WEEK 03.0 - KEEP TRI-ING

TUESDAY, 02.24.09 6:30 a.m. swim with Coach Andres. Theme for this morning is head down in the water! I felt it was more difficult to breathe this way but as soon as I had one arm extended all the way in front of me and the other elbow above water behind me (as Andres suggested), breathing was easier. Still I'm not as comfortable breathing on my left side. Andres said my reach was good but my arms were not pulling the water as powerful as it can. It was so cool to watch Katie do flip turns! I want to be able to do that this year! Is that too far of a reach for me? The next goal today is to tire my arms with weights. I wonder when my body can accomodate plyometrics class again. I weighed 115 before my swim. In the pool, I sweat and drank water. I expected to lose at least a pound during my workout, but I came back and still weighed 115. I guess that means I hydrate myself well. As soon as I jumped off the M104 bus to head to the office, I took a deep breath of that crisp Wintery NYC air. It felt good to breathe and feel the slight wind onto my face that blew my hair swifly across my back. I walked right by my regular cofee shop. Thought once to go in, but I didn't for some reason. I'm going to be lean this summer. I can feel it already. This is one of the goals I set for myself this year and I'm getting closer to it each day. I wonder if I'll run tonight as planned. I better not flake out on myself. WOW, can I tell you how much I love the mini massages they give at Equinox!?!? These people are pros! After lifting weights, I got a deep tissue / shiatsu massage from Angel and it felt grrrrreat~! More than great, actually. I really needed that massage. I feel brand new!

WEDNESDAY, 02.25.09 I must've created at least 6 bullshit reasons not to run last night, but I ended up at the gym. =) Pat me in the back! After 3 miles, averaging 12 mph (I think) and 153 heartbeats per minute, I felt good. Did I really just run without complaining? And did running just make me feel better? At that rate I felt like I could run forever. Ok, well not forever, until my knees give out. The pace was slow, but still I have to say I'm proud of myself for sucking it up. My knees felt tight though after and this morning my toes were also weirded out. =T Yesterday I figured out what was missing in my diet. Salt and carbohydrates. No wonder why I was feeling shitty since the beginning of training. For a couple of months I was used to limiting myself from salt and CHO, but now-a-days I know need it. Funny how my body / brain just suddenly had the urge to eat salty food. I craved chips! Then when my mom put out a bowl of rice for me last night, I scarfed it down so fast like a cavewoman who hasn't eaten for days. But heck, I eat all day long (at least every 30 minutes, I'm eating). After 9 hours of peaceful sleep (because I didn't swim this morning), I'm ready for cycling this afternoon! My co-workers commented that my pants were falling right off of me. They were right. I've been too busy working out and I didn't even notice for myself! Anyhow, I think working out 3 times a day is too much, but maybe if I eat enough of the right stuff, my body can withstand it. At cycling class, my heartrate was going between 85 - 92% of my max. Not as high as I'd like, but it was muscular fatigue that was keeping me from pushing and pulling the pedals harder. To what extent do I need to take a rest if this continues to happen?

THURSDAY 02.26.09 Twenty laps in 40 min (15 with pull bouys, 5 free style). I can maintain my breathing better when I don't use my legs. Last week Coach Laura said she'd rather me use the bouys and focus on my form than to have me struggle with breathing from using my legs too much. My arms were somewhat tired / sloppy towards my latter laps; it was apparent my stokes weren't as strong. But I did manage to pull in a few fast and powerful laps. Impressed myself when the lifeguard moved me to a faster lane. =) There's a swim coach at Reebok that I see many mornings at swim. He teaches this skinny Russian girl/lady who swims very fluidly. I like to watch them and learn without paying. =X I overheard him say lead with the elbows, not with the hands. Its similar in concept with boxing but in swimming it just doesn't feel that natural. I know me, I'll keep on trying until it makes sense. It's going to be a brick (bike then run right after) type training tonight. Nobody's stopping me from having my coffee today - I'm feeling hazelnut. Co-workers mentioned that my pants were starting to fall off. Don't get too skinny they warned me; "Guys don't really like that."

FRIDAY 02.27.09 I ran my "best mile" at 9:19 minutes yesterday (after our cycling session). Much to improve on - for sure. But holy cow! You would think that after four workouts on Thursday (swim, core, cycle and run), I'd sleep like a baby last night. But NOOOOOO. Even after a massage from KC, my muscles couldn't stop contracting and I couldn't sleep all night. =( My quads, my calfs, everything was just tight and wouldn't relax. My muscles were confused maybe - it thinks it's still supposed to run, cycle, squat, or something! I didn't like it. So of course, I cut out all my workouts for today. A little disappointing, but I sure ain't done for the week.

WEEK 02.0 - ROLLIN'

TUESDAY, 02.17.09 WOW! Week 1 was super intense. It's over. I felt horrible at first, but now that the ball is beginning to roll, I feel good. A lot of energy and time was expended. I hope I can keep this up and continue to be devoted. At swim, Andre took the time out after class to tell me how much better I was this week than last. He noticed? I certainly feel a little more comfortable in the water. I know how to put my cap on now! =) That's about it, I thought. I lifted weights today also. I made up my own "pretend you're swimming with weights" drill. I carried 5 lbs. on each arm and moved my arms like I was swimming (both while on my chest and also while standing). Believe it or not, they both work the shoulders differently. Hope this benefits me! I even did it in different pace, sometimes real slow, sometimes faster. Random people at the gym watched me or maybe they gave me a strange look. But those who know...just know what the hell I was trying to do. The theme today was kill the arms, tire them out...which is exactly what I did.

WEDNESDAY, 02.17.09 Raining. I was supposed to swim but instead I told myself that sleep would be more helpful. I don't regret because I worked hard in cycling class with Laura. My heart rate was up to 183-188 about three times during class. If only she played better music, I could've had my heart rate to 195+. Which reminds me, I need to learn more about my heart rate monitor than just knowing how to turn on the back light and reading the time. =T Chris (from Team Lipstick) greeted me today in the locker room. I've seen her around a lot in the gym before and always assumed she was training with Laura. From the gym you can easily tell who's training with Laura. They always have their HRM on and are quite lean - me being the exception. I'm a wannabe - for now.

THURSDAY, 02.18.09 HA! I made it to swim this morning! Equinox's 54th St. & 2nd Ave. club has an endless pool! I put my HRM (heart rate monitor) to use. In cycling class I hit 185, 183 and 188 during the three spikes of our ride. That's 95% - 97% of my maximum heart rate (which is 193). My resting heart rate is 59, though I probably need to do a few more test run for accuracy. We ran outdoors again. This time we did an Indian run - where the last person in the line must run and make it to the front lead of the line. Then we keep rotating while we run along the lake. Yep, my legs are sore, yet again... but thank goodness for personal stress relievers.

FRIDAY, 02.19.09 Yay! It's Friday! I'm more excited than usual. This week flew by fast! Tri-Body class at 6:30 a.m. was a tough one - but I never expected it to be easy. Next time, I need to pick up lighter weights because her sets are super long! Diana Ineman, the instructor, reminds me of Laura, our lead coach. She seems to be from Cadence (state of the art bike facility in NYC which I'll be going to tomorrow! Psyched!). The fire alarms went off while I was enjoying my warm shower. I ignored it until a lady came down to tell me that there was a fire upstairs and I had to leave the building. Yet, I took my time eating my egg whites. That was a safety concern; I really shouldn't have done that.

SATURDAY, 02.20.09 Saturdays ride was a challenge; two loops around central park was probably around 13 miles. We pacelined and took turns at the lead before dropping off the front slowing down on our left. During my lead, I didn't call out the runners in our way with enough time and our team had to react and quickly swerve around them. That was my bad. I was somewhat afraid to ride behind Steve because he is a big guy. If anything were to go wrong I'll break my ribs especially if he were to fly and land on top of me. Scary thought. But where's the trust? After our ride, I slowed my bike a few feet away from where our group was stationed. I thought it was a good idea because I'm still practicing my clip off, slow, lean forward and land. Next thing I know Marianela (another Roubaix) came and crashed into me from behind! And to the ground our bikes went. Good thing we we're both already clipped out. It would've hurt more if we weren't. Everyone backed out of Cadence today, so I did too. We didn't practice drinking water while riding today. We didn't practice turning our heads and reading while riding either. =( maybe next week. I need my hand warmers for next time. I decided to ride the west side highway back to KC's apartment. From 67th St. to Canal St. was actually a nice ride with a view - until I lost my way. I decided not to ride along Canal because of the traffic and I ended up on Broadway and Laffayette. Later that evening I joined Laura's swim class at Equinox, Greenwich Ave. It was a flagship so she had to sign me in as a guest. Again, I was last in line at the beginner's slow lane - it's okay though, that's where I belong. We practiced finishing our strokes hard in the end. We also learned swimming on our sides to be able to have further reach on our strokes. Laura pointed out that I kick way too hard and too much - not expending my energy efficiently. At the end of class though, she said "I'm very proud of you Joy." Not sure if it was becuase I've improved in my swim or if it was because of my obvious effort in my struggle to learn how to swim.

SUNDAY, 02.21.09 I was supposed to run but I didn't. I should've. But again, I don't regret. I got an hour of nap time instead. I needed that nap. My body was drained.

MONDAY, 02.22.09 Swim! Thought I'd be efficient by putting on my swimsuit before heading to the pool this morning. Unintentionally forgot to pack my bra and went to work without them. How unprofessional. =T I went light today. Swam 15 laps (5 of which was with a pull bouy) in a half an hour. I guess it takes me approximately two minutes each lap. I had my own personal reserved lane! I ripped the swim cap though =T Now I need to get another one. Luckly Reebok had a spare. My new cap will be a silver one. Today is our "off day" so I'll be doing what I'm best at...relaxing! I was 15 minutes late for yoga class so I wasn't allowed to enter the room and interrupt the class. I contemplated on hitting the pool again since I already went this morning and I'm going again at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow, BUT I threw myself in there and took another 15 laps (5 of which was with a pull bouy). This time I was a little tired and not so motivated and it took me about 40 minutes. Nutrition class was informative. A lot of detail and numbers. Sometimes I wonder if counting the grams and the servings is really that important. I try to eat healthy every day with fruit, veggies and protien in my diet. Maybe I'm missing some extra carbohydrates to give me that energy. Lauren A. stressed not to skimp out on carbs for this type of training where consistent exercise lasts over an hour.

WEEK 01.5 - MOTIVATING

SATURDAY, 02.14.09 Valentines Day! Friday's rest felt great! I scrambled through everything I needed for today's ride while KC got me to Central Park. I was missing my cleats (to clip onto my pedals) and am disappointed at myself for being unprepared. It was discouraging to see teammates fall at their attempts to clip on to their bike for the first time. We attempted to paceline one bike length apart, taking turns at the lead. It was fun. Weather was cold. I need a pair of booties and a baclava for my next outdoor ride. My Rudy Project Syluro glasses worked great and was perfect for blocking the wind, debris, and any insect from my eyes! Squeezed hip hop class in the afternoon but couldn't make break dancing.

SUNDAY, 02.15.09 Swimming at Riverbank State Park. Need to bring a towel with me next time. His name was Charles (Chuck) Brodsky, chairman, CEO, and owner of The Nations Triathlon in Washington, DC. He coached my swim today. =) How lucky was I??? He watched my every move in the water and pointed out things I need to correct:
-My head lifts too high out of the water when breathing causing my swim route to swerve out of line. I need to turn my head just enough to see the sidelines while I breathe.
- I hesitate on my left strokes - not sure why yet
- I windmill my straight arms. Instead I need to bend my arms and be able to see my fingers zipppp right through the water by the sides of my eyes.
- My wrists pronate and should really be kept solidly still. The strength and power should come from my forearms.
- He complimented my leg kicking drills with the fins - strong and streamlined. I zipped right through the water and I even felt some breeze! He allowed me to demonstrate for a lap. Through this coached session I've become much more confident in my correctable swimming techniques. Very appreciative of his time and encouragement. Hope to see Chuck again soon!
After swim, I was supposed to run, but instead I went for a well deserved dimsum. =P Then headed out bike riding with the sunset at shore road. I fell against the gate on my left side as I tried to clip out of my pedals for the first time. A small bruise on my knee. For safety reasons (or because I was scared), I decided to ride clip-less until I got to shore road. Along shore, I practiced clipping in and out every few meters. Each time I slowed down, clipped off, leaned forward, and landed. I land the floor with my left foot and push off with my right. I got alot accomplished. Today felt unbeleivably good. I've been waiting for this feeling all week!

MONDAY, 02.16.08 Today should have been an "off day" but I decided I had to make use of my motivating energy and expend it. To reinforce what I learned from yesterday's swim, I decided to head to the pool. Practiced skulling to feel the movement and balance in the water. Practiced zipper drill to correct my windmilling. Before swim I attended a yoga class which ended with a cool refreshing cup of orange water. During lecture we learned the rules about pacelining. As a group we call out obstacles and warnings during our ride. We must remain alert and have continous cadence of about 85. The paceline leader's responsiblity is to preserve the pack.

WEEK 01.0 - DREADFUL

BACKGROUND:
I almost drowned in a pool 14 years ago and was since afraid of the water.
I just underwent bunion surgery on both feet this past November and contact lens implants last month.
I like biking but am no expert at it.
I hate running.

TUESDAY, 02.10.09 The fun begins. Team Chapsticks first day of training! I suck real bad at the pool that I got 1:1 attention from the trainers and coaches. I'm so appreciative that they are willing to take the time out for me. Luckily, I have the drive in me to be better at this. The mind, the body, and the spirit is a terrible thing to waste...so I won't. I'm growing to love it already because there's so much room for improvement.

WEDNESDAY, 02.11.09 Overwhelmed by my training schedule. This is absolutely no joke. Weekly minimum 11 workout requirement: 3 swims, 2 bike, 2 runs, 2 strength training, 2 yoga sessions. I need to submerge myself in the pool at least 5 times a week in order to keep up. Coincidentally met Maggie and Emily at the pool this morning and did our swimming drills. My legs are buckling from Monday's plyometrics class. I'm unable to walk properly; we must have done over 250 squats through that class (maybe I shouldn't have done that becuase Monday is supposed to be our rest day). Ate breakfast and dinner in the shower. It was yum!

THURSDAY, 02.12.09 I really should have rested on Monday. I can barely walk. Took Ibuprofen to help with the pain. Who does that? I was desperate. Cycling class was energizing. I'm an extensive sweater. My body glistened with sweat since the first 10 minutes of class while others' skin was still dry. Not a single centimeter of me was dry. Laura (our lead coach) called me a power house (or was it a power mouse?) as we did partner running drills. Am I really that strong? I didn't think so. Struggled running 2 miles. My toes became numb from the cold. I continued to eat meals in the shower, this time gourmet style (fish for dinner and lamb for breakfast). Need to wake myself up and stop taking the wrong trains! I must have taken three wrong trains today already. Wasted my freakin' time.

FRIDAY, 02.13.09 Friday the 13th eh? The only thing that was scary about today is that I'm listening to KC. I'm taking a rest. Was supposed to take a Tri-Body class this morning but I didn't. Bike set up for Saturday: helmet, glasses, shoes, water, otherwise I'm sent home.