Not Exactly Aquaman...

On Wednesday, 6/25/03, I took Terri's Step II class at PAFY, but skipped the weights section to go swimming.

I haven't swam in a while and was shocked at how difficult it was. I did four laps of front crawl at what I thought was a leisurely pace but I ended up gasping for air. Maybe it's because I breathed every four strokes so I ended up holding my breath for quite a while. I switched to breast stroke after my leg started to cramp up (should remember to strech more after step). I find that I can do breast stroke almost indefinitely, but it will be too slow for a triathlon. Plus it requires excessive leg movement and I'd like to save my legs for the bike ride and running.

My legs felt like they were sinking until I finally remembered to tilt my body downwards as though I were "swimming downhill". I also tried to keep my head down instead of looking ahead - but that was what I was taught to do many moons ago and it's hard to break old habits.

I left the pool after an exhausting and mere 20 minutes. Sheesh. I have my work cut out for me.

Spinning and Running

I took a spinning class on Monday to get started on my triathlon training. I hated it. The instructor was fine, but I could not deal with the Schwinn (the guys that make Bowflex!) "IC Pro" stationary bikes. My chief complaint is that there is no way to adjust the distance between the handlebars and the saddle, so I had to reach excessively and felt like I was falling off all the time. No more spinning at that gym until they get new bikes.

Last evening, I ran along the Embarcadero. It was still light and I passed by a number of walkers, runners and cyclists. The weather was warm, and the view of Treasure Island and East Bay was spectactular. I live in the best city in the world.

My Triathlon Journey Officially Begins

I signed up for the Treasure Island Triathlon which will be held on November 1, 2003. The Sprint distance (11/2/03) looked a lot friendlier, but I chose the Olympic because D pointed out that I have several months to train for it. Part of the $134 application fee included $5 for processing and $9 for a one-day USA Triathlon (USAT) membership. I am upgrading to a one-year USAT membership because it only costs $30 (they will give me credit for the $9 I've already paid), and includes a $25 merchandise certificate redeemable at Sports Basement and SportsBasement.com, plus an ongoing 10% discount at those stores throughout the year. I also registered for the Embarcadero YMCA Women's Tri Club (the website is out of date). Now I'm both psychologically and financially committed to racing.

I've been digging around the Web for triathlon information and stumbled across Cycling Forums which has a section specifically for triathlons. My favorite professional site to date, however, is TriNewbies.com. It has great articles with practical advice for the newbie triathlete (me!). I especially love the column "Tales From the Midpak" written by Dale Weiman. Here's a hilarious excerpt from the Newbie FAQs:

Question 4: Will my ____ bike be okay to race with?

Fill in the blank with whatever you like: mountain bike, road bike, ten year old cast iron beach cruiser, oldest daughter's bike, great-grandpa's bike, grandson's big wheel (are big wheels race legal?) whatever! The answer is a resounding YES! And, not only that, but you will, again, see all kinds. You will pass all kinds, including someone on a decked out rocket who hasn't gotten the hang of aerobars. You will get passed by all kinds, including a huge dude on a full suspension mountain bike.

I also enjoyed his article titled Gear: Must-haves, Would-really-likes, and It-would-be-nices. Triathlons, like any other hobby, can be as expensive as you make them, and Dale provides perspective on what a triathlete truly needs versus what he/she may want:

• Must-haves: swim goggles, some kind of clothing, a functioning bicycle, a helmet, a water bottle, and a pair of running shoes.
• Would-really-likes (items that could have a noticeable impact on racing and training): wetsuit, road or tri-specific bike, aerobars and clipless pedals. "Neither of these acquisitions [aerobars and clipless pedals] need break the bank of a cost conscious triathlete. Both could improve your overall times, and both are fun to use and could make you feel pretty cool."
• It-would-be-nices: everything else. As Dale comments about "It-would-be-nices":

  "These are the toys we all love to look at, but unless you are a Pro or a real Type-A competitor, you don't need any of it. Most of the it-would-be-nices fall in the one month's household income price category (or above!). The reason they are it-would-be-nices and not must-haves, or even would-really-likes, is that most of them have a more attainable alternative. Sure a custom-built titanium/carbon fiber tri bike would be sweet - but so would having heat through the winter. And attending a training/coaching camp in February would be great, and really helpful, but so would groceries for the family this year. You see where I am going here?"

The Hubby Report

Hubby recently put up a webpage about the Salt Lake City Adventure Sprint he participated in a couple of weeks ago. He did all the heavy lifting both in terms of being the one competing in the event, and also building the webpage - all I did was loiter around and take some photos (which I'll gladly claim credit for).

Also, the official results of the 2003 Dick Houston Memorial Race are in. Hubby came in 151 out of 194 participants based on his handicap time of 01:46:23. His actual time was 01:26:23. I'm so glad I didn't participate in that race. It sounded like a complete nightmare (in terms of difficulty).

Triathlon: Things a beginner might want to know about

I've been researching triathlons on the Web and stumbled across Andreas Dieberger's webpage on Triathlon: Things a beginner might want to know about. It's a well-written, funny and informative piece. Perfect! He's done a great job of documenting his races in other parts of his site - methinks my health & fitness blog will morph into something similar.

"Biggie Fries = Biggie Thighs"

... was the slogan for an earlier West Virginia advertising campaign discouraging residents from super sizing their meals. Apparently, obesity has become an "epidemic". This CNN.com news article says that:

"West Virginia is ranked second among the 50 states and four territories for obesity and general poor health, according to the 2001 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention".

Their latest proposed campaign is to encourage residents to reduce their soda intake.

YMCA Indoor Cycling Certification

On Saturday, 6/14/03, I took a certification course to become a YMCA Indoor Cycling Instructor at the Embarcadero YMCA in San Francisco. Sean Dries and Ray Salahuddin taught the 6-hour course which is the same as the Cycle Reebok workshop offered by Reebok University.

I had initial reservations about taking the course because my previous experiences with indoor cycling/spinning weren't that positive. Now I know it's because my bicycle was not adjusted correctly to fit me. So if you are new to this activity and decide to try out a class, make sure that you arrive 15 minutes early so the instructor has time to teach you how to adjust the bicycle, point out where the emergency brake is (and how to use it), etc.

Now that I know how to do it properly, I'm very excited about indoor cycling, and I hope it will help me with my triathlon training. I'm also looking forward to creating my own music compilations and ride profiles. In the meantime, I've bought a pre-mixed cycling CD from Burntrax. Not sure when I'll actually start teaching, but my friend Linda has kindly offered to mentor me. I'll update my teaching schedule when I do.

Women More Prone to ACL Injuries

Hubby was the one who told me about ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries. It comes from landing "funny" (usually after jumping), causing your knee to twist. You'll know if/when you damage your ACL because it hurts like mickey. It requires surgery to correct, commonly by replacing the ACL with the patella tendon. Recovery is long, paintful, and involves a lot of physiotherapy.

I've long associated with ACL injuries with basketball and football (a lot of NBA and NFL players suffer from them), so I was surprised to see the results of research suggesting that female athletes are more prone to ACL injuries. The article doesn't really prescribe a solution, other than to underscore the importance of "gender-based training", whatever that means.

Websites that Demonstrate Exercises

Recently, a poster on Turnstep.com asked about websites that provide illustrations on how to perform exercises. Here are some links that were offered:

• ExRx.net: Provides video clips of how weight exercises are performed and also lists muscles targeted. Note: another poster indicated that while it's a valuable resource, the form demonstrated in the videos may require modification.
• MuscleandFitnessHers.com: need to read individual articles to find information.
• Sissel.com: has stability ball exercises focusing on strength, balance and core.

San Francisco Triathlon Clubs

I was so impressed at hubby's performance in the Salt Lake City Adventure Sprint this past weekend, that I have decided to participate in the Treasure Island Triathlon this November, 2003.

I have no idea what I'm doing, so I'm joining a triathlon club. There are several in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Golden Gate Triathlon Club and the San Francisco Tri Club. I'm going with the Embarcadero YMCA Women's Tri Club. I'm just in time for their new season which starts June 26, 2003.