Lake Samish Tri, Bellingham, WA – 08/07/2010
Back in May of 2010, I was having so much fun training for ChelanMan that I signed up for a second tri before even completing my first! Â Luckily, I had a great time in Chelan, and my goal for this second one was simply to finish without having any breakdowns.
ChelanMan, Chelan, WA – 07/18/2010
(Since this was my first tri ever, it’s a little extra long. Â Enjoy!)
Back in December, 2009, I took the suggestion of a personal trainer at the gym and started training for a triathlon. Â He figured I’d be ready for a sprint distance by July, 2010, so I looked online for a race around then, and found ChelanMan.
My sister tried to buy me Born to Run for my birthday, but it was snatched from my doorstep. Â She tried again for xmas, sending it to our folks instead. Â Success! Â Two days later, I was finished, and what a great read!
Yes, that’s right, I read it all in two days flat. Â It’s an amazing story, centered on the Tarahumara, but with fascinating tangents into evolution, nutrition, the Leadville 100 (which now I want to do some day), and much, much more. Â I couldn’t put it down, and neither will you.
I’m trying out some of the methodology in Strength Training for Triathletes. Â Yesterday was ‘test day’, in which I was to figure out the “1RM” (one rep max) for each of my chosen exercises. Â This meant picking a weight I figured I could do only 10 or fewer reps on, and then calculating what my max weight would be from how many reps I accomplished at the smaller weight. Â It’s not an exact science, but it’s close enough, and certainly safer than potentially picking a weight that injures you.
(My apologies for the long delay in posting this… I’ve been busy, um, healing?)
Seattle, WA – 11/28/2010
First off, the big question: did I finish? Â Drumroll… I did! Â Next year the goal is to finish without injury, but I’m getting ahead of myself…
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To train for the Seattle Marathon (my first), I’ve been following “plan C” listed here. Â I finally hit 18 miles on the 6th (in 3:10, woo!), and hoo boy did it ever hurt! Â I iced and rested for most of the next 24 hours, and then did another 6 miles, per the plan. Â I stuck with the plan through the following Saturday, but by then the nagging pain in my right heel had become painful enough that I thought I might be really injuring myself.
The other day my father emailed me some advice from a gym buddy of his that has ended up in the medical tent at the end of the Seattle Marathon three times:
It seems that the weather is so damp and cold that you do not feel you need to replace fluids (and he has done dozens of tris and marathons – including the Canadian Iron Man) and the result is that he would finish both dehydrated and hypothermic – so off to the tent for warm fluids to be pumped in.
I’ve noticed that I have indeed been drinking less as the temperature has dropped, but I think I’m still getting enough.
Regular cotton socks allow too much movement within the shoe, causing friction and heat, which creates blisters, and blisters aren’t ever fun. Â Lightweight, moisture-wicking socks are essential in preventing blisters from happening in the first place.
For training or events lasting more than an hour, I need portable, easily digestible calories to keep going. Â Hammer Gel has been working great for me, though it does usually make me belch once or twice. Â Also, it’s damn tasty (montana huckleberry is my favorite).
