I feel like I should have done more than just two century rides thus far this season. I suppose I have done quite a few longer-rides, but nothing shaving off a hundred miles on the QRoo. This weekend, Adam, Ian and I headed out to Aura (outside L'Anse) and get our second century under our belts.
We left after a delicious breakfast at Ian's house, and hammered out a good 18.6mph average pace (according to my bike computer). I didn't do an extraordinary job of starting and stopping my GPS watch when we took off and took breaks, respectively, but you can check out the jist of our ride here. What a beautiful route! The roads were not heavily traveled, and all were in really good condition. I was excited to get into L'Anse and ride along the bay, because even though it was windy, it was a gorgeous ride. The ride back was a little more difficult than the way out, because the legs felt a little like lead, but it was a tough and enjoyable ride.
It's time for me to start getting more mentally tough. I have a little over two months to prepare my body and my mind for the longest race to date, and I am both excited and nervous. I need to start training harder, going longer, pushing farther, and getting through the barriers that are ahead of me. I haven't quite hit the mark of "not taking it personally," especially with my training. Last week was really hard on me emotionally, with two of my key workouts (one running, one biking) where I was blasted out by my training partners. But I'm working on it. I need to separate my mind and my body and just push my own limits, and not let others push my buttons.
Biggest swim of my life, so far!
Today, Adam and I ventured to the SDC to swim some laps in the pool. Last week, I accomplished a big swim (at least, big for me) and I wanted to do a little more.
I read Amy's Training Blog and came across her recent post, her "accidental 4850yd swim." I thought it was worth a shot, and I convinced Adam to join in the fun.
We started with the 1650yd "warmup" with a pull buoy, and used paddles every other 400yds. The 3x400IMs were tough, and I wasn't able to go 100yds butterfly (I honestly don't know if I have ever, in my life, been able to go 100yds butterfly without stopping!). So, I did as much of the stroke as I could and finished out that part of the IM with freestyle. I focused on my breathing and stretching in breast-stroke, and found another gear by the time I got to the third set. The 5x300s (with the first 7 strokes of each 50yd hard) definitely made the set go by fast! But my favorite part of the entire workout came at the end, when I did 4x25 no breathers. My total yardage was 50yds short of Amy's posted workout, because I wasn't quite sure if it was a good idea to try for two more no-breathers... but dammmn, was it an awesome workout.
Two hours later, a bag of Jalepeno Krunchers ad a Virgil's Cola helped my recovery, and I just mowed down a big plate of rice and black beans. My ring is tarnished and my eyes are twingy from the highly brominated pool (it was exceptionally cloudy today), but it feels good to have that awesome swim in the bank. Next week? I'm going to try for over 5,000yds. :-D And even better news, I meet with my new swim coach on Thursday for some one-on-one help. Maybe there's hope for me yet!
I read Amy's Training Blog and came across her recent post, her "accidental 4850yd swim." I thought it was worth a shot, and I convinced Adam to join in the fun.
We started with the 1650yd "warmup" with a pull buoy, and used paddles every other 400yds. The 3x400IMs were tough, and I wasn't able to go 100yds butterfly (I honestly don't know if I have ever, in my life, been able to go 100yds butterfly without stopping!). So, I did as much of the stroke as I could and finished out that part of the IM with freestyle. I focused on my breathing and stretching in breast-stroke, and found another gear by the time I got to the third set. The 5x300s (with the first 7 strokes of each 50yd hard) definitely made the set go by fast! But my favorite part of the entire workout came at the end, when I did 4x25 no breathers. My total yardage was 50yds short of Amy's posted workout, because I wasn't quite sure if it was a good idea to try for two more no-breathers... but dammmn, was it an awesome workout.
Two hours later, a bag of Jalepeno Krunchers ad a Virgil's Cola helped my recovery, and I just mowed down a big plate of rice and black beans. My ring is tarnished and my eyes are twingy from the highly brominated pool (it was exceptionally cloudy today), but it feels good to have that awesome swim in the bank. Next week? I'm going to try for over 5,000yds. :-D And even better news, I meet with my new swim coach on Thursday for some one-on-one help. Maybe there's hope for me yet!
71 days
Only 71days until my first Ironman. Ian just sent this video to the group. I'm excited!
Big century ride on Sunday!!
Happy 4th of July everyone.
Big century ride on Sunday!!
Happy 4th of July everyone.
KettleWorx Day 1
On Friday, I received a kettlebell in the mail with a dozen DVDs. I've always been a "gym rat" kinda girl, never really one to do fitness or aerobic videos in the comfort of my own home. I don't know, I guess I've thought: "man, I don't know why they are talking to me because if I reply they can't hear me" attitude toward personal trainers on the television. Regardless, I figured I should give it a go and began with the first DVDs in the stack: the Six-Week Body Transformation challenge using the KettleWorx kettlebell.
The 10lb bell was actually the perfect size for me. I was a little unsure at first, because I consider myself a pretty strong gal, but by the end of the first workout I was sweaty and could feel that my muscles were a little worked. The first workout was from the Core DVD. The DVDs are well organized, and each week has its own chapter workout. I am a beginner KettleWorx user, so I started with the beginner DVDs. I hate that word: Beginner. In actuality, the KettleWorx DVDs don't use that terminology. So, I guess I'm not a beginner. I'm just going through the body transformation.
I watched the Intro DVD on Friday, and learned the basic holds, positions, and postures for the proceeding workouts. I got a feeling that Ryan Shanahan, the fitness expert and personal trainer to the stars, was from Canada. He told his viewers to make sure to put the cat away, and I laughed. Anyway, this morning I started the Core DVD. Funny thing, really had to lock the cat up. I had to mute the video halfway through because it was repetitious, and I get annoyed with that easily, but the music in the background was actually decent and not too cheesy. Adam turned on his Blade soundtrack for me. The first intro workout was really good, and when the twenty minutes was up, I was glad to be done. I was hot and sweaty, but I felt really good. My lower back is actually a little tight now. I was excited at how Ryan promoted good posture and the importance of keeping the core tight and the hips/back from swinging. It was also really great how quickly the workouts transitioned. I felt as though I were doing a true circuit workout in the gym with free weights, but I was doing it in the comfort of my own home.
Unfortunately, I have some issues from the get-go with the "Fat Free in 42" e-book that came with the KettleWorx kit. I've never been a big proponent for the fat free diet, and I really like my ice cream. I found that some of the diet goals that the e-book sets for individuals aiming for weight-loss were unrealistic at best. It is not a good idea, in my opinion, to all-of-a-sudden get rid of all "bad foods" from your diet. It's not practical, and it sets individuals up for failure. Plus, there is no evidence that a fat-free diet is even healthy! I think it's incredibly important for those using the KettleWorx program to not just do this single routine three times a week for six weeks... because what will they do after that? Those using the program should also be doing aerobic exercises once a day, like thirty-minutes of running, walking or spinning, in addition to the kettlebell workouts. Fortunately, there are more DVDs than just the Six-Week Body Transformation series, including 10-minute workouts, advanced KettleWorx, and Ultimate Body workouts. If I hadn't received these other DVDs, I'd be led to believe that, after six weeks, I should have the perfect body and wouldn't have to do anything else. There is a serious life-changing goal established if you want to lose weight and live healthy. One can't just work out for six weeks and eat fat-free and think their life is better.
I also don't really know what to say about some of the people in the Fat Free in 42 e-book. One woman looks larger than me, and it claims she has 10% body fat (having lost 25% from just using the kettlebell). If she really had 10% body fat, she'd #1) be unhealthy and #2) have crazy awesome ripply 8-pack abs. Even when I'm down to 14%, I look skinnier than the girl in the e-book. Also, the e-book highlights a woman who lost 40lbs... because the pre-photo is when she's pregnant! Yeah... duh, she lost 40lbs because she had a baby. Not a very good example.
So, for the sake of my own sanity, I am going to ignore the advice of Ryan Shanahan about the fat-free diet (I couldn't possibly go ice-cream free for six weeks, no matter how much fat I want to burn off my body). I am also going to be doing other stuff besides kettlebell workouts, but I'm very interested to see if my core tightens up with the addition of this new cross-training. I'm going to track my body transformation using photographs once a week. Let's see what happens :-D!
Photos from day 1:
Disclaimer: I am not planning on using KettleWorx as my only training. I am currently training for marathons and triathlons, so this is only a supplement to my normal training schedule.
The 10lb bell was actually the perfect size for me. I was a little unsure at first, because I consider myself a pretty strong gal, but by the end of the first workout I was sweaty and could feel that my muscles were a little worked. The first workout was from the Core DVD. The DVDs are well organized, and each week has its own chapter workout. I am a beginner KettleWorx user, so I started with the beginner DVDs. I hate that word: Beginner. In actuality, the KettleWorx DVDs don't use that terminology. So, I guess I'm not a beginner. I'm just going through the body transformation.
I watched the Intro DVD on Friday, and learned the basic holds, positions, and postures for the proceeding workouts. I got a feeling that Ryan Shanahan, the fitness expert and personal trainer to the stars, was from Canada. He told his viewers to make sure to put the cat away, and I laughed. Anyway, this morning I started the Core DVD. Funny thing, really had to lock the cat up. I had to mute the video halfway through because it was repetitious, and I get annoyed with that easily, but the music in the background was actually decent and not too cheesy. Adam turned on his Blade soundtrack for me. The first intro workout was really good, and when the twenty minutes was up, I was glad to be done. I was hot and sweaty, but I felt really good. My lower back is actually a little tight now. I was excited at how Ryan promoted good posture and the importance of keeping the core tight and the hips/back from swinging. It was also really great how quickly the workouts transitioned. I felt as though I were doing a true circuit workout in the gym with free weights, but I was doing it in the comfort of my own home.
Unfortunately, I have some issues from the get-go with the "Fat Free in 42" e-book that came with the KettleWorx kit. I've never been a big proponent for the fat free diet, and I really like my ice cream. I found that some of the diet goals that the e-book sets for individuals aiming for weight-loss were unrealistic at best. It is not a good idea, in my opinion, to all-of-a-sudden get rid of all "bad foods" from your diet. It's not practical, and it sets individuals up for failure. Plus, there is no evidence that a fat-free diet is even healthy! I think it's incredibly important for those using the KettleWorx program to not just do this single routine three times a week for six weeks... because what will they do after that? Those using the program should also be doing aerobic exercises once a day, like thirty-minutes of running, walking or spinning, in addition to the kettlebell workouts. Fortunately, there are more DVDs than just the Six-Week Body Transformation series, including 10-minute workouts, advanced KettleWorx, and Ultimate Body workouts. If I hadn't received these other DVDs, I'd be led to believe that, after six weeks, I should have the perfect body and wouldn't have to do anything else. There is a serious life-changing goal established if you want to lose weight and live healthy. One can't just work out for six weeks and eat fat-free and think their life is better.
I also don't really know what to say about some of the people in the Fat Free in 42 e-book. One woman looks larger than me, and it claims she has 10% body fat (having lost 25% from just using the kettlebell). If she really had 10% body fat, she'd #1) be unhealthy and #2) have crazy awesome ripply 8-pack abs. Even when I'm down to 14%, I look skinnier than the girl in the e-book. Also, the e-book highlights a woman who lost 40lbs... because the pre-photo is when she's pregnant! Yeah... duh, she lost 40lbs because she had a baby. Not a very good example.
So, for the sake of my own sanity, I am going to ignore the advice of Ryan Shanahan about the fat-free diet (I couldn't possibly go ice-cream free for six weeks, no matter how much fat I want to burn off my body). I am also going to be doing other stuff besides kettlebell workouts, but I'm very interested to see if my core tightens up with the addition of this new cross-training. I'm going to track my body transformation using photographs once a week. Let's see what happens :-D!
Photos from day 1:
Disclaimer: I am not planning on using KettleWorx as my only training. I am currently training for marathons and triathlons, so this is only a supplement to my normal training schedule.
Great Northern Brick Workout
Ian, Adam, and I headed up to Eagle Harbor this afternoon after work to check out Brockway Mountain Drive. A lot of people venture to Brockway by car, and snap a few photos at the top of Eagle Harbor (it's really shape like an eagle!) and the surrounding mountains. I've been to Brockway countless times. It's typically windy, but the eagle-eye view is just incredible (are you catching on to the eagle theme here?). Although we didn't spot any white-headed birds this time, we did make our way through one of my most favorite places in the Keweenaw, and we did so on bikes.
This is one of those "every Michigan cyclist must do" rides. Living in the Keweenaw, it's almost shunned to not have at least attempted it. Some are brave enough to do this crazy mountain road after riding all the way from Houghton on their two-wheels. The three of us decided to throw down our first real hill session of the summer.
We started at the Harbor, and cruised past Lake Bailey to the east base of Brockway Mountain Drive. Once we got there, the hill seemed less than intimidating. It barely climbed for the first two miles, and I feared what was ahead of us. Sure enough, the climb began, and it didn't stop for four more miles. We climbed nearly 1000ft in 2.5miles. Not too bad... except the hill seemed to never stop! We took a corner, and there was more climbing. Another corner, another hill. Sure enough, it wasn't until I couldn't see any trees that we had reached the top. Not too bad, my quads were burning, my lungs ached, but I knew we weren't done. We then decended the rest of the way into Copper Harbor, where we stopped, juuuust after the Mountain Drive merged into M26, turned around and went back up.
The second time up was interesting. It started with a much steeper, much more difficult (15% grade) climb. We basically were out of the saddle and hammering away until we got to the crest. By the time we got to the undulating hills at the top, my quads were screaming barfies. Unfortunately, the road isn't in that great of condition either, so the ride down would have been more fun had it been smooth and not full of pot-holes. It was alright, though. We dropped the hammer on the way back, too, and I think my spedometer read 35mph on a section at some point. Sweet! Check out the ride here.
We then proceeded to throw down a slow transition (hey, we had to change shorts!) and threw on our shoes for some "recovery" running. Luckily, I brought my new Brooks Trances and not only did I look good, I felt great! :-D It was a nice, easy pace for the first half, through the Nature Conservancy trails near Eagle Harbor, which offered us a few more climbs. We popped out on the road and headed back towards Brockway, and at the turnaround decided to throw down some negative splits. My last two miles were 7:20 and 7:26, respectively, and I even told myself to slow down more on the last mile. Not too shabby. Not too much of a recovery run, though.
Check out the run here.
We then took an awesome ice bath in the Harbor, which is freshwater Lake Superior. I was surprised it wasn't colder. I would say I was surprised at how warm the water was, but I can't go that far. It wasn't warm... just not 5C that I thought it was... We were hoping to get some grub from one of the local restaurants (Fitzgeralds), but by the time we finished running and were cleaned up, it was 9:30. Taco Bell sufficed!
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brockway_Mountain_Lake_Superior.jpg
This is one of those "every Michigan cyclist must do" rides. Living in the Keweenaw, it's almost shunned to not have at least attempted it. Some are brave enough to do this crazy mountain road after riding all the way from Houghton on their two-wheels. The three of us decided to throw down our first real hill session of the summer.
We started at the Harbor, and cruised past Lake Bailey to the east base of Brockway Mountain Drive. Once we got there, the hill seemed less than intimidating. It barely climbed for the first two miles, and I feared what was ahead of us. Sure enough, the climb began, and it didn't stop for four more miles. We climbed nearly 1000ft in 2.5miles. Not too bad... except the hill seemed to never stop! We took a corner, and there was more climbing. Another corner, another hill. Sure enough, it wasn't until I couldn't see any trees that we had reached the top. Not too bad, my quads were burning, my lungs ached, but I knew we weren't done. We then decended the rest of the way into Copper Harbor, where we stopped, juuuust after the Mountain Drive merged into M26, turned around and went back up.
The second time up was interesting. It started with a much steeper, much more difficult (15% grade) climb. We basically were out of the saddle and hammering away until we got to the crest. By the time we got to the undulating hills at the top, my quads were screaming barfies. Unfortunately, the road isn't in that great of condition either, so the ride down would have been more fun had it been smooth and not full of pot-holes. It was alright, though. We dropped the hammer on the way back, too, and I think my spedometer read 35mph on a section at some point. Sweet! Check out the ride here.
We then proceeded to throw down a slow transition (hey, we had to change shorts!) and threw on our shoes for some "recovery" running. Luckily, I brought my new Brooks Trances and not only did I look good, I felt great! :-D It was a nice, easy pace for the first half, through the Nature Conservancy trails near Eagle Harbor, which offered us a few more climbs. We popped out on the road and headed back towards Brockway, and at the turnaround decided to throw down some negative splits. My last two miles were 7:20 and 7:26, respectively, and I even told myself to slow down more on the last mile. Not too shabby. Not too much of a recovery run, though.
Check out the run here.
We then took an awesome ice bath in the Harbor, which is freshwater Lake Superior. I was surprised it wasn't colder. I would say I was surprised at how warm the water was, but I can't go that far. It wasn't warm... just not 5C that I thought it was... We were hoping to get some grub from one of the local restaurants (Fitzgeralds), but by the time we finished running and were cleaned up, it was 9:30. Taco Bell sufficed!
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brockway_Mountain_Lake_Superior.jpg
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