So i was gonna write a blog last week and never got to it. I wanted to talk about the pick up in training, the change in weather with spring just around the corner and just a little about how the year is coming around. But one of those threw a wrench in the plans. The dumb groundhog is getting old and must not be seeing real well. The set back in weather didn't cause any changes in training though. The second day of spring and a nice week day ride in the snow was in store for me this past week.
Training has been exponentially better than this time last year. We chose to sit out on an early season marathon and instead focus on the base training for the upcoming triathlon season. Its showing in the way I feel week to week with this past build. Really looking forward to seeing how the year unfolds. The first test will be May 5th at Rev 3 Knoxville.
So back to riding its been a little chilly starting out on morning rides but i found a special little spot in North Carolina called bell cross bakery. The ladies there make an awesome sweet potato pecan roll and its definitely motivation to get out the door and have a mid ride snack. I've been a little behind some days and they tend to sell out so they have been saving one for me lately. Hopefully as spring and summer come around they will come out with something a little lighter to fit the weather. Maybe strawberry short cake or something.
Had a little set back in running this past week but nothing we cant work through everyone's got something that will come up time to time. There has been some strength training incorporated this year throughout winter and the benefits are showing. Recovery has gotten better and injures are almost non existent.
I get asked a lot what the goals are for the year and I will tell yal first that it is to stay injury free and have a successful season. Second is to go fast. As far as time goes I tell everyone I keep that to myself because that is what keeps me honest with myself every time I go out the door whether it be to run, swim or bike.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Racing and Pacing
A few weeks ago I had my first race of the year, the Colonial Half Marathon. It had been awhile since my last stand alone running race so I actually had to ask my coach (Tara Norton) how to warm up... annnnd had a 5K PR by a second during the race (haven't run a 5K in a loooong time..) We were treating it like a really hard training day but that didn't stop me from trying to chase down girls. Even though I was pre-warned, the course was tougher than I expected. I was really happy with my effort though and how my training has come along. A 3 minute PR and 8th female was also pretty nice, my previous PR was off the bike at Muskoka 70.3. I also got to wear my awesome new Kalani's and active compression socks from Zoot. I mean its most important to look good right? I'm loving the neon this year. I haven't ever worn compression during a race so was skeptical, but my calves felt awesome the next day so there must be something to it.
This past weekend we shifted gears a little and paced our friend Brenda Carawan for the Graveyard 100K. We paced Brenda last year when she finished first overall (male and female) in an incredible time of 16:33 which puts her at the 5th fastest female 100 time in the country.
Pictures from last years 100mi:
We get a little goofy sometimes....
(all the pictures were taken by her husband Russ Carawan)
We met Brenda through her husband Russ at a few cycling rides. He asked Brian to pace her for the Rock n Roll half marathon. Best part of that race was when Brenda exclaimed "oh no the bridge" and Brian said "the bridge? You just did 8,000 ft of climbing over 135 miles at Badwater and you're worried about a bridge?!" and she replied "actually it was 14,000 ft of climbing..." After that race I started running with Brenda and we hit it off. We both have coaches so there was a mutual understanding that we had to do what our coaches had given us and if we were able to make our runs coincide then awesome. We had some great conversations and I was definitely sad when she moved to Texas.
Brian and Brenda after Rock n Roll VB
I had some tightness in my foot flare up on Friday so I had to actually tell her that I didn't know if I was going to be able to run 5 miles much less the 22-26 (broken up) that we had originally planned. She was so fine with it, and wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything stupid, so we decided to play it by ear with her friend (and crew) Jon ready to step in if I had to stop running. The guys at Ghent Chiropractic always come through for me and did some ART as well as cold laser therapy. It was feeling good on Saturday so I decided to run and stop if it bugged me.
I ended up running with Brenda from mi 17 to mi 37 with no issues so that was a relief. Jon was ready at each aid station to step in though and he ended up running a few miles after me and then Brian brought her in for the last 18 miles.
Brenda was using this as a long training run since she has some bigger races coming up later in the year. Last year we had to pull her along a little more. This year it was all about holding her back. I can't even tell you how many times I had to be like "Brenda, you're doing it again, slow down there buckaroo." We also had the task of reminding her (tricking her into) about nutrition/hydration. I accidentally brought her through some high water instead of taking a detour so we had to do a quick shoe change that involved teaching Jon how to tie a double knot. She also got an ovation when she ducked into a restaurant to use the bathroom. She was good and only asked where 2nd place was a couple times since this was just training. That being said we lost track of 2nd place around 20 miles in and they ended up wayyyy back. Brian had to deal with bigger issues, like Brenda losing her eyesight around mile 50? when her eyes got too cold but they handled it expertly.
Brenda running on her own in the first 17 miles and the water I accidentally led her through... it was dark...
The crew (Frank, Jon, Brian and I) had way too much fun. It was a good thing Brenda didn't end up eating everything she packed the van with because we managed to get into the pringles and cookies...then Frank accidentally ate her sub... so dinner after the race consisted of scrounging at the 7-Eleven. We were driving a huge Expedition that Frank renamed the Sexpedition. And there was also the in depth discussion of throwing pancakes at runners to round off the evening. Jon suggested it, and Frank agreed that they would appreciate the carbs.
Our renamed crew vehicle and the whole crew: Frank, me, Brenda, Brian and Jon
Brian decided to ride back from the Outer Banks the next day to get his long ride in. He got a flat and Brenda and Jon were driving by around the same time and stopped to help and give him extra cookies. Our other great training buddies/friends Meghan and Clint were nice enough to watch our pup so I picked him up (I don't think he wanted to leave, it was like a puppy vacation) and then did my long ride in the afternoon (beautiful day for it too!).
Brenda is incredible, and a really valuable friend, confidant, advisor, training partner etc. This being just a training run, I can't wait to see what she does the rest of the year.
Brenda with her overall winner medal :)
This past weekend we shifted gears a little and paced our friend Brenda Carawan for the Graveyard 100K. We paced Brenda last year when she finished first overall (male and female) in an incredible time of 16:33 which puts her at the 5th fastest female 100 time in the country.
Pictures from last years 100mi:
We get a little goofy sometimes....
(all the pictures were taken by her husband Russ Carawan)
We met Brenda through her husband Russ at a few cycling rides. He asked Brian to pace her for the Rock n Roll half marathon. Best part of that race was when Brenda exclaimed "oh no the bridge" and Brian said "the bridge? You just did 8,000 ft of climbing over 135 miles at Badwater and you're worried about a bridge?!" and she replied "actually it was 14,000 ft of climbing..." After that race I started running with Brenda and we hit it off. We both have coaches so there was a mutual understanding that we had to do what our coaches had given us and if we were able to make our runs coincide then awesome. We had some great conversations and I was definitely sad when she moved to Texas.
Brian and Brenda after Rock n Roll VB
I had some tightness in my foot flare up on Friday so I had to actually tell her that I didn't know if I was going to be able to run 5 miles much less the 22-26 (broken up) that we had originally planned. She was so fine with it, and wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything stupid, so we decided to play it by ear with her friend (and crew) Jon ready to step in if I had to stop running. The guys at Ghent Chiropractic always come through for me and did some ART as well as cold laser therapy. It was feeling good on Saturday so I decided to run and stop if it bugged me.
Cold laser therapy
I ended up running with Brenda from mi 17 to mi 37 with no issues so that was a relief. Jon was ready at each aid station to step in though and he ended up running a few miles after me and then Brian brought her in for the last 18 miles.
Brenda was using this as a long training run since she has some bigger races coming up later in the year. Last year we had to pull her along a little more. This year it was all about holding her back. I can't even tell you how many times I had to be like "Brenda, you're doing it again, slow down there buckaroo." We also had the task of reminding her (tricking her into) about nutrition/hydration. I accidentally brought her through some high water instead of taking a detour so we had to do a quick shoe change that involved teaching Jon how to tie a double knot. She also got an ovation when she ducked into a restaurant to use the bathroom. She was good and only asked where 2nd place was a couple times since this was just training. That being said we lost track of 2nd place around 20 miles in and they ended up wayyyy back. Brian had to deal with bigger issues, like Brenda losing her eyesight around mile 50? when her eyes got too cold but they handled it expertly.
Brenda running on her own in the first 17 miles and the water I accidentally led her through... it was dark...
The crew (Frank, Jon, Brian and I) had way too much fun. It was a good thing Brenda didn't end up eating everything she packed the van with because we managed to get into the pringles and cookies...then Frank accidentally ate her sub... so dinner after the race consisted of scrounging at the 7-Eleven. We were driving a huge Expedition that Frank renamed the Sexpedition. And there was also the in depth discussion of throwing pancakes at runners to round off the evening. Jon suggested it, and Frank agreed that they would appreciate the carbs.
Our renamed crew vehicle and the whole crew: Frank, me, Brenda, Brian and Jon
Brian decided to ride back from the Outer Banks the next day to get his long ride in. He got a flat and Brenda and Jon were driving by around the same time and stopped to help and give him extra cookies. Our other great training buddies/friends Meghan and Clint were nice enough to watch our pup so I picked him up (I don't think he wanted to leave, it was like a puppy vacation) and then did my long ride in the afternoon (beautiful day for it too!).
Brenda is incredible, and a really valuable friend, confidant, advisor, training partner etc. This being just a training run, I can't wait to see what she does the rest of the year.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Hungry Triathletes
I've been thinking a lot about food recently. Plus we get asked about our diet quite a bit so thought I'd write my thoughts down. Since the weather hasn't been the greatest, we have been stuck on the trainer quite a bit. I came home from the gym one day to find Brian on the trainer watching a documentary called Hungry for Change. My next trainer workout, I decided to also give it a view. I actually found it pretty well done. I liked how it talked about why we crave certain things. It also talked a lot about evolving your diet over time, instead of trying major changes very quickly. After we had both watched it, we talked a little about trying to cut out more processed foods. We didn't eat a whole lot of processed foods in the first place but we decided to be more careful. We decided that we would buy something "processed" if we recognized all the ingredients as something we would keep in our own pantry. For example, one of my favorite snacks are brown rice cakes (with nut butter, honey and cinnamon). The ingredients are brown rice so I was excited to not have to give up my favorite snack. We also didn't want to give up all grains, but we opt for "better" grains like brown rice, quinoa, etc. The hardest thing for me has been cereal, because I looooove cold cereal and soy milk as a snack.
Around the same time I saw this documentary, I also read an article in Triathlete Magazine (which I now can't find). It started off talking about how so and so top elite triathlete uses the paleo diet so that must be the right one....but then again so and so other top elite triathlete uses a gluten free diet, and then this other one uses a vegan diet and so on. So which diet is best? The article stated that there are benefits to all of these but it really just depends on the needs/wants of the individual as to which diet will be best. It also talked about how the best diet is one that you really believe you can stick with. I am pretty sure I have no chance of making my hunter husband into a vegan....so that was out. However, I cook vegan/vegetarian once a week for dinner, and usually we only eat meat for dinner on the other days. I didn't want to do the paleo diet, because, as mentioned earlier, I didn't want to give up stuff that was processed but I felt was still ok because I could technically make it myself (ex. rice cakes). Plus, we really didn't want to eliminate all grains. However, I incorporate paleo meals/recipes into our diets. I also have some meals/recipes that are gluten free or raw, etc. etc.
Looking back, our diet has evolved really gradually. We will be eating one thing, and then we will find something similar and we will switch to eating that instead. We gradually incorporate "better" stuff into our diets and then there just isn't room for the "bad" stuff. We have recently added in some super foods like spirulina, chia seeds and nutritional yeast. I've also started throwing fresh beets into my smoothies a few times a week. I plan our dinners out at the beginning of the week so that we aren't scrounging for stuff to make a healthy dinner with. I try to plan it so we have at least one vegan/vegetarian meal, fish meal, venison meal etc. We do Mexican Mondays, and pizza on Fridays. I always did pizza night with my family on Fridays growing up so I started it with the two of us, however our pizza night is a little different. We use a whole wheat or cauliflower crust and load it up with veggies. Instead of chips or fries, we pop popcorn on the stove with just a little peanut oil and put a movie in to enjoy a nice night together.
Here is a picture of our fridge at the beginning of the week after our one big grocery shopping trip:
Around the same time I saw this documentary, I also read an article in Triathlete Magazine (which I now can't find). It started off talking about how so and so top elite triathlete uses the paleo diet so that must be the right one....but then again so and so other top elite triathlete uses a gluten free diet, and then this other one uses a vegan diet and so on. So which diet is best? The article stated that there are benefits to all of these but it really just depends on the needs/wants of the individual as to which diet will be best. It also talked about how the best diet is one that you really believe you can stick with. I am pretty sure I have no chance of making my hunter husband into a vegan....so that was out. However, I cook vegan/vegetarian once a week for dinner, and usually we only eat meat for dinner on the other days. I didn't want to do the paleo diet, because, as mentioned earlier, I didn't want to give up stuff that was processed but I felt was still ok because I could technically make it myself (ex. rice cakes). Plus, we really didn't want to eliminate all grains. However, I incorporate paleo meals/recipes into our diets. I also have some meals/recipes that are gluten free or raw, etc. etc.
Looking back, our diet has evolved really gradually. We will be eating one thing, and then we will find something similar and we will switch to eating that instead. We gradually incorporate "better" stuff into our diets and then there just isn't room for the "bad" stuff. We have recently added in some super foods like spirulina, chia seeds and nutritional yeast. I've also started throwing fresh beets into my smoothies a few times a week. I plan our dinners out at the beginning of the week so that we aren't scrounging for stuff to make a healthy dinner with. I try to plan it so we have at least one vegan/vegetarian meal, fish meal, venison meal etc. We do Mexican Mondays, and pizza on Fridays. I always did pizza night with my family on Fridays growing up so I started it with the two of us, however our pizza night is a little different. We use a whole wheat or cauliflower crust and load it up with veggies. Instead of chips or fries, we pop popcorn on the stove with just a little peanut oil and put a movie in to enjoy a nice night together.
Here is a picture of our fridge at the beginning of the week after our one big grocery shopping trip:
And this is our fridge before our shopping trip the following Sunday...minus the fruit in the bottom drawer
This particular week wasn't too bad actually, but usually we spend close to $200 a week just for the two of us and we are scraping the cupboards and drawers come Saturday. And that beer has been in there for a really really long time....
One of the hardest things to find non-processed alternatives for is snacks. Three meals isn't quite enough for us... and Brian was already taking almost 5 pieces of fruit a day. I started making our own hummus (favorite flavor so far is chipotle) and introduced Brian to jicama for dipping in the hummus. He was a little sick of so many veggies (we both eat a big salad for lunch and lots of veggies in the evening plus veggies in our morning smoothies), but jicama has a cool flavor, almost like a hybrid apple and veggie. I also bought a book called Artisan Bread in five minutes a day and have been making our own bread. I'm still learning but they are turning out better and better. Once we can get the dry blade for our Vitamix (best thing ever invented), we may start grinding our own flour. Other snacks we have are homemade pickles, rice cakes with nut butter/honey, fruit, dried nuts/dried fruit and homemade granola bars (Brian's kitchen sink bars, he just throws whatever is in our pantry as far as dried fruit, nuts, nut butter, oats etc. and they are always awesome).
This is my typical bag of food for the work day (Brian takes something similar but almost double the amount):
Leftover veggie frittata with some homemade bread, small salad (since I actually had leftovers), grape fruit, apple, dried fruit/nuts, jicama and hummus and a homemade granola bar.
Side note: you can sort of see a bit of the Feed Zone Cookbook. It's awesome, fast and easy recipes to make with ingredients that aren't impossible to find, that taste awesome and are tailored to endurance athletes. Other cookbooks we use are recipes from Scott Jurek's Eat and Run book, Skinny Bitch, Ultimate Guide to Everday Cooking (Vegan) and Cooking Light magazines (although a recipe for 4 usually just feeds us....with no leftovers...), and then there is Pinterest, which is a great way to find new recipes and ideas.
Typical breakfasts before workouts are hot cereal or steel cut oats with dried fruit, nuts, agave etc.
After I swim I usually either have a fruit/veggie/greek yogurt smoothie or a egg/veggie wrap.
Dinners vary a lot, I love cooking new stuff, but they all usually involve whole grains or sweet potatoes (I love these little purple potatoes I get at whole foods too), veggies and lean protein (venison, fish, tempeh, tofu - yep Brian eats tofu, chicken etc.).
A lot of people tell us, well you're really fit so you don't need to be careful about your diet. What many people don't understand is that it has more to do with how we feel then how we look. Plus getting that perfect balance in weight for racing/training also has its advantages. I used to actually track what I ate. It had its positive side, I learned I needed to be better about my sodium and potassium ratios. However, I stopped tracking when I became too concerned about calorie intake. Now we both eat to our hunger. If I'm hungry I eat. I actually give in to some of my cravings too. Sometimes when you are really craving something, its your body trying to tell you something...within reason. I usually give in more after longer/harder workouts. Believe it or not, in the summer I crave vegetable juice after a long, hot ride (maybe the sodium?). Or you just make your cravings more healthy. We have gotten better at making healthy junk food. I make zuchinni fries and bake them, or Brian will make baked chicken nuggets with an oat breading etc. etc. Brian loves popsicles but the ones in the store have additives so I got him a Zoku. We received an ice cream maker for our wedding so Brian made green tea soy ice cream. The possibilities are endless. Healthy eating doesn't have to be boring, we love incorporating different diets and trying new things. One thing I'll never give up is chocolate, but I've limited myself to a square of quality dark chocolate after dinner.
Anyway, sorry this was so long, I've been thinking about all this quite a bit lately. I've been pretty happy with the recent changes to our diet but I'm always on the lookout for new ideas. And also, I'm not saying our approach to diet is the best for everyone, we just get asked about it a lot so thought I'd put it out there :)
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Trainer Party
At 1pm on Friday afternoon, Old Dominion University announced it would be closing at 3pm because it would begin snowing then....we got 1 inch of snow... Coming from Rhode Island, I found this quite amusing, and our Canadian friends found it downright hilarious. That being said, it actually can get dangerous on the roads here when it snows even a little because they don't have the stuff needed to clear it and very few know how to drive in the snow.
We had been planning a ride from our house for Saturday morning followed by breakfast with everyone. That wasn't going to happen but Fat Frogs Chesapeake graciously agreed to open their doors 3 hours early so people could bring their trainers in and ride in good company. It actually made for a really enjoyable ride. I usually watch movies on the trainer but I didn't even look at the shop tv, it was all about good conversation. The camraderie with that group is very strong and the support is awesome. Really looking forward to seeing what the Fat Frogs tri team/club is going to do this season.
On Sunday (today) I had a longer run and wasn't looking forward to running by myself. I headed out to the park hoping to find someone to run with. I was able to run with our friends Stephanie and Mark and the miles just flew by. Barely looked at my watch but felt great and had a strong run with good conversation and just really enjoyed the morning out in the park. Good running buddies are hard to come by and I have been blessed with several. I can't wait for a couple of the other girls to get back to the area so we can have some ladies runs (followed by coffee of course). There have been times with this group of ladies that I have had to stop running because I'm laughing so hard.
This evening we had my cycling buddy Michelle over for dinner. We were introduced by friends and after only meeting once briefly she came out and rode long with me last summer. I am not the easiest person to ride with because I tend to just want to go the pace I want to go, or that my workout dictates. She is a strong cyclist so she pushes me, is fun and lovely to talk to and sooooo encouraging. We ride together all the time now and I have come to really enjoy those long rides. She is headed out to Linsey Corbin's camp next week so can't wait to go on some more rides when she gets back!
Anyway, a bit long winded, but this has all reminded me of how important it is to surround yourself with supportive, fun and positive people. We paced our friend Brenda Carawan last year in a 100 miler and I remember her being so adamant about all of us (her husband, Brian, me and her) crossing the finish line together. I said something like yeah but this is your race, you should have your moment. She then explained to me that no, this was about more than just her, it takes a village to get through a tough race. I can see that now, the support and encouragement of friends is an incredible thing. We are blessed with a supportive community that follows our racing and always has a kind word. I couldn't be happier with my coach Tara, she picks me up when I'm being too hard on myself and gets my butt in gear when I need it. Brian is of course wonderful and knows just how to motivate and encourage me. My friends and family are always there to listen to my neurotic worries or laugh about silly moments. A bit mushy, but I really just wanted everyone to know how much we appreciate everything that this community, our sponsors, friends, family etc. etc do for us. It makes the training so much more fun.
Rachel
We had been planning a ride from our house for Saturday morning followed by breakfast with everyone. That wasn't going to happen but Fat Frogs Chesapeake graciously agreed to open their doors 3 hours early so people could bring their trainers in and ride in good company. It actually made for a really enjoyable ride. I usually watch movies on the trainer but I didn't even look at the shop tv, it was all about good conversation. The camraderie with that group is very strong and the support is awesome. Really looking forward to seeing what the Fat Frogs tri team/club is going to do this season.
On Sunday (today) I had a longer run and wasn't looking forward to running by myself. I headed out to the park hoping to find someone to run with. I was able to run with our friends Stephanie and Mark and the miles just flew by. Barely looked at my watch but felt great and had a strong run with good conversation and just really enjoyed the morning out in the park. Good running buddies are hard to come by and I have been blessed with several. I can't wait for a couple of the other girls to get back to the area so we can have some ladies runs (followed by coffee of course). There have been times with this group of ladies that I have had to stop running because I'm laughing so hard.
This evening we had my cycling buddy Michelle over for dinner. We were introduced by friends and after only meeting once briefly she came out and rode long with me last summer. I am not the easiest person to ride with because I tend to just want to go the pace I want to go, or that my workout dictates. She is a strong cyclist so she pushes me, is fun and lovely to talk to and sooooo encouraging. We ride together all the time now and I have come to really enjoy those long rides. She is headed out to Linsey Corbin's camp next week so can't wait to go on some more rides when she gets back!
Anyway, a bit long winded, but this has all reminded me of how important it is to surround yourself with supportive, fun and positive people. We paced our friend Brenda Carawan last year in a 100 miler and I remember her being so adamant about all of us (her husband, Brian, me and her) crossing the finish line together. I said something like yeah but this is your race, you should have your moment. She then explained to me that no, this was about more than just her, it takes a village to get through a tough race. I can see that now, the support and encouragement of friends is an incredible thing. We are blessed with a supportive community that follows our racing and always has a kind word. I couldn't be happier with my coach Tara, she picks me up when I'm being too hard on myself and gets my butt in gear when I need it. Brian is of course wonderful and knows just how to motivate and encourage me. My friends and family are always there to listen to my neurotic worries or laugh about silly moments. A bit mushy, but I really just wanted everyone to know how much we appreciate everything that this community, our sponsors, friends, family etc. etc do for us. It makes the training so much more fun.
Rachel
Monday, January 14, 2013
Base Training
Brian and I had a wonderful time over the holidays. We spent Thanksgiving here and my parents and brother came down. Christmas was spent here with Brian's family and then we drove to RI for New Years. We were both still getting a fair amount of training in, but it was nice to have some of the pressure off and to not worry too much about diet. We have also been having a ton of fun with our new puppy Gunther. He is a Llewellyn Setter and about 15 weeks old. He's a good little guy but a handful at times. We are working on getting him used to commands and walking nicely on the leash and he's doing pretty well. He loved the snow up in RI. Now that the holidays are over and I am back from my conference in San Francisco (Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, our big conference for the year) we are really getting back into training. Workouts are starting to get a little harder but I think we both appreciate the challenge. We are both far ahead of where we started out last year so that is encouraging. We are back into the swing of things with meal planning and healthy eating with cheats so we don't go crazy. I am getting the itch to race so may do some smaller races in the early season. Really hoping we can make it to the Zoot camp at the end of March because it's always fun to see our team mates. Looking forward to some hard training and racing this year!
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