Circle of Life

My old sneakers are dead. They are so dead that I couldn't even run  for a mile in them last night. My Achilles tendon was throbbing and my knee was in pain. I hobbled through the most horrific workout I have ever had and vowed to stop being lazy and finally go get a new pair. They say you should retire sneakers at between 300 and 400 miles of use. Well, I have no idea how many miles were on these shoes. I only got my Garmin a few months ago, so I don't have a proper shoe-odometer to tell. All I know is that when you can't even walk to your car in your sneakers, they definitely need to be replaced. Probably, they needed to be replaced two months ago, but since I don't have a TARDIS, that's not possible. Anyhow, I finally got my butt to the running store (thank you Sneaker Factory!) and picked up these sweet trail runners:

They are the same model as my old trail runners (Saucony peregrine) and will hopefully be as comfortable, since the model has been updated slightly since then.

Yesterday, I registered for my first Half Marathon, the Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon on March 22, 2014. Some of the route is over gravel trails, so I will get to put these to the test soon enough. I am a little nervous for this race, but also very excited. My husband is looking forward to exploring the town of Sleepy Hollow, with my son, for a few hours and I am excited to test my endurance.

Turn, Turn, Turn

Last night, I tried my new cycling shorts for the first time. Up until now, I had just been riding in regular capri pants. This was not working out, since my bum would hurt for about a week after each ride. If you have ever tried to ride for any length of time you might understand why. I decided that if I was going to make any progress on the bike, I would need to wear something cushioned.


If you are unfamiliar with cycling shorts, they basically contain a large padded part that goes across your butt and through to the front and all of your sweat soaks into it like a giant sponge. They are also intended to be worn commando. I learned this fact after a debate with my husband and a search on the Googles. (Although, I also learned I'm not the only one who thinks this is a little weird and kind of gross.) Apparently, wearing undies is unacceptable, brands you as a newbie and can lead to saddle sores. So, who am I to ignore the advice of people who actually cycle? Anyhow, after getting over this fact and also a momentary flashback to middle school from feeling like had a giant maxi-pad in my shorts, I settled into the bike.

What a difference! I rode comfortably my whole ride and was very glad I bought them. Yea, for cycling shorts!

As for the ride, well, it was so enjoyable that when I got to my intended goal of 30 minutes, I actually wanted to keep going. I'm not sure how my time or settings compare with anything road related, and I'm going to have to wait until the weather warms up a bit to find out, I felt pretty proud of myself. I have read that you are supposed to keep your cadence between 80-110, so that it what I tried to do. I kept it at 83 for most of my 10 mile ride. (The photo was taken at I was stopping.) I am going to have to play with this a bit more to see what feels most comfortable, but for the balance of effort and the distance I went, I think the settings were just about right. I'm hoping to be able to push up the resistance a small amount more over time, but I"m not sure if that is the right thing to do. I will need to read more about it.

The Un-Comfort Zone

More than anything, I think it is important to try new things. New foods. New vacations. New movies. New books and especially new sports. It is really easy to fall into a rut and become depressed if the only thing you ever do is the same things you've always done. If you are looking at this blog thinking “Well, I could never do a triathlon!” My response would be, "You’ll never know unless you try." It’s true, triathlon may not be your thing and that’s okay because there are so many fun activities out there. My belief is that you just need to try lots of things and find out what you enjoy. What is the point of life if you don’t?

I have tried many different sports over the years. Some have “stuck” and some haven’t. When I was in my early thirties, I started figure skating. When I was a kid, I would watch the skaters on TV and I just thought it looked fun. I would go to the rink once a year and have a blast dreaming that I was Dorothy Hamill. Then, I would wait a whole year to do it again. I fanaticized about one day taking lessons. Then, nearly a decade ago, I got the schedule for the local Adult School and saw that they were offering some lessons, so I signed up. I was hooked right away. Since I am (just a tiny bit) obsessive, I ended up reading every book ever written on the subject and eventually even ended up on the Board of Trustees for my skating club.

However, when I became pregnant with my son, I took a break from it. After he was born, I wasn’t quite ready to get back into it and by then I had developed an interest in running. Now, I try to skate at least one a week. One of my challenges in developing a triathlon training schedule has been working in a day of skating. I am just not ready to give that up yet again. So, right now, I have substituted a skating day for a bike day, since it works most of the same muscles. When summer gets closer, I will likely drop it from my schedule until fall.

In addition, two years ago, I signed up for the Spartan Sprint and got involved in the Obstacle Course Race (OCR) community. If you’ve never done an OCR, they are a good challenge and very exciting. Mostly, they involve running, or in my case hiking, up a mountain and getting past obstacles like barbed wire, cargo nets, monkey bars and walls. I am signed up for the Tuxedo Spartan Sprint, this May, for the third year in a row. One day maybe I will go for my Trifecta, but not this year. So, I’ve got to work the training for that into my schedule as well. Thankfully, this overlaps with running (hill repeats) and strength training (upper body).

Over the years, I have also tried hockey, rock climbing, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, roller-blading, yoga, equestrian and a number of other sports. While I find these nice activities to do occasionally, they are not ones that really hold my interest as much as skating, running and swimming. But, I am not content to sit back and just do only these things. On my list of things to try soon are the trapeze and archery. Why? Because they sound like a blast!

That, I think, is how everyone should approach fitness. It should be an exciting adventure, not a chore that you make yourself do. Sure, there are days I don't want to work out or go to the gym. I kind of stink at maintaining discipline too. But I'm definitely not going to stop myself from trying new things just out of fear. I believe that it is by challenging our fears that we grow. So, I make it a point to try new things regularly. I may not love everything I try, but I am never regretful that I did. So, that is my main reason for trying to do a triathlon - because I have never done one before! Maybe I will hate it and say "Wow, what the heck was I thinking?!" or maybe I will say "That was great, I should do an IronMan!" I won't know until I try and you can bet I'm going to have fun along the way.

Get Your Ass in Gear

One of the bad things about triathlon is the amount of money you will spend on gear. I know everyone will tell you “Oh, you don’t really need all that! Just a bathing suit, good shoes and any old bike will do”. I’m here to tell you that they are lying. For one thing, you need to be able to train in each sport properly and for another, I don’t know a single triathlete who isn’t somewhat obsessive and doesn’t want to “Buy ALL the things!”

Here is a list of all the gear that I have bought so far, their prices and why I felt like I needed it:

Sneakers - $115.00

You can’t run without a decent pair of sneakers. I have gone through many pairs and a bunch of different brands to find ones that I find comfortable. I have had Nike, New Balance, Saucony and currently, I wear Brooks. People will tell you to go to a running store to get fitted, but having done so several times, I'm not entirely convinced that they are any better at picking shoes than I am just trying on a bunch of pairs. My favorite sneakers to date were ones the guy at the store insisted were all wrong for my foot. Anyhow, my Brooks are currently past their prime, so it's time to go through the process again.

Speed laces - $15.90

Speed laces allow you to just slip your foot into your sneaker and go as a result they are perfect for easy transitions and are also great for people who are just plain lazy, like myself. I can put my shoes on in 1 second and be out the door. When you have a small child, this is awesome. I gave an extra pair of these to my mom even, because they are so practical.

Sports bra - $65.00

Since I am blessed in this department (presently somewhere between a 32DDD and 34DD), I have to wear a decent sports bra. My "go to" bra is the Wacoal Sport Underwire. I cannot recommend this one enough, if you are a gal with a larger chest. It saves the day.

Running bib belt - $15.90

I bought this because it is supposed to make for an easier transition. Basically, you attach the bib to it before the race and then during the transition you can just grab the belt and clip it while you are running off. I am torn on this purchase. While it was easy to use in my Aquathlon,, it also rides up when I am running and drives me crazy. I spend half the time yanking it down, unless I pin it to my shorts. I haven’t worn it in road races as a result.

Running jacket - $50

I get cold and need lots of layers. If you ever run in the cold or wind you will need a good one. The best are designed to keep you warm, wick sweat and keep out the wind. Magic fabrics make this happen. My favorite one is from Asics, because the cut is wide enough on the hips that it doesn't ride up.

Body Glide - $6.00
I got this to prevent chafing from the seams on my wetsuit and to prevent chafing when I run after swimming.

Bathing suit - $85.08

As a curvier woman, I need a suit with support. If I wear the traditional racing suits, I feel like a squashed potato. As a result, I wear one which has a built in bra, which I order from England. It is perfect.

Goggles - $17.11

I like the ones which have a wider field of vision and currently wear ones by Aqua Sphere. They are sort of a cross between a diving mask and traditional goggles.

Swim cap - $31.00

My pool requires one. After my first few races, I now have three, because they give you a new cap at every race. I like the latex ones, not the silicon ones. Supposedly, the latter don't pull your hair, but I haven't had any problem with the latex ones and they are stretchier.

Wetsuit - $287.90

I get cold really easily and like to have a wetsuit to keep me warm. They are required in some races, but I wear mine even in the middle temperature range. Since there is no chance of me getting a medal, I'd rather be warm. If I get better and that fact changes, I will definitely only use it when required. As a shorter curvier girl, there are only a few companies which make wetsuits in my size. Mine is a Pipeline Fullsleeve by Nineteen.

Fins - $50.29
Pull buoy (Free to me - I used a gift card.)

My gym has these to borrow, if yours does too, you are lucky.  They are required for drills in Masters Swimming and not available at the facility I trained at.

Swimmer’s shampoo - $6.49

I use this to avoid having all my hair turn green and/or fall out. It is designed to remove chlorine.

Helmet, Bike lock, tire pump - $54.98

I got these when I got my bike. Obviously, they are to protect my bean, to lock up my bike when I go anywhere and to blow up my tires when they get soft.

 

Biking shorts - $26.18

So my bum doesn’t get sore while riding. 

Garmin 910xt plus Foot pod - $286.41 (I used a bunch of gift cards and coupons)

Okay, this one is not a necessity, but I like data and information and it’s fun to see my progress over time. I used MapMyRun for running prior to buying this, and it worked great. I also bought a lap counter, prior to this which was handy as well. But this integrates all of the sports data into one watch.

Things I have not bought yet and will need to buy at some point:  

• Fuel belt
• Road bike
• Bike rack
• Bike shoes
• Water bottle holder for bike
• Tire patch kit
• Reflective gear
• Tri kit

In total, I have spent at least $1,113.24 and this list is only for gear and does not include the costs of association memberships (Triathlon clubs, USATF, US Masters Swimming, USATriathlon), gym memberships, Masters swim classes, sports gels and drinks, miscellaneous workout clothing (like socks, pants, shirts) and the fees for race registrations. So, you can see, it is an expensive sport. Thankfully, I have bought much of this over time, because I took up each of the sports individually. But, some of this gear wears out quickly and needs to be replaced, so they are not all one time purchases either. My next big purchase is likely going to be either a bike rack or a road bike, which is going to take some research and possibly some field trips.

Post Script: There is one very important item I left out that you should never forget: waterproof sunscreen. My first trip to the beach for training I forgot to apply sunscreen and figured since my whole body was covered by a wetsuit I would be fine. Boy was I ever wrong. While you are swimming your neck faces upward and by the time I got out of the water it was so burned I couldn't even bear to touch it. Never again. So, add this to the list too!

Taking The First Step

Lao-Tzu said that a journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step. So, here I am, about to take the first step into the world of triathlons. Now, I realize that there is a small element of crazy involved in wanting to do a triathlon. Most sane people don't think, "Hey, let's do a sport where I have to spend several thousand dollars, train for months and have to wear spandex while doing it." But, since I'm a little crazy, it sounds like perfect fun to me. My goal in writing this blog is to chronicle my fitness journey, along with what it is like to do a triathlon (and perhaps a few other sports as well). I am hoping that I can inspire others to get fit and to try new things.

I wasn't always so active and my journey to this point actually began several years ago, when a friend of mine was training for the NYC marathon. She was looking for people to run a half marathon with her and I thought maybe I could do it. I decided to test that theory and go for a run and quickly realized I could only run for a half mile straight. Of course, this was unacceptable, so I took up running more seriously. At that point, I had been haphazardly running intervals on the treadmill about twice a week, thinking I was doing pretty great, so I was a bit shocked that I could not run for a longer distance. As I am prone to doing, I started my fitness improvement by reading every book and website I could find about running. What better way to get fit than by reading! I absorbed as much as I could and quickly realized that I needed to run a lot slower, if I wanted to cover any distance. Since then, I have run quite a few races from 5ks to Spartan Races. I have never placed in any of these races. Usually, I come in somewhere in the middle. I consider this pure luck and good genes, since I have been graced with a body that packs on muscle just as easily as fat. I am not a very disciplined athlete and I tend to approach my running with a "less is more" philosophy. My typical running schedule is, at most, 3 days per week and  is generally comprised of a short tempo run, a long slow run and a medium interval run. I'm trying to add in more hills, because, frankly, I hate hills and the only way to get over that is to do more of them. My running goals, right now, are to break 30 minutes in a 5K and to finish a half marathon.

As for swimming, I have been swimming since I was a little kid. I was a diver, a synchronized swimmer and I was on swim teams. In the summers, growing up, I would wake up early in the morning and my sister and I would ride our bikes to the pool and stay there all day until it closed. In college, I was a member of the surfing and sailing clubs. Every summer, I make it a point to go to the beach and get out in the water. I love swimming and am a swimmer at heart. But, for a long time in between college and last year, I only swam recreationally. Nevertheless, getting back into it was not a challenge. My first time in the pool, for training, I was able to swim a half mile without stopping and was up to a mile within two weeks. Last year, I decided to enter some open water swimming races. My first race was the Coney Island Aquathlon (1/2 mile swim/5K run) and in the swim portion, I finished in the middle of the pack. This gave me a bit of confidence. It was a challenging race, but also a lot of fun. In my next race, however, I fought a very strong current and received a "DNF". This was heartbreaking, but I learned a lot from the experience. Last fall, I joined a Masters Swim Team and worked on my technique. My swimming goals are to get faster and to qualify for the Statue of Liberty Swim in 2015.

The part of the triathlon that scares me the most is the bike. I know that's weird. Everyone but me seems to love the bike and hate swimming. But, I haven't really been on a bike regularly since I was a kid and the idea of riding around cars scares the heck out of me. A few years ago, I got a cruiser bike but have not had a chance to ride it much, due to the fact that I do not have a car rack and I live on the side of a mountain. Seriously, it's a mountain and not a hill. Every time I take it out for a spin, I get down to the bottom of our street and I have to walk it back up again. I feel pathetic. A lot of this journey will be about me learning to ride a bike again. I plan on getting a new road bike shortly. They say you never forget how to ride a bike, so we'll see if that's true. For now, I have been riding on a stationary bike at the gym.

So, that is where I am in relation to the three sports involved in a triathlon. If it sounds like I am somewhat fit at this point, well, I sort of am. I am not completely a beginner, but I am also not very fast. I expect that I will finish somewhere near the bottom third in my first race and improve from there. I track my workouts on Fitocracy, so you can follow me there, if you'd like to know more details of my workouts. 

I have already registered for my first race, the Iron Girl Sprint Triathlon in Sandy Hook. This is about 8 months away and I plan to do a few other races before then. But, I am committed to it now, so here goes nothing!