Working into Crossfit Shape

Last night I did half of the workout pictured above, but mixed in some presses (95 lb) when I could no longer breath from the burpee pullups. I would recommend using gloves as I tore up my hands a bit. (Also, there's some questionable language in the last 15 sec of the video-please stop before then if you have kids around)

In the quest to build power with endurance, and to become a better athlete, with a more well-rounded approach to health - and also to make me a better, faster triathlete - and because it's just cool to crush yourself in workouts, I've decided to work towards being crossfit.

The reasons:

1) Crossfit's simplified approach: Their definition of Fitness and Health in 100 words:

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

2) It is undeniable that pushing oneself to the limits increases fitness in a way that walking from machine to machine, doing a slow regimented workout does not. It changes the mind, and has the ability to alter one's composition in a way far more strongly than does the big box gym method.

3) I enjoy pushing my limits.

4) Look around the crossfit site. Watch some of the videos. This is an ethically viable system which doesn't require failing your customers in order to gain a profit.

5) They have cool shirts. One even says "Smoke you like cheap crack" on the back. Gotta love it.

Running in the snow/ice/wet trails

So I decided last week that since it was February, I should probably start doing some training again. And since Febtober is usually the month we get more snow and ice than any other month here in KY, that it was time to construct the el cheapo saucony ice cleat. So I snagged about 50 6x3/8" sheet metal screws and drilled them into the bottoms of my shoes in much the same manner as you see pictured above (those aren't mine, but I liked his craftsmanship, and I think using his pattern on the asics is a good idea).

So last night, I was busy until about 8:30, but was hoping the snow and ice would keep coming, so I could give these pups a try. Mother Nature cooperated with continued snow, and halfway through my run (about 5 miles), it also began sleeting and icing. It hurt a bit on the face, but there's nothing like running in the snow. It's hard to beat.

How'd the el cheapos perform, you ask? Admirably, to say the least. I felt like I was running on an indoor track. Seriously. It wasn't much besides snow at the beginning, but at the end, the only track I left consisted of screw holes entering the ice, and I had great traction with zero slips. One suggestion though: if you're of the male persuasion, make sure you wear some form of insulation around the manhood, else (to borrow the phrase from moonpie), the tip of your bayonet might go numb.

I'm taking these babies camping with me this weekend too for a trail run. It should be muddy, so we'll see how they do. Happy running!

Crossfit

After a lot of reading and approximately a month of thought, I'm convinced that Crossfit is an excellent way to stay in shape, especially if done consistently.

Managing the Eating

The Picture above pretty much describes how I feel all the time now. It's difficult to transition back to normal healthy life after eating like a cow due to 3 and 4 hr rides regularly. But I'm getting closer. And in response to the goals question, mine are these:

1) High Nutrient-Calorie Ratio. I believe I often get out of whack because I eat the High Glycemic index foods first (or snack on them), and it changes my appetite. Snack on Fruits and Vegetables. Eat Fruits and Vegetables first during meals before eating the other stuff.

2) Portion Control (Especially on the Carbs). I like eating plates of pasta. My body has always done well with carbs and lots of them. But it does affect the way I feel. Not enough, and I feel totally drained without energy; too much, and I just want to sit on the couch and eat ice cream. Neither are good, healthy, or solid lifelong decisions. So I'm going to try to figure out what a reasonable serving size is, and limit my intake to just that. Only eat these at meals, thus snacking on?...produce.

But someday, I will find a burrito like the one pictured above, and I will straight dominate it.

Braggin': An Ode to Trainers & Encouragers

Ever seen that television commercial for Celebrity (I think) Cruise Lines? The one where the viewer sees a 50+ lady step out onto a raised platform in front of a theatre curtain, thanking all her supporters - her personal trainer and husband for helping her get where she is....and then a waiter with a loaded serving tray slips past her to wait on the diners in the cruise ship dining room? That's me. I want to brag on myself and my EXCELLENT trainers and thank my encouragers.

The plan was to weigh in and measure my body at the one year mark of my weight and cardio training, but a visit to the doctor for my yearly GYN exam prompted us to move the assessment forward by a month. Somehow I had missed the 6 and 9 month assessments, and I hadn't been weighing myself because I had gained, not lost weight in the first four months. I knew I was building muscle and gaining endurance and I'd dropped a dress size by the 9 month mark, so I wasn't all that worried about the weight - I thought it would come down eventually if I stayed consistent in my training and made moderate adjustments in my already relatively healthy eating habits.

So after a year here's the data:

• I've lost 18 pounds! (those highly discouraging menopausal pounds)



• My blood pressure has gone from 120/80 to 100/68



• My body fat percentage has dropped from 37.5% to 30%!



• Inches lost:



• Shoulders: 3



• Chest: 2.5



• Waist: 7.5



• Hips: 5.5



• Upper Thigh: .5



• Calf : .5



• Arm: .5

So Thank you, Julie (pictured below) for getting me started with your bouncy hair and personality, your inspiringly fit booty- oops- body, your creative, just-hard-enough workouts that were perfect for my overweight, out-of-shape body and psyche, your positive outlook and counsel and your continuing encouragement.

THANK YOU, LYNN! (pictured at the top with me and on her fitness modeling comp card below). You pack a LOT of power to propel others to fitness in your incredibly strong, albeit, tiny body. Your workouts for me (coupled with my panting and groans) have been hard enough to elicit frequent sympathy comments from other women working out, hard enough to keep me dreading (just a little!) the planks or medicine ball sprints or squatting chest rows (or whatever exercise set is the current hardest) and and hard enough to make me look forward to the incredible sense of achievement and empowerment I know I will feel at the end of the workout.

You have proven to me, that even though the workouts you design for me are hard, they are always just within my reach. They have enough creativity and variety to keep me guessing about what I'll be doing and looking forward to what I'll be learning for use in workouts I do on my own. Thank you for your friendship, your consistently excellent training, your nutrition counsel and your continual commendation and encouragement - comments you've made have fueled me for weeks!

I'm hoping you guys are still with me after seeing these pictures of Julie and Lynn because I have two more thank yous. Thank you, Sam for inspiring me with your life and your encouragement and thank you, David, for continuing, throughout 32 years of marriage (even my 185 lb. pregnancy and my "don't mess with me, buster" menopausal personality) to grab my butt, make all those silly invitations to love-making, and to make me - no other thing or person - your turn-on. Here's to many more years of choosing life together.

2008 Health and Fitness Goals, Anyone?

I've never been one to get all hepped up about New Years' Resolutions, but I figured as long as I was ruminating on my fitness goals for this coming year, I might as well post them so others can check on my progress every now and then. I think I might finally, at 52, have enough wisdom / humility to value accountability to those who really care about me. So, in light of the fact that I've made great strides getting back on a "choose life and fitness" track in 2007, here are the actions I'm going to focus on implementing in 2008:

1. Water, water, everywhere, and Sandy gets her fill.

Enough of the dehydration that's been too much a part of my 2007. I proved that carrying the water bottles everywhere isn't enough. For starters, I'm numbering 6 1-liter water bottles to fill and drink each day.

2. This is the floss that followed the brush that brushed the teeth that Sandy has.

All you young'uns will think it ridiculous that this needs to be one of my goals at 52, but trust me, it does. In the thick of my despair two years ago, I went through way too many consecutive days without even brushing, and I've always struggled with daily flossing. I've been improving throughout this past year, but now it's time to make it a daily habit.

3. Sandy be nimble, Sandy be quick, to take your vitamins without a slip.

Only David knows just how dismal my performance has been on this. I figure I will have met my '08 goal if I take all my supplements 3-4 days a week.

4. Four and twenty veggies waiting on my plate, to be eaten in the raw, not baked in a pie...

More fresh, raw fruits and veggies for me in '08. I've always been a salad lover, but all the health/fitness specialists I've been reading/listening to tell me I need to consume more to have the quality of life I want to have in my 80's and 90's. I do, indeed, plan to be one of those positive, feisty centenarians in whom others still find enjoyment.

5. Sandy had some bike shoe clips that she learned how to use...

My family gave me a road bike for my birthday this past June. I and my butt have gotten used to the new riding posture (I've always had upright cruisers and trail bikes) and I am becoming comfortable with shifting the drive chain from one sprocket wheel to another. Now its time to learn to use those toe clips.

6. By the shore of sunny Seminole, by the shining big pool water...

So now that I'm officially a City of Seminole resident, and a proud holder of an "already paid for it with my taxes" rec center card, I have no real excuse other than conflicting commitments and schedules to keep me from entering the pool on a regular basis once it opens again. Here's to adding swimming as a regular part of my fitness routine in '08.

7. Sandy biked and ran the hills having swam through the water..

My first triathlon in 2008, Inshallah.

OK, those are mine. What are yours?

Going for it.

"The ultimate is not to win, but to reach within the depths of your capabilities and to compete against yourself to the greatest extent possible. When you do that, you have dignity. You have the pride. You can walk about with character and pride no matter in what place you happen to finish." -Billy Mills

Credit to Phedippidations for the quote. He did a podcast on running legend Billy Mills. I have to say, this is one of the truer statements I've heard regarding pushing oneself. It was originally intended for athletics (and I totally agree with it), but it works for a lot of sectors of life. I encourage you to push yourself to safely push yourself to your limits, and never to quit. Because, as it was made popular by the Ironman videos..."You can quit, but nobody cares, and you'll always know."

Seasonal Clif Bars!?!

Allow me to say.....Yes! I haven't had one yet, but I'll bet they're good.

Baby Steps

I'm glad that Sam designated this "collaborative effort" blog as a place to celebrate our victories, both large and small. In a few months I hope to celebrate Elis's first steps, but today I am celebrating my 40 minute run (jog) yesterday morning with no more than 2 minutes walking total! And that in the middle of fighting a cold, which for me, is a discouraging mental hurdle. And - I can honestly say I enjoyed the entire run. Something good is happening in my body - hooray!

In case you were curious about Cyclocross...

MiamiMan Pics, You want it, you got it

Crystal Clear Larry and Penny Thompson Lake

Sam Stooging in T1

Sam running with Jose (Jose hung for about a mile and then ran into the bushes, not sure what he did there)

Coming into the finish (ecstatic to be almost done)

Amber's abstract triathlon photo (pretty cool, I think)

Mark and Sam struggling to stand up and look human

The momster

Amber and I celebrating

Miami Man ½ Iron Race Report

This was the “A” Race for the year. A lot of training and a lot of work went into preparing for this event. I wasn’t outwardly worried about the race, but I think it had me a little stressed out over the last few weeks leading up to it. I had a small eye twitch for multiple weeks that is now gone. Weird, huh? Maybe I put too much pressure on myself, but I hadn’t really made any stated official goals as far as time or place for the race, so it didn’t make sense. But I’m pretty sure this was the answer. By the way, this report might not be nearly as long and extensive as others, but at least I’m writing it. I’m not sure what it is, but I have no desire to write this stuff at the end of the year. It was the same with Chicago last year. I don’t feel nearly as burnt out mentally as after the marathon though. Anyhow, let’s get down to the nitty gritty

Pre-race

Did a short easy ride with some bursts along with my brother on Friday. I followed that up with a quick 2 mile run around race pace, attempting to stay aerobic. Saturday consisted of a leisurely drive down to Miami with a contingent. It was fun; we stopped at Cracker Barrel, went to the Harley Store, ran the kids at a rest area, and had a good time. We went straight to the park when I got down there to check in, do packet pick-up, check in the bike in transition, see Mark, and hopefully get in a short swim in the wetsuit. Got checked in pretty easily, the volunteers were doing a good job, I weighed in at 192.2 lbs which I thought was a little high. Hehe. So the one big disappointment of this day was that they closed the swim an hour earlier than what they had said, so we didn’t get to swim. It was too bad, because this was a very nice lake. Cool water, very clear, quite refreshing.

We ate dinner at Outback that night, where I consumed a large quantity of food. I wasn’t too worried about it, as it was about 5-6 pm when I ate, and the next meal was race morning. Hung out with Amber and the family a little bit, picked up some oatmeal and bananas for breakfast the next morning, met with Mark to discuss the race and departure time.

Race Morning: Standard getting ready stuff. Glorious 2 cups of coffee and the outfall it precipitates. Mmmm.

Swim: 1.2 miles, 37:14, (1:46/100 yd)

I was really happy with the swim. I felt like I went too hard the first lap, but relaxed on the second and felt like it went a lot faster. I’m really beginning to enjoy the swim in these races a lot more. I’m hoping to swim quite a bit this winter and get a good deal faster. If you want a nice swim though, you should do races at this venue.

T1: Long Run into T1, I used the wetsuit strippers, and it was great. (4:22)

Bike: ~54 miles, 2:32:08, 21.3 mph

This course was FLAT! It was so great. It was super easy. I stayed aerobic the whole time. There were a few wankers who were illegally drafting, and I just don’t understand these people. They make absolutely no sense. Do you really enjoy your “victory?” Whatever, I didn’t let ‘em bother me. They’re gonna do they’re thing.

My favorite part was when people would slow down on some of the “hills.” By hill I mean a 100-ft section where the road tilted slightly up at approximately 0.25% grade to get over a canal.

Coming into T2 was pretty cool with all the people out there cheering. These kinds of things make me want to do Roth or IM Wisconsin, the classic races with huge crowds.

T2: Had to throw on the socks, shoes, hat and grab some more e-caps, but forgot to grab my race belt and number. I also stopped at the port-a-potty on the way out of T2. The pee was only slightly yellow, so I was pretty pleased with the 5 bottles of fluid on the bike. (3:23)

Run: 13.1 miles, 1:40:22, (7:40/mile)

The run course was great, and I didn’t start hurting until the second loop. Running through the zoo and partially on dirt/grass trails was cool. I caught Mark long before I expected to. I was thinking mile 10, and I caught up around mile 3, we chatted for a bit and then I pressed on. I really did feel great on the run. Got to see my whole cheering club twice on the run (at two different spots). All in all a great race.

4:57:29, 41st overall, 2nd in 25-29 AG.

There were some rumors about this race being a qualifier for the USAT national championships, and potentially the world championships at this distance, but I have yet to figure out if this is really the case. If anyone reading this knows for sure, please help me figure this out. I’m not saying it’s going to happen for sure, but I’d like to at least know what’s possible before making the decision.

All in all, a great season finale. Now for some other things, some good time with people who are important to me, some holiday parties, and some rest. I’m currently beginning to do some life brainstorming about goals, life as a story, personal legacy, purposes, values, etc., so hopefully in the next couple of months that will become more apparent. Thanks to all the people who supported me this year in Triathlon. Especially Amber, who made numerous sacrifices of time and energy to support my hobby.

SAMIAMMIAMIMAN

If I remember correctly, Dr. Seuss had a "Sam I am" theme in one of his books, and some of Sam's high school friends and teammates called him that periodically to express teasing affection and admiration when a helmet bump or back slap wouldn't do.



So even though I'm probably breaking all tri-geek etiquette rules, I want to say how great it was to see SamIamMiamiMan cruising by in the Miamiman triathlon Sunday and looking strong, focused and happy (except for the last few miles :-) and achieving the goals he's trained for so diligently these many months. David, Kyle & Michelle and their three kids cheered him on as he passed through the Miami Metro Zoo on foot, while Amber and I anchored his cheer squad for his swim start, bike transitions and his great finish. Hopefully we'll be able to post a few pics soon for the fan club.



Sam, we, your family appreciate all the ways you have encouraged us to choose life and health these past couple years. We love you and celebrate your great race, SAMIAMMIAMIMAN!

Let's Roll

I sometimes forget how mental all sports are. However, this is especially true for endurance sports. While many people close to me would probably say I never stop thinking and talking about it, but I sometimes do. Anyway, it's good to know that there's at least one thing that can be controlled when it comes to races, as well as life: How will you react? This is especially important for people who weren't given the best genes, don't have all the best experience or natural speed or anything like that. Grinding is what I like to call it. When it looks bad, so what. If you're hurting, get going. If it's hot, whatever...

I say all that to say this: nothing really looks bad and I'm ready for Miami. But I don't know what race day holds. Fair weather, a storm, wind, severe heat, cramps, flat tire. Whatever. No matter what on sunday, I'm settling in and sticking it to that Miami course. Man, I love this crap!

So AN Ohio State University is once again ranked #1...

And I'd just like to remind them who they are...

If you were pissed last weekend....

That you didn't really get to watch any of the IM world championships from Kona, then I have your solution. You can find the full video from ironmanlive here.

Sam's mobile

What is that? You ask. It's a bike rack for the top of my car. I received some great birthday gifts yesterday from Amber that I'm pretty excited about using. Now I can travel with my bike without putting down the back seat and all that mess. The other nice part is that the racks allow for all kinds of different stuff, such as an extra cargo box, or skis, whatever. Awesome!

New object of bike lust...

I don't currently possess the funds or the willingness to spend that amount of funds on this bike, but it sure is nice. Maybe someday...Maybe not...whatever.

Tom Demerly from Bikesport Michigan wrote a great review . Check it out. The integrated fork seems to be a good idea.

Chicago Marathon (Sam's a-hole moment)

I'd like to start by saying it's a crying shame what happened yesterday. People shouldn't be dying at these events. But it's going to happen when people have health issues (known or not) and choose to run. You know that little voice inside your head that automatically speaks (silently if you have a filter)? The voice inside is brutally honest, and I have to say speaks from the heart with no concern for how people feel. I have to say before I start, I honestly don't care either way if someone wants to run a marathon to say they did it or for whatever reason. If they want to do it and choose health, good for them. I'm happy you're working at it. That's a whole heck of a lot more important than qualifying for Boston. However.....

My unfiltered mind has a couple of questions.

(1) What kind of weather were these people "training" in all summer to prepare for this marathon? I ran Chicago last year and I suffered through a lot of brutal heat. I know from my training runs that it probably would have added 15-30 mins to my overall time. But that's it. No more. My theory (supported by a lot of personal experience) is that many people don't train and aren't in anywhere near good enough shape to try to cover 26.2 miles in a morning.

(2) If you can't get past halfway by 4 hours, what are you doing trying to run a marathon? That's OVER an 18 min/mile pace! That's 3.2 mph. Most people can and do comfortably walk at this pace touring the Mag. Mile. Seriously people. It's an effing marathon! Not the dog Park.

(3) How you gonna disrespect a marathon? The thing is named for someone who died upon completing a mammoth feat. I speak from experience (and I ran sub 3:30) when I say I trained with fear. I knew I was going to do it, but there was a little bit in the back of my head that said "26.2 miles is a long way to run!" I don't think I'm alone in this. This is the PSA portion of the questions. If you don't run, you need a year to train. If you do run and haven't run a marathon, you need 4 months minimum to really train for a marathon. These people who write training programs say these things for a reason. The body needs time to make adaptations.

(4) It was hot all week and the weather was predicted. If you know you're running slow, you should be prepared for the eventuality that aid stations might not be that helpful. Why weren't you? 'Nuff said about that. You're solely responsible for your safety. Paying $100 doesn't mean someone else takes on the burden of your personal health assessment. (Granted, this same logic applies to the people running the race. This article is in no way an excuse for your shameful performance this weekend if what the reports say are true).

I really write this article to say this. It's ok to not do big stuff like this. Your health and life are more important than this stuff. But if you want to do it, really get ready so race day is a celebration and maybe a time challenge, but certainly not the time when you answer the question "is this really possible?" Follow the training programs and get ready. Let's not have people dying and gettting hurt over things that don't matter.

I write all this and say i sure hope the evil karma doesn't come get me in Miami. It probably will and I'll have a bad day because of this. But you know what? I'm ready. 65-mile ride yesterday at 18+ mph for 3:30 in 93 degree 60% humidity weather. If the bad comes, I'll drink some water, suck it up, and curse the heat.

Painful to see.

I might have to qualify for this thing sometime.
My question: why not use more bridges to break up the pack? Well, it's gonna be fast.