Don't ramp up your mileage too quickly. This will lead to fatigue and injuries. If you are training for a marathon, doing 13.1 miles during training and calling it good is not safe. Yes, it is possible for some people to gut it out with only a few miles under their belts, but there's no reason to risk it. And besides, it's not fun to go to a race and feel as if you have to gut it out. You want to have the confidence that the finish line is within your grasp. Just build up the distances safely.
#8 If you are running long distances, bring the appropriate fuel and hydration, especially if it's hot.
#9 Wear sunblock.
#10 I don't always do this, but I really should and I do recommend it: Carry ID with you. Also, if you are running long distances, tell a family member or friend where you are going and about how long you plan to be gone. After the incident in #6, I started texting my parents whenever I went for a run to make sure that someone would always know where I was supposed to be.
#11 Have fun!
Let me know if you have any other running suggestions to add to the list!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Race Day Preparation
Race day is coming, but how do we prepare?! The training is done. Now all you have to do is get your mind ready. Visualize the finish line throughout the day and how you're going to get there. I emphasize visualization throughout training, but it is especially important the day before and morning of a race. Familiarize yourself with the athlete guide ahead of time so you know the expectations and layout of your race. Each race will be a little different.
My race day prep. for any distance starts two nights before the race. The most important day for sleeping is two nights before the race. Most people have trouble sleeping the night before they have to wake up early, so it's better to bank a few hours before. Get up in the morning and start doing a light workout. Loosen up the muscles and stretch. If you are able to get an open-water swim in, that is highly recommended.
For large races, there is going to be a really cool expo before the race. Yes, it is impossible to resist. But make sure that you are not fatiguing your legs by spending too much time there, especially if it's hot outside. I wanted to go watch Chrissie Wellington's talk during the Ironman Texas expo in 2012. For me that was an amazing part of the Ironman experience and I was not going to miss it. But I sat in the shade and waited rather than standing in the sun. Make it work. If there's time, skip the expo and go after the race. Also, a lot of larger races require bikes to be checked in the day before, so watch your time and do that accordingly. Earlier is better so you don't have to worry about it or stress late in the day. During a 70.3 or 140.6 I also like to jump in a pool to relax and stretch the night before, although that could be helpful for any distance, really.
For long course and Ironman triathlons, you have to start fueling the day before. This is not the time to "eat healthy." You should have been doing that during the rest of your training. The purpose of these meals is to get the calories in. Limit or eliminate fruits and vegetables. You don't want to be clearing that out of your digestive system during the race. This is purely carbo loading time! Well, you want some protein as well. This starts at least by lunchtime the day before the race. My personal preference is Italian food for lunch- pasta and bread. And lots of it. My dinner of choice is Fuddruckers-veggie burger, fries, and a milkshake. Yummm. You're going to be burning around 10,000 calories during an Ironman, so it's totally okay. Enjoy it.
You have to wake up early in the morning for your race, so pack everything the night before. If you're a list person, make a checklist ahead of time to make sure you have everything. You're packing for three sports essentially, so it would be easy to leave something behind. Depending on your race, you may be packing in different bags. Ironman events and sometimes half-Ironmans will have special needs or transition bags Each race will be a little different, so be prepared. Make sure you are packing everything into the appropriate bags and dropping them off at the appropriate time and location. Don't forget your nutrition! Try to get to sleep early once you have everything ready.
Race morning! Make sure you have a good breakfast (carbs and protein). Grab all of your gear that you prepared the night before and head over to the race. All of my race morning preparation for any distance is pretty much the same. The only thing that would change is the amount of calories I consume for breakfast. I like being at the race between 1.5-2 hours early to set up my transition area, double check that my bike is good to go, get my body marking, warm-up, etc. About an hour before the race, I will eat a bar, take my final bathroom trip and start warming up and stretching (I try to repeat my routine almost exactly at every race. It helps with the mental preparation so you know what you're doing. Once you get comfortable with your routine, it'll be easy to repeat). My personal warm-up preference is short jogs with stretching. You will see a lot of variations on warm-ups, so find what works for you, hopefully during training, and do that here. I like to get in the water 10 minutes before my wave start to get in a swim warm-up. Sometimes you will only be allowed 5 minutes, and sometimes you can't get in at all, so you need to be able to adapt to the race rules and conditions. Time to race!
My race day prep. for any distance starts two nights before the race. The most important day for sleeping is two nights before the race. Most people have trouble sleeping the night before they have to wake up early, so it's better to bank a few hours before. Get up in the morning and start doing a light workout. Loosen up the muscles and stretch. If you are able to get an open-water swim in, that is highly recommended.
For large races, there is going to be a really cool expo before the race. Yes, it is impossible to resist. But make sure that you are not fatiguing your legs by spending too much time there, especially if it's hot outside. I wanted to go watch Chrissie Wellington's talk during the Ironman Texas expo in 2012. For me that was an amazing part of the Ironman experience and I was not going to miss it. But I sat in the shade and waited rather than standing in the sun. Make it work. If there's time, skip the expo and go after the race. Also, a lot of larger races require bikes to be checked in the day before, so watch your time and do that accordingly. Earlier is better so you don't have to worry about it or stress late in the day. During a 70.3 or 140.6 I also like to jump in a pool to relax and stretch the night before, although that could be helpful for any distance, really.
For long course and Ironman triathlons, you have to start fueling the day before. This is not the time to "eat healthy." You should have been doing that during the rest of your training. The purpose of these meals is to get the calories in. Limit or eliminate fruits and vegetables. You don't want to be clearing that out of your digestive system during the race. This is purely carbo loading time! Well, you want some protein as well. This starts at least by lunchtime the day before the race. My personal preference is Italian food for lunch- pasta and bread. And lots of it. My dinner of choice is Fuddruckers-veggie burger, fries, and a milkshake. Yummm. You're going to be burning around 10,000 calories during an Ironman, so it's totally okay. Enjoy it.
You have to wake up early in the morning for your race, so pack everything the night before. If you're a list person, make a checklist ahead of time to make sure you have everything. You're packing for three sports essentially, so it would be easy to leave something behind. Depending on your race, you may be packing in different bags. Ironman events and sometimes half-Ironmans will have special needs or transition bags Each race will be a little different, so be prepared. Make sure you are packing everything into the appropriate bags and dropping them off at the appropriate time and location. Don't forget your nutrition! Try to get to sleep early once you have everything ready.
Race morning! Make sure you have a good breakfast (carbs and protein). Grab all of your gear that you prepared the night before and head over to the race. All of my race morning preparation for any distance is pretty much the same. The only thing that would change is the amount of calories I consume for breakfast. I like being at the race between 1.5-2 hours early to set up my transition area, double check that my bike is good to go, get my body marking, warm-up, etc. About an hour before the race, I will eat a bar, take my final bathroom trip and start warming up and stretching (I try to repeat my routine almost exactly at every race. It helps with the mental preparation so you know what you're doing. Once you get comfortable with your routine, it'll be easy to repeat). My personal warm-up preference is short jogs with stretching. You will see a lot of variations on warm-ups, so find what works for you, hopefully during training, and do that here. I like to get in the water 10 minutes before my wave start to get in a swim warm-up. Sometimes you will only be allowed 5 minutes, and sometimes you can't get in at all, so you need to be able to adapt to the race rules and conditions. Time to race!
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