Life Balance: Brussels

In line with the quest for life balance during the pursuit of triathlon completion, I’m writing these blog entries to capture my thoughts during the trip. I .arrived in Brussels, Belgium on Friday, 2/24 at 8am.  Jesse greeted me with a huge smile and a warm hug.  I had a nice flight and thanks to my compression socks and the extra legroom, my legs felt great.   The upgrade was well worth the cost.  We will spend the weekend in Brussels before heading to Louvain-la-Neuve.

Train your brain, then your body

This article was shared with me so I'm paying it forward.  I've watched Ms. Wellington race in a few tri events on television.  But, now I'll be sure to follow her more closely. 

She discusses the mental fortitude needed to overcome fear, pain and discomfort. Enjoy the article.

Interesting article from Chrissie Wellington's perspective

Rolling, rolling, rolling...along!!

Saturday was the 2nd bike workout.  Small victories are wonderful! In addition to putting air in my tires BEFORE the ride, I actually learned how to unscrew the schrader valve, attach the pump valve, put air in the tires...return the black cap on top of the valve.  Hot Damn!!  look at me, I'm an athlete!  tee hee who knew.

My bike felt great. The size, feel, everything is perfect.  everything is beautiful....in it's own way [Cat Stevens' voice]. My legs felt great for the first 6-7 miles. I was tempted to go for 15 but decided to not push it. I was quite glad I didn't.  The ride bike required a bit of a push but I did well with the gears. I'm going to practice with the higher gears using the trainer. My legs were their normal wobbly selves when I stared the 1 mile brick.  Half mile into the run, my calves became quite tight...I wonder if they would have relaxed with a longer run. Only time will tell.

Group breakfast after the training session was at J. Christophers.  It was very good.  I had the blueberry crunchcakes...yum, yum and a couple cups of coffee.  It made the 11.5 miles worth it. 

Practice makes permanent!

At least that's what I've been told.  I had time to get in a 35 minute pool workout. I completed a 50 yard warm-up, followed by drills: catch touch, fist, back balance, pull buoys, side balances, and kicking. Funny how the 25 yard lap lane seems so short after last weeks workout in the 50m lane. Nonethless, I was quite proud to find myself relaxed during most of the drills.  I even thought of creating my own drill. Maybe I'll have someone splash water in my face while on my back. That way, water going in my nose won't through me for a loop.  

One thing I've not figured out how to do is correctly put on a swim cap. Swimming on my stomach is no problem. My hair is 80% dry when I remove the cap. It's a completely different story when I swim on my back. I can actually hear the water going into the swim cap. By the time I remove the cap, my hair is soaked.  Feels like it's being rinsed.  I need to work on creating a better seal. 

Feel free to leave any tips/tricks...

Tonight I met my kick

I had a fantastic swim practice tonight. It was my first time swimming in 50m lanes. I think that is referred to as long course. From here on out we will practice using these lanes. I have to admit they first appeared to be never ending. By the end of the night, I was much more comfortable in them.

Tonight was drills, drills, drills. Basicly, back balance drills, rotating from side to side while kicking the length of the lane. Boy was the first 50m tough! It took forever to complete [or at least 3 minutes].  I’m very relaxed on my back so I talked to myself, noticed the green and yellow flags [including how long it took for them to pass], daydreamed, and marvelled at how slow I was moving. I zigged then straightened myself, zagged then straightened until I finally reached the end of the lane. The mentor was at the end of the lane. We both laughed at how long it took. She did compliment me on body position and how relaxed I was in the water. She then gave me a bit of instruction on kicking from the hip and sent me on my way.

During the second 50m, a funny thing happened. My kick appeared and propelled me forward. Minimal zig/zag and the flags were actually moving much faster. I could feel the difference in my legs. OMG--I actually CAN kick. She met me at the opposite end and commented on my improvement. Now head in the opposite direction and do the next drill!  :-)

Another 100 - 150m, I exit the pool and my legs are so wobbly. I was so proud. This was a great workout.

Check your ego at the door

Tonight the advanced swim clinic was held. Due to my upcoming travel, I had to attend this one instead of the beginner. I was a little nervous about being able to keep up. After a short warm-up, we started in on drills. I felt that many of the other swimmers were so much more experienced than me [they were]. About 45 minutes into the workout, I could feel my mini-meltdown start. I began to tire which always leads to not breathing and diminishing returns on my practice.

Fortunately, one of the mentors gave me a nice pep talk. As many before her have done, she reminded me to not be so hard on myself. She also said something that was a solid takeaway for me-- CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR. I thought, from now on, I’ll make a mental note upon arriving at any pool/lake to leave my ego in the car. That way, I’ll allow myself to relax, enjoy the swim, and know that perfect isn’t swimming with me today.

Freezing cold bike ride

Who in the world rides a bike in 30 degree weather? I do. Even I find it hard to believe but I actually rode my bike 5 miles, then ran 1 mile in 30 degree weather.  Plus, it was a bit windy.

I was so cold [how cold were you?].. I was so cold that I was slightly delirious when I got off the bike. While waiting to walk my bike through the intersection, a gust of wind almost knocked me down. Runny nose, frozen feet/hands, cold face/ears, all of that was part of the experience.

I am so proud of myself.  I honored the commitment and didn't back out of the workout. 

My first TNT swim practice

I survived the first practice, yeah!!  I’ll keep it short and sweet.  We worked out 4 to a lane based on mentor assignment.  I jumped into 7 ½ ft [there wasn’t a ladder to ease myself in].  We completed a 50 yard warm-up, vertical kick, back float with kick drills and closed with freestyle swim.

I don’t think I’ve kicked so much during an hour session.  At the end, my calves actually cramped a bit.  I was exhausted and starving by the end of the work out.  Thank goodness I had the foresight to put that bag of Lay’s bbq chips in the car.  Overall it was a good experience. I’m going to practice the drills this weekend.

Tuesday night run

I enjoyed the run with the Big Peach Suwanee group last night.  A lot of people came out to enjoy the evening. The temperatures were in the 50s and the skies were clear.  It was a pleasant surprise to see Mike and Sheila (Yeah!!) as well as familiar faces from the USAFit Gwinnett group.

Although I didn't win, congrats to Priscilla and Donnal for winning great Brooks gear.  Everyone loves a gift you'll actually use. 

Enjoy your day!

My companion, Paddy

Paddy, is our wonderful, Welsh Terrier. He is resembles the larger Airedale Terrier.  We've had him 6 months. I have to admit although not the longest period of time I've had a dog, this is by far the closest relationship I've had with one.  Jesse is out of town so over the last 9 days me and Paddy have become a lot closer. As I type this his paws are on my quads to give me the 'it's time for my walk' look.  He follows me everywhere.

If nothing else, I know he cares and has a happy, excited, I'm so glad to see you welcome whenever we aer apart longer than 10 minutes.  chuckle. 

This is all part of my life balance.  Heading out for the morning walk. enjoy your day.

TNT Kickoff Training

I attended the kickoff for the summer tri season yesterday and am quite excited.  Not only am I raising money for cancer research but I've met some wonderful like minded people while doing it. To donate, please access my fundraising page. No amount is too small.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/IronAtl12/TheresaMoore

An overview of swim, bike, run was provided including distances, gear needed, training and nutrition. We then headed out for a short run followed by the option of having lunch.  I love that eating after training was mentioned quite frequently. Nice to know I'm not the only one thinking of what I will eat after the workout [during the workout].

I'm registered for the IronGirl sprint tri. The group is also training for the Lake Oconee Eleven sprint and olympic distances. Who knows, maybe I'll consider one of those.... 

I’ve got to post more

I can’t believe it’s been a month since my last post!.  I’ve got to work more on the life balance aspects. Like most, January was a busy month for me. No excuses but writing and posting seem to have taken a back seat.  I’m going to improve for February even if it involves adding an entry to my calendar.  Yikes!  J

Winter training

I've been out more this winter than the last two years. I've been running since '09 and remember taking January and February off due to the temps. I didn't know there was a way of dressing comfortably to allow running in 30 and 40 degrees. Also, hadn't thought about waiting until 10 or later to run. I was used to heading out at 6 or 7am due to the heat/humidity.  Boy, have I learned a lot.

Welcome to 2012 and I've learned to layer!  The thought of heading out for a run or walk in 30 degree weather no longer intimidates me. Access to my bike trainer and indoor pools also helps with training.

The morale of the story is if you want to do something, you'll find a way. Maybe that should be my slogan for 2012. What do you think?