TriAya (Yanti) and lmscozz (Lynn), Manatee Mentors--FULL! (Page 11)

I have two boys and they are completely different -- look different, act different.  It amazes me!

Quincy, a pilot?  Now that's a back story I want to hear!  As for the garage door opener -- we used to do that a lot, it was less bulky than the key ring.  We finally got a keypad remote for our garage, which is AWESOME for going for runs or rides.  I don't even have a key to my front door that works -- I just always go through the garage.

Lynn, I read that article when it came out in the mag.  Luckily, it's my DH who got me started, but as they say, juggling two work out schedules is almost as hard as convincing a sedentary spouse! My DH's training has suffered since his last half, and I think we are going to have to hit more balance after my tri next month.  Ugh.  On the bright side, we are sneaking a weekend away from the kids for our anniversary, and one of the things we are very much looking forward to is workouts without worrying about kid care!

No tan lines yet.  For some reason everytime I work outside it is almost dusk or cold.  Someday, someday they will come back.
Quincy there are some weird things in the city.  This wasn't weird but last night I was sitting along the lakefront on a bench near Monroe Harbor after my run and a mole came flying towards me and stopped about 2 feet in front of me and stared.  I was like "Hey, what are you looking at? I thought you were basically blind?" 
Then as I jogged back home through Grant Park I came across a raccoon. Even though I live right in downtown Chicago it seems like I am back in the wilderness

Great stories this morning, Manatees -- high flipper fives all around!  I think it must be spring for the animals, Ryan, several bunnies are tempting suicide around here lately darting in and out of cars and I've seem way more roadkill lately, opossums, skunks, and a raccoon the other day. Not to mention the snakes!!

As for the mulitiple race training..I just wanted to share what I've done. I've done three tris and a 1/2 marathon this year already, coming off a my first marathon last Dec.  I've never really taken any time off, per se. Instead I try to build on my fitness and work in rest days while continuing my base and then building up from it. I also do that periodization thing where you focus more on one sport, but continue the others as well.  For example, I did the 70.3 March 27th and I dropped training down to 8 or so hours the week after and then started building, focusing more on the run for a marathon I have on May 2nd. So far, it seems to work. I actually find preparing for a race, event, mentally and emotionally is just as challenging, if  not more so, than the physical aspect of it. So, I think it can be done -- training for multiple races and types. Also, I've not been standing on any podiums either. I'm usually in the top 30-40% of finishers for my AG. Maybe if I took more time dialing back I would finish higher??? Don't know, but I like this lifestyle and continue to schedule races because it gets me moving and most of all IT"S FUN!!!

That is quite an impressive race list Lynn.  Congratulations and good luck in the marathon next month!

blackledge - 2010-04-15 11:22 AM WHACK to Karen.  Go get 'em!  I agree...now that I am a manatee I swam 1000 yds nonstop this week for the first time in as long as I can remember...if not ever!

And if you need extra motivation then take this manatee bath toy with you to the pool. Warning: you may receive strange looks from other swimmers but stay true to your manatee friends

If that toy will make me faster -- I'm all for it!!

I'm kind of a stay at home mom--I work one day a week and then sub as asked, but my child is a teenager. You don't have to do much with feeding, bathing, etc. anymore, but the demands and limit-setting is still there, just in a different way than when they were little. And, I do still chauffeur since he's not old enough to drive.

It seems as though the majority of non-triathletes that I talk to think I am doing an Ironman too. Stupid Bob Costas and his yearly NBC Kona televised event   I think even my parents get confused sometimes even though then they come to watch me race once a year they are not sitting there for 12 hours haha.  Oh well

I didn't get a workout in last night   I really wanted to but I had to clean the condo after work because we have a showing today.  Probably the last one since we may just pull our house off the market after this.   Grrrrr.  After I was done cleaning around 10pm I was torn but felt so tired yet it was still so warm outside.  The bed beat out the pavement for running/biking last night I guess. 

blackledge - 2010-04-16 9:57 AM Allison -  Unfortunately tonight is a friend's bday party and I have to drive out to Orland Park during rush hour on a Friday   So I will probably work out extra this weekend and just try not to eat too poorly tonight since it's at a bar. 
Good idea---we will probably end up keeping it on the market until 4/30 and then have a discussion about what we want to do (i.e. keep it on the market or maybe try again next spring).  The owners of the house that we were contingent on buying are heavily advertising their house again but I don't blame them. 
Such a decision. We love living downtown but the appeal of a house is so nice especially if we want to raise kids.  Or at least the appeal of more than 1100 sq ft and a 1 bedroom loft is appealing

Will keep my fingers crossed for the house showing tomorrow! Sounds like a stressful process. We are considering a move in the next few years and while it will be exciting, it's also stressful -- and a huge chore to move everything. I guess there's no way to rent out your current place until the market picks up some? We did that when we moved into our current house, but that was 14 years ago now. GOOD LUCK!

Just my 2 cents on your above questions -- Sleep-- Yes more is good!   Food: Quality food -- cut or cutback refined stuff and processed as much as possible. Good idea to up the fruits and veggies and lean protein. You want to get a recovery meal of that 150 cals or so within 20 minutes after a hard ride/run. Something like chocolate milk, yogurt with banana or whole grain cereal and lowfat or skimmed milk. I like the Trader Joe's light choc soymilks. They are portable and 130 cals.

Rest days: I think if you need/want 2 rest days and they are built into your training plan, that's great. One thing I've learned this year from my coach and from research is to keep the hard days hard and the easy days easy. As triathletes and type "A" peeps we have a tendency to just go, go, go and I'm as guilty as anyone of that, but our training will be more beneficial if we go hard on challenging days and really allow our bodies to recover on rest and or easier days. I usually do not run two days in a row, unless training for a HIM and doing a longer slower paced run one day and then a shorter brick run the next day.  I think this is REALLY important -- easy days easy, hard days hard.

Ice baths: The only time I do ice baths is after a long run and by long I mean more than 15 or 16 miles. Then, I usually have this little body of water called the Pacific Ocean where I just go stand up to my hips since the water temp is at about 59 to 60 right now. But I have sat in a bathtub with ice and a sweatshirt on top drinking hot tea. It does help with inflammation.I think ice is best soon after the workout.

My coach has told me to avoid hot tubs. Not sure of the physical reason for that, but something to do with inflammation and circulation, I believe. That said, when my back aches from too much time on the bike or monthly cycle I'll sometimes get the heating pad on it.

Diet: My thoughts on that are if you eat leaner foods and cut the junk and refined out and watch your portions, oh and added sugar and alcohol, focus on whole grains and "good" fats (almonds, avocados, olive oil, flax seed) then add in your training, you'll probably drop pounds automatically and if not pounds, you'll lose inches. I use the app "Lose It" to track activity and exercise. It's a free app for the Ipod touch and iphone. I love it! And as an aside, I like the period tracker (sorry Ryan) for the other monthly cycle.

Roller: I "should" use it everyday. I probably use it, the stick, or the TP Therapy roller at least twice a week at night while watching junk TV.

I'm sure Yanti will have insights into your questions as well, but that's what came to me for now. All good questions and I don't think you're crazy, just passionate! --