"Don't Stop Believing" Journey to Ironman

Have That Cup of Coffee-- Caffeine Does Make You Go Faster!

We're known for years that caffeine helps with performance. Many of us who are hardly world-class athletes can feel the difference just trotting around our neighborhoods. Have some caffeine before a workout, and you feel sprightlier and better overall. No caffeine, and it can be a slog jog the whole way.

The New York Times has a great article on the effects of caffeine on athletic performance. They quote Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky of McMaster University in Canada: “There is so much data on this that it’s unbelievable...It’s just unequivocal that caffeine improves performance. It’s been shown in well-respected labs in multiple places around the world.”

They also share research that shows how much caffeine you need--as little 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight. Diminishing returns start to happen at 9 milligram per kilogram of body weight. At that level, performance actually starts to decline.

Personally, I'm a Zipfizz addict. I way prefer that to coffee before a workout. But I have a little math to do to see if, before my next bike test, I need to have a cup of coffee too!

Dust Off Your Running Shoes! You Just Might Save Your Vision

This from Scientific Blogging:

There's another reason to dust off those running shoes. Vigorous exercise may help prevent vision loss, according to a pair of studies from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The studies tracked approximately 31,000 runners for more than seven years, and found that running reduced the risk of both cataracts and age-related macular degeneration....The fittest men boasted one-half the risk of developing cataracts compared to the least-fit men.

Men who ran more than 5.7 miles per day had a 35 percent lower risk of developing cataracts than men who ran less than 1.4 miles per day. The study also analyzed men's 10-kilometer race performances, which is a good indicator of overall fitness. The fittest men boasted one-half the risk of developing cataracts compared to the least-fit men.

A second study found that running appeared to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. In the study, 152 men and women reported being diagnosed with the disease. Compared to people who ran less than 1.2 miles per day, people who averaged between 1.2 and 2.4 miles per day had a 19 percent lower risk for the disease, and people who ran more than 2.4 miles per day had between 42 percent and 54 percent lower risk of the disease.

My mom had macular degeneration, and the impact on the quality of her life was exceedingly negative. Keep running those intervals! You can read the complete post here.

Still Learning What It Means to "Work Hard"

I've been with Endurance Nation (EN) for 18 months now. So far I have:

Completed two build-your-fast out-season programs. Tough stuff.

One power hack/VO2max protocol study. "Puke effort" describes those.

One half Ironman training cycle

One full Ironman training cycle

Included in all that have been many bike functional threshold power (FTP) and running tests. Seemingly countless 2 x 20' workouts at FTP--very tough. Four-plus hour rides that include 2 x 45' at 85% of FT (shoot me now), with a shorter version of the same the next day. I have faced 30 x 50 in the pool, and run 10K tests for Vdot. And on and on....

Thing is, I feel I am still just a student learning what it really means to work hard. There’s hard training, then there’s EN training--and lord knows EN has challenged me in ways I never dreamed I could manage. Yet, within the EN training there has been a coaching message that kept bouncing off my tin ear.

I rode an indoor 10K time trial (TT) with members of the EN team last Saturday. That experience crystallized what Coaches Rich and Patrick have long been saying about doing group rides with people who challenge you, doing epic weekends, or challenging training camps. Being pushed in an event like the TT showed me the level I can—and need to—push to from time to time. Yes, the workouts we do are plenty hard, but the group dynamic of reaching to a different level of effort was something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was like another piece of the EN puzzle got filled in for me.

Sure, I rationally understood what Rich and Patrick have been saying, but it’s been a while since I extended myself to that degree on a training day. The TT also showed me that, even with my advancing years, I still have limits to extend. Better performances can be eked out. I can keep improving. So finally, light dawns upon the dim, and I now get it. There will always be really difficult work to do in EN training, but sometimes I need to find ways to let myself push harder—and then do a little more.

This New Breakfast Has Rocked My World!

My marathoning friend Marcia Puryear (into racing big time) recommended I try the following barley porridge for breakfast. I like barley, so it sounded interesting. This has rocked my world! Seriously, this stuff is major good. The best thing about it is that my husband can't wait to get at it in the morning. I have been trying FOR YEARS to change his breakfast. He ate things like Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms (if you can believe it)--any sugary cereal you can find. Now he says he'll never go back.

OK--a few things. You have to used hulled barley. Hulled barley is a very slow-burning carb with one of the lowest Glycemic Indexes (GI) of any grain. Perfect before a long ride or run.The pearled barley has one of the highest GI ratings, so don't use that. Research shows that the low GI effects of barley lasts 10 hours in the human body, which protects from the crash and burn cycle of high insulin spikes.

I eat breakfast around 7:30 am, and for the past month I haven't needed lunch until about 1. It has that much staying power with a piece of fruit thrown in as snack mid-morning. It was hard to find, but it would be totally worth ordering it on line.
.

This is what you do:

1.5 cups hulled barley
6 cups water

Throw it in the crock pot before you go to bed, and turn it on low. When you get up you will have this creamy, wonderful pot of health. You can cook it on the stove too--1 c barley/ 4 c water. To the boil, simmer for about 45-60 minutes. Refrigerate the leftovers and heat up to enjoy in following days.

To your bowl add nuts, fruit, maple syrup, cinnamon (my fave)--whatever you like. I sometimes sweeten it with "Z sweet"--no calories and safe to eat. You can cook it with apple juice if you like, although I've not done that. My Chinese acupuncturist friend says barley is considered very good for removing toxins from the body. That would be a nice bonus!

Hope someone tries it and enjoys it as much as we do!

Did I Really Do That? Sometimes Ironman Feels Like A Dream

 I was driving down the road yesterday, and the Ironman Florida swim popped into my mind. I could feel the chop of the water, taste the salt of the Gulf of Mexico, see the high rises glistening along the beach in the early morning sunshine. My god, did I swim 2.4 miles? Really? I mean, I really swam the first loop, got out and ran back in to do it again?

That swim reverie started a a virtual tour of the day in my head, all with a sense of disbelief. Did I really run out of the Gulf, disrobe the wetsuit, get all my bike stuff on, grab the bike and hit the road in 8 minutes? 8 minutes? I can barely get my running shoes on in that time on a normal day!

Did I really stay in the aeropostion on the bike for 6.5 hours? Yeah, pretty much. I could feel the mind-numbing stretch of Florida highway with five miles of bah-bump, bah-bump ripples in the road. I felt the relief when I finally rode out of them. I remembered thinking, at about mile 75, that a DVD player between my areobars would be a just the ticket to pass the time. I still think it's a good idea! :)

Did I really improve more than one mph over the first Ironman? Would my kids and husband ever understand how dedicating each 30-minute segment to them--one after the other, over and over--truly gave me the guts and the fortitude to keep going?  Did I really feel that fresh after 112 miles on the bike? Ready to run without a second thought after only five minutes in transition? 

And that run! I felt like Superman out there. I never looked forward to a run more in my life! It's too bad about the quad pain that held me back, and I can still feel the knife stabs with every step. But I relived the elation of hanging tough in the face of that pain, knowing that the full measure of my training and dedication was right there for the taking. Did I really run as much as I could? Yes I did.

And the finish!!! The finish triumphant! Driving along, I felt chills picturing the sight of the clock beginning with the number 13. Did I really take 1 hour and 35 minutes off my time? I still shake my head in disbelief. Never, but never did I think I could achieve a finishing time like that.

Through Ironman I touch a spirit and power in myself that moves me to my core. And on a random day in the middle of February, I was able to connect again to that unending pride and feeling of triumph that is now part of my soul. What a nice dream indeed.

Jonesin' for a Cupcake? "The Apple Test" Can Help You Steer Clear

My Endurance Nation (EN) friend Penny Wilson is a terrific RD. She is one of those "value added" aspects of training with EN, since she is so willing to share her expertise and insights with all the athletes there. But I also enjoy her Eating for Performance newsletter and have picked up a bunch of tips and recipes. But the one that I use every single day is Penny's "Apple Test." It's a simple cue that helps you figure out if you are really hungry and need to eat, or if stress, boredom, or something else is triggering the impulse to grab that whoopie pie (my biggest, personal eating downfall). 

Here's her article. Hope it helps!

The Apple Test

Grab a pencil and some paper because its time for . . . The Apple Test!  OK, a pencil and paper are not required for this simple test.  But, the Apple Test can help you determine if you are really hungry, craving something or about to eat for another reason. 

 

Personally, I love apples - they are one of my favorite snacks, especially with some Valencia peanut butter.  Many times I will choose an apple for a snack.  But, sometimes I want something else.  Other times I'm not sure if I want a snack because I'm stressed, bored or just don't want to do the work I need to get done.  That is when the Apple Test comes into play.

 

If you are wanting to eat but are not sure if you're hungry or not, ask yourself "if it were an apple, would I still eat it?"  If the answer is "yes" you're probably hungry.  If the answer is "no" then something

Endurance Nation Closing Doors to Membership for 2009 on May 1! Get in While You Can With 30-Day Free Trial!

OK folks, for 2009 it's now or never to join Endurance Nation! Y'all know how I feel about EN and what it's done for me. Quick recap, which is not even the tip of the ice berg:

• 26% increase in bike power at threshold in 2008
• 3' 10K run improvement in the 16-week off season training program last year
• 1 hour 35 minute PR at Ironman Florida
• Countless hours of coaching/team support and learning--from how to train and race with power to mad-race-day execution skills

I simply cannot overstate how incredibly effective EN has been for me--and literally hundreds of other athletes in "the Haus."  BUT THE 2009 TEAM IS CLOSING AS OF MAY 1!!! Seriously--JOIN NOW and get ready to kick some major triathlon butt this year!!! Tell them I sent you! Here are the details as written by Coach Rich Strauss:

Team Coaching + Membership Deadline

As of May 1, 2009, we will close the door to new membership.

That's right -- closed, we will not accept new members after May 1. We enter the dojo, close the doors, put on our Race Prep Training and Execution Sensei robes and create a team of racing ninjas. We draw the line in the sand and you are either on our team or racing against our team.

Almost everything we create from May-October will be for Team EN eyes only. We will no longer be marketing the team, trying to get people to join. We are seriously invested in getting you ready to have your best possible race.

Endurance Nation Membership Recruiting Drive
You likely have friends who may be a good fit for our Team. Please tell them that now through May 1 is their last chance to join the team before we close it down for the 2009 racing season. And since we want them to join sooner, rather than later, so we have more time to work with them, we've made membership very attractive with a 30-Day FREE trial and a new scaled pricing structure that allows new members to lock in a great price for the rest of the year: February pricing is $79/mo; March pricing is $89/mo; April is $99/mo; and May is...CLOSED!

Just tell your friends to take the Tour then visit the Join page to learn more about "Team Coaching" and how we work. By creating a 30-Day FREE trial membership they can lock in their low price for the rest of the year. We will immediately begin coaching them -- FREE -- for 30-days, so they can take us, the coaching, our support, and the Team for a free test drive.

Thanks again for your help. We very much look forward to closing the doors to new members for the season and helping you to bring the Pain to everyone outside the Haus on race day!

Why I Do Ironman--The Spirit of Titans

In the past few years, so many people have asked me why I choose to do the Ironman--and not all of those conversations have been pleasant. I've been called crazy, warned it's harmful, and even been told I am abusing my body akin to those who suffered in concentration camps--and that last accusation truly happened. But I do have a number of friends who get it, and many of them are not triathletes. They get it because they live the quest, and experience triumph in their own personal way. You know who you are, and I hold you dear to my heart.

It's always difficult to put into words what the Ironman means to me--how it is so much bigger than the sum of its parts. My friend Marianne sent me this video, and it does a pretty darn good job capturing the essence of what I strive for, what I have experienced, and what Ironman has allowed me to carry in my spirit every single day.

Take a few minutes to let yourself connect to the power and mystery of what a grand quest like Ironman can bring. Then take the energy into your heart, and use it to reinforce your own goals, meet your challenges, and chase your dreams, whatever they may be.

Oh yeah, my friend Marianne is the pretty lady smiling in the orange swim cap at the 2-minute mark in the video. She was finishing a practice swim the day before Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Enjoy.

A bring-your-own bike lane, created by lasers - The Boston Globe

Riding bikes in the Boston area, even in the surrounding suburbs, can be hair-raising, and down right dangerous. The drivers are crazy here. If this prototype makes it to market, I'll likely get it for my early morning rides!

A bring-your-own bike lane, created by lasers - The Boston Globe

Posted using ShareThis

2009 Theme Song--Roll If You Fall by Barefoot Truth

The past few years Ironman training years, I've enjoyed having a theme song to return to for motivation--and for a happy beat while running! In 2006 it was Journey's Don't Stop Believing In
2008 it was Jimmy Cliff's You Can Get It If You Really Want. Both songs came from suggestions from my kids, which added a nice dimension to the choice, and kept the songs close to my heart.

Well, even though this is not an Ironman year, I wanted to have an anthem for 2009. But what???? Then it came to me. The song is Roll If You Fall by Barefoot Truth.

 Here's what I relate to in the song:

The title:
Roll if You Fall reminds me to never, ever give up. Always keep it going in a positive way.

From the lyrics:
"Stand tall behind your commitments"
"Don't live somebody's else's dream"
And the best line of all--"When they add the score at the end of this life, I want to say I won the game."

Triathlon and Ironman is a big part of that score for me.

You can hear the song, and this great young band here. Take a few minutes and let it brighten your day.

A special part of selecting this song does, in fact, involve my oldest son. Some of you may remember that my son rode his bike across the US last summer with his friend Pete in their Pedal for Peace endeavor. Barefoot Truth is Pete's brother Jay's band. My son introduced me to their music and that song in particular. The band is doing really well, and I'm told put on quite a show. So "Roll if you Fall" comes with a nice personal connection too.

Here's the Barefoot Truth website.

"It's a simple inspiration, that always blows my mind...."--that's me singing! :)