Latin Cardio Dance Workout: Cha Cha- Stella Sandoval

Another OWS Practice

This weekend, I had an opportunity for an open water swim practice, so I took it.  In general, I think every triathlete should get in as much OWS practice as possible.  Swimming in open water is incredibly different from swimming in the pool.  Obviously, pool work is important too, but I’ve seen so many triathletes end up panicking during their races because they haven’t spent much time in open water.

There are some clear differences between open water swimming and pool swimming:

• pools have lines on the bottom to follow
• pool water is typically much clearer
• no plant matter attacking from the deep
• pool lanes are short, maybe a max of 50m before you get to turn around and push off the wall

But in addition, a true open water experience also involves a big variable – other swimmers.  In the pool, you might be splitting a lane or circle swimming, but there’s generally a lot of consideration for the shared space (except for you, annoying butterfly guy).   However, in open water, it’s every man for himself.

For the most part, I don’t think the “contact” in open water is intentional.  I don’t intend to run into people while I’m swimming.  But it happens.  Someone slower ends up in front of you.  Someone faster ends up behind you.  People aren’t swimming straight lines.  Current pushes you into someone else.

If you’re freaked about contact with other swimmers, the advice is typically to swim wide.  The further you are from the straight lines between buoys, the fewer swimmers you will encounter.  Of course, you will also be making your swim that much longer.  So the best thing to do is practice.  What will you do if you find you’re running into someone?

Some people will tell you “Well, just swim over them.”  That’s not really my style, plus it’s rare that I’m coming upon someone who is that much slower than me that I’m able to pass them that quickly.  I just try to alter my course a bit to get around.  I’ve gotten stuck behind someone who is swimming in a zig-zag motion and had to really go wide to get past.  I’ve also been touched and clobbered by other swimmers.  It happens and you just deal with it.

However, the first time you encounter this, it’s definitely jarring.  So the best advice I have is to go to an open water practice.  If there isn’t an organized practice around you, get together a group of friends and get in the water.  No open water for you to practice?  Then get in a pool lane with six of your friends and get swimming.  Or find a bunch of kids who are willing to hit you with pool noodles while you swim laps.  I’m sure they’ll be happy to do so.

The more you get used to open water swimming, the easier it gets.  It’s probably the part of triathlon that gets the least amount of practice but has the best chance of derailing your race.  So get out there and practice.

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Yoga Burn Workout: 10 Min Solution- Lara Hudson

Strength Intervals: Upper Body Sculpt Workout- Cindy Whitmarsh

Weekly Workout Recap and Updates

First off, I’m excited to finally get to announce that I’m now part of the BibRave Pro team!  If you’re not already familiar with BibRave, you should certainly check it out.  It’s an amazing place to check out race reviews (and write your own).  I know that when I’m considering a new race, one of the first things I do is check out what other people have had to say about the race, and BibRave has quickly become one of my favorite places to research.  I’m excited to join the team (especially now that I’m racing again) and look forward to sharing the experience with you!  I’ve got a new discounts page that you can find in my header menu where I will be sharing all sorts of race and product discounts.

Apparently I can only get all greens during a recovery week.

Last week was my race recovery week and it went so well.  Look at all that green in my training plan.  It’s rare that I don’t have at least one yellow (almost always due to a slow swim) so that beautiful week of green makes me happy.

Monday – Rest day!  Well, driving home from race day and doing laundry day.  But no exercise, so it’s a win.

Tuesday – Easy run/walk.  I had a bit of residual tightness.  As I’ve gotten a lot of the major muscle groups strengthened in my legs/hips/glutes, a few pesky muscles have decided to make themselves known.

Wednesday – Trainer ride.  This was a reminder that it is a recovery week.  These were some tough intervals.

Thursday – Easy run/walk.  Much easier than Tuesday.

Friday – Swimming!  I think I may have a new favorite pool.  It’s not as enjoyable of an experience, but I also don’t have to fight for a lane at 6am, so I may be switching my pool allegiance once my pass is used up.

Saturday – Trainer ride.  I considered going outside and blatantly didn’t.  Instead I rode inside and watched Coco and did not understand why people cried, then sobbed while doing my PT exercises as I finished up the movie.

Sunday – MOAR SWIMMING.

Boom.  All green, all done, no pain.  Gotta up that run game though.  Slow and steady.

The post Weekly Workout Recap and Updates appeared first on Elbowglitter.

So What’s Next – Labral Tear Recovery and More Racing?

Kanenori / Pixabay

A week out from my race and I feel pretty darn great.  I’m actually really impressed with how well I recovered.  I wasn’t overly sore after the race at all – something I was definitely worried about.  A little soreness is expected and good, but I was worried that I would feel the weakness in my left side after the race, and I didn’t!

Some of this is, of course, due to smart recovery.  I foam rolled.  I stretched.  I hit the sore spots with a massage ball.  All the things I hate doing, I did them all.

But it’s also a sign of how well my labral tear rehab is going.  My PT was so pleased that I have officially been released to PT every other week, soon going to “as needed.”  That’s huge!

Now, it doesn’t mean I’m fixed.  As I’ve said before, without surgery, this will never be fixed.  But at this point, my PT exercises are pretty much routine.  I don’t have to do them daily, but I try to, simply because it’s a given that I will miss a day here and there, so aiming for every day is just easier.  Now that I’m in the habit, it doesn’t make sense to change.  It’s not like I’m going to overdo it by doing 7 days instead of 4-5.

One unexpected benefit to the exercises – apparently my butt looks better in my tri shorts.  Not what I was going for, but I’ll take it.

I’m also going to race again this summer!  I was holding off on registering for anything because I wanted to see how Williamsburg went, not only with the race itself but also with the recovery.  With two big gold stars there, it’s time to look forward.

So next up, I’m going to register for Giant Acorn Oly at the end of September.  This was my first olympic distance race, and I love the location.  It’s a much more challenging course, so I won’t be anywhere near as fast, but I should still be okay when it comes to the time cutoffs.

(I’m also tempted by Patriots Oly at the beginning of September, but haven’t decided on that one.  I’m going on a two week vacation mid-August, and don’t know that leaping right from that to racing is the best plan.)

I do still need to work on increasing my run distance.  After all, just because I did a 10k doesn’t mean I’m anywhere near ready for Army Ten Miler or Space Coast Half.   But I’ll get there!

 

 

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5 Min Cardio Fat Burner Workout: Results Fitness- Tracey Staehle