Is Procrastination Killing Your Swimming?
Yep, mine most definitely!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
My First (Two) Half Marathon(s)!
Here's a really late report. But I realize I haven't had anything going on in this blog for a while. Time to wake it up!
I was planning on doing the Seabook Lucky Trails Half Marathon for a while, particularly since I got an Active.com Schwaggle deal on it for cheap! I thought it would be a good first race because it was on trails, and it usually has good schwag. But it it turned out that I reached 10 miles in my training faster than I thought! So I signed up for the Galveston Mardi Gras Half Marathon the week of the race. So here are my late race reports!
Nutrition: Too long since the race for me to detail my race morning... I think it was an Ezekial English Muffin with eggs, and maybe a Powerbar. I think I also drank some Scivation Xtend, which I think is fantastic stuff. For the race itself, I took four bottles of water with about 400 calories worth of EFS Liquid Shot mixed in across the four. This worked perfectly for hydration and nutrition all in one, with roughly one bottle per 5K. A constant flow of energy since I sipped some each walk break, and no stomach issues!
Results: Not quite what I had hoped for, but given the conditions I am just glad I finished it. I am glad I did it though! 67th in my age group 2:40:37 for 12:16/M. Garmin details here.
The trails are really tight in a lot of places, particularly with traffic in both directions since we were running two loops.That certainly didn't help things. I did and felt pretty good the first loop, but then I started fading. Between the heat and the lack of training since Galveston, I was just fizzling out.
Nutrition: Same as Galveston, but more water from the water stations.
Results: 30th in my age group, 2:42:31 for 12:24/M. No PR. Garmin results here.
I was planning on doing the Seabook Lucky Trails Half Marathon for a while, particularly since I got an Active.com Schwaggle deal on it for cheap! I thought it would be a good first race because it was on trails, and it usually has good schwag. But it it turned out that I reached 10 miles in my training faster than I thought! So I signed up for the Galveston Mardi Gras Half Marathon the week of the race. So here are my late race reports!
Galveston Mardi Gras Half Marathon 2/5/2012
Race morning the weather was definitely not cooperating. It was less than 50 degrees, raining, and very windy. YUK! But having signed up for this at the inflated last minute prices, I definitely was not going to skip out on this one. I wore a bike rain coat that Donna had picked up for the MS-150 before, nothing we were worried about in case I decided to ditch it along the way. With my favorite Under Armour long sleeved shirt and compression tights, the cold wet rain was really not too bad after I warmed up. I even pulled the jacket off and tied it around my waist after a couple of miles, once the rain eased up a bit. I kept it in case the rain picked up harder again and it got colder. The hardest part was the middle 7 miles along the Galveston seawall, all with a cross headwind!Nutrition: Too long since the race for me to detail my race morning... I think it was an Ezekial English Muffin with eggs, and maybe a Powerbar. I think I also drank some Scivation Xtend, which I think is fantastic stuff. For the race itself, I took four bottles of water with about 400 calories worth of EFS Liquid Shot mixed in across the four. This worked perfectly for hydration and nutrition all in one, with roughly one bottle per 5K. A constant flow of energy since I sipped some each walk break, and no stomach issues!
Results: Not quite what I had hoped for, but given the conditions I am just glad I finished it. I am glad I did it though! 67th in my age group 2:40:37 for 12:16/M. Garmin details here.
Seabrook Lucky Trails Half Marathon - 3/17/2012
Weather was nice but on the hot side. Leading up to the race, I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to do it. I was fighting IT band issues since Galveston. I went on a trip to visit my mom in Alabama and ran some trails back home the weekend before. That went pretty well, so I decided I could survive another half. I was hoping I would still beat my Galveston time and PR, but that didn't happen.
The trails are really tight in a lot of places, particularly with traffic in both directions since we were running two loops.That certainly didn't help things. I did and felt pretty good the first loop, but then I started fading. Between the heat and the lack of training since Galveston, I was just fizzling out.
Nutrition: Same as Galveston, but more water from the water stations.
Results: 30th in my age group, 2:42:31 for 12:24/M. No PR. Garmin results here.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
T NATION | 9 Strategies to Train Around Lower Body Pain
T NATION | 9 Strategies to Train Around Lower Body Pain
Great article! I am a believer in stuff like this for the knee issues.
Great article! I am a believer in stuff like this for the knee issues.
Monday, March 26, 2012
The Truth About Meal Frequency: Is Intermittent Fasting for You?
The Truth About Meal Frequency: Is Intermittent Fasting for You?
Interesting article on meal frequency. I have to say, I have been reducing meal/snack frequency myself and so far , so good.
Interesting article on meal frequency. I have to say, I have been reducing meal/snack frequency myself and so far , so good.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Lift Big Eat Big: Sweat Does Not Equal Fat Loss
"Cardio in excess may contribute to an absence of fat loss, due its catabolic effects, and in some instances may cause actual fat gain." I can prove this with my own training, it's true!
Lift Big Eat Big: Sweat Does Not Equal Fat Loss
Lift Big Eat Big: Sweat Does Not Equal Fat Loss
Friday, March 16, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Priority One For Swimmers – Get Level
Priority One For Swimmers – Get Level:
Before you put one more ounce of effort into creating propulsion in your swim with hard kicking, a dramatic catch or a stronger pull, invest yourself entirely in reducing drag. You’ll get more speed with less effort.
The greatest technique challenge that new swimmers have to overcome is body drag. Body drag occurs when the top parts of the body (head, lead arm, shoulders) are positioned high in the water, and the hips and feet are progressively deeper. In this “swimming uphill” position, there is drag at the chest, stomach, hips, thighs, knees, shins and feet. Water is so thick that elite swimmers shave their entire bodies to reduce the drag generated by tiny hairs, so imagine the resistance created by the whole body plowing through the water.
To solve this critical issue, it helps to understand that the body functions in the water like a seesaw works on a playground: When one end goes down, the other end goes up. You have three tools to help you get level in the water.
• Head: When you look forward while swimming, your head rises above the surface of the water, causing the hips and legs to sink. If your head is lowered into the water, then the hips and feet rise towards the surface. Rather than having the water line at your eyebrows, forehead or hair line, drop your head so that the water line connects with the crown of the head.
• Lead arm: Once the arm enters the water and reaches forward to complete extension, the fingers should not be above, on, or even just below the water’s surface. They should be deep-perhaps three to five inches below the surface of the water.
• Pressure: Thanks to the lungs, the chest cavity holds a lot of air. When the upper part of the chest is pressed down into the water, the lower part rises. Maintain this pressure on the upper chest as you roll from side to side. Think about leaning first on your armpit and then across both collarbones and onto the other armpit.
Different body types require different adjustments. A body with more adipose tissue (fat) around the hips and thighs will naturally float level with greater ease than a very lean body with dense muscle and bone. Both body types (and everyone in between) can be level in the water, but some may ride deeper in the water than others. Depth does not matter-it’s being level that is critical to minimizing drag. Generally, the leaner and more muscular you are, the more you will need to rely on head depth, lead arm depth and pressure to get level. Regardless of your body type, as you become more comfortable in the water, you can slightly reduce your reliance on these factors as all three tools work together to keep you level.
Ian Murray is a USAT Level III coach and the co-producer, writer and host of the DVD series found at TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
Before you put one more ounce of effort into creating propulsion in your swim with hard kicking, a dramatic catch or a stronger pull, invest yourself entirely in reducing drag. You’ll get more speed with less effort.
The greatest technique challenge that new swimmers have to overcome is body drag. Body drag occurs when the top parts of the body (head, lead arm, shoulders) are positioned high in the water, and the hips and feet are progressively deeper. In this “swimming uphill” position, there is drag at the chest, stomach, hips, thighs, knees, shins and feet. Water is so thick that elite swimmers shave their entire bodies to reduce the drag generated by tiny hairs, so imagine the resistance created by the whole body plowing through the water.
To solve this critical issue, it helps to understand that the body functions in the water like a seesaw works on a playground: When one end goes down, the other end goes up. You have three tools to help you get level in the water.
• Head: When you look forward while swimming, your head rises above the surface of the water, causing the hips and legs to sink. If your head is lowered into the water, then the hips and feet rise towards the surface. Rather than having the water line at your eyebrows, forehead or hair line, drop your head so that the water line connects with the crown of the head.
• Lead arm: Once the arm enters the water and reaches forward to complete extension, the fingers should not be above, on, or even just below the water’s surface. They should be deep-perhaps three to five inches below the surface of the water.
• Pressure: Thanks to the lungs, the chest cavity holds a lot of air. When the upper part of the chest is pressed down into the water, the lower part rises. Maintain this pressure on the upper chest as you roll from side to side. Think about leaning first on your armpit and then across both collarbones and onto the other armpit.
Different body types require different adjustments. A body with more adipose tissue (fat) around the hips and thighs will naturally float level with greater ease than a very lean body with dense muscle and bone. Both body types (and everyone in between) can be level in the water, but some may ride deeper in the water than others. Depth does not matter-it’s being level that is critical to minimizing drag. Generally, the leaner and more muscular you are, the more you will need to rely on head depth, lead arm depth and pressure to get level. Regardless of your body type, as you become more comfortable in the water, you can slightly reduce your reliance on these factors as all three tools work together to keep you level.
Ian Murray is a USAT Level III coach and the co-producer, writer and host of the DVD series found at TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)