Posts from — March 2008

Wow, what a difference a week makes.  I did the same hill run workout I did last weekend and felt sooooooooooooo much better.  One reason is because I took yesterday off because I was in coaching class all day.  The week before, it was the last workout of a long week of workouts.  I also followed my heart rate recovery rules.  I was able to run back home the entire way.

Off to the expo…..I hope to see you all there. I’ll be working at the Landry’s booth from 10:30-11:30.

OK, NOW I know why coaches need coaches.  I’m going to write this post, and Jason is going to respond, duh, Diane.  So, I go off to do my hill repeat workout this morning and I run 16min to get to my hill (in case you care, it is on Bartlett past the Lyman St turn towards Southboro) press my watch to start my intervals of 1 min as hard as I can go up the hill.  That is the easy part of following directions.  It’s the back down the hill-recovery part I apparently thought I could cut corners on.

So, for the first 5 (of 12) intervals, I run up as fast as I can and I peak my heart rate at around 177, and I slowly jog back down the hill.  This is the kicker.  When I get to where I started from, I turn around and do it again.  The problem is that my HR only got down to 155-157.  So I ended up starting the next interval around 160 which is way too high to be starting the all out effort from if I’m going to make it to 12 intervals.  By the 5th interval, I’m seriously doubting whether I can finish the set and start the negative talk about how out of shape I must be not to be able to do this.  Then, I dig deep, actually think about my mother’s suffering and how this is rediculous, of course I can finish….and it hits me.  Duh, Diane, get your HR lower before you start the next interval.

So, on interval 6, I run up as hard as I can, and jog lightly back down to about 1/2 way down the hill, then I walk (novel idea, huh?).  I end up starting interval 7 at a HR of 140.  Low and behold, I made it further up the hill, and got my HR to peak at 182 instead of 177 before the minute was over.  By the last set of 5 intervals, I was feeling much better and could have a more quality interval.  This is not to say that the “easy” jog home was easy!  I was dying.  I ended up cutting the jog home down to 13min and skipping the last 1/2 mile.  I am completely spent!  What a great workout.

Lesson learned to my athletes, do as I say, not as I do   As John Bingham says in his postings, “Waddle on folks”.   Have a great Easter!

Marie wrote in a question post:  “On the topic of all the snazzy duds I am going to get to wear this season, are tri-shorts different than biking shorts (I just tried them out, interesting….)”

Diane’s response:  Marie, tri shorts are different than biking shorts in that they have a smaller pad so you can swim, bike and run in them.  Bike shorts have the big padding and are only for biking.  The uniforms we are getting have tri short-padding so you can wear them for all three events.  In a race, you definitely want the tri shorts so you don’t have to pull on bike shorts over a wet bathingsuit (plus, lets face it, who wants to run from the swim to the bike transition in a bathingsuit   ) and then run after the bike in your bike shorts.

I have bike shorts and tri shorts.  Now, I wear tri shorts to get my body used to riding long periods of time in shorts with less padding.  Up until last year though, because I was racing shorter  distances, I wore bike shorts when I was long rides and tri shorts every other time.  It’s all a comfort thing.  You will definitely want to do some training in the tri shorts to toughen up

Let me know if you have any other question.

Diane

Marie wrote the following in question in the question and comments section, but I wanted others to be able to find the conversation if they wanted to.  I will respond to her post in a follow on post.

Marie Mcguirk { 03.21.08 at 8:36 am }

Can we open the dialogue about wetsuits? I would like to get one, and this might be dopey, but are the ones we are looking at the same one diver’s use? Because, if they are, my uncle has a dive-shop in Newport, maybe I could get us a group discount? I also have no idea how to shop for a wetsuit. On the topic of all the snazzy duds I am going to get to wear this season, are tri-shorts different than biking shorts (I just tried them out, interesting….) Thanks

Sorry Jim, but what you do is very weird and different, but it really works.  As you all know, last week I was in tough shape with my back.  I went to Jim Lynch, from Back in Motion in Northboro, last Wed and again today.  I am like a new person.  The difference between what Jim does and what other Chiropractor’s do is that he uses the activator technique Vs adjustment of the spine by cracking like motions.

He is a kinesiologist (sp?) and trained chiropractor that fully believes that our pains are in response to something being out of place.  He uses this gizmo thing (after he finds the locations of your alignment issues- which is a treat all unto itself- don’t ask, you HAVE to experience it) to push back the one little area that is out of place.

If you go to his office for an initial exam, I’m sure you will say what I did/do everytime I go “this can’t possible work- and wow, this is weird”.  But, here I am good as new and ready to take on the world again…until my next set-back

I’m sure Jim will respond to this with LOTS to say (LOL), but, if you have an ailment that you can’t get feeling right, it’s worth a shot!

OK so it wasn’t the warmest day, but I actually got to ride outside today for 40min. It felt so good to be outside. Unfortunately, the computer on my bike wasn’t working so I have no idea how fast I was going, or how many miles I went, but I did some hill repeats and basically just rode around the hilly part of the industrial park for 40min. I did notice that my pedal stroke was much smoother than the last time I rode outside. I hope this means I’m faster But in any event, it felt pretty good, even on my old commuter Trek bike!

Jim, Marie, Nancy and MaryEllen,

Speaking of hill training from our class Thursday, here is a good article from active.com about it.  Enjoy..

Bike training in the Hills

Diane

I can’t believe this. My Lumbar Spondylothesis (see

http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article335.html

for an explanation of this lovely issue I have had since I was doing gymnastics and cheerleading as a teenager!) is really acting up. I didn’t do anything different and my back went out on me this weekend. I’m trying to STAY POSITIVE, but it really hurts. Luckily I am in a rest week this week, so I guess I’ll be resting more than I hoped to be! It’s always something!

Here is an article that is a good read on nutrition.  Look at number one.  We discussed this in my tri-spin class last week.  I do limit myself to eating earlier in the evening for a number of reasons.

1.  as the article says, I tend to make bad food choices later at night

2.  I sleep better on a less-full stomach

With 2. as you know from this morning’s story (see what you guys are missing if you’re not doing my tri-spin ) I didn’t sleep well last night  because I was very hungry after I did some weights and core after dinner last night.  Which brings up the other point in this article about “if you workout at night eating later is not an option”.

Hey, check out this website for swim gear.  Great prices!  I just ordered a bathing suit so I’ll let you know about quality and sizing on the ClubGear stuff.

http://www.swimoutlet.com/