Week in Review

Happy 2020! Wow, I can't believe we are a week into the start of a New Year. The weather here has been unseasonably warmer than the past few years, although we have had a few days of steady rain. Nevertheless, training is going well and we are in good health. 

On Monday last week, I welcomed a recovery day. When I have a recovery day, I take full advantage of it by getting a lot of work done in advance, catching up with to-do's around the house, enjoying a little extra time in the kitchen, taking Campy for extra long walks and not thinking at all about training. I sure do love my recovery days. 

On Thursday, I recruited my swim partner Kristen to join me (and Karel) in a tough interval-focused swim. Kristen is extremely fast in the water so she is the perfect training partner for me to ensure that I don't slack in the water. She isn't training for any events (just training for life) so she keeps training fun for me. Plus, we have managed to find ways to have conversations in our rest intervals of 10-15 seconds. It must be a swimmer thing ;) 

Thursday Swim (4400)

WU:
400swim/100 kick/300 pull/200 drill

6x25's odds build free, evens fly on :30

MS:

30x100's

5/1

4/2

3/3

2/4

1/5

Alternating intervals aerobic base pace with threshold pace interval. We did a 1:30 cycle for the aerobic and 1:25 for threshold. 

CD: 250 easy

We did this workout shortly after Karel and I did our morning run workout so I was a bit tired going into this but somehow found a way to enjoy this tough set. Karel had a bit of cramping in his feet (from running shortly before the swim) so he had to adjust the set a little (he also did his own intervals).

As for the furry crew, Ella had a string of diarrhea on Sat and Sun so it was back to the vet for our little kitten. Luckily, all is ok and we just need to change her kitten food and keep her away from nibbling on Madison and Campy's food.

                                                 

I can't believe how much our little Ella Bella has grown over the past few months. She was such a little malnourished birdy when we got her and now she pretty much rules our house with confidence, energy and cuteness.

Campy received his first rain jacket as a holiday gift from our friend/athlete Eedee. I thought he'd enjoy this gift so that he could comfortably go outside in the rain but we tried it out one day and Campy is still not a fan of water - in any form. 

On Saturday, Karel and I went out for a 2:50 hr ride (him on his tri bike and me on my road bike). Karel made some recent changes to his tri bike and he was riding super fast, without any back pain (which is something he regularly struggles with - over the past several years). We are hoping this keeps up so that he can train and race to his potential on the bike.

As for the changes he made:
-155 crank arms (from 165)
-Slightly higher front end position
-Narrow and forward elbows locked in the Wattshop ergo cups.
-High hand grip which allows him to drop the head down and rotate shoulders forward and be more narrow.

Thankfully, I didn't have to run off the bike and Bike + strength was my only workout of the day. My legs were toast trying to stay on Karel's wheel!

Karel had two bike fits throughout the week (one athlete from Massachusetts and one from Charlotte) so it was a bit of a busy first week of the year for Karel. 

Also, we received a notification from Ironman that our Tri Club placed 3rd in Div IV in the World. We are so proud of our athletes for this accomplishment!!

To finish off the week, Karel joined me for my long run on the Green Valley Road Race course. While a very easy run for him, it was a bit challenging for me. We are planning to participate in the Green Valley 10-mile Road Race on Feb 8th. We have been wanting to run in this event for the past few years but we have always had something going on during the event weekend. The race course is extremely hilly (~1000+ feet of elevation gain) but it's also on the roads that we train on all the time. It'll be more like a training day for us with a little push from other runners. It is certainly a running race that rewards strong and resilient athletes and not so much about being "fast" - just my type of race! 

Not only did we run the entire course but we also did a bit extra to make this my longest training run in a very long time! 13.9 miles an one hour and 50 minutes of running! There were some stops and reset breaks along the way but it was a challenging but great workout for me. And I loved having Karel as my rabbit to chase. After the run, we got a little work done on the computer and then went to the pool for one last swim workout for the week. 

Sunday Swim (3600)
(we both wore our buoyancy shorts for this entire workout)

WU:
600 choice 

PS: 3x

w/ snorkel

4 x 25 sculling

into 100 smooth swim 

Rest 5-10 sec. 

MS: 

600 snorkel, strap at 80% 

4 x 25 strap strong

400 strap at 80% 

6 x 25 strap strong

200 paddles at 85% 

8 x 25 strap and paddles strong

10-15 sec rest. 

PS:

3 x 200 at 85% and breathing every 3 strokes. 

Rest 10 sec

CD:
150 EZ

Are you enjoying your athletic journey?

For athletes, it's easy to make an event the only focus in your life. But, in doing so, it's easy to become single-minded as you become laser-focused in pursuit of your goal. In turn, you forget what truly matters - the journey. Life is busy and stressful. Without even realizing it, you may find that you are never living in the moment but instead, constantly thinking about your future. 

When I approach my training/workouts for the day, I am driven by the experience. In other words, I never waste a workout - no matter the day or the training session, there's always something to look forward to and I feel grateful for the ability to train. I don't think about the outcome, but the process. 

Motivated for self improvement, the journey is what I love. The little decisions, nailing the basics and having fun are very important to me. This doesn't mean that I don't have goals and I don't work hard but my athletic goals don't dictate my life. 

Appreciate what your body allows you to do and be grateful for the ability to use your body. If you find yourself stressing over outcomes or comparing yourself to someone else, remind yourself that training should be fun. When there's a strong element of enjoyment in your athletic journey, you'll feel a greater sense of personal satisfaction, well before you reach the start line of your event.

Training for an event is much more than being physically prepared for race day. Sport teaches you patience, problem solving, courage, bravery, time-management, discipline, organization and responsibility. Training for an athletic event helps you become more prepared for life.

If you have recently found yourself feeling overwhelmed by a race day goal (or event), take a step back and just focus on doing the best that you can....today. Enjoy the road that leads you to your final destination because you don't want to look back and wish you would have done things differently. 

Brrrrr - weekend training

It's always fun for us to have a friend in town. We absolutely love Greenville and it's special to be able to show off our beautiful area to an out-of-towner.
But when a friend has a similar love for endurance training, it makes for a jam-packed few days, filled with lots of miles, laughs and food.

Not complaining. 

After our friend Lauren and her doggy Jordan arrived from Jacksonville, FL, I made a delicious dinner of lentil soup, roasted potatoes, mixed greens with tzatziki sauce, corn on the cob and protein (tempeh for me, chicken for Karel and Lauren). Dinner was amazing.

Then it was off to watch the documentary Bikes vs Cars at the movie theater, hosted by Bike Walk Greenville

After moving from Jacksonville, FL to Greenville, SC, I can honestly say that I love where we live now....in a very bike friendly community.

 However, after watching the Bikes vs Cars documentary, although it is evident that we are lucky to have so many cycling options as to where to ride (and not to mention the fact that cyclist are respected by cars when asked to share the road), it is acknowledged that we can continue to improve the safety, road conditions, accessibility and awareness for cycling in and around the Greenville community. 

With a large crowd in attendance for the viewing of the documentary (200+ individuals), it is obvious that many people in the community are invested in building an even more bike friendly community.
I'm incredibly thankful for the Bike Walk team for all that they are doing for Greenville, all in an effort to make Greenville a safer, more active and more environmentally healthy community.

After a good night sleep on Thursday evening, it was time to start the training fun with Lauren. 

I woke up at my normal time, 5:45am to get started on some work for the day while waking up my system with water, a cup of coffee and a waffle w/ PB, honey and banana slices (this has been my typical pre-training snack lately).
Around 7;15am, we drove to Furman for our morning swim, which totaled around 4000 yards.

MS:
6 x 100's 85% w/ 3-5 sec rest
400 snorkel, band, buoy, 1 min rest
8 x 75's at 85%, 3-5 sec rest
400 snorkel at 80%, 1 min rest
12 x 50's 90% w/ 3-5 sec rest
500 best effort

Whew. That was exhausting. Time to refuel!

I made scrambled eggs with mixed greens and a little cheese and served that with fresh bread (with an assortment of toppings - jam, honey, butter, nut butter). We also had orange and banana slices.

After letting our breakfast digest for 2 hours, we were about to change into our cycling clothes in anticipation for an outside 2 hour ride. 

Well, mother nature had other plans for us. 

SNOW!!!

So we changed the plans and rode inside for a mid-day trainer ride in our "pain cave."
MS: 4 x 12 minutes w/ 3 min EZ in between
(3 min Z2, 90+ rpm, 1 min Z3+, 65 or less rpm. x 3)

After the trainer ride, it was time to eat....again.
I had a quick glass of milk while preparing lunch and before showering.

I made a large salad with side toppings: chicken, cottage cheese, jasmine rice, quinoa, cheese.
Although a salad wouldn't be my go-to recovery meal, it was nearing 2pm and I was in need of some veggies. Plus, since we went into the bike trainer workout well-fueled, I wasn't too worried about our bodies being completely drained after a 2 hour trainer workout as the workout had a strength endurance focus and it wasn't intense or exhausting.

I was able to get some work done in the afternoon for a few hours and made a quick stop at the grocery store for some food for the weekend. I knew that we would eat the best if food was ready for after our weekend workouts.

We headed to downtown Greenville on Friday evening for dinner and yummed over a delicious dinner from Chicora Alley.
I had the tofu burger which is a marinated slab of tofu on a warm pita, spread with bean hummus.
So good! 

Although the weather was very chilly on Saturday, we were determined to enjoy the Greenville mountains with Lauren. We waited until it warmed-up to the 30's to start the ride so that meant not riding until around 11:30am. 

After waking up without an alarm, around 7am, we felt well rested for an exciting day of exploring.
After a small pre-workout snack (1/2 banana w/ a little smear of PB), we headed out around 8:30am for a 4-mile very easy, conversational pace run around our neighborhood (which is very hilly).
After the run, it was time for a pre-workout meal of eggs, fresh bread and fruit (and some toppings like PB, cheese, butter, etc.). Although the meal was larger than what I would have normally before a long ride, it was very needed considering that we would be out on our bikes all afternoon and our next meal wouldn't come until the evening. 

After letting the meal digest for 2 hours, we bundled up for our ride in 34 degree temps. The sun was shinning which made it much more tolerable. 

We said a quick hello to Mr. Lama and then it was off to Caesar's Head.

Although climbing for 6.5 miles seemed like a great idea while it was happening (as we really warmed up), after taking pictures, we got really cold. Like really, really, really cold.

After a very painfully cold descend, it took a good 20 more minutes of riding to get slightly warm(ish) again.

90 minutes later, we were home after almost 4 hours of riding.

But as cold as we were descending, the views on top of Caesar's head were worth it.
Especially when we could look at our pictures when were nice and warm, sitting by our fire, at home. 

Thanks Clif Bar for fueling our workouts. The mint chocolate bar along with a few Clif gels and water were amazing throughout my ride! 

After the ride, we stuck with our plan to order out at one of my favorite restaurants in Traveler's Rest - Upcounty Provisions. We invited our good friends, Meredith and Lukas over (and their kiddos) and we all enjoyed dinner together (and my mom came over too). It was nice to yum with everyone and not have to go out to eat as we were still warming up from our ride.

Campy was clearly exhausted.
Or drunk.

After an early bedtime, we once again woke-up without an alarm and made it to 7:15am for a great night of sleep. 

After a pre-workout snack of waffle, w/ PB, honey and banana, water and coffee for me, we headed out for a "long" run around 8:45am.

We ran one of my favorite running loops which had no shortage of hills and climbs and great views. It was a great run to share with Lauren and Karel. 9.37 miles later we were home...and with not a peek of the sun, we were still a bit chilly as the temps out were around 23-27 degrees. 

After we came back, Karel was done for the morning and Lauren and I jumped on the trainer for one last bike workout. I only rode an hour and Lauren rode 1 hr and 45 minutes.

Bike trainer workout: 

15 min EZ
Pre set; 4 x 5 minutes Z1/Z2, highest sustainable cadence (~104-108 for me)
4 min EZ
MS: 6xs:
1.5 min build cadence and power from Z2-Z3, 80-100 rpm cadence.
30 sec EZ

Cool down

After our run/bike workout, it was time to eat. Karel made us crepes while we were on the bike trainers so it was nice to walk down to a nice smelling kitchen.
I had Greek yogurt and fruit w/ PB and cacao nib slathered crepes (with cinnamon).

After chillaxing a bit on the couch (while doing work on the computer) and watched Campy destroy his new Valentine's gift (nothing says I love you like ripping the arms and tail off a new bear), around 3pm we headed to the Furman pool for one last workout for the day. 

Swim workout: (2500 yards total)
MS:
2 x 25's
3 x 50's
4 x 75's

5 x 100's
4 x 75's
3 x 50's
2 x 25's
(all with buoy and paddle, 70-75% effort)

As much as I was not excited to swim, it felt good to move through the water with this recovery workout.

After the swim, it was time for grilled pizza. Seeing that I had this meal planned since Friday, I was so excited to get this pizza in my belly, all weekend long!

A big thank you to Karel for standing outside in the freezing cold to grill the homemade individual pizzas. 

Although there wasn't a lot of time to rest and relax, we did watch the Marathon Olympic Trials (DVR'd on Sat) and the indoor track championship on Sun (DVR'd).

As if that wasn't enough training over three days, we managed to have good energy for a 3800 yard swim this morning:

MS:
4 x 50's  kick with fins
200 swim with fins
4 x 50's buoy
300 buoy/snorkel/paddles
4 x 50's buoy/paddles
400 negative split
4 x 50's buoy recovery

---------------------------------------------

It's a beautiful thing when motivation can stay high with training partners.
Anytime that you ask/want your body to train a lot, train intensely or train at different hours of the day (or two-a-days) you can not neglect proper hydration and fueling (before/during/after workouts).
You can be extremely dedicated to training but if you don't fuel, your body will not reach its full potential.

To think about this another way, wouldn't you like to receive favorable athletic results by doing less work?

Just because a workout is on your schedule, don't assume that just because you check it off your plan for the day that you will gain anything from it.
Proper fueling, hydrating, mobility, sleep, recovery and daily nutrition are essential to maximizing your fitness while helping to keep your body in great health.

Jacksonville trip - recap

We spent 6 years living in Jacksonville, FL, prior to moving to Greenville, SC in May. Karel and I met in Clearwater where we lived for about 2 years before moving to Jax.
Karel was the general manager of the Trek Bicycle store in Jax (reason we moved there) and we have lots of friends/training partners/athletes in Jax so we still consider it a "home" for us. 

Karel owns the RETUL fitting system and is a professional bike fitter so almost every month since we moved, he has traveled back to Jax to do RETUL bike fits at Open Road Bicycles (Beach location). 

Every now and then, Campy let's us know that he needs a road trip so last week, I joined Karel for 4 packed days of RETUL fits. 

Before our trip, I gave a presentation on to a group of doctors and residents at Greenville Health System Memorial hospital. I then went to the Y for a strength/run workout and then it was time to hit the road for our 6 hour drive down south. 

I had a few "Campy approved" meals and snacks for our trip. 

Fruit and chocolate- yummmmm. This may be my new favorite sea salt chocolate. 

My little hot Italian and I make sure Karel is well-fed as he is on his feet, performing fit after fit for up to 10 hours a day...for 4 days straight!

Exercise does a body good so although we don't typical adhere to a "training" schedule when we travel for work purposes, it was still nice to get out and swim, bike, run in familiar places. Although we certainly did not expect cold weather but thankfully we brought our winter riding gear just in case. Brrrrrr (but happy to see palm trees again!)

Campy supervised the fits and protected us all from intruders (aka the UPS guy). 

Campy also helped me answer emails. 

You will never find me without snacks as a hungry belly is not a happy belly....especially for an athlete. 

Karel fit Veronica with Veronica's Health Crunch and we received a big box of my FAVORITE crunch. Seriously, it is so good!!!

Campy is NUTS for this crunch! (Just kidding - he'd rather eat chicken). 

On Saturday evening, a group of our friends joined us at Black Finn Ameripub. The food was delish but then again, I ended up with a morning brick and an afternoon swim with my friends so I was ready for some good satisfying food! A salad and flat bread pizza hit the spot. 

And cupcakes from Sweet by Holly hit the spot (Thanks Tricia for the sweet surprise!) PB&J for me, espresso for Karel and a chocolate mega cupcake to share. 

I enjoyed making some Trimarni creations at my friends house...

And yumming over the waffles that Tricia (where we were staying) made for us. Loved dressing the waffle up with syrup, nuts and fruit.
 

 I got to see my friend Susan who stole Campy from me for a selfie ;) 

And on Monday, it was back to Greenville for another RETUL fit on Wed for our athlete Ginger who was driving through town on vacation. 

As Karel was doing some mechanic work on Ginger's bike, I stole her for a swim at the aquatic center. 

And now it's back to the routine - loving the mountains but missing the palm trees. 

Yep, back to the routine....dreaming of his next road trip. 

Workouts fueled by patience and Trimarni blueberry coconut muffins

I knew it was going to be a tough weekend, mentally and physically. 

But through our "train smart" plan, I knew that the timing was right and that I was ready for this weekend's workouts (after a challenging week of training).

 I had worked really hard for several weeks in order to execute this weekend.

With our "train smart" approach to training, one of the most important characteristics that is required is patience.

With a masters degree in exercise physiology, I feel I have a good understanding of how to develop a practical and effective training plan. However, with so many variables to consider with training - intensity, frequency, duration, recovery - the athlete that wants to succeed must be patient with a well-formulated plan. 

This is also true for any individual who works hard for results. 

Karel and myself, along with our athletes, love to work hard. We are all very disciplined, we manage our time well to keep life balanced as age group triathletes/runners and we also are committed to our task in order to achieve our goals. However, the athlete who is patient through all phases in training will enjoy the journey from start the finish. And because there are always challenges within a journey, you do not only need to be patient but also very mindful of progress (which is not always told by a pace or speed).

As athletes, we all have goals. Typically, a long term goal is the driving force to maintain motivation to train hard for a specific amount of weeks/months. But even for the most hard working athlete, if he/she is hindered by impatience, that daily hard work ethic may not pay off. This may seem impossible because we have always been taught that hard work always pays off but progress requires a step by step process. And because we often thrive off instant gratification, it's very easy to fall short of your potential if you are not patient enough to wait for results to happen when they are suppose to happen. This means not getting frustrated if things are not happening right now, not setting too many goals at once that you feel overwhelmed by focusing on too much too soon and not constantly searching for a better, faster or easier way.

Training, exercising, racing or working toward a personal health, nutrition, fitness or life goal. 

Celebrate the milestones as you maintain patience throughout your journey.
-Is there something you can do now that you couldn't do before?
-Is there something that comes easier to you now than before?
-Is there something that you enjoy doing now that felt like a chore before? 
-Do you feel better than before? 
-Are you enjoying certain parts of your life more than before?

WEEKEND TRAINING

Saturday:

4 mile Run + 2 hr Bike + 1 hr T-RUN (7 miles)

(did the bike on the trainer to control my watts for the Z4/Z3 with our resistance controlled Cyclops fluid trainer)

4 miles (or 30 min) run up front. Just a comfy form focused run

Bike: 15-20 min steady then MS:

4 x 5 min @ FT (functional threshold) w/ 3 min EZ spin in between

10 min steady easy pace

MS2:

8 min @ Z4 + 12 min @ low Z3, 2 min EZ,

10 min @ Z4 + 10 min @ low Z3, 2 min EZ,

12 min @ Z4 + 8 min @ low Z3, 2 min EZ 

10 - 15 min SESP (steady effort still pushing) and then T-RUN.

15 min steady run. Walk a few minutes to stretch out.

Then 30 min of alternating: 5 min Strong/5 min steady

Stop and stretch. 

CD: EZ run to finish the workout.

Sunday

4:00hr Bike (84 miles) + 30 min T-Run (3.75 miles)

(biked with Karel. We rode out to Penny Farms in Florida and did 2 loops in Penny Farms on gently rolling hills for our main set)

Bike: 1st hr just ride 

MS: 8 min @ low Z4, 2 min EZ

12 min @ low Z4, 2 min EZ

16 min @ high Z3, 2 min EZ

24 min @ mid Z3, 2 min EZ

30 min SESP 

2 x 15 min @ high Z3/low Z4 w/ 4 min EZ in between

 Then SESP for the rest

T-RUN: 10 min EZ run, 3 x 5 min (descend 1-3) w/ 60 sec walk in between

5 min EZ CD.
(did the EZ run with Campy - who made me run a bit faster than I wanted! 7:44 min/mile pace for 1.44 miles with Campy. Then descend - 7:50 min/mile, 7:28 min/mile, 6:58 min/mile for the 5 minutes)

Blueberry coconut muffins

1 cup flour (I used Bobs Redmill gluten-free all purpose flour)

1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup blueberries (I used frozen)
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk (I used organic skim milk)
Unsweetened coconut shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray non stick muffin pan with cooking spray (you will use 7 muffins tins)
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a bowl.
3. Lightly beat egg in small bowl then whisk in milk.
4. Stir in egg mixture into flour mixture. Then fold in blueberries.
5. Divide batter among 7 muffin tins (about 1/4 cup). Sprinkle with coconut shreds (about a tsp or two per muffin)
6. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until muffins are light brown on top or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Nutrition facts: (without added coconut)

Servings: 7 muffins
Serving size: 1 muffin

Calories: 114
Fat: 1g
Carbohydrates: 23g carbohydrates
Sugar: 9g sugar
Fiber: 1.4g
Protein: 3g
Sodium: 136 mg

I feel ya Campy!!

Tomorrow is NO ALARM (no morning workout) Monday to give my body a huge thank you for the last few weeks of consistent "train smart" training!

Kona prep mind over matter: Train the brain

Well, it's finally official. 

MARNI SUMBAL (30-34 age group): BIB NUMBER 1933

With this week being my last week of Ironman training before an active recovery week followed by race week taper, my body feels amazing. With our approach to Ironman training being enhanced every year, I really feel Karel and I nailed my training for my 7th Ironman and 3rd Ironman World Championship. Every go-around we reflect on what didn't work and then we stretch the boundaries on how much I can get my body to adapt with the least amount of training stress. With this "less is more, train hard, recover harder approach" I have experienced bitter sweet feelings before my last three Ironmans. Absolutely I am ready to taper and rejuvenate from all this Ironman Kona specific training and I am excited to experience the normal "hunger" I experience on race week to get out there and let my body do it's thing. But my body and mind feel healthy. They feel strong and confident and it saddens me that this training is coming to an end. I still do not dread any workout and I continue to look forward to what my body can do with every workout I am given from Karel (and oh boy does he push me!). What's even more amazing is that instead of experiencing burnout (which I never get - ready for the season to end, sure, but never a loss of motivation), I continue to see big performance gains. I have off workouts but not as often as the great workouts. Although I pushed my body to a whole new level to qualify for Kona at 2013 Ironman Lake Placid, I challenged myself to training my brain just as much as training my body - with the help of Gloria, my mental coach (who will also be my roomie in Kona).



                                  
                                                                           SOURCE

One thing I have learned with my journey as an endurance age group athlete, is that the mind must be as strong as the body. You can put in all the hours and miles as you want to make it look good on paper that you did the work but if you want your body to perform, your brain must be tough and ready for the challenge.

Training the brain is not easy. And this is why I rely on Gloria to help me for when I experience doubt, I know she has a toolkit to guide me in the right direction.

For example, whenever you start a training plan, for most people the first 3-4 weeks seem to fly by. Endorphins are flowing, the body feels great and everything goes as planned. But then there are the moments here and there were workouts are challenging and the doubt comes about. Looking ahead 4,8,12 weeks down the road, you think to yourself how will I ever be able to finish the race with my goals accomplished. Then, suddenly, with a balanced approach to training. Everything suddenly comes together. The puzzle pieces make more sense and although it doesn't necessarily get easy, the mind knows that race day is coming. So no more excuses, what if's or doubts but instead, confidence that the body CAN do what it was trained to do. However, for many people, the excuses, doubts and what if's continue until race day and that can be very draining and negative for a body that is primed to perform.

This week has been tough. Putting in those final workouts to my Ironman puzzle has been time-consuming and challenging. But, what's keeping me positive is that my body and mind are strong. I do not doubt my fitness and I feel very confident about my race (3rd time is the charm as they say :) Of course, knowing that I just did an IM about 12 weeks ago, I do not fear the distance and I have trust in myself that I can race smart in Kona with the notorious wind/heat race day conditions (among 1500 of the best IM athletes around the world). More than anything, I am not focusing on getting faster but instead, building confidence for race day. Learning how to overcome obstacles that occur in training is just as important as nailing a fueling plan or having several long workouts in the bank.

This morning I had a tough brick.
First off - 4500 swim.
Then a 6 mile run.

On paper, my physically trained Ironman body was ready for the distance but it was the sets that challenged my mental strength.

4500 swim:
2 x 1700 swim w/ 1:30 rest in between
1100 swim
All Ironman "steady" pace

With the pieces coming together very nicely, this set allowed my mind to wander. I had plenty of time to think about anything and everything but I was forced to stay in the moment. In an Ironman, it's very easy to think about mile 20-26 of the run.....when you are at mile 1 of the swim. But with 140.6 miles to cover, what's the point of thinking ahead when you can stay in the moment. Why direct your thoughts to something that has not happened yet when you can direct all your energy to what's occurring at that moment in time.

Although good on paper, I struggled mentally with this swim because it felt easy....but on my watch it didn't look fast (relative to me). But I felt SO good in the water. It was just a mental mess going on this morning in the pool and only I could figure my way out of it. So I had two choices - be grateful that it feels easy now and it once did not feel easy 8 weeks ago (because I wasn't "trained" yet for this set) OR get frustrated and upset and throw in the towel.

I choose the first option.

I finished the swim feeling happy and confident. Confident that I did the work in the pool, happy that I still love to swim. I will not bash my body for not giving me faster times for I put in the necessary work and this was all that my body could tolerate alongside my bike and run training...and balancing life, sleep, diet, traveling, etc. I am excited to start the Kona swim with a body that loves to swim.

Next up - 6 miles of running.

I remember back in June that my endurance was not where it is today. I was getting my body back into shape after 90 days of no running and running just wasn't fun for me. I was not able to push and let my mind be my only limiter. With an amazing 10 weeks of injury-free training behind me and a great foundation from recovering so well from IM Lake Placid, I have enjoyed every run and I constantly thank my body (and continue to do all my hip/core/back exercises and stretching/foam rolling/110% Play harder icing, epson salt baths, massages 1-2 times a month).

So today, I put another workout in the Kona bank that brings me confidence for my mental tool kit.

6 x 1 miles with 30 sec walk in between.
Odd steady, even "faster" (I don't have a lot of speed in my body so I am not pushing my boundaries with my current lactic threshold).
48:48 time
6.11 miles
Average pace 7:59 (including walks)
Mile 1: 8:17 min/mile, 182 HR (rush of blood)
30 sec walk: 122 HR
Mile 2: 7:25 min/mile, 161 HR
30 sec walk 132 HR
Mile 3: 7:55 min/mile, 141 HR
30 sec walk 131 HR
Mile 4: 7:06 min/mile, 150 HR
30 sec walk, 151 HR (body was speaking to me)
Mile 5: 7:57 min/mile, 146 HR
30 sec walk 143 HR
Mile 6: 7:05 min/mile, 156 HR

What made this so hard? Once again - it all came down to mind over matter. As I ran the first hard interval, my brain instantly thought "There's no way you will be able to run the last one hard." Here I am not even finished with the first interval and despite my legs speaking to me, my mind was already trying to convince me that there was no way I could do 3 sets of these. But after the recovery walk and a steady interval (which was surprisingly "fast" compared to the "fast" interval), I decided to just give it a go and instead of making excuses, just make things happen. After the 2nd interval, viola. Just one more fast to go. Although it did get tough as the lactic acid was accumulating in my oxygen deprived body, never did my body tell me that I couldn't do it.

One thing I have learned with training for sports and racing is that you can never count yourself out OR think you have it in the bag until you cross the finish line (or finish a workout). When it comes to endurance racing, the best way to succeed is to slow down the least amount possible. In other words, you don't have to be fast, you don't have to be the best at everything and you don't have to get upset if things aren't going as planned at a certain moment. What you have to do is stay in the moment. The only way to get yourself to the next interval, mile or set is to be sure your mind is just as strong as your body.


Next time that you doubt yourself, give it a go. Don't fear the hard for it will get easier. And when it does, you will likely find yourself craving another challenge of seeing where you can take your body and mind. For me, I love everything that comes with training for an endurance event for my body doesn't have to let me do what I ask for it to do when I train it. I am so incredibly grateful to my body no matter how the workout unfolds.

Thank you body....and mind.

Kona training update + Karel's weekend workouts

8.5 quality, "train smarter to train harder" hours of Ironman World Championship training this weekend. My whole wheat pita bread pizza topped with marinara, cheese, BRAGG powder and oregano and olive oil, stir fried veggies (mushrooms, mixed frozen veggies, red and yellow sweet peper, garlic) with tempeh hit the spot tonight. Body and mind are feeling strong, healthy and happy.

Another week of training is behind me and I am excited to recover tomorrow. I am always amazed that with one recovery day per week (sometimes two) that my body can recover from 6 previous days of training and be strong for 6 more days of training and keep this cycle going for x-weeks. One thing that really helps me stay balanced is constantly changing up my routine and only limiting my "key race training" to around 10-12 weeks at a time. When I started endurance sports, I was like many athletes and had a specific schedule Mon - Sun and would repeat that same routine week after week, month after month. Over the past few years, Karel always changes up my workouts, often with Thurs - Sun being the key workouts and then using Mon - Wed as active recovery. I love how my body is always getting use to something new and I think that is why I don't get burnt out from training. There is a lot of flexibility and challenge so I never get bored and my body never feels run down (tired and sore at times but nothing I can't recover from). After my two week recovery from IM Placid, the first few weeks of my IM training for Kona had a routine of an intense brick or interval run on Tues but now I know that my body can't take the added stress after the weekend training with my training on the weekend being much more intense and specific to the IM (now that the building is overwith). As an athlete, it is always important to weigh the pros and cons with training. Ask yourself what you can accomplish each day and week to move closer to your goals for you don't want to have 3 weeks of great workouts and then find yourself 4,6,8 weeks away from race day feeling tired, on the verge of injury or burnout. Keep it fun and never lose sight of your goals and dreams. 

Self doubt can be a challenge for an athlete, let alone any individual trying to reach goals. My belief is how do you know you can't do it unless you try and give your best effort?

This morning I woke up excited to train but the typical thoughts of "can I do this?" were on my mind as I drove 6 miles down the road to Nocatee to train. I never let my mind win when it comes to controlling my body but I do have to use my mental skills to hush up those thoughts. I never want to miss an opportunity to give a good effort just because I think I don't have "it" for the day. Of course, this is not an appropriate thought for an athlete who is sick or injured and that is why I always focus on training smart for I respect my body too much to push it went it can not adapt to training stress. My ultimate goal is to always have my mind as my only limiter when I train and race. BTW - I can't tell you how excited I am to have my personal sport psychologist and friend Gloria with me in Kona from Oct 7th - Oct 15th.

Sunday training:
After a 1 hour warm-up on the bike (18 miles and oh did my body really benefit from that) I started my long run:

First 8 miles steady @ IM Pace w/ 30 sec walk in between
2-3 min break - bathroom/refill flasks w/ sport drink
Main set:
5 x 1 miles Descending from IM pace to whatever my body would give w/ 30 sec walk in between

Last mile cool down
1 hour EZ spin active recovery (16 miles - oh this felt sooooo good to loosen the legs and sip on Hammer FIZZ - so refreshing to replace electrolytes as it was a major sweat fest this morning running from 8:30-10:30am in the Florida heat). 

Stats from my run:
2:08 hours
Average pace 8:37 min/mile (including walking and cool down, not including break)
Total miles: 14.93 miles
Average HR 140 bpm
Mile 1: 8:27, 120 HR
30 sec walk: 112 HR
Mile 2: 8:18, 126 HR
30 sec walk: 120 HR
Mile 3: 8:22, 131 HR
30 sec walk: 125 HR
Mile 4: 8:29 (incline), 139 HR
30 sec walk: 135 HR
Mile 5: 8:23, 140 HR
30 sec walk: 133 HR
Mile 6: 8:30, 140 HR
30 sec walk: 134 HR
Mile 7: 8:35, 142 HR
30 sec walk: 140 HR
Mile 8: 8:28, 143 HR
Break
Mile 9: 8:20, 141 HR
30 sec walk: 139 HR
Mile 10: 8:12, 147 HR
30 sec walk: 141 HR
Mile 11: 8:10, 145 HR
30 sec walk: 141 HR
Mile 12: 8:10, 143 HR
30 sec walk: 153 HR (body was getting hot - look how my HR went up during the walk to try to cool my body)
Mile 13: 7:56, 153 HR (but I had just enough mental strength to convince my body that I could do this! And fueling was perfect so had plenty of energy for this run)
30 sec walk: 153 HR
Mile 14: 8:26, 150 (steady effort before cool down)
.57 miles: 9:07, 141 HR


Karel is currently training for the Miami 70.3 so his training is a lot more intense. It took him a few weeks to recover fully from Placid and a few more weeks to get his snap back into his legs. Here's his weekend training:

Saturday: 2 hour bike + 30 min run
Bike - first hour warm-up until steady "fast" pace (draft legal behind two of our athletes JM and Josh)
Main set: 10 x 6 minutes @ Z4 watts w/ 1 min recovery in between (about 1 hour of hard efforts)
Run off the bike: 30 min negative split run - 6:50, 6:40, 6:30, 6:13

Sunday: 13.1 mile run (1:30, 6:52 min/mile including walk breaks) + 1 hour social spin (active recovery)
2.5 miles - warm-up (7:17, 7:00)
Stopped and stretched for a few minutes
Main set 3x's:
3 miles descending w/ 1 min walk in between  (start at 6:50 min/miles and descend 10 sec each mile)
6:49, 6:39, 6:29
6:47, 6:39, 6:29
6:48, 6:40, 6:15 (with strong finish)
Walked 1 minute
Jogged cool down 1.4 miles - 6:50 min/mile

We train smarter to train harder and in order to do so, we recover even harder. 

Kona training update and food is fuel (yummy)

This body is not disappointing me despite pushing it to higher limits and challenging workouts. Thanks coach Karel!

Today's workout was a breakthrough. I owe it to two great recovery days last week (Mon off, Tues 3000 recovery swim) and a balanced training plan since IM Lake Placid that has allowed my body to train hard but recover harder. I still don't forget that I didn't run for 90 days in Feb  - April but I thank my body constantly. Sometimes I even do it out loud. 

Wednesday - UNF masters swim team (joined Karel who has really benefited from this group and Coach Mel's assistance with his stroke)

Main set:
100 fast, 50 EZ

2 x 100 fast, 50 EZ

3 x 100 fast, 50 EZ

4 x 100 fast 50 EZ

The goal was to get faster with the fast as the set went on (2 minute cycle) but to be consistent. I really woke up my fast twitch fibers and oh boy was my body filled with lactic acid. I went from 1:16 to holding 1:14 on the last 4 and I was done after that. Whewww.

After the swim Karel and I went for a 90 minute bike, I included 8 x 2 min "fast" w/ 3 min EZ to wake up the body before Thursday's workout.

Thursday: Brick (bike + run)

Bike main set:

10 x 3 min Z4, 2 min Z3 low (Recover in IM watts) - loved this set!

Run off the bike
1 mile EZ (8:10), 1 min walk
Main set: 4 x 1 miles @ 7:30-7:40 min/mile pace w/ 1 min walk/rest in between
1 mile steady (8:10 min/mile)

Fri - 5000
Main set:

2 x 800's IM pace w/ 1 min rest

3 x 400's IM pace w/ 1 min rest

Hip/core work

Saturday: 3:37 bike (71 miles) + 1 hour run (7.2 miles)

Bike:
1 hour warm-up (building to 15 watts below IM pace)
Main set 4x's:
35 min at IM pace (my new pace is now 12 watts higher - yippe for training smarter, less is more) w/ 4 min EZ

(this set went by super fast and my body felt strong, no residual fatigue as the set went on. Sport nutrition liquid fueling was spot on (I don't do any solid foods in my training/racing) and haven't had any stomach distress with any of my IM training in many many years.)

Run off the bike:

6 x 1 miles @ interval of goal IM pace (the focus was to run faster than goal IM pace and then walk until the goal IM pace cycle was up. My goal IM pace is 8:30 so I was running comfortably 7:57-8 min/miles and then walking 30-35 sec in between. Great set, loved it! It got hard on the last mile as I was super hot and running out of my drinks in my two flasks.

10 min cool jog down (this felt sooo good to run 8:50 min/mile pace after that)


The other day while I was working in the hospital (I work PRN as an inpatient Clinical RD) I had a patient who was admitted for Jaundice and electrolyte imbalance. This patient was also diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia.

As we all know electrolytes are vital as our nerves, cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle all rely on them on a daily basis. They also help control pH balance in the blood and body fluids. Our electrolytes are best obtained from food but as we know as athletes, we also find them in sport drinks. Electrolytes are tightly controlled in body fluids (ex. plasma, blood and interstitial fluid) and must remain in specific concentrations or else serious medical conditions may arise.

Now as a clinical RD, it is appropriate for me to let everyone know that restricting food or purging food will lead to an electrolyte imbalance (among many other issues) and may cause further stress on the kidneys and heart. 

I'm sure we can all agree that restricting food for anyone is not recommended for we can put the body into a very serious situation of poor health as well as vitamin and mineral deficiencies. 

So why is it that so many athletes feel that they don't need sport nutrition during workouts? As if the body is just fine with water (or nothing) and that dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, organ failure and even cardiovascular issues are not likely because training for a sporting event means that you are immune from these issues. 

Seeing that the body can "shut" down to try to resume balance without adding exercising into the mix when a person voluntarily restricts food (for whatever reason), this is why I am very adamant about not only consuming a balanced diet for athletes and fitness enthusiasts and learning how to fuel the body for health and for fitness/performance but also supporting the body with sport nutrition during training- when the body is under the most physiological stress. Sure, you can argue with me about fat burning and that your body doesn't need it but how about training the body to need it and then training the body so that the body takes care of itself to get stronger and more efficient?

I've said it before but I fuel before every workout, during every workout and after every workout. I never sabotage my body by not fueling it properly, especially when I want it to perform as beautifully as possible during training in order to get stronger and to recover faster.

Here are a few of my recent creations to help you continue your quest of learning how to develop a healthy relationship with food as an athlete. Remember - food is for fuel, for health and for pleasure. 

Brown Rice

Frozen Veggies

Boca veggie "meat" crumbles
Frozen edamame

Marinara sauce

Mozzarella cheese
topping: Sesame seeds
1. Microwave ingredients in bowl and top with sesame seeds.

Breakfast bread (nuts and dried fruit - Publix grocery store, made fresh daily)
Fresh fruit - raspberries, bananas
Greek yogurt (daily eats - 0% Fage)
Scrambled eggs (1 whole egg + 1 egg white)
Kale w/ olive oil (sauteed)

Roasted veggies - peppers, eggplant, onions (purple), mushrooms
Millet
Asparagus w/ garlic
Sunflower seeds
Goat cheese
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Marinara sauce
1. In 425 degree oven place veggies in large casserole and toss lightly in olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
2. Steam asparagus and then place in small casserole dish and top with chopped garlic and bake until golden brown (15 minutes).
3. Prepare millet (1/2 cup dry prepares 3 cups cooked) - 25-30 minutes
4. Place 1/2 - 1 cup millet in bowl and stir in marinara. Top with roasted veggies and asparagus and top with cheese and seeds. Season to taste.

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Pre training snack: flat bread cracker + peanut butter, banana slices, cinnamon and honey

1/2 cup oatmeal (dry)

Apples
Peaches
Raspberries
1 tbsp chia seeds
~10g whey protein powder
Almonds
Water (to meet consistency needs)
Raisins

I love supporting small businesses especially the bakers and bread makers at the farmers market. I went to the Bartram Farmers market on Thursday and as I was browsing the breads, many tables where trying to pitch me their treats/breads by what was not in the ingredients (sugar, salt, fat, gluten, etc). I guess they don't know my personal philosophy and what I am all about when it comes to eating for fuel, for health and for pleasure.
I decided on Hugo's muffins because I could tell he was truly passionate about his food and he knew I would feel great eating it.... And I did, gluten and all. Check out Hugo's story HERE!

YAY - Campy walks are the best!! The most looked forward part of my day (for both of us).

(Pampered shades from Oakley Women)

Training the body: thanking the body.

My legs were tired, it was hot and humid, the wind was blowing and I was riding behind Karel on his new Speed Concept.

33 days until Kona and I think I just finished one of my hardest training blocks ever.

Thank you BODY!

-Sunday's workout-

5 hour ride + 15 min run

Bike:
1 hour warm-up, building to 10 watts below IM pace (legs took a while to warm-up thanks to the stress I placed on my body from Saturday's 3:15 bike + 9.5 mile run).
35 min IM pace w/ 5 min EZ
Main set 3x's:
35 minutes @ Half IM pace (watts) w/ 4 minutes in between (see below of details of this set)
Steady riding upper Z2 until finished
Total hours: 4:58
Miles: 99.3

15 min run off the bike (RPE 75-80%, ended up holding 8-8:15 min/miles)

Since Karel is training for a half IM (Miami 70.3 in the end of October), his training is a bit different than mine right now. He ran 1 hour before the bike and then joined me on my 2nd interval. After I did 35 minutes of riding at my IM pace and then recovered for 5 minutes, Karel joined me and we were ready for the main set.

The duration for the main sets has grown over the past few weeks and no more am I feeling the "low" I use to feel around 2.5 hours during my long rides. While training for IM Lake Placid, I knew that my endurance was going to come slowly after not running for 90 days (Feb - April) due to my chronic hip/back issues. But I continue to focus on the CANs with my exercise/training routine and enjoying everyday with my healthy, pain free body. Now, I feel my endurance is better than ever and since the training is getting very intense and specific, I am super mindful of resting my body before I really need to rest it. I really love the progression that Karel has given me with my training for it was a work in progress. I spent all last year working on my speed as Karel did not want me to do an IM but instead work on the little things that will improve my endurance. Hence, get faster before you go longer.  I remember blogging last year about doing my first Olympic distance tri in 4 years! Oh the nerves!! Then there was The Iron Girl Half Marathon in Clearwater . Then another Olympic distance tri (first time for Karel!). And then I was able to put it all together at Branson 70.3

Anyways, the body is an amazing thing and I don't feel it is always respected. It takes a lot of time to train the body and mind, not only in athletics but with anything in life. You just have to have patience and I think our society loves quick fixes. Our society wants something to happen today just like.

Sometimes we have to shut up the mind to make the body go that extra mile to get stronger but many times, we don't listen to the body when it is speaking.

I feel athletes are no more stubborn than the rest of the population for many people push the body (or don't listen to it) when it needs to rest or slow down. I think for many of us, we just don't want to miss out on life and because of that, this is the reason why we should listen and constantly pay attention to the body and what we choose to feed it, do with it and most importantly, how we speak to it.

On Sunday, my main set was more than just 35 minutes at Half IM pace. It involved no tail wind (thanks to Karel choosing country roads with the long blades of grass blowing right at me or to my side) and very little shade from the heat. It was perfect Kona prep and Karel constantly reminded me what I was about to do with my body in Kona in about 4 weeks for 140.6 miles. "It's not going to be easy Marni. You can never beat the wind."

Riding with Karel is amazing. I can't tell you how much I learn and benefit from him as a cat 1 cyclist for many many years. His knowledge of bikes is one thing as well as his passion for anything on two wheels but it is his attention to details and tactics that really make him so smart as an athlete.

The set was as follows:
10 minutes of me in front riding half IM pace.
Then Karel would go in front and hold a similar pace (he did this workout for me so he obviously wasn't pushing his watts) and I had to stay draft legal (7 meters) behind Karel. He wanted me to pay attention to my speed and watts and to stay draft legal but still be "competitive" with who was in front of me. This is something I have a hard time with as I typically stay a bit too focused on myself and don't take a lot of risks when it comes to being pushed by the other girls who pass me. Karel wanted me to be relentless within my own ability and I felt like this was one of the hardest sets I have ever done and it really pushed my limits (physically and mentally).

I repeat myself quite often but the thought in my mind is that I am always grateful for what my body allows me to do. There have been many times in my life when I have wanted to give up - when things aren't easy, when obstacles arise or when it seems like everyone else has it easier than me. 

For the past few years, I have experienced a lot in life and I owe it all to my body. We go to great lengths to reach goals together and because of it, I have really taken advantage of life. 

You see, success in life- whether sports, career or anything in between - is having a purpose and then thinking in a positive way as to how YOU can go about reaching your goal.

I constantly remind myself that my body does not have to let me do "this". When I train I push my body and challenge myself. I get sore, tired and rely on sport nutrition because I am depleting my body of nutrients, fluids and electrolytes. I see patients in the hospital who are too tired to get out of bed, lay in pain, are unable to think straight and feel miserable - not because they just did a marathon or an IM or biked 100 miles that day but because their body is failing them at that time.

I find so many people are so focused on what everyone else is doing that they forget who they should really be paying attention to on a daily basis - their own body.

This morning I received an email from a Trimarni follower and it 100% sums up everything I believe in. With permission from Sarah S. I wanted to share this note from her which she shares her thoughts after finishing her first Ironman distance triathlon. There's a great lesson in thanking the body. 

I started Ironman Arizona last November but DNF'd due to dehydration about 100 miles into the bike....Rev 3 Cedar Point was my redemption race.

First of all though, you really have changed the way I think about my body and my relationship with food. I don't come from an athletic background at all....I couldn't run over a mile until 2009, never really rode a bike until 2010 and couldn't swim a lap until 2011. So this has been quite the journey! 

I never have had a healthy relationship with food but reading your blog has taught me that as athletes especially food is FUEL and we need to treat our bodies right. Also, thanks to you the whole day yesterday I kept reminding myself to thank my body for being awesome. 

When it got hard (which it did a lot) and I wasn't preforming how I *thought* I should, or going as fast as I had hoped, instead of being angry at my body or dragging myself down, like I used to do, I thanked my body for letting me get through training and for carrying me through this race. 

In the past I would have felt bad for myself and thought "you're so slow, you're near the back, why do you even do this?" but yesterday not a single negative thought entered my mind the whole day. 

I spent hours thanking my legs and my lungs and encouraging my body to keep moving forward. It's still a new way of thinking for me, but I love it!

How did Sarah's race turn out? Here's the end of her race report:

Miles 18-22 were the worst, I just gritted my teeth and used every single ounce of grit and determination and will I could to move one foot in front of the other. With about 4 miles to go I started feeling good again! I actually did a little bit of slow running and let myself get a tiny bit excited about finishing but not too much because I still had over an hour to go at my pace. I could see the lights of cedar point getting closer and soon I could see and hear the finish line. Miraculously once I got in the chute all the pain vanished and I was able to run again. I took it all in…everyone cheering my name like I was a rockstar and the tears started flowing….I did it! A 6:23 marathon isn't what I hoped for (about an hour slower) but it didn't matter, I was so proud of myself. After 15:19 of swim, bike, and run! I am an Ironman! After years of training and a DNF last year, I did it. It was the hardest day of my life and nothing anyone can do or say will prepare you for how deep you have to dig out there. I am just so proud of myself!

5 weeks away from Kona: Training update

Over the years, my training has changed tremendously. I wasn't sure how to approach the training as an endurance athlete so I followed the crowd and trained twice a day, long workouts on the weekends and dreaded the recommended "off" day on Monday. 

It worked for my first Ironman, so I decided that if more is better, I should do even more than before. However, I became injured and extremely fatigued for my second Ironman and now I pay for that race (2007 Ironman World Championship) a few times every year since.

With Karel's thinking outside the box, we have adapted a philosophy of "train hard, recover harder".

Training is periodized so that we peak at the right time and training stays balanced with life. Every workout has a purpose, there are no junk miles and we have fun seeing progress.

Sometimes there are off days but there are a lot of great days. The off days finish with the mindset that we accomplished something that we almost didn't start and the great days finish with motivation for the next workout. 

There is an understanding that for the body to adapt to training stress and improve performance/fitness, there must be training stress. There is commitment to the training plan and a realization that you can either make excuses or progress. But when there is too much training stress, it is hard to adapt in a positive manner. Therefore, we have learned how to create training plans for me (and for my athletes and pre-built plans) that provide workouts for gains in speed, endurance and fitness and balance in life. For if you are burnt out, sick, injured or on the verge of injury, adaptations can not take place. Our bodies get tired with our training load but it is not to the point that we can't recover to set up ourselves for a great next training session the following day. There are recovery days, there is an appreciation of other important areas in life that can bring fitness gains (balanced diet, understanding of proper fueling around/during workouts, compression, epson salt baths, restful sleep, massages, good attitude, mental strength, hip/core work, stretching) and most importantly, the training plan is designed for long-term success. 

Everything is coming together amazingly well for Kona in just 5 weeks! I do not expectations of being on the podium but instead, having a strong race. It is an honor for me to race at the Ironman World Championship for the third time and my #1 goal is to arrive to the starting line healthy, injury free and hungry to race. 

Just like every Ironman, I really love the journey. Still reminding myself that I just did an Ironman 6 weeks ago (with 2 weeks of recovery), I am constantly thanking my body for what it is allowing me to do. Thanks to Karel having a very good understanding of my body (which is important for any athlete who works with a coach to consider the long-term investment that is required for a coach to understand how you, the athlete adapts to training), he has developed a perfect plan for me to get even stronger, faster and more efficient before Kona. 

There are no two-a-days and my weekly hours are around 15-16 hours a week. I have yet to do a bike ride over 4.5 hours and my longest run was 15 miles last weekend. I run an average of around 15-30 miles a week, with most of my runs off the bike. Every workout has a main set and my sets are typically long on the bike and RPE focused for the run. I swim 2-3 days a week (depending on my choice of day off or active recovery) and my swims are around 3500-4500 on average - with more yardage because I love to swim and sometimes have trouble getting out of the water when my inner fish comes out. I do hip/core work every night for 15 minutes + stretching and I do hip/core work in the gym twice a week. 

The best thing about quality training is the energy that I have for life. Rather than having an expectation as to how much I need to train each week, I have my week laid out (hospital/home with my business) and I have a training plan that allows me to separate my work time from training time. Even though I work from home and have flexibility with my work day (which is typically 8-10 hours a day dedicated to Trimarni), I would rather walk Campy in the evening, cook a delicious creation and go to bed early instead of squeezing in another workout in the evening. I give myself 2-2.5 hours every morning for myself to train during the week and I like to be finished training by noonish on the weekends. This doesn't mean that I have train all those hours and as much as I love to train, I like to see progress. I also respect my body and understand that too much training stress does not make me a better athlete but instead, an active individual with a dampened immune system. 

I really love this article Recover Right which include tips from Coach Matt Dixon from Purple Patch Coaching who is a strong believer in the "less is more" approach. 

Just to be clear - training smarter doesn't mean that I don't take risks. Just like any athlete, I love to push my body and not always does it work in my favor. But the most important thing I can do as an athlete and fitness enthusiast is appreciate the value of recovery. Your progress as an athlete is only as good as your ability to recover from workouts. Every athlete is different and keep in mind that as life changes, so does your training routine. The best thing you can do as an athlete is make it all work by focusing on your needs, your body and your goals. 

Here's a recap of my training this week: 

Monday (finishing off a 3-day training block with the holiday) - 4:15 social/fun ride (solid effort with the group)

Tues - day off from all training. 20 minutes of stretching in the evening and a 40 minute Campy walk in the am and several mini Campy walks during the day around the block.

Wed - 4300 swim + 1 hour spin (brick)
Swim main set 3x's:
300 steady at IM pace
4 x 50's fast on :45 seconds

Thurs - (in Macon) - 1:15 run of intervals (I rarely have mile-based runs for weekly runs, instead I go by time)
1 mile warm-up
Main set 6x's: over/under thresholds
1/2 mile @ sub 7:30 min/mile, 1/2 mile "slower" w/ 1 minute in between
(I did this around the block at Stefanies which was a perfect 1/2 mile loop). I went 100% by perceived exertion and ended up descending the 1/2 miles (thanks to my fast twitch fibers waking up over the set) and getting a little slower on the 1/2 mile "slower". I averaged around 6:33-7:15 min/mile for the first 1/2 mile and around 7:40-8:15 min/mile for the last 1/2 mile.
Last mile cool down and then 1/2 mile or so with Campy.
8 miles total.

Fri - 5000 swim + core/hip work (20 minutes) + stretching
Main set:
10 x 100's on 1:30 (holding 1:20)
500 pull w/ paddles/buoy  steady (holding 1:27 pace)
5 x 100's on 1:30 (holding 1:19)
500 pull w/ paddles/buoy steady (holding 1:30 pace)
400 kick (50 free, 50 fly kick fast)

Sat - 3:15 bike + 1:20 run (AMAZING WORKOUT!)
Bike - (even though a shorter bike, this allowed me to push a little harder to receive a bit more stress without risking fatigue from long volume. This also allowed me to run on "tired" legs for training stress which is more valuable to my body than a "long" run on fresh legs).

1 hour warm-up building to IM pace watts

Main set 3x's
5 min Z4, 10 min Z3 low (IM watts), 5 min Z4, 10 min Z3 low
5 min EZ
(30 min main set + 5 min recovery)
Total 60 miles

Run off the bike (starting at 10:30 am)
8 x 1 miles @ RPE 80% effort (I managed to hold around 8 min/miles which really made me happy. I knew my HR would go up over time as it was nearing 92 degrees when I finished my bike according to my Garmin so I just monitored my HR to keep under 160 as I knew that was too high for me and I would have trouble recovering from a long run off the bike with a high HR even if I wasn't running "fast") w/ 30 sec walk in between. At 4 miles, I walked 1 total minute to refill my flasks.
Last mile + extra was "cool down"

Stats from my 910 XT (SO happy with this run as well as the entire workout today - what a solid workout for my body)
1:20 run

9.49 miles

8:26 min/mile pace (including walking)
Average HR 154

Mile 1: 8:04, 134 HR
30 sec walk, 138 HR
Mile 2: 7:56, 146 HR
30 sec walk, 138 HR
Mile 3: 7:57, 149 HR
30 sec walk, 140 HR
Mile 4: 7:57, 153 HR
1 min walk, 143 HR
Mile 5: 8:05, 154 HR
30 sec walk, 152 HR
Mile 6: 8:02, 156 HR
30 sec walk, 153 HR
Mile 7: 8:06, 157 HR
30 sec walk, 153 HR
Mile 8: 8:05, 157 HR
30 sec walk, 155 HR
Mile 9: 8:40, 170 HR (Super hot but felt really "EZ" but HR was not showing that it was EZ. Massive rush of blood to try to cool my body.)
2 minutes (.32): 8:20, 182 HR (officially done!)

Sunday (tomorrow) - 5 hour ride + 1 mile run

Total training hours: ~17 (including the 4 hours on Monday due to the holiday and three day training block)

You might be a triathlete when.....your car looks like this!

GYMBOSS Interval Timer: Product Review

I love intervals for workouts. For anything to break up the monotony of a timed-workout keeps me motivated and excited for each and every upcoming workout. My mind never gets bored and I am forced to be mentally and physically "in the moment" for every set.

Although I see nothing wrong with swim, bike, run for x-minutes (as I rarely go by miles with my training or my athletes training), I find the best way to train for quality is to have a purpose for each workout. You warm-up and cool down as needed and the focal point is the main set....the intervals.

When athletes or fitness enthusiasts think intervals they generally think hard, leg burning, sweaty and intense. But intervals can range from steady and long to short and intense...and everything in between.

Here are a few of my favorite, recent Ironman-focused swim, bike, run workouts:

Key IM bike workout
IM focused long brick
Breakthrough IM swim
Run intervals

But in addition to using intervals for cardio workouts, intervals work great for strength training. I am a firm believer that strength training should be included in the weekly fitness routine - regardless of what type of athlete or fitness enthusiast you are. I have been strength training since I was 11 (when I started swimming competitively) and I feel it has given me strong bones (along with dietary focus) and muscles which have kept me from experiencing any stress fractures or broken bones in my life thus far. I also feel that strength training is valuable to improving power, speed, endurance and form as an athlete or fitness enthusiast and helps minimize time spent training for cardio (ex. junk miles) as the body needs little time at home or in the weight room to gain strength whereas for cardio, physiological adaptations can often come rather slowly after the initial first 3-4 weeks of training.

Although full body strength training and plyometrics are ideal for the off-season and base phase for athletes, I believe that hip and core work should be continued year round. Certainly, as athletes, any type of "strength work" should enhance cardio and not sabotage us for upcoming workouts so there must be a nice balance as to when the strength training falls and what type of exercises are performed.

Here are a few of my favorite hip and core focused exercises which you can include as intervals into your weekly workout routine. Rather than focusing on reps, go by time. Seeing that for most people one side of the body is often weaker/stronger than the other, time-based intervals are ideal for hip and core work so that you can finish an interval with good form rather than just trying to get to a certain number of reps while the body is fatiguing with poor form.

Here are some of my favorite hip/core exercises:
Perform 3-4 days a week, 10-20 minutes.
Up to 30 - 90 seconds -  on each side (if appropriate) or for each exercise.
-clams
-monster walks
-hip hikes
-lying on side, top leg lifts (straight and bent leg)
-plank, belly down
-plank w/ one leg lifted (belly down)
-side plank (optional w/ top hip thrust)
-superman
-reverse crunch (if equipment bench is available) or reverse crunch on stability ball
-bench v-ups
-mason twists (optional w/ weight)
-lying on back, leg drops

So, to help you out with your interval "strength" work at home (or any type of intervals, especially for personal trainers or aerobic instructors), I have the perfect tool for you!

Gymboss contacted me and asked if I would review their interval timer stopwatch. I said absolutely as I am always interested in new technology that can make for better, smarter and more quality-focused workout. As much as I love to exercise, I think like an athlete and therefore, I want to adapt with the least amount of training stress. I do not want to waste my time exercising and not making performance gains. Just like you, I want to put in the work to receive the benefits and be able to do it all again (but better) the next day.

To learn more about the Gymboss you can check out the Operating tips video which gives a great explanation of all the wonderful features of this product. You do not have to use all the functions as it works just fine as a stop watch but for those who want to do the work and think very little, this will really help you out. All you have to do is set up the timer for your workout and it will automatically alert you as to when you should be performing an exercise and what you should stop and rest. It's like having a trainer with you but without the fun chatting in between intervals. :)

Enjoy! Any additional questions, send me an email and I'd be happy to help you out.