It Went Swimmingly - 83 days left

Among about a million other errands this morning I squeezed in my swim from yesterday. One of the nicest things I've discovered in my training is that the people at my local swimming pool (Leaside), are very friendly. Of all the places I've ever worked out I don't think I've ever had anyone engage me in pleasant conversation and make me feel so welcome as the ladies in the change room at this pool. It was just a short 250 m swim this morning and a short run still to do this afternoon.

Biker Bum - 84 days to triathlon

I decided on my 4o minute bike ride this morning that I really need a new seat and new padded biking shorts - need I explain why? The ride in the triathlon will probably be about twice that distance and to protect certain sensitive areas I think more padding is in order. I was supposed to do a swim this morning but slept too late to make it to the 7-9 a.m. lane swim at Cummer Park so I'll bump the swim up to tomorrow.

85 More Days to Go!

So today is officially a rest day and for once I actually don't have any workouts of any kind planned. Apparently yesterday's workout managed to uncover some muscles in the backs of my legs that I didn't know I had. Today they are making me fully aware of their presence every time I walk, sit, stand etc. So I'm thankful for the rest day. With the unexpected TTC strike it's a great time to be a cyclist so I'll probably get a little extra cycling in over the next few days.

86 Days and Counting

Today was a running day. Only twenty minutes and I ran on the treadmill at the gym since I had my son Brandon with me today. There was a bit of tightness in my left calf as I ran today, so I'll bump up my magnesium intake tonight in the hopes of relieving it. I brought home some Magnelevures from the office. It's a powdered magnesium with some B1, B6, glutathione and taurine in it. Since I only did a 20 minute workout today and I felt like I was slacking I added 30 minute core class to my schedule - 6 pack abs here I come! The lady who taught the class is an Iron(wo)man triathlete and while I can appreciate the discipline and dedication she has to be able to accomplish that, it's not something I ever aspire to. It just seems like too much punishment to the body. I would rather do the more moderate distances and work at improving on my time as much as possible.

87 days to go

Since I added an extra bike ride yesterday, I debated skipping this morning's scheduled ride. But it was so nice outside I couldn't resist the sun and the outdoor ride. It's so exhilarating on the road bike to go so fast and to feel at one with the bike. The only time I've ever not felt so at one with the bike was about 4 years ago when I was biking to an appointment downtown at Bay and Gerrard. At the time they were doing construction on Bay and had rerouted the bike lane so that it passed over the streetcar tracks. At about 30 km/h I caught the tracks the wrong way with my back wheel which pulled the bike right out from underneath me while I continued on at 30 km/h until my rear end made contact with the pavement. I have what's known as "clipless" pedals which means that my feet do in fact clip onto the pedals, don't ask me to explain the name. Well, one foot stayed clipped and the other didn't so I remained attached to my bike as we slid down Bay Street. I think it was a pretty spectacular crash, at least it seemed so from my perspective. Disappointingly, not one onlooker actually stopped to ask if I was ok. I was, nothing broken, just a few layers of skin left behind. I now steer clear of streetcar tracks, but still love to speed along as fast as my legs will carry me. That's one of the joys of triathlons, the road is all yours.

88 Days to Triathlon

Today was the first day of a recovery week. All that's on my training schedule was a 200 m swim - piece of cake! I felt like I was taking it too easy, so I threw in a 30 minute bike ride at the gym this afternoon for good measure. I've learned about myself that I'm not so good at relaxing and taking it easy. Perhaps a lesson that needs to be learned?

Thanks to all the well-wishers and friends who have decided to join me in the training and competition, it's so great to have your moral support.

I've added in some calcium/magnesium 1:1 to what I was taking because I kept feeling little muscle twitches and minor muscle cramping. I guess I've been losing more through sweat, so that has helped.

Training day #7 - 89 days to triathlon

Well according to the schedule today was another off day. So I took in a yoga class this morning again which felt great! So far training has been pretty easy and the coming week is a recovery week, so it won't be too challenging either. But the following weeks the workouts really pick up, so I'm going to savour the next week of relative relaxation.

You may wonder what my diet and supplement regimen is like in preparation for the coming triathlon. Here's the breakdown right now, this may evolve as my workouts change:

Breakfast
UltraMeal Plus 360 by Metagenics - two scoops in 1 cup of soy milk
UltraPreventive X by Douglas Labs - 2 with breakfast
ChondroCare (joint support) by Metagenics - to keep my back and knees healthy - 2 with breakfast
Scorbatate by Genestra - powdered vitamin C
Vitamin D3 1000 IU by Rx Balance - 1 tablet
ProOmega by Nordic Naturals - 1/2 teaspoon

Snacks - mid-morning, mid-afternoon and after dinner
Fruit - grapes, pears, cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, plums, peaches
Nuts - almonds, cashews, pecans
Occasionally (maybe once a week) - 1 slice of gluten free brown rice bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter and honey

Lunch and Dinner
Generally 2 cups of cooked vegetables, a salad and a grilled protein source - pork chop, chicken, beef, salmon
UltraPreventive X - 2 with dinner
ChondroCare - 2 with dinner

Monday April 21 - Glorious Run!

Today's workout was scheduled to be a 25 minute run but I extended it to 30 because I was so enjoying it. I ran down by Taylor Creek Park which is in East York. It was lovely! The birds were chirping, the creek was burbling, the sun was shining and the air was cool and crisp. It was the kind of run that fills you with vitality and makes you feel so glad to be alive.

Sunday April 20 - Rest Day

According to my training schedule today is supposed to be a rest day. I decided to do an Ashtanga yoga class this morning just to keep all those hard working muscles stretched out and prevent injuries.

I sat down this afternoon to calculate some goals for myself for this race. There is a website that has stats for most of the races I did in the past:
http://sportstats.ca/find-an-athlete-find-a-race-search.php?lang=eng&first=pamela&last=frank&city=toronto&month=&year=&race=

My goal is to try to improve on my time in a comparable triathlon, the Northern Triathlon weekend. That one was in Orillia and I finished with a time of 2 hours and 27 minutes. I'm aiming to improve considerably on that time with a goal of 2 hours and 17 minutes. I remember that race well as I arrived later than I wanted to and was rushed getting set up. As a result, my back wheel wasn't on my bike properly and I spent much of the bike ride feeling like I was riding uphill because the wheel was rubbing on the brake pad. I'm pretty confident I can improve on that bike ride!

Decision Time!

After an 8 year hiatus from triathlons, I've decided to set my sites on the Niagara Sprint Distance Triathlon in July. At 44 years old, I have successfully completed about 5 Olympic distance triathlons, but since the birth of my son 2 1/2 years ago, I haven't had the time to devote to training. This year is the year I kick my fitness level up a notch! Having made the decision to register, every workout now becomes a step toward my triathlon goal. I got my road bike tuned up this week, got a new bike computer (may the old one rest in peace) and hit the pool for the first time in 8 years. It's amazing how everything comes back - muscle memory is truly one of the miracles of the human body. I was fully expecting to feel quite sore, but surprisingly have had very little muscle stiffness. I'm hoping with this blog, to inspire others to set a goal and take steps to attain it. I'll post my training regimen and keep you posted as to my progress and pitfalls.
This week's workouts were:
Wednesday 400 meter swim
Thursday 40 minute bike ride
Friday 20 minute run
Today (Saturday) 300 meter swim and 60 minute bike ride
If you want to join me in my triathlon quest, I would love to have running and cycling partners and even someone to enter the triathlon with me. Email me if you are interested.