hit the pool for a good long lap swim (partially because I lost my favorite suit, and partially because the 24 Hour Fitness pool left something to be desired). So today I joined my friend Lori for a free membership trial at All-Star Fitness to test out the lanes and my stroke. After 40 lengths in the 25M pool (if my calculations are correct, that's over a 1/2 mile), I noticed a few things: 1) I love to swim.
2) My hiatus from the pool and slow down in upper body strength training means my arms had to work pretty hard. I'll feel that tomorrow.
3) My workout regimen over the last year has focused more on jogging, squats, lunges, and all that horrible stuff, but it has left me with some strong tree trunks for legs, which means my kick seems stronger.
4) I've got a few things to work on. Lori, having done Danskin 2 years ago and rockin' it, is going to share her wisdom with me about many aspects of the race, including sighting and breathing techniques. I've never been good at bilateral breathing, and the sighting thing is totally new to me. We'll practice that, and test it out in Lake Washington once things warm up a bit.
Lori also shared with me some insight she got from her naturopath, including adding salt to the diet. Not a ton, but without it, you likely sweat out any hydration, so including things like Emergen-C in your workout water bottle can improve your hydration. She also highly recommends using a road bike over my hybrid - a few ounces of weight can make a huge difference. Lori is going to be a wonderful resource, and I can't wait to spend LOTS of time with her working out and catching up. You are amazing, L!
Some other notes:
-- Danskin is a sprint triathlon, consisting of a 750 m(0.47 mi) swim, a 20 km (12.4 mi) bike, and a 5 km (3.1 mi) run.
-- Stats: I'll post periodically anything I notice, such as time improvements, pants size adjustments, etc. I don't want to become preoccupied with this becoming a weight loss regimen, but can't imagine it not bringing on such benefits, unless I choose to replace my diet with pasta breakfasts and many cake o'clock breaks at work.
Booty Camp starts tomorrow and I'm excited. We work out in a spot where bald eagles nest, and seeing them fly overhead while we crunch and plank really is inspirational.
Hasta!
That's pretty tough race, Jules. I ran a "Tin Man" triathlon when I was 23. It was in Riverside (CA, not CT -- smog was the #1 obstacle). It was shorter than the race you're running, but I was still a disaster. The chain fell off my bike and I could never quite get it fixed. I spent half the race trying to repair it. My unique training regimen also included beer and microwave burritos. I know you'll do much better.
ReplyDeleteBut wait -- isn't this blog called "100 Days to Danskin"? Why is this post entitled "Day 105"? So the 100 days haven't even started yet? Isn't that cheating?