Weekend Recap: "Step Back" Weekend

I hope you don't find this post too mundane.  I took advantage of having no real plans this weekend to have a "step back" weekend.  A weekend where I can step back from responsibility and obligation.  I needed a weekend where i wasn't on some crazy time schedule rushing from errand to errand.

In preparation for my weekend I made sure to stock up on groceries Thursday night. I also took the opportunity to get a sitter for the kids Friday night and asked my mom to watch them for three hours on Saturday.  On the family whiteboard calendar, I marked "Mommy Nap" on Saturday, this way everyone knew what to expect!

Last week I found myself with an official training plan for my two (very small) fall races.  I have been struggling with achieving the level of performance I want and thought this was a good test case for more focused training.  My plan takes into account my two fall races and...wait for it...wait for it...triathlon season in 2014.  This means I am now training in all three disciplines.  No races or distances have been decided for next year.  I am still trying to find the courage to even acknowledge that I am willing to think about this.  Triathlon was an "I will never" thing for me.  As in, "I will never compete in a triathlon."  Well, like they say "never say never".

Last week was a rough week adapting to a new training schedule which on a few days called for double workouts.  Double workouts on top of working full time, being a mom, having a house to take care of, friends who I want to interact with, etc.  As much as last week was physically draining, it was mentally and emotionally draining.  The anxiety before every workout was palpable. The workouts were far more intricate than the "lazy" workouts I had been doing.  It's interesting how one can be active and lazy at the same time.  I ended the week tired, sore, emotionally bruised but still determined.

Trying to adjust to three workouts
in 24 hours.

Stretching and playing mind games
to get me out the door for my long run

Here are some highlights from a much needed "step back" weekend:

1. Dinner with friends on Friday night.  It was so nice to get out and have a real sit down meal with familiar faces.  With friends I have known for a while it was easy to relax and soothed my soul.  John and I don't get out much for dinner and we thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant chosen by the group.  We went to Butera's in Smithtown and would recommend it.
2. Saturday my training plan called for a ride of 10-15 miles on the ROAD!!! Ack! I have had my bike for 10 years and have probably had it on the road 3 or 4 times.  My bike handling skills usually put me on the pavement as I try to unclip from my peddles.  Since we were able to arrange for the kids to go to my moms, John came with me on my ride.  Sometimes I want to kill him under these circumstances but on Saturday I was grateful to have his expertise with me.  He already logged his training for the day and was more than willing to ride to MY plan.  It is hard to train with a spouse (or anyone) who is at a different fitness level than you.  Having a plan ahead of time makes the experience manageable.  John gave me some pointers but for the most part kept the mood light while I clenched my handlebars and swerved everywhere trying to get my water bottle.

   

   Having fun on our bike ride.

3. My plan for a nap was actualized when John took the kids to Big A's triathlon camp! I love to nap.  I miss napping.  I miss my kids napping.  Napping is one of my most favorite pastimes...like ever.
4. Sunday I hit the gym for my weight routine.  Then we headed to the town pool for a swim which allowed me to get in my long swim while hanging with the family.  Big A interrupted me every few laps so this wasn't the most productive workout but it felt good incorporating family time into my workout.

   

   Sunday's Workout

5. I tried out a new recipe.  I have been in a major cooking rut and I am determined to make one new recipe a week for a while.  This weekend I made Egg Muffins and I got the recipe here.  This recipe is really adaptable and fun to play with.  I made my egg muffins with spinach and peppers.  We topped them with salsa and guacamole.  A few suggestions: mix the spinach in with the eggs (it makes it easier); use a ladle to spoon egg mixture into muffin tins; and don't forget the step that says spray the muffin liners.  
   
   

   

   Egg Muffins

   
   

And hey! It was also John's 40th birthday!!  Whoop Whoop.  We had a quiet celebration with family.  John isn't a center stage kind of guy.  He seems to be rolling with 40 just fine.  Me on the other hand, not so much.

Like fine wine...getting better with age.  Well, he is
more like Scotch but you get the point.

This week will be more adapting to a new training schedule.  I am looking forward to another quiet weekend...and yes, I have already marked "mommy nap" on the calendar.  I also plan on doing some major organizing around the homestead.  I should have some good tips and ideas on next weekend's recap.

What did you do this past weekend? Do you prefer to have lazy weekends or event filled weekends?

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Ironman Lake Placid

I (John) tried to sign up for Ironman Lake Placid (IMLP) last July and was unable to grab one of the few slots available when general registration went online.  Not a big issue because I really wasn't sure I was ready to tackle such a big event in only my second year of triathlon.  Knowing how quickly the slots are eaten up, I wanted to make sure that I got in for 2014.  If I didn't, I would have to wait another whole year.

There are only two ways to be guaranteed a spot for the following year.  1) You have to race in the present year (see aforementioned issue about this point of entry) or 2) you can volunteer to work this year's race for 4 hours or more.  If you volunteer for a qualifying shift, you get a bracelet that allows you to register for the next year before the online registration opens.  Well, I chose option 2.

I signed up for a 6-hour shift as a "Finish Line Grabber" from 6pm to midnight (the race cut-off time).  I thought this was a great gig because these are the hours that the bulk of the age-groupers (people like you and me, not the pros or elites) would be muscling down the finishing chute and crossing the line after an 11-17 hour race day.  In addition, I knew several people that were racing, so having the opportunity to see some of my training buddies at the finish would be a great experience.

The slots to race IMLP sell out quickly.  The hotel rooms and lodging options sell out only a few hours later.  By the time I was able to register for the volunteer job, the only place I could stay was a campground 13 miles outside of town.  In fact, they only had "no-hookup" tent sites available.  Basically, you get a piece of dirt, nothing more.  That was OK, because I was planning on doing this solo, and I can rough it pretty well.

Our accommodations for the weekend.

While I was at an open water swim session with some other triathletes, John G mentioned that he was going up to volunteer, but he didn't have a place to stay and there was nothing available.  I said that if he didn't mind a tent and an air mattress, he was welcome to join me.  He accepted the invitation and our plan was in motion.

We drove up after work on Friday night, not getting to the campsite until after 1:00am.  We brought our bikes and planned to ride the bike course (one loop of 56 miles) on Saturday morning.  Since I had to be at a 12:00pm volunteer meeting, we were up-and-at-'em on only 5 hours sleep.  The campground was located right around mile 40 of the bike loop, so we started there and headed into town.

We made the turn onto Route 86 and were stunned at the beauty of the area.  It was absolutely spectacular.  Mountain views, running streams and all the greenery the Adirondack region offers.  We could not have asked for better weather and the skies were a stunning blue.  Our route actually started at the most difficult part of the loop.  We climbed and climbed and climbed some more until we crested Papa Bear (the third of three consecutive climbs just outside of town).  Within a few minutes, we were in the town of Lake Placid, making a stop to pick up another friend who was going to ride with us.

Mirror Lake

It is difficult to put into words the energy and vibe that exists in Lake Placid during Ironman weekend.  There were more bikes than cars, more swimmers than bikes and more runners than swimmers.  It was like going to triathlon heaven.  The crisp air had a slight odor of carbon fiber and BodyGlide.  Mirror Lake (where the swim leg of the race is held) was just that, a mirror.  As you look down the line of race buoys, the mountains reflect their grandeur off the glass-like water.  We made our way toward the high school and Olympic Center area, aka transition.

The Ironman attitude is unmistakable!

Transition was located inside the Olympic Speed Skating Oval.  Around the perimeter were huge tents to be used as a medical station and athlete changing areas.  The size of this event and all the equipment, people and apparatus that comes with it was awe inspiring.  I knew this was a big event, but it is hard to appreciate it from pictures alone.  This was one hell of a production, and Ironman does it well.

We proceeded to complete our 56 mile loop and was able to experience, firsthand, what it will be like to race this event next year.  Although it was a tough course, I had planted in my head that this would be like an Alpe d'Huez-Col du Galibier stage of the Tour de France.  It wasn't, so I was pretty happy about that.  The run course, on the other hand, scares the crap out of me.

After a shower and a nice lunch at the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery (highly recommended), John and I attended out volunteer meetings and browsed the expo in the transition area.  A dinner, quick campfire and some calls to home and we turned in early for a busy day at the race.

We got up at 4am (nothing unusual about this for either of us) to get into town by a little after 5.  The entire town is closed off for the race, so we had to park on the side of the road, about a mile out of town.  Not terrible, but it still meant a decent walk to get to our car (aka base camp for the day).  We made our way towards Mirror Lake and the swim start.  We saw a few people we knew who were racing, so we wished them luck and got in position to see all the action.

Pre-race.

John Graziano and Scott Leslie just before the swim start.
Later that day, Scott was deemed and "Ironman" by Mike Reilly.

I was a little disappointed that the swim start format had changed.  I wanted to both witness and experience the infamous "mass start" that Ironman events are famous for.  Their new "rolling" start was designed to be safer and hopefully prevent injuries and fatalities, but I am not sure that was the answer.  The chaos of 3100 athletes pouring into the water from the beach was beyond description.  Athletes were running into the lake at full speed and then fighting for position and some open space.  It was just crazy.  We stuck around until the pros started their second lap.  There really isn't much to see when you have thousands of people wearing the same swim caps and black wetsuits.

New "rolling" swim start.  This continued for about
15 minutes until the last athlete was in the water.

We made our way over to the bike out, having the pleasure of seeing Andy Potts (the eventual winner) lead the pack out of T1.  We watched just about every athlete leave T1, despite the dizziness you feel watching everyone whiz by at 20 miles an hour.  Now we had hours to kill before our volunteer shifts started.  We made our way around town, catching the leaders start their second bike lap and the run.

Andy Potts leading the pack out of T1!

Andy still leads the way out of T2.  At this point, he
accumulated over a 10 minute lead.

The women rocked this race also.

John G volunteered as a bike handler from 2-6.  Holy crap did he earn his early registration with that gig!  He was sprinting his ass around transition non-stop, grabbing bikes from the athletes and racking them in their appropriate slot.  High pressure stuff considering these bikes are like family to each athlete, never mind the cost.  He finished his duties just as I started mine at the finish line.

John G in a sea of carbon fiber, earning his 2014 slot.

Andy Potts coming in for the win!

Not your typical pro athlete.  Andy takes time for photos
and autographs with volunteers.  He stuck around for almost an hour.

There are few things that I have done that were as rewarding as working the finish line of this race.  I was honored to be the first person to make contact with an athlete as they completed such a monumental achievement in their life.  Whether it was their first or tenth, they did what it takes.  Although they were brief, my conversations with these folks were inspiring and motivational.  In my short time with them, I learned about their struggles, successes and motivations.  The one thing that struck me was the gratitude EVERYONE crossing that line had for the volunteers.  They all said that volunteers were instrumental in getting them through this challenge and said "Thank You" more often then I could count.  Because I had an opportunity to be more intimate and conversational with each athlete, I feel that I accepted the thanks on behalf of all the volunteers along the way.

"Catchers" working the finish line.

I had the distinct pleasure of "catching" a few people I knew.  That was an added bonus to the day.  Also worth noting is that John G, after working 4 hours as a bike handler, jumped in to help out at the finish line for the next 6 hours!  What a trooper.

At about 11pm, I came to the realization that I had been on my feet all day.  Literally all day.  I had not sat down at all, since 5:30am when we parked the car.  I was both exhausted and energized by the the day's events.  John and I worked till the end, when that last athlete was proclaimed by Mike Reilly to be an "Ironman".  We headed back to the campsite, ready to take on the challenge we just witnessed by signing up for 2014 the next morning.

The infamous Mike Reilly.  Every athlete in an Ironman wants to
hear this man shout their name and proclaim their status as an Ironman.

We waited in line for 2 hours the next morning, meeting even more interesting people along the way, but we made it official.....John and I are now officially in Ironman Training!  Lake Placid 2014, here we come!

The private beach for next year's accommodations.  A slight improvement
over the piece of dirt we had this year.

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Weekend Recap: Redemption Road Trip

I wrote about our road trip fail the other month when we went to Vermont.  It took us so very long to get up there and it was torturous with the kids.  By my own admission, I did not plan well.  I had a lot going on at the time and ultimately we probably shouldn't have made the trip at all.  It was mentally and physically draining...not really what vacations should be about.

I owned the fail publicly on the blog and researched some tips (and pinned a few) that could help us in the future.  Today I am happy to report our recent road trip a monumental success.  

Here is what made this trip a great success and a wonderful family memory: 

•  Prior Proper Planning: two weeks out I started creating a master packing list.  It is very comprehensive since I gave myself time to add items as they came to me.  I spent about 10 minutes a day for two weeks just reviewing the list.  I thought this was a good time to put together a master travel list to use going forward.  As something popped in my head, I made sure to jot it down.  This allowed me to run my "travel errands" throughout a two week period (not the day before!).   The packing list also incorporated all the food items we would need to bring and doubled as a shopping list.  I think the most critical component was not that I created a list but that I did it two weeks out and reviewed it daily.

Lists, Lists, Lists

• Set Yourself up for Success: I created a To Do List one week out of everything that needed to come together for me to be packed a day or two before we were leaving.  I made sure to delegate tasks to my husband and kids.  This went a long way in keeping my stress levels manageable.

My gorgeous pipe cleaner bangles

• Planned Car Activities: we amped up our travel kit.  Normally I bring the kids DS which they never play.  They don't even play them at home.  Somehow I wound up with kids who don't play video games.  Based on the research I did I stocked our travel kit with the following items - drawing pads, dry erase boards, crayons, colored pencils, pipe cleaners, and a deck of cards.  Those pipe cleaners were the best addition.  My kids loved them.  The dry erase boards were another hit.  My 8 year old had fun with Road Trip Bingo.  You can find templates here or make your own.

• Behavior Modification: I saw a blog post suggesting the use of clothes pins as a visual reminder of behavior.  If behavior was good, the clips were on the visor.  If behavior needed correction, the clips came down from the visor.  I was flabbergasted that this worked so well.  Like all behavior modification techniques, you need to change it up but I think I will get another trip or two out of this one.  I only had to pull the clips down once and they were devastated.  I just went the cheap, easy and undecorated route.  I had these around the house from the $1 section at Target.

  

  Quick and Easy.  Worked like charm.

• Splurge for Sanity: - John and I are fiscal conservatives.  We make a conscious effort to be thrifty.  Sometimes in our thriftiness we don't always make the best decisions.  in the past we opted to save $80 (one way) or $160 (round trip) on the ferry.  Long Island has two ferries taking you across Long Island Sound.  This trip we were going from central Long Island to Mystic, Connecticut.  Last year it took us 5 hours due to insane Connecticut  traffic.  This time we "bit the bullet" and splurged on a one way ticket for the Long Island Cross Sound ferry from Orient Point to New London.  OMG - what a difference this made to the trip.  We drove an hour and a half to Orient Point.  Took the ferry for an hour and a half.  Then drove 15 minutes to Mystic.  By far, this is the best way to do this trip from my location.  Going forward we will definitely look to utilize the ferries more often. Note: we would have taken the ferry back but couldn't get a reservation.

  

  On the Ferry.  Worth every penny.

• Breathe: I am pretty tightly wound.  I asked John to remind me that we are on vacation.  Making a mental shift allowed me to keep things in perspective.  "We are on vacation" became my mantra.  Pipe cleaners all over the car floor...'We are on vacation".  Kids whining while they try to get comfortable..."We are on vacation".  Little by little I am learning to not take life too seriously.  It is a work in progress.

Breathe..."We are on Vacation"

This was a short trip but it was a lot of fun.  The success we had in the car helped set the stage for a relaxing, adventurous, and enjoyable mini break.  If you are living somewhere near Mystic Connecticut, we recommend staying at the KOA campground in North Stonnington.  They had tons of activities for the kids at the campgrounds, our cabins were clean, the playground and pool kept the kids occupied for hours.  The A Team enjoyed riding their bikes all over the campground.  Mystic Seaport never disappoints.  The Aquarium is also an exciting place to explore.

Little A on the BOUNCY pillow!

Big A rode EVERYWHERE.

Getting frames pronto!

It was a very happy trip.

Melts my heart...when they aren't
killing each other.

Mystic in the rain.

August goal of 5 sun salutations.

 Our next road trip is in October to Washington DC.  Since it will be a longer road trip, I am going to start planning NOW and gather ideas to make it a success.  Vacations that start with me in the right frame of mind are key to everyone's happiness.  I can handle anything life throws at me with enough sleep and proper organization.

Anyone have any good hotels, restaurants, and/or places to go around Washington DC?  Share your road trip secrets with us below.

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August 2013 Goals

By the end of June I made some pretty big changes in my life.  After almost six years as a vegetarian, I started eating meat again.  I made other changes to my diet like eliminating sugar (unless from fruit), no more grains, and started eating more healthy fats.  That wasn't enough so I committed to Maffetone training for my run and bike work outs.  Like any good addict, I also added swimming to my work out plan.  I am sure some of you can see where I am going with this (maybe).  

As July approached I decided it was time to get serious and set some firm goals.  Posting them on the blog was meant to keep me honest.  I plan to add on to my goals each month.  Not to create a laundry list of things to accomplish but these goals are meant to form new habits.  So each month will be a build...an opportunity to create new habits.  Here is how July came together:
 

1. Continue with my heart rate training (I’ve GOT this!) - 
• UPDATE: what possessed me to take this on during the hottest and most humid days of the year?  I did the very best I could.  Some days were more successful than others.  Some days were euphoric.  Some days were soul crushing. By the end of July, I learned how to dream big; have faith; believe in myself; embrace fear; and be committed.  Somehow I emerged from July a new person largely due to my running.  I have discussed it previously on the blog here and here.
2. Complete FOUR 90 minute runs - 
• UPDATE: I fell a little short here due to a family vacation in Vermont.  I just wasn't prepared to tackle 90 minutes of mountainous terrain.  Optimistically I declare this goal a success.  I have worked my way up to 90+ minute runs.  I feel myself getting stronger each time and I look forward to the challenge.
3. Increase my monthly mileage by 10% - 
• UPDATE: While there was an increase in my run mileage, I fell just short of 10%.  I am going to take the liberty and say this is due to a MUCH slower pace in the heat and humidity.  Additionally, I have been running for time, not mileage.
4. Get in the pool - 
• UPDATE: OK, I rocked the sh!t out of this goal! Three weeks ago I could not string two lengths together for form a single lap.  As of my last swim, I swam 1500 yards consecutively.  I have been in the pool twice a week.  It is quickly becoming my favorite work out.
5. Keep the diet changes consistent so I know if the changes are working - 
• UPDATE: I have been very consistent but flexible.  I am experimenting to find foods that work for me and make my body feel good.  The reduction of sugar and increase in healthy fats have all had a very positive effect on my body.  The biggest change I have noticed is my mental functioning.  I seem to have more mental energy.

Sauteed shaved Brussel Sprouts,
Beets, and Salmon

I am trying a new format for my monthly goals.  I will be breaking them up into three categories: Family, Sport, and Life.  Here are my August 2013 Goals:

Family:

• As we wrap up the summer and camp winds down, i will be looking forward to my time off with the kids.  I take two weeks off to bridge the gap between camp and school starting.  Last year the kids and i really enjoyed our time together to slow life down and focus on what really matters in life...each other.  My goal is to be fully present with my children during these two weeks and make sure we cross things off our summer bucket list.

Sport:

• Here are my goals for the three disciplines:
  • • Running: I am going to continue with Maffetone training for a large part of my runs (and cycling).  However, I think I should also throw in some opportunities to run at my goal pace.
    • Cycling: use the bike to effectively cross train and work on increasing strength.  No hard numbers from x mph to x mph.  No pressure.  Just improve...for now.
    • Swimming: I am still working on getting comfortable in the water.  Since i know I can swim 1500 yards, I want to increase that to 2000 yards by the end of August.  No pressure here either.
• YOGA! I need to make the time for a regular yoga practice.  August's goal is to do 5 sun salutations a day (preferably in the morning) AND find one yoga class a week that I can attend.

Life:

• Organization:
  • • We are a busy family and life has been moving a little too fast lately.  I am going to slow life down, focus on getting myself re-organized, and settled in.  This means physically organizing my space to serve my family's current needs.  
    • As I look to set my family's fall schedule, I will NOT over schedule us.  I may have to say "no" to a kids activity here or there but we will all be better off in the end.
• Nutrition:
• Continue eating the way I have been these last few months: lots of vegetables, higher fat, moderate animal protein, no sugars, no grains.  I am not concerned with diets and dogma.  What matters most is how I feel.

Can't remember where I found this but
it pretty much describes where I am right now.

What are some of your goals for August? How do you plan on spending the rest of the summer?

Iron Family Tri Tech #001-Training Effect

I (John) have been training for endurance sports/activities for almost 10 years now.  I started out as a cyclist and made the leap to triathlon in 2011.  Over the years, I have done a ton of things wrong (and a few things correctly) pertaining to training, racing and nutrition.

From these successes and failures, I have been able to formulate a solid plan and strategy for my triathlon participation.  This will be the first of many posts specifically addressing what has worked and not worked for me on my journey.  So here we go:

Training Effect ("TE")

Recently, a local triathlete posted a picture of his Garmin 910XT screen after a training run, on a Facebook forum that I am active in.  Kudos to him for a successful run under difficult conditions.  In evaluating the photo of his workout summary screen, I took notice of his Training Effect ("TE") value.  I posted a comment asking him if he was familiar with that value, what it means and how to use it.  Although he was familiar with TE, he was unaware of the effects of a 4.7 TE value obtained from that workout.  Others in the group were also curious about TE, so I gave a brief summary as to what it is.  I am going to elaborate more on that explanation and how I use it in this post.

If you have a Garmin 910XT or a Suunto device, you have TE built in.  Most people do not know they have an extremely powerful training tool in their toolbox, even fewer know how to use it effectively.  TE is an algorithmic calculation developed by FirstBeat that uses the device's existing heart rate data to "accumulate" the cardiovascular and adrenal system effects of a particular workout or set of workouts.

Heart Rate ("HR") data is vitally important for effective endurance sport training.  However, there is one big inherent flaw.  HR is just an instantaneous snap shot of your exertion level.  We look at our watch on a recovery or aerobic workout and see a HR of 120.  That's good, we are not working very hard.  But, what about 10 minutes ago?  What about that hill we had to power up?  I still have X miles to go to get home, how hard should I work?  TE answers these questions.

Most athletes, when evaluating their workouts, look very closely at the average HR number.  This is useful, but does not tell the whole story.  Let's say you did a 90 minute run where you sprinted for the first 15 minutes, holding your HR at 180 BPM.  The rest of the workout, you did at a steady 120 BPM.  Doing the math (weighted average), you would have an average HR of 130 BPM.  This would appear to be a good recovery/aerobic workout based on the 130 average.  But, that 15 minutes at max effort just trashed your body.  It put huge stresses on all your systems, and without proper recovery, will adversely effect subsequent workouts.

Here is how TE is a much more effective training tool.  TE is a cumulative value that starts at 1.0 and goes as high as 5.0.  The accumulation of "points" is not linear, so getting from 1.0 to 2.0 takes less effort than going from 2.0 to 3.0.  In fact, if I am doing a run off the bike, the run TE value shoots to the 1.7 range in the first half mile or so.  As you stress your body, the value goes up.  One thing to keep in mind is that since it is cumulative, the value can NEVER go down.  If you overdo it, you overdid it and can't un-ring that bell!  This is why TE is much more effective than HR alone.  Decreasing your effort will stabilize the TE value, but if you don't back off enough, you could push it up further if the length of the workout is long.

The easiest way to start using TE is to set one of your data screens to TE, HR ZONE and TIME.  Make the TE window the largest because this value is what drives your training session.

On a side note, I have contacted Garmin and suggested that they allow TE value to be an "Alert" option on the 910XT.  This would allow us to set a value, do our thing and get feedback from the device when we have hit our goal.  I will keep you posted as to how they respond.

Since I started training with TE, I established a baseline recovery time for each value.  This is what I use, but you may want to vary it based on your fitness level and experience:

• 2.0 = Twelve (12) hours of recovery.  Do a 2.0 effort in the morning and you can hit another discipline in the evening.  Most of your training volume each week should be done in this range.
• 3.0 = Twenty-Four (24) hours of recovery.  I usually do these in the mornings when I do not have an evening workout planned.  I also try not to make both legs of a brick session 3.0 efforts.  Bike to 2.0 and then run to 3.0 or vice-versa.  About 2-3 sessions at this effort has worked well for me.
• 4.0 = Thirty-Six (36) hours of recovery.  Harder or longer intervals that are near race-pace efforts.  I usually try to keep these to a maximum of one (1) per week, maybe even one (1) every other week.
• 5.0 = Forty-Eight (48) hours of recovery, minimum!  I have only hit 5.0's in races.  This is reserved for all-out efforts in race conditions.  Simply stated, if you hit a 5.0 and you do not have a timing chip around your ankle, you waaaaaay over did it!  Take some time off.  You will be thankful later on.

Obviously, this is just a suggested baseline.  If I did a 4.0 workout, I have, 24 hours later, followed it up with a very easy (1.5 or less) trainer spin or a very easy swim effort.  Easy swims where you focus on form are a great way to get in some time when you are technically supposed to be recovering.  Just keep the effort low and the HR down.

I usually do workouts that would be described as "less than 2.0" or "build to 3.0."  Once you hit your number, back the effort down to Zone 2, or stop the workout all together.  Remember, you cannot undo over-training!

This is a graph of one of my "less than 2.0" runs.  Notice the varied pace to stabilize my HR.  Also notice the slow pace (10:59 min/mile average).  When using TE, don't worry about pace and speed.  That will come all by itself with effective training.  Just for reference, that same run, on the same course only 5 months ago was completed at a 14:37 min/mile average pace.  Next year, this easy run may be at my current race pace!

See the complete data set for this run here.

HR is in Red, Pace in Blue, Cadence in Yellow.  My Zone 2 for runs is 118-133 BPM.  This run's average HR was 126.

Below is a graph of my "build to 3.0" bike trainer workout from earlier this week.  I did about 30 minutes in Zone 2 then dropped the hammer.  As soon as TE hit 3.0, I backed it down to an easy effort to finish out the workout.  Notice the very sharp HR drop after I let off the gas.  This comes from tons of TE 2.0 workouts.  I can recover from over-exertions very easily.  This comes in handy during a race when you go off your race plan or have to go harder than you wanted to on hills or to chase down a rival.

See the complete data set for this bike trainer session here.

I hope this post helped identify why using TE is valuable and why you should pay attention to this feature if you have it.  You can find more info about TE here.  Also, feel free comment and ask questions if you have them.

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Weekend Recap: I Survived!

This weekend was a big weekend.  John headed up to Lake Placid on Friday evening to volunteer for the Ironman Lake Placid event (IMLP).  Volunteering is so important because without volunteers many of these races (whether a running race or triathlon) couldn't happen.  The sheer amount of coordination and bodies required is enormous.  Not a completely selfless trip...for volunteering John gets to register for IMLP 2014 before registration opens to the masses.  A huge advantage.  John will be recapping his experience on the blog later in the week.

It is with a mixture of jealousy and sadness that I stayed behind to be on kid duty.  It would have been epicly epic (you get the point) to have this experience with John.  While I am a mom and am no stranger to long spans of time trying to occupy the very active A Team, this weekend has had me in a panic for months!  Months!  They were mine, all mine from Friday night until Monday afternoon.  I was consumed with anxiety that I would make this a fun weekend where they didn't dwell on missing dad. I needed to ensure I was able to endure all the endless requests and negotiations (solo!). Also, I needed to be able to do man things...like put a bike on a bike rack!

Rocked it!

Despite the amount of time my husband spends training (15-20 hours/week), he is a huge help!  One would think he would be too tired to engage with the kids after 2-4 hours of training.  It happens to be the opposite.  John is more engaged and present after training.  He often jumps right from a sweat session into the thick of cat herding!  Often times he is still sweaty and still in bib shorts.  He is my ROCK star.

Playing in the pool before heading out for a run
(while on vacation!).

Anyway, back to my weekend.  I prepared for this weekend like I was training for a race.  Here is what worked for me and made this weekend a success!

First, I made the kids pinky promise to
be excellent.

1. Plan ahead: A few weeks ahead of time I started putting together an outline of our activities.  I let it ruminate and made changes.  I definitely over scheduled us at first.  

   

   Master Schedule

2. KNOW yourself and be honest: I toyed with a beach trip but deep down I knew that would test my patience too much. Plus, Alasdair has triathlon camp on Saturday afternoons for two hours.  Tri camp isn't close to anything so it takes some planning to get there.

   

   Like a Boss at Triathlon Camp

3. Ask for HELP: I was conflicted on this.  I like to be so dang independent.  I am always so grateful that my parents live in the same town.  I don't like to impose upon them but they both graciously offered their time.  Additionally, I hired a sitter on Sunday morning so I could get my swim done and have a few hours of peace.  This was worth every penny...plus some.  I made sure I scheduled my sitter well in advance to ensure her availability.

   

   My mom watched Avery so I could
   focus on schlepping Alasdair's gear at Tri Camp.

4. Take an ENTIRE day to get organized: This is preferably without kids.  I planned to minimize the amount of housework and errands that needed to get done.  I took Friday off from work to clean, organize, and run errands.  Also, I needed to ensure I got my long run done!
5. Take a shortcut OR two:  For $15.30, I dropped my laundry at the laundry mat to be done and
   folded.  I minimized how many meals I would be responsible for making on my own and combined it with some fun time with my parents.  We ate dinner with my Dad and Stepmom on Friday.  Saturday we ate with my Mom.  We also did take out once or twice which we normally don't do.
6. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate:  The week before I repeatedly communicated my expectations for their behavior. I also shared the schedule with them so they could become familiar with our plan.  If they didn't like something, they had plenty of time to voice their opinion.  Then it was LAW.
7. Do something special: I made sure we did things we wouldn't normally do like go to the movies.  We invited friends to amp the fun factor.
   
8. Have a reward (or bribe) thought out in advance: They love to have sleep overs in each others rooms, I allowed for this on Saturday AND Sunday night.  Sunday would typically be a no-no because it is a school/camp night.  However, they were so excited they got into bed early (7:00 pm) so they could watch a movie.  SCORE!

   

   TWO night sleep over.

9. Take Control: There were going to be big consequences for giving me a hard time.  I did have to enforce this a few times.  I just can't stand the bickering or little A's constant crying.  Every time she lets out a shriek I think it is a hospital visit in the making!
10. Don't sweat the small stuff!  Like I might have skipped a bath but their was no sunscreen and
    chlorine that day so I figured I was safe.  I may have raised my voice this weekend...it was more to be heard than because I was frustrated.  I tried (this is hard for me!) to be casual, laid back and fun.

    

    No filter will ever make this look good.
    Taking time for myself was a huge help!

I could tack another one on here...be grateful! I was grateful that I only had to do this for a short period of time.  Single parenting is no joke! 

I was determined to allow John this time away graciously and lovingly with no stress about what may or may not be happening at home.  Knowing I gave him this freedom kept me going and gave me strength. It wasn't perfect.  Nothing with kids ever is but it worked. Turns out they had a great time and that is all that matters.

The BONUS for the weekend...I got to sleep in the middle of the bed and I got to load the dishwasher any way I wanted.  Note: John is certifiable when it comes to dishwasher loading.  Don't believe me? I have PLENTY of witnesses!

More pictures from the weekend:

Watching for Daddy and one of his Triathlon Coaches.
This woman is one serious badass.

Alasdair's swim coach at Triathlon Camp
Barbara Cronin-Stagnari...there are just no words! Finished
in 11:53:20.  Swam 2.4 miles in under an HOUR!

There he is!

Ready for Camp...usually John's job.  I executed flawlessly.

I am looking for any and all tips on occupying kids solo.  What works for you? With John's Ironman training I have a feeling this will become my norm!

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