Hard Lessons are the Best Ones

What a weekend. Sometimes you just have those days that drain you physically and mentally, and leave you craving nothing more than chocolate, coffee, and mindless television. Well, that was yesterday for me. The weekend got off to a great start. I recently joined a young professionals group in Dallas, and Saturday morning we volunteered at the Marathon Kids Final Mile Celebration in Addison, where we organized over 5,000 elementary-aged children to run the last lap of the marathon distance that they had been working towards all year, and earn their finishers medals. It was an inspiring event to volunteer at, especially as a youth coach, and I was extremely impressed with the organization - I definitely recommend checking them out. They offer FREE health and fitness programs to elementary children with the incentive of running a marathon and earning various prizes and, of course, the finishers medal. Of course, we were all standing around out in the sun for 5 hours, so I think everyone ended up a little dehydrated, but it was definitely worth it. The kids had a blast, and all of them were very proud of their achievement. Ken came down in the afternoon, and after taking Jake to the dog park, we had Steve and Renee over for dinner. Which leads me to a confession - I cannot have company over and not make a big production out of it. I just can't - I learned it from my step-mom, Gail, and it has stuck with me. So we had goat gouda cheese, pate, olives, strawberries, and a bordeaux to start, then garlic pork cutlets, grilled asparagus, and butternut squash risotto with a merlot, and finished with a lemon tart (from Whole Foods - strongly recommend it, it was fabulous!) and tea and coffee. We sat and talked long after dinner, so the upshot of this was that Ken and I didn't even start getting ready for our race the next day until about 9:30 that night, and we had eaten a not-so-healthy meal with plenty of not-remotely-healthy alcohol on the side, and had a massive pile of dishes to tackle (in fact, we still have that massive pile to tackle... tonight, perhaps?). Yeesh. But we made it to bed with everything essentially ready to go, and woke up at 5:00 the next morning with our game faces on, ready for Tri Cowtown, my first triathlon of the year and Ken's first triathlon EVER... until we realized that it was 40 degrees outside. Perfect triathlon weather - NOT! But we sucked it up, packed the car, and hauled over to Benbrook in record time. I ran packet pickup while Ken set up in transition, the whole time thinking about how much I HATE cold weather racing. Specifically, cold weather triathlon racing. I can run, and I can even bike, but doing both after getting soaked through ahead of time... the fact is that I just don't like it. Mentally, it puts me into a tail spin where the only thing I can think about is the point where the race is over and I have a hot shower and a cup of tea. Not where my mind needs to be pre-race!! Things didn't get any better, either. The minute I started my swim, I knew things were off. My legs felt heavy and weak, and Tifany quickly passed me, with Liz staying right on my toes after she caught me from starting 20 second behind. When I finally got out, I didn't have time to be relieved, because it was straight out into the cold, gray morning to start a windy, hilly bike portion. Again, my legs felt like rocks. I averaged 16 mph on the bike, and I felt like I was going to die I was working so hard. I also had the slowest T1 ever since I layered up with fleece and cycling socks, throwing any notions of a quick change to the wind as soon as the literal wind hit my body after the swim. By the time I was winding up the bike, I knew I was far, far behind the time needed to do an exceptional job either overall or in my age group. All I had left was the run, and that was my saving grace. The start of the run was rough, because my feet were like heavy blocks of ice, but as I warmed up, my legs finally, FINALLY kicked into gear, and despite wind and a couple of significant hills, I was able to pull a 23:16 5K. Not great, but acceptable. The only bright spot in an otherwise disappointing race day. (On a happier note, Ken, did a fantastic job for his first race, and even beat me by a little over a minute - I was and am VERY proud of him). I would have so liked to blame this on the conditions, the day, the other racers... anything other than myself. But I can't. The fact is, that despite all my big talk, I continue to be lax in my training, and constantly fighting (or not fighting, depending on the day) a lack of motivation. I'm not training like a member of Team USA should be, and I'm ashamed to admit it. I also hate to admit that I still have to deal with the after effects of being sick back in 2009 (2009!), and that there are days when it's a fight just to be awake and active. It makes me feel weak and like less of an athlete and it is very hard for me. But ultimately, I'm not reaching my full potential because I have been letting the ball drop in the face of stress and lack of time due to work, forgetting that for me, training is an essential part of my work, and one of the things that makes me able to be a great coach. So shame on me. The good news is that this is why I had an "emergency" meeting with my coach this morning to discuss the problem - and come up with a solution. Once thing that motivates me is training with others - so from now on, all of my swim workouts will be with DAM. I paid my membership dues this morning. In addition, I will do Thursday night track every week, and as many group weights sessions with Ahmed as I can squeeze in. Second, I will start logging my nutrition again, even if it is only one day a week, so we can keep an eye on my percentages, and upping my carbs and lowering my fat intake. Third, I will send feedback every day, even if it is just a simple "yes" (if I did the workouts) or "no" (if I didn't). Ever since Europe, I've been trying to get back on track, and failing over and over, though I have been doing more actually workouts since I made my Lent resolution - but, as a coach, I know that workouts are only part of the whole picture, and alone are not enough to ensure a decent finish at a World Championship event. I know this, now I must act on it. And I plan to. As if this lesson wasn't enough, we also had a Playtri coaches meeting yesterday that contained some hard but good lessons as well. Obviously what we discussed there is confidential, but let's just say that it wasn't until after that meeting that I was ready to cram half a chocolate cake in my mouth and sit on the couch for the rest of the day. Not because I was depressed, but just because I was so mentally, emotionally, and physically drained from the entire day. I didn't shove that cake in my face, just in case you were wondering. Ken and I actually had a lovely, quiet night, and we went to The Common Table over in uptown, where we split a bottle of Zinfandel and I had a roast chicken quarter with corn succotash and roasted root vegetables, and Ken's friend Peter from his graduate program joined us for a drink while we were eating. I left the cake for another day. And now it is Monday again - a little chilly and gloomy outside, but a great day for me because I'm feeling a renewed motivation for my job and for my training. I'm looking forward to the rest of the week - and a little more quality time with Ken tonight. Happy training everybody

Tis' The Season for Congestion...

Fa la la la la! La la la LAAA... !

Ok, it's official, I am experiencing the worst allergies I have ever had in my LIFE. I wish I was exaggerating. But it's basically like drowning when you're nowhere near the water, which isn't exactly inspiring me to hit the pool. And it extra stinks because everything is beautiful and warm and blooming outside, but I feel like... yeah. I'm currently working on perfecting the perfect cocktail of drugs to combat this, but I have yet to reach 100% - though the Allegra/Sudafed/Afrin mix does seem to be having a marked effect. My heart's racing a little bit, but that's a small sacrifice at this point. Being able to think and function is totally worth it. And I actually feel like doing my workouts today, as opposed to yesterday when I threw everything out the window to nap for 4 hours and do a 30 minute run. (In my new Adidas Mana's - a bright spot in a dark week).

In case brutal allergies weren't enough, I realized on Sunday that I would have to be at work at 6:00 AM EVERY DAY THIS WEEK! Yippee! Which, actually, I wouldn't mind if the aforementioned allergies weren't already making me a cranky camper. But it means a little less sleep, which means a slightly more compromised immune system, which means... worse allergies!

But I know you don't read this to hear about my pollen woes. And aside from the allergies, it's been a brilliant week so far. I am training to do performance testing for Playtri, and today I finally got to take some of the blood samples, handle the test strips, etc. for our heart rate testing. I had been observing and practicing for weeks, but today I got to do it live and in person, and aside from some nerves, it went really well. It will be great to be able to pick up some of Aaron's early morning tests and save him some 4:30 AM drives from Fort Worth! (4:30 in the morning is just wrong).

After work, I have two speed workouts - a W1 run and a W15 bike (actually, I need to double check the W15 and make sure it isn't hills...). Renee is joining me for the run, which should be fun. She isn't much of a runner at the moment, but it's a fun workout for someone who is somewhat new to the sport. The W15, barring the possibility of hill repeats, will definitely be on the trainer because of this crazy wind we're having today. Oh, and the allergies, of course.

It's a big week... and I'll be wrapping it up with Tri Cowtown this Sunday, so stay tuned for more posts!

Happy training!

Lent - Success So Far!

Ok, so to recap, I gave up being lazy with my workouts for Lent - basically, I just made a resolution to remember that my goal is worth putting in the time that I have committed to it, and not to slack off. And so far, it's going pretty well! Having Mandy and Ken around last week really helped, and then there was no getting around my long run this weekend, because it was my mom's third half marathon! We had a blast running the Seabrook Lucky Trail Half Marathon for the second year in a row - and much better weather this year than last. They hooked us up with lots of fun swag - tech shirts, hats, socks, bags, and awesome medals. It's a great race, and I know we'll go back for years to come. Oh - and I can't forget to mention that my mom PR'ed her half marathon time at the race by over five minutes!! I was so proud of her.

I also enjoyed just having some time to rest and hang out in Galveston this weekend. With race season upon us, things at Playtri have definitely been ramping up, which means more work and more stress - all fun, but it can still wear you out sometimes! So being able to sleep in and do yoga Friday morning, then take a 2 hour nap, was basically like heaven. I also ate about 4 Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches that day. Like I said, heaven.

Sunday morning after the race, mom and I walked about a mile to the new Galveston bakery for hot tea and scones - and to loosen our legs up a little from the day before. I felt incredibly fresh yesterday, for having just run a half the day before. Aside from a little soreness in my quads, I felt awesome - and I hadn't run more thant 6 miles at one time in the past four months. The Playtri training method works!

Mom and I spent some time talking about Beijing during the trip - USAT is offering a good package deal for the race that covers lodging, bike travel, travel to all events, an interpreter, etc. Lots of good stuff, and it's very reasonably priced. Now we just have to figure out the plane tickets... But it's all worth it because in just 7 MONTHS I will be racing on the 2008 Olympic triathlon course with athletes from all over the world! And hopefully kicking a lot of butt. That's an inspiring thought for the day - it should get me through my swim tonight : )

Happy training everybody!

If the Bike Fits...

Working at Playtri always seems to lead to interesting research opportunities, and today's is advanced bike fit methodology. Of course, we are always trying to improve our services and stay in the front of the pack in available research and methodology, so many days find me doing groundwork that will lead to more in-depth research on Ahmed's part. So today, I am learning the best way to fit a bike.

And I mean WOW. I knew bike fitting was complicated, but I really never appreciated the amount of technology and gadgetry available in the quest to find the "perfect fit." Bike fitting, like coaching, is a combination of science and art - even if you have the right science, you also have to have the right fitter. A good system alone is only part of the puzzle. In the past, most of my bike fits have been what is now considered to be "basic." (Note that the fits I refer to are the ones that did NOT take place with Playtri). This means someone put me on a trainer, watched me pedal, and made some adjustments. After what I've read today, this now seems woefully inadequate.

All this reminds me again of the complexity of the perfect race. As the World Championship is drawing nearer, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of puzzle pieces that will all have to come together perfectly and at the right time for me to have the race I need to end up on or even near the podium - nutrition, swimming, biking, running, bike fit, running shoes, sleep, goggles, heart rate, power, bike, flexibility, balance, Vo2 max, lactate threshold, muscle recovery, mental toughness... the list just goes on! And it is interesting how this list is much less intimidating to me when I am applying it to one of the athletes that I coach. It is so much better when I can be objective (which is why I have my own coach, because I clearly can't be objective with myself!). However, I am always grateful to experience these thoughts and emotions, because they make me better able to understand the athletes I coach.

All this being said, I recall that I have yet to schedule a bike fit with Ahmed for my new bike... I think that's going in the budget for next month!

Until next time...

Lonestar, Where Aaaaare You... Ou-ut Tonight?

Galveston, that's where. Hopefully you all recognized the Norah Jones song there.

This update is overdue - since camp ended about 3 days ago, and I head back to Dallas today. But no matter. It was another terrific Playtri camp, with lots of fun and training and lessons to be learned. Camps always inspire me to be a better coach. Having the opportunity to work with coaches like David and Jeanne really gives me something to aim for, and shows me specific ways that I can improve my coaching.

I still tend to be a little tentative in my instruction with athletes that I don't coach one-on-one. It's not because I doubt my ability, but more that I worry that others might doubt my credibility. Which is just silly. What a waste of knowledge. It's something that I need to continue to work on (or, as Ahmed would say, "sucking it up"), and this weekend was a good reminder of that. Hearing great lectures from the other coaches also reminded me that I need to start preparing some more lecture material myself. I gave my first lecture in Hawaii, and quite honestly, wasn't personally thrilled with it. I let my nerves get the better of me, especially towards the end. I don't want that to happen again... it's the same as with my coaching, I've got the knowledge, but I worry that I won't be taken seriously, and I let it affect my ability to deliver. Just so you know, this is very personal stuff for me, but I share it because it's a huge part of what I deal with as a coach, and it tends to seep into my struggles as an athlete.

Speaking of, those were made glaringly apparent this weekend as well. Camps, whether I am a coach or a participant, always remind me of my own deficiencies as an athlete - in a good way, of course. It is motivating for me to be around other athletes, and hear about their struggles and dilemmas, as well as their successes. This past weekend was no different, and it left me motivated to, once again, pick up the ball and keep on working towards my goal. There was a great article in The Yoga Journal recently about how to change bad habits (like, I don't know, missing workouts unnecessarily), and while it made a lot of great points, the most important one for myself was a reminder that, hey, I'm worth it. My goals and success are worth me sucking it up and getting ALL of my training in. It inspired me and, in keeping with Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, I decided to go ahead and honor Lent this year as well - I'm a rather fallen away Christian, but it's a time of year that always taught me a lot about self-discipline growing up, and that's something I need right now. So I am giving up slacking off on my workouts. Yep. I'm giving up on not doing something. We'll see how this goes - it starts today with a swim, and goes for the next 39 days. Hopefully by the time Lent is done, I'll be enough in the groove to just keep on the way I have been (though I might ask for one day off on Easter... just to celebrate).

Either way, I am, once again, giving myself a clean slate to work with - another point the article made as an important aspect of getting rid of bad habits. Don't be weighed down by mistakes - focus on what you can still do correctly.

Happy training, everybody


And a brief note: It came to my attention yesterday that via a post I made in October, it was implied that I write the training plans for some of Ahmed's clients. This is NOT correct. I occasionally do research on courses and timelines, and may work on schedules for practice, but all actual schedules and plans are written by Ahmed himself. Please feel free to contact either of us if this is a concern for you. Thank you for your understanding.