The easiest assessment for me is the simple activities: swim, bike and run. The training and the results are quantifiable. Now the intangibles; body (including strength and stretching), nutrition, interior (mental/emotional). Please note, I have some different theories on some of this. The sample size is N=1. In other words, please don't try this at home and please don't give it any credibility. I love the fact that I am a lab of one. I try things I would never recommend to others!
Body:In many ways, I feel like I am inhabiting my body for the first time. I move differently, I look different, and my energy is different. The changes are noticeable to me and to others. In the last year my weight is down and more importantly since 2007 my body fat dropped from 30% to 19%. I mostly attribute this to lots of aerobic training and more importantly the appropriate changes I have made in intensity. It is not enough to "use it not to lose it" but I have learned that you have to use it hard! Gains at 41 are earned in millimeters through hard work. 2008 really was the end of long slow distance in my life. My training volume was as big as was my focus on intensity. In addition, I was injury free.
I wish I could explain the injury free part. I do think I am learning how my body trains and more importantly how it adapts to training. I can better define this year by the things I didn't do...no stretching and no strength training. Do not try this at home...seriously. I stopped strength training because it used up valuable time that I needed to improve on the bike. The only strength training my body experienced; paddles in swimming, big ring climbing while cycling, and hill intervals while running.
As a triathlete, I am very fortunate because I have a team doc...Dr. David Fletcher. He has been very successful in helping me to manage my thyroid and my asthma. I am amazed at how breathing is no longer a limitation. This year I learned that my lungs decline is so gradual I do not know it until I develop a cough or some other irritation. Instead of waiting for that to happen I am staying on my Flonase and Advair to prevent the slow decline.
Areas for improvement in my body include my neck and core. I have a tendency to keep my head down in all three events. In the Ironman I noticed some pain in my neck after the swim. Some neck work would help. I do think functional core work would help with event performance. It really is about making the time and effort.
Last area of improvement is the taper. I tapered differently for this race but I am still in search of the "sweet spot." More data analysis from this season should help.
Nutrition:This was a great year for me to make some significant body composition changes. My weight dropped to 135 before the race (a 13 lbs. drop for IM Wisconsin and a significant reduction in body fat percentage). It did get to the point where people started to comment that I looked too thin. Fortunately, Coach would gently let them know that she did know what I looked like without my clothes and I was doing great. How did I make the changes? Monique Ryan's book was a great assistance (Nutrition for Endurance Athletes). Some changes I made were:
- 50-100 calories before my morning run
- a big breakfast (OJ, cereal with soy milk, english muffin with jam and spread)
- increased protein intake (lots more eggs!)
- morning snack and afternoon snack
- even less sugar intake (I am not a big sugar consumer but it is surprising how it adds up!)
- small dinner
- 150-250 calories per hour for any workout exceeding an hour and a half
Some of my favorite foods this cycle included:
- apples
- eggs
- greek yogurt with honey
- cereal and soy milk
- bagels
- rice krispie treat at end of long ride
- coke at end of long ride
Focus area for next season is to resolve side stitches (they can come and go in training) and nausea issues (twice in training and twice during IM AZ). I have been doing some research after Arizona and I think that I had some dehydration/electrolyte issues. I stopped salt pills this year and that may be part of the problem. I am also going to start looking for a new drink during in activity or just stick with Gatorade (preferable Endurance formula). I am becoming burned out on my Hammer Product.
Interior Management:This has been a challenging year emotionally (see previous post). Thanks to the support of my friends and family, most of my long training days had some type of support. There are still dark times out there...especially 3 hours into a six hour ride. Ironman training and the race itself peels back the layers to reveal so much about who we are. Often the answers to who we are can be much darker than anticipated. Towards the end of the year, I struggled with the long training required but I eventually found the light at the end of the tunnel. A nice Ipod playlist helped at moments. The hard days emotionally were great training for Arizona. Most of the race felt like a struggle but a manageable struggle. Most importantly, I was able to see through the struggle and constantly assess how to improve my current condition. I think that was a huge break through as a competitor. I am not wired to give up but I am now wired to find the solutions.
Having a sports psychologist, Dr. Jack Raglin has also been incredibly helpful. Jack finds the studies that will impact my training including; the use of caffeine, supplements, ice cold drinks, apple sauce and the impact of association while competing. He is always reading the literature and attending conferences with lots of helpful data. When I think about all of my improvements over the last couple of years, I have been amazed at the "team" supporting me. A physician, sports psychologist, trainers, fitness consultants, exercise physiologists...wow...it is amazing to live in Bloomington!
What I missed in this last race was more of the "Flow." I had it for about 1/3 of the bike and the last hour of the run. Perhaps the nature of an Ironman (11+ hours) prevents the amount of "Flow" time I can feel in shorter distance races. Only racing will tell...
Run, Bike, Swim, Live, Laugh, Love
