Great Moments are born from Great Opportunity!

Great Moments are born from Great Opportunity!  I was watching the movie 'Miracle' the other day, actually it's been on AMC a ton lately so I have seen it a few times, or actually more like, listened to it in the background while doing my work, not the best, but it's the Holidays so I'm cheating a bit.  Sometimes I need quite, other times I need background  noise.   Anyway there is this part at the end of the movie where the coach gives a speech to the Olympic hockey team and it starts with 'Great Moments are born from Great Opportunity!'.  This coming new year is or has to be a year where there is change.  A the only person we can control is ourselves, so we have to be the change first.  So this post is going to be short and sweet, a bit of a push in the right direction for whatever your goals are, be it in business, sport, family.  Put the effort in on your part, make the change for you first, you may be surprised at who starts to follow without you even noticing.  We can't change everyone, but if everyone makes a change for the good, the healthy, the positive, stop judging, stop hating, stop fighting, start loving, we can find peace.

Here are some little positive affirmations I found.  Happy New Year!  Make your difference.

Really wanting something, and being convinced it’s a good thing for you, will always lead to it’s being realized.

Never say something is impossible, or that you can’t do it. Always have hope your dreams can become reality, and never lose that vision.

All great discoveries were made by people who believed in them, and never doubted they’d achieve their goals.

Keep moving forward until your dreams come true. Of course, you’ll encounter obstacles along the way, but you should try to see them as tests of your will and motivation, rather than as setbacks. Do that, and your life will be much more interesting.

Seeing obstacles as stepping-stones to success, rather than as barriers, will help you evolve to ever-higher states of awareness.

We should all be patient, and move forward at our own speed.   Just remember that life isn’t a sprint, but a long, complex course, like an Ironman maybe.  Pace yourself...and enjoy the Journey!

Happy New Year.

Caroline / Triathleta

The Foam Roller...Oh What a Relief It Is!

As athletes, especially triathletes, we have areas on our bodies that get really tight throughout all the training we subject ourselves to.  I know for myself, when I was younger, I loved to stretch.  I started dancing and gymnastics when I was 4 and stretching/warming up was a huge part of my workouts, yes, even at 4. Ha!  Over the 30+ years I have been exercising, for whatever reason, I don't stretch as much as I used to.  I have to admit, I notice that I feel tighter in certain areas and of course, have experienced more injury which inevitably took me out of training all together.  So how can we avoid this.  This round Tootsie Roll like device is where it's at.  The foam roller.  It is a must if you workout and train.

My chiropractor is an Ironman triathlete so he 'gets' me and my injuries, or as I like to think of them now, former injuries.  I had severe knee pain for a really long time and I had been told that it wasn't that the issue was in my knee, it was my hips, they were not stable and would shift, one forward, one backward which would put stress on my IT band, which connected to the tendons in my lower leg and the pain would present itself on the outside of my knee.  I swear it felt like someone was stabbing me in there and twisting it around, digging in deeper with every twist.  It was so painful.  I often rain through it, you know, the 'no pain, no gain' scenario we all have been told, believed in etc... But one thing I have learned from my Doc is that when you feel the pain, you need  to listen to it.  Listen to your body.  When you have pain in a specific area, you body is telling you that it needs to be addressed.  Whether it's an adjustment, a massage, PT or a little home remedy I have learned to love is the trusty little foam roller!  Yes I agree a full body deep tissue massage once a week would be heavenly, but if it's not in the budget, getting a $20 foam roller can be the next best thing and you can use it whenever you want.  Watching TV, get on the floor and roll  while your watching.  It helps distract from the pain, for me anyway, when I am focusing on something else.  There are so many body parts you can work on as well.  Calf muscles, IT band, hips, hamstrings, shoulders, low back, anywhere on your back actually, your shoulders, thighs.  It works just about anywhere and can go with you to, when you travel, so you can make sure you loosen up good before and after a race.  

I have seen some candid self portraits of athletes sitting in baths of ice trying to treat sore muscles after long hard races or workouts, and I have to say I have done that as well. But a great massage before the ice start the healing process might just help even more.  When I started using the foam roller, I could barely role for a full minute, I was a hurt'n unit and I didn't think it was going to get any better, but I kept with it.  I tried to roll even if I hadn't run, as running is when I noticed it the most.  I would roll just to try and work the tight muscle out.  The more I rolled, the more I noticed other areas on my legs that were tight.  It was like opening a can of worms, I was never going to get to all of it.  But now, months later, I roll without as much pain.  The knots are not completely gone, nor are all the tight tendons, but they are much better than they were this summer.  I can roll for a good 5-10 minutes on one leg, without being in complete pain.  These foam rollers are the best invention for anyone who is too busy to stop for a full massage, on a budget or just want a way to workout the sore muscles whenever you need to.

I have a link on my website,  on the home page.  It is a link to a yoga store where you can get an extra 25% off your purchases.  So if you are looking for a foam roller, or maybe a few, depending on how many you may need, you can get a few at a great discount.   They also have different density rollers, some have a 'firm' feel (usually the blue or colored rollers) and some are a bit more forgiving (usually the white rollers).  Maybe get one of each and work your way up to a firm roller.  They really do work wonders and are a must 'supplement' to the triathletes 'must - have' list.
There's still time before Christmas, could be a really filling stocking stuffer, depending how big of a stocking you have.  ;-)  So until next time, happy rolling.

One last thing, the first monthly Triathleta Newsletter is in production now and getting ready for the first issue this coming New Year, January.  So for more tips, articles from the experts and ramblings from an age group triathlete, sign up on my home page.  Just click the Triathleta.com image to the right and you'll go straight to the  page.

And keep on rolling...

One last thing, if you are looking to maybe 'win' a new bike, check this out!  From Santa himself, a new red tri-bike!   https://ug101.infusionsoft.com/go/WinaShiv/a2656 …

Caroline / Triathleta

Building Endurance

Being a triathlete requires endurance, stamina and speed. Sometimes I like to mix it up, which I seem to have been doing quite a bit lately. I'm either working on endurance or stamina and then when I feel like my endurance has increased I start to work on speed. Some of the many coaches out there may not recommend this, but its a bit of my off season, so I am not completely working on triathlon specific training but more overall body strength, and seem to be working on core often. It's hard not to work on core doing triathlon training, but working on it specifically can only increase all three components, endurance, stamina and speed.

I've also read about other athletes asking similar questions about how to train. So I did a bit of light reading from a few different sources and honestly there are more than a few views on how to increase endurance, build stamina and speed. So since many of us, I think anyway, are always looking for a leg up or secret recipe that works better than something else, I thought I would share some of the things I found.
Even if it's only for 30 seconds, for a short distance, say 100 yards, it's important to push yourself, faster, harder and a bit longer every time you swim/bike/run. To push yourself like this is the fastest way to build exercise endurance. If increasing the difficulty of your exercise in each workout is too much for your body to handle, then increase the energy 'push' over a week but on a regular basis.

Keep track of your heart rate and work on bringing it down, over time, while exerting the same amount of effort. Eventually your heart, as a muscle, will become more efficient as well and you'll be able to push harder, faster for a longer distance and your heart rate will remain in your aerobic zone. (See my previous post, 'Slowing down to go Faster, Eventually. Ref: Dr. Phil Maffetone). Incorporate cardio routines into your weekly workouts. I like to add in my 'Insanity' workouts as they definitely get my heart rate up but allow me to recover faster as well. They work on the explosive muscles to help with my run speed. There is an article I am going to add, click the photo to go to the link. It talks about a coach, his methods. He happens to be a bit of a genius in this area, I think anyway. It's really a great read. I like to think of him as the 'Mad Russian'.

Ok back to the topic. Cross-train, add in your 'Insanity' workout, or whatever your poison, P90X, 10 Minute Trainer, Yoga, whatever you like, mix it up. By doing these along with your standard triathlon training, you will build incredible exercise endurance. We are all creatures of habit to some extent, and doing the same thing keeps us in our comfort zone and keeps our muscles 'ready' for what we give it. When you mix it up and surprise your muscles with new workouts, you alleviate the comfort zone issue. These tips I think can also be great for you if you tend to get bored with the same ole' same ole'. You have to love fitness and working out, getting burned out does nothing for your triathlon goals. So mix it up more, especially if this is your off season. A chance to try something new without worrying about interrupting your race training regimen.

Get to the mountains! Come visit me in Colorado, we have lots of mountains. Granted running up a 14'er isn't for everyone or really possible unless your looking for a ton of pain. Muscles and lungs to boot. You'd definitely build endurance and strength but might be considered a little crazy too. Running on the flat land is easy, a bit boring, can get monotonous and will not get you ready for racing. Many race routes incorporate hills so you need to train on them to be ready. You burn more calorie's too when you run the incline so make sure you replace your fluids, get your good food in for recovery. You'll need it for the following days workout.

If you like soda, anything carbonated, you're going to want to ween yourself off that for good.  It's just empty calorie's for one, secondly it actually decreases your ability to breathe deeply. You will not build endurance if you don't get enough oxygen which promotes proper breathing.
Last but certainly not least, the stretch.  I was so much better at this when I was younger and I work to try to get back to that.  When I do stretch before and after my workouts my muscles thank me.  Keeping your hips, glutes, IT band, quads, to name a few, flexible and lubricated, internally, with proper stretching, will be the best thing you can do after your workouts.  And the more agility you have the easier it will be to build endurance.

So go on get out there, work hard.  It feels great when you finish working out, even if it's a not so great workout.  Sweat some every day, your body will thank you for it.  

My last little 'tip' for today is some inspiration.   I found this last part from a pro triathletes blog.  I love inspirational quotes and little positive affirmations.  I have them throughout my home.  I never get tired of them.  This one should be on a magnet or photo, but since I'm not going to do Photoshop for this one, I will add a photo and the quote below it, you'll get the idea hopefully.   

Caroline/Triathleta

Most rewarding aspect of Triathlon:     Half way through the marathon out in the Ironman you meet yourself. There is no hiding from or cheating yourself in this sport. You are stripped bear for all the world to see. It's at that terrible, painful moment you find out what you are made of. When everything hurts so much you want to quit..... you discover your soul. You are free. You are there because you choose to be. You are there because your desire over comes your fear. You dare to fail..... and sometimes do but you know that you will be back.....you like the person you meet.