Week 17 of Tri training is going well.  I connected with my trainer Keena over the phone, and we discussed my progress/status.  Keena is back the end of May, and in the meantime she has given me workouts to increase my conditioning phase of training.  After this week, I only have 2 weeks left until I hit the intensity level, which will consist of intervals and speed training.  At the moment I am thrilled that I have maintained my consistency with working out and that I am building my endurance. I am stronger this May than I was last.

Monday I ran on the treadmill for 40 minutes keeping my heart rate at 140-155.  I may not be clipping a hundred miles an hour, but that is not the goal.  The purpose is to stay in my zone for a long period of time to increase fitness levels.  That I am doing.  Total was 3 miles and 377 calories. YESSSSSSSS.  Love to burn those calories.

Today I swam 900 yards, and it took me 40 minutes. The concentration today was to relax during my first 300 to get me warmed up, and feeling comfortable.  I still have a tendency to go as fast as the person in the next lane over.  Mistake, because I have no clue what that person has done in the past, or for that matter what training they have incurred.   Next, I did breathing drills where I swam as far as I could without taking a breath.  Ouch, I hate this one.  I’m supposed to do a 25 meter in one or two breaths and it takes me 5-6.  I have to keep working on this routine.  For the remainder of the swim I concentrated on swimming with a new technique, a correct one at that.  I have been swimming 3 freestyle strokes with breath up to the right, and repeat.  Proper way to swim is 3 strokes followed by a  breath to the  right,  then 3 strokes and breathe to the left.  Last weekend I ran into a friend and her daughter who happens to be a younger and talented swimmer, and she gave me some land lessons.  Margaret gave me the valuable tips of proper breathing and strokes, which I worked on today.  The improvement will come as I practice this new technique more and more. Furthermore, this morning I discovered that when I come up to breathe I am supposed to turn my hips and look up to the sky, and  that movement creates a smooth stroke transition.   So much to learn, and I am ready!

LESSON:  When first learning a sport or exercise, it’s great to do it and finish.  As one progresses, it’s important to improve the motions with technique.  It’s not enough to just do a workout, it should be done with purpose and proper method.   If you are going to spend your time doing something, do it to the best of your ability with growth and development in that area.

As far as my second workout of week 17 went, I felt really strong and confident when I left the pool today post my 1/2 mile swim.  I’m happy to know that I can do better each and every time.  I really need to get to the lake when the temps warm up.  Fresh water swimming is really different that lap swimming in the pool.  Hope to become more confident in the lake for this TRI!  Practice at Lake Michigan will determine that.

That’s all!  Keep moving and be mindful of all that you do.  What you are doing each day, is what you are becoming!

I wish you the very best in your fitness endeavors, and please never give up.

xo

The Roadrunner

Hello Thursday!  By now friends, you probably have gathered that I prefer to crank on my workouts in the morning starting before 6am.  This particular morning I had trouble getting my game ON.  I woke up tired, mentally.  The month of May (and this upcoming weekend particularly) is crazy busy with events, obligations and keeping myself healthy in the meantime.  This morning I ended up skipping my early morning run, and proceeded with my 7am-10am routine.  I then walked in the door at 10:30 to the phone ringing, the emails piling up and my brain moving 100 miles an hour trying to calculate what I need to get done today, and I mean today.  I’m thinking, should I run on the treadmill, do I really have time today to workout, will I get behind, when will I eat, all stupid things jamming up my brain waves.  I STOP, collect myself, and gather my heart rate monitor, running shoes, and all mighty iPod, and head out the door for my run.    I was not going to allow negative thoughts infiltrate my brain or let me off the hook today.  I have a TRI to do in August, and I want to do my very best.

I ran out the door like Forrest Gump, and kept running.  Heart rate was not jumping at 145, but instead at 130.  I kept pushing through, and decided to just keep pushing.  In the middle of my run, I came up on the little league baseball field, and I decided to run around the field.  Somehow the energy of the field got me running faster, and with more joy.  I was visualizing the little players, the coaches, the parents and all the fanfare of little league baseball.  One of my favorite movies by the way is FIELD OF DREAMS.  “Build it and they shall come,”  something like that. Heart rate was jumping at 150 for the second half of my run, and I felt really good.  So, today, a 40 minute jog, 10 minute walk and a feeling of accomplishment! YES!

LESSON:  Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.  Just keep your health and fitness a priority because the day will undoubtedly spring new obstacles upon you.  Staying in shape and sticking to your goals will keep you razor sharp.  Don’t play the head games, play to win!

One more workout for week 16.  Keep you  posted, and in the meantime enjoy the energy of the SUN!

xo

The Roadrunner

Hello, and happy to have you stop by and check in with my TRI training.  To begin with, I cannot believe that I’m down to 114 days left for Triathlon.   As I watch the stop watch on my homepage count down, I am mentally wondering if truly I will be ready for TRI even though I have been consistent with my workouts for the past 15 weeks.  You see, my goal is to participate in good time this year, not just completeion as times before.  Regarding my workouts, I do notice that every week my body can go a little further, and my recovery is faster and not as dramatic.  Instead of focusing on fast and rapid changes in my fitness, I must continue to be consistent and build the base.  Keeping my head in the right place will assist me with getting to the next level of intervals and longer workouts.

My mindset is one of small steps =big gains!

Last week I completed my four workout goal with a 40 minute run on Sunday.  The run invigorated me, and had me thinking about my stride and pace.  My knee was behaving, and I did not experience any pain.  I did stretch out after, which I believe helped out with feeling loose.  I actually was supposed to do weight training and opted for a run, but that’s because mentally I just was up for an outdoor cardio, and that is what I did.

Yesterday, Monday beginning week 16, I had a fantastic swim.  I was bit nervous about beginning my new routine, but told myself, get to the pool, and JUST DO IT!  Once I arrived to Lifetime, water was a perfect temp but the pool was super crowded and there were 3 of us in a lane.  Not crazy about sharing lanes, but at 5:30am the goal setters want to crank out the workout before the day gets moving.   Here is the routine that I did:   300- freestyle with a concentration on relaxing.
4 x 25-breath control any stroke as far as I could in ONE breath. I averaged 6 breaths in a 25 meter…my goal is to reduce that each week….until I get down to 2 breaths in a lap.  20 second rest & repeat  – 100-Kick: choice of stroke with board
each 25  progressively faster ( 2 of them were faster)-  100-Pull: choice of strokes with pull buoy each 25  progressively faster -2 x 100-freestyle…faster pace than 300 above- 20 second rest & repeat 100-freestyle.  Total was 900 yards or 1/mile, which is what I will swim in the Sprint TRI in August.  Time was not so great, but I was focusing on pace and breathing.  Total time to swim 1/2 mile was 40 minutes.   Heart rate was medium for the long swims, and accelerated for the breathing drills.  After my swim, and all day, I had a ton of energy, but crashed at 9:30pm.  I did not drink enough water yesterday because I felt thirsty, and the rule of thumb is, if you are thirsty you are dehydrated, and it’s late.  Pound the water.  I took today off because I was tired, and I felt the need to have a day break.

LESSON: Working out will feel different every time, but if you keep your head in the right place with a plan and purpose, you will improve.  The mindset must be that working out is a priority, and furthermore that excercise is a lifesaver in the big scheme of things. Train your brain to incorporate fitness for vitality and clarity.

I will do a weight session tomorrow, and run or cycle on Friday.

In the meantime, keep those thoughts POSITIVE and STRONG WILLED!

xo

The Roadrunner

TGIF!  Yeah, it’s Friday!  Finally made it to the big, bad day of FUN!..Enough of that, let’s check in with my workouts.

Currently I am in week 15 of Tri training, and on schedule with my base training of building endurance and improving my conditioning phase for Chicago Tri in August.  Keena says for me to not worry so much about the end result, but to keep up with the plan and follow it.  So far, I have completed 3 of my scheduled workouts for this week, and I have increased my times this week.  Tuesday I woke up with a silly headache and got a cardio in for consistency, which entailed of 47 minutes 20 seconds on the treadmill.  Incline was at 3.5 for 40 min and heart rate was jumpin between 140 and 150.  Felt good after.  My days were getting busier by the minute, but I prioritzed my workout for health and Tri goal reasons.  Wednesday I hit the pool at 9:30am, too late for me but the none the less, I got it in.  The kikster swam several different freestyle drills = 825 yds.  My nose/head were conjested and my breathing was a little tough because of allergies, so I swam a little slower than usual.  Today I ran outside for 40 minutes and my heart rate was higher than usual, right around 155 because I am really tired today.  I only got 5 hours of sleep last night, and my body feels a bit slow.   I need to do a weight session by Sunday night to make my four workout goal.  Notice I leave my weight sessions for last because I hate doing them alone.  I prefer to strength train with a buddy.

LESSON: This week I re-confirm the importance of just sticking to the workout plan as schedule, and not dwelling on how I want to be in a faster place, or having quicker results.  Staying consistent and doing the small steps each week will add up and evolve into big gains.  The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs …one step at a time.
Joe Girard

Have a super weekend, and keep hydrated and more importantly keep moving sunshine!

xo

The Roadrunner

ps…the hot girl on the beach is NOT me, but I will get there sunshine!

Saturday completed my four workouts for week 14.  All went well, and boy was I sore after my workout.  I did the scheduled 20 minute jog before my personalized workout that Keena designed for me.

Workout: Push-ups shoulder width 40 reps, Bicycle crunch 50 reps, Ham curl on the ball 50 reps, push-ups wide width 40 reps, squats 50 reps, seated row with band 50 reps, squat jumps 50 reps…these were hard, tricep push-ups 40 reps, bicep curl with band 50 reps, basic crunch on ball 50 reps.  I can tell you by the end of this routine I was tired, and beginning to feel sore and strong at the same time.  My mind got me fired up to do more so I added a 12 minute walk incline on the treadmill with a sprint at the end.   Shazammmmmm. I love getting in shape.  Heart rate was in zone for 138-140 for first jog, and heart was jumping during workout at about 130-160.  All in all, a great workout.  I was pounding the water too, which is so very good for us. 

LESSON: When you workout and youfeel like pushing a little harder, DO!  You never know from day to day when you will have an extra few, or when your energy will say …”do more.”  Take advantage of every workout, and make it the very best you can.  A missed chance is missed!

Tomorrow I will kick in week 15 with either a run or a swim.

Talk soon…

xo

The Roadrunner

This morning at 5:50 I hit the water after being away from a lap pool for about 3 weeks.  Gosh darn diggity dog, did it feel so good to walk in the locker room and begin to smell the pool water from inside.   I have missed my swimming, but it all came back as soon as I jumped in.  Lifetime was closed last week for renovations, and before that I was away.  Anyhow, onto today, I swam drills for a total of 800 yards in 40minutes.  The drills are what keep my swim session interesting and challenging.  Remember, I am a new swimmer, well actually I learned 3 years ago but never being consistent day to day, but instead a seasonal swimmer once a week.  To get really good, I believe that you need to be in the pool practicing stroke, breathing and pace at least 3 times a week.  With my current lifestyle and busy schedule my goal is to hit the pool once a week followed by another cardio session and 2 weight workouts. This morning, I felt challenged in that I have a little cold and my breathing was a bit constricted, but I worked through it.  Water was warmer than usual so the jump in was not so shocking, and I warmed up with 8- 25 meter freestyle laps followed by 2-50 meter kick board 1-25 meter kick board and one more set like that. Next came 2 easy 50′s followed by my drills—4 sets of 75 meter slow, medium and  fast pace.   As I swim as fast as I could, not that super fast, but I was moving, I thought of how Michael Phelps trains for sprints.  He always comes to my mind in early morning when I PUSH or stay the same.  I want to push,  I would like to get so good that I can jam on my 25.   I ended with 2 sets of 50′s and one cool down 25 meter.  Overall, I rate this morning’s swim a 9 for my condition, and only reason I do not give it a 10 today is because I forgot my heart rate monitor and I had no idea what my zone was.  Poohy.

Wednesday I jogged on the treadmill for 40 minutes at 145-150 heart rate zone.  The pace was good, but my knee gave a slight yelp, and I think it may be time for a new pair of running shoes. I’ll hit Runner’s Soul in LaGrange for that.  Jayne, the owner, has invested in sizing/evaluating equipment that allows one to be perfectly fit for the unique foot, arch and posture.   YES-your running shoes make the difference!

What’s left for this week; one weight session, which I will do either Saturday or Sunday.  This week I increased the time of my workouts to 40 minutes.    My nutrition journey continues with internalizing the notion of proper portions, and eating as healthy as possible.  Keep in mind, I am GREEK, and I like my food and drinks, but I like my strength and lean feeling better!!!!     New recipe I just read about, a veggie wrap with hummus dip inside.  I think I will incorporate this into my snack options.

LESSON: Purposeful drills in any workout will challenge and improve your fitness level.  Continuously listen to your body for signs and signals, which tell you what is missing or if your intensity is off.   Shoes are an important component of  fitness because the wrong ones could lead to injury.

As the weather changes, the sun rises earlier and the feeling of Spring is everywhere, I am motivated to get as strong and lean as possible.

In the meantime, I wish you a kefi-nated day!

xo

The Roadrunner

This morning I woke up at 5:45am, later than usual, snoozed for another 10, I never do that, and then jumped out of bed ready to run.  Well, I had to fill up on java and half a Cliff bar, and then put on the polar, lace up the sneaks and put a smile on my face.  Next, I walked outside and stood there for a while before dashing off.  By doing this, I recalled my last outdoor run, which reminded me that I was really cold even though the sun was out last time.  So I went back inside, and prepared for this particular morning.  I pulled out my super warm and super long mittens and donned my warmer than usual jacket.  Yes- I was ready to roll, and that I did.  As I was running I remembered that my knee started to hurt at about minute 30 last time, so I jumped over to the grass in order to jog on a softer surface. Yes- this move prevented my knee from flaring up, BUT, now my shoes were wet therefore making my feet cold.  This preparation of warm hands, warm chest, caution on the knee was great, but what about my feet?  Well, I decided, better to have half an hour of cold feet than to have a sore knee for 2 o 3 days.   Overall, my cardio session was super because I met my goal of 40 minutes at 145 heart rate zone.  I felt strong, I was breathing with grace, and had a good stride going.  Love it when I can accomplish my goals for the day.

LESSON: Try to improve each workout with lessons past, but it’s always a work in progress.  The proper tools, accessories, mindset are necessary for a killer workout.   Invest in the best when it comes to your health.

Plan is to swim with Vicki on Wednesday, weights on Thursday and bike on Saturday.  When I map it out, workouts, most of the time, get done!

Have a good one…summer is lurking around the corner.  :)

xo

The Roadrunner

Good Sunday morning to you all!

Hope the weekend was good to you.  I just came up from a good training session of 15 minute jog on the treadmill followed by a 35 minute personalized strength session.  Session included step-ups, pike-ups, one legged squats with weight, push-ups, arm raise, plank and crunches.  Today’s workout confirmed that I prefer, and do better with, a buddy when doing weights or strength. I just need that re-reinforcement of watching form and tempo to accomplish a strong workout.  I can motivate myself and jam when it comes to cardio.  Running, swimming and biking I can do all on my own, and with intensity.

Week 13 was average when it comes to workouts because I only met 3 of 4 scheduled.  Life was extremely busy last week for a variety of reasons, but it truly is all about priorities.  I look forward to week 14, and to Keena coming back in a month.

Pool is open again this week, and I plan to swim on Wednesday and will get a run in tomorrow.  Still need to figure out the other 2 workouts for next week.

LESSON: Working out is a journey, and one we must learn from each time. Keep going, and even though expectations may fall short sometimes, keep pushing, and don’t ever stop moving.  The key really is to make exercise fun and a daily part of your life philosophy.

Talk to you later, and have a sunny day!

xo

The Roadrunner

HI there!  May I begin by telling you that we are enjoying a most beautiful and warm, 80 degree day here in Chicago!  The day is literally sunny, bright and cheerful!  Thank God for that!

This week marks the 13th week that I have been following a schedule for preaparation of Chicago TRI 2010 to be held in August.  Every day my brain and body are feeling something different, and every day I learn from my experiences.

Each week my schedule includes 4 workouts, 2 weight sessions and 2 cardio set up in 5 phases, Conditioning, Base, Intensity, Peak and Taper over a 32 week period.  In week 13 I really am craving a good swim at the pool, but Lifetime is closed until Saturday, so I am doing more running.  Traditionally, I like to cross train (thus the training for Tri) but I’ll wait for my Lifetime to re-open to get back in the pool. Yesterday, I went for a 37 minute run, at which point my knee started aching, so I took it down to a walk for 5 minutes.  During my run, I felt strong and kept my heart rate in zone.  Today, because my knee was a bit soar, I walked at an incline for 24 minutes followed by a 10 minute jog at 4.6 level all in heart rate zone.  Plan is to do weights tomorrow and bike on Sunday.

While my workouts are going well, I am frustrated with my weight, which was sabotaged during vacation even though I had the best of intentions.  In retrospect, I did not drink enough water, which slowed my metabolism down.  Never, ever give up the water.  Looking back, I ate pretty healthy, but my portions were too big, and I did indulge in some cocktails which also slow things down.  None of this is detrimental, and truly, I did not go too far off with my program, but I do not want vacations or social gatherings to cause setbacks.  My eating and my lack of water for 8 days, is each behind me, but I am stuck on the scale, so I’m thinking about it today.  Last year I changed my set point, and now I’m set at another one.  I must bust over to the other side.  I will do that by drinking at least 2 liters of water each day, keeping my portions smaller, and next week increasing my levels and times during workout.

LESSON:  Don’t beat yourself up if you are stuck in a funk, but DO re-work the program or simply get back on program.  Drink the water, watch the portions of your food, and monitor workouts so that you yield results.  Constantly, check and re-check your progress to stay on task.

Ok, that’s it for today, may the h2o be with you, andcatch ya outside!

xo

The Roadrunner

HI!  I posted this picture, just because I like it, and I LOVE the ocean to btw.  I miss my ocean, and I miss my KEENA!

Trainer extraordinaire, KEENA, helps me a lot with strength training.   I can run, swim, and bike on my own until the cows come home, but when it comes to circuit and lunges and weights, I do work better with a trainer.  Keena is off for a while, and in the meantime, she did give me a program to do, which I am following pretty well.  This morning I competed  the circuit session with no assistance, just me, myself and I leading the squats, lunges and pike-ups.  I began with 15 minute jog on the treadmill at 3.9 level, and pumped up to 4.5 last 2 minutes.  The next 25 minutes I did push-ups, squats with weights, lunges, jumps on and off bosu, reverse lunge, and 3 series of crunch exercises with bosu.  YES- I did it!  Heart rate was jumping between 150-160- the entire time, and Keena tells me that in order to seee progress and weight dropping you have to stay in your heart rate zone.  DONE!

Yesterday, I had a super run on the treadmill for half an hour.  I am feeling really strong and beginning to notice the progress in my conditioning, and I simply cannot believe that I am down to 138 days until TRI!  How fast the days and weeks fly.  Don’t wait to get your plan going, whatever it is….start something TODAY!

This week, 3 down one to go.  I do not prefer working out 4 straight days in a row, but due to travel circumstances and illness in the family….I had to do back to back this week.

LESSON: Push yourself in all circumstances, but do have a plan and guide to follow, working out with purpose will get you the results.   Do not waste the chance to move your body and get that blood flowing!  Remember, your health is an investment in you and your mental/physical welfare, do not scrimp!

Off to my weekend now, have a great and wonderful day!

xo

The Roadrunner