Some sole searching

We are a society of bargain hunters, attracted to the marketplace of Walmart or the internet. I'm surely one of the worst culprits. But when it comes to buying shoes, specifically athletic shoes, it might make sense to buy local from a retailer who knows the ropes.

There's no intention of making any commercial endorsement here. San Antonio offers several shops which specialize in gear for the runner, or the swimmer, the biker, the baker, the candlestick maker. You know what I mean. When it comes to shopping for running shoes you can read, read, read on the internet, or consult the latest "Buy This" edition of Runner's World. Or, you can walk into a store owned by a runner, employing experienced runners as sales people, and ask them to help you choose a pair of shoes. Find a store which is a comfortable fit for you and then use the expertise of knowledgable sales people. When you leave the store with a great fitting shoe which is just right for your demands and for your particular skeletal features, you'll be glad you went the local route.

It has taken me awhile to come to this approach, but I must say that I have gotten great advice and great service on my last several pairs of shoes. For example, I walked into my local favorite the other day for new shoes. The salesman, an experienced runner, looked at the shoes I had last bought from that store, and knew exactly what features I would need in the new shoes. Was it simply luck that the first pair was exactly the right shoe for me. I think not. The online discounters court me constantly, but I've come to realize that they don't know me, and they've never cheered for me in a local race. If you haven't done so already, it's time to get acquainted with a local shoe store. Your feet will be happy, and so will you.

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Blue skies and drier air

NOTHING lifts the spirits of a runner faster than a favorable break in the weather.

This has been an extremely unusual summer in South Texas. We are accustomed to battling through summers, running early or running late, cursing the heat which towards the end of the season can linger at 85 degrees at one in the morning. The pavement radiates the day’s heat back into the faces of those bold enough to pound pavement through the gates of Hell. A “normal” summer will also add occasional insult with high humidity.

This summer has been mild, with only a short period of temperatures over the mid-90s. Overnight lows have been mostly below 80. But most unusual has been the rain, persistent, rarely drying out for more than a week at a time. The copious rain has left a lush green covering over a landscape which is usually a brittle brown by August and early September. Not too bad, right? Wrong! The television weather forecasters love to tell us that we begin to feel the humidity when the dew point exceeds 60 degrees. Conditions this summer have taken that line right out of their play books since the dew point has pretty consistently lingered between 70 and 75 degrees. So, we have been faced for three months with cloudy skies and high, high humidity. My hat is off to those diehards who have managed to log their miles this summer. I’m not among them.

A couple of days ago the clouds blew away and though the humidity was still high and the temperature was far from comfortable I actually felt like running, and I did, hills, even. I’m in a neighborhood which affords me a half dozen different running routes, a couple of which are hills. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of digging into low gear and running a long and challenging hill. Nor is there a pleasure comparable to peaking a hill which reveals a vista of our beautiful downtown San Antonio. It’s good to run and become fit. It’s also great that it gets us out of doors, where we can enjoy the vistas and the hills, all the while taking some care to not stumble into a San Antonio pothole.

A couple of evenings ago I put my VO2 knowledge to work and ran a little harder, pushing my heart rate to a range of 150-155. I managed, but the humidity steamed me to the core. I doubt there was a dry stitch on me when I wrapped up. Runs like this remind me of why it is more difficult to run in high humidity. The humidity, of course, makes it more difficult for the body to cool itself. But the humidity also pushes up the heart rate. The experienced runners will verify that. I’m no sports doctor but I have imagined this has something to do with the body trying to moderate the blood temperature. Anyhow, running with my heart at 150-155 in extremely high humidity made no speed demon of me.

Today a “cool front” arrived, with rain (imagine that!). But the precipitation began to dissipate by mid-afternoon and I ventured out to buy some new running shoes (Nike Air Structure Triax 10+) and sensed a change in the air. It made me want to run, though I had to wait until late in the evening. If you are lucky you can get in a few miles before the sweat begins to get in your eyes. Tonight, I managed about 3 miles before the humidity began to win. Nevertheless, it is marginally drier and that did translate into a pleasant run. Again, I put my heart rate into the 150-155 range for about 40% of the workout while running exactly the same route I struggled with two days ago. The slightly lower humidity allowed me to run the seven miles about 2 ½ minutes faster. No, it wasn’t the new shoes. I was wearing my old Nike Equalons, which still have some miles left in ‘em.

So…after a summer spent more swimming laps at Gold’s Gym than pounding out miles on the streets of San Antonio, I am pumped about blue skies, drier air, and Autumn ahead. Come on, you rats of the gym. Get outside and soak up some rays. We’re on the cusp of outdoor season here in South Texas. Let’s make the most of it.

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Heart rate monitor

It is certainly possible to train without a heart rate monitor. You can always pause and get a pretty good estimate of your heart rate as you are working out. But the benefit offered by a heart rate monitor is that you don’t have to pause, you are monitored constantly, and you can produce a report after the workout which gives some interesting statistics which can help you plan a more effective next workout.

I won’t get into detail here but I would love to hear from anyone who can speak with experience and authority (Shelly Campbell, are you out there?). Suffice it to say that I have exercised off and on with a heart rate monitor for much of the last 4 years, and I find it very useful. Heart rate, more than pace, has dictated my marathoning experiences. This might not be the end all method, but I think it has generally served me well on race day.

Now I am discovering even better ways to use my monitor. There are formulae, based on one’s age, which allow an athlete to identify certain ranges of heart rate which then translate into various levels of results. For example, I am 58 years old. One of the often used equations is 220 minus your age to determine your max heart rate. You then use that number to determine a heart rate “zone” for weight loss, cardio, etc. The range is something like 65-85% of your max heart rate. Using this basic formula I find that for cardio work I should strive for a workout heart rate of (220-58)x.75=121 bpm (here I use 75%, or right in the middle of the workout range). Experience has shown me that this is too conservative. However, the conundrum is that if you disregard your “ideal” and instead overwork, you end up with less return on your workout.

I recently saw another formula (Target Heart Rate Calculator) which is supposed to distinguish whether you are in shape or out. Using this calculation I am advised that my 75% workout should be done at 132 bpm. That’s better, and forces me into a more vigorous workout. But in the end, these are generalized estimates which may lead you astray. I have heard that the numbers produced by the formulae can be off by as much as 10%, maybe more.

This is why I was thrilled recently to undergo VO2 testing at Spectrum Athletic Clubs here in San Antonio. Many health clubs are set up to conduct VO2 testing and I would assume the results obtained from one source will not vary greatly from the test results elsewhere. In the interest of full disclosure, Spectrum agreed to test me for free as I work with my colleague Diane Berlanga on a podcast feature about several of the fitness tests offered by Spectrum and others.

I am still learning exactly how the results are derived from the tests. Suffice it to say that one is fitted with a mask through which expelled air is measured and analyzed. My test was on a treadmill which varied the intensity of my 15 minute workout. I began easily and eventually was paced up to a jog, then to the max, anaerobic, level. The information was then processed by a computer program and customized heart rate parameters were produced for me. What I have learned is that my gut reaction pre-test was correct. I can and should work out at a higher heart rate level than the formulae would indicate. It is said that much of this is genetic predisposition(thanks, Mom and/or Dad), though I imagine there’s also some reflection of one’s fitness level. The important thing is that I now can more accurately monitor my workout levels for highest efficiency.

We all wonder from time to time whether we are working as hard as we should be. I have always known that I could work harder by ramping up how often I run, swim, bike or otherwise work out. But what I have not known previously is how hard I can and should go within a workout. Now I do know. Of course, there’s still the matter of implementation.

Bottom line: if you are interested in getting more out of your aerobic activity, purchase and use a heart rate monitor. A number of manufacturers make them, though Polar is probably the leader in the industry. Check the various models carefully and make sure you get everything you need, and then some. If you are a techie, like me, you will not regret spending a little more in order to have more features. I have had very good service from the first monitor I bought, but not such good experience with a biking specific model which would interface with a pickup on the bicycle to measure speed and distance. This never worked reliably for me, and the watch part of the system proved not very waterproof for swimming. As I was saying earlier, choose carefully the features which you need for your particular sport or sports.

The final bottom line: if you are really getting serious about fitness and are competitive with yourself (or others) to achieve more, splurge on VO2 testing and then USE the gathered knowledge.

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Making music and Making tracks

It's tough enough to rehearse and perform a challenging orchestral program compressed into a couple of days. But my friend Dorian Ramirez not only played cello for the weekend with Mid-Texas Symphony, but she and her husband Fred then turned around and swam, biked and ran the Austin Triathlon. Talk about endurance sports!

Congratulations to my good friends Dorian and Fred Ramirez who turned in outstanding races at the recent Austin Triathlon. You may remember that Dorian and Fred fired off the triathlon season in Galveston back in what seems like forever ago. It is astounding how quickly the triathlon season has passed, though there are still some good opportunities to race before the water of area lakes begins to chill. The swim for Dorian and Fred was in Austin’s Town Lake. Dorian reported the water temperature to be 77 degrees, right on the cusp for many swimmers as to whether they wet suit it or not. D&F both opted to swim without wet suits. Says Dorian: “I figured I would spend too much time trying to get out of it!”

Dorian turned in an overall time of 2:56:57, under her goal of 3 hours. Fred’s time was 3:06 plus some seconds. They both had enough left in the tank to finish strong in the final 10k. Dorian’s time was 47:41 and Fred ran 52:17, both PRs for their triathlon careers.

Fred and Dorian will take on the Longhorn Half Tri in October. That’s a half ironman, I believe. Dorian mentioned to me that they will be cramming nutrition information for that final exam of the season. I recommended she check out the booklet published by Hammer Nutrition, called The Endurance Athlete’s Guide to Success; in fact, I would suggest anyone with questions about fuel issues study this booklet. Currently, the book is out of print, but you can download a PDF copy for free. Go online to Hammer Nutrition.

I am sure Dorian and Fred would be interested in any other nutrition tips anyone might offer, especially keeping one’s self fueled during a long endurance event such as a half-iron, a marathon, or an ultra. In fact, I would encourage anyone with knowledge on the topic to chime in and share with those who read this blog. Your input will be much appreciated.

Making Music
Dorian and I have known each other for quite a number of years as musicians in the Mid-Texas Symphony. We had rehearsals and a concert the same weekend Dorian raced in the Austin Triathlon, making it even more amazing she did so well. It was a busy and challenging weekend for the orchestra, so I expect Fred ended up setting up transition areas both for himself and Dorian.

I checked the math and the 10k legs turned in by Dorian and Fred worked out to 7:41 and 8:26 miles respectively, and respectable too. You understand now why Dorian and Fred are valuable teammates of mine on the Mid-Texas Symphony relay team. We’ve had a great time the past two years running the Beach to Bay relay marathon down in Corpus and are about to bite off a BIG challenge this coming March. We saw a flyer stuffed in our race bags at Beach to Bay about a new race called The Texas Independence Relay. 207 miles. We laughed. Problem is, we then started thinking about it, and it just was too good a challenge to pass up.

I’m doubling the size of our relay team to a dozen and even 6 months out from the event we are becoming giddy with the prospect of taming the challenge: 207 miles from Gonzales to the San Jacinto Monument. We’ll run about four miles at a time per person and in 35 hours or so we will hit the finish line. Our team experience at Beach to Bay has been so positive that we are looking forward to this next big challenge. I’ve talked to other runners about relays, and some just don’t like them. I can certainly appreciate that for many of us running is somewhat of a solitary experience. But I guess for team Mid-Texas Symphony we enjoy so much working together in the orchestra that running together seems a logical extension. If you read this and think you might want to check out the Texas Independence Relay, browse over to http://www.texasindependencerelay.com/.

Meanwhile, happy workouts to all. One day soon the rain will end, the humidity will dry out, and we will all remember what pleasure there is in biking, running and swimming in the great outdoors.

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A Long Way for Mexican Women

As I watched and cheered the Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa on her way to winning the Women’s British Open, I was reminded of the advances women athletes have recently made in Mexico. And I believe the Mexicans appreciate it as well.

Although there likely won’t be a repeat of the celebration which took over Avenida Reforma when the Mexican National Soccer Team advanced into the quarter finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, there is surely much cheering going on throughout Mexico for the accomplishments of Ms. Ochoa and, yes, some fireworks also.

When I recently traveled to Mexico, revisiting a couple of areas I know very well from having lived there for six years, I thought of the enthusiasm Mexicans have for sports, in particular futball. The kids there play it like kids play baseball in the US. And here and there you also find Mexicans who know and love baseball. I remember sitting glued to the television in a Mexico City apartment in 1981 as pitcher Fernando Valenzuela hung on to win game three of the World Series. Young Fernando had paid his dues in the Mexican League and even threw some Texas League pitches here in San Antonio. But I digress. Mexicans do follow baseball and on my recent trip I even saw a kid holding a football of the pigskin variety.

During the mid-80s I was living in Xalapa, the capital of the State of Veracruz. There’s a minor league baseball team there and everywhere you find soccer, though 99 percent played by males. Maybe that’s changing now. I hope the success of women’s soccer in the US is having an effect south of the border. In Xalapa and the surrounding areas (I actually lived in the coffee producing town of Coatepec) running was immensely popular. I would dare to say there were the soccer players and the runners, and the two didn’t overlap that much. In fact, when you went to the track there were always soccer matches going on and lots of runners in serious training. Like soccer, there were never many women at the track. Mexican running was dominated at the time by the men. Arturo Barrios was featured in Runners’ World and was on his way to setting a long standing record in the men’s 10K. Mexican runners were training like mad and many fine runners were at work in the Xalapa/Coatepec area. I ran laps, and nothing more, but I marveled at the focused dedication of the great Veracruz runners.

When my friend Liz Levin had come to Mexico she was already an experienced marathoner. She continued to run regularly and seriously in Toluca, Estado de Mexico, where the elevation is 9000 feet. When we moved to Coatepec she fell right in with the enthusiastic running community, despite the fact there were very few women who were runners. Liz ran at the track and also on the steep cobblestone roads in the coffee fincas, honoring the age-old runners’ tradition of a weekly long run. A Mexican runner named Pedro (I can’t recall his last name) began to help her with her training and together they would take 6 AM runs into the countryside as I rolled over and slept some more. Liz became more than a novelty. She was winning some races in her gender and age bracket while some of the Mexican women began to notice. I don’t intend to suggest that Liz was singularly responsible for the women who began to run seriously in that part of Mexico, but surely they had noticed her dedication to the sport.

Back then we watched as male Mexican runners placed high at the important international marathons. Some still do. But today it is the Mexican women who are turning heads in the running world. Adriana Fernandez won the New York Marathon in 1999. At that time she noted: "There are many more women running in Mexico now. They need more time for you to see them'' at the world class level, "but they will develop. This is going to encourage more women to run." Madaí Pérez, the new kid on the block, is currently finishing strong at the international events and is the Mexican record holder with her 2:22:59 at the 2006 Chicago Marathon.

But the most popular female Mexican runner is surely sprinter Ana Guevara. She has attracted legions of fans to the sport of women’s track in Mexico. When Ana recently set an unofficial world record in the rarely run 300 m she reacted by saying: “An unforgettable night for me and the whole of Mexico; the emotion tonight was unbelievable. I didn’t think so many people would respond.” Guevara continued: “When I came out for the opening ceremony I was amazed to see so many people in the stands. It was a dream but we decided why not, and it’s a dream which came true.”

And now similar popularity awaits golfer Lorena Ochoa after winning in such style the Women’s British Open at the hallowed St. Andrews course. I am not alone in cheering the successes of the Mexican woman athlete. May there be many more victories. ¡Viva Mexico!

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If you think that’s cold……

Have you ever dipped your toe into the pool and shivered while declaring: “That water’s too cold!”? It could be you were already looking for an excuse not to swim that day. But the truth we mostly know is that once you are in and begin your routine, the water temperature is not that much of an issue.

Imagine now the feat just accomplished by the Brit Lewis Gordon Pugh, who on July 15th took a dip in the Arctic Ocean. He was making a point: that global warming is a real issue. He said:

"Just five or 10 years ago this swim would never have been possible - most people have no idea that you can find patches of open sea at the North Pole in summer.

"It's deeply regrettable that it's possible now because of the devastating effects of climate change."

Mr. Pugh’s accomplishment was reported today on the BBC World Service. Here’s the item the BBC published in advance of Pugh’s swim: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6282048.stm

To summarize and put this into my own personal perspective (please feel free to add your own), the water temperature was -2C. Mr. Pugh, clad only in his Speedo, goggles and swim cap, swam 1 kilometre (he IS Brit!) in just under 20 minutes. I’m doubtful we mere mortals could accomplish such a thing without injury, but apparently Pugh has an ability to raise his body temperature. Nevertheless, my teeth are still chattering.

I swam one kilometer (I’m American!) yesterday, but if anything the water was too warm. Given a choice, I think I’ll prefer it at more like +25 Celsius rather than -2C. The coldest water I have ever swum in was at the wonderful artesian spring pool at Balmorhea State Park out in West Texas. The CCC constructed pool is fed by San Solomon Springs, and is definitely cold water. One internet site states the water temperature as averaging 73 degrees year round, but I swear it must have been colder than that the last time I dived into that water. Then again, maybe I was just looking for an excuse not to swim that day.

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How much is Too much exercise?

They’re at it again, those who contend that any exercise beyond three sessions a week is excessive. In an earlier post, I responded to such a report I had seen on television which labeled as addicted to exercise those who work out four or more times per week.

The latest report to bristle my dander was on, of all places, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO). To be honest, Mr. Gumbel was also mildly incredulous about the report which dealt with the increasing numbers of baby boomer fitness fans (I am reluctant to really call us fanatics) that are coming in for sports surgeries and joint replacements. The segment asks whether we shouldn’t arbitrarily slow down as we enter our mid-40s and beyond. We hear the argument that our skeletons begin to wear out with age and that we should therefore shift to low-impact exercise. And forget about competitive, even if it’s just an inner competition with one’s self.

The argument continued that the increased demands on medicine to correct the blown joints and the torn musculature would bankrupt the health system. At the end of the segment, Bryant went on the defensive for he is obviously amongst those of us who are refusing to turn it down a notch in our 50s going on 70. He asked the obvious question. Are we not, by concentrating on maintaining our fitness, avoiding some of the chronic diseases of inactivity such as heart disease and diabetes?

I suppose these questions will continue to be raised and we must exercise on either because of the benefits, or despite the supposed negative effects of our “addiction.” I certainly don’t intend to back off, though I do listen pretty closely to my body as I ask it to perform a little more than others of my age require of their bodies.

What do you think? Why not leave a comment?

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1st Tri becomes 2nd Tri

I have now officially started and finished a triathlon, and have a much better idea of what the fuss is about and also about the challenges of the sport.

The Heart of Texas triathlon series is run each summer here in San Antonio, overseen by John Purnell of Run A Way Athletic Club. Last Sunday was the second of the series of five mini-triathlons, paving the way for the Heart of Texas Triathlon Championships in September. As I mentioned in a previous post, this event was recommended to me by Shelly Campbell and also by Phil Arno, a musician acquaintance of mine for many years, and a 5 or 6 year veteran of triathlon.

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot at Ft. Sam Houston at the ungodly early hour of 6 AM, I ran into Phil. “I looked at your website,” he said. “With all your running background, you should do very well.” “We’ll see,” I said, though I feared his prediction might come back to haunt me. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems to me that those triathletes who don’t regularly run marathons (actually Phil has done his share) seem to look at marathoners with some degree of awe. I must admit that as a marathoner, I look in similar awe at the real swimmers and cyclists. I guess it all adds up to triathlon being an equalizer, of sorts.

The Heart of Texas Triathlon No. 2 consisted of a 300 meter swim in a 50 meter pool, a 10 mile bike ride on a 2 mile loop, and a final 2 mile run, with some hills. Considering I had been previously training for the CapTexTri sprint distance (750 meters, 20 k bike, 5 k run), the Heart of Texas should have been the proverbial “no problema, man.” But cut me some slack. It was still my first Tri, and I started out with a poor swim. I got nervous, forgot what little form I have, and struggled somewhat. The bike ride gave me a chance to get my lungs back and my heart-rate stabilized. In retrospect, this might have been my strongest suit, though I by no means burned up the course. However, I did pass a few while the sprinters were busy lapping me.

Everyone has told me time and again: “Practice your bricks. Practice your bricks.” According to Wikipedia, “the term brick has multiple claims of origination/derivation. Among those is the derivation from a partial anagram of Bike-Run. Also, it may simply be a descriptive term for how your legs feel for the first part of the run.” I have generally interpreted it as principally referring to the transition from the bike to the run, and it is something I practiced, though obviously not enough. By the time I transitioned to the run, I was operating at a deficit. And who would be the athlete just coming in for the finish as I was about a quarter mile into the run? Phil Arno. And at that point I was walking up the hill. There was a look of consternation on Phil’s face, and I have no idea how I must have looked to him. But I got it back together and did most of the run, running. My unofficial time was 1 hour 15 minutes and some seconds. (Phil finished first in our age category of 55-59 with a time of 59 minutes.) In the true spirit of Triathlon (these people are infinitely supportive), Phil was there at the finish line to congratulate me on finishing my first tri. Also in the spirit of support, Phil gave me some pointers for the “next time.”

And there will be a “next time.” And that next time I will be a little wiser and a lot more practiced in BRICKS. Also, one other note regarding the future. I am enjoying sharing these posts with you, and reading what feedback has come. If you are game for it, I’m certainly willing to keep writing. But hey! Help Zetta and Shelly out. I sure would love to hear more voices on this blog.

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Another day, another first tri….

After hearing encouragement from a couple of triathletes, including Shelly Campbell, to check out the Heart of Texas series of triathlons I signed up for their next event, which is this coming Sunday morning. I really don’t know what to expect, though here is what the organizers have to say:


“This 25th annual event is held in a 50 meter outdoor pool. 300 meter swim. 10mi bike on loop course, 2 miles out & back run on rolling hills.”

For now, I am simply looking for a taste of the triathlon experience. As I have mentioned previously, I am one who needs an event ahead of me. There needs to be a carrot on the end of that stick. Anyone wanting more information about the Heart of Texas series can check out their modest website. (http://www.runawayclub.com/Heart_of_Texas_Series/hotseries.htm)

Mother Nature has been tough on us lately. Of course, she rained out the CapTexTri on Memorial Day. In case you haven’t heard, that event is not being rescheduled. This really doesn’t surprise me. I am sure it takes a full year to organize such a big event. Permits have to be obtained, volunteers arranged, etc. We must all just move ahead, bringing me back to the ornery nature of Ma Nature of late. The weather has been oppressively humid and this in turn keeps temperatures up in general, especially preventing any effective overnight cooling. It has taken some hard will on my part to finally commit to running in those conditions, but I am glad I have finally said to myself to cut out the excuses and just do it. A six mile plus run last night, in the wee hours, was good for my psyche.

The heat and humidity is not so much a factor in the indoor pool where I have been swimming, so I have been pretty good at putting in the laps. Tonight, for whatever reason, they had taken up the lane dividers in the pool. Having the water pretty much to myself, I was able to swim circles rather than laps. This gave me a different feel in the water, rather than the somewhat monotonous 50 meter laps back and forth.

Another new element in my workout routine is stair climbing. I work on the 8th floor of a 10 story building. I can usually find a 15-20 minute slot in my workplace schedule for slipping into the stairwell for a short but intense workout. It really is a nice addition to the polite running, biking, swimming routine, a sort of blue collar workout since it requires no equipment or club memberships. It’s got me thinking now about entering the annual stair-climb at the Tower of the Americas. I believe there are 900 and some odd steps in the Tower climb. Heck! It’s just another challenge.

I thought about this, the stair climbing, when I read Nathan Cone’s recently posted comments about trying to squeeze in time for fitness while juggling the responsibility of being the father of two children. Nathan mentioned he climbs the stairs rather than taking the elevator, and my hat is off to him. Many ignore the obvious opportunities to piece together a workout. I’m reminded of Tim Derk’s plan to do 10 thousand pushups this year by doing 10 pushups every time he goes to the copy machine at the Spurs office. In the end, it’s all about inventing ways to get it done. Now, Nathan, are you taking those stairs two at a time?

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Racing Against the Clock - a review and some comments

I recently had the opportunity to see the DVD titled Racing Against the Clock and then to write a review of the documentary film by Bill Haney. This has sparked some interesting exchanges with several friends whom I invited to see and hear the review.

Hopefully, this has also sparked at least a modest spike in sales of the DVD. The film really is that good. Check out my review, both written and audio, at http://tpr.org/articles/2007/06/cinema-raceagainstclock.html.

Here are a few of the comments I’ve gotten. Carol Masters, who knows a few things about masters athletics, wrote:

“James, I ordered the DVD as soon as I received your previous note and actually watched it in AMAZEMENT a couple days ago.”

Carol continues:

“Thank you for sharing the program. Ironically, I never thought of the term baby boomers as an American term so did not give it a second thought when there were women from other countries competing. I thought that it was wonderful of the producers to chose such a diverse group of women athletes with diverse backgrounds that all eventually led them to track and field sports. I actually came away thinking (after viewing the movie) that several of them could have been olympic quality had they been born under different circumstances. We will never know. Additionally, I took away from the movie (among many things) that sports facilitated each of the ladies to dig really deep within and find strength to overcome illness, poverty and lack of identity.”

“Thank you for encouraging me to see the movie! I am going to share it with everyone I know!”

More about Carol Masters in a moment.

My interest all along in writing this blog and also in the continuing production of the podcast iExercise has been not to trumpet my own accomplishments which are decidedly modest, but rather to encourage others to take control of their fitness. I am surely not responsible for the life changes made by my friend Linda Carlson, but I welcome her note as something which will speak to anyone considering changing their ways:

“Love your review! This is so inspiring! I was born in 1953. For the past 8 years have been power walking, carrying 4 pounds in each hand, twice a day (6.30 am and 6 pm, each time with friends) for a total of 6 - 8 miles a day, 5 days a week. Now, I know that is nothing compared to your Marathon achievements, but it has helped me keep my weight and muscle tone where I want them to be, as well as helping me cope with stress, sadness etc. I wouldn't give it up for anything.”

And Paul Blakemore, a musician and friend for many years, wrote:

“Hey James - Thanks for sending me this. I bought myself an eliptical machine for my 53rd birthday last January and have been doing about 30 mins a day 4-5 days a week since. Along with this aerobic workout I also do about 80-90 situps and some moderate weight lifting - mainly shoulder presses, bench presses, rows, bicep/tricep curls, and squats. This just to keep from becoming a 50 something tub of lard! Har. It certainly has its benefits, though. My resting heart rate is usually about 63 and my blood pressure is typically 117/73 plus or minus.”

Way to go, Paul!

Bicyclist and fitness advocate William Hudson has surely encouraged many here in San Antonio. It seems everywhere I turn I find people who say how helpful William has been to them. Wrote William:

“Thanks for making me aware of the film ..... I have ordered it.”

As a quick aside, you will find a link for buying the DVD if you browse over to read the review. Texas Public Radio receives a modest return when you purchase using that link. Thanks for helping us out, and please share this film with others.

Forgive me, Carol, for adding this without your knowledge, but as I mentioned earlier this blog is about lighting a fire under us all to initiate and continue our own personal fitness regimens. Several in the San Antonio fitness community have suggested I get to know Carol Masters and I have followed their advice. In fact, Carol will eventually come in for an interview which will be featured later in the summer as an iExercise podcast segment. Here is a recently published article introducing Carol http://www.southtexasfitness.com/02_07/feature.html (February 2007 issue of South Texas Health and Fitness).

We are all interested in how and why you exercise. Please leave a comment. Thanks.

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Bout of depression and a Faux triathlon

I was determined to not become depressed following the unfortunate cancellation of the Capital of Texas Triathlon. After all, and as I am quick to point out to any who will listen, I am casual about marathon, ultra-marathon and even the new dimension of triathlon, not driven like all those “a” personality types.

Unfortunately, if I am more “b” than “a,” I am also a recovering alcoholic and one who knows a few things about manic. So I guess it’s not at all surprising that a dull depression set in for a couple of days following the aborted CapTexTri. My ice cream stash diminished and I neither ran, swam nor biked for several days. I went online to sign up for the Chicago Marathon and found registration already closed and looked at a stack of backburner projects while finding no impetus to pick any of them up. Yep. I was depressed.

During the 12-14 weeks of specific training for the CapTexTri I spent a good bit of time in the pool in addition to logging some cycling miles. Running has taken something of a back seat. All along, I have tested the various combinations of disciplines while never putting the whole package together. I was waiting for D-Day for the ultimate test. Well, D-Day never came and that gets a lot of the blame for not only my depression but I suspect for some down moods amongst all who looked forward to their Memorial Day exams.

Today I decided I really had to take control and snap myself out of the funk. I planned to do it yesterday, but the depression wouldn’t release its grip. So what did I do? I put together my various transition items, clipped my bicycle shoes into the pedals of my bright red Trek, and rode off to the gym. That couple of miles served as a warmup. I backpaddled a lap in the pool as a further warmup and then swam 15 laps with an extra for good measure (and in case I had miscounted). Transition back to the bike was awkward given that I was at the gym at a somewhat busy time. (It was about 7 pm by then.) In no way was this a competitive T1!

Biking was in somewhat heavy traffic down Fredericksburg Road toward Woodlawn Lake. I finally bailed on Fredericksburg and took a less trafficky way to Woodlawn. I would guess I was at about 3 miles when I began laps of Woodlawn Lake, 5 in all for a distance of 7.5 miles. A final 2.25 miles landed me at my front door where I did manage a pretty efficient transition into my running shoes and a final 5 kilometer run.

As I had prepared for the big CapTri I was stumped for an estimated elapsed race time. In the end, I had settled on 2 hours being a roughly rough estimate. And who knows what might have been with the adrenalin flowing and all the competitive juices (which I insist aren’t there). All I can tell you is that today’s faux triathlon took just under 2 hours. The only distance which I could absolutely certify would be the 5k run which was measured by my Nike plus iPod setup. But most important is that this exercise was a great workout, it lifted me out of the funk, and I am sure to sleep well tonight. I would be lying to say I look forward to getting back to my normal work routine, though that is surely part of keeping the depression from returning. But the best antidote will be the return to a good regular workout routine as I continue to scan the horizon for the next big challenge. Congratulations to you if you don’t need an event ahead in order to keep you on track. I am one who works best when there is a race, a goal, a D-Day. I’ll see you at the gym, swimming at the lake, or running and biking the streets of San Antonio. Let’s all stay strong!

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I’m so sorry..........Rained out

Condolences reading “I’m so sorry….” were received from both Zetta Young and Shelly Campbell recently. Had I not immediately understood, I might have feared the word was out about the goldfish which went belly up last week.

But no, Zetta and Shelly were saying “I’m so sorry” not just for me, but for the thousands of athletes who suffered equally from the cancellation on Memorial Day of the 2007 CapTexTri. Mother Nature had her way as she dumped rain on Austin early Monday morning, creating a cold and messy Town Lake. The skies continued to drip even after the swim was canceled, eventually forcing the biking and then the run to be scratched. Wouldn’t you know it? The sun forced its way out in the afternoon and I am sure many wondered what the fuss was about.

Although races all pretty much have a liability disclaimer which all the participants must sign off on, the organizers of the CapTexTri surely made the right decision. The safety of the athletes was clearly the motive, especially considering that the entrants ran the gamut from hard core seasoned triathletes who would have managed the conditions, to first timers such as myself who would perhaps have been just reluctant enough to create havoc. Although I never saw a hard figure on how many participants had registered for the various events (Olympic, Sprint and First Tri’s, plus a Relay), I heard a range of 2-3 thousand. That’s a lot of folks to have swimming in runoff polluted water and with a tricky current. And imagine the seasoned (and fast) cyclists sharing a slippery road surface with hundreds of less sure cyclists! In the end, one must conclude that the decision to cancel was the right move.

I had imagined the CapTexTri experience would be the culmination of this particular blogging topic. After all, there can be only one first time, or First Tri(athlon). But like many others at the CapTri who were also first timers, I remain untried, a tri virgin. So this blog topic will continue. I know there are some readers and lurkers to this blog who also were shut out in their effort and I would love to hear from you.

My experience, for what it is worth, was enjoyable. An old friend who is a swimmer but doesn’t run or cycle came along with me to packet pickup and remarked on how great everyone looked. It’s true, and it’s one of the things I enjoy about going to the gym. It’s great to see fit people, or at least people who are making the effort to get fit. If you are one of those who stand to the side, shaking your head in bewilderment at those of us who distort our daily schedules in order to swim, bike or run, you should join in. As Zetta has told me from the start, the tri community is very inviting and enthusiastic about helping in any way they can. That’s certainly been my experience thus far. So come on! Let’s all get active.

So what now? This is the tough part after all those weeks and months of training. The long faces I saw as I went to retrieve my bicycle from the transition pen spoke of supreme disappointment. I talked after the aborted race with Phil Arno, a former musician colleague of mine who is a seasoned ultra-athlete. He is enthusiastic about a triathlon series being held at Ft. Sam Houston. Called Heart of Texas Triathlon, the series of five events is run by John Purnell of Run-A-Way. Shelly Campbell has also recommended it as “a great series” and she sent this link: Heart of Texas Triathlon.
Seems to be worth checking out and maybe that’s where you will find me come mid-June.

Whatever we decide for ourselves, let’s keep training. There’s always the next run, the next swim or the next bike ride. Let’s fortify ourselves with plenty of electrolyte fluids and soldier on.

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Final week, and Beach to Bay

Like Texas thunderstorms, races always seem to blow up on you in a hurry. It’s why you learn with experience to take advantage of those early and middle weeks of prep so as not to be caught under-, or worse yet, un-prepared come race day.

I recall wondering before my first marathon if I was really prepared. How would I feel at mile 20, or 22? This is one of the appeals of these things, though it still leaves me somewhat uneasy as I now find myself less than a week away from the CapTexTri. Generally, assuming I don’t flounder badly in the swim, I feel mostly prepared. But here again there is a real difference when compared to training for running events. In the case of a marathon, or half-marathon, you have trained by running, and then running some more. As a rookie triathlete, I wonder if I have given enough attention to each of the disciplines. I may have mentioned previously that I feel unfaithful to my original mistress, running. I am sure other triathletes, coming from cycling or swimming backgrounds, must feel the same. Believe it or not, I have missed the weekly long runs of 12-15 miles, an essential element in distance training. But, of course, I didn’t dare expend that much energy on running while still a newcomer to cycling and swimming. Time will tell, and time will accelerate as well, as the final days of tapered training come around.

Beach to Bay
I must admit that I did focus upon running this past weekend as my Mid-Texas Symphony running team made its second run at the Beach to Bay Relay Marathon in Corpus Christi. This year’s team was slightly reconfigured from last year’s bunch, but remains by employment or familial ties connected to the Mid-Texas Symphony. We thought we might have ended up allowing a non-musician onto the team when we asked Fred Ramirez, hubbie of Dorian, to join us, but it turns out Fred is a former trumpet and baritone player. He’s also, with Dorian, in his second year of triathlon. So, how’d we do? Not bad, he replied, despite the need for some creative logistics. Bottom line is we finished in 3 hours 38 minutes 10 seconds, not bad for a bunch of musicians. The funny thing is we shaved almost 5 minutes off what we ran last year. What's so funny about that? Read on.....

Now I’m the slowest (also the oldest, if that even makes a difference). The young doc-to-be Jonathon Hager is the race horse, which is why we have run him at anchor both years. This year, however, part of the team, including Jon, was staying on Padre Island. This was great for me and Jon’s dad, Steve, since we both had early legs which required us to start on the island. By the time the first wave of runners was finished on the 4 miles of beach (I ran this leg for our team), a Texas sized traffic jam was forming as runners, shuttle buses, and spectators all headed towards the causeway at once. It was bumper to bumper for 8 miles and took almost 2 hours for me to get across and reunited with my leg 2 and 3 runners. Unfortunately, Jon got caught in the mess as he was driving to his handoff point. We all assumed the worst, that we would just have to write off this year’s race to experience. But surprisingly, despite Dorian of leg 5 having to wait at the handoff point for 4 minutes while wondering what had become of Jon, the team finish was good enough to place us in the upper 20 percent overall. We got great legs from all the runners.

Weekend athletes like myself and my teammates will often say we do it for the fun and to simply test ourselves against ourselves, and that is true mostly. I know competitors who say, emphatically, I don’t do fun runs. None of the runners on my team (Dorian and Fred Ramirez, Liz Levin Pittel, Jon and Steve Hager, and myself) turn our noses at fun runs, and Beach to Bay definitely is a fun run, in the very best sense. Nevertheless, as several of us reflected the next day on our performance, we thought of how our finishing time might have looked if not for that 4 minute gap.

“But we’re not competitive,” said one teammate. We looked around the circle and each of us understood the coded message. Just wait till next year!

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I love swimming

Who would have thunk it, that the same guy who was reluctant to get his feet wet 8 or 10 weeks ago, would now declare his love for swimming? Admittedly, I remain apprehensive about encountering open water with hundreds of others all around me. (Oh please don’t kick and scratch me and hold my head under water. <--bad flashback to a cousin who was a bully.)


Now that I have gotten beyond the water wings, I am finding that there is truth in believing the water will support you. And the fluid movement through the water is really a thrill. Not only that, I like the feeling after the workout. The chest feels even more bellowed than when you run hard, or bike hard, and I guess that’s to do with the increase in muscle. I’m first to admit I don’t have the swimmer’s body of Josh Davis, but I do like the increasing upper body strength which is coming with three encounters a week with the pool.

You want to know something else? I like not having to brush the stinging sweat out of my eyes. Maybe there’s a little burn from the chlorine, but your body temperature stays temperate. That said in favor of swimming, there’s still a puzzle in my mind which I raised 5 or 6 weeks ago. I can feel myself dehydrating. Some have said that we do sweat when we swim, it just washes away. But where I dry out is in my mouth and throat. It’s probably not a real issue for a sprint triathlon swim of 750 meters, but surely this must be a concern for the half iron and ironman swims. Does anyone else wonder about this? Is so, please post. I’m dying to know how others address the issue.

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Stress-breaker

As many of you may already know, this blog and the related podcast, iExercise, originate to some degree from Texas Public Radio. I’m James Baker, and my day job (which is actually an evening shift) is hosting classical music on the radio. I’m also a working musician in addition to being a wannabee athlete. But what is important here is the relationship to public radio. I’ll only say it once because I don’t want to sound like a commercial, but if you are reading this and live in the broadcast range of Texas Public Radio (KSTX-89.1 fm, KPAC-88.3 fm, and KTXI-90.1 fm) I encourage you to become a member of Texas Public Radio. Go online to TPR.org to find out more. Please remember that First Tri(athlon) (this blog) and iExercise would not be here if not for Texas Public Radio.


The real reason I mention public radio is that the week of a pledge, or fund, drive is very stressful. I am sure all of you have moments of high stress, whatever your day jobs may be, so listen up. Stressed out, I left work late this afternoon, rode my bicycle to the gym, swam a mile of so, then biked on home. The ride to the gym was challenging in late rush hour traffic, but once I hit the water the stress washed away. After an hour of working out, I left the gym just as some storm clouds lingered in the dimming twilight. The air, cooled by scattered showers, was just right and the ride home was ecstasy.

We train for our health. We train for upcoming competitions where for the most part we compete against ourselves. We train to look good and feel good and all of this is reason enough to make the effort. But today my training was a stress-breaker. It turned a difficult day into a positive day and reminded me that this too is why we exercise.

Turn your day around. Go for a walk, a bike ride, to the gym. Help yourself feel good. And if you want to feel even better, make a pledge to Texas Public Radio.

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If you can train for a triathlon….

If you can train for a triathlon, learn to swim a half mile, mile or more, finesse yourself into becoming one with your bicycle, or find the will to keep running all the way to the finish at 5 kilometers, 10 kilometers or 42 kilometers, then you’ve got what it takes to play the guitar, or the cello, or the horn. The techniques of goal setting, making a disciplined plan to achieve that goal and staying the course are multi-disciplinary. By that I mean that if it gets results in one discipline the same basic plan will get results in another discipline.


Conversely, if you play a musical instrument, practice regularly with goals of proficiency and artistry, you’ve got what it takes to become an athlete. Granted, a marathoner, triathlete, or speed skater might not become the next Wynton Marsalis or Itzhak Perlman or Christina Aguilera. But one can almost guarantee that application of an athlete’s discipline to learning a musical instrument will spell success while application of a musician's discipline to athletics will assist you in your fitness and competition goals.

I am a professional musician with athletic ambition. No, you will never find me on the cover of Runner's World, nor will I ever turn heads at Senior Olympics, but I do succeed at the goals I set by applying to my athletic training the exact same discipline that is necessary to be a professional musician. It’s all about problem solving, staying on task and to a significant degree just plain stubbornness. A musician has to practice on the days he would prefer to goof off. You can practice early in the day or late at night, but you have to practice regularly. An athlete can work out early or late, but she has to work out regularly in order to achieve goals.

Musicians have drills, athletes have drills. I have found that not only does my background as a musician inform my training as an athlete, but my training as an athlete informs my horn playing. All of this is to say that the time, the commitment, the effort in preparing for a triathlon (you could fill in any number of other activities) counts towards other of your life goals as well. In fact, I could argue long and loud that we all become better at what we do if we also strive for athletic success. And remember, the converse is true here as well. If you already do something well, play a musical instrument, write, or garden, you are already several steps into the race when you decide to become an athlete.

So come on. What are we waiting for?

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Swimming gear

A month or so ago I went to visit Carroll Voss at his store, Fleet Feet San Antonio. Carroll is a runner, a tireless race organizer (Big Bend 50K) and also runs an annual marathon training group. He’s a veteran triathlete and one who has given me a good deal of advice and support in my rookie effort at triathlon. Thanks, Carroll.

On this particular visit Carroll brought in a bag full of swimming accessories for me to pick through. Being new to this, I was seeing some of the training devices for the first time. For instance, a pull buoy and hand paddles. Carroll also had three or four goggles, a swim cap which might have come from his first tri, and a pair of very brief Speedos. (I think he said something like “I’m afraid my gut might hang out if I wore these today.” Oops…..sorry Carroll). Truth is, my gut would hang out too. That’s why I swim in a more modest Nike suit.

All of this points to the question of exactly what we do need as we train for the swimming portion of a triathlon (or just to be in swimming shape for the summer). I hope one of our experts will chime in here, or perhaps one of you reading this can enlighten the rest of us. Obviously, we need swim suits. I doubt there is a Hippy Hollow triathlon. Goggles are also a given. But what about nose clips, ear plugs, pull buoys, hand paddles, flippers? And while we are at it, what are the thoughts regarding snorkels (both for training and competition) and wet suits?

I’m just going to bait the line with the above questions and wait.

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Boston marathon report

My friend and fellow musician-triathlete Dorian Ramirez flew up to Boston this week to cheer for her brother in the Boston Marathon. I thought you might be interested in Dorian’s perspective. Thanks Dorian.

“It was well worth the hassle of taking a 6:00am flight to Boston the morning after our concert! Luckily the weather cooperated and I arrived on time to wet and cold conditions. I met my brother and his girlfriend at the convention center and we went to the Expo for a few hours to check out all of the merchandise, then back to the hotel to watch the weather channel to try and gauge the conditions for race day. Early Monday we headed to the race start in Hopkinton with heavy rain, wind and a forecasted 44 degree high. We arrived early enough to get a nice parking spot near the start line and close to the portable toilets (very important) and decide on what clothing should be worn (shorts or tights??). This year the race start was moved early to 10:00am and there were two wave starts. My brother was in the 1st corral so I went up to the front and got to see all of the elite men going to the start line. Around start time the rain let up, but it was still cold and windy. It was something to see all of the trash bags and rain ponchos that had been covering everyone fly through the air.

“After watching all of the runners start, I hopped into the car and drove into Boston to park near the finish line. I was able to watch the elite women and the elite men coming in to the finish and the crowds were unbelieveable...lining both sides of the street and cheering. I worked my way back from the finish, past Boston College to mile 21. I was able to see my brother, but he was concentrating so hard and I couldn't yell loud enough for him to see me. I then worked my way back to the finish line in thick crowds that at times were not even moving. The City of Boston is to be commended on the race. It seemed as if the whole town was interested in the race. Numerous times strangers stopped to ask if we were there for the marathon.

“This was my brother's 15th year to run the marathon. He did well and I was certainly impressed with his time of 3:03. (My goal is to run just one mile at his marathon pace!) His girlfriend also did extremely well at 3:48 (this was her 2nd year to run the race). I'm so proud of what they accomplished. I know it took a lot of hard work and dedication. I had such a great time. It's going to be hard not to go watch it next year :)”

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Wake up and smell the chlorine

There are the rare triathletes who come at the sport from a swimming background. But it seems that most of us come either as runners or as cyclists, both terrestrial based activities. Ask someone new to triathlon what has kept them away from the sport thus far and you are likely to hear something about not being a swimmer. That was my reply, and it continues to be my greatest concern as I count down t minus six weeks to the CapTexTri.

One friend, a veteran marathoner, was flippant when I asked her if she ever planned to do a triathlon. “I don’t swim,” she said. Her manner filled in the rest: “And I don’t intend to start swimming now.” Another marathoner, chasing the qualifying mark for the Boston Marathon, hopped on his bike and was peddling off 15 and 17 mile rides as though they were nothing. He does swim, just not in deep and open water. Will he eventually dip his toe into triathlon? I’m betting so.

All of this is to say that I know many of us fear the water. We cringe at the thought of a deep water panic attack. And as I write this, I acknowledge my own fear of locking up in the open water. But I would not be writing today if all I had to offer was validation of this trepidation. No, I write today to say that progress will come more quickly than you might imagine, but first you have to get in the water and return to the water regularly, three times a week or more.

Looking back at my training log (if you don’t keep one, you probably should) I see notations in week 1 of my 12 week triathlon program of a struggle to log 4 or 500 meters in the pool. I swim in a 25 meter pool at a Gold’s Gym, and for the first few weeks I spent as much time recovering after 25 meters as I did covering that one length of the pool. Swimmers call that half a lap. If I really pulled myself together I could struggle through a full lap. But I kept coming back, determined to find improvement. Midway through the 3rd week I covered a metric mile of 1500 meters, but still swimming only 50-75 meters at a time. Lately I have begun swimming with a Finis brand snorkel and it has enabled me to focus on the stroke and on lengthening my endurance. Maybe the snorkel is a compromise, a crutch, but snorkels are permitted in triathlon and I am told some quite competent swimmers use them. For now, I can report some encouraging progress. Here I am in the early days of week 6, and I just logged a mile and a half, swimming with much greater endurance than even last week.

If I can do it, you can too. One quick additional remark, and I am out of here. When I set out on, let’s say, a 6 mile run, there is usually a point within the first mile where my body might try to talk me into a shorter run. It can trick you, and I am sure many of you have probably had similar experiences. But once you run through that moment of contention (we’re probably just getting our heartrates up to running speed), you realize it was only momentary fatigue and the rest of your run is a breeze. Same thing happens for me when I swim, and it still scares me until I realize that just like running, I need to smooth out the stroke (stride if you are running) and relax so as to postpone any premature oxygen debt. Then the laps begin to accrue and before you know it you are toweling off with a huge smile on your face. Now eat that bowl of ice cream. You earned it.

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Space station marathon

A couple of recent items on television are of interest, one because I am somewhat flustered and the other because it is so neat.

First, a peeve. There was a short item on local San Antonio television suggesting that many of us are overdoing it in terms of exercise. “Do you exercise for an hour or more?” was one of the issues raised. The segment also asked whether you feel a compulsion to exercise, going on to suggest that these issues are indicators of being “addicted” to exercise.

Surely, the issues are much more complex than that, and to suggest that many of us with fitness goals are overdoing it is misleading and, I’m afraid, feeds the epidemic of avoiding exercise. We need to realize that certain goals can’t be accomplished on 30 minutes a day, several days per week. And it’s definitely not a disease to aspire to a high degree of fitness. I’m not saying there is no over-exercise abuse. We all see it. But let’s not cast aspersions upon those who are out there running, jumping, biking, swimming and walking five or six days per week. For the most part these athletes should be our role models.

OK. I’ll step off the soap box now while I encourage you to click on the following links to learn about the marathon which astronaut Sunita Williams ran at the International Space Station as an official participant in the Boston Marathon. At least she had some good weather as she averaged just under 6 mph while the Space Station rushed through space at 5 miles per second!

NASA press release

Boston Marathon run in space station

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Lonestar Triathlon Festival report

When last year I organized a team of six runners from the Mid-Texas Symphony to run in the annual Beach-to-Bay marathon relay in Corpus Christi I found myself short one female runner. I wanted a balanced team of 3 guys and 3 gals, so my friend Liz Levin Pittel, an avid runner, suggested her stand partner and fellow cellist Dorian Ramirez.

I wasn’t sure what kind of runner Dorian was, but signed her on to the team. After all, this was just for fun. On race day we relayed reports back and forth amongst the team each time the baton was passed and it became apparent after Liz ran and especially after Dorian finished her leg of the race that we had a quicker team than any of us had anticipated. It turns out that Dorian was just beginning to stretch herself out as a runner and triathlete. She and her husband Fred raced in last year’s Capital of Texas Tri and this year they are biting into at least a portion of the inaugural Texas Tri Series. Here’s a report Dorian sent me on their participation in the Lonestar Triathlon Festival on April 1, in Galveston.

“Hi. I wanted to give you an update on the quarter Lonestar Tri we did last weekend! We were really worried about the weather. When we left Austin on Sat the storms had passed but of course as we were driving, we drove right into them in Houston. The folks who did the sprint on Sat had horrible conditions. All of their stuff in transition was floating in water when they got out of the swim, but everyone sounded like they made the best of it. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we had no rain, but some nice wind :)

“We swam in the bay (not on the seawall side but the other side). Thank goodness! It was nice and salty and waves went over your head as you swam. It was a new experience for me. While swimming I thought...how do people do Hawaii and Florida where there are real waves??

“We were nice and salty when we jumped on the bike to ride down the coast and we had a strong headwind against us. It was really nice to make the turn and have the wind behind us on the way back!

“The run was curvy and there were plenty of aid stations. The race was really well organized and enjoyable. I finished in 3:09 and Fred finished in 3:20. We felt fine when we finished, other than being a bit sore and tired and headed back to Austin after the race.”

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Two a days

When I first talked to Zetta Young back in December I quickly learned she is not only enthusiastic about offering advice and help, but she also has the experience to know what she is talking about.

Zetta is accomplished in triathlon and also in the individual challenge of marathon. She has qualified for, competed in, and completed the Hawaii Ironman. Ditto for the Boston Marathon. I mention this not so much to brag about Zetta, though she is somewhat reluctant to do it herself, but to clarify that when Zetta offers advice, it is a practiced advice which has worked for her, and probably is something we who are just learning need to heed. In the course of that December conversation, I asked Zetta about her workout schedule.

“Oh, I usually swim a couple of times a week, bike three times a week, and run three times a week,” said Zetta.

I smarted off: “That makes an eight day week.”

“No,” she patiently replied, though she knew I was kidding. “Some days I will bike and run the same day, or swim and bike. And, of course, you take a day off to rest.”

The point of this is to remind us all that in order to train thoroughly for the challenge of a triathlon we have to do double disciplines now and then, especially once the training begins ramping up. Another accomplished athlete who contributes to this blog is Shelly Campbell. Shelly is a coach, an internationally competitive bicyclist and triathlete. She has kindly put together a training program for me as I work towards my first triathlon experience. Needless to say, there are days of double duty. And later in the training schedule there are days to practice the transitions from one part of the tri to another. It all makes sense, especially when you know it comes out of Shelly’s own experience of being competitive and successful as an athlete.

So let’s get with it, triathletes. Within the past week and a half I have practiced some of what Zetta and Shelly preach. It’s a different experience to run and swim on the same day, or to bike and swim as I did today. Sure, I will eventually put these into the proper sequence and also practice the “bricks” (biking followed by running) which I anticipate WILL be as difficult as everyone says it is. My experience so far is that it is a blast. You work out hard in one discipline, get the endorphins kicking, then leap into the next sport and get that endorphin rush. It feels good to work out hard and feel so great about it afterwards. You begin to get that taste in your mouth that Josh Davis once mentioned to me. Said Josh: "Nothing tastes as good as being fit."

If you’re training for a competition, or just working to get fit, I hope you will chime in on this discussion. Let us know what you are up to. And by all means, let’s take advantage of having Shelly and Zetta on board to help us all out. Additionally, though I didn’t give a proper introduction to Jeff Campbell, he’s our cyclist and will be glad to address any bike related issues. Let’s use these resources!

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Swimming progress

I guess it must have been my dad who first taught me how to swim. He wasn’t a particularly good swimmer, so you can imagine what kind of swimmer he made of me.

Nevertheless, I spent a lot of time in a pool during the summer months as I grew up in Victoria, Texas. We lived just a quarter mile of so from what was the only public pool at that time in Victoria. It was called Pleasure Island; much of the pleasure was buying frozen candy bars at the concession stand with whatever nickels and dimes my brothers and I had managed to pull together. If you found one of us at the pool, you likely found all three brothers at the pool, and I guess in retrospect that is a remembered pleasure.

My first “real” job was as a basket boy at Pleasure Island, working for 25 or 30 cents an hour for Coach Gilstrap. Pool patrons were issued numbered baskets in which they put their clothes and other belongings. The basket boy took care of the baskets while the swimmers swam. It wasn’t a bad job. It was in the shade and I got to swim free on my days off.

You would think with this much early experience around a swimming pool I would be a swimmer. But again, the only instruction I had back then was from my dad. I never really learned a proper stroke, though I prided myself in swimming long underwater distances on my elastic lungs. I swam less in high school, maybe Pleasure Island had closed by then, so my next experience was a semester or two of swimming at UT Austin during my freshman year. The coach wasn’t much engaged, though we did come away with a vague understanding of a crawl, a backstoke, the breaststroke and the butterfly. Mostly we thrashed in the pool at the old Gregory Gymnasium playing a lot of water polo. Final exam was to swim a mile.

That was more than a third of a century ago (it’s scary when I think of it that way). During the intervening years I have rarely done more than swim across a pool now and then before opting to lounge at poolside. Thus my reluctance when this triathlon thing came up. How in the world would I manage even the relatively short distance of 750 meters in a sprint triathlon? The first few times back in the water brought to my mind the image of a turtle swimming with its head high out of the water, while the frantic thrashing of my arms was like a windmill. Be calm, I said to myself, and see what comes. I have gotten a few bits of advice (still need more) and have watched with interest other swimmers of varying abilities. I like to believe I have begun to print that mental image of the good swimmers upon the physical reality of my thrice weekly swims. My distances in the water have increased at an encouraging pace. Yesterday I duplicated that final swimming exam at UT all those years ago, and I suspect I may even know better what I’m doing today than I did in 1967. That’s some progress.

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Kitchen scales, or bathroom scales?

Let’s talk diet, chew the fat (as they say) about the somewhat contradictory nature of how we eat, why we eat, and what we should eat.

Although we all know some general rules, like cut down on the junk food, the fast food, the fat and calorie laden food, how many really abide by these general rules? Not many, from the looks of our general population. Come on, let’s dig in and resist the popular and hedonistic approach to eating. Without making this commitment, how are we going to achieve other related goals of fitness and discipline?

But I digress, for what I am really thinking about is the disparity between the non-athlete’s need to “diet” and the athlete’s quite different needs. To confuse the two can be counterproductive at best and debilitating at worst. When I think of diet, it’s the traditional rules which come to my mind: count the calories, read the labels, burn some calories. That’s it in a nutshell: don’t intake more calories than you burn, and take in even fewer calories if you intend to lose weight. But how does this apply to the athlete?

First, I love the definition given me by Shelly Campbell that we become athletes when we make the commitment to exercise and become physically active, whether it be swimming, running, biking, dance aerobics or aggressively walking (a saunter won’t do it). As athletes we now must adjust our ideas about dieting in order to insure we aren’t jeopardizing the fuel supply we need for our increased physical activity. Yet we are trapped by the old concepts, the basic dieting which is done by the less active. We do our best to practice calorie counting, portion control and resisting those tempting and harmless looking cookies which pack 150 calories into each mouthwatering morsel. We lose weight, or at least stabilize the situation as muscle begins to displace fat. But here the trouble begins for many of us.

There’s been a crusade against carbohydrates and I suppose there are some valid arguments to support squeezing back on carbs. That is, unless you are a practicing athlete. Higher levels of physical activity require carbohydrates as the fuel source. If you run as exercise, you need to insure you are getting enough carbs in your diet. Yes, it’s one more thing to have to count, and one more listing we must seek out when reading labels on packaged foods. We also should become familiar with measuring portions when we are preparing our foods from scratch. I admit that I don’t, and that’s good reason for us all to add this additional layer to our dietary control. Let’s discuss this sooner than later within the context of this public forum.

Another huge concern which probably also requires dietary scales in our kitchens is the issue of protein. So maybe an Atkins style diet has it at least partially right for the athlete by emphasizing the importance of protein in the diet. The latest I have read, in an article titled “Protein Power”(by Matthew Kadey) in the March-April 2007 edition of Geezerjock magazine, presents yet another formula we have to consider in designing our proper diet. According to the article, if you are into a program of heavy endurance training, like marathon running or long distance cycling (and I guess triathlon would qualify), then you ought to be consuming 0.6-0.7 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. We are all going to need to revisit our daily diets and insure that we are not penalizing ourselves and our performance by getting too little protein. And when we get that protein is also of some importance! I have seen studies which indicate we have a 45 minute window of opportunity after exercising to intake a combination of carbs and protein, this window allowing the most efficient opportunity for the body to put these dietary items to use. According to the article already cited in Geezerjock, “it’s recommended that one consume at least 12-15 grams of protein within 30 minutes after exercise.”

As you can see, dieting is an altogether different beast once you begin training for the big event, or for the rest of your life. Let’s get together and begin using the kitchen scales, not the bathroom scales, as the measure of where we are headed in this exciting adventure of fitness and discovery.

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Runner's high

All who exercise, especially those who exercise vigorously, come away with a sensation of elation: call it a runner’s high, a biker’s high.....

(and I’m not talking about the high those guys on the Harleys sometimes have), whatever. If you exercise, you know what I’m speaking of. If you don’t, you likely believe we are simply delusional, or just dishonest about this sensation which accompanies the measurable benefits of lowered heart rate, improved blood pressure, etc. Olympic gold medal swimmer Josh Davis once told me how he just enjoyed swimming laps, training, training, and more training. There’s sometimes a perverse pleasure athletes get from the hurt, but I would bet what drove Josh and drives all other athletes, at all levels, is that endorphin high. And there’s such a sense of accomplishment, too. Combine the high and the satisfaction during and after a workout and we get at the essence of why we exercise and why those who do so wish everyone else would too. We guarantee there would be a lot less workplace stress, probably less crime, never a cloudy day, everyone would find the gold at the end of the rainbow (well, I guess I've gone overboard here) and we surely would all live longer.

See Can Exercise Make Me High?

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The myth of swimming

Runners are an opinionated bunch. I know because I am a runner, and I am opinionated.

When we as runners chose running over other exercises each of us had our reasons. For one thing, it’s pretty economical. Shoes are the main expense and most can get themselves on the road with an outlay of under $100. Although running itself is not so easy, getting there certainly is, as long as you don’t mind running on pavement. Just suit up, go out the door, stretch for a few minutes and run. Assuming you have no skeletal or muscular injuries and are not prone to such, running is one of the most effective ways to get a very good cardiovascular workout.

Of course we as runners more than likely considered some other exercise disciplines, primarily biking and swimming. Now isn’t that interesting? They are the other two-thirds of the triathlon! So why didn’t we start out with a mix of the three, or maybe a focus upon biking or swimming? Putting aside for a moment the economics of the decision many, like me, passed on the other disciplines because we read or heard that although they are great exercise they are nevertheless less workout than running. The argument goes something like this: the better you get at swimming, the less workout you will achieve. Efficiency comes at a price, and that same argument can be applied to biking. You often hear that an hour of biking is NOT the same workout as an hour of running, and that’s quite possibly so. I’m no authority on this, just opinionated.

So if we’re so darned sure of the superiority of running, why do we shake in our boots when we decide to (tri)athlon? Well, for one thing, the boots will definitely sink us when we try to swim in them. But aside from that, we are insecure about learning a new skill, especially swimming. And a few sessions in the pool certainly convinced me that this was some hard work ahead. Truth is, we runners who are just taking to the water have a long way to go before we become so efficient in our swimming that we minimize our one hour workout. In fact, until I got some recent feedback from a couple of efficient swimmers, I had about concluded that the running world’s snobbery about running being better exercise than swimming was contrived. But this weekend I spoke to a friend who swims but doesn’t run who opined that she gets less benefit as she gets more efficient in the water. Hmm. Then I got an email from Zetta Young, a strong and efficient swimmer.

Zetta wrote: “It is so much harder for [the beginner] and personally it p***es me off because they burn more calories than I do and swim less!”

So…..I guess we runners, in our opinionated way, have got it right about swimming being a lighter workout. Problem is, we have months, if not years, of drills and laps to swim before we begin sliding onto the downside of the curve. I have to say, my hat is off to the swimmers (and the cyclists). The embarrassing truth is that they could probably beat me at my game of running long before I will keep pace with them at their sports.

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Capitol 10K: a fun experience

As I have stated before in this blogspace, I am not a particularly fast runner and 5 and 10k races are often a struggle for me. Nevertheless, I had a great time at this year's running of the Capital 10K over in Austin.

Despite the efforts of race organizers to sign up 30 thousand participants, this 30th running of an Austin tradition found around 15 thousand takers shoulder to shoulder, curb to curb up and down Congress Avenue. I couldn't resist looking back as I reached the Capitol grounds in order to marvel at the spectacle of all those runners and walkers in the early stages of the race.

The Capitol 10K is really several races rolled into one. First, there are the wheel chair athletes. Then the block of several hundred "rabbits" who sprint away with intentions of prize money, ranking or crossing the finish at around half an hour. Following are the serious runners who train year-round and race in pursuit of new personal bests or just for the thrill of being in shape. And finally there are those who participate in the Capitol 10K for the tradition of fun, costumes and being a part of this Austin tradition.

A course record which had stood for 10 years was bested by Nicodemus Malakwen, a 25-year-old from Chapel Hill, who won the race in 29:42. The winning woman was Austin's Albina Gallyamova who finished in 35:28. It's difficult to not admire these elite runners and my hat is certainly off to them. But my hat's off as well to the humorous, sometimes odd, costumed runners. My personal favorites were a fellow in a business suit, carrying a briefcase, and the lady who ran in a colorful Flamenco outfit.

Friends asked me if I wore a costume. I suppose I masqueraded as a runner. Nevertheless, the bottom line was I had fun, as did most all of the runners, walkers and strollers in this years "run." With lots of future events coming up in the San Antonio/Central Texas area, maybe you too will consider a 5 or 10k in your future.

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Prisoner of the blue lines

Joni Mitchell sings of becoming “a prisoner of the white lines of the freeway” and I can’t help but relate this to the “prisoner of the blue lines of the swimming pool."

I really should be thankful for those blue lines because they at least keep me from swimming in circles, something I have been assured is a possibility once I get into the open water of Boerne City Lake or Austin’s Town Lake. Those blue lines at the pool also alert me to the approaching wall at the end of the lane, the opportunity to grasp the edge and catch one’s breath or to simply touch, do whatever degree of turnaround you can manage, then retrace that same blue line to the opposite end of the pool. I haven’t been at this long enough to despise the blue line, but I would guess there will come the time to liberate myself from the enclosure of a pool and try my stroke in open water. The thought of that still leaves me breathless, so for now I am quite content to continue as a “prisoner of the blue lines of the 25 meter pool," at least for the time being.

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Hot weather means hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Congratulations to the (by my quick count) 69 finishers of last weekend’s Prickly Pear 50K, put on by the San Antonio Roadrunners. The Prickly Pear 10 miler, which I thought about running but didn’t, was finished by over 300 runners.

It’s a reminder that there are plenty of distance and trail challenges right here in the San Antonio area. Also, the Spring racing season gets off to both a highly competitive and zany start with the Capital 10K this coming Sunday in Austin. I do plan to run that race, but with no fast time goal. It’ll be just for the fun of it, and an excuse to run with the huge pack of thousands. In fact, race organizers claim to be shooting for 30 thousand runners for this, the 30th running of the Capitol 10K.

I know the 10K is supposed to be sort of a benchmark for assessing your running, but since I pretty much found my “comfort” zone with longer distances it has been easy for me to write off 5K and 10K distances as too short for a slower runner such as me. Truth is, I hate doing wind sprints and other speed work, though I will do them when they come around on the workout schedule Shelly Campbell has given me ;-). No, really, I’ll do them ;-) This darned keyboard…..I can’t seem to turn the emoticon lock off ;-)

Spring arrives officially tomorrow, on the 21st, but in reality it’s been with us for about the last 4 weeks or so. This means the outdoor workouts are going to entail dealing with warmer and then hotter temperatures. With the recent rains humidity is also a growing factor which will work against us pretty much the next 6 months or more. Good hydration, always a factor, becomes even more important.

A friend in Austin just wrote: “Today I did a brick and didn't do as well as I had hoped on the run because I was too dehydrated.” The veterans say drink before you become thirsty. By the time your body lets you know, it’s already too late. And I have become more and more a proponent of hydrating with products such as Heed, from Hammer Nutrition. This is a good electrolyte replacement and is IMHO superior to water alone. There are some other manufacturers of similar products, so we are no longer limited to Gatorade or Powerade. I would encourage novice athletes to investigate these various “aids” to running, biking and other strenuous exercise.

This brings me to a thank you to Carroll Voss of Fleet Feet San Antonio, who has been generous in sharing his experience in triathlon with me, and has also given me generous samples of the Hammer products to use during my training run up to the Capital of Texas Triathlon on Memorial Day. Thanks, Carroll!

You may have noticed I didn’t list swimming with the strenuous exercise which demands proper hydration. This is because I am ignorant in this sport and would encourage my co-contributors, or any readers with knowledge on the topic, to inform us on the when and how of hydration when one is swimming. And while someone hopefully picks up this topic, I am off to the pool to swim some laps.

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And now there are three

I know some runners who swim, not with intentions of adding triathlon to their goals but merely as a less-stress workout. And I know runners who bike for much the same reason: they want to spare their legs and joints the pounding of running while still getting in something of a workout. So the three disciplines of triathlon would seem to complement each other since each activity requires different muscle groups and entirely different repetitive motions.

However, what I am finding in the early going is that the bottom line, how hard are you training and how tired are you one day to the next, indicates considerably greater expenditure of energy at the end of a week juggling all three activities. I say to myself, oh how I would love to trade in a day of swimming or a day on the bike for a nice 12 mile run.

At the pool finally, I remarked that swimming, in these early stages anyhow (the last time I swam with any regularity was [gasp!] 35 years ago) seems much more difficult than running. A swimmer replied that he detests running and loves the fact that the water and not your legs support your body in swimming. I guess its obvious that all is relative.

When I think back to three or four years ago, when I restarted a running regimen after many years off, the first jogs were extremely fatiguing. I kept myself going with the promise I could stop and walk after a couple of hundred yards; but the other promise I made myself was that I would return day after day to run more. This deal-making went on for weeks. The success I eventually had is attributable to the fact that all the deals were made, none were broken. So my conclusion now is that succeeding in the water is going to require of me the same deal-making I used for making myself into a runner.

Are you a runner reluctant to dive into the sport of swimming? Or have you made the transition successfully? We would sure love to hear from you and learn what worked for your success.

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Legal or illegal bikes?

My friend Mary Dell recently left the following comment/query:

I was wondering what the specifications are for the bike part in a triathlon.I've been introduced to folding bicycles, and although they look a little funny, they are fun to ride. Are there officials checking the bikes at the beginning and ending of that segment to insure nothing 'funny' is going on?

Surely one of our true bicyclist/triathletes will know the real answer to this.
Shelly? or maybe Jeff Campbell might want to respond?

I would say that Pee-wee's bicycle, especially when he kicks it into overdrive,would not pass muster. It's just a little too cranked up.

And that ET bicycle, how in the world does it take off like that? There's something beyond people power propelling it through the air! If not, I'll take one of 'em.

Now I'll admit that I'm thinking of tricking out my bicycle too with the old cards in the spokes trick. I'd say that one would be legal.

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Black Gap 50K on iExercise

I just published a new segment of iExercise which recounts the January 2007 running of the Black Gap 50K ultra-run in Big Bend National Park. The race is organized very professionally by Carroll Voss of Fleet Feet San Antonio.

Check it out. The segment is called, quite logically, iExercise021 – Black Gap 50K.

James

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Bumps and bruises

It looks like we're off and rolling on this blogging and triathlon experience. And I'm also off and rolling. After years of locomotion purely on my two feet, I now am peddling madly my sporty red Trek bicycle.

I've always said that red makes cars go faster, and I am about to believe the same about bikes. First, let me admit I'm no stranger to two wheels. I ride a motorcycle. It's not red, but it goes fast. Still, this has proved no preparation for the nimble and fast bicycle you see pictured on this page. I'm still getting the hang of it, but I must say this bicycle is the fastest human powered machine I have ever ridden.

My two coaches, Shelly and Zetta, can surely tell you more about biking than I will ever be able to relate, but I can give a few observations which might help those of you who have never ridden a bicycle intended for speed. First, the cleated shoes which lock to the pedals take some getting used to. Most of you, more coordinated than I, will perhaps master the art of unlocking at least one foot from the pedal before braking to a halt. I'm getting better at it, but my irregular learning curve has made me thankful for riding with a helmet and gloves. Of course, you all are riding with helmets, aren't you?

Today's riding surprises were twofold. I am getting better at unlocking the cleats from the pedal and making more or less safe stops (I don't claim any gracefulness just yet). But today I was working myself up a steep hill and had to stop just short of the top. How to keep the bike moving forward as I wrestle one foot free of the pedal is a mystery to me. Down I went, looking somewhat like a Monty Python caricature falling off one's bike. I tackled that same hill several times, but with an alternate tack which avoided the tricky dismount. I'll go at it again soon.

As they say about being thrown from a horse: get right back up in the saddle. So far, I have been able to remount. However, at a moderate rate of speed I hit a drainage grate in the road. This caused what was practically an end over end crash which left me licking some superficial but nevertheless impressive looking abrasions. I expect I'll have a few bruises glowing by tomorrow. But again, I got back on the horse that threw me, like the good cowboys at last month's rodeo. Who says it's not tough to ride a bike?

What are your experiences at riding or being thrown from a speeding bicycle? Post a comment and let's talk about it.

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