Hydro-Benefits

     As a forty something age group triathlete my priorities regarding racing have changed. I used to obsess over times and statistics of other racers as compared to my own stats, but now I’m more concerned with staying injury free and healthy so I can continue to participate for many more years in my sport.

     I’m always looking for new and innovative ways to stay low impact with my running portion of triathlon. I’ve found some nice mulch trails near my home and soccer fields that keep me off the pavement. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to use the HydroWorx therapy pool as part of my low impact workout.

     The HydroWorx pool is unique because it has an underwater treadmill. I can get a run workout in 80% impact free. I was skeptical at first but within one use of the pool I was hooked.

     I’ve tried regular pool running before with a weight belt in the deep end of the pool. I found this way of running very awkward, but the HydroWorx pool wasn’t because it is set up like a regular treadmill where your feet hit the ground; the difference is that you are in water and it doesn’t hurt.

      The workout in the HydroWorx pool is also challenging, which as an endurance athlete I welcome. There are swim jets that create resistance while you are running; it is a one two punch as I’m getting my run done and I’m off the pavement. The jets can also be used to simulate an open water swim which I will touch on in a later blog; but that is another reason why the pool is so versatile.

     I get bored easily with my training and workouts, which is one of the reasons why I love triathlon so much; I get to mix up three sports. Use of the therapy pool helps me keep my workouts fresh; I look forward to going and using the pool and I know I’m getting great results. The pool is fun too because I can watch myself while I’m running. There are underwater cameras that show what my feet look like when they hit the treadmill so I have instant feedback on my gait and I can instantly correct if I’m over or under pronating.

     One of the things I’ve noticed is after my training session in the HydroWorx pool I’m energized. I feel like I could go back for more and I rarely feel that way after pounding the pavement for an hour or more. After my last session in the pool I noticed a significant change in my running the very next day. I was refreshed and not sore and was able to run longer as a result of using the underwater treadmill. I was only scheduled to run five miles that day but ran seven because I felt so good. The realization; I need to incorporate the pool into my weekly routine to maximize my running.

     I can’t imagine life without triathlon; to me it is like eating or sleeping or taking a shower; it is necessity. I have wondered lately how I will keep my body going and now I have an answer; the HydroWorx pool.

Tri- on Friends,

Kelly

Tri-Mistakes

     I have been training and racing triathlon for eight, going on nine years, so by now you would think I have a handle on what to do, but even as a seasoned age-grouper I make mistakes. This entry is about how life got in the way of my training this past weekend and the mistakes I made as a result.
     I had a very busy week and I knew that my weekend was not going to let up. My oldest son had a soccer game Friday night and then Saturday morning my youngest son had a game as well. I planned to do a "brick" workout on Saturday. A "brick" training session is essential in a triathlon training program because it simulates what will happen on race day.  It is a work-out where you bike first then immediately run . In triathlon the order is always swim, bike, run.; "Bricks" sound easy ,but they are not because when you cycle you are mostly using your quadriceps.Those muscles get used to that action for a length of time and then suddenly you ask a different set of muscles do a totally different motion when you go to run. The blood flow is different when you cycle than when you run ,so the first mile is miserable or can be until your body adjusts. An important trick that I learned early on in triathlon is to get up on your toes for the first quarter mile of the run;this helps transfer the blood flowing from your quadriceps down to the lower parts of your legs that you need for running. When you go from the bike to run your legs have a heavy feeling, they actually feel like dead weight or "bricks."
     I have done many of these work-outs and that was not the problem. I made some crucial mistakes during training on Saturday. My first mistake was that I stayed up too late on Friday and had a few glasses of red wine. I did not eat enough dinner. Our busy life kept us running around until late in the evening and instead of eating some light pasta for dinner we dined on greasy,take out pizza. My second mistake was on Saturday morning; I awoke thirsty because of the wine I drank on Friday night and I didn't take in enough water for the work-out I was about to do on Saturday morning. Next, my breakfast was not right either, I normally eat a banana for the natural electrolytes and a half a bagel for the carbohydrates, some water or Gatorade and half a cup of coffee. The coffee might not be a good idea for everyone but I always drink coffee and I've never had a problem with it. I skimped on my breakfast because I was in a hurry to get out the door. I was trying to time my ride so I'd end up at the soccer field where my youngest son Nick had a game that morning. Then the plan was that I would finish my ride and immediately run to complete my "brick."
     I started out for my forty mile ride and everything was going towards the plan. I ended thirty miles at the soccer field and watched my son's game.I stiffened up a bit as I stood watching the game, but that was the least of my worries and I was glad to see my son. I ate a protein bar during the game which I normally would not do until I was finished with the entire workout; mistake-don't change your routines if you are successful with them. Then I started to feel thirsty and ran out of water as I was watching the game; another mistake, don't wait until you are thirsty to drink. The goal is to continually sip water while you are training or racing so you never feel thirsty. Thankfully, there was a drinking fountain at the field so I was able to refill my water bottle before I finished my ride. I successfully finished my ride and changed into running clothes and I was off for my run.
     I run over at a nearby college so I can leave my vehicle, where I stock water and gels and chews for fuel. I hate carrying  a lot of water, so it usually works well if I use my truck for a station to stop at in between miles. I can usually make a five mile loop before I stop at my truck to get a drink of water and maybe a gel to continue the last five mile loop. I needed to do ten miles Saturday so I figured my usual routine would work; only it did not because I forgot my bottle of water that I usually carry for the first loop. Instead of going back to get my water bottle I decided to go ahead and try to run without my water; not a good idea. I was thirsty  one mile into my run. I know the rule,which is to drink some water at each mile, especially when you are doing distance, but I was on a time crunch as my family expected me home by a certain time, so I kept running. Luckily I found the recreation center open and was able to sneak in and get a drink. I ended up cutting my first loop short so I could go back and get my water,but by then I already started to get stomach cramps from being dehydrated. The cramps finally subsided,but not until I was well into the ten mile run.
     I managed to get my "brick" done on Saturday and I am proud to say that I covered fifty miles; forty on my bike and ten miles running, but it was not pretty. Learn from my mistakes, stick to routines that work and don't skimp on nutrition and hydration. Even though I know better I still made some bad mistakes. The good news is that I got through my training and it reiterated what I already know. I would rather make these mistakes during training sessions than during my event. I realized the importance of eating right, hydrating, and sleeping to get optimal results especially when training so you can feel that much better the big day.

Tri- on Friends,
Happy training,
Kelly
    

    

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Tri- Crunch

     How many times have you walked into your office and looked at the mounds of work on your desk and wanted to turn around and walk right out the door? Maybe you have over one hundred emails to return. Maybe you are working on a  project that is never ending and you wonder if you will make your deadline. Maybe you are a busy parent and dread the morning alarm clock going off because you know as soon as your day begins it will be many hours until you can relax. Training for an endurance event is not much different than any of  those things we face in life. Some mornings I can't imagine training, and if I think of what is in store, I immediately want to retreat to my bed.
     I am one month out from my half iron man and I'm feeling burned out, tired, overwhelmed, and just plain sick of training. This entry is about how I manage all those overwhelming feelings and move forward in what I call,"crunch-time."
     My first tip for anyone doing any kind of endurance event is to not think of the whole distance you are facing. I have a total of 70.25  miles to cover the day of the event, but if I thought of the race in that number I would overwhelm  myself. I think about all of my triathlons in pieces, but I also take it down to one event at a time; the swim, then the bike, then the run. It's no different than when you are at work tackling a project; you work on pieces of the project, or if you are cleaning out your garage- you take one thing out at a time, sweep, then put things back where they belong.
     The other morning I set out to run. The weather was perfect for running, the sun was shining, and my kids were off to school and I didn't have to go into work. Nothing was standing in my way, except for myself. I didn't feel like running that morning. What did I do? 1.Call a friend. I primarily run alone but I needed some distracting that day, conversation with a friend makes you forget that you are running 2. Change up the route or location of your run or bike to add variety: that particular morning I changed my route. 3. Give yourself permission to run, bike, or swim a little less and give yourself permission to have a break or two incorporated into your workout. The cool thing that happened was that by doing these small tweaks, once I got started, I was able to enjoy my run.  I had incorporated a strategy prior to going out. I always feel that some work-out is better than no work-out. 4. "Do," don't think. How many times have we procrastinated because we listened to the negative voice in our heads? I turn that voice off and put into action my training plan by doing- I pretend I'm a robot. I go and "do" whatever is on my training log before I have time to think about it.
     Another strategy I use to ease anxiety as I am approaching an event is to organize what I'll  need. Triathlon is complicated as there are three sports to deal with ; you need more than just a good pair of running shoes. I make lists and think about what kinds of fuel I am going to incorporate into event day; you don't want to experiment with that the day of an event. If you are doing a shorter distance race this still is helpful. Here is an example of the list of items I will  need for the half iron man:
Swim: wetsuit, swimsuit, goggles, cap, throw-away flip-flops( to leave on the beach), old sweatshirt that can be left on the beach that am if it is cold.
Bike: bike shorts, running  bra-top, HydroWorx bike jersey( for Sprint and Olympic distance I would wear a tri-suit for the whole race, but for this distance I will change in the transition tents between each event for comfort-I don't want to run in thick bike shorts that I'll need for the 56 mile bike).
Run: running shorts, dry socks, running shoes(I"ll strip off the bike jersey and wear the running bra-top that I already have on).
Fuel: Water bottle full of water on my bike, Power bar gel chews(3 packs- one per hour of the ride, lasting 3 hours) that I will carry in my bike jersey or bike holder.Water bottle left in transition for the run portion( they will have water at each mile, but I like to carry my own as well just in case). Some extra gel packs for the run( in transition with my water).I prefer strawberry- banana and tangerine gels made by Power bar. I also like to use jelly beans for fuel.
After race clothes- I usually bring some comfy shorts or pants, clean socks, and a shirt to change into after an event. It feels great to somewhat "clean-up" after you've worn the same or some of the same sweaty clothes for hours.
      These are some small distractions that help me as I get closer to the" big" day. I also remind myself how many hours I have put into training and if I skip a few work-outs I'm going to be fine come race day. Sometimes it is simply your body saying,"hey enough already." Listen to your body because if you are overtired or if you over train you may be susceptible to injury which would be worse than missing a day or two. I once over trained myself into a stress fracture that took a year to heal; that was before I discovered the HydroWorx pool where now I could easily mend an injury.
     Triathlon, like life, is better and less overwhelming when you can piece it together. Building a business or building a career doesn't happen overnight; becoming a triathlete doesn't happen quickly either. Patience and working steady, following a plan;these are the things that build performance and there is nothing like the feeling you have when you cross the finish line.

Happy tri-ing!
Kelly

Tri-Dentity

Identity n.- characteristics by which a person or thing is recognized or defined.

      There are many things that define us as people. Some people are defined by their careers. Family defines many of us and even possessions can play a large role in who we think we are. I had always been associated with what I did for employment. I don't want to say that it completely defined me as a person, but in some way I was identified by where I was working. My first job, at age sixteen, was at Bob's Big Boy in Fairlawn, Ohio. I wore a brown polyester uniform with fluorescent stripes on my apron. I was thrilled at being a server. My friends nick-named me,"Big Boy-girl." I didn't care, in fact I thought it was funny.
     I worked at Payless Shoes for a while in high school and was known as,"Payless Queen." I didn't mind. After college I moved to North Carolina and got my first "real" job as a manager for a bagel bakery. I had just graduated and really wanted something in my field of communications, but I needed to pay the bills so I took the job at Bruegger's. Six years later, I was The Director of Training, where I helped train and develop managers. The program was the first in the country and I helped design it. I took an ordinary job and made my mark. I was known to my friends as the,"bagel-lady."  After I left Bruegger's, I took a sales job for a computer hardware and software company. The funny part is when I started there I had no idea what I was selling, but I was successful because I loved talking to my customers.  My nick-name there,"computer chick."
     Then I had my first child and my husband and I decided that it would be in our son's best interest for me to stay home. We lived far from our families and didn't want to pay outrageous prices for day-care. I thought it would be so great to just be a "mom," for a while and take care of my son. Having my two sons was the best thing that ever happened to me, but I won't lie, in the beginning, it was hard for me to be a stay at home parent. I felt a part of "me" was gone.
     Most of my friends were still working when I had Bryce. I found that I was lonely and tired most of the time raising a new born. I joined a play group when he was a toddler, and while that helped get me out of the house, I was still craving something more in my life. I know it sounds selfish, but I missed being out in the working world, I missed talking to people that had more to offer than decorating and cooking tips. 
     When my husband came home from work I talked incessantly. He was my only contact sometimes to the outside world. He was tired too, as he was building his career, and  for the first time he was tackling all of the finances.  Needless to say, he wasn't always interested in my day of diaper changing, laundry, chores, and the first milestones or lack of them with our new child.
     Later, we learned that my son was speech delayed and that he had a mild heart problem. When he first entered school there were more problems, as he couldn't focus or write his letters. His brain wasn't connecting to the muscles in his hand, he had something called dyspraxia. Thankfully, he had a wonderful kindergarten teacher that recognized the problems and immediately brought them to my attention. We were proactive in getting him the help he needed to succeed in school. I am proud to say that today, at the age of thirteen, Bryce is an honor roll student at Northern Middle School, but more importantly an awesome young man.

 

The two most important parts of my identity:)

     Bryce's elementary school years were tough; it was a long road to get him to middle school. I felt isolated most of the time talking to other parents about his Attention Deficit Disorder. None of my friends with kids had anything like that. My husband was very supportive of whatever I wanted to do to render these issues, but was preoccupied. The reality was that I felt more alone than ever.
       I joined the YMCA when Bryce was two and it was a place to exercise at first; later it became my outlet. I met other mothers and it helped to have a place to work out where I could leave my kids and feel comfortable. I used the pool, ran on the treadmill and every once in a while I'd do a spin class; I loved cross training as I never grew tired of one thing.
     Then in 2002, I saw an ad for a sprint triathlon in a local magazine. I had always wanted to try one and with my swimming background I thought it sounded like fun. I read a book called Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals to train and learn about triathlon racing.I completed my first triathlon called Triangle Triathlon in Raleigh, NC that July.
     Needless to say I was hooked. I used my old mountain bike and wore a camel back for water, two mistakes, but I loved every minute of it. I made plans for my next triathlon after I finished.
     Training time for my first event, and then later others, was therapeutic. I could think and plan and suddenly the challenges my son was facing did not seem to overwhelm me as much as in the past. I was able to throw my body into a rhythm and while I was working out my mind seemed to get into a meditative state. I began to feel whole again.
     After my first event I felt as though I had part of my identity back. I had given up a career and all that goes with that and I had become someone's mom. I was now known as "Bryce's mom," and later as," Nick's mom." My husbands colleagues knew me as,"Mark's wife." Even at the YMCA I was known as ,"that mom who works out a lot." All of those titles are wonderful, don't get me wrong, but someone else was attached to those identities. Triathlon gave me back a piece of myself that wasn't attached to anyone except Kelly.
     This entry is an important one. I wanted to share with other women,( and men too), honestly, about how mothers (and fathers), can give so much of themselves that we lose who we are. We are defined by many roles, but triathlon gave me back an important part of my identity.

Tri-on Friends!
Kelly

Tri-Water

       My love affair with water began at an early age. My father, being a huge beach goer, taught my brother's and I to swim at the age of  five. When I was ten years old my mother sent me to a church camp for a week in Ohio with her cousin's children. We stayed in a cabin, hiked in the woods, played volleyball. There was a concession stand where on Friday we were able to spend some of our own money on candy and treats, which at age ten was a dream come true. My favorite memory about the camp though, was that we got to swim in a lake.The camp had a swimming competition in the lake where I won my first event. So began my love affair with open water swimming; who knew I would still be competing in open water thirty years later?
       One of the many benefits of multi sport is the cross training. I can take a step off the pavement and hit the water.  There are many benefits of training in water. Today, I had the privilege of using one of the HydorWorx pools as part of my training. The 7"6 wide by 14' long pool provides high powered jets to swim against, giving a swim that simulates open water swimming. The pool is also able to provide an incredible run workout.
       The HydroWorx pool offers an underwater treadmill, much like a land treadmill, you can power your speed and run for as long as you like; the difference is with the underwater treadmill you feel like you could run forever. There is virtually no impact. I was able to use the jets in the pool to include resistance to my workout, and at 6-mph, for one hour, I was able to get a run workout in without actually pounding my body. My knees and hips thanked me, and after one hour I was ready for more, but my time slot was over. When I run on the pavement rarely do I feel like doing more.
       While I was running on the HydroWorx treadmill my mind flashed to last week when I was driving over to train at Messiah College. I was trying to fit in a quick run after work. I passed a very large man running down the road near the college. I didn't know him but I wanted to stop and give him a hug. The man looked to weigh somewhere around 300 pounds. There he was trudging down the road, one step at at time. He was not able to go fast, in fact his run looked like a mere step up from walking. His large body was doing the very best it could.
        There were many reasons I wanted to hug him. First to encourage him, second to say I admired what he was doing, but last to comfort him because carrying around 300 pounds had to be painful. I realized at that point that the HydroWorx pool could help many obese people get into shape without the pain. By running on one of the underwater treadmills you are 80% weightless and can burn as many calories as on a traditional treadmill without the impact.
       I wondered how long this very overweight man might keep up with his running. According to an article by Robert Kokoska for Ezine, the very obese have a difficult time going to regular gyms because the equipment is designed for the maximum weight of 250 pounds. The bottom line is that it would be difficult to maintain an exercise regimen if you are very over weight because of the stress added to muscles and joints, but if you were weightless in a pool than the chances would be higher that you'd stay with a program because it wouldn't hurt.
       I love to watch the show The Biggest Loser. While the routines the trainers put the contestants through are very inspiring, it is very unrealistic for an obese person. Putting so much physical stress on an obese person has many risks involved. Have you ever noticed the disclaimers before and after the show? Showing someone exercising in a pool doesn't make for interesting television, but the reality is water could revolutionize weight loss!
       The power of water is amazing; our bodies need it to survive, we need it to grow things, we are made of water, we can use it for energy, we can exercise and rehab our sore muscles in it and we can lose weight by working out in it. Water is one of the reasons I love triathlon; I am able to excel  because of my ability to swim.
       Check out HydroWorx website at http://www.hydroworx.com/ where you can learn more about the different products they offer and who is using their pools and why it just works!

Tri On!
Kelly