A Triathlete

After all the months of training, race morning was finally here.  The wife and I get up super early to make sure we have everything we need.  We pack up the truck and off we go.  We go and check in and get body marked and make our way down to the transition area.  As we start to set up our little area we are checking out how others are setting things up trying to not look like the newbies we are.  5 minutes later we are all set and ready to go….

We had a couple close friends who met us at the race that morning and stayed throughout the race and cheering us on at each transition.  My buddy checked on me at the beginning and near the end of the run to make sure I was doing ok and offer some words of encouragement.  His wife ran most of the run with my wife to keep her going and to push her along.  We are very lucky to have great friends like that and their support that morning was motivating for sure.

Backtrack now to the start of the triathlon.  We are standing in a group of 50 or so people (ALL newbies) get ready to jump into the water.  The race director counts us down and off we go into the water.  Now I am not new to racing events and know that the biggest mistake people make is going out too hard too fast.  So knowing this I jump into the water and…. go out way too hard!  Maybe a tenth of a mile into the swim I am struggling but was able to quickly adjust my breathing and stay on pace. 

Running into transition I am hurting more than I wanted but I know my bike training has been spot on so I am confident I can make up some time.  I run the bike out of transition and hop on.  With about a mile to go I am feeling super confident and happy with how the ride went so I crank it up to the finish and run my bike into transition.  That hurting I had from the swim is long gone and now I am feeling confident and strong.

Now let’s run.  Like I said earlier my buddy was at the exit of transition and took off with me to see how I was doing and if I needed him to run with me and push me.  I felt strong so he said he would see me near the end.  There was a bunch of people sitting along the run course cheering you on and playing music.  Whether it was coincidence or just perfect planning almost everyone I ran by had Eye of the Tiger playing.  A big thank you to all for that!  About a quarter mile to go my buddy jumps out and runs a minute with me telling me what I needed to hear and I head down the final sprint on the beach to the finish.  I have not seen the race photos yet but I’m sure my finish photo shows a man in pain.  That final sprint down the beach was not easy.  But what I can say is my finish photo shows a picture of a new triathlete.  I was able to stand near the finish and watch my wife cross the finish line and become a new triathlete as well and that makes me proud of what we have accomplished.

This was all new and instead of staying in our comfort zone we branched out to try something new and for that we are both stronger people and stronger athletes.

And to answer that question I have been getting already….. YES I plan on doing another!  So why don’t you sign up with me and meet me in transition.

3 More Weeks

Training has been going well.  In fact I’m very happy with the progress I have made over the last couple of weeks.  The bike and run have been improving with each week and I am feeling less awkward running after getting off the bike.  It still takes me close to 3/4 of a mile before my legs sort of feel normal but I now feel like I can push through that not normal feeling.

Yesterday the wife and I headed to the beach to swim.  It was our first swim in salt water and water that we will be swimming in for the race.  Up until this point we have been hitting the local pond for convenience.

Before heading straight into the water, Amy first walks the distance of the buoys with her gps tracker to see how far they are.  With knowing how many laps we need to do we don’t go running into the water.  Instead we decide to sit on the beach trying to soak up a few sun rays to warm ourselves up since the ocean is much colder than the pond.  After maybe 30 minutes talking with some friends it’s time.  

Goggles go on and we jump in (well maybe not jump in, more like “oh that’s cold” walk in).

Sighting was a little harder as the land marks were much farther away than the pond but this was surprisingly a welcome distraction.  It kept my mind occupied on staying somewhat straight and not focusing on my breathing and if my strokes were even and how consistent my kicks were.  I just swam.  

Amy said that it was a little dizzying with the waves and all.  She swam great and looked good so it must not be too bad for her.

We did not time ourselves with this swim, instead decided to just do it.  I couldn't guess how long it took but it definitely felt much shorter than when I was in the pool or pond.  We both walked out feeling good and decided it was best to soak up some more rays rather than bike or run. 

Tomorrows training plan is swimming again so I guess that means another beach day.  And they said training would be hard.  

Open Water and a Brick

I am about 6 weeks away from my first sprint triathlon.  Training has been going pretty well.  My swims in the pool have improved and I was beginning to feel more and more comfortable with them.  With the warm weather finally here in New England I am able to now go into the local lakes and continue my swim training in open water.  Not having the comfort of a heated pool, lane markers, or clear vision of the bottom swimming once again became hard.  Not being in what had become a comfortable zone I struggled with my first swim in the lake.  My breathing was off and I also found that I had to change my stroke up some so that I could spot a landmark to keep myself going somewhat straight. 

I was very annoyed after my first swim in the lake.  I felt as if all the work I put in at the pool didn't pay off.  Luckily, I had a good friend remind me that it was only one swim and that the triathlon isn't tomorrow.  My wife also oh so gently said "dude, RELAX and just swim."  She knows me well enough to know I was getting frustrated over what wasn't a bad training session, just not one where I wanted it to be.  She was right (dammit) and she got me to refocus on my training.  I know that I want better and that I will continue to push myself to improve come race day.  I need to listen to the wife and also follow the words of Dory and just keep swimming. 

I have also started doing brick workouts.  At first I had no idea what a brick workout was.  I remember bricks during my Goruck events but those were actual bricks that you put in your backpack (ruck) for added weight or had to carry with rocks and logs, depending on what the Cadre wanted you to do.  But that’s a whole different story.  Anyway a brick workout is stacking 2 of the elements of the triathlon back to back in your training.  Generally a bike/run but it can be any combination of the three.  My guess is they call it a brick because that’s what your feet feel like when you try to start running after biking.  Needless to say these workouts are challenging but I am enjoying the challenge (unlike the challenge of the swim).  I have been doing a long bike followed by a fairly long run, but I just read that you can also do these workouts in shorter rounds to really mess with your body.  I think this week may be a good week to give that a try.  

Just Breathe

Remember to breathe is a phase I've said many times over the years to my training clients.  Seems basic and natural but you'd be surprised how easy it is to forget to breathe.

So last week the wife and I went swimming. We signed up for a sprint triathlon this summer.  We have been cycling and running and I figured I'd wait till the weather warms to start swimming.  I mean it's only a sprint right?!?  

Well one day I was out on the lake kayaking with a buddy and decided to see how far 1/2 mile looks on the water.  Using my buddy as the starting point I turned on my gps and kayaked a half mile.  When I turned around the first thought that popped into my head was "damn that's far!"  I texted my wife right away and she's like duh.  She had signed up for a local pool and had been practicing already.  

So back to last week.  I hop into the pool, get a few tips from the lifeguard, put on my goggles and go.  One lap and 25 meters later the first thing the lifeguard says to me "are you breathing?" Ironically not really. Every 3 strokes I would turn my head and suck in some air.  The issue was I wasn't fully breathing out.  I forgot how to breathe!!

We finish the swim session and I'm exhausted and slightly deflated.  I consider myself to be athletic and in good physical condition but I can't swim 25 meters without starving for air.  So I talked to a few people I know that have done triathlons and someone who does competitive swimming and coaches and ask for tips.  My wife finds a video from an open water swim instructor who said "let your breath determine your strokes, don't let your strokes determine your breath."  That simple phrase changed my outlook and gave me motivation to get better. 

Yesterday we hit the pool again and keeping that phrase front and center in my thoughts I took off and this time didn't try to race down to the end.  Instead I kept a controlled pace that let me breath naturally.  By the end of this session I felt comfortable doing 50+ meters without feeling I needed to rest.

Those first 25 meters caused my thoughts to turn from I can't wait for the race to I can't do this.  But can't is not a word that I accept from clients so there no way I'm going to accept it from myself.  

If there's something new you want to try or something you're struggling with just remember it CAN happen.  Ask coaches, personal trainers or any other professional in what you want to do.  Then go work hard..... and breathe!

Unreasonable Terms

Unreasonable terms is the phrase Tyler, my 9 year said to me about how hard I pushed him during his first 5K run.  But let me rewind a few weeks back…..

We had in the most part a mild winter.  Many days in February and even into March hit 40+ degrees.  Well on the weekend of March 4^th Mother Nature decided it was time to bring winter back into full effect with morning temperatures hovering around 20 with plenty of cold wind.  But hey, who doesn’t want to go run a road race when its 20 degrees outside with wind?!

Sitting in the truck with the heat on high, we wait till the last minute to head over to the start line.  My wife and I make sure our boys have their gloves, hats, every possible layer they can and make sure their shoes are tied. 

The gun goes off and my 11 year old, Jack, takes off weaving in and around people.  He is becoming quite the runner and has the desire to push himself harder and harder with running.  My wife pops her headphones into her ears and takes off.  Then there is me and Tyler.  Skipping across the starting line laughing, he is ready to go.  So we run and we walk.  He is doing a great job but I won’t bore you with the details of every mile.  Maybe a quarter mile to go (1 lap around the track I tell him) he looks at me and tells me “you know dad, I’m not like you and Jack, I don’t like to push myself.  I kind of just want to run/walk at whatever feels good at that moment.”  So we slow the pace down some more and go across the finish line side by side.  We are greeted by my oldest and my wife.  

A little bragging is in order here…. Jack ran his best 5K and finished second in his age group.  Tyler finished his first 5K and ran most of it.

Ok fast forward to the other night.  Picking Tyler up from school he is telling me about his day and what he did in gym class and which spirit stick he wants next and he did at recorder group that night as well as his design plans for a tree fort he wants to build this summer.  Then he pauses and the following conversation takes place…..

    Tyler:  Remember that 5K race we did a couple weeks back?

    Me:  Yes. Are you ready to do another one?

    Tyler:  Maybe but I think you pushed me to unreasonable terms in that race.

    Me:  Speechless

Unreasonable terms?!?!?!   Sounds like a parenting fail.  I didn’t push him to the point of trying to catch his breath, nor did he feel nauseous at any time.  Nothing hurt throughout the run.  He wasn’t crying at any point and for the most part kept talking to me about which dogs he’s going to have in his tiny house he is going to build.  So what was unreasonable?  But like he said during the race, he wants to run or walk at whatever feels good and no more than that.  So maybe in the next race he wants to walk more of it instead of running more of it.  Either way it is better than sitting on the couch playing XBOX. 

I think many adults feel this way.  Many don’t go to a gym or even workout because it is believed that unless you push yourself hard and many times too hard, you won’t see results and you are just wasting your time.  Just look at social media.  There are tons pictures and videos of people pushing their bodies past their limits in order to improve their health and fitness.  Walk into your local gym and you will find people doing the same and preaching the same.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to push yourself that hard.  But if you look you will also see those people that are there getting in something more than sitting on the couch.  They’re riding the bike, walking on the treadmill (not sprinting at a 15 degree incline at 10 mph) and doing total body circuits.  They are improving their body and health by just getting active.  You can find countless success stories from people who have reduced their blood pressure, been taken off cholesterol medications and have lost a lot of weigh just from walking…not sprinting or flipping monster tires.  They just walk and elevate their heart rate some and burn calories.

So maybe you’re not the type that wants to get all extreme during your workout.  Then don’t…  but do workout!

TRX Legs

Here's a great way to finish off your leg workout.

https://www.facebook.com/thefitcore/videos/792045317609614/

18+ Months and Counting

As some of you know, it has now been about a year and a half since I went to a mostly plant based / vegan diet.  When I first started I kept it pretty modified and still ate most dairy items and still had eggs though I cut the amount down.  But the last 8 months I have cut out milk and eggs and have cut down even more on cheese.  I am continually cutting the cheese down even now and plan to go completely plant based. 

Sometimes it can probably be a nuisance for family and friends when we get together because they are concerned what I will eat.  I have found it not difficult at all to find food no matter what the situation is.   Many times I will offer to bring food with me to help reduce their “stress” and when we go out there are always options… sometimes you just have to be creative.

Even now I still get the “Wow! Why?” or the “I could never do that.” or “How do get protein?”  I will admit when I first contemplated making the move to plant based all of those were thoughts I had and specifically I was concerned about my protein intake.  I weigh generally around 210-215 and feared I would not get an adequate amount of protein to suit my lifestyle.  I did a lot of research before committing and was surprised how many fruits and vegetables contained protein.  Not to mention beans, legumes and nuts which are loaded with protein.  Getting my daily protein needs met has never been an issue since making the switch.

So why did I do it?  The answer to that question is actually pretty simple.  I was going through some medical issues and was tired a lot.  My wife was talking about trying it out as well, so having my spouse joining, made the decision an easy one (misery loves company right).  I remember we decided on a Sunday and for dinner that night cooked up all our remaining chicken in the freezer as a one last hurrah meal.  The original plan was to try it out for 3-6 months but as 3 months past and 6 months past I continued to feel great and wanted to continue.  Little did I know that on that particular Sunday, I would be changing my lifestyle forever.

The “I could never do that” honestly held me back from trying it sooner.  I had contemplated trying it for months before actually making the commitment.  I was under the belief that I could never give up my chicken or fish and I made protein shakes with milk daily.  This just wasn’t going to happen and I would not enjoy eating.  Well, I can say that this has turned out completely opposite.  I love food and I love eating and I love it more now.  I have tried foods that I would never have before and foods that I thought I didn’t like have become some of my favorites.  I have never missed any meat nor do I feel like I am missing out on anything either.   

And those medical issues that got me thinking about this in the first place are more structural and the way I am built.  Sadly neither diet nor exercise can change it but I will say that my blood pressure has dropped several points and my resting heart rate has lowered.  According to my eye doctor my eyes have improved both in vision and internal physical appearance.  He was able to lower my prescription that I have had since I was 18.  Physically the dark circles under my eyes have improved.  It however has not changed the amount of grey hair in my goatee (I thank my children for that). 

Overall I would say I feel awesome.  I have more energy than I did when I started and I recover faster from my workouts.  My sleep has been deeper and less restless as well.  I am not here telling you that you need to convert to a plant based eater but rather share what I have experienced.  I would however recommend giving it a try and see for yourself.  If you truly can’t, then I ask you to at least give it a try once or twice a week. 

Let me know how you feel if you do try it.