Pump it up

Without my regular bootcamp insanity I do worry that I'm missing out on the strength training that's helped to stress and improve my muscle development. I'm so used to pushing the limits --- especially my core and arms.

I've been doing some band work on my own and unfortunately I don't think the hot yoga is giving me what "I think" I need.

So --- it's good that I've set aside one day to do strength training with the Snapple kids at J's. I thought today's workout was pretty spot on. Not exactly sure what the difference was as opposed to last week's workout. I think we were all a bit more serious today and as a result got more stuff done.

Before our workout I got some time in on the treadmill. J's treadmills are super nice and bouncy. Definitely feel a little spoiled on those things. I ran relatively comfortably and controlled. I was able to sing along with my iPod and I felt myself positioned pretty close to the front of the belt. My old trainer would have pumped up the speed and told me to stop slacking. My only excuse is that I didn't want to get tuckered out in advance of the main workout.

Simililar to prior seasons I have one toenail that just is never happy running. This left second toenail seems to be in a permanent rotation of looking fabulous, going through some stress, getting a small blister and then eventually falling off. Now that's very hot. It doesn't matter the sock, the shoe, using Glide (though I do think it helps a bit) or loosening my laces --- it never fails that this toenail is just on constant suicide watch. Oh well...it's been nice knowing you.

I'm on the road to nowhere

That about sums up my part of the Multi-sport World Conference and Expo held at Georgetown Prep this year. See http://www.multisportworld.com/Washington_DC.htm

Team Snapple came out in force to field three teams competing in a series of running, swimming and biking timed events. Bonus that so many other Snapplers came out to represent too! I'm really surprised that DC Tri was so poorly represented.

After the prior day's half marathon, I was hoping my legs would not give out as I participated in the 10k bike time trial --- my only ecent of the day.

I was a little intimidated by the field of Snapple cyclists I was racing against and doubly concerned about using a Comp-u-trainer for the first time. Me and fancy equipment don't seem to always get along well.

The event was actually very cool and at the same time wicked hard. I finished in the back of the pack with a time of 20:56:57 minutes.

I learned three very valuable lessons --- 1) I really need to set up my computer gizmo on my bike so that I actually can assess my effort in real time (duh!), 2) I need to be more competitive generally and 3) I need to power through the last part of each race vs. getting distracted that I am almost done. There was no reason I should have stopped spinning hard during the last .2 of the ride.

As always, file it under "live and learn."

Food is GOOD

Tonight Team Snapple sponsored a nutrition clinic with the always fabulous Rebecca Scritchfield --- aka dietitian extraordinaire. See http://rebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com/about/.

I participated in a session last year with Rebecca and learned quite a bit. This year's session was a nice reminder that correctly fueling your body (both before and after a workout) is another key component to healthy living and optimal performance.

I am definitely a product of trying "the best new thing" and thinking I know best. The result ultimately many times leads to crashing and burning.

The good thing about training is that you are forced to not diet and instead eat. Granted --- I'm still a snacker and enjoy treats probably a bit too much, but have learned that trying to limit and deprive myself leads to disastrous results. I'm here to attest that starving is not good. Training while hungry is also a disaster.

I laughed as Rebecca described all the things not to do because I've done many of them:

• Reduced caloric intake to drop weight and ended up crashing or feeling weak or gittery.

• Not properly hydrating before and during a half marathon and as a result cramped up so severely near the finish line that I had to stop to regroup.

• Going out for a late dinner and drinking the night before a half marathon --- that's what happens when you go to the Miami Half Marathon. You think you are invincible.

According to Rebecca --- the good news is that food is good. Scales are bad. Portions and the right combinations are king.

To help celebrate our new knowledge we headed over to a pub for beer and bar food. Classic. No need to start today what you can put off until tomorrow.

Here's to proper fueling in 2011!

Hit The Defrost

Lots going on today, but the backdrop was definitely the bitter cold.

When I went to bed last night I had grand plans of organizational perfection that included:

• an early morning 8-mile run in the city
• shower and prep at my office
• check on a work-related project
• cruise over to the Snapple brunch in Arlington
• pick up some new winter running gear in Georgetown
• chill-out at home for the rest of the day

Though I had my bags packed and alarm set, my grand plans were shot to shit when I slept in and then got wrapped up with a work issue. Damn those work issues!

Needless to say my day started off rushing around to just get to the Snapple brunch on time.

The Snapple brunch was fun and informative. J presented info on how to read our VO2 test info (aka You Are An Inefficient Couch Potato report) and a fellow Snappler walked me through how to actually do the treadmill workouts. It'll be interesting to see the results in the coming weeks.

Next I headed over to the office to bang out a quick project and then bundled up to knock out my 8-mile run. As you can guess I was not looking forward to the sub-freezing temps. After deciding that attempting an 8-mile run on the treadmill would be a recipe for disaster (aka I've done 2 miles and I'm bored so I might as well just bail), I headed out for a run around the Mall and Hains Point.

All in all, it was not my best effort but I was proud of a few key things:

• I can run without an iPod. Silence is actually wonderful and without musical distraction you are much more in the moment. It's actually quite freeing. Definitely sounding more zen then I actually am.

• I am mentally strong enough to keep pushing through, even though I'm training alone and have no one to talk to.

• I can withstand sub-freezing temps. Everyone knows I hate the cold, but once you get rolling you might as well keep going or else you're just going to get cold.

After completing a bit more than 8 miles, I treated myself to a skinny vanilla latte and headed home for a ridiculously hot shower.

Hit the defrost...my bed and pjs are calling my name.

The Results Are In...

and I'm only 30% efficient. Now that's encouraging.

On Saturday morning I headed over to Tidal and did a VO2 test on the treadmill. For those like me who wondered what this was all about --- it's a test that measures your efficiency and basically rates your overall cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. Others may have confused the test with human torture...but they'd be wrong.

Let's start off with the gear. You are fitted with a face mask that I swear makes you look like Hannibal Lector. Attached to the face guard is a tube that attaches to a laptop. At the same time you are wearing a heart rate monitor. In retrospect I wish I had captured this moment in a pix, but alas you'll have to use your imagination. Remember...think about Hannibal Lector wearing his face mask and running on a treadmill.

It's a 12-15 minute interval test on the treadmill --- starting at a walk, then fast walk, jog, run and then cranking up the incline while running.

You know when you're taking a test and you want to do well, but you have no idea what "doing well" is supposed to feel like? Well...that was me on the treadmill with the crazy mask and tube attached to a laptop and printer.

The walk, fast walk and jog felt fine. Even the first incline was ok. The final two minutes were very challenging and was made more so due to the claustrophobic inducing face mask I was wearing.

I got a print-out with lots of charts and graphs. On Sunday we'll have the benefit of J. presenting on how best to utilize the information and get started on a new way of training.

Here's to becoming more efficient!

Please pass the sunscreen

It's early October and I'm driving down the street with the windows down and the smell of suntan lotion is still lingering through the air.

I wasn't the only one enjoying this unseasonably awesome weather --- everyone seemed to be out walking, running, biking, tanning, picnicing, swimming and just lounging around.

This afternoon I headed down to Hains Point for a leisurely run/walk around the 5k loop, over to the Jefferson Memorial and eventually over my nemesis...the 14th Street Bridge.

Afterwards, I hooked up with some Snapple Tri Clubbers for an informal swim clinic in the uber-fantastic Hains Point 50-meter outdoor heated pool. Me likey!

We started out doing a handful of freestyle drills and then did a couple sets of 100's. Overall, it was great to be outside and even better to focus on improving my stroke with some fun folks. More swimming please!

Welcome to Fall

This morning I headed back to Georgetown to meet up with the Snapple Tri Club for their weekly Sunday morning run out of GRC.

While the heavyweights hooked a left and attacked an 10-mile loop to the zoo and back, the lighter-weights hooked a right and hit the toe path for a 4.5 mile out-and-back. After yesterday's 11 mile adventure with the ATM trainees, that distance was just fine for me.

It was an absolutely beautiful morning in DC --- cooler temps, leaves changing color and sunshine peeking out from behind the clouds.
We started out at a casual, conversational pace on the way out and then picked up the pace during the back half of the run. It actually felt good to stretch it out and run a more varied pace.

After the run, the Snapplers hooked up with some of the DC Road Runner Army 10-Miler folks for some treats at Dean & Delucca.

Nothing says victory like a large chai latte.