you take a half day off work to get your long run in so you're only in the pool til 6 instead of 8.
I may be a dork but I'm off work! See you later!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Support your favorite Ironman... whose name is Mishele
If you're near Tempe April 15th, you should definitely come to the race. My 4th IM. K's first IM. That announcer guy's millionth IM. While I have yet to see an Ironman as a spectator, the recaps with inspirational music are very touching. And if my waterworks during the thing are any indication it's not the music that's pushing the buttons.
If you can't come to IM AZ then you should try to make it to one in your lifetime. I promise to do so as well (as a spectator). And if you want to be supportive cyber-friend without actually having to make eye contact with me--or book a flight to Arizona--please consider supporting my fundraising efforts. As some of you may know, I am fundraising for the Spay-Neuter Assistance Program through the Janus Charity Challenge for Ironman Arizona. Here's a little bit about SNAP and why I'm diggin on 'em for my race:
SNAP is a nonprofit organization committed to educating pet owners about the benefits of spaying and neutering their furry loved ones. SNAP also provides low-cost spay/neuter and immunization services for cats and dogs. My second cat, Gary, was neutered at 4 months at a SNAP location and it was a great decision; he recovered rapidly, required a less invasive surgery and less anesthetic, and was back to being a busy kitten in no time. His care there was exceptional, and the whole experience was convenient for me to boot.
I chose SNAP as the beneficiary of my fundraising for a couple of reasons, but primarily because of their commitment to preventing the euthanization of unwanted pets. SNAP locations will spay/neuter feral cats that folks bring in at low-to-no cost. SNAP will also spay/neuter at 12 weeks of age, before sex characteristics and the bad habits associated with them begin to develop. Some of SNAP's great events to
curb pet overpopulation include free spay/neuter days each year as
well as a "Neuter-Scooter for a Nickel" day in the spring, where
anyone can bring any male cat in for neutering for five cents.
Want some scary stats? Just one unspayed cat and her kittens can produce 420,000 kittens in just six years. What's more, every year $2 billion tax dollars are spent to impound, shelter, euthanize, and dispose of homeless animals. These are some of the reasons I think it's essential that pet owners prevent unwanted puppies and kittens from ultimately ending up in a shelter, and the first step to that is responsible spay/neutering. I love my cats more than most people (slight understatement), and the thought of so many cats and dogs that enter shelters ending up destroyed is a small tragedy. Would you help to prevent these deaths by supporting SNAP?
I would be honored if you could contribute to this cause with cash or other donation. Just $30 is enough to neuter a cat and perhaps save many future cat lives. If you have non-cash items you would like to donate, SNAP is looking for the following things:
* paper towels
* copy paper
* laundry soap
* postage stamps
* white copy paper
* large bath towels
* small cat carriers
* address labels
* flat screen monitors – 3
* executive office chairs - 3
* gift cards – Target, Home Depot, Office Max, Office Depot
* printing services
Folks sometimes ask me why I'm not fundraising again for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in memory of my dead mom. There are a couple reasons. First, as clean as I think the OCRF's financials are, part of me doesn't feel comfortable giving money to medical non-profits-- the bigger they are, the less I want to give. I just start thinking about how my $50 is going to some grad student's Ramen noodles/living stipend and I get all pissed off. I like the immediate impact I can have by donating to a more urgent cause. Second, there are too many great non-profits doing things that are meaningful to be repeating fundraising. Maybe I'm a bleeding heart with a wandering eye, but I just can't commit for life to one 501(c)(3). Third, I love my cats. A lot. And finally (I'm a little ashamed of this one so lean in closer) I just don't want to elicit the xxtreme effort it took for little ol' me to drum up $6,000+ or whatever it was the last time I went down this road. My fundraising took way more time than, say, my weekly swim time. It was exhausting.
Basically, I think that if I'm going to take time away from my family and community each and every week of training that I should make up for that somehow. And if my spending a day rolling 140.6 inspires someone to give to something that matters to me, I'll shamelessly plug it.
So there it is. If you want to take a look-see at the cause, here's the website: http://www.snapus.org
And if you want to give (oh, come on... you want to give) you can do so through my fundraising site. As you should know from the rest of my blog, Gary's the adorable gray cat I mentioned above.
http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/az2007/mishelek
Anything you can give to help is greatly appreciated. If you're in the Houston area, I'd be more than willing to schedule a pickup of non-cash goods as well.
Help me help SNAP! Thanks folks.
P.S. AND if you want to give to K's Janus Charity Challenge cause, you can support her efforts for the American Cancer Society below. Come on! It's her first Ironman and she's already JCCing it up!
http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/az2007/kcwoodhead
If you can't come to IM AZ then you should try to make it to one in your lifetime. I promise to do so as well (as a spectator). And if you want to be supportive cyber-friend without actually having to make eye contact with me--or book a flight to Arizona--please consider supporting my fundraising efforts. As some of you may know, I am fundraising for the Spay-Neuter Assistance Program through the Janus Charity Challenge for Ironman Arizona. Here's a little bit about SNAP and why I'm diggin on 'em for my race:
SNAP is a nonprofit organization committed to educating pet owners about the benefits of spaying and neutering their furry loved ones. SNAP also provides low-cost spay/neuter and immunization services for cats and dogs. My second cat, Gary, was neutered at 4 months at a SNAP location and it was a great decision; he recovered rapidly, required a less invasive surgery and less anesthetic, and was back to being a busy kitten in no time. His care there was exceptional, and the whole experience was convenient for me to boot.
I chose SNAP as the beneficiary of my fundraising for a couple of reasons, but primarily because of their commitment to preventing the euthanization of unwanted pets. SNAP locations will spay/neuter feral cats that folks bring in at low-to-no cost. SNAP will also spay/neuter at 12 weeks of age, before sex characteristics and the bad habits associated with them begin to develop. Some of SNAP's great events to
curb pet overpopulation include free spay/neuter days each year as
well as a "Neuter-Scooter for a Nickel" day in the spring, where
anyone can bring any male cat in for neutering for five cents.
Want some scary stats? Just one unspayed cat and her kittens can produce 420,000 kittens in just six years. What's more, every year $2 billion tax dollars are spent to impound, shelter, euthanize, and dispose of homeless animals. These are some of the reasons I think it's essential that pet owners prevent unwanted puppies and kittens from ultimately ending up in a shelter, and the first step to that is responsible spay/neutering. I love my cats more than most people (slight understatement), and the thought of so many cats and dogs that enter shelters ending up destroyed is a small tragedy. Would you help to prevent these deaths by supporting SNAP?
I would be honored if you could contribute to this cause with cash or other donation. Just $30 is enough to neuter a cat and perhaps save many future cat lives. If you have non-cash items you would like to donate, SNAP is looking for the following things:
* paper towels
* copy paper
* laundry soap
* postage stamps
* white copy paper
* large bath towels
* small cat carriers
* address labels
* flat screen monitors – 3
* executive office chairs - 3
* gift cards – Target, Home Depot, Office Max, Office Depot
* printing services
Folks sometimes ask me why I'm not fundraising again for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in memory of my dead mom. There are a couple reasons. First, as clean as I think the OCRF's financials are, part of me doesn't feel comfortable giving money to medical non-profits-- the bigger they are, the less I want to give. I just start thinking about how my $50 is going to some grad student's Ramen noodles/living stipend and I get all pissed off. I like the immediate impact I can have by donating to a more urgent cause. Second, there are too many great non-profits doing things that are meaningful to be repeating fundraising. Maybe I'm a bleeding heart with a wandering eye, but I just can't commit for life to one 501(c)(3). Third, I love my cats. A lot. And finally (I'm a little ashamed of this one so lean in closer) I just don't want to elicit the xxtreme effort it took for little ol' me to drum up $6,000+ or whatever it was the last time I went down this road. My fundraising took way more time than, say, my weekly swim time. It was exhausting.
Basically, I think that if I'm going to take time away from my family and community each and every week of training that I should make up for that somehow. And if my spending a day rolling 140.6 inspires someone to give to something that matters to me, I'll shamelessly plug it.
So there it is. If you want to take a look-see at the cause, here's the website: http://www.snapus.org
And if you want to give (oh, come on... you want to give) you can do so through my fundraising site. As you should know from the rest of my blog, Gary's the adorable gray cat I mentioned above.
http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/az2007/mishelek
Anything you can give to help is greatly appreciated. If you're in the Houston area, I'd be more than willing to schedule a pickup of non-cash goods as well.
Help me help SNAP! Thanks folks.
P.S. AND if you want to give to K's Janus Charity Challenge cause, you can support her efforts for the American Cancer Society below. Come on! It's her first Ironman and she's already JCCing it up!
http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/az2007/kcwoodhead
Monday, March 12, 2007
You know why I’m glad I’m young?
Because I still believe in myself. I can see past my day-to-day existence to find the person I want to be, someone I am not yet. I think as time passes and you get caught up in the ordinary life--climbing the ladder, chasing kids, saving for retirement, making dinner, doing laundry, mowing the lawn--you forget what you can do, what you’re capable of. When I signed up for my first ironman, I knew I could finish it... There wasn’t a seed of doubt till I was waiting on the beach for the start. I also knew I’d be slow, but that was okay. I could be an ironman. And almost *but not quite* 16 hours later, I was.
Now there is less fear of the unknown in my training. I know what works and what training b.s. I can leave out. But how will I be ten years from now with the inertia of my everyday life pulling on my coattails? I hope I never forget what I can do, no matter how old I am, no matter how gross and wrinkly my body may get.
Now there is less fear of the unknown in my training. I know what works and what training b.s. I can leave out. But how will I be ten years from now with the inertia of my everyday life pulling on my coattails? I hope I never forget what I can do, no matter how old I am, no matter how gross and wrinkly my body may get.
Best week of training ever
19+ hours in the s-b-r, 26+ hours all told. Amazing. I consumed 1400 whole calories-- a new personal high--on my 111-118.3 mile ride on Sunday (111 by the map, 118.3 by ol’ Lucy’s computer. I’m guessing it’s somewhere in the middle since I rode like I was drunk some of the time, weaving in and out of my side of the lane), followed by 25 minutes of aquajogging; I would have gone longer if the pool hadn’t closed. 3 hour long run (again, longer if the pool hadn’t closed). My first 5000 yd swim in probably years. A set of hard 200s where I held 1:23/100yd pace. A 2000 that I negative split by 48 seconds! The only sessions I skipped all week were a weight lifting one after my long run (I was exhausted) and 30 minutes of PT on Friday night, when everyone else my age was out having fun. I feel no guilt.
I learned some neat stuff this week. Number one: make sure you clear your HRM memory before you do a nearly perfect intervals session or you won’t “get credit” for it. Number two: riding a 22 mile out-and-back hike and bike trail five times will make you PSY-CHO. Number three: wearing an iPod for the last 45 miles of said trail makes it much more bearable. Number four: you can’t reach the back of your shoulders with sunscreen, so just resign yourself to burning every. single. week. Number five: don’t decide your $8 million cycling shoes are too small after you’ve put 800 miles on them. No one wants to buy used shoes that are so used. Number six: the best way to get roadies to clear out of the bathroom area is to drop the unholiest of restroom breaks while they’re standing outside the (open) bathroom door. Score one for the triathletes!
My new hike-and-bike discovery is a little dull, but it’s closed to motorists, is pancake flat, and has killer winds--the perfect Arizona training. It's kinda nice to see families with puppies out for a stroll rather than getting the finger from your local pickup driver. It’s also a quick 20 minute drive from my house, which beats the 60+ minute drives I’m used to if I want to ride long. This Sunday I’m planning on 120 with no running afterward so I can get home for my fantasy baseball draft. Life is good.
One quick question out there: Does anyone else’s HRM underestimate their calorie expenditure? Because I’m pretty sure I burn more than 300 calories/hour on the bike (320/hr in spinning class, when my HR is over 150 the entire time, and woo! 380/hr when I’m running as fast as I can). But maybe I’m just the most efficient amateur athlete on the planet...
I learned some neat stuff this week. Number one: make sure you clear your HRM memory before you do a nearly perfect intervals session or you won’t “get credit” for it. Number two: riding a 22 mile out-and-back hike and bike trail five times will make you PSY-CHO. Number three: wearing an iPod for the last 45 miles of said trail makes it much more bearable. Number four: you can’t reach the back of your shoulders with sunscreen, so just resign yourself to burning every. single. week. Number five: don’t decide your $8 million cycling shoes are too small after you’ve put 800 miles on them. No one wants to buy used shoes that are so used. Number six: the best way to get roadies to clear out of the bathroom area is to drop the unholiest of restroom breaks while they’re standing outside the (open) bathroom door. Score one for the triathletes!
My new hike-and-bike discovery is a little dull, but it’s closed to motorists, is pancake flat, and has killer winds--the perfect Arizona training. It's kinda nice to see families with puppies out for a stroll rather than getting the finger from your local pickup driver. It’s also a quick 20 minute drive from my house, which beats the 60+ minute drives I’m used to if I want to ride long. This Sunday I’m planning on 120 with no running afterward so I can get home for my fantasy baseball draft. Life is good.
One quick question out there: Does anyone else’s HRM underestimate their calorie expenditure? Because I’m pretty sure I burn more than 300 calories/hour on the bike (320/hr in spinning class, when my HR is over 150 the entire time, and woo! 380/hr when I’m running as fast as I can). But maybe I’m just the most efficient amateur athlete on the planet...
Friday, March 09, 2007
I ran today.
On my recovery day no less!
Let me back up to Wednesday. I had my sixth PT appointment, and
apparently that's an eval one. Instead of my trusty intern I got the
Best PT, the one that to whom I was assigned. She asked me about this
and that, and I mentioned that I'd worn high heels on Monday and they
killed my left foot. She then proceeded to stretch out the
muscles in my feet for a half an hour. Big deal, right? Except my
feet smell so bad they kill small rodents on a regular basis. The
baseline stench was compounded by my wearing open-toed, open-heeled
stink factories. At one point she went to touch her face after
holding my foot and I mentally screamed, "Oh no! For the love of God
please don't do it!!"
But she did, and she lived. Don't ask me how!
Anyway, she said I was progressing very well despite my being so
tight. When I swore I was stretching she told me that she could tell,
but I was just "genetically" absurdly tight. My initial relief was
replaced with fear—this could be me for the rest of my life, in and
out of therapy because I'm not flexible enough operate my machinery
safely. Scary, huh?
I got new exercises (which mimic actually running) and skipped out to
my car afterward—and I nearly fell over. Due to the xxtreme
stretching I'd just received my ankles moved in more than one
direction, something I'm not used to. Interesting concept...
Next was AJ intervals (rocked 'em), half a spin class, PT, bed.
Bummer of the otherwise great day? My memory was full on my watch, so
proof of my stellar intervals was lost. Sad.
Thursday. One month eval with running doctor. He said I'm doing
fantastically and my ass is at normal strength, or nearly so. His
orders: keep aquajogging, three more weeks of PT twice a week, then PT
once a week after that. There's a hint that a run
will be in my future…
Next was 3 hour AJ with 5 minutes of cross country ski action every 20
mins (to better engage the ol' quads and hammies and keep me from
crying from the boredom), PT, bed. I skipped weights because I was
ex-huas-ted after my run; I guess I'll live if I only lift twice this
week because I can't make up the session.
Friday. My off day. PT at lunch, PT for 45 minutes at home and I'm
free til Saturday! So I went to my appointment at lunchtime and got
my ankles stretched again, because one's way tighter than the other
and it's effing up my existence. We did some stairs, some balancing,
some weights.
Then we ran.
It's not the awesome running I'd like to be doing, but it's a start.
Three steps, then landing on a foam pad. Make fun all you want, but
that crap is hard. I may be a gimp, but I've still got some miles
under my belt! But I did well-- my weight distribution, foot
response, and body positioning are improving, and rapidly. I think
I'll be on my feet in a month.
And if not, at least I trust my doctor and PT to not, you know, ruin
my life. Running doctor reportedly never tells people to quit
running altogether, so I need to believe he's fixing me. And I do.
Woo hoo!
One weird thing though: my toes (middle and ring toes) cramped like
crazy on Monday (swimming, AJ) and Tuesday (spinning, abs class. Yes,
they cramped in an abs class. Yes, I was in an abs class--
those 15 minutes were the most painful of my day). Anyway, these
aren't weenie arch cramps, which I can effectively massage away after
my years of practice. They're also not curl-under toe cramps;
instead, my toes twist away from my big toe and writhe around like
freshly cut worm halves. I don't get it. Neither does the Best PT.
Neither does the running doctor. I decide I'm a freak and start
drinking more Gatorade—and I'm two days with no foot cramps.
New aquajogging insights: you can still drop your hips too much when
AJ-ing. Ya gotta watch that. Other than that I have no idea how you
can keep bad form in the pool. Pool running for life, baby!
Let me back up to Wednesday. I had my sixth PT appointment, and
apparently that's an eval one. Instead of my trusty intern I got the
Best PT, the one that to whom I was assigned. She asked me about this
and that, and I mentioned that I'd worn high heels on Monday and they
killed my left foot. She then proceeded to stretch out the
muscles in my feet for a half an hour. Big deal, right? Except my
feet smell so bad they kill small rodents on a regular basis. The
baseline stench was compounded by my wearing open-toed, open-heeled
stink factories. At one point she went to touch her face after
holding my foot and I mentally screamed, "Oh no! For the love of God
please don't do it!!"
But she did, and she lived. Don't ask me how!
Anyway, she said I was progressing very well despite my being so
tight. When I swore I was stretching she told me that she could tell,
but I was just "genetically" absurdly tight. My initial relief was
replaced with fear—this could be me for the rest of my life, in and
out of therapy because I'm not flexible enough operate my machinery
safely. Scary, huh?
I got new exercises (which mimic actually running) and skipped out to
my car afterward—and I nearly fell over. Due to the xxtreme
stretching I'd just received my ankles moved in more than one
direction, something I'm not used to. Interesting concept...
Next was AJ intervals (rocked 'em), half a spin class, PT, bed.
Bummer of the otherwise great day? My memory was full on my watch, so
proof of my stellar intervals was lost. Sad.
Thursday. One month eval with running doctor. He said I'm doing
fantastically and my ass is at normal strength, or nearly so. His
orders: keep aquajogging, three more weeks of PT twice a week, then PT
once a week after that. There's a hint that a run
will be in my future…
Next was 3 hour AJ with 5 minutes of cross country ski action every 20
mins (to better engage the ol' quads and hammies and keep me from
crying from the boredom), PT, bed. I skipped weights because I was
ex-huas-ted after my run; I guess I'll live if I only lift twice this
week because I can't make up the session.
Friday. My off day. PT at lunch, PT for 45 minutes at home and I'm
free til Saturday! So I went to my appointment at lunchtime and got
my ankles stretched again, because one's way tighter than the other
and it's effing up my existence. We did some stairs, some balancing,
some weights.
Then we ran.
It's not the awesome running I'd like to be doing, but it's a start.
Three steps, then landing on a foam pad. Make fun all you want, but
that crap is hard. I may be a gimp, but I've still got some miles
under my belt! But I did well-- my weight distribution, foot
response, and body positioning are improving, and rapidly. I think
I'll be on my feet in a month.
And if not, at least I trust my doctor and PT to not, you know, ruin
my life. Running doctor reportedly never tells people to quit
running altogether, so I need to believe he's fixing me. And I do.
Woo hoo!
One weird thing though: my toes (middle and ring toes) cramped like
crazy on Monday (swimming, AJ) and Tuesday (spinning, abs class. Yes,
they cramped in an abs class. Yes, I was in an abs class--
those 15 minutes were the most painful of my day). Anyway, these
aren't weenie arch cramps, which I can effectively massage away after
my years of practice. They're also not curl-under toe cramps;
instead, my toes twist away from my big toe and writhe around like
freshly cut worm halves. I don't get it. Neither does the Best PT.
Neither does the running doctor. I decide I'm a freak and start
drinking more Gatorade—and I'm two days with no foot cramps.
New aquajogging insights: you can still drop your hips too much when
AJ-ing. Ya gotta watch that. Other than that I have no idea how you
can keep bad form in the pool. Pool running for life, baby!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Wailin' about wetsuits
There’s a stranger on my tri forum. And I don’t like strangers.
So what do I do? Why, get into a cat fight of course!
The background:
The Lone Star Tri festival is coming to Galveston. There'll be a sprint, a half ironman, and a quarter ironman... because apparently here in Tejas we're too good for the Olympic distance-- you know, the one in the actual Olympics. I'm 10% annoyed because a famous RD (Timberman, Musselman guy) is putting on this deal, and he excessively uses ellipses in his tri forum posts. I'm also a little annoyed that everyone's preemptively kissing his butt. Isn't that more appropriate after the successful races? But still, it's nice to have an RD who pays attention to the club and tries to get folks excited and involved. So what if I'm not a "tri festival" kinda girl? I can respect that others are.
A Stranger joins our forum to specifically ask this RD if his friend's registration for the sprint came through. He mentions he's not a local (Indeed, he's in school north of The Republic of Texas) and he's jazzed for the race.
Excuse me, but isn't that a question that belongs in an email and not on a public forum? I don't know how you do things Up North (I love pretending I'm not from up there sometimes), but around here you post questions and comments that pertain, you know, to others. I can say with absolute certainty that no one who read that gave a flying mouse turd about dude's friend's registration.
The RD obviously replied via email, and the Stranger kept replying to him on the forums. I decide this stranger is a D'bag. Let's call him that for the rest of the post, eh?
The story
Someone asked on the Lone Star Tri training forum thread about wearing a wetsuit for the sprint. A few folks said you didn't need one since the water's in the low 70s/high 60s, a few folks said they were planning on wearing one, and a few folks added information about renting wetsuits, because the question asker sounded like s/he didn't own one. I am neutral about the conversation.
D'bag chimes in. He says he's planning on wearing one and he's expecting to exit the water around or just under 7:00 (for ~500m swim, so a pretty decent swimmer). He claims that everyone should wear one unless they're expecting their transition to be slower by more than a minute because you lose about 10 to 20 seconds per 100 yards while wearing one. For a sprint. When you're sprinting.
Someone else asks about his info source, and I do too. He says he's not sure, but that's the generally understood benefit of wearing one; he, for one, dropped from a 6:00 400 yard TT to a 5:30 when suited up.
Since I swim just over 1:30/100yd at a regular pace and hold about 1:22/100yd when I'm busting my hiney, I am skeptical. Someone who's already reasonably fast who drops that much time in a wetsuit? No way! It doesn't happen. I usually lose maybe 2 seconds/100yds in a race in my wetsuit, so the first problem I have with D'bag's statement is that he says 10-20 seconds/100yd, not 0-20 seconds/100yd to include everyone from awesome swimmer to tri newbie.
So I look to the internet for help and find these studies:
Wet suit effect: a comparison between competitive swimmers and triathletes
Effect of a triathlon wet suit on drag during swimming
Physiological responses to swimming while wearing a wet suit
The most relevant of which is the first one comparing competitive swimmers and triathletes in wetsuits. This study found no significant difference in swim times with or without a wetsuit in a 400m time trial for 8 swimmers and about a 19 second reduction in time while wearing a wetsuit for the 8 triathletes. I post this and say that dropping 4-5 seconds/100yd is a much more reasonable number for most people to drop, which makes the wetsuit wearing a wash for average to faster-ish swimmers when transition is taken into account. I feel good about my statement because, well, at least it's backed up with one study.
D'bag posts again and questions my ability to swim straight as well as my wetsuit age and fit. I'm peeved because my wetsuit is a 1 year old full Ironman® stealth, a very respectable buy (and very inexpensive since I bought it just as they switched to Blue Seventy. Go me!) and I'm in the dead center of my size in terms of weight and height, so that mofo fits. What's more, I'm not such a dumbass I compare an open water swim in a wetsuit to my pace in a pool, D'bag. I race much slower than I swim: despite holding 1:28/100yd for all my long pool swims all last year and still averaged a 1:34/yd in Arizona. It comes with the territory when you hit open water.
Here's what I don't get: what does my swimming straight have to do with a study that has to be marginally more objective than his results? Um, nothing. He further includes these links:
http://www.athletesden.com/wetsuitfaqs.jsp
http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/features/wetsuit.shtml
as proof he's righter than I am.
I snap. I sent a very respectful email telling him that I don't appreciate his overestimating the benefits of wearing a wetsuit, that it's a very individual thing and certainly not for everyone in a sprint. I believe that wetsuits should be worn for comfort, safety, and confidence-- if you're faster in one as well, awesome. But not everyone IS faster, especially by that much. What's more, that first link is to a guy with a HR in the mid-160s for an IM swim. Is it me or is that obscenely high for an Ironman swim? I swim in the 120s-140s, maybe higher at the beginning of a race or in sprints, but an Ironman is supposed to be as aerobic as possible. Considering your HR is much lower in the water than in air (10-20 bpm from what I've heard), a 164 seems like it's pushing the envelope.
He responds, saying I don't know about wetsuit gains because I've been swimming my whole life. And who am I to judge heart rate? That's dumb. It's different for everyone.
Wait-- it's different for everyone?
I want to beat this A-hole up. Ultimately that was my whole bleeping point: wearing a wetsuit isn't a guarantee you're zipping through the water holding sub 1:00/100yds. Sure, they help you more when you're a weaker or newer swimmer. Yes, for almost everyone the reduce effort and heart rate. But don't go flipping telling people that they're going to get significantly faster in a wetsuit-- say "I go significantly faster in a wetsuit. Y'all should try it."
One more thing I can't decide on: do you think a wetsuit helps more when you're all slow like an IM/HIM swim or when you're busting your tail like in a sprint/Olympic? It seems to me a wetsuit would help you more on the longer, slower stuff because your stroke is more efficient (for most) when you're not trying to go all out. Ideas?
All that said, I'm curious about your anecdotal evidence: how much time do you guys drop in a wetsuit?
So what do I do? Why, get into a cat fight of course!
The background:
The Lone Star Tri festival is coming to Galveston. There'll be a sprint, a half ironman, and a quarter ironman... because apparently here in Tejas we're too good for the Olympic distance-- you know, the one in the actual Olympics. I'm 10% annoyed because a famous RD (Timberman, Musselman guy) is putting on this deal, and he excessively uses ellipses in his tri forum posts. I'm also a little annoyed that everyone's preemptively kissing his butt. Isn't that more appropriate after the successful races? But still, it's nice to have an RD who pays attention to the club and tries to get folks excited and involved. So what if I'm not a "tri festival" kinda girl? I can respect that others are.
A Stranger joins our forum to specifically ask this RD if his friend's registration for the sprint came through. He mentions he's not a local (Indeed, he's in school north of The Republic of Texas) and he's jazzed for the race.
Excuse me, but isn't that a question that belongs in an email and not on a public forum? I don't know how you do things Up North (I love pretending I'm not from up there sometimes), but around here you post questions and comments that pertain, you know, to others. I can say with absolute certainty that no one who read that gave a flying mouse turd about dude's friend's registration.
The RD obviously replied via email, and the Stranger kept replying to him on the forums. I decide this stranger is a D'bag. Let's call him that for the rest of the post, eh?
The story
Someone asked on the Lone Star Tri training forum thread about wearing a wetsuit for the sprint. A few folks said you didn't need one since the water's in the low 70s/high 60s, a few folks said they were planning on wearing one, and a few folks added information about renting wetsuits, because the question asker sounded like s/he didn't own one. I am neutral about the conversation.
D'bag chimes in. He says he's planning on wearing one and he's expecting to exit the water around or just under 7:00 (for ~500m swim, so a pretty decent swimmer). He claims that everyone should wear one unless they're expecting their transition to be slower by more than a minute because you lose about 10 to 20 seconds per 100 yards while wearing one. For a sprint. When you're sprinting.
Someone else asks about his info source, and I do too. He says he's not sure, but that's the generally understood benefit of wearing one; he, for one, dropped from a 6:00 400 yard TT to a 5:30 when suited up.
Since I swim just over 1:30/100yd at a regular pace and hold about 1:22/100yd when I'm busting my hiney, I am skeptical. Someone who's already reasonably fast who drops that much time in a wetsuit? No way! It doesn't happen. I usually lose maybe 2 seconds/100yds in a race in my wetsuit, so the first problem I have with D'bag's statement is that he says 10-20 seconds/100yd, not 0-20 seconds/100yd to include everyone from awesome swimmer to tri newbie.
So I look to the internet for help and find these studies:
Wet suit effect: a comparison between competitive swimmers and triathletes
Effect of a triathlon wet suit on drag during swimming
Physiological responses to swimming while wearing a wet suit
The most relevant of which is the first one comparing competitive swimmers and triathletes in wetsuits. This study found no significant difference in swim times with or without a wetsuit in a 400m time trial for 8 swimmers and about a 19 second reduction in time while wearing a wetsuit for the 8 triathletes. I post this and say that dropping 4-5 seconds/100yd is a much more reasonable number for most people to drop, which makes the wetsuit wearing a wash for average to faster-ish swimmers when transition is taken into account. I feel good about my statement because, well, at least it's backed up with one study.
D'bag posts again and questions my ability to swim straight as well as my wetsuit age and fit. I'm peeved because my wetsuit is a 1 year old full Ironman® stealth, a very respectable buy (and very inexpensive since I bought it just as they switched to Blue Seventy. Go me!) and I'm in the dead center of my size in terms of weight and height, so that mofo fits. What's more, I'm not such a dumbass I compare an open water swim in a wetsuit to my pace in a pool, D'bag. I race much slower than I swim: despite holding 1:28/100yd for all my long pool swims all last year and still averaged a 1:34/yd in Arizona. It comes with the territory when you hit open water.
Here's what I don't get: what does my swimming straight have to do with a study that has to be marginally more objective than his results? Um, nothing. He further includes these links:
http://www.athletesden.com/wetsuitfaqs.jsp
http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/features/wetsuit.shtml
as proof he's righter than I am.
I snap. I sent a very respectful email telling him that I don't appreciate his overestimating the benefits of wearing a wetsuit, that it's a very individual thing and certainly not for everyone in a sprint. I believe that wetsuits should be worn for comfort, safety, and confidence-- if you're faster in one as well, awesome. But not everyone IS faster, especially by that much. What's more, that first link is to a guy with a HR in the mid-160s for an IM swim. Is it me or is that obscenely high for an Ironman swim? I swim in the 120s-140s, maybe higher at the beginning of a race or in sprints, but an Ironman is supposed to be as aerobic as possible. Considering your HR is much lower in the water than in air (10-20 bpm from what I've heard), a 164 seems like it's pushing the envelope.
He responds, saying I don't know about wetsuit gains because I've been swimming my whole life. And who am I to judge heart rate? That's dumb. It's different for everyone.
Wait-- it's different for everyone?
I want to beat this A-hole up. Ultimately that was my whole bleeping point: wearing a wetsuit isn't a guarantee you're zipping through the water holding sub 1:00/100yds. Sure, they help you more when you're a weaker or newer swimmer. Yes, for almost everyone the reduce effort and heart rate. But don't go flipping telling people that they're going to get significantly faster in a wetsuit-- say "I go significantly faster in a wetsuit. Y'all should try it."
One more thing I can't decide on: do you think a wetsuit helps more when you're all slow like an IM/HIM swim or when you're busting your tail like in a sprint/Olympic? It seems to me a wetsuit would help you more on the longer, slower stuff because your stroke is more efficient (for most) when you're not trying to go all out. Ideas?
All that said, I'm curious about your anecdotal evidence: how much time do you guys drop in a wetsuit?
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
1) I ran the Rodeo Run 10k. I sucked.
Last year I led my corporate team to a win. This year? We came in a disappointing 3rd, though I did get second in a much harder 25-29 corporate age group. I ran over a minute slower than last year so nope, didn't break 50. It was hot and quite frankly, a race report would be more of a potty story than a true race report if you get my drift. Very crappy. Highlights include:
-- semi-accidentally cutting in line for the porta potties (believe me, it was better for everyone)
-- finishing with my arms raised in triumph!! like the guy on our corporate team shirt
-- promptly puking my guts out right after crossing the second mat at the finish (awesome dude!).
-- hefty finishers booty (Kroger's as a sponsor = lotsa good edible stuff!)
Lowlights include:
-- living in the bathroom all day Saturday. Sure, it's a funny story to tell, but not to live through. Thanks a lot Chipotle Friday dinner! You were officially out of my system by noon Saturday. Crazy and gross!
-- finishing with my arms raised in triumph!! while everyone around me thought I was seriously triumphant about running a 10k.
-- puking my guts out after the second mat instead of the first so it wasn't caught on video. Bummer!
-- My feet hurting worse than ever and after a mere 6 miles. Sure, my form truly is attrocious based on my finishers shot (but don't even think about judging, dear reader), but still... what the heck am I wasting my time in PT for if there's no improvement after a month?
Interesting paradigm shift: A coworker of mine started running in 2005 when she trained for this very race, a 10k. She was annoying and melodramatic about it, as many are when beginning a new sport. Folks supported her, watched her race, helped her train-- because that's what you do with newbies. Now she's a marathoner. You'd think someone like this would be warm and nostalgic about this race, but no way. If she'd said "It's a f**king 10k" one more time I'd have smothered her with a well-timed fart. Who was she of all people to belittle those around us just because of the distance of the race? Do I go around saying "It's only a marathon. You should try biking 6-8 hours beforehand." No matter how far or fast you can go, a race is a race. It's an important milestone for some and a piddly training run for another. I don't approach any race with "just", at least when referring to the rest of the field. Maybe I'm sensitive because I'm not very fast, but maintaining the respect and dignity of those around you should be a priority and, quite frankly, not very hard. Considering she's no faster than I am I'd expect the same from her. Then again I'd expect the same from fast triathletes too, and you don't always get that. Apparently my expectations of others are too high.
Post race I did some mystery shopping, single side lifting, and took Greyhound up on his pool party offer. I got in a nice 3000 in a measured pool-- oh, how great are the luxuries in my life!
For some reason on Saturday my legs felt like doody, worse than they ever have before. I felt so icky that I almost didn't ride on Sunday, but it appears that some time in the saddle was all I needed to flush that crap down the toilet. Strange.
-- semi-accidentally cutting in line for the porta potties (believe me, it was better for everyone)
-- finishing with my arms raised in triumph!! like the guy on our corporate team shirt
-- promptly puking my guts out right after crossing the second mat at the finish (awesome dude!).
-- hefty finishers booty (Kroger's as a sponsor = lotsa good edible stuff!)
Lowlights include:
-- living in the bathroom all day Saturday. Sure, it's a funny story to tell, but not to live through. Thanks a lot Chipotle Friday dinner! You were officially out of my system by noon Saturday. Crazy and gross!
-- finishing with my arms raised in triumph!! while everyone around me thought I was seriously triumphant about running a 10k.
-- puking my guts out after the second mat instead of the first so it wasn't caught on video. Bummer!
-- My feet hurting worse than ever and after a mere 6 miles. Sure, my form truly is attrocious based on my finishers shot (but don't even think about judging, dear reader), but still... what the heck am I wasting my time in PT for if there's no improvement after a month?
Interesting paradigm shift: A coworker of mine started running in 2005 when she trained for this very race, a 10k. She was annoying and melodramatic about it, as many are when beginning a new sport. Folks supported her, watched her race, helped her train-- because that's what you do with newbies. Now she's a marathoner. You'd think someone like this would be warm and nostalgic about this race, but no way. If she'd said "It's a f**king 10k" one more time I'd have smothered her with a well-timed fart. Who was she of all people to belittle those around us just because of the distance of the race? Do I go around saying "It's only a marathon. You should try biking 6-8 hours beforehand." No matter how far or fast you can go, a race is a race. It's an important milestone for some and a piddly training run for another. I don't approach any race with "just", at least when referring to the rest of the field. Maybe I'm sensitive because I'm not very fast, but maintaining the respect and dignity of those around you should be a priority and, quite frankly, not very hard. Considering she's no faster than I am I'd expect the same from her. Then again I'd expect the same from fast triathletes too, and you don't always get that. Apparently my expectations of others are too high.
Post race I did some mystery shopping, single side lifting, and took Greyhound up on his pool party offer. I got in a nice 3000 in a measured pool-- oh, how great are the luxuries in my life!
For some reason on Saturday my legs felt like doody, worse than they ever have before. I felt so icky that I almost didn't ride on Sunday, but it appears that some time in the saddle was all I needed to flush that crap down the toilet. Strange.
2) Happy birthday Lily the cat!
When I got Lilybugg from the uber-great Homeless Pet Protection League in 2004 they gave me an estimated date of birth of February 2002. I meant to find a suitable date for her birthday-- like National "Give your pet too many kisses" day, but alas-- there was nothing appropriate til 2007. As part of my mystery shopping I got a free personalized cake. For what should we celebrate? Lily of course! She now has a birthday on February 25th. Happy 5th birthday sweetie!
The proof is in the pudding:
Okay, one more:
The proof is in the pudding:
Okay, one more:
3)Tri-County Hill Hopper ride: 76 miles of rolling hills and fun! Woo!
Sunday I arose at the buttercrack of dawn to hit the Hill Hopper with Greyhound. I was wary of riding with him because he's faster than me, but felt semi-safe since he's "base training" (what's that?) and had ridden on Saturday. Check out his coverage for the elevation profile and his take on things if you're interested here.
Now, I didn't check the weather b/c Grey said it was supposed to be "beautiful" on Sunday. And yes, it was a clear, bright day-- but it was cold. I was planning on debuting my (sleeveless) Janus Charity Challenge top from Wisconsin and try out what I think are my favorite tri shorts (they are. Far and away the best. Too bad they're my Snickers shorts and I don't know what brand they are!). This is not cold weather gear. Fortunately I'd grabbed a jacket on the way out the door and travel with arm warmers... 'cause you never know when you're going to need them. Like, oh, in Wisconsin. Anyway, we huddled in the car til it was time to go, when we were seranaded with the OKaysion's "I'm a girl watcher" turned into "I'm a hill hopper." One of us thought that was more adorable than the other one did.
By the fourth mile I was, predictably, hot. I decided to take off my jacket at the first rest stop, about 12 or so miles in. Greyhound and I had gotten separated before the turnoff, but I thought I spotted him about 25 feet behind me. As the rest stop approached, he yelled, "you turning in?" "Yeah," I said. "I need to disrobe." I pulled in and thought he was behind me. He wasn't. Turns out I imagined that the guy was Greyhound and waited in frustration for over ten minutes before I called to find him.
He wasn't at the rest stop? Oh. Oops.
The ride was pretty hilly and windy, but it was really fun. Spent from his Saturday saddle time, Greyhound opted to do the 46 miler and I did the 76 alone. About 50 miles in a rode with a roadie on a Cannondale that was faster than mine downhill. The nerve! I've only been passed by one bike downhill since I got Lucy, and it wasn't a Cannondale. We chatted for a bit and it was obvious he had Roadie Superiority Syndrome, but I felt so bad for him I didn't drop the IM bomb. It's rude. Besides, he looked like my first spinning teacher Don, and Don's great.
I finished the ride with no problem, though my bike computer said I did 80 miles and the map said it was a 76 mile route. I don't trust my bike computer, so I rode 5 miles at home before hitting my apartment pool for 30 minutes at around 1800 yds. Go me for actually being focused! I woke up Monday feeling a little stiff, but not really very sore. Go figure.
Oh right... til I took a shower. Apparently my JCC top doesn't cover my lower back. I did this to myself:
Try not to stare at my stretch marks, okay?
Yeesh! Funny story about that picture: I showered, put on lotion, and asked Craig to take a picture of my back for my blog. "Try to avoid getting crack in the picture, but if you do I can crop it" was my warning (aren't I nice to you guys?). He took a picture and handed me the camera.
I was staring at my butt.
"AHAHAHA you just got mooned with your own butt!" He was hysterical. I had to admit it though-- that's pretty dern funny.
It would have been more impressive if I'd waited another few hours for the burn to turn purple, but I didn't want to get mooned. Again. I'd had a hard enough day as it was.
Now, I didn't check the weather b/c Grey said it was supposed to be "beautiful" on Sunday. And yes, it was a clear, bright day-- but it was cold. I was planning on debuting my (sleeveless) Janus Charity Challenge top from Wisconsin and try out what I think are my favorite tri shorts (they are. Far and away the best. Too bad they're my Snickers shorts and I don't know what brand they are!). This is not cold weather gear. Fortunately I'd grabbed a jacket on the way out the door and travel with arm warmers... 'cause you never know when you're going to need them. Like, oh, in Wisconsin. Anyway, we huddled in the car til it was time to go, when we were seranaded with the OKaysion's "I'm a girl watcher" turned into "I'm a hill hopper." One of us thought that was more adorable than the other one did.
By the fourth mile I was, predictably, hot. I decided to take off my jacket at the first rest stop, about 12 or so miles in. Greyhound and I had gotten separated before the turnoff, but I thought I spotted him about 25 feet behind me. As the rest stop approached, he yelled, "you turning in?" "Yeah," I said. "I need to disrobe." I pulled in and thought he was behind me. He wasn't. Turns out I imagined that the guy was Greyhound and waited in frustration for over ten minutes before I called to find him.
He wasn't at the rest stop? Oh. Oops.
The ride was pretty hilly and windy, but it was really fun. Spent from his Saturday saddle time, Greyhound opted to do the 46 miler and I did the 76 alone. About 50 miles in a rode with a roadie on a Cannondale that was faster than mine downhill. The nerve! I've only been passed by one bike downhill since I got Lucy, and it wasn't a Cannondale. We chatted for a bit and it was obvious he had Roadie Superiority Syndrome, but I felt so bad for him I didn't drop the IM bomb. It's rude. Besides, he looked like my first spinning teacher Don, and Don's great.
I finished the ride with no problem, though my bike computer said I did 80 miles and the map said it was a 76 mile route. I don't trust my bike computer, so I rode 5 miles at home before hitting my apartment pool for 30 minutes at around 1800 yds. Go me for actually being focused! I woke up Monday feeling a little stiff, but not really very sore. Go figure.
Oh right... til I took a shower. Apparently my JCC top doesn't cover my lower back. I did this to myself:
Try not to stare at my stretch marks, okay?
Yeesh! Funny story about that picture: I showered, put on lotion, and asked Craig to take a picture of my back for my blog. "Try to avoid getting crack in the picture, but if you do I can crop it" was my warning (aren't I nice to you guys?). He took a picture and handed me the camera.
I was staring at my butt.
"AHAHAHA you just got mooned with your own butt!" He was hysterical. I had to admit it though-- that's pretty dern funny.
It would have been more impressive if I'd waited another few hours for the burn to turn purple, but I didn't want to get mooned. Again. I'd had a hard enough day as it was.
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