Ammendment

Okay, I'd like to make a slight ammendment to yesterday's profession of love for morning workouts:

I love running in the morning. As long as it's a nice, slow, easy-pace run. Speedwork in the morning? Sucks. Bad.

This morning I got up at 5:15. The sun wasn't quite peeking over the mountains, but it was providing a good backlighting for the peaks of Glacier Park that I can see from my bedroom window. The birds were singing, the air was cool but not cold. Fresh. Aaah.

I strapped on my shoes, started my watch, and took off at a slow jog. The plan was to warm-up for 12-15 minutes or so, then do a fartlek session for 20 minutes, then finish up with a 10 min cool-down (non-runners, see description of a fartlek here).

The warm-up went well. I realized once I started running that perhaps it was a little chillier than I'd thought. I should've gone for the pants instead of shorts. And some light gloves would've been nice. Oh well. It was a bit chilly, and even though my core warmed up and I was starting to sweat, my legs never really felt like they got warm.

So I decided to extend my warm-up a little longer... then a little longer.... then some more.

Okay, so I "warmed up" for 25 minutes. That's when the mind versus matter debate really set in:

Brain: I said I was going to do fartleks, so I'd better do some. Run fast to that green mailbox down there.

Legs: nuh uh.

Brain: Yeah, come on.

Legs: nope. we're cold. not gonna do it.

Brain: Oh come on, pleeeease. Just one little speed burst. Then you can have a break.

Legs: nah... we're already on break.

Brain: Fine, we'll run slow for a few more minutes, then go fast.

Legs: okay, sure, whatever.

(a quarter mile later...)

Brain: Okay, you deadbeats. Get to movin'.

Legs: nope. still don't wanna.

Brain: Jeez, you guys. It's only a mile back to home. Can't you eek out a few little speed bursts in there?

Legs: what, so we can get home 60 seconds faster? nah, we'd rather go slower and have it take a little longer. hurts less that way.

Brain: Okay, I'm getting sick of you whiners. Let's go. Come on, hustle.

Legs: (grumble, grumble)

Brain: Pick it up, a little faster... come on, stay with it...

Legs: arghh!... ragga-schmagga.... this (bleep) sucks

Brain: Okay, you can slow down now.

Legs: thanks. that wan't fun.

Brain: Suck it up. You gotta do it again when we get to the end of this street.

Legs: slave driver.

(a minute or so later)

Brain: Time to go, guys. Get a move on.

Legs: yeah, yeah, we're going.

Brain: See, this isn't so bad, is it?

Legs: yeah, sure... you're not the one working here.

Brain: You think this isn't work getting you guys up and moving first thing in the morning? I daresay it's much tougher on me than on you. Then you get to just hang out all day at the office while I have to keep working. So no, I don't have much sympathy. Just shut up and run.

Legs: hmm.. Brain has a point there. still...

Brain: Now would you look at that? We're almost back home. Let's do one more little burst, then we'll go stretch it out with a short yoga dvd. Come on, now-- hup to!

Legs: golly, this going fast stuff isn't all that bad now. but, you know, if Brain says it's time to quit, we won't argue!

And thus went my morning. It seems that Legs and Brain are usually a little more in-sync later in the day. So maybe I'll try leaving speed sessions for afternoons, and just stick with slow runs in the a.m. for now. I can't handle all that bickering so early in the day!

Oh glorious mornings

The long weekend afforded me two opportunities to work out in the morning. Saturday I grabbed Amy for a long run in the Rattlesnake. We started about 11am, which isn't all that early in the morning, really. But it had just stopped drizzling and the sun was starting to peek out, so it seemed earlier than it was. Beautiful run through neighborhoods bursting with flowers, then along a rushing stream, and a few miles of trail winding around big ponderosa pines with arnica abloom in the understory. Gorgeous. Warm, but not hot. A little muggy, but we appreciated how the rain had softened the trails just a tad. Lovely. A total of about 8.25 miles, roughly 1 1/2 hours of running. And it was so nice to have the dreaded Long Run out of the way so that I didn't have it looming over my activities for the rest of the weekend.

Monday morning I awoke naturally (i.e. sans alarm) at 5:30 am. I toodled around the house for a bit, then headed back to the Rattlesnake. I unloaded my bike and started riding, enjoying how quiet the streets were on a holiday morning. The grass is soooo green right now, the cottonwood trees are blooming and smell terrific, and birds are singing their hearts out. I couldn't stop smiling as I cruised along enjoying a nice, long warm-up. Then came the hills-- first a gradual downhill stretch that got me a little chilly. But I quickly warmed up as I climbed to the top of the Lincoln Hills neighborhood-- a steady climb in lowest gears for about 12 minutes. It was so gorgeous, though, that I didn't mind. Then as I flew back down the switchbacks, the views of Lolo Peak and surrounding mountains were just stunning.

Back at my car, Jenny was waiting for me. I stashed my bike, then we took off on a 4 mile run. I couldn't stop commenting about how beautiful everything was. I was probably a bit annoying at first, seeing as how I'd been up and already gone for a ride and was reeling with adrenaline, whereas she'd just gotten out of bed about 20 minutes before meeting me! I appologize, Jenny, if I was one of those annoying too-chipper Morning People! After the run we stopped for coffee and crepes, then I headed off for the rest of my day. Again, it was so nice to have my workout done with early in the day.

I love working out in the mornings. And I love being out in the mornings. I don't necessarily love to get up early, though! But really, I don't typically like to get up EVER, regardless of the time!

I wish I didn't have to be at work at 7am most mornings. To get a workout in and get cleaned up and to work by 7 means getting up quite early. But now that it's light out by 5:30 or so, it shouldn't be too bad. So tomorrow I think I'll rise and get my fartlek run done in the early morning light. Do one of you East Coasters want to call me and make sure my butt's out of bed by about 7 your time?! Remind me how much I love running in the morning!

Bricks

In the triathlon world, you'll hear people talking about "bricks" a lot. These are training sessions in which you do two activities back-to-back. For example, swim and then bike. Or bike and then run. The main idea is to get your body accustomed to making the physiological shifts it needs to make in a race when switching activities.

Yesterday our Tri Class did what was called a "broken brick" workout. Basically, we ran a mile, hopped on our bikes and rode 8 miles, ran another mile, rode 6 more miles, and finally ran one more mile-- a total of about 1 hour 40 minutes. This was a pretty good approximation of the amount of biking and running I'll be doing in my triathlon in a few weeks-- a 13 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run. I was pleased to find that I had a little extra kick left in my legs at the end of the last mile and was able to turn it on and pass one of the girls at the end (I know, you're not supposed to be all competitive all the time, but I couldn't help myself!)

While biking along through lush green countryside, again on an overcast 55 degree day, I intentionally made it a point to appreciate the weather-- great for biking and running (just not swimming!) The wind was a bit stiff at times, forcing me to drop a few gears on the flats, but otherwise it was a nice, peaceful ride.

I wondered as I rode... "What really is a brick? Where did the word come from?"

I had a couple of thoughts: "After a good bike ride, my legs feel like bricks on the run!" "If I keep working out like this, I'll be built like a brick house." or "Doing this kind of workout will help me from hitting the proverbial "brick wall" during a race.

Well, I looked on the internet and it turns out my first guess was probably the closest to being right. Here are a few links to articles about brick workouts that I found:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/enrico%20contolini/Introduction_to_bricks.htm

http://www.tri-masters.org/pages/_brick__training/32.php

http://www.martygaal.com/words/bricks.html

The best part about yesterday's workout? Variety is the spice of life. Just as I'd begin to tire of one activity, I got to swap it out for another. It made 100 minutes go by pretty quickly.

I also appreciated knowing that after that much time of aerobic activity I still had some gumption. Perhaps enough to add in a 20-minute swim?

(Oh yeah, and going home to a hot bath, a warm dinner, and a session of legs-up-the-wall while watching Grey's Anatomy was pretty nice, too.)

First Open Water Swim

With this post I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone: First, I promised I'd write about my experience of doing my first open water swim. Second, I figured I'd respond to TriGreyhound's call for poetry. To the tune of "The Night Before Christmas," here goes:

FIRST OPEN WATER SWIM

T'was a cool afternoon and along the lake
The breeze it did blow and the aspens did shake
The skies overcast and the temp fifty-five
With water so cold, could I even survive?

I stepped out my car and greeted my pals
IronMan Ted and two newbie gals
We'd scheduled this first swim last week in the sun
With warm sunny skies, we thought it'd be fun

But typical weather in Montana does shift
One day there's blue skies, the next there's snow drifts
Ted had swam here last Sunday, "It wasn't too bad,
Perhaps with this weather it's cooled just a tad"

So we pulled on our wesuits-- a feat of its own--
Donned swim caps and goggles and earplugs of foam
Slicked up our rub spots with cool Body Glide
To make sure our new suits didn't take off some hide

All dressed up and ready, we walked down to the docks
Set down our towels and started our clocks
We'd swim to a red boat tied to a far shore
Then regroup and see if we'd want to swim more

Ted jumped in feet first, then came up with a clatter
We peered oe'r the edge to see what was the matter
He sputtered about before catching his breath
With water this cold, were we not facing death?

"Come on now girls, you've got to start swimming"
He encouraged us all, our nervousness brimming
One by one we jumped in, the cold quite a shock
And with choppy strokes, pulled away from the dock

My stroke length felt shortened, my rhythm was off
I sucked in some water and started to cough
The other gals, too, were swimming in fits
This lake swimming thing is really the pits

After what seemed like hours, we made it to our "bouy"
It'd only been ten minutes, but I sighed "Phew-wee!
It feels like the first time I ever did swim."
Ted said "It gets better-- let's swim once again!"

We sighted this time for the end of an isle
We swam and we swam, it took quite a while
We regrouped again and complained of cold feet
I peed in my suit-- what wonderful heat

One-quarter mile doesn't seem very far
When jogging or biking or driving a car
Or when in the pool, swimming lap after lap
But back to the dock, it seemed farther than crap!

I stuck my head down and adjusted my mind
Started counting my strokes, and my rhythm did find
One-two-three, four-five-six, sev'-eight-nine and now sight
"Hey it's working," I thought, "I could do this all night"

Like any endeavor this swim was quite mental
To swim half a mile was so monumental
"Don't give up, Self, don't start to cry
Just tough it out, you're training for a Tri!"

Back at the dock we stripped off our suits,
Pulled on our sweatshirts and nice warm dry boots.
As I headed for home I thought of my race
By three weeks from now, I should swim like an ace!

I'm Nuts

It's currently 52 degrees and overcast. And in just a few hours, I'll be heading out to Foy's Lake to don my wetsuit for our virginal swim in open water.

I'm trying to console myself with the fact that the water is actually a few degrees warmer than the air.

I have fleece pants and a sweatshirt packed for afterwards. I'll write about the experience tomorrow... if my fingers have thawed out by then!