The benefits of selective training amnesia

I'm a bit like Dory when it comes to training.

These days I don't have the opportunity to dwell on my workouts for long, be they good or bad. I get in, focus on the training, reflect/report back to my coach, and move on. Outside of training, I need my full brain capacity to stay on top of life, to manage the kids and husband, to keep up with work, and to attend to all the little details like remembering I need to buy WD-40 and coffee filters today. As a result, I've developed a bit of "selective training amnesia" which I have decided is not such a bad thing.

Case in point - last weekend I did a 2 hour brick workout with a run on my go-to stretch of training road. Midway through, I remembered, "Hey, my last run here was a disaster with that big heat-related bonk and a lot of walking." I had even cut that run short, which is a rarity for me. Upon further reflection, I thought, "I'm glad I didn't remember that bad run when I raced right after it." My forgetfulness allowed me to race without the burden of that doubt.

This selective training amnesia extends to specific data points too. As much as I love numbers and math, I have a head for problem solving and formulas, not so much for recalling specific data points.

So while I know my best 100-y and 200-y swim times, my best track mile, best 5K, half, and full marathon times, and FTP watts, that's about it. I don't remember my time for a specific race (let alone the splits for it), or how fast I ride particular cycling routes. So when I finish a training session, or a race, I can feel the way I want to feel about it, and not what the numbers tell me.

That's not to say I don't go back for a post-mortem and make comparisons after a race, or perhaps search historical training data, but I don't let the data tell me how to feel. As a result, I generally feel pretty positive about whatever I did given whatever I had on the day, which I think is a big reason I keep coming back for more.

What I have learned is that while it's important to think a bit about how a workout went, to consider takeaways and lessons learned for future efforts, it's OK then to let it go and forget about it. Channel a little "Dory."

We are better served to think instead about the confidence we have earned from weeks/months/years of consistent effort!

Stay positive and have fun with it!

There's a reason fish swim in schools...

...because swimming alone is boring!

I've been swimming with a group since December 2013 when we formed a coached swim group at our local pool under the direction of Tom Williams.

Now I can't imagine swimming alone. By alone I mean doing my own thing - yes with people in other lanes and a lifeguard - but really you are alone. The very thought of swimming alone again makes me sad. Swimming in a group is great fun!!

I do the majority of my running and biking alone. It's my preference. I enjoy the solitude and the time that I don't have to respond to anyone. It permits me the flexibility I need to fit those workouts in wherever I can. And my sessions are very specific with paces and goals that are tailored to me by Coach Jim. With running and biking there are changing landscapes, many metrics to follow, and plenty to keep it interesting.

But swimming - well I feel very differently about that. Pool swims are inherently solitary and repetitive.

But add in a coach, a lane-mate, and a group of similarly dedicated swimmers and it's a whole different ballgame! I have learned so much about swimming in the last year and a half, and I have had so much fun with my lane-mate Janet and my swim group friends. The post-swim locker room chatter is the icing on the cake. It's just a great way to start my day on Tuesday and Thursday.

I often encourage people to try out our group and see for themselves how fun and helpful it is. Few take that step. The reasons vary but include:

• "6:30 am is too early" - You might find yourself grateful for the excuse to become more of a morning person; it's a great way to start the day!
• "I am too slow" - While this is not a learn-to-swim group, one needs only basic lap swim proficiency. The workouts and intervals are tailored to each person's needs. You're placed in a lane with swimmers of similar speed and even within a lane, there can be further customization of times and rest intervals.
• "I am self-conscious about my stroke" - We are all there to do our thing. No one is judging and the coach is there to give us each a few things to work on as our stroke develops. Don't expect to be picked apart, it's a gentle transformation. 
• "As a triathlete I only care that I can get through the swim" - A better, more efficient and confident swim translates to a better bike and run. Learning to control the swim portion and not just survive it makes racing a whole lot more fun!
• "It sounds too hard" - You can give it the level of effort you are comfortable giving. 
• Inertia - reluctance to just show up and try it

Over the past year and a half with the group my swim has transformed dramatically. While I may not ever swim as fast as former Princeton swimmer Rebecca in the next lane, I am swimming better, faster, smarter, and far more confidently. Here are some reasons why the swim group has been beneficial:

• My stroke has improved a lot because I have regular and consistent feedback and reminders from Coach Tom. My swim stroke is longer, more relaxed, my body position is so much better (no more sinking back end), and I know what I need to be doing! I now know what stroke *is* fast versus what feels fast but isn't. (It took me a long time to get that). It's very hard to fix your own position because perception and reality are often two different things. You need that set of eyes, that feedback, and the accountability. Coach Tom has a set of gestures for each of us as he walks along the lane to signal mid-set corrections we need to make. And when we are nailing it and swimming strong, we get the fist-pump that lets us know we are doing well!
• I can better maintain technique as fatigue sets in, and I understand how my stroke breaks down and how to combat that. 
• I have a better sense of pacing, again, especially as fatigue sets in. I never really used to pay attention to this, but I've learned to use a pace clock better, and Coach Tom tracks and reports back what our various splits are for longer swim sets so I can better understand how my effort levels translate to speed at the beginning/middle/end of a set. 
• I have better focus / mental endurance now. Being challenged on a regular basis in my swim training requires me to be mentally dialed in as there is no room for sloppiness or inefficiency to make tight times!
• My lane-mate provides built-in motivation. Most mornings I arrive at the pool and mumble something about low motivation. But a few hundred yards into the workout, I seem to find it. When I used to swim alone, there was quite a bit of just "going through the motions" to get through a set. Janet and I push each other just enough to get the best out of ourselves, together.
• The swim group provides great accountability. Among our core group, no one ever skips a swim without a good reason. In fact, sometimes we show up when perhaps we should have stayed in bed!
• We discover we are capable of more than we thought. Earlier this week, Coach Tom challenged us to 100's on our shortest interval to date that I did not think would be possible. Yet he knew it was doable, and what a great surprise to discover that it was!!
• It's social. While we do work hard, we also find time for some pre-and post-workout chit-chat. And we laugh a lot about our half-functioning morning brains that can't remember instructions and whether we are on our 3rd or 4th or 8th interval. I am so glad for the friendships that I have forged through the swim group!

So what is a coached swim session like?

We start off with a 200-300y warm up, then do a more structured warmup that might include drills, kicking, and general aerobic swimming. From there we move into the main set. Two of our groups are more triathlon-focused and we swim almost exclusively freestyle. The "fast" group does more mixed stroke and IM work. The main set can include anything from 50s up to a 1500, but it's generally a mix of distances and effort levels. We finish up with a 200y warm-down.

Our middle group will average around 3500 total yards in a workout. 

So if you live in the New River Valley area and want to be part of a great swim group at the Blacksburg Aquatic Center, let me know!

Race Report: Win at Off the Rails Sprint Triathlon

Quickie race report from the Off the Rails Sprint Tri in Roanoke this past Saturday. This is a 300m pool swim, 15km bike, 5k run that is my closest local race with many of my local tri friends. Bryan from Solar Connexion and I volunteered for it last year when I was still recovering; this year he volunteered (thank you) and I was able to race!

I am realizing that the fantasy of the ideal "race-prep" is now a thing of the past for me. A few years ago I could get all "zen" about racing and control my world to a certain degree leading into races. Now it's about accepting the chaos around me and just rolling with it! 

Here are some of the things that "helped" me prepare for this race:

• Managed to (without trying) destroy my legs at the gym Tuesday and they were still sore Saturday but better
• Wednesday night of insomnia because of job stress for the hubs
• Extra busy week with kids with last week of school and a last-minute rushed process for kid to skip 8th grade.
• No time to shop/cook resulting in a lot of all of us eating "whatever"
• Night-of-race smoke detector malfunction so all 11 of them in the house went off at once in an eardrum-piercing fashion, randomly, all night long (and kids had a friend sleeping over)
• Just-in-time race arrival, 15 minutes before transition closed (lazy/late departure and pee-stop on the way)

On the plus side I generally show up to races pretty relaxed now because race days are a welcome break from the regular days, lol!

Swim. Pool swims crack me up. You are supposed to report your swim time when you register and then we are "seeded" from fastest to slowest swimmer, leaving at 15 second intervals. There was all kinds of confusion whether we should have reported a 100y time or 100m, and whether that was our best at that distance, or just the pace we could hold for that for 300m. Anyway, I have yet to see that seeding process work as intended. I passed three people in my three laps - one of which was swimming a very very slow backstroke. It was kind of crazy fun though, and I felt like I had a decent swim in 5:46. I kept envisioning my swim coach on deck pumping his fist and reminding me of all the things I needed to attend to!!

Thanks Kristen Chang for these next four photos!! 

Bike. The bike leg of my last race was not the effort it should have been and my coach rightly called me out on it. My goal here was to really "push the watts" and that was my mantra on this short 15k ride. Unfortunately the course is not closed to traffic and when I got to the one busy intersection at the base of a bridge, there was a giant truck of some sort that would not get out of the way even as the traffic cop yelled for him to MOVE! I stopped quickly and my chain dropped off the front despite my K-guard. It got sort of stuck behind the guard and it took me 59 seconds to get it back on (source: Garmin/TrainingPeaks). My hands were covered in grease and my bar tape is white. Not good.

I kept my cool and hopped back on and re-passed the people I had already passed. I really enjoyed the bike course along (and across) the N&S rail lines. Bike time: 26:52.9, avg moving pace 21.4 mph. Still room for improvement.

Heading into T2; pics from Kristen Chang

Run. Running is hard, no matter the distance. I cruised pretty well for the first half of the 5K, stopped at Bryan's water stop and threw two cups of water on me and drank part of one, then continued on with the awesome Mark Long behind me. I could hear him back there and felt good knowing I was holding him off as long as I did. He was sharing words of encouragement with runners headed out, and I heard people saying things to me, but in my "zone" I simply cannot speak. About a quarter mile from the finish, where a tiny hill ate me up and spit me out, Mark Long passed me decisively, afterburners engaged. Run time: 21:55.6.  I don't know if this is the start of the age-related speed decline, and I'm not super thrilled with my run times, but it is what it is.

photo from Kristen Chang

photo from Malin Fjällström-Hosack

I passed through the finish arch, then kept going a short distance to make a dive for a shady grassy patch where I sprawled. My final time was 56:01.2. (Full results here)

As athletes finished, we found our way back to the pool where we debriefed and enjoyed a bit of refreshing "pool party" time. I think that might have been the best part of the race!

This race was designated the USAT Virginia State Championship so as the winner I am technically the "Virginia State Champion." I really think that should come with a crown. Just saying.

Congratulations to all who raced especially Lynn Bradshaw (below right with me :-) and Liz Futrell who were 2nd and 3rd, making the overall women's podium a master's sweep! 

photo from Lynn Bradshaw

Thank you to Michael Clark who is shown in the awards photo at the top. This race and several others were his creation. He is off to NC for a new job opportunity but we are so grateful to him for leaving what we hope is a lasting legacy of these new local races. I met a few newly-minted triathletes at this race, reminding me how vitally important local sprint tris are for attracting new folks to the sport!

The pollen-infused Zwift-assisted FTP test

My poor, dear, neglected blog....I hate when I don't have/make the time/energy to write. Part of this is due to some fatigue and room spins over the past week from the "pollen tusnami." It's been awful. I laid down on a bench at the gym Saturday to do some dumbbell presses and had to hold on for the bonus "spinning teacup" ride.

Added to my pollen fog is the general end-of-school-year chaos like OH, they are telling us today you HAVE to have black pants and shoes and a white shirt for the concert TOMORROW. Let's go find those shoes for your size 14 feet right now! Never a dull moment around here.

Not feeling great means training happens, but it's not been stellar, and motivation has been loooowww. I had my third FTP test on the bike today and held exactly ONE more watt for the 20 minute interval than I did around 6 weeks ago. ONE. Honestly, I was pretty happy to not show a decline. For consistency I've done all these on the trainer, but with such nice weather, I opted for the front porch. There was no way I was going to stay inside - pollen or not.

I rode the FTP "pain train" on the newest Zwift Island course for the first time. I find it funny that you can pull up this imaginary route on Google maps (via Strava):

So apparently I was cycling on an island far off the coast of Australia. It looked an awful lot like Blacksburg, Virginia though from my vantage point on the front porch.

There is something really nice about feeling like I am working hard in the company of other cyclists, even if they are all remote to me and seen only virtually, and earning points and things along the way! The Zwift Beta is now open to all without an invitation and if you have a power meter or "smart" bike trainer I would really recommend you explore it. It's very fun (aside from FTP tests) and currently still free!

I'm starting to see the mental pattern in my 20 min FTP test:

• 0-3:00: wow, I'm crushing it
• 3:00 - 4:59: don't look at the time, it'll pass faster that way
• 5:00: how is this not 10 minutes? how is that only 5? how is that only 25%?
• 5:01-12:00: oh geez this is humbling. damage control.
• 12:01-12:16: why am I doing this? can I please just stop now? OK, I'm backing off for 15 seconds.
• 12:17-15:59: hang in there, just hang in there
• 16:00: this is doable, I can get through four minutes
• 18:30: how is this not 20 minutes yet?
• 20: thankyouthankyouthankyou wonderful timer

I'm glad I did this ride on Zwift Island and I liked the jersey I "wore" for it. You get to customize your rider, and the more points you get the more options you have for your jersey, wheels, bike, etc. This jersey sort of had that comic book "POW BAM" feel.

As I finished up my ride, I grabbed a pic of these giant sculptures along the new course.

When I was done, I waited for the Zwift Island Sherpas to come and put my toys away, hand me a drink with an umbrella, and serve dinner to the family, but they never did. That's definitely a feature that Zwift needs to add. I would pay for that upgrade.

Today is a day off. I hope my pollen fog is lifting. Back at it Thursday!

Goggle-palooza results are in

(photo by Bill Huckle)

I've pretty well wrapped up my search for goggles to replace the recently "improved" Aqua Sphere Kaimen Ladies Goggles that ceased to work for me after a great five-year relationship. The changes made to the goggles resulted in leaking and really bad goggle marks (and I've spoken with others who have experienced the same with the Kaimen). When I realized my dependable goggles were no longer so, I hastily switched to a TYR T-72 grabbed from Dick's Sporting Goods, and without much testing used them at the first race of the season. I had a leaky goggle problem in the race and needed a better solution, pronto.

After many hours Googling goggles and reviews, after several online orders, visits from UPS, FedEx, and USPS deliveries, and many laps in the pool and open water, the goggle that floated to the top of the competition was another Aqua Sphere goggle - the Michael Phelps K-180 Lady Goggle. (Thanks lane-mate Janet and Coach John of Team MPI for the suggestion on that one.)

I'm not going to lie; it pains me somewhat to go with another Aqua Sphere option given the fact that they never responded to my tweets and emails about the change to the other goggles and the fact that I now have multiple unused, unusable sets of the Kaimen in my possession. Aqua Sphere's customer service is completely non-existent. It's just absent in an astounding, black-hole sort of way.

I am just glad to have something that works for now, but I will remain open to switching to a non-Aqua Sphere option. (No, I haven't tried Roka's yet.)

In my search I looked for goggles that seemed similar to the model that had worked for me. I read a lot of reviews, and I opted for the smaller/women's fit if it was available. My goals were simple: (1) no leaking and (2) minimal goggle marks! I also prefer clear frames and straps and not ones that make you look like an anime character as some of those above do. Here's the lineup and some notes:

Photo above, left side, top to bottom:

1. Aqua Sphere Swedish goggle - fine in the pool, minimal goggle marks, but I wouldn't do an OWS in them.
2. Sporti Antifog Swedish goggles - same as above just with bungee strap
3. TYR Nest Pro - my "runner up goggle". No leaking, but left me with goggle marks
4. Aqua Sphere K-180 Women's fit, and the three other pairs I bought to get me through the season. Note there is also a K-180+ ("plus") option out there. From what I can tell they have a narrower gasket and sit closer to the eye, which didn't seem like something I wanted/needed. I've had zero leaking and can move them to my swim cap and back to my eyes over and over and never have a problem. This is actually an improvement over the Kaimen where it seemed like once I broke that initial seal it was not quite as good again. The K-180 comes with an anti-fog coating that seemed to get a bit smear-y. We'll see how that holds up over time.

Photo above, right side, top to bottom:

1. Aqua Sphere Kaimen Lady - the "improved" no longer working for me version
2. Aqua Sphere Kaimen Lady Tinted version - also unusable
3. Cressi Flash - Small Fit Tinted Goggles - I got these thinking they looked very similar to the Kaimen, but I I had leakage issues. 
4. Speedo MDR 2.4 - I think I swam 5 yards in these. Immediate NO for leakage.
5. Barracuda Triton - even if I could get past how ridiculous they look, they just leaked.
6. Michael Phelps K-180 Goggle (the standard fit, not the lady's) - these seemed OK for me too, and will probably be a backup pair for me.
7. TYR T-72 Petite Goggle - Let's just say, "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." I won't be wearing these in a race ever again.
8. Speedo Vanquisher - meh. 

A quick peek at the sides/backs....if I had to pick a favorite strap, it would be the split strap on the TYR T-72 goggle (second from bottom on right), but I'm also OK with the flat and simple strap on the K-180. I am now less of a fan of the "ratcheting" type strap of the Kaimen, Kressi, and Speedo MDR. They seem prone to loosening.

My takeaway from this is that when you move away from the "small socket" goggle to more of a mask style, it's got to fit your face and bone structure pretty perfectly or it just won't work. I've been assuming that with my petite face that the smaller models are more appropriate for me, but maybe that's not the case? I also discovered that a larger gasket/mask doesn't necessarily reduce the goggle marks.

I'm glad to have found something that works and I can rely on again. I think you can get away with a lot of less-than-perfect equipment in triathlon but NOT when it comes to goggles and wetsuits.

The upside to my goggle hunt is that my kids will have PLENTY of goggles to chose from this summer ;-)