Tag: training

Back on my training schedule for the Danskin

Nicole GlarosLeave a comment

Well, after 2 weeks of family being here, I’m finally getting back on my training schedule.  I did exercise during the hiatus, just not with ‘purpose’.

On Tues I went to REI in Denver to see Sally Edwards speak.  She’s won several Ironman Triathlons and helps athletes learn how to train better.  She asked how many in the room were already on a training schedule, so of course I raised my hand proudly.  Then she asked of those people, how many decide what they’re going to do based on the weather that day.  I more sheepishly raised my hand.  She informed us that we aren’t training!  Boooo……

So I’m on a new regimen now.  Yesterday, I started the workout with a sub-max test called the 2×4.  You warmup, for 5-10 minutes, then run as hard as you can maintain for 4 minutes, recover for 2 minutes, then run as hard as you can for another 4 minutes, each time measuring your heart rate at the end of the 4 minutes.  Averaging those two heart rates, then add 30 if you’re in excellent shape, and you get an estimate of your max heart rate.  Mine came to 196.  I’m going to do 6 or 7 more sub-max tests to best determine my max heart rate, then I can train more efficiently.

SO that being said, yesterday I did a submax test, then I lifted weights.  Today I swim a “steady state” workout.  Maintaining a relatively low heart rate on this one is the key, so I’m keeping it lower than 156 the whole time.  And I’ll swim for 45 minutes, continuously if I don’t get too damn bored.

One of these days I’ll put my schedule on a spreadsheet and publish it for you.  I’ve spent some time trying to come up with a good one, so I might as well share it.

Triathalon training: 1 solid hour on the bike

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Being the fair weather rider that I am, I opted to ride inside today, 1 solid hour, on the LeMond bike.

Let me start by saying… BORING.
Let me end by saying… BORING.

However, I did get a good workout in.  I did little mini-sets of pushing the heart rate anaerobically for about 1 minute, then recovering for about 30 secs.  And I watched a lady attempt to workout on the stairmaster.  Hey lady, if you support your whole body weight by locking out your arms, you’re not doing much – hint… you’re not even winded.  Then again, I sweat (and smell) like a man.

C’mon SPRING.  Not sure how much more of the East Boulder Rec Center I can handle.  Having the 1 hour to examine the bike beneath me, I’m pretty sure they clean that thing, oh, about 1ce every other week.  And the 6 year old boy running around the women’s locker room was a little much too – sure wish mom would use the FAMILY locker room.  It’s not just to protect your kid from adult-only atmospheres.  It’s to protect the ADULT from your kid’s inquisitive 6-year-old eyes.  You can be naked all you want in front of your kid, but don’t make me get naked in front of your kid.   (when you’ve got an hour on an indoor spinner bike, you’ve got time to think about all the complaints in the world…)

Triathalon training – swim + run (90 days to go)

Nicole GlarosLeave a comment

Today’s workout =

Swim:
3 x 10 minutes constant, even swimming freestyle the whole way, 1 min rest between sets

Run:
Immediately out of the pool, run 30 minutes even, steady run.

Given the weather outside today, I ran on the inside track (fun!  springy!), but the damn track is small so of course my one leg hurts from running tight little circles.

Surprisingly, I was more tired than I expected.  I regularly exercise for 1 hour.

Today’s triathalon workout – swim+run – or so I thought

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My 4pm workout (moved from lunchtime due to a very long conference call) was supposed to be:

Swim – 3×10 minutes of continuous swimming with 60 seconds rest between sets. Trying to swim farther each set
Run – 20-30 minutes easy jog

Ahh, but when I showed up at the gym, I discovered the pool was closed do to an earlier diaper accident.  Thank you, I’d rather not be swimming around in someone else’s poo.  So I opted to lift today, and my workout was this:  (note, I do one set of each exercise, ALWAYS to failure regardless of how many reps it takes me, but I target around 20 reps)

15 min warmup on indoor springy track (first time on this thing, FUN! I RUN FAST!!!)
1 set Lat pulldowns, 1 set squats on the smith machine
4 fast laps around track
1 set dumbell press, 1 set leg extensions (on a sucky machine)
1 fast lap around track, 2 slow laps, 1 fast lap
1 set lateral raises, 1 set leg curls (another sucky machine)
4 slow joggy laps – my legs are a little jello-y at this point
1 set curls, 1 set thigh adductor
4 slow joggy laps
1 set tricep pulldowns, 1 set thigh abductor
1 lap on tippy toes, 2 slow laps, 1 lap HAULING ASS
calf raises, crunches, stretching

My legs right now are like jelly.  And I think I’ve injured my left hip since the indoor track is small and I was hauling around the corners.  So that one hip got way more workout than the other one.  Great.  A little overzealous.

Now I’m sitting here eating chips hoping my husband won’t come home and bust me for eating chips – DAMN he just pulled up… gotta run…

Short bike ride – 110 days to go

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I got on my bike for the first time all season today.  I didn’t want it to be a long ride, just to get my ass used to the saddle again and explore a little bit about our new neighborhood (Vista Ridge, Erie).

Let me say that while my crotch is sore for not-fun reasons, Erie is a fabulous place to ride.  I went about 14 miles in about 35 minutes, on a paved road with little to no traffic, rolling hills, huge cottonwoods, the late afternoon sun, and miles and miles of farmland with the mountains as a backdrop.

I just felt the need to say thank you to the world for the great day today.

Danskin Triathalon – Let the training begin

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I have 2 friends that have talked me into doing the Danksin Triathlon coming up in June in Colorado.  I’m in pretty decent shape, I’m in the gym every day, I lift once a week and usually spin or run the other 4 days a week.  If the weather is nice, I hike or run outside on the weekends too.  Its the only thing that keeps me sane.

Well, I’m in decent bike/run shape, but I haven’t swam in YEARS.  I used to swim competitively when I was in high school, but that was about 2 decades ago.  So today, I decided to get wet.  I thought I might jump in the pool at the East Boulder Rec Center and swim with a women’s swim group, but when I arrived I learned that it was for paying members only and the class was full anyway.  So I got in the water and just swam laps.

I think I swam maybe about 40 minutes.  I took lots of breaks, griping the pool edge for dear life.  I learned that I have an old-school freestyle stroke, that I don’t remember how to swim SLOWLY, but I regularly lapped the other people in my lane (so I’m pretty fast still).

Right now, I feel like jello.  I can barely feel my legs and my head is spinning.  So I rewarded myself with about 6 Oreo Cookies, the only thing I could find that had fat content.  I didn’t think the carrots I brought were going to adequately replenish. Only 3.5 months to go to the Danskin.

Just between you and me, I know I’m in good shape, but I’m still nervous about this (which is why I’m doing it).  I don’t even really have a good reason!  Anyway, wish me luck…