Workout: 6/29

Swim Workout @ Merritt DAC
800m warm up
1,000m workout- 10x100m sprint (approx 2min, w/ 30 min recovery)
400m cool down

I am a slow swimmer. There is no denying it. warm up was fine, it took me less than 20 minutes to swim 800m but honestly that should take me like 10 min not almost 20. I'm getting there...
The intervals were tricky for sure. In a 20 yard pool, I have to do 5 laps to equal 100yds and the clock at the DAC pool is broken. That being said, I can't get an official time of each interval since I finish on the opposite side of the pool than my watch. Oh well. I find that as I become more fatigued during "sprints", I start breathing erratically which subsequently makes it harder. As I turn (NOT a flip turn) I notice I push off the wall while holding my breath, and upon every breath I take, I hold my breath for a couple seconds once my head is submerged again. The rythym during faster swims is not quite there yet.

MRI tonight

Finally, finally finally I will be getting an MRI of my ankle tonight. No orbital X ray needed after all, phew. Maybe the radiology tech will be able to read them for me? If not, I have to wait until Thursday for info...wish me luck!

Philly Tri Weekend

College roommate, fellow teammate and one of my closest friends, Michele competed this past Sunday in the 5th Annual Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon. Her performance in all three disciplines were stellar and a significant PR overall in the Olympic distance. Swim was approx 18:40, 67th out of the water. After a bit of trouble with her wetsuit during T1 from swim to bike, she squeezed out of that sucker and fiercely made her way onto the 25 mile bike course. (T1-2:37)
Watching the cycling portion was intense! Anxiety mounted as we waited for a brief glimpse of Michele from our static vantage point. There were two loops, so we had...2 opportunities. From what I remember, she negative split the second 12 miles or so putting her at 1:10:07 for the bike. T2 was seamless at 1:13 and she was off for the run portion.

10K (6.2 miles) is pretty challenging by itself so I can only imagine the pain after coming off a 1 mile swim and 25 mile bike, neither of which I could comfortably do independently. It was approximately 8:49AM when Shell started the 10K so I knew she was on pace to finish by 9:30AM which was her goal. The run was a turn-around course which everybody always loathes as the anticipation of the turn-around cone is a dreadful feeling but Shel pulled through in 42:13 for the 10K. Her finish time was a tremendous 2:14.53! This put her ahead of several of the Pro female competitors which bodes very well for her as she hopes to go Pro by the end of this season. Her 7th place amateur female finish counts as 1 of 3 needed to qualify within USAT standards for a "Pro card". Keep it up girl, it's going to happen before you know it! Complete results can be found here.

I couldn't be more proud. This crazy lady has shown me that with lots and lots and lots of training and complete dedication, she seriously can do anything. I totally thought that anecdote was a joke but honestly with some natural talent and unbridled intensity with training, it can be done! I only hope I can find something I am that passionate about...soon enough :)

I definitely have respect for this "sport". I only put quotations because its sort of a fusion of sports creating another sport? Strange...but compelling nonetheless. There are so many unique nuances to the sport that I knew nothing about before; like the complexities of transitions, people take their bike shoes off while still ON the bike before their dismount...the drafting rules, etc...the apparel, there is SO much that goes into the apparel for these sports. With running, all I really need is a sports bra and sneakers; to train for a Tri you need like thousands of dollars worth of equipment. The amount of accessories and perceived necessities make becoming a "tri geek" almost inevitable. Ha.

6/26: Lunch Workout

Lifting Workout:
3x (5 chin ups, 10 hanging leg lifts)
5x (10 overhead squats w/ bar-45lbs, 5 russian deadlift)
2x10 (straight arm lift- front, straight arm lift-side, butterfly lift, curl and press-all 10lb dumbells)
2x10 hanging push-ups?

Quick and easy lifting regimen, just to get something in as I will not have time to get anything done this afternoon. I'm off to Philadelphia to watch my friend rock the Philly Tri! Woo hoo!

Beastly Begley Kills 10,000m @ USATF Nat'ls

Stud of the meet thus far, Amy Yoder Begly stomped the stadium record at Hayward Field in the 10,000m final set last year by Olympic Trials champion and fellow Olympian, Shalane Flanagan. Her time of 31:22.69 was a substantial PR and edged out Flanagan by a little over a second (31:23.43). Begley's time moves her to #9 on the Top US Womens 10,000m History list. Hopefully this will be covered tonight on ESPN! Watch it, I have a feeling the Flanagan/Begley battle was pretty intense.

More official results from yesterday's prelims and finals found here.

USA Track & Field Nationals!

June 25-28, 2009
University of Oregon-Hayward Field
Eugene, Oregon

TV Schedule:
ESPN, June 26, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET
ESPN, June 27, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. ET
NBC, June 28, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. ET

Stud Profile:

Geena Gall has already qualified for the next round of competition in the 800m after finishing third in the prelims yesterday at Hayward Field (2:04.92). Her lifetime PR (2:00.80) at this years NCAA championships not only granted her another NCAA title in this event, it also happens to be the nations leading time. Semifinals will be conducted tonight at 5:45. This should be shown in tonight's coverage on ESPN. Go Blue!

More information and athlete preview can be found on the USATF site.

6/25: Workout

PM Workout: Swim/Pool Run
5x400m @ 8 min
30min pool run @ effort, last 5 min w/out belt

I am now wearing a boot on my right foot so I am forcing myself to be extra vigilant in not putting extra stress on my foot. That includes no biking, erging and the obvious-running. Therefore I am back to the pool! I decided to split up the mile swim that I am now able to accomplish, into intervals so I could try working on "picking up the pace"...which is a relative expression when you are swimming at the pace of an 80 year old woman. Intervals went well, felt smooth and breathing has been much more consistent as of late. Yes!

The Pool run was fine. Unless I am actively ramping intensity up and down during intervals, I feel like I'm not really accomplishing anything. Hopefully my heartrate was up a bit, definitely removing the water belt the last 5 minutes made it difficult. At that point, form was not a factor :)

6/23: Workout

AM Pool Swim: 1500m, 38 min

I swam my first mile without stopping! Huge breakthrough for me. I was able to regulate my breathing and RELAAAAAX. It definitely wasn't physically demanding but surely was an accomplishment in my book.

Lunch Crossfit Workout:
8x deep squats for 20 sec, 10 sec off (in squat position)
8x push ups for 2o sec, 10 sec off (in plank position)
3x kettle bells with 25 lbs for 40 sec, 20 sec off
3x Squat, Push Press with 45 lb bar, 4o sec, 20 sec off
3x Horizontal pull-up for 40 sec, 20 sec off

First two exercises were intense with such short rest in active position and so many sets. I think the quality of the sets would have been higher if there were less sets or not active time off in between sets. The lighter weight but non-stop reps felt good for muscle endurance but was definitely a challenge. I love feeling like I got a legit workout done in just 30 minutes; to me, that in itself is one of the strengths of crossfit. You are in and out and feel like you accomplish a hell of a lot. I just wish form was stressed more with their workouts. It tends to be more brawn then grace, leading to a musculature I've observed to be more bulky then defined. Food for thought :)

Feedback: UA Revenant Trainers

Just bought the UA Revenant stability trainers yesterday. Obviously won't be able to try them out running but have been wearing them as my primary walking/workout shoe thus far. The stabilizing material on the medial side feels sturdy but there's a bit more give across the forefoot causing my foot to slide from side to side. This is definitely where the "biomorphic fit" of several of the higher end Asics shoes would come into play.

With all of my foot contraptions (insert, wedge, etc.) I am having trouble fitting my foot in the shoe, mostly because of the limitations of the foot sleeve. I like the tongue of a shoe to be able to seperate from the shoe itself, but sometimes this can cause pinching or tongue slipping under laces.

I like the wide base, especially around the heel; this also contributes to the sturdy feeling. Cushioning is accomodating and not to over the top. They remind me of the Apparitions in feel but with a little more control. The ultimate test would be to actually RUN in them...soon enough I hope. Gotta stay positive!

Workout: 6/22

Pool running:
15 min warm up
3x(1 min ON/1 min OFF/1:30 ON, 1 min OFF)
10 min kickboard

I typically wear a water belt for any pool running but decided to remove it for my last set of intervals. I must admit, it became a bit more challenging; especially in a shallow pool.
Kickboard drills were a joke, it's hilarious how absolutely WRONG I do all of these swim related activities.

Fitness Yoga class @ Merritt Canton

meh. I love love love going to class with my gym buddies but this one really didn't float my boat. Yoga Steve, the Merrit Canton instructor is pretty much a big football-type that leads you through a "fitness" related yoga session. In essence, he removes any grace or fluidity of yoga from the practice and it becomes sort of meathead-ish. Very approachable for guys who wouldn't necessarily be into yoga but in this context may give it a try.

Workout: 6/21

1 hr Cycling Class @ Merritt-Fort Avenue

Not much time for exercise when factoring in Farmer's Market and Father's Day excursion in DC. Somehow made it to Merritt-Fort Avenue for their only cycling class of the day- 9:30AM. Esther, our instructor, took us through a ridiculous hour long ride up and down 3 outlandish inclines with a fair amount of sprints sprinkled throughout. This is only my second full cycling class and I still have a lot to learn. My tush is especially sore, supposedly it may take some time for my bootie to adjust to the seat sensation. Depending on how much longer I am confined to the bike and pool, I may invest in some appropriate apparel, like fancy bike shorts with really hot butt pads.

I highly highly highly recommend this class as Esther is one tough cookie. Her accent is adorable but hard to understand when things get intense. That just makes it that much more challenging!

Soggy 10 Miler Results

Great Job to all competitors, including you Mr. Police Commissioner- remember to drink more fluids next time!
First Female finisher (above) pictured crosses the line sub 1:10...not sure of her time.

2nd place Female finisher, Jackie Truncellito, the Back On My Feet Program Director-Baltimore chapter crosses the line. Also finishes sub 1:10.

To us spectators, the race seemed to be a success. Corrigan Sports did a nice job of hosting the event, even with the uninvited moisture. Everyone that finished seemed relatively happy...except that everyone's GPS devices noted the race distance as 10.25 miles. Hmm...I later came to find out that the course had definitely been marked incorrectly with the turn around point being much too far. Oh well. It happens but that can be pretty frustrating when you are picking up the pace thinking you are kicking it into the finish when in actuality you have an extra quarter mile you didn't know about.

The hospitality/post-race area was nicely set up. Everyone seemed to love their premium zip-up windbreaker hoodie thing. Supposedly, Runner's World ranked the 10 miler's premium as one of the best? Seemed to fit a tad large.

The BOMF participants that ran did great. Being so new to running, you would think some of the runners would have gone out too fast or would not have appropriately paced themselves. Quite the contrary, both Kevin and Arnold were conservative during the first 5 miles and stayed consistent until the finish. I feel a marathon coming on...

Workout: 6/20

After a morning of torrential rain while cheering on runners at the Baltimore 10 Miler, I mustered just enough energy to go to the gym. I decided swimming would be more exotic than the stationary bike or erg machine so I opted for the pool.

1500m swim: approx. 40 min *Yeah, I know I am slow.
600m, 400m, 400m, 400m
(40m breath stroke rest btwn. intervals)

I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate swimming. I am not a rhythmic breather and find that having to regulate my breathing in between strokes requires more strategy and patience than I am equipped with. I will admit over the last 2-3 weeks, I have improved from only being able to swim 4-6 laps without stopping to a full 20-30 laps. Trust me, it's not graceful but I am getting it done.

Pool running:
30 min moderate pace

Pool running or "aqua jogging" as some like to call it, is sometimes a struggle at the Merritt- DAC. Ideally, pool running would take place in the deep end of a pool (8-12ft). Unfortunately, the whole pool is only 4ft.

I found this link from a running website to be especially helpful as it provides specific pool workouts, other than just...running.

Post-workout nap: approx. 45 min

To me, this part of the workout is as essential as the workout itself. Cuddling with puppy is optional but highly encouraged to hasten recovery.

Workout: 6/19

10 min erg warm-up (2500m)

From Crossfit:
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
Handstand push-ups 5 reps
Bench press 135 pounds, 10 reps
Push press 95 pounds, 15 reps
Dips 20 reps

Uhh...I decided on a variation of this as this was a little upper body/bicep heavy. It hurt.

Revised workout:
Handstand alternating shoulder touches, 25
Bench press 65 lbs, 10 reps
Push press 45 lbs, 15 reps
deep squats no weight, 20 reps

Completed approx. 6 sets in 20 min.

Apparition Signage

Always gotta stop and appreciate good signage.

The UA Apparition neutral trainers is seen here on display larger than life at the Sports Zone on M Street in Gtown. I had been running in these for the last 6 months prior to my latest injury. I determined they aren't quite the level of support I need now but were pretty durable and just rigid enough, light on the cushioning which I like. Pretty snug around the lace area so they stay in place nicely.

6/20: Baltimore 10 Miler

One of Baltimore's newest and largest races; the University of Maryland- Heart Center Baltimore 10 Miler will be taking place this Saturday in Druid Hill Park. Approximately 3,000 participants will run the rolling 10 mile course this weekend in Charm City. Last years top female finisher clocked a 67:42, just for frame of reference. Boy, I wish I was running this and I wish I was in SHAPE to run this- foiled by injury!

I plan on still being there to cheer on a couple friends and fellow Back on My Feet members. The residential members have progressed from running 1 mile with significant effort to training for a 10 miler! These runners have really stepped up their game. It's amazing to witness such significant development from runners who would never have classified themselves as runners 3 months ago.

I expect in the coming years that this race will continue to grow, especially when factoring in the stellar "Feel the Power" premium hoodie. Digging the logo which is an embroidered embellishment on the chest of the hoodie...very Maryland-esque.

Enjoy the races!

pics courtesy of Baltimore 10 miler

6/21: ITU Championship Series in DC

The Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series will be making a stop in our Nationals Capital this Fathers Day, June 21st. I know close to nothing about competitive triathlons but am always interested in seeing elite level competition. Looks as though the 2008 Olympic champion, Aussie Emma Snowsil will be there as well as Olympic bronze medalist, Emma Moffatt.

Americans to look out for include 2008 Olympic 4th place finisher, Laura Bennett and World Silver medalist Sarah Haskins to name a few.

More detailed competitor information can be found on the ITU official site.

The schedule is as follows:

9:00AM Elite Mens Group Swim waves begin
11:00AM Elite Mens Group finishes
11:45AM Elite Womens Group Swim waves begin
2:00PM Elite Womens Group finishes

Course map can be found here.

I think I might stop by to watch since I plan on being in DC anyway for Father's Day. It'll be good to familiarize myself with race flow as I will be attending the Philly Triathlon next Sunday, June 28th to watch a close friend compete in.

pic courtesy of triathlon.org

Info...

Bienvenidos to Armed for Sport! My intentions for this blog range from the discussion of athletics in general, my own unique and spastic methods of training, and any sport-related content- (upcoming events, apparel review, etc.) For starters, I have been a competitive athlete since grade school, competing in everything from gymnastics to track and field. I went on to compete in D1 track and field at Towson University, specializing in the heptathlon and horizontal jumps. Turns out, triple jumping isn't usually the most common past time after college so I have had to open my eyes to new methods of staying fit.

These days, I try to get involved with anything and everything related to fitness and overall wellness. I am constantly seeking new ways to workout; we all know the gym can get a bit monotonous. Hope you enjoy my daily workoutaholic dribble.

Happy Reading!