Except it's not that bad. I got to sleep in this morning (Mondays are rest days, in general) - now, most people's idea of 'sleeping in' is not 7:30 a.m., but it's mine, and I savor it. It just felt so good to not have my alarm blare at 5:30 and for me to think "damn, already?"
I woke up at 7:30 feeling fresh and rested. I turned over to look out my window and it was a bright crisp morning already, with the Golden Gate and SF Skyline in plain sight. As I sat up in bed, I realized my legs were a little tired, and rightfully so.
I managed to get in about 72 miles of riding this weekend - 31 on Saturday and 41 on Sunday. Saturday was a gorgeous day and we rode along The Great Highway out to Lake Merced and back. Just Jim, Tom and I and I was a little worried at how I might do. The last group ride I went on about 3 weeks ago was miserable for me. I couldn't believe at how horribly I was keeping up (I wasn't), my legs really didn't feel like spinning above 90 rpms for longer than 10 minutes, and I couldn't climb for sh**. It gave me a lot of concern, given at how close my first race was.
However, since then, I took it upon myself to start paying a lot more attention to my cadence in spinning class, keeping a high cadence and playing with different resistance levels. I've been diligently spinning a lot in spite of the lack of road miles, and thought it was the least I could do to help make it all work.
And...it seemed to! No problems with Jim and Tom (who are both great riders), even pulled them for a nice stretch along the crashing ocean waves to our right as we headed past the SF Zoo on our left. Tom took advantage of our tail wind on the way back and we were bookin' it at 25 mph! It was so awesome! I was a little afraid of going that fast just because of all the bumps in the road and the quick maneuvers we were having to do, and I worried I might not have enough time to react. Sure enough, Jim took a hard bump and lost his water bottle from his cage, so that was the end of our speedy train down The Great Highway. Hightailed it back through GG Park and the urban streets of SF, back up to the Legion of Honor (where I reminisced on the Escape from Alcatraz Tri...ah, the memories) and over the GG Bridge (simply gorgeous - I love both views: to the left, the expanse of the Great Pacific and to the right, the beautiful Bay already littered with sailboats around Alcatraz) back to Sausalito where we enjoyed some GREAT coffee at Cafe Trieste and watched all the cyclists (and their BIKES) go by.
Sunday morning I met up with Lee in Santa Rosa. Wasn't quite the beautiful morning I'd experienced just a day before, and it took awhile for me to warm up. Damp air, low-lying fog, but still gorgeous green around us. I love riding up there and am so grateful to be part of such natural beauty. The vineyards are green again, with grape vines getting ready to sprout those buds and produce the grapes that will inevitably be part of some fine wine that people all over the world will enjoy.
We were about 20 miles in and I got my first flat in over a year. Seriously, it's been THAT long. I allowed Lee to help me out just because it had been so long, I was fumbling more than I normally might. I count my blessings in some ways that I'm not a seasoned flat-tire repairwoman. They're such a pain in the rear and really take the momentum out of your ride!
After a few minutes we were back on the road, and Lee said "so we can either head back or tack on another 10. Up to you." Hmmm...I knew what I needed and wanted. We both agreed that we had no time constraints and tacking on another 10 would be good.
Really, the whole time...I felt great. Climbing felt great. I was strong on the flats. I even beat Lee up a few hills, though he was already at a slight disadvantage...but I took it! I was definitely done by the time we rolled up to his house, but it feels *so good* to be back in the real saddle again. That said, spinning the way I've been lately has truly paid off and I feel really ready for this race coming up.
Not only that, but there's only about 5 weeks left until the Tour de Tahoe! That's a good 73 mile ride with a bunch of climbing. Last year I was sick while riding, and while I enjoyed it immensely, I want to go out and really ride it well this year.
So, hooray for spinning. Hooray for the beauty of Northern CA that makes it *so easy* to want to get out and ride. And...HOORAY FOR REST DAYS!!!!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
I love spinning.
If I would've put half as much effort into some of my college classes as I did for this class today, I might've had a better GPA.
The prep work really paid off, and I felt so ready to get in and teach and so comfortable with knowing my outline that I was even able to improvise a little when I realized that in practice, a few of the things I had written out weren't quite right. This occurred when I realized that people were beginning to look a little haggard and the next thing on my agenda was more standing sprints. So, with a quickness, I switched things around and had them do a little recovery and THEN on to the standing sprints!
It was such a natural feeling for me to be up there, and I was so excited - I knew my energy was really transferring to the students in my class. I think I did well with the song choices, as there were several times I saw people lip-syncing along with the music, which is ALWAYS a good thing!
It also seemed like I was really engaging the class and giving them a workout - people were sweating, working hard and seemed like they were listening to what I had to say (which, I had to compliment myself on, I didn't do TOO much of!), and the best part of all was that as they left they said goodbye and "Thank You!"
So, as they say, practice makes perfect. I'm definitely still rough around the edges but since I had no idea what to expect, I'm SO happy that it felt so good. I definitely want to get better at transitions, building good workouts, etc. but this is a fantastic start.
There was, however, one main problem, and it has to do with this insane love of asparagus I have (and how abundant it's been at the grocery store lately). All I could smell the entire TIME was ASPARAGUS in my SWEAT! UGH! I STILL feel like I smell it. I think it's worse than garlic.
Oh, asparagus. Between the pee and the sweat...we may have to part ways for awhile.
The prep work really paid off, and I felt so ready to get in and teach and so comfortable with knowing my outline that I was even able to improvise a little when I realized that in practice, a few of the things I had written out weren't quite right. This occurred when I realized that people were beginning to look a little haggard and the next thing on my agenda was more standing sprints. So, with a quickness, I switched things around and had them do a little recovery and THEN on to the standing sprints!
It was such a natural feeling for me to be up there, and I was so excited - I knew my energy was really transferring to the students in my class. I think I did well with the song choices, as there were several times I saw people lip-syncing along with the music, which is ALWAYS a good thing!
It also seemed like I was really engaging the class and giving them a workout - people were sweating, working hard and seemed like they were listening to what I had to say (which, I had to compliment myself on, I didn't do TOO much of!), and the best part of all was that as they left they said goodbye and "Thank You!"
So, as they say, practice makes perfect. I'm definitely still rough around the edges but since I had no idea what to expect, I'm SO happy that it felt so good. I definitely want to get better at transitions, building good workouts, etc. but this is a fantastic start.
There was, however, one main problem, and it has to do with this insane love of asparagus I have (and how abundant it's been at the grocery store lately). All I could smell the entire TIME was ASPARAGUS in my SWEAT! UGH! I STILL feel like I smell it. I think it's worse than garlic.
Oh, asparagus. Between the pee and the sweat...we may have to part ways for awhile.
My First Spinning Class as an instructor - TODAY!!!!
*BREATHE, SARAH, BREATHE!*
Why am I so nervous? Everybody has had so much confidence in my ability to do this, so why are my palms sweaty and why is my heart racing (and I haven't even hopped on the bike yet...)?
Besides wanting to be as good as everybody thinks I'll be, I just want people to get a good workout. I don't want them leaving thinking "gee, that sucked. I could've done that on my OWN better than that."
While I've taken a pretty fair amount of time designing my workout for today, one thing is that everybody is motivated by different things. Me, it doesn't take much. A little competition, a little dance music, knowing I'm making my body work hard - those all motivate me. For other people, though, it's not always so easy. Not everybody likes to push themselves as hard as they can go. Sometimes people need an extra push.
So, we'll see how it goes. I'm just going to try and remember everything I've learned and in my opinion, one of the most important things is NOT to talk a lot! We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. :-)
Why am I so nervous? Everybody has had so much confidence in my ability to do this, so why are my palms sweaty and why is my heart racing (and I haven't even hopped on the bike yet...)?
Besides wanting to be as good as everybody thinks I'll be, I just want people to get a good workout. I don't want them leaving thinking "gee, that sucked. I could've done that on my OWN better than that."
While I've taken a pretty fair amount of time designing my workout for today, one thing is that everybody is motivated by different things. Me, it doesn't take much. A little competition, a little dance music, knowing I'm making my body work hard - those all motivate me. For other people, though, it's not always so easy. Not everybody likes to push themselves as hard as they can go. Sometimes people need an extra push.
So, we'll see how it goes. I'm just going to try and remember everything I've learned and in my opinion, one of the most important things is NOT to talk a lot! We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. :-)
Friday, April 20, 2007
Just a short update - been too long!
How can I expect people to comment if I never update my blog? So, THANK YOU to people who commented! It's nice to know that people read my blog.
So, since the 5K, I've been raising the intensity a bit but not really adhering to what the ideal 'plan' would be according to the Triathlete's Training Bible. Then again, Wildflower (my first race this year) is not my "A" race - i.e. the race that I'm really hoping to be in peak condition for. So, I'm confident in my base training and I'm feeling really great about my run.
The whole concept of LSD (Long Slow Distance) has really been a great one to follow all winter. It's really focusing on keeping your heart rate lower for a longer period of time. I feel like I've done well with this for running, which was something I felt I really needed to work on so that when it comes time to be running 13.1 miles, I can run at a good pace while sustaining a lower heart rate.
I'm just a bit concerned about the bike. I haven't been able to get out there on the road NEARLY as much as I would feel good about. All the travel I've done for work has just rendered it impossible to get out there. Spinning helps, but being able to truly log those miles on a Saturday and Sunday morning is what I'm needing. Again, luckily this is NOT my A race and it's only 25 miles.
Today is a rest day and it sure feels GOOD TO REST! I took a kickboxing class while I was in L.A. this week and it left me totally sore. Also, somebody told me that the spinning classes in L.A. would kick my ass, and they were RIGHT. It was the hardest spinning class I've EVER taken! I loved it and it gave me some great inspiration for my future in teaching spinning.
Speaking of: the exciting news:
I will officially be a spinning instructor for the YMCA Embarcadero Branch! I'll start in a couple of weeks after paperwork gets finished. I'm half nervous but half VERY excited!
So, since the 5K, I've been raising the intensity a bit but not really adhering to what the ideal 'plan' would be according to the Triathlete's Training Bible. Then again, Wildflower (my first race this year) is not my "A" race - i.e. the race that I'm really hoping to be in peak condition for. So, I'm confident in my base training and I'm feeling really great about my run.
The whole concept of LSD (Long Slow Distance) has really been a great one to follow all winter. It's really focusing on keeping your heart rate lower for a longer period of time. I feel like I've done well with this for running, which was something I felt I really needed to work on so that when it comes time to be running 13.1 miles, I can run at a good pace while sustaining a lower heart rate.
I'm just a bit concerned about the bike. I haven't been able to get out there on the road NEARLY as much as I would feel good about. All the travel I've done for work has just rendered it impossible to get out there. Spinning helps, but being able to truly log those miles on a Saturday and Sunday morning is what I'm needing. Again, luckily this is NOT my A race and it's only 25 miles.
Today is a rest day and it sure feels GOOD TO REST! I took a kickboxing class while I was in L.A. this week and it left me totally sore. Also, somebody told me that the spinning classes in L.A. would kick my ass, and they were RIGHT. It was the hardest spinning class I've EVER taken! I loved it and it gave me some great inspiration for my future in teaching spinning.
Speaking of: the exciting news:
I will officially be a spinning instructor for the YMCA Embarcadero Branch! I'll start in a couple of weeks after paperwork gets finished. I'm half nervous but half VERY excited!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
I went NUTS!
Approaching the starting line, I hadn’t even imagined there would be so many people participating in this 5K. There were people everywhere! Young, old, teens, parents, serious runners, walkers, joggers and even some babies in baby strollers who would have no recollection of being involved in this event as they grew older. My stomach began to knot up as I got closer to the mob. “Why am I nervous? It’s just a run!” In spite of the fact that I kept telling myself it was ‘just’ a run, I was unsure of what this experience would hold for me. All I really knew was that I had a fantastic base of support 300 miles north of me and I wanted to give this race everything I had, making sure there was nothing left when I crossed the finish line.
As I walked over to the group, I wasn’t quite sure where to place myself in the pack. Should I start near the starting line? There was a tightly packed group up front, and I thought that perhaps they were all serious runners, so I maneuvered in about 20 yards behind the start line. I imagined that it wouldn’t matter anyway, since we were wearing timing chips that would begin recording our time as we stepped across the start line.
5 minutes prior to race start. We sing the National Anthem. I look around excitedly and nervously. I try not to be nervous; after all, I’ve already succeeded in raising $2,500 and a greater awareness among people who know me – whatever happens, for once it’s NOT about me and my time, but about running for all of the people I’ve encountered over the past three years. I smile as I have this thought, and begin to breathe a little easier. However, being the competitive person I am, all I can think about is how cool it would be to earn a podium spot and be proud that I did it for such an amazing cause. The quick breathing returns.
Visions of past triathlon mass starts cloud my thoughts. Would it be like that, with people’s arms in my face, elbows in my side, people all struggling to carve out their own space in the pack to get going? “At least there aren’t any feet kicking my face,” I thought. No feet, no water to be splashed around in your face as you gasp for air. That was a relief. As I finish that thought, I look up to the grandstand as the announcer readies the crowd. “Everybody get ready to count!...10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!”
The gun goes off, but nobody around me moves. After about five or six seconds, the crowd around me begins to steadily draw forward. Baby steps first, then bigger steps, and finally, about 15 seconds later, my foot crosses the starting line in a full stride. I start my watch, relieved to be out of the cattle corral.
While I have no worries of elbows or arms in my face, my breathing is similar to past races. I am struggling to keep myself from hyperventilating from the excitement. I want to run fast, but the adrenaline rushing through my body is intense and I can feel every muscle remaining tight. My heart is pounding hard. I remember my deep breathing techniques and practice drawing in long, deep breaths and exhaling them just as slowly. I remind myself what this race is truly about. I contemplate (albeit briefly) what ‘doing my best’ in this situation is. Among the many lessons I’ve learned in my job, one of the best ones has been about taking charge of what you can control and not focusing on what you can’t.
I can’t control how other people are running. I can only control myself in this situation, and I can control how well I stay within myself. I know from experience that if I start out too hard, even in a short race, I won’t have anything left for the end.
Slowing down just slightly, my breathing eases. I forget about the people around me. I focus on the goal I have ahead of me and what it is I’m setting out to do. I am going to perform to the best of MY ability today.
With the grey overcast of
But how did she know it was a mile? I supposed that it was about that, but as I looked to my left and to my right as we began to turn a corner, I could see no markers of any kind. I picked up my pace just slightly. I figured if I had just run one mile, then I only had 2.1 left!
It’s a nice feeling to continue passing people. My spirits are high, and I’m running fairly hard. Each person I pass gives me just a little more confidence in my pace and my strength, and it makes me smile to wonder how fast I’m really running. However, it isn’t until about 13 minutes in that I hit the turn-around point. That doesn’t seem right. If I was running a 7:30 pace, and the course is 3.1 miles, then how could I have slowed THAT much? Was I really running slowly? 13 minutes at the turn-around would put me at about a 25 or 26 minute finish.My spirits sank somewhat. I sure didn’t FEEL like I was running an 8:30. What was going on?
Again, I shook these negative thoughts and focused on a man running next to me. He and I seemed to both be wondering the same thing, yet neither of us said a thing to each other. I could just feel his thoughts. It was comforting to know that somebody must be going through the same thing I was. We paced off each other and held on strong, in spite of the fact that after another three minutes, my legs were screaming.
25:33. I had to admit, I was disappointed. 25:33? For 3.1 miles? That’s an 8:14 mile. I ran faster than that in a triathlon with a longer distance! How could this be? I wondered all of this as I walked over to the table to get a cup of Gatorade. As I stood, contemplated and sipped, I began to overhear a conversation nearby.
“I had 3.48.” “Yup, I had that, too.” “Well you might as well take 2 minutes off your time then.” “How could they do that?!”
I approached the group and began to converse with them, realizing that several of these people had tracked the distance with GPS watches, all recording a distance of 3.48 miles. That was nearly half a mile longer than 3.1 miles!
Comforted by these thoughts, I continued to wait around for the race results. After what was not too long of a wait, a woman walked over to the table to tape down the several pieces of paper she had in her hand, and I excitedly followed close behind.
Using my finger to follow my name across the page that held the results, I read the time:
Sarah M Trejo 25:33 4 92 25
FOURTH IN MY AGE GROUP?! No! How fast was the 3rd place woman? Was she close? Oh no! Well, no matter. Fourth is good. Just…oh, one off of 3rd! Geez! But, I did get 92nd over all and 25th out of all the women, so it was still something to be proud of.
I spent the rest of the day feeling satisfied with my performance and proud of what I’d accomplished. I truly cared about sharing this cause with friends, family and colleagues and I did. I ran for something that has meant so much to me over the past three years, and on top of that, was inspired to run the fastest I’d ever run.
What I later learned was that the ‘4th place time’ was my clock time – the time from when the gun went off to when my feet crossed the finish line. Because they were using timing chips, that becomes the more official time – the time recorded from when your foot crosses the starting line and when it crosses the finish line. There was a 15-second difference in my clock time and chip time, because it took 15 seconds for me to get to the starting line. Thus, my official race time – 25:18 – actually placed me into third in my age group!
In the end, I was truly able to say that I’d gone out and ‘won for NBTF.’ It’s been a fantastic feeling that still hasn’t subsided, and I’m enjoying every moment of it.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Going NUTS for a Cure - THIS WEEKEND!
This is the last call - I'm almost at $2,000 - help me make it there!
I've decided to take my commitment to the brain tumor community a step further by participating in the Emerald Nuts 5K Run at the L.A. Marathon on March 4, 2007 and using it to raise money for the National Brain Tumor Foundation. I have been proudly working for this organization for almost three years now, and the programs and work we do only get better because of the amazing support and generosity we have received from people who believe in what we do.
As this blog duly describes, I am a devoted triathlete who is embarking on another year of races and I can't think of a better way to kick off my season than with a run that is dedicated to all of the survivors and family members I've encountered during my time here, and who continue to inspire me to no end.
Please take a moment to sponsor me with whatever you might be able to contribute. It's really easy - you can donate online by credit card and receive a record of your donation. My page is located at: http://www.firstgiving.com/sarah_t.
All donations are secure and sent directly to National Brain Tumor Foundation. Please join me in supporting National Brain Tumor Foundation and a fabulous cause!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at STrejo127[at]gmail[dot]com.
Thank you so much!!!
Sarah
I've decided to take my commitment to the brain tumor community a step further by participating in the Emerald Nuts 5K Run at the L.A. Marathon on March 4, 2007 and using it to raise money for the National Brain Tumor Foundation. I have been proudly working for this organization for almost three years now, and the programs and work we do only get better because of the amazing support and generosity we have received from people who believe in what we do.
As this blog duly describes, I am a devoted triathlete who is embarking on another year of races and I can't think of a better way to kick off my season than with a run that is dedicated to all of the survivors and family members I've encountered during my time here, and who continue to inspire me to no end.
Please take a moment to sponsor me with whatever you might be able to contribute. It's really easy - you can donate online by credit card and receive a record of your donation. My page is located at: http://www.firstgiving.com/sarah_t.
All donations are secure and sent directly to National Brain Tumor Foundation. Please join me in supporting National Brain Tumor Foundation and a fabulous cause!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at STrejo127[at]gmail[dot]com.
Thank you so much!!!
Sarah
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
TMI Overload
I feel like screaming. I feel like throwing my hands up and saying "FORGET IT! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE!" The more I read and learn, the more I discover how much the sport of triathlon is so scientific, every aspect so well-studied, that the idea of just going out and 'doing it' seems, at this point, moot. Only amateurs 'just do it.' If you're going to WIN, then you have to have truly TRAINED (not merely 'worked out'), you have to have good equipment, you have to properly taper, and you'd better know your nutrition like the back of your hand.
During a discussion about nutrition the other night, one of my teammates asked me "So how many calories per hour are you consuming on the bike?" I looked back at him with a blank stare. "Um. I generally eat a Clif Bar over the course of a 4 hour ride. Probably about half a Clif Bar over a 2 hour ride." His immediate response: "see, you should be able to respond immediately what your calorie per hour consumption is."
He went on to describe the importance of eating two hours before my morning workouts ("So does that mean I have to wake up at FOUR A.M.?!" I countered), and 'topping off' the night before with good carbs if I couldn't get up a full two hours before. He talked about race-day nutrition, how to practice for it, how my standard peanut butter & jelly standby is all wrong, and how many more calories I need to take in on the bike.
Couple that with further reading in The Triathlete's Training Bible about intensity workouts, as well as an article on how to taper effectively four weeks before your first race, and you have a girl who is overloaded with too much information.
Not to mention that as I did the math, I got scared sh**less at the fact that I realized Wildflower is a mere nine weeks away. The taper article discussed beginning the taper 4 weeks prior to your first race...which leaves me 5 weeks of build phase. 5 weeks where I will be gone for about two of those next five for work. I've got to do more hill repeats on the bike. I've got to do more speed work on the run. The only thing I'm truly confident about right now is the swim. Well whoop-de-doo. Where does that get me? Eh, maybe 2 minutes faster. If I'm not prepared enough on the bike then that 2 minutes doesn't mean jack rabbit! I've got to do more planning so that I can create workouts for myself that will combine the proper amount of intensity with aerobic workouts, but how can I do that when I don't even know exactly what my lactate threshold EVEN IS? How about this: I feel just fine when my heart rate is at 170. What does that MEAN? So sometime I've got to find time to do some lactate threshold testing and VO2 max testing, as well as finding time to read more about how to properly PLAN the next nine weeks. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
*breathe, Sarah, BREATHE!*
I sound insane, I know. At the end of the day, most people DO just go out and do it. That's what I did the last two seasons. I worked out a lot, did some good track workouts, used spinning class as a good time to get some high-intensity workouts in, and kept my commitment to swimming. And as I've seen, it worked out alright. My nutrition, as described earlier, was a combination of what I know about GENERAL nutrition (as in, what's good for you, how to maintain weight, etc.) and just doing what I thought was right and what felt good. It all seemed to come together and for the most part, I got through races just fantastically, had a few races where it especially came together well and I kicked some serious butt. The not-so-good races I learned from: Wildflower last year - don't go so hard on the bike and REMEMBER TO DRINK YOUR NUTRITION; Donner Lake - bring your own fuel on the run; Alcatraz - don't put aerobars on your bike so soon before the race. I mean, those were the first three races and I learned from all three, and the Half-Ironman and Santa Barbara were two of my best races EVER. I felt amazing!
So why worry?
Because I know if I could do it all piece-meal like that, then I can do even better. I can take on the top women at Wildflower. I can kick even more butt at Vineman this year. I can perform at a higher level that I don't think I ever thought would be possible. Given that I seem to have a natural ability with this sport, it would be nice to train the way the elites do and see what Sarah Trejo can do.
We'll see what happens...
During a discussion about nutrition the other night, one of my teammates asked me "So how many calories per hour are you consuming on the bike?" I looked back at him with a blank stare. "Um. I generally eat a Clif Bar over the course of a 4 hour ride. Probably about half a Clif Bar over a 2 hour ride." His immediate response: "see, you should be able to respond immediately what your calorie per hour consumption is."
He went on to describe the importance of eating two hours before my morning workouts ("So does that mean I have to wake up at FOUR A.M.?!" I countered), and 'topping off' the night before with good carbs if I couldn't get up a full two hours before. He talked about race-day nutrition, how to practice for it, how my standard peanut butter & jelly standby is all wrong, and how many more calories I need to take in on the bike.
Couple that with further reading in The Triathlete's Training Bible about intensity workouts, as well as an article on how to taper effectively four weeks before your first race, and you have a girl who is overloaded with too much information.
Not to mention that as I did the math, I got scared sh**less at the fact that I realized Wildflower is a mere nine weeks away. The taper article discussed beginning the taper 4 weeks prior to your first race...which leaves me 5 weeks of build phase. 5 weeks where I will be gone for about two of those next five for work. I've got to do more hill repeats on the bike. I've got to do more speed work on the run. The only thing I'm truly confident about right now is the swim. Well whoop-de-doo. Where does that get me? Eh, maybe 2 minutes faster. If I'm not prepared enough on the bike then that 2 minutes doesn't mean jack rabbit! I've got to do more planning so that I can create workouts for myself that will combine the proper amount of intensity with aerobic workouts, but how can I do that when I don't even know exactly what my lactate threshold EVEN IS? How about this: I feel just fine when my heart rate is at 170. What does that MEAN? So sometime I've got to find time to do some lactate threshold testing and VO2 max testing, as well as finding time to read more about how to properly PLAN the next nine weeks. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
*breathe, Sarah, BREATHE!*
I sound insane, I know. At the end of the day, most people DO just go out and do it. That's what I did the last two seasons. I worked out a lot, did some good track workouts, used spinning class as a good time to get some high-intensity workouts in, and kept my commitment to swimming. And as I've seen, it worked out alright. My nutrition, as described earlier, was a combination of what I know about GENERAL nutrition (as in, what's good for you, how to maintain weight, etc.) and just doing what I thought was right and what felt good. It all seemed to come together and for the most part, I got through races just fantastically, had a few races where it especially came together well and I kicked some serious butt. The not-so-good races I learned from: Wildflower last year - don't go so hard on the bike and REMEMBER TO DRINK YOUR NUTRITION; Donner Lake - bring your own fuel on the run; Alcatraz - don't put aerobars on your bike so soon before the race. I mean, those were the first three races and I learned from all three, and the Half-Ironman and Santa Barbara were two of my best races EVER. I felt amazing!
So why worry?
Because I know if I could do it all piece-meal like that, then I can do even better. I can take on the top women at Wildflower. I can kick even more butt at Vineman this year. I can perform at a higher level that I don't think I ever thought would be possible. Given that I seem to have a natural ability with this sport, it would be nice to train the way the elites do and see what Sarah Trejo can do.
We'll see what happens...
Monday, February 26, 2007
Personality test
I took a personality test online. While not directly related to triathlon, I think it helps me to understand a bit of myself to know how best to work on my training, etc. That, and it's just so fun to do these things! I did it twice and it came out the same both times.
I am "ESTJ" - (Extroverted/Sensing/Thinking/Judging) - organized, group oriented, focused, conventional, leader, emotionally stable, anal, attention seeking, planner, realistic, fearless, responsible, finisher, decisive, norm following, respects authority, punctual, hard working, stiff, self confident, thinks rules and regulations are important, follows the rules, clean, outgoing, social, content, does not like being alone, normal, regular, does not like weird or strange people / things - intolerant of differences, strict, disciplined, aggressive, assertive, content, happy, proper, formal, strict with self, meticulous, strong sense of purpose
Hmmm...what do I think of that? I don't know about the whole 'intolerant of differences'/'does not like weird or strange people.' I value differences quite a bit. They're what make us, well, US. I'm also NOT the most punctual person I know - let's just be real here. I STRIVE to be punctual, but alas, I'm just not. :( That's a whole other blog entry - "Sarah's Pursuit in Punctuality." I would say the test is 80-85% accurate.
It also said that favored careers are: executive, ceo, supervisor, business consultant, manager, strategist, financial planner, business person, office manager, public relations manager, international business specialist, business analyst, management consultant, operations manager, loan officer, lawyer, marketing, sports management, government employee, investment banker
INVESTMENT BANKER? I don't think so. PR Manager, I could see that. Sports management - Hmmm, I like that!
Unfavored careers include: poet, artist, songwriter, musician, novelist, art therapist, theatre teacher, art curator, film editor, video game designer, photo journalist, travel writer, actor, record store owner, camera operator, art historian, music teacher
Ha. No, I would not be a good poet. And while I do like acting, I don't think that being an actress was ever something I'd want to pursue as a lifestyle. Video game designer...maybe not, but I sure did play a lot of video games as a kid. Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, Tetris, Pac-Man...
Anyway. Enough digression!
Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)
I am "ESTJ" - (Extroverted/Sensing/Thinking/Judging) - organized, group oriented, focused, conventional, leader, emotionally stable, anal, attention seeking, planner, realistic, fearless, responsible, finisher, decisive, norm following, respects authority, punctual, hard working, stiff, self confident, thinks rules and regulations are important, follows the rules, clean, outgoing, social, content, does not like being alone, normal, regular, does not like weird or strange people / things - intolerant of differences, strict, disciplined, aggressive, assertive, content, happy, proper, formal, strict with self, meticulous, strong sense of purpose
Hmmm...what do I think of that? I don't know about the whole 'intolerant of differences'/'does not like weird or strange people.' I value differences quite a bit. They're what make us, well, US. I'm also NOT the most punctual person I know - let's just be real here. I STRIVE to be punctual, but alas, I'm just not. :( That's a whole other blog entry - "Sarah's Pursuit in Punctuality." I would say the test is 80-85% accurate.
It also said that favored careers are: executive, ceo, supervisor, business consultant, manager, strategist, financial planner, business person, office manager, public relations manager, international business specialist, business analyst, management consultant, operations manager, loan officer, lawyer, marketing, sports management, government employee, investment banker
INVESTMENT BANKER? I don't think so. PR Manager, I could see that. Sports management - Hmmm, I like that!
Unfavored careers include: poet, artist, songwriter, musician, novelist, art therapist, theatre teacher, art curator, film editor, video game designer, photo journalist, travel writer, actor, record store owner, camera operator, art historian, music teacher
Ha. No, I would not be a good poet. And while I do like acting, I don't think that being an actress was ever something I'd want to pursue as a lifestyle. Video game designer...maybe not, but I sure did play a lot of video games as a kid. Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, Tetris, Pac-Man...
Anyway. Enough digression!
| ESTJ - "Administrator". Much in touch with the external environment. Very responsible. Pillar of strength. 8.7% of total population. |
Friday, February 23, 2007
Go Yoga!
So all this time I've been saying to people "yeah, I'll do Yoga one of these days." Never got around to it. I did begin stretching early in 2006 and found it made a miraculous difference in how I slept, how I started my day and virtually eliminating the beginning stages of plantar fasciitis. I just couldn't seem to get myself to a Yoga class.
This morning my original plan was to get to the gym by 6 a.m. and do a spinning session (by myself, as there are no early morning spin classes on Friday). Unfortunately, two things happened to derail that plan: 1) I woke up a little late and took a bit longer than usual to get things moving; and 2) I forgot to charge my iPod, which was pretty much dead. Anybody who's taken spinning knows it's pretty difficult to spin without music. I *really* wanted to spin, though, considering that I probably wouldn't get to ride my bike this weekend due to inclement weather and the fact that Sunday I am swimming in the Pacifica Relays. What's a girl to do?
There was a 7:15 a.m.-8 a.m. spin class. At 6:30 a.m. I thought "well, I can do some stretching, ab work and then start spinning at 7 a.m. and stay through the class until 7:45 a.m. That should work." Something in me, however, decided to go have a look at the class schedule. I immediately saw this:
6:45-7:55 a.m.: Hatha Yoga
"What time is it?" I thought. "Oh. It's only 6:30." My mind begin to spin around what my workout for the evening could be, how I could get some good spinning time in, and at that moment, my muscles reminded me how badly I needed to get some good stretch work in after my lifting this week and the crazy swim workout I had the night before. It might make me a little late to work, but I decided that this was my chance to give it a shot.
The instructor was already in the room, so I introduced myself and asked him if the class would be appropriate for a beginner. He told me that as long as I was fairly knowledgeable of the basic poses and wasn't afraid to look around the room to see what other people were doing, I would be okay.
I went to the spinning room to spin for about 8 minutes, and went back to Yoga at 6:43 a.m. This 70 minute class was absolutely incredible. It was an infectious way to start my day, and I have a feeling I will be committed to doing it on Mondays and Fridays. It's a great way to start the week after a long weekend of activity, and end a long work week of stress and weight lifting. Joey, the instructor, was phenomenal. He explained well, was patient, calm and had a manner about him that was very unintimidating.
At 8 a.m. I left the room with a smile on my face and feeling calm, refreshed and well-stretched. I can't wait to do it again!
This morning my original plan was to get to the gym by 6 a.m. and do a spinning session (by myself, as there are no early morning spin classes on Friday). Unfortunately, two things happened to derail that plan: 1) I woke up a little late and took a bit longer than usual to get things moving; and 2) I forgot to charge my iPod, which was pretty much dead. Anybody who's taken spinning knows it's pretty difficult to spin without music. I *really* wanted to spin, though, considering that I probably wouldn't get to ride my bike this weekend due to inclement weather and the fact that Sunday I am swimming in the Pacifica Relays. What's a girl to do?
There was a 7:15 a.m.-8 a.m. spin class. At 6:30 a.m. I thought "well, I can do some stretching, ab work and then start spinning at 7 a.m. and stay through the class until 7:45 a.m. That should work." Something in me, however, decided to go have a look at the class schedule. I immediately saw this:
6:45-7:55 a.m.: Hatha Yoga
"What time is it?" I thought. "Oh. It's only 6:30." My mind begin to spin around what my workout for the evening could be, how I could get some good spinning time in, and at that moment, my muscles reminded me how badly I needed to get some good stretch work in after my lifting this week and the crazy swim workout I had the night before. It might make me a little late to work, but I decided that this was my chance to give it a shot.
The instructor was already in the room, so I introduced myself and asked him if the class would be appropriate for a beginner. He told me that as long as I was fairly knowledgeable of the basic poses and wasn't afraid to look around the room to see what other people were doing, I would be okay.
I went to the spinning room to spin for about 8 minutes, and went back to Yoga at 6:43 a.m. This 70 minute class was absolutely incredible. It was an infectious way to start my day, and I have a feeling I will be committed to doing it on Mondays and Fridays. It's a great way to start the week after a long weekend of activity, and end a long work week of stress and weight lifting. Joey, the instructor, was phenomenal. He explained well, was patient, calm and had a manner about him that was very unintimidating.
At 8 a.m. I left the room with a smile on my face and feeling calm, refreshed and well-stretched. I can't wait to do it again!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Cutting back
So, yesterday was Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras/The Beginning of Lent. Now, as a recovering Catholic, I don't participate in Lent for the reasons I used to. Still, I do think it's nice to use it as a period of time to try and cut back on something that may have been a bit in excess.
Couple that with the fact that I've put on about 2 or 3 lbs...I know, it SEEMS like it's not that much, but believe it or not, I can really feel it - in every way. I FEEL heavier. I don't have the same appetite I usually do and when I do eat, it just doesn't feel the way it normally does. I feel fuller. It's amazing how, if we are really in tune with our bodies, they really do tell us when something is off.
I'm not surprised; I drank a ton of beer in Mexico (drank it like water!), didn't exercise as much as I normally do, and enjoyed a hell of a lot of meat and Mexican food. In general, my diet is usually full of veggies, good carbs and a small amount of protein. Of course, there are the usual bad suspects that sneak their way in, like oh-so-delicious cheese (I LOVE CHEESE) and oh-so-fine wine (I LOVE WINE). But because I tend to eat well enough and consume in moderation, everything usually stays in balance.
Now it's out of balance and it's my responsibility to do something about it. I suppose it's always good every now and then to practice cutting back, and our bodies are kind enough to give us the right reminders when we need to make some changes.
My proposed changes for the next 40 days (well, at least 30 - they say it takes at least 30 days to create new habits):
1) Cut back on the wine. Since I don't drink a ton in excess, it's tricky on where to cut back. However, on weeknights when I have wine with dinner, I'll tend to drink 1.5-2 glasses. On weekends when I'm out with friends, it will generally be about 3-4. Also, I don't drink every single night; probably have wine 5 out of 7 nights.
The goal: Stick to drinking 4-5 nights a week, on weekends limit to 3 glasses; on weeknights limit to 1 glass.
2) Stop buying cheese. If I don't buy it, I won't eat it. That doesn't mean I can't have it in a sandwich or with dinner or something. However, in the past, I've found that when I just didn't buy it, I didn't eat very much of it. I will very guiltily say that it is SO HARD when you're at Trader Joe's/The Cheese Board to NOT buy cheese. It's all there, so well-priced, so many different varieties of delicious aged cow/goat/sheep's milk that is just waiting to be tasted with the multitude of food items that can accompany it; crackers, apricots, bread, wine...oh the list goes on. I'll stop now.
The goal: Don't buy cheese! One exception: skim-milk string cheese to pack in my lunches. :-)
Those are pretty much it. The rest comes easily for me. I don't have a sweet tooth, I tend to stop eating when I'm full and I don't snack unless I'm physically hungry. I don't drink soda (well, I do have a once/week Diet Coke habit!). I think what it really was was the Mexico trip. By the time I came home I was craving vegetables like you wouldn't believe. I still am, actually.
So, that's all for now. Had some amazing workouts this past week and am looking forward to next week as the final prep before this 5K!
Couple that with the fact that I've put on about 2 or 3 lbs...I know, it SEEMS like it's not that much, but believe it or not, I can really feel it - in every way. I FEEL heavier. I don't have the same appetite I usually do and when I do eat, it just doesn't feel the way it normally does. I feel fuller. It's amazing how, if we are really in tune with our bodies, they really do tell us when something is off.
I'm not surprised; I drank a ton of beer in Mexico (drank it like water!), didn't exercise as much as I normally do, and enjoyed a hell of a lot of meat and Mexican food. In general, my diet is usually full of veggies, good carbs and a small amount of protein. Of course, there are the usual bad suspects that sneak their way in, like oh-so-delicious cheese (I LOVE CHEESE) and oh-so-fine wine (I LOVE WINE). But because I tend to eat well enough and consume in moderation, everything usually stays in balance.
Now it's out of balance and it's my responsibility to do something about it. I suppose it's always good every now and then to practice cutting back, and our bodies are kind enough to give us the right reminders when we need to make some changes.
My proposed changes for the next 40 days (well, at least 30 - they say it takes at least 30 days to create new habits):
1) Cut back on the wine. Since I don't drink a ton in excess, it's tricky on where to cut back. However, on weeknights when I have wine with dinner, I'll tend to drink 1.5-2 glasses. On weekends when I'm out with friends, it will generally be about 3-4. Also, I don't drink every single night; probably have wine 5 out of 7 nights.
The goal: Stick to drinking 4-5 nights a week, on weekends limit to 3 glasses; on weeknights limit to 1 glass.
2) Stop buying cheese. If I don't buy it, I won't eat it. That doesn't mean I can't have it in a sandwich or with dinner or something. However, in the past, I've found that when I just didn't buy it, I didn't eat very much of it. I will very guiltily say that it is SO HARD when you're at Trader Joe's/The Cheese Board to NOT buy cheese. It's all there, so well-priced, so many different varieties of delicious aged cow/goat/sheep's milk that is just waiting to be tasted with the multitude of food items that can accompany it; crackers, apricots, bread, wine...oh the list goes on. I'll stop now.
The goal: Don't buy cheese! One exception: skim-milk string cheese to pack in my lunches. :-)
Those are pretty much it. The rest comes easily for me. I don't have a sweet tooth, I tend to stop eating when I'm full and I don't snack unless I'm physically hungry. I don't drink soda (well, I do have a once/week Diet Coke habit!). I think what it really was was the Mexico trip. By the time I came home I was craving vegetables like you wouldn't believe. I still am, actually.
So, that's all for now. Had some amazing workouts this past week and am looking forward to next week as the final prep before this 5K!
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