The Power of H2O

     Last weekend my family and I took a ski trip to the mountains of North Carolina. A mountain called Beech provided us with plenty of east coast skiing, even with all the warm weather. Sunday we ventured to another mountain, just six miles from Beech, called Sugar Mountain, where we skied comfortably in the high 30 degree sunny weather. December and January are months where I tend to spend more family time and take a little break from my usual triathlon training. Soon, I will be gearing up for my first race in April, but it is fun to switch the focus every now and then, and while downhill skiing is not the same as swimming, biking, and running, it is still an activity I love.
     Sunday turned out to be our best day skiing; bright sun and cooperative temperatures provided an enjoyable day; that is until I slid down some cement steps in my ski boots and bruised my tailbone. Ouch!
     I was able to rehab a bit Sunday night in the cabin's hot tub, but my mind was on the HydroWorx pool. I was miles away from being able to use it and I realized at that moment how much it really works. The hot tub was an okay alternative, but what I was missing was the attachment that the HydroWorx pool has that enables the user to blast water at an intense rate onto sore areas of the body. I kept trying to position myself on the hot tub jet, only to find myself frustrated, as I couldn't get the right angle.
     Last year, I had a sore knee and was able to run on the HydroWorx underwater treadmill and recover rapidly. I would recommend that land athletes try more water workouts. At one point or another we all have some type of injury or ailment and the power of exercising in water is amazing because you are virtually getting no impact on your joints and muscles.

    The HydroWorx pools are mainly found in physical therapy offices. Professional and college sports teams have access to the pools too, but even a YMCA in Randolph, NJ now has three of the portable X80 underwater treadmills in their facility. Featured recently in the news, the YMCA provided a boot camp class using the underwater treadmills as part of the workout, where participants rotated to different stations in a warm therapy pool. The workout was killer as they incorporated running, biking, and the use of exercise balls in a non-impact environment. This YMCA recognized that the HydorWorx equipment provides an excellent workout. Soon, I 'm sure we'll see more of the treadmills in gyms around the country. The fact that you can rehab and get a great workout without the stress is a key selling point of their products . Look for more of these classes and equipment at your local gym. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jCQGNdnpBI

Check out this cool video of the Randolph Bootcamp with the underwater treadmills.

Tri- On,
Kelly

Taking on the Swim

   Many times I have heard people say that what has kept them from doing a triathlon is the swim portion. Even my own brother, who is an amazing swimmer, has said that he simply doesn't have the time to incorporate swimming into his workout. I would encourage anyone to incorporate swimming into their workout because of the low impact nature of the sport. Even if you never want to do a triathlon, swimming is wonderful exercise that you can participate in for life. This post is dedicated to swim tips for the triathlete and the beginner who may want to try a, "tri," but may be apprehensive because of the swim portion of the race.

     The best way to get involved in a triathlon is to sign up for a pool swim tri. There are many out there and now that the sport is getting more popular, I'm confident that you could find one in your town or surrounding area. The YMCA is a great place to start. Many of the local Y's are offering pool swim triathlons. The YMCA of the West Shore in Camp Hill, PA is currently offering a class where they will train you to do a sprint triathlon. Group exercise is often helpful if you have trouble motivating yourself. Their course ends with the class participating in a real triathlon.

     One of the fears people often have is swimming in open water. How many times have I heard, “I don't know how you get in the water with that many people? Doesn't it freak you out?" That is why a pool swim is helpful if you've never done an open water swim. The pool swim triathlon requires that participants submit a time for the distance being covered. Once the administrators of the race receive your time they can group participants; that way you'll be with swimmers close or even a little slower than your own ability. One word of warning; people do lie on their time submission so you still have to be careful and watch for others around you. I once had a guy behind me that was practically on top of me after the first lap of the swim. I simply moved over in my lane and let him pass me; this is much easier to do in a pool than in open water.

      Exiting a pool is a little easier than exiting from a rocky river or lake. Two years ago I witnessed an athlete cutting his foot on a rock as he exited the river. Chances of a cutting your foot at a pool are less.

      A pool swim is also a little less intimidating because you can see the bottom of what you are swimming in, it's easier to see where you are going, and the swim distance is usually shorter than it would be in open water. The race will be set up inside a natatorium (sometimes outside) where you will line up according to your time. When it is time to swim you get in the water and someone will start you (another advantage- a standing start versus a diving start). Someone will be in front of you and someone will be behind you, but there is usually a pause of around ten seconds in between participants, so while you are swimming with others around you, it is a more controlled environment.       

     Another advantage is the pool will probably be heated so you won't need a wetsuit. The water temperatures in lakes, oceans, and rivers always vary, so sometimes a wetsuit is needed. While some triathletes swear that they can't live without a wetsuit because of added buoyancy, I feel that the time gained by wearing a wetsuit is lost by trying to get out of it. Wetsuit lover or not, you won't need one for a pool swim.

     Practice makes perfect for any type of race including a pool swim triathlon. Get yourself to a pool and practice an," in water," start. Stand in the shallow end and push off of the wall under water.  "Streamline," off of the wall by putting your arms against your ears and stretching them out in front of you as far as you can. Don't forget to interlock your hands so that you resemble a torpedo. This will maximize the distance you travel off of the wall. By properly streamlining off of the wall you can travel further distances without even swimming, and for the non-swimmer this means saving energy.

       If you know how to flip turn I would highly recommend practicing your turns. Like streamlining off of the wall, flip turns (done properly) can place an efficient swimmer half way down the lane, saving you time and energy. Many pool swims that I've done have you flip turn, and then swim under the lane line to transition to the next lane in the pool. I would highly recommend practicing this, as it can be tricky, especially if you are already nervous. Ask around and find out how you will transition from one lane to the next and if it's legal to flip turn. If you don't know how to flip turn, I would suggest practicing a two handed touch on and off of the wall. You will be disqualified if you don't touch the wall upon turning.

     A pool swim triathlon is a great way to get your feet wet (I couldn't resist) if you are fearful of swimming in open water. The pool swim is also great for the child or teen who wants to try a triathlon. Pool swims are also really great for spectators, as they can stand around the pool and cheer you to the end. 

     I guarantee once you try a triathlon with a pool swim you'll be hooked, and then you'll gain the confidence to head to a lake, ocean, or river for an open water challenge.

Tri- On Friends,

Kelly

See the videos below from You Tube to learn more about streamlining and flipturns.

    

To Group Or Not To Group

     I decided to ask some of my audience to write in and ask questions about what interested them about fitness or triathlon. The question of the week is this: Is is better to exercise with a club or alone? I can certainly give my opinion on the subject but I thought it would be  interesting to see what some other fitness enthusiasts thought as well.
     This entry is about the pros and cons of group exercise. We are lucky because there are more options available for exercise than ever. My friend, Karen Francis Jones, who I've known for over twenty years (that's scary) wanted to know my opinion on exercise clubs and the pros and cons. She is an exercise enthusiast herself who shared some of her opinions on a class she does.
     Karen participates in "Boot Camp" in the fall and spring months in her hometown of Rivervale, NJ. Boot Camp consists of showing up at 5:30 am (in the dark) at a local high school track. They use the field made of turf as well. The class is different each day which she likes because it keeps it "fresh." They do things like push-ups, sit-ups, weights, squats, sprints etc. The class has a very young and funny coach who gets them pumped and ready to start their day; sounds like a lot of positives so far. The coach also does an assessment on all of the participants at the beginning and then at the end of the session to see how each person has progressed. Each person gets timed in the mile and doing sit ups and push ups. Karen loves it because she has seen her own improvement. Instant feedback is such a good thing when it comes to fitness; can you say a positive?
     The negatives of "Boot Camp"( although you know I'm going to say none) are that she doesn't always want to get up so early in the morning and that sometimes some of the exercises hurt her knees. Okay so suck up the early morning thing, no one likes that, but my advice on the things that hurt; don't do it. Listen to your body and do the things that you can do, it still counts.
     Karen said that sometimes she gets frustrated with the exercises that she is unable to do and that frustration makes her want to quit. I say again , focus on the exercise you can do and forget the rest. You want to do things that you enjoy; that is the only way  you will stick with it. If you are miserable and your knees hurt, you aren't going to go back. Do some extra push-ups or sit-ups if the squats hurt.Your coach will not mind, especially if you let her/him know.
     I take a spin class every once in a while at the YMCA. I love the class, the camaraderie from the other participants and the music really rocks. The instructor is funny and I love to hear about her kids and what is going on with her. The one thing that I hate about her class is the,"climbs." These are done standing up on the spin bike for long segments. These hurt my knees so I opt to sit in the saddle and crank it up a notch(increase my cadence) instead of standing. I've told the entire class that I'm not going to do that part. I'm still in class and doing something, just not the thing that hurts my knees. The instructor, named Angie, always says,"Kelly you know what you are doing." There are no worries and I don't feel the least bit funny doing it that way now.
     Karen is interested in joining a running group but has some hesitations. She is worried that she may not be able to find someone who is at her pace ; a totally common fear. Karen said that a lot of runners she has come in contact with have already formed their running "cliche" and she worries that she might not fit in. Again, I think a common worry but also a misconception. Of course there are always crummy people out there no matter what you are doing. But there are always people in the same boat that would be willing to welcome in newcomers. My advice here is to give it try. It may take more than one club until you meet the right people, with the right pace, and the right attitude. When you think about it, everything in life is like that.
     My experience with running clubs has been positive. I don't usually work out with groups because of time constraints but a few years ago, when I was training for my first half marathon, I worked out with a running group at the YMCA on Saturday mornings. I thought the exact same thing as Mrs. Jones. I didn't want to get stuck with some die hard runner that I couldn't keep up with. The Saturday group provided me with some of the best runners that were paced just like me. It took me a few times going to figure out who I liked running with but after that it was great. The group also had smaller groups within the large group who did different distances. I loved this because usually on Saturday I needed to do a long run for my training, and I could always find someone to run with. I prefer to run with someone for the longs runs over six miles because, lets face it, after an hour of running it can get really boring.
     My good friend, Shellie Sierra-Gruber, shared some interesting thoughts about her first triathlon group. Shellie is an age group triathlete( I like to take a little credit for the fact that she is a triathlete because I recruited her ten years ago). She wanted group exercise to help her with her triathlon training. Initially she did not find people that she could regularly swim,bike, and run with. But what she did find was a,"community of support, healthy competition, and friendships. " She feels those ingredients helped her grow as an athlete and a person. Humm, sounds like a positive to me.  
   Eventually, Shellie did find people in her group to train with and those people are able to "push" her further and "pull" her back if she is overdoing it or facing an injury. The triathlon group she is with now organizes group runs, swims and bikes. They communicate via email and she is always able to find someone to work out with now. Shellie has developed many meaningful relationships from working out with a group. "When you're out in the woods for long periods of time, things come out." The tri group also gets together for social gatherings where they'll go out to dinner or do non-exercise things which also helps to promote cohesion in the group. The club also provides nutrition information, bike maintenance, and training programs. Sounds like another positive to me!
     Anson Flake, a friend and CEO of HydroWorx in Middletown, PA also likes to group spin. His real love however, is running on the underwater treadmill, solo, around three or four days per week. His knees won't take the pounding of the pavement and while he is alone he can listen to music or watch videos and get a great workout. In regards to exercise Anson said,"It's all good, but I do prefer a workout in the HydroWorx pool."
     One more comment I have about group working out is that I think it is safer. I like to cycle on some  remote, country roads, and have had some wild and scary experiences out there alone. While it takes some coordinating, I would recommend going cycling with at least another person in case you break down or get chased by dogs. The world is such a wonderful place, but there are some weirdos out there too, so riding with a buddy is always a good idea. I feel the same way about running. Sometimes I like to go on trails in the woods, so it is always better to bring a friend if not an entire group.
     I think the bottom line here is that there are many benefits of group exercise. There are pros and cons to everything we do in life. Finding your group or maybe just a work-out buddy might take a little time but slowly and surely you'll find your niche and who knows what new goals you'll reach!

Tri-On, Boot Camp on, Walk-On, or Zumba on Friends!
Bottom Line; find something you love and get moving.
Kelly