Concentrating on the bike segment - Speed training.

Trying to regain strength in my hamstring, so I am taking it easy on the run segment. I'd rather wait another week than ruin everything. :)

I don't have enough time to bike & swim at the moment but since Mathieu will start school next week (and will not go out with his friends every night...) I will be able to go @ the swimming pool from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM with my bunny! Yes... Mathieu will be our official babysitter. Kids will be sleeping at this time so we are not offering him any $$!!! lol 

 

So I have been biking a lot lately. This is fun actually, I was able to really test my equipment.

 

I must say I love that Louis Garneau bike equipe short. It is so confortable! I will order another one soon since I am biking every day.

 

Then I tested my cycling shoes as well. Even if I bought them several years ago, I never biked that much before!

I wouldn't need any socks even biking 56 miles.

 

I am trying to travel light. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about speed training:

 

The bike portion of a triathlon requires both endurance and speed, similar to the swim and run segments of the race. However, as the longest of the three legs in terms of distance and duration, the bike's physiological requirements for sustaining a high level of performance are significant.

 

Speed training is particularly beneficial to utilizing both explosive speed and sustaining a pace throughout the course of a race. Short intervals of 45 to 90 seconds require a rider to pedal at full intensity and then back down to a comfortable pace. Triathletes often repeat intervals up to 10 times throughout the course of a training session to develop speed. Longer intervals, meanwhile, build stamina to sustain a certain speed over distance. A triathlete's quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and gluteus muscles are the primary engines for powering the bike forward. Riders work to develop these muscles throughout their training while focusing on keeping their ankles and hips stable. As such, spin technique is an important part of triathlon bike training, and ensures a fluid pedaling motion that maximizes efficiency.

http://www.tri-ecoach.com/art21.htm

What makes you run faster?

Well, I'd say FEAR without a doubt...

It was 8:45 PM when I started running outside. Not too warm, not too windy, except for the mosquitos it would have been a perfect evening.
That was counting without the coyotes!

WHAT???

I don't really like going out running when it's dark... but sometimes you don't really have a choice for training hours...
Tonight I was half done when I saw lot's of lights & some police cars. One drove & stopped by me.
First of all, I got scared with the car... who knows if it's really a cop or not right?
Then that guy freaked me out telling me I had to turn around, they were chasing a big coyote. He even asked me if I wanted a ride... to be really careful going home because they come out @ night... 
Well, I said "thanks but no thanks" & ran faster! From 9:30 mn/mile, I went to 7:30 mn/mile. That was a good training when I think about it! :)

It's amazing what fear can do to you! I must have seen a dozen coyotes behind all the bushes before I got home... In my mind!!!

So... here we are... in Texas where the slogan is "everything is bigger in Texas"...

You need to be careful of fire ants... you do not want to step on a colony when running in the grass!

Then look up for snake roasting in the sun... Then coyotes @ night...

WHAT'S NEXT? lol

If I scream tonight Bunny... that's just a nightmare about coyote!

Be aware! lol

Triathlon Gear - The fun part! :)

Having 6 days of training a week require lot's of gear... I cannot wash them every night & use them again the next day because the monkeys are sleeping when I'm done training... & the last thing I want is to wake them up with the washing machine! :) 

So I've been training with old tee-shirts & 2 long pants & my pyjamas sweat pants... but I really needed to invest! Good thing my bunny offered to pay for all the gear I need, these stuff gets expensive. Love you Bunny! :)

I have the main gear on the running part under control... THE shoes... & I love them! They are so light, easy to run without socks - tried running a 10K & they were still really comfortable. Don't know yet if I can run a half-marathon... but that's ok, I'll wear socks in that case.
Best shoes ever! :) I may need a second pair for training after the summer... :( I already know I will stick with this brand - Zoot.

I found a running skirt last week-end. It's really nice for training especially by 96 degres. Last time I went to Memorial park, I was the only one in running pant... I was dying with the heat! :)

The short is short & I'm not so sure it will be confortable for long run... Really cute, just need to work on my abs a little more! :) I wear it with 2 racerback tank on top of each other. I know I'm not suppose to wear 100% cotton but that's fine for training & cheaper than the running top.

Then I found the biking short online, matching the shoes. :) It is suppose to be confortable for long bike. I like the way it's long. Didn't receive it yet... but cannot wait to try it on! That will be the gear for the race! I still have my old ones for training @ home, hidden in the fitness room because... I had 2 babies since I bought them... so they are a little tight! I wouldn't go out with them, never know about the sewing part holding or not! :)

Then the biking shoes, I love them! Had them for 4 years & counting...

To be continued...

April 2011 - Recap Training

BIKE Training - 8 - 260 Km
Best time: 20 Miles @ 20.71 Miles/Hour - 04/03/2011

RUN - 7 - 36 km


FITNESS
Chest press & Squats - 0:51 Hour

May will be the month for incorporing swimming to my training - 6 days training plan
Friday off, that's the rule with my bunny! :)

I cannot really write in down, that would be completely unrealistic!
It will depend on the time I have in the evening & in the week-end, but this is what I'm planning:
- 1 short swim, 1 short bike, 1 short run
- 1 long swim, 1 long bike, 1 long run
- 1 brick once a week @ Memorial Park (short bike & short run)
- 10 to 15 Mn of fitness & stretching every days.  
We'll see! :)

Busy day... Finding time to train?

I believe finding time to train when you have a family is way more challenging than registrering to the event itself, whatever that event is! :)
I am trying to spend between 1 hour & 1 hour 1/2 a day for my training (in the evening) but sometimes I just don't feel like it. I have the motivation for sure, but the energy left at the end of the day is another story! :)

5:30-5:45 AM - Alarm is going on... Shower, Waking up Leila, Dressing up Leila...

6:15 - 6:30 AM - Breakfast, I love spending time with her in the morning, she's always waking up in a good mood, so cute!

Then I need to make sure Mathieu is waking up... often he does, but then he would go back to sleep... Teenagers!!! :) 

6:30 AM - Leaving the house. Coming back, forgot the basket for the Easter Party @ the day care, grabbing the strawberries & the chocolate bunny for the teachers as well... 

When Remi is waking up because we are too noisy... & wants to go with me as well,... it's another story... But it is not often, hubby is dropping him at the day care so he can sleep a little bit more in the morning.

6:45 AM - Leaving the day care.

8:00 AM - Work, day was crazy enough: no lunch, too busy, I decide to leave @ 5:00 today, files would still be on my desk in the morning anyway...

---

5:00 -5:15 PM - Leaving Work (it's a good day...)

6:15-6:30 PM - Picking-Up the monkeys at the day care.
6:30 PM - Preparing dinner for the monkeys - They are starving! Picnic outside, then they play in the sand box, making a mess on the patio... :) I'm watering the plants, my little veggies garden (if we can talk about veggies yet...)... taking a few minutes to relax, building sand castle. It's warm & windy today, feels really nice to be outside. Then I end up weeding around the patio with Leila sitting on my legs, stretching time! :)
7:45 PM - Hubby comes home, he takes over & I jump into my sports pants & running shoes. Tonight I decided to try my new shoes without socks.
7:47 PM - I'm out!!! Feels so good!!! 5K, shoes are fine, really light but I'm not flying yet... still a snail!
8:30 PM - I'm back... I'm happy I didn't walk this time, first time since I started running again. Cooling off... Putting the kids to bed...
8:40 PM - I must be crazy but Remi is not eating lunch @ the day care... cannot blame him, the food is not so good... so I was thinking when running that if I bake a quiche for dinner tomorrow night, I will bake a little one for him for his lunch... Then I think about hubby... then I'm baking a cake with "fruits confits" for him, his favorite... so he could have it for breakfast in the morning... then I think about myself & I really want an apple pie... Yeah... Crazy... Mathieu is coming home from the fitness center, looking @ "MY" apple pie in the oven... Yummy... "Is it going to be ready tonight?" Nope... Maybe I'll share with you tomorrow if I don't eat everything in the morning... :)
9:15 PM - Shower, then dinner with hubby... Salad, yogurt & a little baby apple pie I baked with the left over pastry...It's like a reward! :)

10:30 PM - Looking @ my training plan... blogging...

11:00 PM - Checking the monkeys before going to bed, kissing them, priceless...

11:01 PM - Good Night! Already thinking about the 3 days week-end coming up! :)

Carbohydrate intake...

Endurance Sports Nutrition - Suzanne Girard Eberle MS, RD 

At first, let's be honest, I felt like I was in health science @ school... Again! Why & when did I buy this book again?
Must have been one of an evening where I didn't sleep good the night before because some little monkey woke us up... 10 times... in the middle of the night... Thanks to nightmare! Since when do we sleep good or enough when we have toddlers anyway? But that will be for another post later on... :) So that book, after not even 3 pages put me to sleep & was collecting dust on the floor since... 2 months ago I believe... :)
Anyway, that book must have been near my computer bag last night, so when I grabbed my stuff this morning I took everything with me. Since when do we have time to look around when we have toddlers to get ready, feed & drop @ the day care in the morning & rush to work? :)
But that was a wonderful lunch, yes today I actually took lunch! I went out to pick-up something to eat & sat outside with my book. I could even hear the birds signing! Peaceful moment! :)

I read about carbohydrate...

Carbohydrate is critical for an endurance athlete. Athlete who consistently eat a carbohydrate-rich diet have greater muscle glycogen stores to draw on during training & racing efforts. Adequate muscle glycogen stores help delay the onset of fatigue as you pick up the pace or exercise more intensely (10K, Sprint triathlon) or when you exercise longer than 90 to 120 minutes (Marathon, Olympic distance triathlon). For fitness enthusiasts working out consistently for an hour a day or those athletes training purposefully, eating a daily training diet approching three to four grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight (six to eight grams per kilogram) will speed recovery from daily training bouts so that you can get out the door the next day. You'll also reduce your chance of being sidelined, because athletes who exercise with low muscle glycogen stores tend to incur more injuries.

Breads, cereals, pasta, rice & other grains, fruits & vegetables, dried beans & lentils, and milk & yogurt are the best options for meeting your daily carbodydrate needs.

To be continued...

March 2011 - Recap Training

BIKE Training - 9 - 238 Km


Best time: 10 Miles @ 21.05 Miles/Hour - 03/07/2011


FITNESS
Chest press & Squats - 0:52 Hour


I feel really good on the bike now.

Tax season in March, not much time for training. But I will be taking it to the next level in April. :)

Every Tuesday evening, I will plan on going training @ the Memorial Park - It would be my weekly "Me Time". I just don't know how to take the bike in my car yet! :)

When I go there, it reminds me the forest I was going every week in Le Havre, Foret de Montgeon - Except here it's 20 degres C more... :) 



Memorial Park - Houston, TX