Do You Want a Swim Workout?

If you are wanting to change it up in the pool and try some new workouts, check out my new article on Active.com.

http://www.active.com/swimming/Articles/Four-Focused-Swim-Workouts.htm

Remember, get in and swim at least 3 times a week to better your time in your races- you can recover faster from hard swim workouts than you can a hard bike or run workout. Plus, during the summer, you can get some Vitamin D- but, try to stay healthy and smart in the sun. Wear the sunscreen and drink tons of water- even during your workouts.

HAVE FUN!

Barb's Race- 2nd Place!

This past weekend, I had my 2nd Half-Ironman of the season- Barb's Race, held in conjunction with the Full Vineman Ironman. The location of the race was pretty much ideal- held in Sonoma County- swim in the Russian River, Bike around the rolling hills of Sonoma, with a run around the town of Windsor- hilly, to say the least. The weather was pleasant- but 92 degrees. Very warm, indeed. I felt confident, however- as I have been training in the heat for most of the summer. And, mental preparation is key in a Half-Ironman.

I had one of the best races of my life there, as I raced a minute faster than Oceanside- on a tougher course. I took 1st out of the water- swam a sub 28-minute 1.2 mile swim. Then, heading out on the bike, I got passed at mile 2 by a girl that looked like she was in my race, but I wasn't sure. I kept going, but didn't see anyone else pass me. I got on the run, in the heat of the day, and told myself to be conservative for the first few miles. Then, by mile 6, I would pick it up. Well, I picked it up by mile 4 and I felt great- nothing stopping me after that. I finished and saw that girl that had passed me on the bike finish at least 20 minutes ahead of me. Turns out she is a pro and, wow, did she have a great race. I finished in 5 hours, 8 minutes. And, I ended up 2nd Overall and first in my Age Group. I was stoked!

Wisconsin, here I come...

Amino Acid Supplementation for Summer

Ever heard of BCAAs? They are Branched-Chain Amino Acids, which essentially help your body produce more amino acids for growth and repair of muscles, in addition to giving you more energy for your workouts. However, there are some studies out there that say that BCAA supplementation can be especially good for when you exercise in the heat. According to the Sports Supplement Encyclopedia (Antonio, Stout, Edition 1), research within the last decade performed by scientists at Rutgers University has shown that BCAA supplementation during heat stress (94 degrees or warmer) increases endurance in cyclists- the BCAA group lasted 16 minutes longer than the placebo group. How cool is that to know when you are in the peak of summer, heading out for your 3 hour ride on a Sunday afternoon- worth a try? I personally have used BCAAs both during my workouts in powder form and in pill form and I have definitely noticed a positive difference. I do agree that other sups I take during training in the heat (Endurolytes) are also helping, so not sure how much of the benefit is coming from the BCAAs. However, more athletes are trying BCAAs (not just endurance athletes) and- if nothing else, having extra amino acids in your body while you are trying to build strength and get stronger is not a bad idea. Happy Training!

Do What You Love- 5 Tips to Keep your Workout Fresh

Life is too short to "work out," doing the same thing day in and day out, without enjoying it. Take inventory of what you are doing daily to get yourself in shape and healthy and if you truly aren't enjoying it, chances are you are just getting bored. If you can take your workout to a different place, or do it with a different workout buddy, at a different time of day, you might enjoy it more and remember why you love to work out so much in the first place.

Some Ideas to Keep Your Workout Fun:

1. Try an evening workout rather than your typical morning workout.
2. Instead of your daily run on the treadmill, head outside to the great outdoors for a cooler jog.
3. Try flipping your resistance training routine- that is, do your lifts in reverse order (trying to still keep your bigger muscle groups first).
4. USE YOUR IPOD! You might workout better with music, as it is a great motivator. Plus, it lets you keep your mind focused and ignore the outside distractions.
5. Play a sport or Set a Goal: Get out and play a pick-up basketball or volleyball game with your friends. What about training for a triathlon? A 5K? Set a goal and train for it. You will be less reluctant to skip out on your workouts because you have this event planned.

2nd Big "Brick"

Yesterday (Sunday, July 29th), I had my 2nd big brick workout. I had a great idea to go to Santa Barbara for the day to do it- to not only change it up scenery-wise, but to enjoy some weather 20 degrees cooler than I was used to here in Santa Clarita. The workout consisted of the following- in the same order:

Run: 10 miles
Bike: 75 miles
Run: 7 miles

I set off at 9am and thought that by 4pm, I would be done and enjoying some Chipotle down on State Street.

1st Run: East Beach Bath House was my transition area. I set off from there and ran the SB Triathlon run course- which I knew was exactly 10 miles. My goal was to have a faster run both times today, as they were split up into two (17 miles after a 75 mile ride would for sure be slower). So, I ran 10 in about 1:25 and felt great! Got in my bike after that and took off toward Carpinteria...

Ride: I started my ride, wanting to keep it fairly flat, but as I got to Carp, I decided to take a left at Hwy 150. The sign said Ojai-20 miles. So, I proceeded. It was not flat, but I got there and turned around- and it was exactly 4.5 hours. It was a great ride...

2nd Run: I ran the run course again, but this time- turned around a bit sooner. I actually got to the turnaround point at the same time that I did the first run, and I finished strong. Felt great!

So, today...run/lift/swim. Race this weekend in Windsor- Barb's Race. Half Ironman.