Tag Archives: triathlon

A Meaty Topic

18 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by in health

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Have you heard how to tell if someone is vegetarian or vegan? Don’t worry they’ll tell you! This also applies to Mac users, people who stopped smoking, and various athletes like marathoners and triathletes. The best one I heard: If you are a vegan, marathoner, who adopted a dog from a rescue shelter how do you know what to bring up first?

It’s funny but the reality is when people are passionate about stuff they talk about it. I switched to a plant based diet in 2013 but I’ve tried to not be too obnoxious about it. With that said, it does push my buttons when people say a person needs to eat meat if they are athletic. “How do you get enough protein?” they ask with wonder in their eyes?

Without getting to technical on you, the data is, if a North American person eats a well balanced, adequate calorie, plant-based diet, they will get more than enough protein. In fact, it’s the meat eaters you need to worry about because generally they are the one’s missing something critical from their diet – fibre. Possibly why meat eaters tend to have way higher incidences of colon cancer than those on a plant based diet. Just a side bonus – a plant based diet is generally less expensive (unless a person shops at Whole Foods but that’s another rant for another day).

Anyway, because of the myths about athletics and a plant based diet, I like stories about people that not only do sports but excel at them all without an ounce of meat. To that end, check this one out.

Meet Dr. Heather Shenkman, Ironman Triathlete and Vegan Cardiologist

Here’s a quote:

“I exercise six days a week, usually doing two workouts per day. My typical weekday morning starts with Golden Road Aquatics, a master’s swim group, from 6-7AM. I shower at the pool and go straight to work. Then, in the evenings, I might go jogging, take a yoga class, or go to a class at Barry’s Boot Camp. Getting in my workouts can be challenging since I’m a busy cardiologist, but I schedule in the time to exercise. I look at my calendar and plan everything in advance so that I know what I am doing as I go into each week. I also do longer, more challenging workouts, like longer trail runs or bike rides, on the weekends.”

It’s a good article so give it a read and let me know what you think.

Treadmill Sessions

28 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by in health, recovery

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Did you know that treadmills were invented as a way to punish prisoners? It makes total sense, doesn’t it?  Maybe you don’t like the mindlessness of it. Maybe you fell off one and now you have distress whenever you look at a treadmill. Fortunately, with modern technology, the treadmill is a blessing… no wait, sorry I can’t say that without laughing. Nobody in their right mind likes the treadmill; it’s a necessary evil for people who like (need) to run and hate cold weather, rain, bugs, cars, dogs, or people.

I confess I run on the treadmill. I actually prefer to run outdoors but not during the winter. As such, I keep an eye out for ways to keep things fresh.

I found this article at triathlete.com. Even if you’re not a triathlete (yet!!) I recommend you check them out for training, gear reviews and race info.

4 Treadmill Sessions For Triathletes

Four purposeful workouts to help you use the treadmill to your training advantage.

Whether you’re waiting for cooler weather to arrive or simply need more of a focus indoors, the treadmill is a useful tool to maximize your run training. Coach Brad Seng of D3 Multisport in Boulder, Colo., designed these quality sessions to keep the fun factor intact for when the treadmill gets daunting or mentally stale.

Buffer Buffs Hill Reps

Warm-up
15’ easy jogging with 4×20’’ bursts and 40’’ easy for recovery at the end

Main set
Repeat the following pattern 3–4 times. Do the strength exercises off to the side of the treadmill.
45’’ hard Zone 3–4/5K effort at 4–6% grade
5 squat jumps
15’’ sprint Zone 5 at 4–6% grade.
20 high knee skips
45’’ moderate Zone 2–3/half-marathon effort at 4–6% grade
10 push-ups
45’’ fast uphill Zone 3/10K effort at 4–6% grade
10 split squat jumps
45’’ moderate Zone 2–3/half-marathon effort at 1% grade
10 double leg hops
1:30 fast Zone 3/10K effort at 1% grade
Walk 2–3’ or stand on edge of treadmill to recover

Cool-down
10’ easy jogging with final 2–3’ walking

Key: ’ = minutes | ” = seconds

 

Ramp-Ups

Warm-up
15–20’ building effort to top of Zone 2/RPE 3–5

Main set
Starting at the speed where you ended your warm-up, increase treadmill speed by 0.5 every quarter-mile until you max out.
Note that speed and then run 5’ easy.
Complete 4–6 × 45’’ intervals at your max. Recovery is 1’ easy jogging.

Cool-down
Easy jogging for remainder of time

Key: ’ = minutes | ” = seconds

 

1’ Efforts + 1K

Warm-up
10–15’ easy with 4×20’’ bursts and 40’’ easy jogging for recovery

Main set
2x(4×1’ moderate/RPE 3–7 with 30’’ rest after each. Include 1K at 5–10K pace after #4 of each set).
Walk/jog easy for 2-3’ between sets.

Cool-down
5-10’ easy

Key: ’ = minutes | ” = seconds

 

Split Tempo Run

Warm-up
15’ easy jogging

Main set
10’ Zone 2/RPE 3–5
5’ Zone 3/RPE 6–8
2’ Zone 1/RPE 1–2
5’ Zone 3/RPE 6–8

Cool-down
10–20’ easy

Key: ’ = minutes | ” = seconds

 

Seng’s Treadmill Tips

– Set treadmill at a 1 percent grade for all runs aside from any specific hill reps. This will ensure you are running closer to the feel of running outdoors.
– Always have a towel and water or electrolyte drink on hand with increased sweat rate.
– If possible, use a small fan to help keep you cooler and more comfortable, and be sure you have good ventilation.
– Don’t “race” your neighbor. Stick to your specific workout and don’t worry about what speed or grade the person next to you is running.
– Include some light stretching after your warm-up and a few minutes of easy walking as a cool-down before you get off the treadmill to re-establish your equilibrium.

3 Strength Exercises That Are a Waste of Your Time

24 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in health, recovery

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Good mental health is supported by being active. For me, that means preparing for and participating in triathlons. I found an article in Triathlete magazine called: 3 Strength Exercises That Are a Waste of Your Time.  I encourage you to read the whole article for their reasons and the benefits to the alternative exercises they suggest. Here’s just the highlights:

 

Don’t: Calf Raises

Do: One-Leg Hop

Don’t: Smith Machine Squats

Do: Regular Squats

Don’t: Curls

Do: Pull-up/Chin-up

 

Typical Work Out Week

06 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by in Discovery, health, Observations, recovery

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Have you transformed yourself; became something you weren’t before? My last few posts have been about how between 2012 and continuing through today, I went through a transformation. I was overweight and out of shape with bad blood test results, badly depressed, and a mostly inactive person.

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I have become a lighter, more fit, mildly depressed, fairly active triathlete! If you missed my other posts, you can check out how I started, my first big goal, and then what I did to stay motivated.

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So how does an elite triathlete train for optimum race day performance? I don’t know. Honestly, I really just want to be sexy, less depressed and finish races at least mid-way or higher in my age group.  I’m happy if I can improve with each race. All I can tell you is what works for me. If you’re starting out, I hope you take care, do that doctor check in thing that nobody does, and always remember that results vary.

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The following is what I usually plan for each week. Sometimes I change it up or take a rest day when I don’t get enough sleep – sleep is critical for recovery! Sometimes my work requires meeting or events that mean I have to shift around workouts.

Swim:

  • Day 1 – Long course up to 2.5km.
  • Day 2 – Intervals or Fast 50’s as I like to call them.
  • Day 3 – Longer swim mixed with kick sets

Bike:

  • Spin Class – at least 2x a week.

Run:

  • Treadmill for 30 minutes – walk on incline to warm up then run at 6.5mph for 2-3 minutes, then walk for 1 minute then repeat.

Strength:

  • Day 1: Upper Body
  • Day 2: Lower Body
  • Day 3: Upper + Lower Body
  • Essentials and Core Exercises – 2 times a week

Most of the time, I am done and on to my usual day before 10 am. My work time is usually 11-9. In upcoming posts, I’ll give more details on my workouts and diet.

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(I want to give a shout out to Shay-lon, a fitness enthusiast, trainer, and blogger living in the USA (but don’t hold that against her). I follow her blog and occasionally give her a hard time. She bugged me to write about this stuff even though it’s not my usual focus. I’ve enjoyed the process and now, when I die, there is a record for posterity.)

 

 

Swim Bike Run Nap

05 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by in Beginnings, health, Observations

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As part of my wellness journey, I completed the YK2HR 2014 – an epic three day, 500km, ride from Yellowknife to Hay River in the Northwest Territories. After I recovered, I needed a new goal. I had a decent bike, I was a swimmer… what to do, what to do?

I decided that I was going to do triathlons!

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(I am NOT in this picture!)

There are several different triathlon levels – starting with Tri-it, a 300 m swim, 10 km bike, and a 2.5 km run to the Ironman 3.86 km swim, 180.25 km bike, and 42.20 km (marathon) run. There are also ultra-Ironman events – races over multiple days. I decided I would start at the Sprint level which is double the Tri-it distance.

My first thought was, I guess I better start running!

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When I was younger, I used to run like the wind but then I starting cycling and then driving… It had been a long time since I had done any running. Since a race means moving between the swim, bike and run without resting, my first attempt would be a short, but moderately intense, bike ride and then I would do a little run.  The ride was great, I parked my bike, switched shoes and I was off to the trails near our home!

At least, I was off for about 150 m when suddenly there was a sharp stabbing pain in my calf. I don’t know what happen but it hobbled me. I limped back home, discouraged and nearly in tears.

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Fortunately – at least it seems fortunate now – the triathlon in Yellowknife was cancelled that year. That meant I had almost a year to heal, train, and invest in gear. I found a wetsuit for a great price, got a triathlon-suit (a once piece that you can wear for the swim, bike and run), and new runners. The spandex level in my clothing rose by 67%.

My first event was the 2015 Kelowna Apple Triathlon. It’s an open water swim  in Lake Okanogan, a challenging bike route, and a really nice run through parks and along the lake. It was a great race.

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Afterwards, we had lunch and then hit the road for home. We got about five hours down the road and all the muscle soreness and exhaustion hit us so we got an emergency hotel room, with a hot tub…

Before the summer was over, I finished two more triathlons – Vancouver, BC (swim in the ocean with bonus cuts on my hands from barnacles!) and Terwilligar in Edmonton, AB which was a pool swim.

Since then, I have continued to train for triathlons. In 2016, I moved up to the Olympic level (1500 m swim, 50 km bike, and a 10 km run) at the Great White North Triathlon. I plan to stay at that level for a couple years. What’s nice about these distances is that I can go hard, finish well, and then get home for a nap!

In my next post, I’ll share what I do to train for triathlons.

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(Me (the sexy one in the middle), my wife, and sister at the Vancouver Triathlon 2015.)

 

Advice for Triathlons and Life

22 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by in Observations

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This is a really good observation and relevant for me – I just competed in a triathlon and the next few days are going to be high anxiety/stress.

I had something happen to me today that has never happened to me before, I had a flat tire during a race. I have completed over 30 triathlons and 15 bike races and events, and never had a flat during the race or event. I have had flats during training, before the race or event, […]

via Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast — Robinson’s Strength and Endurance Coaching

Fight Back

10 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by in Observations, Spirituality

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I struggle with depression. It usually comes in on Tuesdays and stays until Thursdays. I became aware of it back in 2012 and at that time it was suggested I was clinically depressed and should consider medication. I decided instead to make some life changes. Now, it’s not so bad; my dark days are less frequent and not as severe.

Each person’s situation is different but there are some things we can do to fight back when depression comes knocking on our door. Here’s is what I’ve learned from my journey. (This is not a substitute for medical assistance if you need it!)

Get active: this can be hard to do at first but if you can get moving it’s easier to stay moving. I went back to the gym, started cycling, then swimming, and now running. Now my wife and I are doing triathlons. The bonus is, I dropped 40 pounds and I have much more energy. With that said, you don’t need to do anything extreme – start walking for 20-30 minutes each day.

Get a routine: depression makes our days mush together so it’s good to establish a routine. To that end, take a class, exercise at the same time and on the same days, arrange a regular and ongoing meet or call with a good friend. Another really important routine is gratitude. Daily reflecting and being mindful of what you are grateful for changes our focus off ourselves.

Get plants: you can go get a plant if you want but I mean get into a plant-based diet. This may require some gradual changes and some learning (take a vegetarian cooking class!) but the benefits are both mental and physical. There’s evidence that flax and chia seeds,  spinach, and avocado may help ease depression.

Get faith: having a consistent devotional and prayer life is very helpful but it also has to be lived out in community and put to use in service to others.

I hope this is helpful. I would be interested in hearing what you have done to fight back against depression.