Training Update
Well, to say the previous week has been “active” would be a bit of an understatement. Unless you train more than me … then the statement would be silly. At any rate, I got in some good training over the past few days. My first week back to triathlon training on a schedule saw me going a bit farther and bit harder than I probably should have. I will say, however, that nothing kick-starts a season by getting your ass handed to you on consecutive training days.
The week started innocently enough with an easy 4-mile run at Shelley Lake, my beaten path. I think I could do this run blindfolded if necessary. It is flat and familiar, and I like it. I also swang (swung?) a 45-pound kettlebell for three sets of 20 that evening.
Wednesday was an hour trainer ride at an easy heart rate along with some one-legged drills. I also did snatches with the 35-pound kettlebell for three sets of eight with each arm. Thursday I don’t recall doing anything. Friday was where the proverbial shit hit the fan.
I ran with my friend Nasrin, a 42-year old female who is president of Mobile Reach. I’m doing some marketing for her company so I met her at Panera Bread in Cary (this spot also happens to be the home of Inside-Out Sports, where we do a lot of group rides during the week in the spring and summer). Nasrin and I worked for an hour, despite Panera’s ridiculous policy that you can only surf for 30 minutes! Cafe indeed!
Nas and I then ran rough-shod over a 5.8-mile run on a crazy hilly course around Inside-Out. As usual, I pleaded with Nas that we run slow. She, however, has always had a different definition of what slow and easy is. In fact, there is no running side-by-side with her. She will always be just a bit ahead, no matter what pace you are running and no matter the effort level.
At any rate, pair this with the fact that I’ve only run five times in 2009 and no farther than 4 miles. Nasrin, on the other hand, had been running and was building toward a 30-mile week in prep for her race at the Florida 70.3. Needless to say, this run hurt! This hills and Nasrin were more than enough to reduce me to walk on the final huge grade toward home. As I saw my heart rate hit 170 on the final turn, my shoestring conveniently came untied and had to stop. I told Nas to keep going. I think she was ill with me because she wanted someone to run the hill with her because it sucks so bad. Sorry I was of no help, Nas! Maybe next time when I’m in shape! 
On Saturday morning, the family and I headed to downtown Raleigh to watch the Krispy Kreme Challenge. Essentially, you run 2 miles, eat a dozen doughnuts, then run back. The guy who won, a spry 22-year-old named Eric Mack, ran 5:28 miles on the way out and only slowed to 6:05 pace on the way back, when the race was in the bag, so to speak. He won by two minutes over the next nearest guy. I could certainly eat a dozen doughnuts, but there will be no running before, during or after. 5:28 miles at any point is also out of the question for this guy. It was a fun event though, and they raised a ton of money for this charity, like $35,000 for the N.C. Children’s Hospital. The run started three years ago with 11 folks and had more than 5,000 Saturday at the N.C. State Belltower. The Dunkin Donuts right across the street had no comment and refused to be interviewed for this story.
At about noon, I met a group of about 20 for a ride of the Duke 1/2 Ironman course. I had only ridden outside once this year, so 60 miles was probably a bit much for me, but I assumed the group I was going with would want to enjoy a nice, chatty ride while we soaked in the nearly perfect North Carolina weather for February. Much to my innervation, however, I discovered that I had been lulled into a false sense of security by some cyclists who were seemingly in a large hurry all day long!
I think I averaged 18.2 miles per hour for the ride and a few generous souls, Carolyn, Patrick, and Jon, had to come back and kind of tug me along. If there was a picture under the word “Toast” in the dictionary, a candid of me at about mile 50 of that ride would have been ridiculously appropriate.
On Saturday night, my legs were already so sore, I decided to try and endure my first ice bath ever. I should have been less brave and kind of gradually reduced the temperature, but I made it work and none of my boys were injured. I must say that the soreness that I normally would have experienced did not rear its ugly head, so I’m pretty sure ice baths are here to stay at the Cornwright household.
Today is Tuesday and I am recovering from a yoga/pilates class at my old friend’s yoga studio, Albemarle Pilates and Yoga. Cindy led a group of us in what was my first-ever attempt at pilates. It was good and not too tough for me, suprisingly. I would like to practice some more arm-stands. I’m curious to know what percentage of newbie yogis tries this maneuver the first time and fall and break their noses. It seemed like a highly likely scenario as I stared at her hardwood floor while precariously perched on palms.
I’m planning on swinging my 45-pound kettlebell tonight. Actually, I’m going to snatch it a few times, too. Training is good, life is good. I hope to post myt first article in what will be a series on how I use kettlebells to supplement my triathlon training. I’m also planning a post on the best way to approach swimming if you are newcomer to the sport, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already!
P.S. I thought, as did Keith, that these pullups were cool.
Improve Your Running By Jumping Rope!
Check out the video below of me performing single-leg jumps with a jump rope. Jumping rope, and in particular single-leg jumping, is very helpful for building explosive leg strength and for correcting muscle imbalances in your legs. For example, when I first started doing these, I could comfortably do about five on my right leg, but only about two jumps on my left! As you can image, this was a bit disconcerting. Here I was, running 25-30 miles a week with one leg much stronger than the other!
This idea is not original, but doing this is particularly helpful for runners. I first learned of this from Tim Luchinske at his excellent blog, Jog Hard. He has a video there as well of him doing the same drill, and he is much better at this than me, not to mention an hour faster at last check in the marathon (3:30 to 2:30, or something ridiculous like that). I’ll let you draw your own inferences of there being a correlation.
After practicing this periodically over a few weeks, I was able to get both of my legs balanced and do it around 15-20 times with each leg. This exercise works all kinds of stabilizer muscles in your core as well! You will also notice my minimalist Chuck Taylors. In my opinion, people wear shoes that are way too over-corrective when strength/functional training. This is for a future post, but you should not wear running shoes while doing anything other than running! Don’t go to the gym and lift weights in running shoes, people! You are not getting the full range of motion in your calves and achilles and these, along with soleus, will stiffen and shorten, reducing the amount snap you get from them working in conjunction.
Tim’s protocol is below:
The first time you jump rope you should do:
Both Legs: ~30 jumps
Left Leg: ~15 jumps
Right leg: ~15 jumps
Build very gradually from there by doing 2 sessions per week and adding ~10 jumps per week.
Much more to come in the future on my opinions on footwear. Hear this, less is better! Anything with a flat bottom will make your feet stronger. Anything with a sloped sole, especially with a high heel, from tennis shoes to dress shoes, will make them weaker and not function like they were intended!
Today’s Horoscope
As if I need further justification for beginning my triathlon training in earnest today:
This is from my Facebook account, where I have the Chinese Zodiac application installed, enabling to me to get my palms read at the drop of a hat!
“You’ll have better morale than lately. Even if you’ve concerns, you’ll react positively by remaining aloof and by dramatizing nothing. Professionally, a financial or honorary reward will float in the air; consequently, increase your efforts. This will be the moment to make decisions, to show your authority, your competence. Physically, you’ll be well on the whole; excellent nervous resistance, superb tonicity; profit by this situation to resume your favorite sport and rebuild your musculature.”
Training Update
I am nursing a cold today but I’m hoping to make a 42 mile ride tomorrow morning. Beginning Monday, I will resume triathlon specific training once again. There are three months until the White Lake 1/2, so I need to get my butt in gear if I want to have a decent showing in my first Master’s Clydesdale race.
My friends often ask me why I don’t race in my age group. Although I wouldn’t be upset if they did away with the Clydesdale category, which is for men who are above the 200-pound Mendoza Line, since there is a category that I fit under, I’m racing in it. It’s not as simple as saying that I race in this division to win stuff. It’s true, I do like to win stuff. However, one of the big reasons I stay in this category (and I realize all of you could probably care less), is that I like to have people to race!
If I were to race in my age group, which, as of this year, is men 40-45, I would perhaps finish 10th on a good day. Top 10 would definitely be an excellent race. The top five of those guys I would likely never even see during the race. In the Clydesdales, or Master’s Clydesdales as the rules states that I now am, at least I have an idea of who’s in front of me, and who I may or may not be expecting to come knocking on the run.
In the North Carolina Triathlon Series, I’m usually one of the first out of the water for Clydes. Then, about three of them pass me on the bike. They make it easy to tell who’s who in triathlon by writing the category you are racing on your calf. If you get passed by a “C” you have just been passed by some fellow who’s north of 200 (well, he’s supposed to be anyway. I’ve seen “Clydesdales” who looked 190). Anyway, three or four of them pass me on the bike. Usually, and in fact likely if I’m having a good race, I will catch at least three of them on the run. Sometimes, I win. Other times, I will darn near kill myself trying to make it to the finish line and just as I cross, I spot some large dude standing there sipping a Diet Coke while yukking it up with his boys.
At any rate, my training begins in earnest Monday, following the 42-mile ride Sunday. Or not. My goal is to swim three times, run three times and ride three times per week. Until I can fit that in, I don’t really even need a plan. One longer ride, two harder ones. Three longish runs (two around 8 miles, one longer up to 15 or 20). Three swims with long sets focused on technique. I have a poster that is signed by one of my triathlon heroes, Gordo Byrn, where he has written “Keep it simple” and he signed it. What can I say, he made an impression on me.
I just finished swinging a 16 kg (35 pounds for the metrically challenged) kettlebell around and I feel as loose as a goose. I did the following with the 16 kg:
– 20 swings, rest 15 secs.
– 5 one-handed swings, right into 8 snatches (R&L), rest 30 secs
– Repeat 3 times
I kid you not, my heart was still pounding for awhile after I finished. My resting heart rate is 49. That workout took probably 3 minutes, tops. I cannot believe how much swinging and snatching a kettlebell works the aerobic system, or anaerobic as the case may be. Wow. Just wow. Not to mention the strength workout you are getting for your entire body, especially the core, the hamstrings, and back. My shoulders are loose, back is loose, hips are loose!
Throw some pressing in there along with a few turkish getups (see video below) and you have done more good for you self in about 6 minutes than every single soul who went to the gym this morning and pushed a pin into a Nautilus machine or slapped another plate onto the curl bar. If you have not tried kettlebells, you have got to give it a try. You will be amazed when you put it down after a set of swings and you stand up straighter.
Yoga at the YMCA
About a week ago or so, I took my very first yoga class from a friendly young woman named Michelle. We have decided to join our local YMCA (they are running a special that’s hard to pass up). I went to the class as kind of a test run to the gym on a free pass. It was very cool! I was worried that I would be crazy sore. I was not too bad the first day, then had a bit of second-day DOMS but nothing too bad! I was pretty shocked, as I took on some pretty aggressive poses. There were several hand stands and things that I could not do, but perhaps one day!
I really like the class and look forward to going to back to more. It was amazing how now my body seems to almost crave that trying to work yourself into those poses. I was also reminded of what a great core workout yoga is. My mid-section and obliques were sore, but it was a “good” sore.
My old friend Cindy has opened a yoga studio in Albemarle, N.C., which is very near my home town. It is called Albemarle Pilates and Yoga, so if you are from the area, defintely check it out. They have birkram yoga as well, which I have yet to try. I want to try that and try pilates, also something I’ve never done. You can also access her blog through her web site, so be sure to check it out.
I’m getting great core workout from my kettlebells. When people hear me talking about them or I show them a video, they think I’m nuts. I think the three people that I’ve actually gotten to try it were shocked at how “open” they felt through their hips. It stretches and rehabs, too. I hope to do some posts in the future on how I use kettlebells to compliment my triathlon training and recovery. It really is incredible how well you work your hamstrings, back, arms, hips, hip flexors, shoulders.
Here are some YouTube videos on kettlebells. Some of the movement involved, including turkish get-ups, are an incredible full-body workout in about 2 minutes. See what you think:
Swings: The king of exercises.
I will report back on the yoga and my upcoming training plans. I also have a few posts coming up that will be geared for folks who looking to enter triathlons and are wonder what to expect. I am just ramping up a little bit now, a bit of running, riding some. A group of about 15 of us braved the rain and rode 50 miles on Saturday morning. It was cold, so there were only a few brave souls out now. Big Woods and Jack Bennett, two of the local cycling friendly, or unfriendly as the case may be, roads (hills) will become easier over the next few months, thank heavens. Fifty miles was probably a bit much for my first ride in more than two months, but oh well!
Below are some before and after shots of my tri bike, a 2006 Cervelo P2SL. We were quite dirty after this one!
Dirty. Imagine our faces!
Rear view
50 miles was probably a bit much in the rain!
Yukkk!
After a quick wash.
Nice!
Cockpit!
