Windy Point

Climbed to Windy Point today - what a glorious ride! Preparing for the GABA Mt Lemon climb next week. And my rt knee began to bother me around Prison Camp....hhhmmm wonder if it was that strength training yesterday? Think I'll back off the weight room until after the Mt. Lemon climb. 

Here's Bill, Gwen, Cindy, and Russ at Windy Point enjoying the view.

The Importance of Strength Training

Just finished reviewing a new text from Human Kinetics, Strength Training Seniors, An Instructor's  Guide to Designing Safe and Effective Programs. It was a kick in the butt reminder of the importance of strength training to maintain muscle mass and bone health, to elevate BMR and promote positive body composition, in addition to improving functional abilities and physical performance.

Being the cardio queen that I am, I was feeling quite guilty about not including upper and lower body strengthening exercises into my weekly routine. Hey, I do ab curls and push-ups several times a week... So into the weight room I go to begin with 3 basic leg exercises: leg extensions, leg curls, and leg press. 1 set of 15 reps to start focusing more on muscle endurance then strength.

I followed this with a 2000yd swim workout, so the upper body exercises will wait until another day. I hadn't been in the weight room in so  long I had to be instructed on the new LifeFitness equipment which each had about 4 adjustments per machine.

I'll let you know how it goes. However, even a 20-25% increase in strength (which could be attained in 2 months with a consistent program) is significant. Maybe this will help to improve my climbing!

Moms and Daughters

A wonderful lunch with our mothers at the Arizona Inn. Flowers in full bloom with lush gardens of snap dragons. Here's Shelley, Donna, Shirley, and Gwen.

An outrageous Ride on the Mountain

Oh what a ride up to Bear Canyon today! I was grinning the entire way up and down the mountain. A glorious day to be on the bike. Tucson is heating up, but above 5,000 ft it gets nice and cool and then you start smelling the pines as you ride into Bear Canyon. What could be better.

Girls who Walk Softly and Carry BIg Sticks

Another tough day at the  office!

Four Fast Women

Here are those fast strong women on the Club Cactus Dove Mt. ride. Gwen, Ingrid, Cindy and Kris. A nice 40-miler and a great day to ride!

La Playa Vida

A shot of Tequila!

What an event! Ideal conditions. Strong swim considering I swam off course and the kayaks had to veer me back in the right direction. Couldn’t see the last buoy with the sun glare. I should have realized it when I was swimming effortlessly along with no one around me. I had a 13:28 swim split on my watch.

Great bike, I lasered onto the riders in front of me and just kept picking them off...one at a time. I love the bike! Tough run...hips seem to lock up coming off the bike and legs feel like tree trunks. Hot  and hilly...I walked the up hills. Final quarter mile soft sand run along the beach was brutal (they made you work for that Corona!). Crossed the finish line, collapsed into the slip and slide like a beached whale and let the water jets soothe my very hot and tired body. Then it was off to the water tent and onto Corona, quesadias and salsa. I had a 34:45 run split on my watch - not too bad considering the up hills and soft sand.

Unofficial 1:48, 26th overall woman, 1st place age group. Added a new flavor this year for all age group winners...a shot of tequila! Party time. However, my true reward...two 30-something women came up and told me how tough I was on the bike. They were trying to stay with me and couldn’t hold on. Said “I was inspiring”. That made me smile and says it all.

Corona and Slip and Slide at the Finish - What Glee!

Calm seas, wearing a wetsuit, swimming in salt water. Swim should be easy...then it's a 200 yd run in soft sand to transition area, 16 mile bike, and 5 K run. A longer bike course plays to my advantage. The run course is hilly and could be quite warm. Finale is a 300 yard run down the beach in soft sand (again - they make you work for that Corona!), cross the finish line and into a HUGE slip and slide. OH what JOY. I won't have to worry about someone holding me up as I cross the line...I'll just collapse and slide gleefully to that Corona tent.

Well, time to pour myself into that wetsuit. Thank goodness for Body Glide.

Room with a View

Seamless trip to Rocky Point. No banditos, federales, coyotes, or drug runners. Just a few dust devils. Tested 72 degree water - rough out there. Winds should calm tonight and I'll be wearing wet suit in the morning. 588 athletes this year, a might smaller then in the past. Lots of youngsters from Phoenix - party animals.

Wave 4 - sprint women take the plunge at 9:12 - high tide. Transition opens at 7 so it's beddy bye with a good book and then lights out.

A Frisky Spin

It was knickers, arm warmers, and finger gloves this morning. Loving these cool mornings. The heat is a coming soon! Short 12 mile frisky spin this morning to limber up the legs for Rocky Point on Saturday.

Packing up all the tri gear is a lot of work. Don't want to forget anything...like your bike shoes.

A Desert Morning

The Birds welcome, the sun lightens. a warm breeze caresses, the mountains beckon. A day begins anew. A day of rest, work, shiatsu treatment, rekindling.

Taper for Rocky Point

Great 25 miler with Cactus Cycling on Monday and and light 1700 yd swim today in preparation for Rocky Point Triathlon this weekend. Looking forward to beach time and that cerveza at the finish line!

83 Years Young

Celebrating Dad's 83rd birthday with family and Green Valley friends. A delightful evening!

A Colorful Jelly Bean Ride

What an outrageously beautiful day after the rains. The smell of the desert permeates the air. Everyone out for the bunnies on bikes Cactus Cycling ride this morning to Starr Pass and the west side. Here's top bunnies - Roberta, Shawna, and Carolyn. What an ideal day to be on the bike!

The Only Duck in the Pond

Cold, wet, cloudy and yes snow in the mountains! A great day for ducks and I was the only duck in the pond today. The water was delicious. I love swimming when it's inclement...reminds me of Michigan.

Epic Rides

Hey, check out http://www.epicplanet.tv. Their indoor cycling DVDs will keep you inspired. They are in Tucson filming three spectacular southwest desert rides - Gates Pass, Mt. Lemon, and Saguaro East. 5 cyclists from Cactus Cycling filmed the Saguaro East ride today.

Here's Allen mounting the cameras on the car and Jerry and Allen mounting the bike camera. Started filming at Le Buzz - rode to SE - two loops with numerous stops, starts and retakes.

The epic riders got a break after the second loop climb on the back side of SE...Shawna, Gwen, Jerry, Dave, and Howard. 6 hours of sun, wind and outdoor time. It's tough being a movie star.

We've known each other how many years?

Class of 1977/78...UA friends and alums. When Maggie and family comes to town it is  a wonderful opportunity to get together, cook, eat, drink wine, tell stories, laugh, and catch up on life. Here's Shelley, Diana, Kathy, Maggie, Gwen and daughters Amy and Suzannah. 

Hey Matt, thanks for being the photographer!

Foiled Swim

So what does one do when they get to the pool to swim and it is closed? Well of course go shopping! Bought two great dresses. Forgot today was Jewish Holiday, Passover. How disappointing as it was a splendid day to be in the pool and I was feeling good. But I'll feel quite good wearing those new dresses too.

The wildflowers are fading fast, but the palo verdes are peaking. Such a vibrant yellow! 

The Chocolate Divas

At DSWFitness we love chocolate!! Here's Lisa dishing up that decadent chocolate mousse cake after our 2009/2010 strategic planning meeting. Purists - NOT.

Volume Reduction

Yes, reducing the training volume is significantly assisting with recovery and motivation.

Coach Norman's interval training last night focused on RPM work:

warmup

2 min 110rpm (small chain ring), 2min ri X 3

20 sec 95-100rpm, 40 sec ri X 10

15 sec all out spin (i held 132-137), 15 sec ri X 10

40 pedal strokes big gear on the 2 min X 3

cooldown

Yes, those FT mucsle fibers got called up!

Shortened but brisk ride with Cactus his morning - 18 mi. Legs felt peppy and it was great to keep the distance short.

Plan for Rocky Point Tri - keep the volume down, intensity up. Short taper.

Overtraining

Fatigue...a hallmark of overtraining, which is best described as decreased work  capacity resulting from an imbalance between training and rest. Yes, one must travel close to the "valley of fatigue" to optimize recovery and adaptation. The idea is to go to the edge and then back off. Plunging into the valley is not desirable and causes the overtraining indicators to to rear their ugly head. Smart training is knowing where your edge is. In addition, older athletes require more rest/recovery than younger athletes in the training cycle.

Having said this...I think I overtrained and am now struggling with fatigue, lack of motivation, sluggishness and joint stiffness. To adequetly recover I am backing down the volume and aiming for a maintenance program with short bouts of interval training during the week to fire those FT fibers and prepare for the Rocky Point Triathlon in 11 days.

No Run Today

Woke thinking today is a good day for a  run, but I could not get out of bed or motivated to get out the door. At 8:30 and 67 degrees I grabbed my ipod and stepped outside. Ugh...hot and my ipod was dead. I can't do this, plus I felt half hung over from toooo much wine the previous night. OK - bag it! I'll swim later and try to clear my head.  A LSD swim that felt like I was moving through molasses.

500 warmup

500 stroke work

descending ladder:

400 - 40 sec ri

300 - 30 sec ri

200 - 20 sec ri

100 - 10 sec ri

200 cooldown

No alcohol for me tonight during the MSU v. NC game. Water only please!

A Windy Descent

Rode to Prison Camp this morning. Windy on the way up until Molino Basin and then a tail wind up to Prison Camp. Cautious descent. Cold, which makes for a stiff body, and treacherous wind. Feathered the brakes the entire way down. And I do not like to brake on a down hill!

Need to ride the mountain more consistantly to build strength and improve climbing.

An Early Morning Hike

Hit the trail to Blackett's at 6:15, watched the sun come up and it is always a great vista from the top. Not really anything else I would have rather been doing on this stunning Tucson morning. The desert is still bathed in coolness in the early morning and the Ocotillos with their flaming red spikes were delightful along with the fusia hedgehogs which are starting to flower.

Get out and enjoy this day!

Blooming Beautiful

O amarelo e a cor do deserto! Portuguese for "yellow is the color of the desert". The yellow flora and fauna is in full bloom - palo verde, desert marigold, brittle bush, creosote. Yellow means warm weather is not far off. So get out there today and par take. It's free!

Easing into the Week

Easy recovery ride with Cactus on Monday, light swim on Tuesday (my upper left trap is bothering me on the swim), nice 26 miler out through Saguaro East today with the boys in yellow. The ocotillos were spectacular with their brilliant red plumes. A Shiatsu treatment this afternoon. My therapist recommended a few days off as my body is quite depleted.

Yes, the all out effort on Sunday was more fatiguing then I realized. Rest I will, no need  to incur or exacerbate injury or illness. Rocky Point Triathlon coming up fast, April 19th.