BEAVER FREEZER RACE REPORT

Race List this year:
March 16 - Shamrock Run 8K: DONE!
April 6th - Beaver Freezer Duathlon - 12 mile bike, 3 mile run : DONE!
May- might have to look for a 10K in here.
June 7th - Blue Lake Sprint Triathlon
June 15th - Hagg Lake Olympic Distance Swim
June 27th - Pacific Crest Triathlon Olympic Distance Triathlon
July- Nothing planned yet…maybe gear up for a August possibility, I am the back up for a team for the Hood to Coast Relay…)
August 22-23 - Hood to Coast Relay (Each person runs several legs and each runner does anywhere from 16-26 miles total…unique event to train for) If this doesn't pan out that's ok…
September 21 - Half-Marathon Beat the Blerch in Washington
October - hmmmm. Maybe need to scout out something here.


Last Saturday, April 6th, I did the Beaver Freezer Duathlon on Oregon State University's campus in Corvallis.

The bike was a rolling start.  Every five seconds two bikers walked with their bike across the timing pad then mounted up!  It had rained overnight so I got good and muddy out there on the mildly hilly course.  It was pretty fair as bike courses go, little climbs followed by exciting and rewarding downhills.  The run was a one mile loop.  I don't know if my body was recovering from the race effort on the bike, if it was changing from my tiny elf-like bike shoes, or just having one of those days, but it took forever for me to find my pace running.

I had a really tough and uncomfy run the day before the race, but sometimes that happens so I didn't come to the race with that negative experience on my mind.

I definitely fought every lap to loosen up.  He first loop was an eleven minute mile, followed by a 10:30, and I finished the last lap with a 9 minute mile once my body loosened up!  Struggling with the minimal shoes, maybe I need to have a less minimal shoe in my quiver of shoes to chose when I feeling like this...

So first multi-sport race of the year done!  I am excited for all the good prep I work I did, and will reflect on things I want to do better my next race. A typical duathlon is a run-bike-run, this guy was just a bike-run, omitting the first leg of running.  In addition to hosting the 12 mile bike and a 3 mile run, there was a triathlon that started out in pools!  Within that division there were relay teams and different groupings for those who were riding mountain bikes for the bike portion of the triathlon.   It was a super safe, well organized,  well supported, and beginner friendly race.  Perfect to get into the racing groove!  Here are some tips and things I would recommend all folks to do before any race.

Just to review some things I feel I really did right:

• Made a list the day before and spread everything out to make use I had it all good to go!
• Prepped my body with a really good warm up, some trigger point release before the race
• After stretched and cooled down, changed into dry-dies.
• Gave it my all!
• Fueled up well!
• Wore my compression socks on way home
• Got there waaaaay early, sometimes I am rolling up to the race late or right on time!  Never a good feeling!

For next time:

• Bring both pairs of compression socks and wear them during and after the race.
• Ice bath after, maybe for a couple days after the race
• Hydrate more
• Maybe schedule acupuncture for 48 hours after
• Look into wider bike shoes (my bike shoes an elfin, and my running shoes minimalist and wide in the toe box, so the transition as mentioned above was brutal!)

I really felt that race effort the rest of the week!  My calves were amazingly tight, and my body felt "puffer fish", just kinda inflamed so I did more yoga, did less running and picked up training a bit later in the week.  My coach helped to create a doable week for me next week!

I managed to come in 5th overall, and 2nd in my age group.  Yippee! I have been really struggling with my multisport identity as I am getting used to lower profile shoes and more training volume and some tiny lingering effects of my car accident.  Stronger everyday!  

2nd in age group!

I came in 5th, please note it was a really small field.  I love the confidence boost!

Cardio Query for Beth/T25 Review!

Madeline wrote up this awesome blog about 2 weeks ago now and it took me awhile to make sure I had a good answer that was supported by research and did a job responding to her really thoughtful query.   Check out her awesome video acquisition reviews and great questions regarding interval training.

So, this week I decided to start a new workout program : T25 by Beachbody (FYI - I found it on Ebay for about $70 less).

I have really loved Beachbody products. I like TurboFire by Chalene Johnson, and I tried Insanity with ShaunT, but it was WAY too much plyometric. It was very painful for me, however, I LOVED ShaunT. His motivation is excellent.

The reviews of T25 basically said that T25 is similar to Insanity, but more manageable. ShaunT is again the instructor, so I wanted to give it a shot.

The calendar consists of two 5 week periods: Alpha and Beta. The Alpha is the "foundation" period and the Beta just gets harder.

This is the Alpha calendar:

I started out yesterday doing the first workout: Cardio. It was TOUGH! It was 25 minutes of non-stop movement - squats, jumping jacks, etc. Unlike Insanity, there is a person doing modifications. I tried to do the primary exercise, but I followed the modification when I couldn't handle the full exercise.

I do not plan on following this calendar. I think most of these workouts are cardio, and for real weight loss, you need to mix cardio with weight lifting/training (right, Beth?). If I find these workouts are cardio AND strength, maybe I will try to follow the calendar.

Here is my question for Trainer Beth:

Lately, I have been doing tabata/HIIT style cardio. Tabata is 20 seconds of full out effort and 10 seconds rest for 4 minute periods. HIIT is usually 1 minute full exercise and 1 minute off.

The exercise people in my tabata/HIIT videos say you need the rest in between intense cardio because it gives you somewhere to go - it lets you build. If you go full out without stopping, you don't get as much of a workout because you are not giving yourself time to recover.

T25 does NOT follow this idea. It's 25 minutes of full out cardio and a 3 minute cool down video after. After about 10 minutes of non-stop cardio in the Alpha Cardio video, ShaunT did a slightly less intense exercise, and I finally caught my breath and felt like I did MUCH better for the remainder of the video.

Here's my Beth question: which is better? Or maybe a better way to put it: what are the benefits of each? Is it better to go full out with little rests in between? Or is it better to just go full out for a period of time? Is one better for weight loss?

Help!!!

I'll keep reviewing T25 and let you all know what I think!

FIRST, thank you Madeline, for the really awesome question!

The short answer they are both goodies.  Interval training, working hard, and than easing off, increases muscle mass at a rate much superior to that of steady state cardiovascular exercise.  GOing at a high intensity is also good but at some point your lactic acid might slow you down.

SECONDLY (is this good grammar?), Shaun T is and has been is amazing shape his whoooolllllllleeeeeee life.  And he is probably well trained and all his muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints have been living in a healthy body for a long time.  My point being his body is pretty efficient at high efforts.  

A ten minute all out effort is plausible for him.  That is probably on the long end for some of us to maintain a high level of effort.  Usually between 3-10 minutes is the ceiling on efforts that are in a range of 70-80 percent of our max heart rate.  When you work out in this range, you would feel pretty breathless like you don't want to talk, or can't because the air is not available.

A long high effort interval is usually limited by the build up of lactate from the break down of lactic acid in the muscle.  The limiter will most likely be that system of freeing up energy in the muscles to keep them going, which requires a LOT of OXYGEN.  Which is why you feel like your butt is getting a good kicking.  You are utilizing oxygen to feed the system that helps shuttle energy at this level of intensity.  

LASTLY, besides the physiologic portion of this effort, there is the can-your-body-tolerate-the-intensity-of-this-training factor.  Madeline, I  like that you pointed out how much your body can tolerate plyometrics which is the term for jump training or anything where your foot leaves the ground like jumping jacks, split jumps, jump squats.  It is a very explosive movement and can take a few days to recover and repair. 

So another component is how your fleshy parts heal, I know I am kinda a slow healer from new and  big efforts.  One or two sessions of big multi-joint exercise a week is plenty for me.  I can still go out and do other moderate and lower effort sessions and feel healthy and strong.  For others, you may need more or less sessions depending on your rate of healing.

So yes, intervals (whether 30 seconds or ten minutes) beat steady state every time for creating more muscle but your own physiology and recovery will be a trumping factor here of how much and how hard you can go on those intervals.

Resistance training and interval training are important tools in weight loss.  Some steady state cardio is okay, and does continue to develop tendons, muscles, and ligaments, and it definitely burns calories too.  The big daddy of all is your fuel or diet that is helping everything along.

A GOOD YEAR: Weighing in on sugar

Cathy has been blogging about her journey to healthy under the title A GOOD YEAR since July of 2013.  Creating a healthy, fulfilling relationship with exercise and food choices was Cathy's number one goal.  She has taken the exercise and diet advice we have worked on and made it her own, gaining muscle and losing weight in a safe, not-crazy-too-be-skinny-and-restrict-myself way with amazing results!  

Check this strong lady out,

Beth

I write this post flat out on the couch with my knees on a pillow. My lower back pain has flared up again so I'm in time-out from the gym while I recover (chiropractor's orders). The lower back issue has been flaring up from time to time and this week it is really debilitating.

But, rather than dwell on the back issue, I thought it would be more fun to focus on positive stuff. Specifically, I've been getting a lot of positive reinforcement on the hard work I've put in. I've lost 30 pounds since I started this adventure back in July! In addition I have dropped 1.25 inches from my arm, 3.5 inches from my waist, 3 inches from my hips, another inch off my thighs and am down two sizes! It has been so rewarding to see the changes, especially knowing how hard I worked to make this happen.

Here is an update picture taken before my slow Olive walk around the block:

Olive and I on one of our first walks, July 2013.

While the addition of strength training has made a huge difference for me, I have also seen a lot of changes in my relationship with food and what I eat. When I started watching my food intake, I really just focused on counting calories. It is a method that has been successful for me in the past and helps me have more control over my portions. Traditionally, I've been pretty "anything goes" with what I eat as long as it fits into my allotted calories for the day.

That's changed. You see, I discovered this thing called "the internet."

In researching health and nutrition, I've become aware of the impact food can have on your mental health and energy levels. I've read a lot about the importance of eating whole food and the impact processed foods can have on your body. I won't go into my conspiracy theories in detail here (OH, I HAVE PLENTY!!) But I have learned that sugar can have a significant impact on anxiety and depression. Additionally, the processed sugar in a lot of my favorite foods can actually be addicting.

As a result, I have cut foods out that have added sugar. So instead of using my remaining calories in the evening for a bowl of cereal or ice cream with cool whip, I make a green smoothie or a "dessert" that uses pure maple sugar or raw honey (like this carrot cake baked oatmeal) as the sweetener. In addition to going cold turkey on sugary dessert, I've swapped out my favorite 2% cherry Fage yogurt for the plain 2% and add fruit for flavor. I have also stopped drinking alcohol and significantly cut refined carbohydrates, willingly choosing spaghetti squash over pasta (I know, what!?!?) Having said that, I still love a slice of bakery bread with butter at dinner and I haven't cut pasta out of my life completely. So I'm not totally sugar free, but I've cut a lot of it out. 

What has been crazy is that when I started doing this I really didn't think it would have much of an impact. So you can imagine how surprised I was when I felt better. Not just a little better. A lot better. I don't have the constant adrenaline going. I am not clenched up and tense. My mood swings are in check.

I can't tell you it's all attributable to cutting sugar. But I can't tell you it's not.

So what does a typical day look like? Here is my everyday routine:

Breakfast:

Hard boiled egg

3/4 of a laughing cow light Swiss cheese triangle

1 slice of Ezekiel sprouted grain sesame seed toast

3/4 cup plain 2% Fage Greek yogurt

3 medium strawberries

1/4 cup raspberries

Lunch:

3 ounces deli sliced turkey

Salad with arugula, onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, 1 ounce feta, 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack:

Either 3/4 cup plain 2% Fage Greek yogurt, 3 medium strawberries, 1/4 cup raspberries

OR

2 tbsp hummos

3 ounces baby carrots

Dinner:

Goulash with 95% lean ground beef

1 cup spaghetti squash with a pat of butter

Clementine orange

Slice of bakery made sesame seed bread with a pat of butter

A year ago, if you told me I would be going sugar free, I would have laughed. I've read about people who don't eat sugar or choose spaghetti squash over pasta and thought they were nuts. I mean I always wanted to want to not each sugar because it seemed like that would make me thin, but didn't think I'd ever be in a place where that would be sustainable. The difference this time is my motivation. I want to look good, but I really want to feel good. And right now this is working.

POTPIE

So...last one of three months of tracking! Contest officially ended last March 16th but I was officially out enjoying bluebird skies and good weather! SO two weeks and change later…

NEXT YEAR this is gonna happen again, so look here to keep your exercise and health shiny,   maybe November to February?  Let me know. What would GO Trainers like to see next winter as a challenge/support to stay consistent through the winter months!?

FLIPSIDERS are so comfy!

Madeline wins! An awesome flip side hat! She was my only entry and super dedicated to her mental and physical health this winter.  They really go hand and hand, the body and noggin health.

April contest!

Let's get spring rolling with a salad challenge, guidelines are simple and flavorful and highlight spring veg! Maybe show me how to make a new dressing!? Get it to me! By April 30th…SALAD SPINNER is the prize.

I have an early May vacation so winner announced May 12th!

MAY CONTEST HEADS UP!  Mother's are the subject.  Tell me in a few sentences about a mom who could use some recognition for her dedication to health.  Maybe she makes her own bread from scratch, maybe she encourages kiddos to get outside, maybe she takes time to meditate.

Maybe this mom is you!?  Tell me about yourself.  I wanna hear it!

MAY contest will be a $25 dollar SpaFinder gift certificate.  All moms mentioned will go in a hat, and winner picked at random.

If you have been getting in some movement all winter, way to go!

If the mood didn't hit you, maybe now is the time to look at your calendar. Can you squeeze in a walk before the kids wake up? How about a lunchtime circuit?  Maybe you check out a local meet up group that hikes and adventure times?

Now Spring is beckoning. None too soon.  Yeesh, we had like 2 days of snow here, it was really hard (wink!).

This month I started working with a triathlon coach, and adding in some two a days (not in a crazy person way, just a part of the triathlon training). And that has been quite a challenge for me but a good one.  I have been building back up from a relatively minor/medium car accident and winter set backs, and I feel like Spring is so extra springy as I gain traction and see progress in my strength, alignment, and endurance.  Like the tulip and apple tree, I blossom (add modern dance move here.)

It took about a month to get used to the new volume, and I needed extra rest days here and there but I am completely utilizing the skill and knowledge of my coach and now able to really get a lot out of my workouts.  I feel confident in my running knowledge but there is always more to learn!  And I need all the help I can get with the swim.

My other big transition is running in a zero drop shoe, it is definitely more of a "barefoot running" shoe.

I am a big fan of the movement towards a more minimal shoe because of the common sense and science behind this idea.  And if you are just putting your hat in the ring to get running, consider exploring this option to start out with this less is more idea.  Look for more info about barefoot running or minimal running next week.  It is easier to start with a minimal shoe versus switch down the road.

Race List this year:

April 6th - Beaver Freezer Duathlon - 12 mile bike, 3 mile run
May- might have to look for a 10K in here.
June 7th - Blue Lake Sprint Triathlon
June 15th - Hagg Lake Olympic Distance Swim
June 27th - Pacific Crest Triathlon Olympic Distance Triathlon
July- Nothing planned yet…maybe gear up for a August possibility, I am the back up for a team for the Hood to Coast Relay…)
August 22-23 - Hood to Coast Relay (Each person runs several legs and each runner does anywhere from 16-26 miles total…unique event to train for) If this doesn't pan out that's ok…
September 21 - Half-Marathon Beat the Blerch in Washington
October - hmmmm. Maybe need to scout out something here.

Any suggestions?

Anyone else want to share your race list, or todo list? Also, want to post about a race or experience?
Please share!

Or maybe share about a hiking, kayaking, bike trip?

I want to know…I want to nose right in!