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Tuesday, February 28, 2006

What did you say?

I couldn't hear you over my wheezing.

Most of you that know me know that I have asthma. I have no idea if I had it as a kid, or if it's something that's developed as an adult. When I started biking several (4? 5?) years ago, I realized after a while that my breathing wasn't improving like it should. Asthma runs rampant in my family, so I got checked out. Yep. I have asthma.

Through use of daily asthma meds and using an inhaler before and often times during exercise, I have this asthma thing under control. No biggie. Sure, I would probably be able to go much faster and harder on the bike if I could, oh I don't know, actually breathe when my heart rate is jacked up, but you know, I could have it a lot worse, so I don't complain too much. And I try not to let it get me down.

When I started cycling, it was baaad. After a few years, it's totally manageable. When I started running, it was baaad, especially running uphill. But after a few months, I got it under control. And now that I've started swimming, the asthma is baaad again. Maybe this time it will only take weeks to improve.

I know that most of my posts so far have been swim-related. Well, that's because it's my newest sport, and I'm continually discovering more about how my body responds to it. I swam as a kid. In fact, my mom always talked about how I was swimming laps in the deep end of the pool at 3 years old. I remember beating all the neighborhood kids in our little races from end to end. But it's been at least a decade and a half since then, and I've only floated around in my mom's pool in years since. Needless to say, that first plunge back into the pool with Debbie a month or so ago was a shock. I didn't even have my inhaler with me (which proved an ill idea). I had no clue swimming would affect my asthma like it has.

I've had the most difficult time finding a place to swim, as just getting my face near the water at the Health Club downtown caused instant asthma symptoms. Didn't see that coming. So now that I've found a more manageable swimming locale, the trick is getting my breathing to catch up with my ability. It's like those first months on the bike all over again. And it's frustrating the hell out of me.

I get in the pool. I swim a lap or three. I have an asthma attack. I use my inhaler. Pause Pause Pause. Get back in the pool. Swim a lap or two. Stop to breathe or use the inhaler again. Rinse and repeat.

A swim coach asked me: how can you ride a bike with asthma like that? Then I made the connection. On the bike, or on foot, I can breathe freely. No breath-holding required. I can wheeze till my little heart's content, and at a very fast pace. Not so under the water.

I did some extensive reading online about swimming with asthma. Everything I can find says that swimming is one of the best things I can do to actually help my asthma improve (after you get past that chlorine thing). Several sites said that swimming indoors would even be better than most outdoor activities, as the air you breathe is warm and moist. Swimming helps asthmatics train themselves to breathe more deeply, thus getting more air into their bodies and making them operate more efficiently. But it does take time.

The trick is, I guess, getting to that point where the benefits (like expanded lung capacity) start to appear. For now I'm just treading water as best I can and trying not to drink the entire pool when I tilt my head to gulp (make that gasp) for air.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Mmmmm . . . fiber!!!

Ok, I'm stuck home with what has been confirmed as the flu. Mal's been on my back to post something and now that she says I'm a "lady of leisure," I have no excuse. I did get a flu shot back in October, but had I heeded her advice and drank some of the ridiculously expensive Dannon immune stuff, I might not be here coughing up a lung and writhing in pain. There, I said it. So no point in saying "I told you so," Mal! :P

First, a disclaimer: I'm on a very cool Vicodin/Robitussin combo flu medicine, so I can't be held responsible for anything said here. Now, on to everyone's favorite subject - fiber! Aren't you excited? I know I am. Ok, we all know we're supposed to get plenty of it from our wonderfully balanced diets and that it helps prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes, impotence in men, can leap tall buildings in a single bound, and at the risk of sounding like an old lady in a Metamucil commercial for saying this, but it keeps you regular as clockwork. We all need about 30 grams a day and most Americans average 10-14. Back when I was teaching weight management classes at work, I always devoted an entire session to this subject with every new group, and I'll tell you why. Fiber was my secret weapon in my war against the million or so pounds I had to lose a few years back. (Ok, sometimes my little weapon was kinda hard to keep a secret, but you gotta take the good with the bad.)

For the uninitiated, here’s how it works. There’s soluble and insoluble fiber, and you need both. Insoluble fiber is what grandma would’ve called roughage. It kind of scours out your insides, keeps some of the nastier stuff we eat from hanging around in our colon to rot away and make us sick, keeps your blood sugar from spiking, and makes you feel full & satisfied so you eat less. Soluble fiber binds to fat in the intestines and keeps some of the really bad fat from being absorbed. We know that whole grains, fruit & veggies are the way to go, but we could all use some shortcuts every now & then.


Ok, Fiber One. I learned this shortcut back in my on-again, off-again Weight Watcher's days. 1/2 cup equals more than half of your RDA of fiber, but keep in mind that it's almost all insoluble, so a little goes a long way. And it looks and tastes like rabbit food, so I don't recommend eating it on its own. I either mix it with another relatively healthy ceareal that needs more fiber or put it in a ziplock bag with a sprinkling of cinnamon/splenda to keep in the car for munching. But do not, I repeat do not, under any circumstances, consume even a bite without something to drink. Otherwise your guts will really hate mine for telling you about this stuff. Don't say I didn't warn ya. Now, on to better things:


KASHI, my true love! I really love everything they make - seven whole grains & sesame, even before whole grains were de rigeuur. And it actually tastes great! Here's the best part: 9 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and 3 of them are soluble. And you get more protein and slow-burning carbohydrate from skim milk, so what's not to love? I LIVE on this stuff!

Now here's the caveat: Just like Mal's endorsement of the whole-grain couscous, (which was great by the way - good call,) don't rush out and increase your fiber intake to 30-35 grams overnight. You, your family, friends, colleagues, and possibly your entire neighborhood will definitely NOT appreciate it. Like training for an event, volume and intensity has to be increased gradually so your body will have time to adjust. Same goes for this. Otherwise, you won't be overtraining, but you might risk an, um . . . "overuse" injury. :)

Whaddya think - does talking about poop make a good first impression?

The Pool & Hydration

It's probably not something you think about...I mean you're in water. But think of the way the chlorine dries out your skin...so your body's pushing more water to the surface and it's leaving your body. Just cause you aren't sweating, doesn't mean you're not losing fluid. You are. So remember to keep hydrated while in the pool or open water. I've been taking bottles of my Cytomax mixture to the gym with me, getting looks from some of the folks around me in the process when they see my weird orange mixture. But I've not experienced any major calf cramps while in the pool and I attest this to proper hydration. I've noticed that if I'm planning a brick, I do better and feel better afterward (less residual soreness/heavy legs) when I drink the mixture instead of plain old water.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

unanticipated cross-training session

It was obviously raining yesterday but I was determined to get out on my bike. What's a little water anyway? And the temperature was a balmy 49. I grabbed all my gear and headed for the Comet. I usually ride westward (not as many stops) so off I went. After about 16 miles out I decided to head back. I was actually having a nice ride (keyword "was") but I was cold and wet so I started heading back to my car.

Approximately 6 miles from my car my ride stopped abruptly. Here is a re-cap in slow motion- this scenario took about 5 to 6 seconds I think?

1- look down to my left and my pedal and crank arm are attached to my shoe BUT NO LONGER attached to my bike
2-look down to my right and try to unclip my right foot and entire crank begins to come out of my bike
3-I lose my balance and down I go (mind you my bike parts are still attached to my feet NOT MY BIKE!)
4-crash down on the sidewalk
5-so now I am looking at my feet with bike parts attached and I am thinking I may have a small problem!

So, I detach my bike parts from my cleats and just sit there on the ground staring at my bike. I stuck the parts back in the bike then started looking my bike over. Everything else looked OK. A few scratches and ripped grip tape was all I could find (besides the crank of course).

I did make a couple of attempts to put it back together but no luck- As soon as I began to ride the thing came apart again.
It was inevitable- I was going to have to walk.......So I used a few choice words and began my walk (approx. 5.5 miles) back to my car.
Ever walk in road shoes?? Yeah! Not fun!! I walked on the grass to avoid ruining them. The walk in the shoes lasted about 3 miles then I could no longer take it. I took them off and walked in my socks for the last 2.5 miles. The funny part was that I had seal-skin socks on and they hold water like a water balloon. My feet and ankles looked huge and the extra water in the socks added a bit of "weight " to my walk. I had to periodically stop and “empty” them. ☺

By the time I got to my car I was tired, wet, cold and was not sure if I still had feet because I sure could not feel them. I threw my bike in the car and drove straight to my LBS. I walked in with my left pedal in hand. They looked at me kind of weird (dirty, wet lady standing in the doorway with a bike pedal in hand). They went out got my bike (and the detached parts) I changed my clothes and sat next to a portable heater in the back of the shop and watched them fix my bike.
I think they felt sorry for me…..no charge for new grip tape and they tried extra hard to buff out the scratches on my bike, and they cleaned it up. (love my LBS by-the-way). It now good as new just has a small battle wound.

I did get a good workout and now I can say I have wrecked on a road bike.

Melissa,

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

The truth about goggles

As I promised, here's the part about why wearing swim goggles is unnatural at best.
My top five reasons:
1. Goggles make your eyeballs feel like they are being sucked out of your head.
2. The nice orange tint on my lenses brings new meaning to "red eye."
3. You have to lick - aka slather with your own saliva - goggles to keep them from fogging.
4. Post-swim goggle eye ring isn't sexy.
5. They don't match my outfit.

Why I hate swim caps

Why I hate swim caps, a top five list:
1. They give your hair a weird static cling thing.
2. They squeeze your earlobes and pull your forehead up all funky.
3. They yank your hair in a violent manner when you take them off.
4. People say they make you go faster, but unless you're a really fast swimmer, you can't tell.
5. They aren't at all, not even in the least bit, sexy or stylish.
Check in later for "why wearing swim goggles is unnatural at best"

Brick

Well, yesterday I did my first "full" brick, meaning I swam, went to the bike, then went to the treadmill. Now it was a fairly short workout...45 minute swim, 45 minute ride on spin bike and a 30 minute run to finish. But since it was my first endeavor, I was worried I'd be sore/exhausted today, the day after.

I feel really good. Some soreness in my upper left arm, which is puzzling as I can't think what caused it...but other than that I feel great. I did find it hard to keep my eyes open last night and fell asleep during the women's bobsled runs. My legs aren't complaining at all, which is what I was most concerned about. So...success!

I'm going to do these once a week, on Mondays or Tuesdays, up until I start to taper for training events. I'll be adding to the time spent on each and adding to the intensity by increasing incline and speed on the treadmill and resistance on the spin bike, I did change the resistance back and forth, so don't worry that I just sat and spun easily for that 45 minutes.

I learned one very important thing. I'm definitely competing in the entire event in tri shorts and a tri-top, because wriggling my way out of my bathing suit and into my biking shorts was a freaking nightmare. I found an awesome pair of Peal Izumi tri shorts, never worn, on eBay for $10. Way cool! Comfy too. After I wriggled into them...will try them in the pool next time.

Tonight...something else new. My first yoga class. The weather looks yuck, so I'll be spinning indoors for few hours then heading to yoga this evening. A full report tomorrow. I've been slow to embrace yoga and am still hesitant, but hey...it's all a learning experience, right?

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Why Do I Train?

Renee's post got me thinking...and the answer to my post title question is simple. I enjoy it.

I think that the only way you can train hard, over time and repeatedly, is if you actually enjoy what you're doing. And while I might not actually enjoy each and every instance of the activity, ab work for example, I enjoy the benefits, the increased strength and the continuing reduction in my pants size!

I know a lot of people who train really hard and are amongst my favorite people to hang out with on the bike, in the pool, running down the trail and out and about..so here's a linky blog while I give them the love their personalities and dedication to training deserve...

My Sorella Sisters: These gals are a huge inspiration and are so much fun to hang around with. Though I don't see them nearly as much as I'd like (one the rain stops ladies, I promise). They have a blast at each and every event they go to (check out the pics on the site), but they are also competitors.

Don Bill is an inspiration to me on a daily basis. He is training hard and keeping off the weight he lost. And he's just an all around great guy. Just ask Milo if he's happy he's part of the Bill family. Love you, Pops!

Eddie O'Dea
is not only a local athlete who's been showcased in Atlanta Sports & Fitness, he's a really great person who never makes you feel like a schmuck when he passes you during an endurance event. He's a voice for the sport and puts himslef out there so we get great events worht the money we spend to enter. And his partner in crime and soon to be wife, Namrita, is just about the coolest enduro chick around, currently fitting her training around working part time and going back to school. Go girl!

And finally, two guys who I've never met in person, and maybe never will. Their blogs make me laugh, the pics and anecdotes are great, but are also very informative and I wouldn't hesitate to ask either of them a training question, because they're dedicated to getting people active in the sports they love. Adn love of their sports is obvious in each and every post. Jeff Kerkove, Mr. 24, advocate for endurance racers and all around funny guy, kudos! And to Jeff "Ed" Slade, father, entrepreneur and very nice guy who gives this girl in Georgia the time of day whenever she comments, big thanks!

And finally to my sisters in crime on this blog! Melissa...who has no qualms about taking a mid-January tanning break during a ride when the sun's too nice to resist. Amber, who manages to laugh even when she's launching a ten pound medicine ball at my chin while I'm strapped onto a decline bench and oesn't mind me laughing when she sinks like a stone trying to sidestroke. And of course the awesome Renee, longtime MTB advocate and a great friend, who very wisely reminded us that it's all about having fun. If it isn't fun, why do it!

I close by saying that I don't go to these events worrying about making the podium. If I did that would be awesome. But the biggest reason I do it is because I enjoy seeing how far I can push myself, how much I can accomplish and how much I can grow and develop physically, emotionally and, perhaps, even spiritually while I bike, run & swim.

Monday, February 20, 2006

He's no Doofus

Nope. He's a Duffus.
I spent the weekend in Reddick, Fla., supporting several local bike "brothers and sisters" as John Parnell calls them. I traveled with Jake and his 4-man team of Monte, Eddie and Mike; the 4-person team of Courtney, Chris, Ryan and David; and Mark Duffus going solo. I was there to hang out and support the crew, refill bottles and bowls of pasta, and get good pictures while I was at it. I had time to squeeze in a killer run, but that's not the point of today's post.
The point is the amazing Mr. Duffus. It's one thing to be an endurance athlete and dedicate your entire life and training schedule to preparing you to do a race or even a few races. It's entirely another to do it as low key and on the fly as Mark does. To my knowledge, he doesn't go out and train to race for 12 hour events. He doesn't do anything except get fit at the gym and ride his bike whenever he can. No super crazy protein diet, no big hulla-balloo about gearing up for the event. The man didn't even ride the trail before making the decision to race there. It's RAZORBACK for Christ sake!! I refused to even be on a team.
But no, Mark shows up, rides the day before, acknowledges it's challenging, and is on the starting line the next day. He gets 6 solid non-stop laps in before his bike breaks (in 2 places) and he can't continue. I suspect that if the bike had not broken, he'd have continued riding, as he didn't appear at all delirious -- and i you were at the 13 Hours of Santos, you know what I'm talking about.
I admire people like Mark. People who don't get all worked up about training, but instead just show up and do it, and have fun doing it. He just rides his bike. And if it happens to be in a few 12 hour events, then all the more fun for him.
I want to be that way. We should all be so fortunate to have genetics like his on our side, and lucky enough to adopt his attitude.

It Wasn't As Cold As Last Sunday

Beth told me from the get go that she was spending the day with her Mom for her Mom's birthday...but to all the rest of you who pussed out on our ride yesterday, I say bah humbug, or something else similar. It wasn't nearly as cold as the previous Sunday where we braved the elements and some severe buffeting from headwinds. I only had to wear one pair of gloves and no extra headgear above and beyond my helmet this time around. Hillarie joined me and we did a nice, 21.5 mile urban ride. We did a little parking garage climbing, did some fast spinning on the riverwalk (with some short offroad surges when pedestrians felt that they didn't have to allow us past - we give them a wide berth...but they love to take the whole trail and hog it) and on Rabbit Road (where we saw the usual number of men looking for "MAN LOVING"...ick!!!) and did some low resistance spinning on the dirt track. It wasn't a hard ride...just good steady saddle time which is all I'm worried about until about mid-March, when I'll start to kick up the intensity before tapering the week before Baker's Dozen (4/22).

We took a pic with the Otis Redding statue at the park, but it didn't turn out. It views OK small, but when I try to pull from camera it corrupts. Oh well...we were there, we rode, and Otis will vouch for us!

The Dark Side

So I've officially come over to the Dark Side. I've joined the blog. I can't imagine anyone will find me funny or inspiring, but I figured I'd give it a try. Blogs are inherently self-serving, self-promotional vehicles. And who doesn't benefit from a little good publicity, right? My hopes are that in addition to fulfilling my desire to say "look what i did!" this can also be a tool for others: For reference, for training benefits, for planning where and when you can see these ladies in action, and for mutual support on rainy days. Maybe we can benefit from learning about each other, and thus train better, perform better at events, leading of course to the "look what i did" post. Ahh yes, it all comes full circle. The circle of life, perhaps? Perhaps, Existentially speaking.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Mr. Anaerobic Goes Aerobic?

Now, while Jeff Kerkove is definitely Mr. 24, my Jeff is certainly Mr. Anaerobic. Currently racing in the Vet Pro class, he's still making the podium in BMX racing. For those who've never watched, the average lap is usually somewhere around 45 seconds. It's an all out sprint that still requires awesome bike handling skills. I love to watch Jeff on a bike. It's graceful and powerful at the same time, two descriptors that can't really be used to describe my squirrely style (though I did impress Beth yesterday with my ability to grab my cell phone out of my jersey pocket, flip it open, view message, flip it closed and reinsert it in my pocket without falling off the levy).

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Anyway...Jeff's not doing as many BMX races this year, due to the weird schedule and a desire to spend more time pursuing his other passion, downhill racing. So, believe it or not, Jeff's decided to work hard on aerobic fitness this year. Yeah...he's been saddling his Giant to my trainer, and the other night we he borrowed a trainer from Amber H. and we had a hot date spinning in front of the TV together. Because he's so much taller you can't see the bikes, but we are on trainers in the pic, I promise!

For those who still don't "believe", I think J.D. is actually planning to compete at Baker's Dozen. On a team, mind you, but this is the guy who generally does one XC race a year. This year an endurance event?!?!? Is the earth falling off its axis?

Trail Cat

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If you read other local blogs, you know that Pops (a.k.a. Don Bill) and his fantastic wife, Angie, recently rescued a boxer, newly dubbed Milo, giving him a second chance in a loving home. That's the mark of "good people" in the Deins' book. Now, not tootng our own "good people" horn, but I realized I hadn't introduced our newest family member via the blog.

This little sweetie was found several weeks ago at Dauset. She immediately showed herself to be a love bug, jumping in and out of our (Karen L., Namrita, & Jen Wills) cars as we readied to ride. Purring the whole time and making herself right at home. Karen L. had to leave before the rest of us, so after depositing her at her car, we headed back out to the trail. Cutie pie put on a mad dash, following us to the entrance to Moonshine. We couldn't help laughing at this little "trail cat". But at the same time I knew I couldn't leave her there. She was, and still is, chubby around the middle, so I thought maybe she was pregnant and had been abandoned for that reason. So Namrita dumped her gear box, which, though plastic, had a crack down the middle so the little one had no problem breathing, and I brought her home. Turns out she's just pear shaped, not preggers, and she's only around 8 months old. She loves to play monster under the covers and attacks anything that moves, including our other cat, Jeff and me.

So what's her name? Well after watching her chug after us, determined to keep up with our bikes and be the first true "trail cat", I named her Turkey Trot after one of my favorite sections of the trails at Dauset!

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Swimming = Starving

I'm back from a 1.25 hour swim and I'm freaking ravenous. What is it about swimming that makes me so hungry? It's been like this since I was a little kid with a pool in our backyard. It's like after a swim my stomach starts trying to suck down my intestines. Jeff better get in gear and wake up from his rainy day nap or I'm going to ruin my "out to dinner Saturday - belated V-Day meal" by gnawing on whatever I can find in the fridge. For those of you who watched Sixteen Candles way too many times in your youth, like me:

The Malster (replacing the "Donger") need food!

Finally went out and rode the MTB

I have been training on a road bike for about a month and a half so my mountain bike has been hanging in the garage collecting dust. Well, I could not take the long, boring rides on the road bike any longer. The other day I woke up, looked at all the laundry I had piled up on the couch and on a whim decided I was not about to stay home and do laundry and then take a jaunt on my road bike....I was going mountain bike riding! I practically flew over to Blankets Creek in Woodstock and saddled up on my scalpel.

Man, did it feel good. My first run around the Dwelling loop was a bit discouraging... I have been working hard to build endurance but it seemed as if as soon as my legs felt those quick sprints uphill they were saying "no way"! I ran around that loop one more time then decided to tackle the advanced loop for a bit more fun. The sign at the trailhead states that an advanced rider can make it around the loop in 35 minutes. I knew I would not get that time but I wanted to see how close I could come. I turned my music up and took off. I had a blast going over all the obstacles and even passed two guys! (that felt great by-the-way)!! I made it around in 40 minutes so I was pleased. I then went back to try to run the intermediate loop again. This time I felt much better and I made awesome time. Maybe I just needed to warm up? Maybe my body needed t a little time to remember what it was like to be on a mountain bike? Not sure……

All I know is that I am definitely a mountain biker. There is nothing like the adrenaline of riding downhill, jumping over logs, riding over rocks, and whipping around a corner! Hopefully the rain will go away and the trails will open up next week so I can go some more. Love it!!!

Melissa

Short Post

Had an awesome ride with Karen Ludwig yesterday. I got out to Central City Park a bit early, so was able to get in a total of 35.4 miles in just over 3 hours. Average speed was 11 MPH (now don't freak out..we did the levy several times and were on knobbies). Good ride, no real soreness today, we'll see how I feel tomorrow. Two days later is usually when I feel the brunt of a workout. Tentatively meeting Amber later this afternoon for a swim. Depends on whether or not I hear from the girls re: parking garage ride.

Tomorrow's another long ride with the girls. Getting ready for 50 miles at Bleckley. I've got slicks and can lock out the fork, but that's still a lot of sitting time on an MTB frame.

Friday, February 17, 2006

Pumping Up Immunity

The other day I sent a bunch of riding pals and fellow multi-sport gals a link to an article about overtraining and the symptoms and ramifications of overtraining. One of the biggies for me is a reduced ability to fight off the sniffles and random bugs that fly around town and through the circle of co-workers and friends. Supplements of Vitamin C and a multi-vitamin helped a little bit...but I thought there might be something else I could do.

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I started drinking one of these DanActive with L. Casei Defensis yogurt drinks each morning. At 90 or 40 calories a pop (I prefer the 90, as it gets some calories into my body first thing in the morning, boosting metabolism, which is a different story I should post about later) they're quick and pretty tasty. I prefer the Tri-Berry flavor. It's a probiotic drink. According to the DanActive site:

Probiotics are living micro-organisms which upon ingestion in sufficient numbers, exert health benefits beyond basic nutrition. To be effective, the probiotics must arrive in the small intestine alive and in great numbers. Studies show that DanActive’s L. casei Defensis™ is resistant to the digestive action of the stomach and duodenum.

Also according to the site:

The probiotic culture L. casei Defensis™ is, in comparison to other yogurt cultures, more resistant to the stomach acid and is therefore getting in a high concentration in the intestine, where about 70% of the body's immune cells are located. Once there, DanActive with L. casei Defensis™ can help strengthen our body’s defenses.

I've been using it for about two weeks now, and though that's not very long, I can say that the case of the sniffles I've been battling since late December is finally basically gone and I'm finding I don't wake up snuffling or get the coughs and sniffles I used to endure post cold rides. I don't have allergies, so I know these were mini-colds I was getting, probably due to the stress of lots of working out on top of a life (work, husband, family, social obligations, etc.). I'm going to keep using it and will post again after a few of this season's events to see if my immunity continues to be upped by using this product.


Thursday, February 16, 2006

mmmm...fiber

Besides the increased exercise, I've been pretty diligent about revamping my diet. For me that mostly meant dropping refined sugars and easily digested, full of sugar carbs. Since I'm not much of a meat eater (turkey and chicken, minute amounts of beef and pork on occasion) and loathe beans...getting protein can be difficult. Soy milk and meal replacement drinks help bridge the gap...but I've found another resource that also gets me plenty of whole grains and some good healthy fat from flax seeds.

Hodgson Mill products are pretty freaking some of my new favorites. I'd been eating couscous to get some protein with an easy to fix meal (can't beat boiling water, putting in the grains and letting them sit until ready). The other day I came across this product:

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Whole Wheat Couscous with milled flax seed and soy. Let me just tell you...this stuff is filling. VERY, VERY filling. Almost scarily so! Cut your normal serving size in half or you're going to be aching.

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They've also got this great pancake mix with milled flax and soy, which I partake of at least one time daily. I make up a big batch and keep them in the fridge/freezer. I use them as a bread substitute with some natural peanut butter and all fruit spread. You can also eat them plain, kind of like a biscuit, but a much healthier than normal biscuit. I make mine with vanilla soy milk and add in some vanilla and almond extract for extra sweet flavor and they're an easy, healthy and pretty darned tasty snack.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Active Recovery

After talking to a couple of the gals this morning about overtraining, I thought maybe I'd post something that some of the supposed "hardcore" folks wouldn't understand. Today's workout would seem, and is, pretty darned easy: a 45 minute walk, medium pace and a 60 minute chat pace spin with Jeff on the trainers tonight. Why such an easy workout when my season starts in just over two months? You have to recover as hard as you train. I worked out hard and intense on Saturday & Sunday. Maybe too intense on Saturday (abs are finally feeling less like slabs of granite). I was forced to take complete off days on Monday & Tuesday (my legs were feeling the cold weather run/bike combo I put myself through on Sunday). So instead of diving right back in and repeating that cycle, today is an active recovery day...movement, without overly stressing my body, so that I can put in that harder workout tomorrow. Sure, a 45 minute walk and a 60 minute trainer routine are plenty of exercise for the average person. But for those of you training for endurance events, like me and the other awesome women who post on this blog, that's pretty much a breeze. And all of us need to do some of these breezy workouts from time to time to (a) give our bodies the chance to heal and regenerate, and (b) to remember why we do the hard workouts in the first place. Because we love the activities so freakin' much. L8R.

multiple dates with a cyclops

I actually do have training schedule that I try to stick to- Really! BUT there are those times that it gets a bit hard to juggle 4 children, unpredictable weather, and a husband that also needs to get out and ride as well…….

HERE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE: This past weekend my training schedule got a bit out of whack. The plan was to get up early and meet at 7am for a 20 mile group ride with some guys from our LBS. The weather was nasty so I opted out and my husband went solo. He was the only one who showed up so he left and went to the comet. He called at around 11 am to let me know he was finished and wanted to know if I was I going to go out there. After hearing how wet and cold he was I opted for a date w/ the cyclops. Unfortunately that date had to be broken because one child was sick, one had to go to tennis, one had to go to a party and one just wanted some "mommy" time. Family took over and I decided that Saturday would be my "off" day, which was fine with me.

WELL, Sunday AM rolls around and lets just say I did not ride. RECAP: My oldest son was very ill and we ended up calling 911 and we were in the emergency room with him all day. It was a very scary experience and thank goodness he is now much better. (obviously, no riding on Sunday). Let me just make a side-note here. While I was on the phone with 911 Sunday morning my daughter's friend who had spent the night was in our bathroom with a stomach virus AND while we were at the hospital we got a phone call from our other daughter (she had spent the night out) that she was having an allergic reaction to some make up she had put on the night before. Her eyes were swollen and irritated but her vision was fine so her ailment took a back seat. We told her to sit tight at her friend’s house. The rest of the day is a blur!

That brings us to Monday. Obviously my son stayed home from school so no outdoor ride for me. That brings me to my date. I hooked the trainer up to the cyclops and my son and I went down in our basement. We have a big screen TV and I figured he could watch a movie and I would spin. He is 13 and he picked an older movie to watch. (We have On Demand with tons of movies to choose from) . Anyone remember "Weird Science"? I thought I had! Within the first 15 minutes of the movie about 10 curse words flew out , pictures of breasts were thrown in front of me and my son (on our big screen TV!!) and talk of sex. Needless to say we changed the channel and watched ice hockey instead and chatted for 1 1/2 hours. My ride actually was not too bad and I learned a lot about ice hockey from my son.

Yesterday I was not about to spend my day riding outside - instead I bolted to ATL to have lunch with my husband. That was going to be our only "alone time" for Valentines day (remember we have 4 kids!). SO, another date with the cyclops took place yesterday afternoon while my two youngest children (3rd graders) sat around me on the floor working on their school projects. :-)

I AM going OUTSIDE today to ride with a guy named Horhay who tends to ride fast. May or may not be a good 35 miles. We shall see. "Knock On Wood" everyone is now healthy so I should be good to go for at least a couple of days!!:-) The End!

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Random ramblings, updates & pics

After Amber killed me doing ab work on Saturday and the near torture of our urban assault ride on Sunday (think cold and headwinds), I had to take an unscheduled off day yesterday. My upper abs hurt so bad it felt like I'd been run over by a large truck (well, I've never actually been run over, but you get the gist). Monday's planned recovery workout of light swim and jog was postponed. I'll do the light treadmill run and some upper body weights today....then I have a date with my hubby to ride side by side on the trainers tonight. Romantic, eh? Hey...he's going to watch Gilmore Girls with me while we spin...now that's love!

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Kudos to Amber N. for battling the wind and cold for her first bike ride in a LOOOOOONG time and her first ever urban assault. She even rode the levy without complaint. The levy has been known to cause whining in lesser mortals. That girn is a POST ride grin. Perhaps she knew food wasn't far off.


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L-R Amber H., Amber N, Krista & Beth


Hillarie, supposedly, got stuck at work and Alicia had to watch the adorable Bailey perform in a church pageant, so we were a small but freezing group. I'm of course holding the camera so not seen. Suffice it to say I had on two pairs of tights, a pair of bike shorts over those, a tank bra, a wicking turtleneck over that, followed by a jersey, arm warmers over the t-neck and a fleece vest. Add in double gloves and a skull cap underneath the helmet and you know were were chilly. Even Beth "I never get cold" MacFadyen was wearing them long pants!

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Granted it was colder at Ice Cycle. I did say I'd post about it someday. Since the big ticket is the DH race, the XC trails don't get much grooming. During the pre-ride they were covered with about 2+ inches of leaves. The trail was rocky, rooty and very steep in places. After a night of constant rain then snowfall beginning at a little after 9 a.m., I decided to opt out of the XC event. I'm a sketchball on trails I know, let alone icy, slick, leaves covering unknown rocks and roots on a trail I don't know at all. Call me a wuss, I dare you. So I stayed pretty toasty, even while playing in the snow with Jeff before the DH race.

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And here's the lovely and ?talented? Brian Quillen goofing off as he tries to decide whether or not to partake of the lunacy that is a nighttime, wet mud covered in light snow, downhill race.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

You can call me a wuss if you want to...

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but I get really cold, especially since dropping off that ultra warm layer of blubber I was carting around a few years back. Now I know there are folks out there who ride in real cold, like Mr. Kerkove up in Iowa. But since I am a cold natured freak, I use what I can to help out and this product is one of those items.

Elite® Warming Oil Spray, as per Performance Bike's site, is a "fast absorbing oil-alcohol solution is designed to enhance blood flow and oxygenation with capsicum, methyl nictinate, caffeine, and ozonized sunflower oil. It generates an immediate heat sensation that continues to warm throughout activity." And you know what? It does what it says.

I like it because it absorbs fast and doesn't leave me feeling oily or greasy. I can slide on my workout clothes, for running or biking without it leaving those greasy stains that some other products leave. And it doesn't stink to high heaven. It's got a pleasant, spicy, but light fragrance.

You can bet your sweet patootie that some of this oil is going to make its way to my quads, hamstrings, calves and even my bis and tris post swim and pre-ride this afternoon. Call me a wuss if you want...but I'll be feeling warm and loose before my ride.

c-c-c-cold

Brrrrr. Even though the sun is shining prettily, it feels very cold outside thanks to a healthy wind chill. The high of the day, 46 that feels like 39. Brrrr. The second Sunday afternoon women's DT urban assault ride is today, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be a bit nippy. Factor in my wet hair from my pre-ride swim session and you have the makins of a possibly miserable ride. Why don't I dry it before the ride, you ask? Because my hair takes about 45 minutes to dry with a blow dryer. Yep, 45 minutes. I've got me a massive mess of hair. I'm planning on braiding it and putting a skull cap over the mess so that I'll be less cold then I would be with straight wet hair under the vents.

Had a nice circuit workout with Amber H. yesterday (there's an Amber N...hence the last initial descriptor), desoite the fact that she kept trying to launch the 10 lb. medicine ball at my chin while I was doing dreaded ab work. Working out with a partner is great, as you can't cheat yourself out of the things you need to do. My hamstrings are a little sore today from the workout, but should loosen up on the ride. Slept funny on my shoulder and it if doesn't work itself out soon, I'll be doing kicking drills in the pool.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

The Gym vs. The Real World

First and foremost...don't get me wrong. I go to the gym 4-5 days a week. Five if the weather's sketchy on Saturdays, keeping me from the trails. I enjoy my gym time...especially for base endurance training and strength training.

But there's a big difference between riding a spin bike, even in a very toughly taught class, and being on either the open road or the trail. There's a huge difference between running the pavement or trail and churning out miles on either the treadmill or the indoor track. And of course, there's a huge difference between pool swimming and open water swimming.

I won't say much about the swimming here (as it's too cold for open water swimming, making that point moot) or the running, as that's not my strong point, though the observation still remains. But biking is definitely my strong suit in this multi-sport adventure I'm on, and there's just no comparing real riding (on the road or on the trail) and the very different, but still beneficial, time spent on spin bike or on the trainer. First of all, you don't steer while stationery. So while your hands grip the bars, sometimes plenty hard, you're not actually making the bike go where you want it to. Also, you develop the bad habit of looking straight down watching the front tire spin instead of looking 10-20 yards ahead to see what's coming. You have to manuever around obstacles and debris on the road and you have to actually ride or lift over stuff on the trail.

Also, you can stand and hammer all you want during a spin class, but it just ain't the same thing as having to actually climb a hill. On the road you may have to deal with headwinds or winds buffeting you from the side. On the trail you may have roots, rock gardens and other of nature's favorite obstacles in the midst of your climb.

And finally, spin classes or your living room are climate controlled. You have the air or heat on and it's a pleasant however many degrees. Outside there's wind, sometimes rain, hot sun, all kinds of weather issues to deal with. And you never know what kind of crap Mother Nature might throw at you on the day of your event.

I do go to the gym and I do work on my strength and overall endurance building on the weight machines, with the free weights and on the treadmill and elliptical. However...I also get my butt out in the winter elements on and off the trail, on foot and on the bike, to ensure I've got the abilities to handle the terrain and conditions I may have to face in an upcoming event.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Skin Help

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Obviously life gets a little hectic between working a full time job and tackling multi-sport training. So anything that helps streamline my day is more than welcome. I've got extremely dry skin...especially in the winter. So I'm really loving this Olay In Shower moisturizer. They liken it to a cream rinse or conditioner for your skin. Once you're done bathing, shaving, etc. you slather up then let the water rinse it off. It feels darned good. Not greasy, just soft. Because, no matter how hard I work the body, I still enjoy looking and feeling like a girl.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Open Water-esque

I got the slightest taste of what open water swimming might be like today while swimming at the gym. The gentleman in the lane next to performed the backstroke like a raving lunatic. Huge swells came from his lane almost sending me into the ropes on the far side of my lane. The splashing was intense and there really was notable swell coming from his lane into my own. Who'd of thunk I'd get that experience in such a "tame" environment. Add to that that the mentally and emotionally disturbed girl who swims on Wednesdays decided she didn't want anyone speaking while she swam and it was a very weird day at the WC pool.

Great short but good spinning ride with Krista (whom I hope will be joining the blog shortly) post swim at the Pig. The picnic table area was a swamp, so we skipped it and just kept to the pines for a nice spinning climb session.

New Contributors

I'm going to be inviting a couple of my endurance minded gal pals to join the blog so we can encourage one another as well as anyone else who might be reading about our antics. So hopefully you'll be hearing from Melissa, Amber and possibly Renee shortly!

Off Road Triathlons Added To The Mix

Last year I tackled endurance mountain biking with some personal success (no podium finishes, but I was pretty happy). This year I'm going to add in some adventure racing and off road triathlons, especially since Arrowhead is so kind as to hold one right here in our back yard.

So what am I doing different? Running and swimming. On top of the regular bike and weights time. And I have to say I'm enjoying it. It reminds me of the huge strides I used to make when I first started biking. You get such a rush when you make even the smallest of accomplishments. It also reminds you why cross training is so important. Though I can ride my bike at a moderate pace for hours and hours, even with lengthy climbs and hot temperatures, swimming a mile is kicking my butt every which way but forward. Endurance on the bike doesn't necessarily translate into endurance in the pool. And there will be further butt kicking sessions when I move from the pool to open water. Sigh.

Pics of my multi-sport adventures will be coming soon.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Conflicts

Apparently the 12 Hours of Dauset conflicts with the recently posted date of ORAMM. Which is a bummer. I was planning to tackle the Marion portion this year. I don't think I'd make the full ORAMM, as it's got a pretty strict entry system. I'll stick with Dauset, as I was a person who really wanted to get that race, and feel I should support it. Besides, I can get in ORAMM mileage without the ORAMM pain...maybe. Depends on how Dave Berger sets up the course.

A post on our Ice Cycle adventure later...