The 3 R's: Rest, Relaxation, and... Running?

While my motivation has stayed high, and my eating has been slowly improving, I still wasn't feeling really healthy this weekend, so I took my doctors (and my bosses) advice and took it easy this weekend. Basically, I watched some hockey, slept a lot, got groceries, cleaned, and took a Sunday morning walk with Rachelle.

Along with the rest and relaxation, I mixed in some running. Not running of my own mind you. Rather, I watched the majority of the ING New York City Marathon from the comfort of my couch. My favorite marathoner (Ryan Hall) didn't participate, and last years male winner Meb K-somethingorother was just top ten. On the womens side, an American finished 2nd, and she has the looks and charisma to transcend the sport. Did I mention this was her first ever marathon?

The reason I bring up the running is something I saw at the start of the race. Actually make that "starts" of the race. There were so many people running the race (45,000 regular folks, not counting the pros, celebrities, and sponsor slots) that they broke the start into 3 different waves, 15,000 or so in each, starting I think about 15 minutes apart. They did a starting ceremony for each wave so that to the runners it didn't matter when they went off, it was like they were all getting the same experience.

The part about that experience in particular that made me think was when the gun went off and folks were crossing the starting line; the amount of excitement they showed to be starting a 26.2 mile run sort of boggles my mind. I know I get pumped to do my little 5k's and 10k's, and I've lined up for 3 half-marathons, including one at the end of Timberman 70.3. I've thought more than once about signing up for a marathon, especially after learning I have a cousin (Matt Folk) who is elite at the distance.

But I've come to realize that for me, long runs probably won't ever be met with the kind of joy that so many of the folks showed yesterday. Maybe when I'm skinny and faster it'll be more enjoyable, because the suffering that I do will be closer to the level that people of more normal weights go through in these events. In the end, to me a marathon is just how far I'll have to run to finish an Ironman.

At least for now.

Notes:

- Pardon the mess, but I'm redoing the site layout to get ready for next season. The template on the site today is a temporary one, because the one I want to use was giving me some grief in regards to the color of quoted text. I'm planning on having the site template change completed tonight, and the rest of the usual features of the site back online sometime in the next couple of days along with the 2011 schedule.

Spinning my wheels

Sorry for no Thursday post folks. I posted late Wednesday night, and I wanted some of the thoughts and feelings I had to sink in. I wanted to let myself get clear that this new determination wasn't just something I felt out of anger at my stagnation due to being sick and on the low end of my willpower. Apparently, it isn't because I woke up yesterday feeling the same way, and even with still being sick and tired, I went with Rach to sit in on a spinning session with the BU Cycling Team.

I have to admit that Rach and I have an ideal situation for our triathlon training where we live. We've got the Wheelworks team to learn from and train with. The membership has been incredibly supportive and we're getting even more involved this winter (more on that in the notes). And for training, we have the Esplanade in spring, summer, and fall, and FitRec in the winter.

FitRec has a lot of little rooms designed for specific classes and one of them is a room with about 20 Spin bikes in it. The BU Cycling Team gets an hour each week on Thursday nights to hold it's own class. Each week someone takes a turn as the leader, creating a workout and putting together a mix of music to help motivate the folks that show up.

The advantage of a spin bike is that with a quick twist of the resistance knob, you are on entirely different terrain without having to travel to a different location. It's much like the standard stationary bikes in the main part of the gym, but really designed for more advanced work. The bikes even have clips for the SPD cleats if you want to wear your bike shoes.

Last night, the leader put us through what I can only call a grueling workout. We started with a series of sprints, resting between each with just a slight increase in resistance. The sprinting on a spin bike is all about turning over the pedals as fast as you can. I only wish they had a cadence counter on these bikes, because while all the rest of the folks in class probably outclimbed me, I am certain I outsprinted all of them.

The climbing was the part that really felt like I got a lot out of. We did climbing intervals where we were advancing the resistance as we got further up the hill. We even did a full set of climbing intervals where we stood for each section of climbing. It felt awkward at first but eventually i got the hang of it, and was smiling through the last couple sets even as my legs started to burn. I spend far too little time out of my seat when I climb on my road bike. I believe I have it in me to be a much stronger climber with the right training and understanding of the right way to climb.

At the end of the hour and ten minute session I was covered in sweat and my legs felt like Jello. And I was smiling. Because even though I went spin class, i wasn't just spinning my wheels anymore.

Notes:

- USA Triathlon has an offseason training competition for it's clubs called the National Challenge Competition. I mentioned this to our team president and superheroine-in-residence Sunny, and she asked if I would be willing to take the lead on getting this going for the club. I'm doing it as yet another way to keep myself motivated throughout the winter. Also, there are prizes, and if you have been reading this blog for more than 5 minutes, you know I am all about prizes. The NCC starts in december and has multiple contests within a contest including a monthly focus on one of the three disciplines (Swim in Dec, Bike in Jan, Run in Feb). It's a good way to make myself get out of bed in the morning in December to hit the FitRec pool.

- I have taken on an apprentice. I don't want to spill the beans on this quite yet as it's a bit early, and deserves a full post, probably sometime next week.

- I'll be doing some cleaning and reformatting of the site this weekend, so if it's down at all; fear not. It won't be for long.

You are what you think you are, and I'm an athlete, damnit

I've been having a lot of problems with my healthy lifestyle lately. I have not been fully committed to working out or eating healthy. I have good days, but more often than not (at least 2 or 3 to 1 right now) I have bad days. I've been feeling tired, I've been sick, I've been in need of a break from the heavy training; a break that I've already been taking basically since the day after Club Nationals. I have told myself that keeping 60+ pounds off for the past few years is an awesome accomplishment, so it's OK if the next 100 take a long time.

I have been making a lot of excuses about what I have been doing and why I have been doing it. I have been jealous of a friend who has made a more dramatic change (100 lbs lost) to his weight (and life) than I have in less than a years time. I have seen folks finish their couch to 5k's with a 30 minute race (sub 10 min/mi pace) and I felt sad, and even depressed when reading about their success. I have been reading triathlon forums of such profoundly talented athletes that I even began to minimize to myself what it meant for me to finish Timberman.

To say my state of mind hasn't been good is stating it mildly. My weight, which has a major impact on what I am going to be able to do in the races this year has been creeping back up. It's really been a struggle lately, and pardon my language but I'm about fucking sick of it (Sorry mom). I am tired of feeling like I can't win this battle, that it's ok to be the weight I am, even one more day. I'm tired of making excuses to myself  that sice Rach married me when I was fat, and saw me, not the fat, that it's ok to still be this size when she works so hard to keep herself in good shape.

I've been feeling pretty down about all this for a while, but sometimes it takes seeing or reading something to really bring it to the surface. When I got home from work tonight I was doing my pre-dinner pass through Facebook, when I saw a couple of postings from earlier today on the Nissan Master the Shift Page that I follow (mostly because of a Lance Armstrong related contest). It sort of just snapped in me that while I'm putting in at least some effort to workout, it's really the mindset around the exercise and the eating control that has been causing me problems.

Paige Dunn, a freelance writer who specializes in sports psychology, wrote this post regarding in essence the power of positive thinking:

What is your cycling identity?  How do you think of yourself as a rider? The way you think about yourself as a rider or athlete can have a direct impact on your ability. What do others say and think about your riding ability?  After a group ride or race when someone pays you a compliment do you deny or accept this information?  Sometimes we are so caught up in the identity that we have created for ourselves in past experiences that we don’t allow ourselves to let our identity evolve. And for most of us, identity evolves with time and life experiences.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “you are what you think you are” and this can certainly apply to your cycling performance. If you think that you are terrible at climbing, then chances are you are limiting you ability when you are climbing.  If you think you are a great sprinter, then chances are you are going to be confident and strong when going in to a sprint.

I had the opportunity to work with a tremendously talented cyclist who grew up overweight and borderline obese.  He transformed himself into an athlete over the years with a lot of hard work and dedication. He realized he had quite a bit of talent and potential as an elite cyclist. However, he limited his performance ability at times when he got caught up in his cycling identity that had not evolved.

He had trouble acknowledging that he was not that fat, slow cyclist anymore. He needed to change his mindset and accept that his current cycling identity was one of strength and talent.  This took a lot of work for this rider but once he came to terms with who he currently was as a rider, his talent was unleashed and he is riding strong.

So ask yourself what your cycling identity is and then ask others what they think of you as a rider.  Sometimes this is a good indication of whether you are being realistic and need to change that outlook at all to make the most of your cycling ability.

Tara Stiles, a yoga instructor with a line of popular videos also posted about a healthy state of mind. The sections that specifically stuck out to me:

We already know what we need to be healthy. Our bodies are incredibly smart. Often our minds get in the way of health.

Diets usually fail because we are holding back, mentally fighting urges, desires. How stressful must it be to count every calorie.  I knew a girl in my ballet days that counted out her allowed almonds. Yoga reminds us of our natural instincts to be healthy. It puts our intuition back in charge. We want to eat wholesome foods when we are hungry, and stop eating when we are full. What is very simple often gets complicated by the mind.

The tricky part of “eat whatever you feel like” doesn’t work if our unresolved psychology gets in the way.  “Oh, I just feel like eating a McDonalds big mac,” isn’t really what your body is asking for.  Listen.  Keep listening and you’ll know what to do.

Talk about reading something just when you really need to. I found a lot of truth in both of these posts. The cravings, especially fast food, are usually a signal for something else, and I just need to fight off the craving long enough to figure out what it is I am actually needing.  I need to stop making excuses for my behavior and start thinking of myself as an athlete for who what I've accomplished is just the beginning of what I can accomplish. I need to be serious in my belief and effort to lose weight and get fit.

I've looked at where I am, took stock of how much time is left this year, and I am determined to weigh no more than 299 on 01/01/11. It will take effort and commitment, but I've had that before, and can again. As I read this post again, I have it now, but I need to manifest that desire, that intense need to continue the change I've been making to myself. There's plenty of time, and we're not going home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, so it's really up to me to make the most of these last two months of the year, and hit this first goal I've been after for quite a while.

Election Tuesday

Dear Readers,

It's election Tuesday and you can take that couple of ways.

First, I highly encourage you to vote. As most/many of you are active athletes who use parks and roads for training and racing, they're important things to have. Almost every race I've done has been held mostly on public lands and raced on public roads or paths. I encourage you to vote for the officials in your districts who make supporting infrastructure and public spaces a key issue, regardless of their (or your) political leanings.

Second, after you've done something for your town, state, and country, elect to do something for yourself. Whether it's an easy jog around the neighborhood, or a lock yourself in the basement off-season torture session on the trainer, go have some fun. I say fun and trainer torture session in the same sentence, because I know some of you are there really are into that.

Personally, I'm hoping to do something, ANYTHING tonight as I was simply too tired and still too sick to do anything last night but sit around on my rear. I'm hoping to run, and if not at least I'll sit on the rollers for a little while. All depends how I'm feeling. I guess I'm just glad this is happening now instead of later. If there's a time of the year I can afford to be sick and miss some training, it's right now, with lot's of time to catch it up later in the winter.

Race Report: Oak Scare 5k

I'm sure you've heard the saying "Feed a cold, starve the flu". It comes from common sense home cures for the two most common kinds of illnesses. When you have a cold, eat; it will give you the energy to feel better. When you have the flu, don't eat. I don't think this has as much to do with energy; I'm guessing it has more to do with the fact when you have the flu whatever you eat is coming back up anyways. 

The new piece I've added to the puzzle is "Feed a cold, stave the flu, run with acute sinusitis" (A part of the official diagnosis from Fridays visit to the doctor). I know it wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done, but Rach and I both had been looking forward to doing the 5k on Saturday. It was held to benefit youth programs at a YMCA, and was 3 miles from the house. And to be honest, I wanted to judge how my running was progressing. 

The YMCA hosting the event is pretty close to Boston College, and is along one of the routes I sometimes take home from work. I knew the area was hilly and would be a good challenge, which is why I was looking forward to doing it. Plus I knew if I could manage to throw down a good time even when I'm not feeling well, it should help me see how I'd be doing if I could breathe and sleep properly.

After catching a break with some super warm weather for Paddy's Road Race, It was a bit cold and windy at the start of the race, which served as a reminder that fall road race season is here for real.  331 people turned out to participate, many of them wearing Halloween costumes. I have got to get better at remembering to take pictures of these events, especially as I took my phone with me for the race (more on that in a bit). I did find a blog of a local runner who has some pics.

I started near the back as i guessed my ability to lie somewhere behind The Hamburglar (who was hanging out around mid pack), and in front of the 2 little kids dressed as bees that I'm positive Rachelle would have kidnapped adopted had she been given the opportunity. I was also pretty far behind the guy dressed in an inflatable bull costume. I figured that while I was safer behind the bull, I wished someone else had worn a bull costume so I could have checked "running with the bulls" off my bucket list.

The first couple miles were mostly uphill, and I managed to run the first 6 minutes before stopping to walk. Stopping to walk was a recurring theme for the day, but i managed to keep the walk breaks short for the most part. My first mile time was 12:25 which I was very happy with considering all the hills. 

The second mile was far less successful, as there was a very big hill that I wound up walking the majority of. I wound up with around a 14 minute mile for the second mile as the hill, the chill, and my cold got to me pretty good. I was bummed but I knew that stamina is still the area I need to improve the most, and that I was going to be a bit weaker than normal. 

Thankfully, the third mile had a downhill and it was a bit sunnier by that point. I managed a 13:30 third mile, and gave everything I could in that last .11 mile to bring home a decent time. That time turned out to be 41:50, which while not particularly good, was still my 2nd fastest 5k ever.  I managed to beat around 40 people overall, including one guy in my age group. With a race like this, it's hard to know who was running versus who is out just to have a good time and walk with friends. 

I have to say I definitely felt more capable in sections, and my recovery time is getting a lot better. Most of the problems I had with breathing were due to the sinus problems. I've been working on belly breathing (breathing with the diaphragm and not just the lungs), which provides the ability to pull a lot more oxygen into the system. More oxygen == better running. On a flatter course I probably would have been better, but most courses aren't pancake flat like the section of the Esplanade I use for training. Once I get to where I can run for 30 minutes, I'm going to start training on hillier sections as a next step.

In the end I was pretty happy to see progress, and because of my cold, I'm tempering my feels on the final result. It's a hilly course and was only 2 1/2 minutes slower than my best time ever. We're doing two races in late November, after which I really start training full bore for Mooseman.