About 3 months ago there was one evening which made me begin to question whether I was too committed to triathlon. I had a party to attend on a Thursday night which started around 7:00. Naturally, I wanted to get a workout in before the party began so I hit the pool at my local gym after I got off work. I finished my hour long set, showered and changed ready to head out to the party. The one thing I didn't account for was dinner. I didn't want to be late so I needed to pick something relatively fast and healthy. Decided to stop at the Subway right outside my gym. I picked up the norm, a foot-long turkey sandwich. The bar was only about 4 miles away. I ate the entire thing and a diet coke during my commute. I parked at the bar, looked down at the empty sandwich bag and crumbs on my pants then proceeded to think to myself... This is really sad... yet I had a sense of pride. Am not sure what was worse, that I found a time in which it was necessary to demolish a foot long sandwich in 7 minutes while operating a motor vehicle or that I was proud of doing so.
Last night it got worse... Same premise as before. I had a happy hour that evening and wanted to get a run in before I met my friends. As I was leaving the gym on my way to the bar I decided I needed to pick something up to eat. The problem is that I am now on a gluten free diet (more on this in another post). For those not familiar with gluten free it pretty much rules out all food that can be prepared in less than 10 minutes. Once again, I was in a hurry and didn't have the time to wait for a proper meal so... I stopped at a gas station (pause for look of disgust). My dinner last night consisted of a Muscle Milk (chocolate) and a Gatorade. For some unknown reason this actually sounded like a good idea at the time but, yes... it was just as absolutely disgusting as it sounds. This definitely goes down in my personal record books as one of the most disgusting meals (I really shouldn't call it a meal) I have ever had!
So next time anyone wants to question my dedication to triathlon, I will accompany them to the nearest gas station, help them find the Muscle Milk and Gatorade, and watch as they will undoubtedly enjoy this fabulous gluten free 2 minute "meal".
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
And... I'm Back!
On Tuesday 1/3 I had my post surgery follow up appointment and... drumroll please... I'm cleared for all athletic activities! (Pause for applause).
That being said I've been doing spin classes and running for about a week now... don't tell the doc. So now that I'm back what has changed? Whats going on with training?
What has changed?
Two things have changed. First of all riding a bike is no longer like riding a bike. I rode for the first time since my crash on Sunday and it was more than a little nerve-racking. Every turn I took I could feel my bike sliding out from under me. Very odd compared to how comfortable I was on my bike a month ago. I understand that it is going to take me a few weeks to get comfortable again and I willing to put the time in. I intend to go on short rides for the next 3 weeks or so and by Feb 1 I hope to be doing long group rides again.
Please note: anyone who knows me in no way expects me to wait until February to do another long group ride... they are probably right. This plan looks awesome on paper but my lack of patience and self preservation will without a doubt have me doing another long ride before February.
It was kind of funny that at the beginning of my recovery I wanted nothing to do with triathlon or sports. I knew how long I was going to be out of the game and simply wanted to forget about it all and be a bum for a few weeks. That sounded great until my co-workers dropped off a gift basket with a copy of Triathlete Magazine... Woops. Suddenly that fire to train and learn about triathlon was back. I spent a lot of time on websites researching new ways to train, the 2011 lineup of bikes (I'm buying one in March) and nutrition. Through the research I stumbled upon a few articles on the gluten free diet. This sparked the second major change during my recovery. I decided to give the gluten free diet a try. Since I started running about 14 months ago I had been battling GI issues on a regular basis. The gluten free diet has been shown to totally cure this in some cases. I figure it is worth a try. I've been on the diet for a little over a week now and will continue to provide updates on how its going.
Whats going on with training?
I am actually having an easier time getting back into it that I thought. I can tell I've taken a step back, but not near as far as I thought I would. My muscles are going to take a little time to get used to training everyday but I think I can get there soon. I'm definitely going to have to ease my way into... the Houston Marathon at the end of the month. That's right, I am signed up for a marathon in 3 short weeks. I'm going to see how training goes the next week or so but right now I intend on running it. Its going to be incredibly challenging to go from no athletic activity for 3 weeks to marathon readiness in less than a month.
I promise I am smarter about training than it looks like. I am very good at listening to my body and will not push myself to injury just to run a marathon. On the note of listening to your body, I am currently reading Brain Training for Runners by Matt Fitzgerald. So far a great book. I'll write more about it later but am really enjoying it so far.
That being said I've been doing spin classes and running for about a week now... don't tell the doc. So now that I'm back what has changed? Whats going on with training?
What has changed?
Two things have changed. First of all riding a bike is no longer like riding a bike. I rode for the first time since my crash on Sunday and it was more than a little nerve-racking. Every turn I took I could feel my bike sliding out from under me. Very odd compared to how comfortable I was on my bike a month ago. I understand that it is going to take me a few weeks to get comfortable again and I willing to put the time in. I intend to go on short rides for the next 3 weeks or so and by Feb 1 I hope to be doing long group rides again.
Please note: anyone who knows me in no way expects me to wait until February to do another long group ride... they are probably right. This plan looks awesome on paper but my lack of patience and self preservation will without a doubt have me doing another long ride before February.
It was kind of funny that at the beginning of my recovery I wanted nothing to do with triathlon or sports. I knew how long I was going to be out of the game and simply wanted to forget about it all and be a bum for a few weeks. That sounded great until my co-workers dropped off a gift basket with a copy of Triathlete Magazine... Woops. Suddenly that fire to train and learn about triathlon was back. I spent a lot of time on websites researching new ways to train, the 2011 lineup of bikes (I'm buying one in March) and nutrition. Through the research I stumbled upon a few articles on the gluten free diet. This sparked the second major change during my recovery. I decided to give the gluten free diet a try. Since I started running about 14 months ago I had been battling GI issues on a regular basis. The gluten free diet has been shown to totally cure this in some cases. I figure it is worth a try. I've been on the diet for a little over a week now and will continue to provide updates on how its going.
Whats going on with training?
I am actually having an easier time getting back into it that I thought. I can tell I've taken a step back, but not near as far as I thought I would. My muscles are going to take a little time to get used to training everyday but I think I can get there soon. I'm definitely going to have to ease my way into... the Houston Marathon at the end of the month. That's right, I am signed up for a marathon in 3 short weeks. I'm going to see how training goes the next week or so but right now I intend on running it. Its going to be incredibly challenging to go from no athletic activity for 3 weeks to marathon readiness in less than a month.
I promise I am smarter about training than it looks like. I am very good at listening to my body and will not push myself to injury just to run a marathon. On the note of listening to your body, I am currently reading Brain Training for Runners by Matt Fitzgerald. So far a great book. I'll write more about it later but am really enjoying it so far.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
A Ride to Remember
I was in a cycling crash a little more than 2 weeks ago. It was the beginning of a group ride in Brenham, TX. We had just gone over a hill and were descending towards a metal grated bridge. The bridge was still wet from morning dew/fog. The last thing I can remember was approaching the bridge. Next thing I know I am being lifted up on a backboard onto an ambulance. As soon as the realization hit of what was going on I was struck by a moment of what can only be described as sheer panic. I looked down at my feet and have never in my life been so happy to see my toes wiggle. I don't remember the crash but from what I gather my bike lost traction going over the bridge, and came out from under me. I fell directly on the left side of my body dislocating my shoulder, breaking a bone in my wrist, severely bruising my left hip, fracturing 3 bones in my cheek and causing a significant concussion.
After the crash, I spent much of the first week in bed on pain meds. The following weekend I had surgery to fix the three fractured bones in my face. Although my face is still a little swollen and in some pain I am feeling much better. My shoulder, hip and wrist seem to be almost entirely recovered from the crash. It feels like it has been much more than 2.5 weeks since the accident as I have spent much of this time in bed. Although I am itching to get back to training I understand how lucky I am to be in the condition I am in. Needless to say it could have been exponentially worse. A big thanks to my parents for helping to take care of me, friends and family for the get well cards and gifts and my training buddies for getting me a new cycling helmet (the other one is now retired in my garage).
I'd like to leave you all with two things to take away from my experience:
After the crash, I spent much of the first week in bed on pain meds. The following weekend I had surgery to fix the three fractured bones in my face. Although my face is still a little swollen and in some pain I am feeling much better. My shoulder, hip and wrist seem to be almost entirely recovered from the crash. It feels like it has been much more than 2.5 weeks since the accident as I have spent much of this time in bed. Although I am itching to get back to training I understand how lucky I am to be in the condition I am in. Needless to say it could have been exponentially worse. A big thanks to my parents for helping to take care of me, friends and family for the get well cards and gifts and my training buddies for getting me a new cycling helmet (the other one is now retired in my garage).
I'd like to leave you all with two things to take away from my experience:
- ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET - You never know when you are going to hit a bump wrong, lose traction, or even worse, have a run in with a car. No matter how far you're riding or what kind of bike you are on, wear your helmet. I will still wear mine even though I fully intend on riding a tricycle with a motorcycle helmet for the next month.
- Buy a Road ID - This was my second time riding with this group (Saturdayride.com, they are a fantastic group of people by the way) and most of them probably had no idea who I was. Thanks to the Road ID the group knew my name and called my parents right after the crash. The paramedics didn't have to bombard me with questions about who I was or what I was allergic to when my head was in a state of disarray. This little bracelet is more beneficial than you could know. www.RoadID.com
Saturday, December 25, 2010
And Away We Go...
In 1924 George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest. His response: "Because its there" I love this quote. People ask: Why do you want to beat up your body just to complete this race? What is the point of running 26.2 miles, traveling 70.3 miles or even worse 140.6 miles? Why do you care if you hit a specific time goal? Well... because its there.
I've been at endurance sports for about a year now and have finally decided to start writing about it. I'll try to share my knowledge, experience, funny stories, mistakes and everything in between.
A Brief History
I have always been somewhat of an athlete. From when I was young all throughout highschool I played numerous sports including: football, golf, baseball, wrestling, roller hockey and rugby. Enjoyed all of them but did not truly excel at any of them. That trend continued into college at The University of Texas as I made a transition into more tame sports such as softball, flag football and tennis. In college I worked out a few times a week, most of which was in the weight room. I considered a mile run or a 500 yard swim to be an exhausting workout. As you can tell, I was nowhere near an "endurance athlete".
Once college came to an end I moved back to Houston and started work. I lived in an apartment for about a year with a small gym. This would be sufficient as I was still in "broke college kid" mode. I would much rather have spent all disposable income on alcohol and food than anything that involved athletic activity (not the healthiest time of my life). Around May of 2009 I moved out of the apartment and back in with my parents (hate all you want, they were cool and I saved a ton of money). I still didn't want to shell out cash for a gym membership, but wanted a way to stay in shape...
Enter running. More specifically enter Memorial Park 3 mile loop. I can still remember my first time out to run the loop with a friend from work. We went out with intent to run one lap... I didn't make it. At mile 1 I needed to slow down. By mile 2 I was walking. This was not my proudest moment. I wasn't overweight or unhealthy, I simply had no endurance. At this point I decided I'd like to start running more. After about 2 months I was running 2 or 3 times a week for about 3 to 4 miles per workout. A friend then approached me about a race called Muddy Buddy. This is a 6 mile race where you and your teammate take turns biking and running (you each bike about 3 miles and run 3 miles) and finish by bear crawling through mud. This was just as much fun as it sounded like! By Monday after the race I was already looking for another race
That same Monday I read an article about training for a marathon. It gave an example of an 18 week training program. Later that day I conveniently ran across the website for the Austin Marathon... which happened to be about 19 weeks away. I thought this through for a minute or two (not exaggerating, I seriously made this decision in a matter of minutes... not anywhere long enough to really consider the repercussions for signing up for a marathon). By the end of the day I was registered for the 2010 Austin Marathon.
Like all new runners I had my fair share of ups and downs while training. I learned valuable lessons about running socks, compression shorts and the importance of Glide (who would have thought that something as simple as a t-shirt could cause so much pain). By the time the marathon came around I had a good amount of running under my belt. My longest run was 19 miles (although 20 was recommended).
The marathon was absolutely amazing. I won't recap the entire race, but I'll give a few highlights:
*On a side note I cannot begin to describe how important it was to have my parents support me through training and on race day. There is no way I could ever thank them enough.
About two months after the marathon I ran my first half marathon (I never said my training made sense). As I started to train for this I began having problems with my calf. I was able to work it out before the race, but made the decision that I needed another sport besides running. I heard about triathlons through a friend. I thought that swim bike run sounded like a lot of fun. Granted I could barely swim to save my life and I hadn't ridden a bike since elementary school but that was ok, I'd figure it out (if you're thinking to yourself that I'm nuts... your right... and it gets worse).
I signed up with Team in Training to compete in the Nations Triathlon in September of 2010. I met so many great people, raised some money and got in even better shape. I was able to turn my doggy paddle into something that from a distance resembled a freestyle stroke. I bought a triathlon bike - Fuji Aloha 2.0 (great intro bike by the way) and learned how to ride a bike all over again. Now if you thought that anything I did before might have lacked some logic, don't stop reading now.
I had my first sprint tri scheduled for early June. Before I even completed the event I had some friends who were suggesting that I register for this Half Ironman with them. Once again I showed total disregard for common sense and my well being by registering for 70.3 Austin (wait... it gets worse). By mid June I had completed this sprint triathlon. I had a panic attack during the swim and struggled through an easy bike course... but I had a great run (as bad as it sounds I did have a great time at the race). At this same time this new group of friends were looking to sign up for an Ironman in 2011. I couldn't miss this chance to do something that made absolutely no sense and risk my health... I signed up with them for Ironman Texas 2011.
The 2010 Season is now over and I do not regret one decision I have made this past year. I have had more fun and met more amazing people this past year than ever before. Endurance sports are now a major part of my life and I would not have it any other way.
Races completed in 2010*
Austin Marathon
Angie's Half Crazy Half Marathon
Gren2Green 10k
Tejas Sprint Triathlon
Gatorbait Sprint Triathlon
Clear Lake Olympic Triathlon
Nations Triathlon
USAT Age Group National Championship
70.3 Austin
*A huge thanks to my amazing friends and family! Without your support all of this would not have been possible.
I've been at endurance sports for about a year now and have finally decided to start writing about it. I'll try to share my knowledge, experience, funny stories, mistakes and everything in between.
A Brief History
I have always been somewhat of an athlete. From when I was young all throughout highschool I played numerous sports including: football, golf, baseball, wrestling, roller hockey and rugby. Enjoyed all of them but did not truly excel at any of them. That trend continued into college at The University of Texas as I made a transition into more tame sports such as softball, flag football and tennis. In college I worked out a few times a week, most of which was in the weight room. I considered a mile run or a 500 yard swim to be an exhausting workout. As you can tell, I was nowhere near an "endurance athlete".
Once college came to an end I moved back to Houston and started work. I lived in an apartment for about a year with a small gym. This would be sufficient as I was still in "broke college kid" mode. I would much rather have spent all disposable income on alcohol and food than anything that involved athletic activity (not the healthiest time of my life). Around May of 2009 I moved out of the apartment and back in with my parents (hate all you want, they were cool and I saved a ton of money). I still didn't want to shell out cash for a gym membership, but wanted a way to stay in shape...
Enter running. More specifically enter Memorial Park 3 mile loop. I can still remember my first time out to run the loop with a friend from work. We went out with intent to run one lap... I didn't make it. At mile 1 I needed to slow down. By mile 2 I was walking. This was not my proudest moment. I wasn't overweight or unhealthy, I simply had no endurance. At this point I decided I'd like to start running more. After about 2 months I was running 2 or 3 times a week for about 3 to 4 miles per workout. A friend then approached me about a race called Muddy Buddy. This is a 6 mile race where you and your teammate take turns biking and running (you each bike about 3 miles and run 3 miles) and finish by bear crawling through mud. This was just as much fun as it sounded like! By Monday after the race I was already looking for another race
That same Monday I read an article about training for a marathon. It gave an example of an 18 week training program. Later that day I conveniently ran across the website for the Austin Marathon... which happened to be about 19 weeks away. I thought this through for a minute or two (not exaggerating, I seriously made this decision in a matter of minutes... not anywhere long enough to really consider the repercussions for signing up for a marathon). By the end of the day I was registered for the 2010 Austin Marathon.
Like all new runners I had my fair share of ups and downs while training. I learned valuable lessons about running socks, compression shorts and the importance of Glide (who would have thought that something as simple as a t-shirt could cause so much pain). By the time the marathon came around I had a good amount of running under my belt. My longest run was 19 miles (although 20 was recommended).
The marathon was absolutely amazing. I won't recap the entire race, but I'll give a few highlights:
- The night before the race I struck up a conversation with another runner. I told him my time goal (4 hours) and his advice was to be more conservative. Told me that 4 hours was very fast and very difficult to do for your first marathon.
- Race Morning. The energy before the race is unreal. I'd never been part of anything like it. Everyone is excited and nervous at the same time. You know that all these people are about to go through the same 26.2 mile journey as you.
- The wall. This happened for me at mile 22. 4 miles had never felt so far. I seriously thought about quitting.
- "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey came on my Ipod at mile 24. The timing was perfect. I give a lot of credit to this song for helping me power through those last miles.
My Dad and I
My Mom and I
*On a side note I cannot begin to describe how important it was to have my parents support me through training and on race day. There is no way I could ever thank them enough.
About two months after the marathon I ran my first half marathon (I never said my training made sense). As I started to train for this I began having problems with my calf. I was able to work it out before the race, but made the decision that I needed another sport besides running. I heard about triathlons through a friend. I thought that swim bike run sounded like a lot of fun. Granted I could barely swim to save my life and I hadn't ridden a bike since elementary school but that was ok, I'd figure it out (if you're thinking to yourself that I'm nuts... your right... and it gets worse).
I signed up with Team in Training to compete in the Nations Triathlon in September of 2010. I met so many great people, raised some money and got in even better shape. I was able to turn my doggy paddle into something that from a distance resembled a freestyle stroke. I bought a triathlon bike - Fuji Aloha 2.0 (great intro bike by the way) and learned how to ride a bike all over again. Now if you thought that anything I did before might have lacked some logic, don't stop reading now.
I had my first sprint tri scheduled for early June. Before I even completed the event I had some friends who were suggesting that I register for this Half Ironman with them. Once again I showed total disregard for common sense and my well being by registering for 70.3 Austin (wait... it gets worse). By mid June I had completed this sprint triathlon. I had a panic attack during the swim and struggled through an easy bike course... but I had a great run (as bad as it sounds I did have a great time at the race). At this same time this new group of friends were looking to sign up for an Ironman in 2011. I couldn't miss this chance to do something that made absolutely no sense and risk my health... I signed up with them for Ironman Texas 2011.
The 2010 Season is now over and I do not regret one decision I have made this past year. I have had more fun and met more amazing people this past year than ever before. Endurance sports are now a major part of my life and I would not have it any other way.
Races completed in 2010*
Austin Marathon
Angie's Half Crazy Half Marathon
Gren2Green 10k
Tejas Sprint Triathlon
Gatorbait Sprint Triathlon
Clear Lake Olympic Triathlon
Nations Triathlon
USAT Age Group National Championship
70.3 Austin
*A huge thanks to my amazing friends and family! Without your support all of this would not have been possible.
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