Water Running

Guidelines for Water Running/AquaJogging:

I water ran for almost all of 2009 due to plantar fasciitis! Fortunately I was able to run the 6 weeks prior to IM Arizona in Nov, my first one. I also water ran before my 1st 70.3 (California) in March '09. Studies have shown that you can maintain your aerobic conditioning with water running for 8 weeks. Why not longer? Simply because they stopped the study after that. I believe it can help you for a much longer time period. It WORKS! So here is what I do:

• Wear a flotation belt around your stomach below the ribs. You can also do it around your waist or around your lower chest and under your arms. No need to overtighten it if it's around your chest; that will only restrict your breathing.
• I like to wear a t-shirt under the belt to avoid any possible rubbing spots. (Ok, I admit that it's also so I don't feel like a wussy. I usually choose my Gatorman 3 mile La Jolla Rough Water Swim finisher's shirt.)
• Run in water deep enough that you won't touch the bottom.
• Make sure you "run" upright or with a little forward lean, just like on dry land. But don't bend over at the waist. I try to make sure to push my hips forward slightly but this may be a personal thing because I need to do that for my dry land running form.
• Do workouts as written in your plan (except I'm not real sure how you can duplicate hill running!) If your training is listed in miles, convert to an appropriate amount of time instead. The number of laps or distance traveled in the pool has little or nothing to do with how much work you are doing. If you have sprints or strides or whatever, try to imitate them as best as you can.
• Do a warmup just like in running. Start with a slower, easier intensity for a few minutes before picking up the pace/intensity.
• The best way I've found to get my heartrate up is by stride rate and arm swing. After a warm up, I try to keep my stride rate at around 84-90 per minute (per leg). When I sprint, say doing 30 seconds on, 30 sec. recovery, I focus on intensity and increase the stride rate even more, to 100 or higher.
• Use your arms the way you would in running. I keep them moving straight and close to my body as I pump them. I only use my hands in a paddling-type position during a recovery effort when I've slowed my legs to recover from a sprint. Or sometimes during warm-up when I want to work my arm muscles.
• If possible, find a source of music to help pass the time. If you are going to be doing this for more than a few weeks I would suggest something from H20Audio or something comparable. If you're at a private or community pool where you can plug in an ipod player or radio, do that. And, if you're out in the sun, wear a hat.
• The 1st couple of times my skin felt a little funny doing this. I think it's because of tensing and relaxing of the muscles as they move in the water. Maybe it's like a vibration thing. It's only there while I do it. Don't know exactly how to describe it but it goes away.

This information is meant for someone who does not use "aquajogging-type shoes". My understanding (not firsthand experience) is that wearing this type of shoe will add resistance and improve the quality of your workout. These should not be mistaken for the type of shoe that protects the feet when coming in contact with the pool bottom. These are intended for use in "deep" water. There are 2 brands that I'm aware of. AquaJogger makes AquaRunners Rx. AQX Aquatic Training Shoes are by ActiveForever and are about 3 times as expensive. Supposedly they "are a shoe designed to be used for under-water running and as a method of rehabilitation from a running-related or musculo-skeletal injury. These shoes enhance range of motion and proper mechanics of land-based running. ...The strategically placed series of gills (hydrodynamic fins) on these shoes add 20-30% more resistance to leg movement patterns in the water."

If you are going to be doing water running for a few months and can afford to purchase a pair of these, I would. Since you don't have to be injured to include water run as a suppliment/compliment to your regular running, a pair of some specialized shoes might be a good option!

My Diet

Thanks to a number of requests, I am going to share my diet. In doing so I need to emphasize a number of things. First, I am not a nutritionist or a registered dietitian. Second, this is not a diet in the weight-loss sense of the word. I'm not saying you won't lose weight when you limit calories and combine this with exercise but it's instead a diet that I live by, as these are the foods in my diet. Third, this diet was formulated for me because of chronic and severe inflammation of part of my small intestine (I don't have a large intestine - surgically removed due to ulcerative colitis.) An Oriental Doctor with an Eastern Medicine point of view is responsible for the restrictions found here. I began going to him on a suggestion by my surgeon when antibiotics were ineffective. Fourth, if you decide to eliminate categories of food from your diet, you want to proceed slowly. And it is important to consider how you will make up for the healthy nutrients found in those foods you are no longer eating. Finally, this does not follow the "everything in moderation" approach. It has some major restrictions which I choose to follow very closely for the most part. Therefore let's start off with the restrictions and then I will get into what I DO eat and where I do "cheat".

• No dairy of any kind. That includes milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, butter, whey protein, and anything else from milk.
• No meat except fish and seafood (such as shrimp). Duck is also permitted but I don't eat that either. Tthat means no beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or any other land dwelling animal.
• Hot spices are not allowed. That means everything from pepper to cinnamon to chili are out.
• Tomatoes (unless cooked well, such as in a sauce) are too acidic and are off the list.
• No sugar, fruit juice, artificial sweeteners, and similar. That means no soda, juice drinks, or things like that. Honey is allowed in moderation. A little sugar in bread products as part of the baking process is okay. 
• No dried fruit
• No alcohol.
• Avoid preservatives and artificial anything.
• Nothing eaten or drunk very hot or very cold. (I can't handle this so I have not followed this restriction.)

Have you stopped reading yet?! Those are the major restrictions. Depending on what you are used to eating, you may ask yourself, "What's left?!" There is plenty but it may not be as easy to get or as "comforting" to eat. I'll do a list with some general groups and some specific options available. These are based on current thinking about nutrition and aren't necessarily specific to my Oriental Medicine Doctor's diet.

• Vegetables - steamed, boiled, raw, grilled, sauted, etc. A few examples include broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers, green beans, peas, carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, cucumbers.
• Fruit - Bananas, avocado, apples, oranges, peaches, melons, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes.
• All nuts as long as they are well chewed or as a nut butter.
• Legumes such as kidney beans, black beans, etc
• Whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, corn, whole grain pasta and breads, etc. I am working on keeping all grains to a minimum.
• Fats - the best to use is olive oil. If you have to use a vegetable oil then Canola and Safflower oils. The fat from fish (salmon), avocados and almonds are considered good fats. Fish oil and flaxseed oil have Omega 3's and 6's and are useful as supplements.

Based on well-respected triathlete coach and nutritionist Bob Seebohar, I try to minimize my grain consumption, including whole grains. Instead I try to get my carbohydrates from other sources, especially fruits and vegetables. It is a struggle though. I eat a bagel every morning and I often snack on pretzels that are not even whole grain. I also eat tortillas and tortilla chips. It's a constant struggle for me not to eat those things.

What do my meals look like? First, remember that I'm not perfect at this. 2nd, this is an evolving thing. It took a few tries before I forced myself to stick with the major restrictions. I'm still working at reducing grains but I've made a good start. 85% of the time I don't have grains at lunch or dinner. I am fighting against the elimination of my bagel at breakfast and I also can't seem to do without the 'crunch' and the convenience for some of my snacks. I've managed to remove bread from my lunch and I don't usually eat grains at dinner. I do eat potatoes which are not part of Seebohar's guidelines. I don't really like sweet potatoes but they are considered a much better alternative.

Pre-workout in the morning - banana, teaspoon of nut butter
Breakfast - whole grain bagel with a little almond butter and honey (or a plain blueberry bagel), 2 soy sausage patties (Morningstar Farms), banana or other fruit
Snack - fruit and nuts; OR pretzels or dry shredded wheat cereal squares (no sugar) and nut butter
Lunch - 12-16oz cooked vegetables (broccoli is my favorite) with Olive Oil, ~3 oz canned salmon or tuna, seasoning; OR salad, fruit, and canned salmon or tuna; OR cooked veggies and a garden patty (vegetable and soy-based hamburger)
Snack - same as above
Pre-workout in the afternoon - banana, and  peanuts or almonds
Dinner - Salmon, baked potato, sauted mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers, steamed veggies (usually broccoli or green beans); OR veggie burger patty, baked potato, salad; OR cooked vegetables and soy meatballs, potato wedges/fries (not deep fried); OR a big veggie burrito from Chipotle (black beans, a little rice, peppers and onions, guacamole, lettuce)
Snack - fruit and nuts; and/OR frozen smoothie made from unsweetened soy milk, banana, strawberries and/or other berries, and blueberries; sometimes pretzels or chips (it's a constant battle!)

One final part to my diet is hydration, or drinking. I mentioned the restrictions of no alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners, fruit juice, and hot or cold temperature drinks (that restriction I ignore). Besides not drinking alcohol (unless you count O'Douls beer with its very small amount of alcohol), I don't drink regular or diet soda, fruit juice, milk, sweetened soy milk, or sweetened teas. That pretty much leaves me with plain coffee, plain tea, and water. Since I'm not a coffee fan my drink of choice is decaf iced tea, brewed in the sun... sun tea. (Sun tea is not very strong.) If I'm cold I'll make some hot tea. If I need a good smack to stay awake then I'll drink tea with caffeine, though I generally avoid it, especially during the final 2 months before an Ironman. My reasoning for this? I do not want to interfere with my ability to sleep, be it at bedtime or if I can sneak in a 10-20 min nap at work during lunch. I also can have restless legs at night and I don't want anything that might make that occur. Finally, I've experimented with the use of caffeine during races and doing that is only effective if you have been off the stuff for a good 3 weeks or more. So, on an average day, not including workouts, I probably drink about 2/3rds of a gallon of water and mild iced tea.

As I said, this may not be what you were expecting. It's how I eat. I purposely didn't include fueling for long training and races, nor did I go into pre-race meals. I also didn't go into my supplements. It's obviously not a diet that I follow to count calories either. I've gradually lost weight, 30 lbs, over the 4.5 years of multisport but that has a lot to do with exercise, overeating less often, and trying to think like an athlete, and not this diet. I've followed these restrictions for 12 or 13 years.

Team Challenge CCFA Triathlon team - 2 weeks gone

This is the end of the 2nd week for Team Challenge (triathlon) San Diego. There are 68 members so far and I've probably met about 2/3rds of them. It's a great group - friendly, enthusiastic, nice people. We have group training twice a week and the athletes train on their own 4 other times.

Every Tuesday is a swim workout, a very important component for most triathletes, especially new ones who might lack a swimming background. We've had about 30 come each time. Lots of swimmers with limited experience are making great progress. I love working with them as they improve their technique and get stronger. Linda volunteered to come help out too, and she has been working with the very beginner swimmers. She is very good with them as they strive to swim well enough to swim 500 meters by September 11th.

Today we had our first group bike ride. About 22 people showed up and we spent some time talking about road safety and riding in a group. The experienced riders then took off for a little road ride and I worked with the remaining group on handling skills, shifting gears, and many other basics. Then we did a short road ride on some quiet streets. It wasn't much of a workout for them but the knowledge they gained is essential to their success. When we ride together again in 2 weeks it will be more of a true workout.

Things are really moving along now as people get into a routine. For some it is quite a challenge to squeeze 6 workouts a week into their busy schedules. They aren't used to that kind of commitment. If they do make that commitment, though, I look forward to seeing it all pay off for them at Tri Rock San Diego sprint triathlon. As my friend Steven says, sometimes the biggest challenge is just Turning the Door Knob!

Protecting Your Melon

Every time you ride a bike a helmet should automatically be on you head. In California it's the law for kids to wear helmets but adults have a choice. To me that choice is either protect your noggin, your melon, your skull, your dome, your brain box... whatever you want to call it, OR be an idiot. It seems to me that a helmet is the least you can wear to protect you if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident.

While you may not HAVE to wear one as an adult in California, you DO have to wear one when you race in a triathlon. The rules state:

(a) Type of Helmet. All participants shall wear a protective head cover, undamaged and unaltered, which meets or exceeds the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Helmets manufactured prior to March 10, 1999 must meet or exceed the safety standards of (i) the American National Standard Institute (ANSI Z-90.4), (ii) The Snell Memorial Foundation (Protective Headgear for Bicycle Users), or (iii) ASTM F-1446 or F-1447, and which is clearly labeled by the manufacturer as satisfying such standards. Removal of helmet cover, if required for that helmet to meet such safety standards, shall constitute an impermissible alteration in violation of this Section 5.9(a). Any violation of this Section 5.9(a) shall result in disqualification.


(b) Chin Strap Violations. The helmet must be fastened before the participant first mounts the bicycle, at all times when the participant is on the bicycle, and must not be unfastened until the participant has dismounted. Any violation of this Section 5.9(b) which occurs while the participant is in the transition area shall result in a variable time penalty. Any other violation of this Section shall result in disqualification. This Section 5.9(b) shall be enforced at all times while at the event site on race day.

Old helmets are not a good idea. If you have one from the 1990's or early 2000's it may be too old to use. Look at the helmet and see if it has a CPSC approval sticker somewhere on the inside. If it was bought at a retail store in the United States in the last few years, it will probably have one. If it's old or was purchased outside of the US it may not have this sticker. Without the sticker the helmet is not acceptable to wear in the race. Since you'll need one that's approved for the race you might as well get one now so you can get comfortable and be protected.

You do NOT need to get anything fancy. You should be able to spend under $40. Bike shops, Sports Authority, Target, Big 5, REI, or any large sporting goods store should have them. All of them are essentially styrofoam and a plastic shell, plus the web strapping that helps the helmet fit so the main thing to look for is an easy-working inside strap that ratchets down with a turn of the dial (a dial-to-fit type of system), a comfortable fit, and something you like the looks of. As long as it's an actual helmet meant for a bike and has a CPSC approved sticker inside, you're good to go. Essentially, if it's a helmet sold in a retail store in the US it will meet the standards. (Just make sure there's a sticker inside.) These should last you for many years.

Seven New Iron Girl Triathletes

First a little coaching: You are likely to start feeling sore. If it doesn’t happen tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if you woke up in the morning feeling aches and soreness in many places. An easy walk to get the legs moving and the muscles working will help flush out the waste products that accumulate in muscles that have been stressed the way you stressed them. 20 minutes, more or less, would be beneficial. If you’re sore, start slowly and gradually go faster as you loosen up. But it’s not time to speed walk. Easy swimming for 10 or 20 minutes is also good though less convenient AND less desirable for most of you. (If you like to soak in a spa or hot tub, keep it short. During or afterward take that opportunity to do some light, gentle stretching.) 2 or 3 days of walking and/or swimming should have you as good as new! Oh, and keep drinking water.

I want to congratulate you! Completing this Iron Girl “sprint” triathlon is quite an accomplishment that you should be proud of. It turned out to be a tough triathlon (especially when it came to the bike segment) for your first time ever. Linda is so glad you helped her mark this new beginning with her and I am extremely proud of your achievement.

Taking on this challenge and sticking with it to the end is something you will always remember. No matter how hard the race was, or how afraid you were of some part of this, you stuck with it. Not only did you stuck with it but you did it on your own. No one did it for you. You can do more than you think you can; not only in an athletic event but in other parts of your life. You proved to yourself by doing this triathlon that you are capable of doing things you may never have imagined. And as a group I think it shows that the more you prepare for something new the better off you are!

It was my pleasure to be there to support you as much as I could. It was challenging to try to coach you “from a distance” mostly by email and I learned a lot, too. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of this and to help you.

Whether or not you ever do one of these again, you can count yourself as a triathlete. I hope that you’ll continue to exercise and realize how important it is to have it as part of your routine. If, in the process of training for triathlon, you found something new that you enjoy, all the better!

Remember what it took to earn your medal. Be Proud!

Rules for Riding in a Triathlon

Here are the official rules about riding a bike during a triathlon regarding where you are in relation to other riders on the course.
Position Rules:
a. Absolutely NO DRAFTING of another bike or any other vehicle is allowed.
b. Athletes must ride single file on the far right side of the road except when
passing another rider. Side-by-side riding is not allowed.
c. Overtaking riders may pass on the left for up to 20 seconds, but must move
back to the right side of the road after passing.
d. Riders must keep 7 meters (~4 bike lengths) distance between bikes except
when passing.
e. An overtaken rider must fall back 7 meters (~4 bike lengths) before attempting
to regain the lead.

These rules are enforced to a varying degree depending on the situation. The strictest enforcement is usually applied to the more elite and faster athletes but middle- and back-of-the-packers are not immune from these rules.

So here is an explanation of the rules and how you should think about them. Always ride to the far right side of the road so that other, faster riders can pass you. When you need to pass someone who is riding slower than you go around them to their left and warn them that you are coming up behind them. Yell "hello" or "good morning" or "does this suck or what?" or "you're doing great" or "on your left!". These are all common things to do so don't be embarrassed. If they are not riding to the far right this will also clue them in to move over so you can pass. Do NOT pass them on the right.

"Drafting" is prohibited. This means you are not allowed to ride close behind someone and let them break the wind (no, I don't mean that kind of wind). If someone is riding faster than you and passes you, let her go. Don't try to stay with her. You should even slow down ever so slightly for a few seconds so that she can get far enough ahead of you that there will be space between the two of you. (The official gap is supposed to be 7 meters or about 4 bike lengths.) If you are riding at a steady rate and come up on someone you need to pass, pedal a little bit harder so that you don't take a long time to pass her. (Remember... "On your left!") Once you've clearly passed her, move back over to the far right side.

Riding side by side is also not allowed. This is to keep the path clear for faster riders and to prevent people from being shielded if wind is blowing sideways across the course. If you find one of your "teammates" on the course it's okay to catch up with them and say a few words but then you need to speed up so that you can complete your pass. The other person needs to drop back so that there is a good gap between you two. Remind them to do this! (The official distance is 7 meters or about 4 bike lengths.)

Okay, pop quiz: What's the official distance you need to have between you and the bike in front of you?

Tips for the Iron Girl Atlanta Bike Ride

As you know, the Iron Girl Atlanta bike ride is 18 miles long. There are some hills on the course along with some nice scenery. You will want to be prepared mentally to complete the ride and still be able to run, or walk, the 3 miles to the finish. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Start off easier than you think you need to go. You will likely be excited about being done with the swim and ready to move on to the next segment. Control that energy and don't pedal too hard at the start. Take the first 5 or 10 minutes to get comfortable and relaxed as much as you can.

Always ride to the right so others can pass. If you need to pass, check behind you to make sure it's clear, move to the left, and pass someone. Do not spend more than a few seconds riding side-by-side with someone else. Otherwise you will be blocking the way for other riders.

The hills can be challenging if you let them psych you out. Don't let them. Take one hill at a time and just keep pedaling. Choose a gear that will make it easier for you to ride instead of a harder gear one that will cause you to slow your legs down and make you really push hard. Also, if you have to walk your bike then do that but only give yourself permission if you simply can't do it pedaling.

Do not stop when going uphill if you can avoid it. This way when you start riding again you will be on a downhill where it's easier to get going again. Need a drink? Go OVER the top before you stop to reward yourself with a drink. Need to adjust something? Go OVER the top if you can.

You will need to have a water bottle on your bike. Drink a few ounces every 10 or 15 min. Don't wait until you are very thisty because then you are already dehydrated. Unless you are comfortable reaching for your bottle while you ride, be sure to stop on the downhill side of a hill. And make sure you are way to the right so you are out of the path of other riders.

You will also need nutrition on the bike. Nutrition means both electrolytes (like salt) and calories. You can use a sports drink like Gatoraide that contains carbohydrates (energy), electrolytes, and liquid. This can be a substitute for the water.  If you don’t like sports drinks you can stick with water but take in something that contains electrolytes and calories. Sports Beans, a type of jelly bean with electrolytes in it, are good and taste like candy (because they pretty much are!) You can eat a few of these every time you drink water. About 150-250 calories is as much as you’ll want. That’s about 2 packages of beans.

A 3^rd alternative is to drink a non caloric drink with electrolytes and then consume energy gels, sometimes called Gu. Unless you are experienced with this I would stay away from this option for the ride.  Gatoraid , Poweraid (or similar sports energy drink), or water and Sports Beans are simpler choices.

The next post will be on the bike rules about drafting, blocking, and the like that are enforced during the race.