the amazing power of air quality

so atlanta entered august temperatures a few weeks ago while still in june. spring skipped as usual and pop - summer. not just summer but 100% humidity, dense air quality, 90-100 degree heat daily.

this heat quality made for an interesting roller coaster ride of a training week.

just some background - my running mileage has increased to 5-6 miles per run; bike is hovering between 25 and 30 miles. on brick training (the bike to the run on weekends), i have done 20 bike, 3 mile run.

so this past saturday, the ride was 26, and the run - well....let's just say my body stopped moving after .5 miles. are you kidding me. yup. .5 miles - that is 1/2 a mile. ok - body froze. it simply did not move anymore. lungs tied up solid. nothing left.

so, lets see shall we. ok, i will walk for 30 seconds, then begin the run. nope, did not work. for the first time i got paralyzed in my workout and literally bonked. all due to the heat. i have done this workout in the weekends before not effortlessly - but it was not painful. it was able to be done.

later in the week, i was unable to do an early morning run, so went out at lunch hour. at about noon i departed just for a quick 4 miler to be done in 35 - 40 minutes. it was a sizzler, really. about 98 degrees. i made it 1 mile. body froze up, and would not move. i was really depressed and could not understand what the deal was. i was not empowered by this.

it was not until the next day, at my 6 a.m., 6 mile run that i put 2 and 2 together and realized my problem was really the heat. at 6 a.m. that day, it was in the high 70's and the sun was not really out strong, yet. 6 miles of hilly terrain accomplished in less than an hour in great strong spirits. now... that is what i am talking about.

now - how do we get this weather cooled down to help with training.

please don' t let this heat be around on race day - please!

tomorrow - brick training. 30 miles bike, 3 mile run. i think i need another dinner :)

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a self-fulfilling prophecy

i love to swim. i am a strong swimmer. i love to swim. i am a strong swimmer....

i have to say - if i have not drilled this point home, yet; swimming has posed a challenge for me. That challenge frustrates me greatly, enough to make me want to scream. i am sorry, but really - what is the deal. my cardio and endurance capacity is so strong on the run and bike. seriously. what a difference.

so lets change that state of mind. perhaps by subconsciously thinking, ugh - swim tonight, i am making a weakness happen despite my best efforts.

so here we go - i love to swim, i am a strong swimmer. i love to swim, i am a strong swimmer.

i can.

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drive towards your weakness, to develop it as a strength

so this is it. there have been many entries detailing the challenges that have been upon me with the swim portion of my triathlon training. while there has been amazing headway made in my stroke, endurance, etc.; patience is wearing thin & i decided to join a master swim program sure to keep me on my toes. i preform best when dropped into a situation of people that will challenge me - so this should be interesting, and i am sure there will be a lot of water swallowed. but i am also sure this is the only way to set me up for strengthening my endurance in the swim with a strong focus.

my focus is great with the run & bike, i can push my limits to maximum capacity, and i always look forward to that training. it is powerful, and i enjoy the mental & muscle strength that is needed. the swim practice on my own, aside from the group swim drills, is very challenging for me to focus & drive myself. so that is why the decision has been made to push my limits to their fullest extent with master swimmers. i am sure to be whipped, but it will be the best thing for me. drive towards your weakness to develop it as a strength.

so, at 5:45 a.m. tomorrow, i am trying my first master swim training. exhale. this is for the best to build what i will need to conquer this triathlon the way i envision - with strength & power; just like the cancer victims we are training for. they did not choose to get cancer, but they chose strength to conquer it.

exhale - just do this.

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figo pasta

spoke to figo pasta, today.

so excited. they have agreed to help me fundraise for the leukemia & lymphoma society! still working through details, but there will be a lunch and dinner that proceeds will go back to our cause. this is really so exciting. we are still working through the details....and will keep you posted.

for those who don't know of figo pasta and live in Atlanta - -----WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!

figo pasta is a wonderfully quaint restaurant with all the qualities of being in a lovely bistro in italy. fresh pasta, (yes - it is really fresh), spectacular sauces, and decor that truly brings you to europe with creative and scrumptious menu options and service that will be sure to keep you wanting to come back for more! you have amazing sauce and pairing options, you can mix and match each time you go, and will never run out of options. and it is impossible to make a bad choice.

there are many stellar locations around atlanta - give 'em a try.

my fav: gnocchi with the siciliana sauce (red sauce with eggplants, mozzarella cheese, with an amazing spicy, and nutty flavor with fresh basil leaves)...i hope i spelled siciliana right :)

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TRI TRI....first bonk, and injury

bonk: loss of energy and body shut down during physical training.

so yes, in addition to my milestone day yesterday and moving up in the category levels of cycling to the one who has fallen - came a scary, disconcerting feeling during the brick portion of the training. the run after the 26 mile ride. granted it was probably about 90 degrees and less than stellar air quality, but it happened. bonk. body locked up, lungs tight, and could not move (run) anymore. frozen & after just . 5 miles. not good. walking, OK - but not strong. what a great feeling in knowing that i have to make it just another 6 miles after my ride on race day. good job, christina.

injury....we all know what that means. pain. yup, that fun fall that happened 3 times over yesterday, had its consequences as the day went on. consequences that reared their ugly head in the face of extreme pain in my right quad. the guad (thigh) that i believe landed on a rock on my 3rd and final fall yesterday. interesting how you don't feel much after the fall initially. you know it really hurts, but you are in the middle of the road and have a ton of miles to go so you cannot think about it. move onward. later turning into a gimp, and could not put any weight on my right leg. nice. lets just say i had to skip a run today for the first time.

still TRIing

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milestone day

so there are two categories for cyclists - the ones who WILL fall, and he ones who HAVE FALLEN. today was a milestone in that i have exited the will fall category and moved into the category of the cyclist who has fallen (3 times over in one ride). milestone day.

it is funny. the first fall was with no momentum and a full topple onto the right side. slow motion. we were learning how to take our rear tire off properly, change tires, etc., and then were off to a 26 mile ride, full of peaks and valleys. cool. so we are ready, off we go - right petal positioned above the left, right foot clipped in, gear too tight, cannot move legs to get momentum and clip in the left and slowly, as though i could hear whistling like in a cartoon - and over i went. boom on to the pavement. what did i check first - the bike. good god, please don't let there be a scratch. i did bang the derailer, and the ultegra sticker scratched ...but good to go. and i survived my first fall. phew, glad that is over. huh - little did i know.

off i go and up the first hill. something is wrong, the back gears are not catching - the beautiful crisp gears are not working correctly. apparently the alignment was off on the derailer. great, less than a mile down on a very hilly 26 mile ride. continue with the gears slipping - sure.

peak, valley; peak, valley; peak.......chain drops - fall. alright, survived another one. put the chain back on, and started back on the bike in the middle of the hill...bang - fall. this one hurt. thigh landed on a rock. got a good muscle bruise. at this point i was getting really tired, and the heat was really starting to sizzle, not to mention the heartrate beating at a higher than usual pace due to the slight stress of the falls and the slipping gears.

now not sure i was going to continue the second loop to total the 26. the thought and exhaustion was telling me to stop at the first 13 mile. enter goo. for those of you who have not heard of goo, it is a miracle worker. thighs burning, exhausted and hot - goo. goo is not the best texture or flavor, but full of important electrolytes that your body loses during physical exercise. 5 minutes later, feeling great. sure - off to the second loop.

second loop was great. no falls, but still slipping gears. but smooth sailing otherwise. ended my ride on a positive.

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sustinance

so there have been some questions in regards to what i am eating...

well, i am not counting calories, but i am needing to ensure that i am getting in all the nutrients and food components to ensure i do not burn muscle, and stay energized enough to keep up the training.

food is a building block. it is not only about what you ate the day before, but what you ate all the days prior. hydration plays a huge factor too. if you are only 2% dehydrated , your body will preform at a 50% reduction of strength. that is HUGE.

here is a daily run down of what i have been eating..

breakfast: wake up - 1 cup oatmeal

exercise

post workout: 2 scoops of protein, with oatmeal and fruit shake

mid morning: 4 egg whites, with 2 pieces of high protien, high complex carb bread

lunch - talapia, sweet potato or lentils

mid afternoon - chicken salad with mayo made from canola oil, bread, lettuce

dinner - talapia, chicken, turkey, sweet potato, veggie

before bed - another protein shake

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