LB: Amsterdam

Ooohh, my favorite placeso far. Amsterdam had a completely different enrgy to it. I think most people think of the seedy side of it (drugs &red light district) but that was not my impression. The fist thing I noticed was the number of bicycles.  Hundreds of them. Also they were being used for functional things general tranportation [groceries, babies, etc]. Not only workouts. I saw women in heel, boots, flats and noone wore helmets! Wht the heck is going on. That goes against everything I've learned so far. I  wanted to ride a bike.

The area in which we stayed reminded  me of Virginia Highlands. We walked alot and caught the tram as needed. Walked through the Vincent van Gogh museum and toured the canals while there.  I've posted a view from our hotel balcony and a bike deck at the Central train station.

 

 

So far, this is my favorite part of the trip.

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.