Ahhhh yes.  Yet another TIMEX newbie posting a first ever blog!

First off, I am of course stoked to be a member of the team and cannot wait to meet everyone in person after Oceanside at the team camp!  Training camp?  After Oceanside?  That ought to be an interesting affair of sorts!

I switched over to triathlon last season in 2008 with a background in cycling and distance running.  I will be racing my first season as a pro this year (2009.)  So, I have REALLY had to work the swim this fall/winter. Really!  I am still not too sure what to think about starting the swim in a small bundle of pro women vs. the mass starts as an amateur, and this can be a little cra-azy to wrap my head around at times!  It certainly won’t lack excitement, adventure, or craziness….so I figure it should be a good experience.  As long as it’s not boring…then bring it!

Ahhh yes….the swim.  I spent the fall/winter working with an amazing swim coach, Kevin Anderson (coach of the U of C Dinos varsity team) and MAAAANNNN….did I get worked.  I didn’t understand the world of swimming (and still don’t) prior to this but I have a whole new level of respect for swimmers, especially those young 10 year old swimmers who consistently kick my sorry butt.  Now….to learn to swim a straight line in the open water….ahhh yes…a never-ending supply of challenges and goals to meet.  Keeps life interesting…and isn’t that why we do this?

Joining Team Timex this year, I figured it might help keep me feeling young for one more season, at least.  You know, hanging out and sharing experiences with the Tingles, Kummers, and other “lively” and younger, energetic tri folks on the team.  And, it was working.

Trading team emails back & forth about the Beer Mile was cool … even though I am considered a “Grand Master” among beer milers.  Laughing about the Krispy Kreme Challenge – run 2 miles, eat a dozen KK’s, run 2 more miles – and learning that 5,000 Carolina folks actually did it (!) was something that, again, was fun and “youthful,” of sorts.

Which brings me to my recent race experience at the Frozen Foot 5K, put on by the University of Colorado Triathlon Team.  It was a great race, run throughout the beautiful CU campus … and, I ran well – good enough to win my age group.  Which age group, you ask? 50-99 … honest!  Now, mind you, Jodee and I – through 5430 Sports – supports the CU Tri Team and, in fact, we were a Major Sponsor of the race; however, we are now taking a second look at that (kidding).

Of course, as a consummate triathlete, I must point out the course was long (3.25K), and had many short hills and twists & turns.  Being Boulder, too, the race attracted the likes of Timothy O’Donnell, and a very ill Olympian, Matty Reed.  In fact, I can now say I have beaten Matt in a race, as I passed him while he was pretty well stopped and coughing his lungs out.  He wrote to me after the race: “By the way I don’t usually see your back but you looked great out there!”  Good guy for still coming out to support the CU Tri Team.

I also really enjoyed reading AC’s blog about watching all those “old, classic” Ironman videos – especially the “speedo with the mesh tank top.”  I asked AC how old his videos went back to.  Answer: 1991.  Ugh!  I did Kona in 1988, before we even had mesh!  Heck, Dave Scott did his amazing first Ironman in 1980, wearing tube socks up to his knees (of ocurse, they were just an early version of compression socks), and a cotton baggy singlet.

Old’s not all that bad. Next year, I get 10% off all my purchases at Ross’ on “Senior Wednesdays.”  AARP discounts aren’t all that bad. either.  And, a lot of the old clothes I have hung onto are now coming back in style – sort of.

But, one of the beauties of triathlon is that aging and competing still is way cool.  Madonna Buder at 78 … are you kidding me?  Seeing Verne Scott, Dave’s 84 year-old Dad, swimming Masters still twice a week.  And, watching the 60 and 70 year olds truly giving it their all at our races … these visuals are awesome … these are true inspirations.  These folks are to be admired … and, have their own 5 year age groups :).

Trista & Darbie (daughter)

Our young athletes are capable of experiencing muscle soreness the same as adults.  Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness is a normal response to unusual exertion and is part of an adaptation process that leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover and build. The soreness is generally thought to be a result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers. The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you do. Activities that require muscles to forcefully contract while they are lengthening, (eccentric contractions), seem to cause the most soreness. You use eccentric contractions when you descend stairs, run downhill, lower a weight, or perform the downward motion of squats and push-ups. In addition to muscle tearing, swelling can occur in and around a muscle, which can also cause soreness.  The peak of D.O.M.S. is typically 32 hours following the activity and subsides over the next few days.

As our young athletes initiate exercise more regularly and as they begin to see more intensity in their sport sessions, they might begin experiencing more muscle soreness after given workouts.  The best way to combat this is to increase their protein intake during periods of soreness.  The increase in protein assists in protein resynthesis.  This may improve athletic performance by enhancing tissue repair, allowing them to tolerate subsequent exercise to a greater degree via prevention of muscle soreness.

Due to a recent stubborn leg injury I’ve unfortunately been forced to spend more than my fair share of time running in the pool.  While I can’t say I’ve enjoyed it, it has given me plenty of time to contemplate the intricacies of aqua jogging.   So here goes, four fundamentals for fantastic water running!

1. Form- Water running is such an effective form of cross training for running because it mimics the running motion so well. Therefore, if your water running looks nothing like your actual running, then you arent getting any benefit! When water running, make sure you keep your chest up, back straight, and butt in, just like you would when running. For some a belt like those seen here can help significantly but it is possible to maintain good form without one.

In addition to a straight upper body, it is also important to focus on what your legs are doing. Mainly, make sure really think about pushing off the ground with the bottom of your foot. This will help you activate your calves and prevent you from just moving your legs up and down.

2. Turnover- I was going to call this “stride rate” but do you really have a stride in the pool? Anyway, just as it is important to keep a good tempo out on the road, it is even more important to focus on stride rate in the pool. When aqua jogging it is very easy to let your tempo slow partially due to the extra resistance of the water but also because you don’t have any external evidence to signal you have slowed down.

3. Visualization- This is related somewhat to the first point but goes a little further. Not only should you visualize yourself running in order to maintain correct form but also to help stave off boredom. I like to think about races or training runs, put myself out on the course, and really feel all of the elements of the external environment. This also provides an excellent opportunity to prepare for an upcoming race. Imagine yourself out on the course among your competitors.  See the images that stand out, feel the expected weather, and think about how you expect to feel at different parts on the course. All the while, of course, keeping your good form and tempo in mind. Sound like a lot to think about? Of course it is, but keeping your mind occupied will only help you get through the workout sooner.

4. Sweat!- Last but not least, try to work up a sweat. The ease of this will be highly dependent on the water temperature of your pool. (Incidentally, this is because the thermal conductivity of water is about 20 times that of air, meaning water dissipates your body heat much quicker than air. This is why a change of water temp of only a few degrees has a much larger impact than a change of the same amount of air temp.) If you aqua jog at the local wellness center in 84F water while the old ladies are doing their water aerobics, working up a sweat wont be much of a problem.   In this case, shoot for a “heavy” sweat.  On the other hand, if you are working out in a “competition”style pool where the temp is closer to 80F, simply try to break a sweat. You can also wear a HRM to monitor effort but expect your HR “zones” to be about 10 bpm lower in the pool compared to actual running. This is due to the added cooling and decreased effect of gravity from the water.

Hopefully everyone out there will be able to keep running and wont have to use these pointers any time soon. However, if there are any other experienced aqua joggers who feel I’ve left something out, feel free to share some chime in!

Originally posted on http://ajhodges.blogspot.com

While the amount of time I am spending working out has SLOWLY increased I have yet to get my bike off the trainer.  I have now watched EVERY Kona Ironman that exists 3x plus times while biking.  The old ones are classic – everything from the bikes to the hair styles.  Hands down the best is the speedo with the mesh tank top – my favorite!  I have incorporated yoga on Sunday afternoons into my workouts – mentally gets me prepared for the week ahead.  I have also been using the treadmill much more than historically.  The up-side is it keeps  one honest and the down-side is it keeps one in touch with reality.  I so am looking forward to an open water swim.