4 Weeks Down...

Kicking off week #5 and feeling good. Still getting used to the early rises at 5:30 AM...

I purchased a bike trainer last week for my home gym. First of all, it's awesome to be able to train in my own my home at my convenience. Secondly, it's allowing me to train the right muscles while getting familiar with being in aero position. The recumbent bikes at the gym are not even close to the real thing and can even be counter-productive for a triathlete.

During my swims last week I was started to get foot cramps in the pool after about 1000 yards. I quickly figured out that I was dealing with slight dehydration - likely due to the early morning workouts. I've added in some more electrolytes and extra water into my daily intake which seems to have eliminated the cramping.

Last week I also got out for my first outdoor run. I can't tell you how good it felt even at 32 degrees. There's only so much of the treadmill that one can handle... Is it spring yet?

- Mark

One Month Down…

Wow out first month of training is already over and we slowly our bodies are getting ready for the big challenge! 

This week I had a few things on my mind that seemed like little obstacles we all go through! I was doing well with my training and felt strong and excited about this weeks workouts. Well this all came to an end when I got sick right before the weekend! I had a stuffy nose and even a fever for two nights. Despite the weather outside I thought I would take a day or two off and then come back stronger... Well this actually did work and once Tuesday came around I felt 90% better. So this past weekend was not about training but more about relaxing drinking lots of tea and just getting better.

It was bothering me not being able to work out but on the same side I knew I would rather get better soon in order to start the next week fresh! 

And oh wow did this fifth week of training start amazing!!!! I finally got my bike fit and will be using it tomorrow for the very first time!!! 

Other than being sick I had lots of thoughts about my nutrition! I wonder what is good for me to eat and what is not. I am such a sweet tooth that I find it very difficult to say no to sweets! I am therefore also looking forward to talking to Jason and Mark, and a nutritionist in the near future!!!

Other than this I am still super excited about this experience and can't wait to push myself!!!! 

- Jeannette

Coach’s Corner

Mark and Jeanette are working on week three of training.  The grind has started.  Week three is essentially a repeat of week one with a little more volume.  We are still working in a prep stage.  Getting Mark and Jeanette familiar with the training routine, logistics, and scheduling in workouts while managing a job, family, and other life commitments.  The repetition from week one will help get daily patterns and consistency organized.  It's really about clocking in and out every day.

- Coach Jason

Noticing Changes After 3 Weeks

Wow week four already!!! Time is flying by and I cant imagine how quickly September 7^th will be here.

Together with working and training I have become quite busy and some things have already changed. It has already happened that I had to say ‘No’ to my friends who met late night for a drink. To me personally I rather go to bed to a decent time in order to be able to have enough energy for the next day of training. Yet I am still trying to make some time here and there to meet my friends.

Now looking back though at some of my workouts and times I can already see a slight change in my time and distance; especially in my biking. Together with my Garmin watch I have finally seen a little change. Even though it is very little I now know that things will change as long as I put in the work. The harder I will push myself the better I will get!

Other than pushing myself a little harder I have to pay more attention to what I am eating. I realize more and more how important nutrition is going to be during this training. The better I eat the more energy I will have!!!

- Jeannette

Getting The Right Fit

Just finished training week # 3. Slowly getting used to training 6 days / week. Training so far has been on low-med intensity at 90-120 minutes per day. I'm already back to my pre-holiday weight and feeling energized.

This week I had a much overdue bike fitting on my Tri bike. The bike had been fitted when I bought it last year from another LBS. However it was quite obvious they were more interested in the sale and less about ideal fit. At PSBR we scheduled a time and it was quite a formal process. When I say formal it included a methodical checklist of measurements from every angle. It was a collaborated effort with support from several other employees, to  validate each measurement. I think just about everything that could be tweaked was adjusted. The aero bars, the seat, shoe clips, etc.

Prior to the fitting I could barely go 60 minutes without a lot of discomfort. Since the fitting I’ve been on a couple of 2-hour rides  with no issue! In a way it's like having a new bike...highly recommend a bike fitting if you have not had one in a while. Should you get a bike fit, don't forget to wear your bike gear (shorts/shoes). You will be peddling for a while.

-Mark

Facing Challenges and a New Bike!!

I just finished my second week of training! The past two weeks have been already very different than from any training that I am personally used to. I am getting used to using Training Peaks which gives me exact information and detail on my daily training routine. It is definitely very helpful to be able to see exactly what I have to do and also give feedback to my coach.

During the first week I already had my first challenge. While getting ready for my run I somehow hurt my leg and was not able to run. Yet I would not let this bother me. Instead of running on the treadmill I decided to do my 90 min run on the elliptical; which worked out perfect.

And how else could it be but during my second week of training we had a tremendous blizzard hitting the tri state area. There goes my run and bike for one day and also my swim. Being snowed in is definitely not much fun but very pretty to look at.

My absolute highlight of this week was my new Tri Bike. I was able to see it, and hopefully be able to first ride it coming next week. Having a tri bike will hopefully make things more comfortable and faster. I am super excited about it and still have the biggest smile on my face.

Overall I am feeling great today. I took the 10:30 am Computer training class and was able to finish it all without being too exhausted. It is nice to already see a little change in endurance and I am excited to see a bigger change in the long run.

- Jeannette

Coach’s Corner

The primary goal of the first few weeks of full distance training is to get Jeanette's and Mark's bodies used to the high frequency of workouts.  Training during this time won't be overly hard, it is just about creating consistency.  

For inexperienced athletes I like to use the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) scale.  The RPE scale is a way of measuring physical activity intensity level. Perceived exertion is how hard you feel like your body is working. It is based on the physical sensations a person experiences during physical activity, including increased heart rate, increased respiration or breathing rate, increased sweating, and muscle fatigue. Although this is a subjective measure, a person's exertion rating will provide a fairly good estimate of the actual heart rate during physical activity.  The successful athlete is one that knows how their body feels at different levels of intensity and exertion.  

After the base building stage and acclimating the body to the volume involved in full distance training the focus will be on teaching the body to move fast and efficiently while limiting stress.  

Happy Training.

- Jason