Swim Faster!

I am not what you would call a fast animal.

I know some fast people.

I long to be a fast person.  I am not.

So I should not expect that the speed at which I propel my body through the very dense matter we call water would be any different.  After all, I am not fast.  If I can't be fast, however, can't I be faster?  Is that too much to ask?

I was out of bed by 5:15 am this morning.  Although my alarm went off at 5:00, I was firmly committed to more sleep.  However, Max didn't get that memo and so in he came at 5:15 demanding to be let outside.  Max is our dog.  So, since I was up and there were a lot of things to get done today, I went to the gym.  I was TIRED, but I went.  Lifted for the required 20-25 minutes and then headed in to the pool.  I warmed up with about 200 yards of body positioning, breaststroke, sidestroke, etc just to get the feel for the water because I had already warmed up by pumping iron for 25 minutes.  Took a short breather, set my stopwatch and hit 'Start.'

I was in the water to do 20 minutes of Level II swimming.  Heart rate monitors don't really work in the water though so it is basically just trying to swim at an easy pace that doesn't leave you gasping air all the time.  I actually did wear my monitor in the pool one day and would stand up and check my HR periodically just to see what was happening.  It certainly wasn't Level II.  As usual, it was Level III or IV most of the time and I was really trying to keep it down.  But I digress.

So, here I am swimming my time, trying to focus on good form and not exert myself too much.  Goal: 1000 yards in 20 minutes.  Simply 30 seconds per pool length.  1.2 seconds per yard.  That's pretty slow.  I am swimming along checking my time occasionally and realizing that I am not doing 30 second lengths.  The problem is I feel like I am pushing myself way too much but just not moving.  Persevering, however, I finish my 1000 yards in 22:55.  That's 34.375 seconds per length.  At that rate, my 750m swim (820 yards) ends up being about 18:40.  That's just too slow.

I am very seriously considering some coaching on my swimming technique.  The couple of YouTube videos I have watched have been helpful but they don't give me any feedback on my own efficiency in the water.  I am not fooling myself, I am not going to be fast, but I would like to be faster.  If I could finish the swim portion of the race at around 15:00, I would be feeling great!

I guess it comes down to more training!

Chafing

One more thing...

What's up with chafing!!?? I didn't chafe when I was in HS! Played three sports, did sweaty stuff all the time. There was no chafing!

First the Wii, then the HR monitor, now my own freaking skin!

Enough!

I know, I get it. I have been a fat, lazy, soft-skinned slob.

Chafing! Grrr!

Headed out to buy some Body Glide tmw.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Freaking Heart Rate!

So, I am using a book by Eric Harr called, "Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week" as my guide for the training I am doing to prepare for the May 1st experiment in physical torture.  It is a huge advocate of training by heart rate zone and time rather than by distance traveled, laps completed, pedal cadence, etc.  So, like a dutiful student I went out and bought a heart rate monitoring system.  Bought a Timex Ironman Triathlon system.  It works great.  Too great.

Now, not only does my Wii tell me I am obese (ok, overweight, I have dropped some weight but I am still fuming about the obese thing, cut me some slack!) but now my watch tells me that looking longingly at a slice of pepperoni, green pepper, sausage, and mushroom pizza is an aerobic workout.  Pathetic.  Seriously, it is so bad that I am pushing Zone III (that's the aerobic training heart rate zone for those who aren't initiated) just from mopping the floor!

Here is my problem.  The book mentioned above has next to no workouts outlined that are in the Zone III and Zone IV areas.  If I walk briskly I am in Zone III.  Jogging, almost immediately into Zone IV.  So, I guess that means I am fat (according to Wii) and close to death because my heart rate is so pathetically high at doing menial tasks (according to Timex).  Thanks to technology I can now offically say I am fat and out of shape and have the data to back it up.  This sucks.  I can't pretend anymore.  However...

I have done some research and have determined that in order for me to change my fitness level.  I need to be working out in three different zones on a regular basis.  It seems that I need to burn fat by staying in Zone II, workout in Zone III to improve my "functional capacity," and make forays into Zone IV in order to really increase my fitness level.  So, Mr Harr, I am almost completely throwing your recommended zones out the window for now until I can actually increase my fitness enough that it makes sense to work out in Zone I and Zone II.  I realize I may be giving up the benefits of burning 85% of my calories from fat, from Zone II, but I really need to be fitter if I am going to have any pride when crossing the finish line.

Final thoughts.  The exercises that came with my heart rate monitor to determine max HR didn't work for me. I found out, one day, by running home from dropping the car to be serviced that I was able to get my HR up almost 10 points higher than I had it set before.  This was one of the reasons for my frustration over the zones.  I didn't feel like I was working out at all.  I am still not convinced that my max HR, while running, is 195.  I think it might be higher still.  Case in point, tonight on my run, Sam was riding her bike while I ran.  First half I worked hard to keep HR in Zone III (I coudn't keep it in Zone II for nothing) but was running out of time to pick up kids so just ran the second half back to the car.  I was pretty firmly in Zone IV but was able to carry on a conversation with Sam.  So, I don't know.

Anyway, tomorrow is another day and I am feeling pretty good about being very ready by May 1st.  But I may just worry more about increasing fitness by working out in Zone III, some IV, and less in Zone II.

Here's an article from one of the foremost experts in Heart Zone Training, Sally Edwards: http://www.howtobefit.com/five-heart-rate-zones.htm

Let's Get It Started!!!

For Christmas we bought a Wii. 

We bought a Wii Balance Board. 

We bought Wii Fit Plus.

I stood on it.

Then my kids started to laugh!

They laughed because my cartoonishly handsome Mii with its chisled chin, wide shoulders and trim hips now looked like it belonged in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade being pulled by highly trained balloon wranglers.

I almost cried.

Could it be true?  Obese?  Me? Seriously?  With a Wii determined BMI of 31.31 and weighing in at 206.5lbs I knew that something MUST be done.

I should have been prepared.  I should have known.  After all, my 2-year old had been coming up to me in the weeks before and saying how my tummy looked like Santa's.  That should have tipped me off.  I knew I was overweight but OBESE?  I was now a contributing statistic to those stupid news reports about how Americans are fatter and less fit than ever.  I didn't want to be part of that demographic.

So, I determined that something must be done.  About 18 months ago I had started training for a triathlon here in VA that would be taking place in October.  Training was going well until one day I looked online and the race was full!  How could that be?  Just two weeks earlier there were only 72 out of 550 people registered.  No waiting list.  So just three weeks away from the race, I stopped training. 

This time it had to be different.  I didn't start training and then wait to decide and register.  I registered!  Done.  May 1st was now a looming part of my psyche and I had to do something or I would drown during that first 750M swim.  Drowning is a terrible way to die, I have heard, so training began.

All that time ago I had purchased "Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week" by Eric Carr.  I dusted it off, reread it, and modified the training schedule to match my 10 weeks before the race is held.  I put it online after a week or so and you can see it here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AurnFzZ6Pob6dG5BM1RUajN1U3Q5ay02RV9xRmNhQ0E&hl=en

I even sent out some email trying to recruit some fellow victims.  To my amazement, a couple even responded positively.  We are still trying to get together for some of the workouts but things have been going well for me.

I am no longer obese.  I have dropped about 15 lbs and am working my way down the Wii chart of overweight people towards a healthy weight.