Today I was stunned to blow away my old wide-grip pullup PR. I flew through 10, chin way up over the bar, got two more most of the way, and needed a nudge to get two more. So 14 total, but 10 legit. On the first one I knew I had it today, I felt light, felt good, and it was easy.
Which brings me to my next point on the importance of eating right for feeling good. I have been learning (I'm a slow learner) over the last nearly two years from Jake that the ideal way to eat is to have 6 or 7 small meals and snacks spread out every 2.5 or 3 hours throughout the day, with a mix of carbs, protein, and fats, that are appropriate to the activity level. When I have a competition or race coming up, Jake helps to set up my meals, entering them on them the SparkPeople web site and I just have to follow along. It NEVER ceases to amaze me that when I eat according to his plan, I feel great and can manage my appetite in a way that cravings are not much of an issue.
I have to plan and cook things ahead of time, then pack meals each day, but the meals are basic and simple, good and filling. The payoff is huge. I'm reading a book called "Racing Weight" by triathlete Matt Fitzgerald. He maintains that before you go to bed, you should know what you are eating the next day, where and when. Jake says the same thing and I'm beginning to really see the wisdom in that. We can't rely on body cues and the abundance of readily-available food to sync up and deliver the nutrition we need.
I believe one can truly train the appetite. When I eat a lot of sweets, I want more sweets. When I don't eat them, I don't really miss them.
Right now I am trying to shed some weight to make the 122 lb weight class for the bench press competition at VT on Saturday. Otherwise I'll be competing against women who are significantly bigger than me. I realize it's not that big of a deal either way, but in a weird way, I like the structured eating and reminder that my choices do impact my weight. These weeks rein me in a bit and give me a reason to cut out all the junk.
I'd been around 127/128 earlier in the year. Today I was just over 124. It should only take a few lower-carb days, and maybe a little sweating on Friday and it should work out. But the real benefit is the way I feel and knowing I'm eating only good stuff. I'm eating like an athlete :-)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Counting deficit disorder
I suffer from CDD. I know this because about half the time at the gym I am unsuccessful counting reps. I can't help it, the brain wanders and numbers get skipped or repeated. On Monday I was off by 10 on one set. Usually my margin of error is just plus or minus one or two.
I thought it was just the gym and my secret was safe with Jake. Nope.
Today at the pool, Jim asked me to count my strokes on a length of the pool. As soon as the words had formed, he issued a retraction and said, "I'LL count your strokes." My swim reports usually have some kind of caveat about being PRETTY sure about laps or times, but not absolutely confident in my reports.
An engineer who can't count.
Double-header weekend
This weekend was positively glorious - mild and sunny. I had just wrapped up a big conference and was feeling fabulous and ready for some adventures.
Saturday I set out for a longer run, gunning for about 13 miles at a conservative pace. My goal was to keep my heart rate lower than it usually is to prove to myself I could hold back. Anyway, the problem was I had a haircut scheduled for 9:00 and needed to meet Jake at the gym at 10:30 so to fit in the 13, I had to either start really early to leave time to get home and shower, or wait till 11ish and blow a bunch of the day I could spend with the kids. So I set out around 7:15 and planned a course that would go by the hair salon. Wouldn't you know, I arrived by 9:05, my normal 5 minutes late! I realized later how lucky I was that it did work out considering I didn't stop to figure out the distance/time/pace required. It turned out I did 12 miles pre-haircut, than did a long route back to the gym adding on another 4. There is something pretty empowering about running purposely to an authentic destination!!
Sunday was not quite so epic, but I did do a 25ish mile bike loop that included a stop at the Blacksburg Rec Center to hear some friends who were talking about sports nutrition type products. From there it was a quick bike ride home, flying down Harding as fast as I trusted myself to go given all the residual gravel from the winter.
I cleaned up the bike pretty good and put it back on the trainer where I rode tonight. The weather was enticing, but the schedule did not allow for a ride in the reasonable daylight. Plus I was too lazy to clean the bike up again. Sad, but true!!
Saturday I set out for a longer run, gunning for about 13 miles at a conservative pace. My goal was to keep my heart rate lower than it usually is to prove to myself I could hold back. Anyway, the problem was I had a haircut scheduled for 9:00 and needed to meet Jake at the gym at 10:30 so to fit in the 13, I had to either start really early to leave time to get home and shower, or wait till 11ish and blow a bunch of the day I could spend with the kids. So I set out around 7:15 and planned a course that would go by the hair salon. Wouldn't you know, I arrived by 9:05, my normal 5 minutes late! I realized later how lucky I was that it did work out considering I didn't stop to figure out the distance/time/pace required. It turned out I did 12 miles pre-haircut, than did a long route back to the gym adding on another 4. There is something pretty empowering about running purposely to an authentic destination!!
Sunday was not quite so epic, but I did do a 25ish mile bike loop that included a stop at the Blacksburg Rec Center to hear some friends who were talking about sports nutrition type products. From there it was a quick bike ride home, flying down Harding as fast as I trusted myself to go given all the residual gravel from the winter.
I cleaned up the bike pretty good and put it back on the trainer where I rode tonight. The weather was enticing, but the schedule did not allow for a ride in the reasonable daylight. Plus I was too lazy to clean the bike up again. Sad, but true!!
Swimming nuances
Of all the triathlon sports, swimming has got to be the most nuanced of them all. That's part of what I enjoy about it. Today Coach Jim brought his camera and new laptop poolside (yikes!) and shot footage then analyzed it on-site. Video never fails to reveal a gap between what we think we are doing and what we are actually doing!
For one thing, I need to stop wasting energy to get my right hand so high. And Coach Jim reminded me again to minimize my kick. When I finally did, and he called it my "triathlon kick" it stuck! Now I'll always try to have the "triathlon kick"! Funny what little coaching tricks can motivate and help.
Other things:
But all in all, swimming continues to feel much more natural. Gone is the anxiety I used to have starting each session. And did I mention I cut about 5 seconds off my time for the 100 from October? Doesn't sound like much, but I'll take it!
For one thing, I need to stop wasting energy to get my right hand so high. And Coach Jim reminded me again to minimize my kick. When I finally did, and he called it my "triathlon kick" it stuck! Now I'll always try to have the "triathlon kick"! Funny what little coaching tricks can motivate and help.
Other things:
- Flat hand entry, right one tends not to be flat
- Hands in first, high elbows (elbow first creates drag)
- Kick up, little kick, little bubbles, toes pointed, kick from hip, nice and long
- Picture swimming over a barrel along the chest, hands have to go out to the sides to go along the barrel top and bottom
- Keep a goggle in the water
- Small tube that the body slips through
But all in all, swimming continues to feel much more natural. Gone is the anxiety I used to have starting each session. And did I mention I cut about 5 seconds off my time for the 100 from October? Doesn't sound like much, but I'll take it!
left arm pretty good
right arm, what's up with THAT?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Glimpses of spring
Today we broke freezing, had a cloudless sky, it is Friday, and I just wrapped up a big two-day conference we have been working to organize for the last 6 months. Woo hoo!
Tomorrow I am planning on a medium-long run, something around 13 miles, and as I started to think about it I got a feeling I haven't had in a while...a huge rush of excitement that just envelopes me and leaves me feeling supercharged and up for adventure. It's hard to explain, but it's like an anxiety attack, only totally positive and empowering.
This winter has been a tough test with something like 40"+ of snow and week after week of sub-freezing temperatures. It separates the runners from the joggers, that's for sure.
Conditions are still not ideal for speed, but it does add some adventure. Because sidewalks are not clear I've changed some of my routes and today found myself running down Southgate drive that has one of those sensors and signs that tells you how fast you are driving and when you are going too fast. Well, darn if that thing didn't flash a big "8" mph when I went by!! Then I tried the walking path and discovered the slim asphalt trail was obstructed by big snow boulders that rolled onto it from the plows. That made for a nice steeplechase course of sorts.
I'm still in my "unstructured" running phase. I noticed though that all my running seems to have my heart rate in the 160-170 range, with little variation. I'm not doing such a great job managing my workouts and changing them up, but I'm enjoying it and have been logging consistent miles. For now that will have to suffice.
Tomorrow I am planning on a medium-long run, something around 13 miles, and as I started to think about it I got a feeling I haven't had in a while...a huge rush of excitement that just envelopes me and leaves me feeling supercharged and up for adventure. It's hard to explain, but it's like an anxiety attack, only totally positive and empowering.
This winter has been a tough test with something like 40"+ of snow and week after week of sub-freezing temperatures. It separates the runners from the joggers, that's for sure.
Conditions are still not ideal for speed, but it does add some adventure. Because sidewalks are not clear I've changed some of my routes and today found myself running down Southgate drive that has one of those sensors and signs that tells you how fast you are driving and when you are going too fast. Well, darn if that thing didn't flash a big "8" mph when I went by!! Then I tried the walking path and discovered the slim asphalt trail was obstructed by big snow boulders that rolled onto it from the plows. That made for a nice steeplechase course of sorts.
I'm still in my "unstructured" running phase. I noticed though that all my running seems to have my heart rate in the 160-170 range, with little variation. I'm not doing such a great job managing my workouts and changing them up, but I'm enjoying it and have been logging consistent miles. For now that will have to suffice.
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