Results

REDNECK DIVAS--(swim 400m)12:33,(bike, 14 miles)47:24,(run 5K) 37:32,(TOTAL) 1:37:29

Photo: In transition! Lori just took the timing chip off Mel's ankle to put on Jacque's ankle

Meet the divas :)

Swim, Bike, Run: Lori, Mel, Jacque
THE DIVAS!!!! :) (photos by Brian, thanks!)

And the winner is...

Well...the Redneck Divas successfully completed the Tri Relay! Results and more pictures to be posted soon!

What is one ingredient that every team needs for success? CHEERLEADERS! We had an amazing crowd of cheerleaders! THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Greg & Sally (cycling Diva's parents): photography, signage, cheering
Brian & Sonya: photography, cowbell, cheering
Andi: roadie, CRAZY cheering, cowbell
Chad: cheering
Running Diva's aunt and uncle: cheering
Rich (Mermaid Diva's hubby): cheering
Bob: cheering

Thanks to everyone for their amazing support! We will continue to blog about our own individual sports.

Triathlon Relay: December 11, 2010 - 11:00 a.m.

Well...here it is...almost time for our tri relay! We are ready to rock n roll Redneck Diva style! Hope to see you there!

ANTHEM HOLIDAY CLASSIC TRIATHLON

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
11:00 a.m. Triathlon Relay

DIRECTIONS
Take I-17 North to Anthem Way (5 miles North of Carefree Highway). Exit right onto Anthem Way . Continue straight through the traffic lights at Gavillan Peak Parkway. Take a right at Freedom Way. Parking will be available at the Anthem Community Center located on Freedom Way.

Cycling in 30mph winds is a breeze ;)

At El Tour de Tucson (11/20/10) this cycling diva battled 30mph winds for 109 miles...it was the worst feeling in the world. I can't tell you how many times this cycling diva wanted to quit. I have never cycled in 30mph winds...especially for 109 miles!

I earned a giant bruise on my right thigh...how? I was cycling in a pack of riders 3-4 deep. I was in the middle enjoying an "easier" ride sucking off a cyclist's wheel. A strong cross-wind blew across our path and blew a rider over...right into my thigh. I didn't fall, praise God, but his handlebars stabbed me. It was so strange to look in front of you and see thousands of cyclists desperately trying to cycle in a straight line.

For those of you who don't know the history of El Tour de Tucson there are two parts of the 109 miles where you have to walk your bike through river crossings. One of the river crossings is like a mile long and in very thick sand. After a year of training my upper body I was able to CARRY my 17lb bike through the entire stretch. I tripped a bunch of times but never fell- I did see a couple of cyclists fall hard in the sand. It's hard to jog through sand, in cycling shoes, carrying a bike!

I guess I should go back to the beginning of the story lol. The cycling roadie...aka Mermaid Diva...and I arrived at the start line at 5:30am to grab my place in line among the approx 4,500 cyclists (9,000 total for all events). The weather this year was MUCH warmer (awesome!) so it wasn't as miserable standing there till the start at 7am.

I was so excited...the GINORMOUS mountains I had to climb last year weren't so bad this year! yahoo for hill training!! :) What a difference a year of training makes!

At the 101 mile mark I received an offer I couldn't refuse...a random guy I had been cycling with for the last 101 miles said to me, "I'm a big guy...big guys are good for drafting behind. Why don't you hop on my wheel and I'll take ya to the finish line." WOO HOOOOOOO!!! I hopped on his wheel before he could even finish his sentence. :)

For once I actually did my nutrition/hydration just perfectly (thank you sports nutrition class at REI!!)! Sport beans, electrolyte tabs, bananas (at sag stop), cookies (at sag stop), and mini Cliff bars.

I rode through the finish line with Roadie Diva cheering me on!!

While I was cycling Mermaid Diva was running up a mountain for 8miles! Go grrl!!



(Picture: cyclists received free massages after the event)

Diva education

The running diva, the honorary running diva and the cycling diva attended a Sports Nutrition seminar at REI in PV; the seminar was put on by the Race Lab (http://www.racelab.com/). They divas got some good education on nutrition!! Just in time for cycling Diva's El Tour de Tucson event 11/20!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRL power!

Mermaid Diva, Running Diva, and Honorary Running Diva's 5K

Unofficial times for the three divas(Women's 5K in Tempe):
Lori: 31:22
Sonya: 35:41
Jacque: 37:21


GRRL POWER!!

In photo: Honorary Running Diva, Running Diva, Cycling Diva (cheerleader for the event) and Mermaid Diva

Redneck Cinderella story

Once upon a time there was a diva who started cycling. This diva worked very hard at her new sport. After a year and a half of cycling this diva noticed increased muscle and decreased fat...WOO HOOOOOO! Last weekend this cycling diva noticed one more change...when cycling diva was getting ready to go out on the town and went to put on her diva boots for the first time this season she had quite the surprise...the boots didn't fit! Cycling diva couldn't zip the boot up over her now massive calf muscles! After a lot of fighting with the zipper cycling diva finally got the boots zipped up...after ten minutes of wearing the boots cycling diva realized the discomfort wasn't worth it. Cycling diva settled for less stylish and more comfortable shoes. It looks like cycling diva's sister will be inheriting a pair of divalicious boots.
*sigh*

Divalicious Events

11/7- Jacque and Lori- 5K, (http://www.womenshalfmarathon.com/)

11/20- Mel- 109miles, El Tour de Tucson (http://www.pbaa.com/!ETT/ETThome.html)

12/11- Tri event for Team AZ Redneck Divas (http://www.4peaksracing.com/event.php?id=112)

The Mermaid Diva explains what a Redneck Diva is...

I'm a disgusting spitting freak and proud of it!

In preparation for the 5K race next weekend I did a trail 5K run tonight in 30:11! My goal has been to run a 5K in 30 minutes...so tonight I'm celebrating my accomplishment!

I am giving everyone a big warning if you come to watch me run in an event...when I got home from my run I looked at my disgusting self and realized I had spit all over my shirt, face, cell phone, legs, arms, and shoes. I am a heavy spitter when I run, especially when I'm going a faster pace for a 5K. I really have horrible aim and don't care to try practicing how to aim when spitting. SO...my spit will fly and land anywhere. Just don't expect to see a proper lady if you come watch me and I apologize in advance if any spit strings come flying on you! Don't worry...I've had my shots.

And that my friends is a REDNECK DIVA!

we have a logo!!!!!! :)

Sometimes, it's good to walk away from a nutcase wagon!

For two weeks straight I had a good swimming cadence going. One day a week, I plan on swimming for distance to gauge how far I can go. I was really happy in those two weeks I had swam farther than anticipated on my training schedule. So, I was excited to adjust my schedule, with the thought I would be swimming 400 meters pretty quick at this pace. That was until I had a bad swim session.

I didn't know bad swim days happen or even existed. No one told me this! I can't recall ever having such a horrible day of swimming since I started training this summer. What happened? I started off just doing my usual 50 meter warm ups, which are no big deal. That day I couldn't even finish a 50 meter warm up, in fact I had to stop after 25 meters. I was panicky, jittery, nervous, my form was a disaster, and felt like a headcase! Knowing that swimming is a lot of mental work, my head was swirling with crazy thoughts and I could not concentrate. What the heck was wrong with me??? I was such a mess!!!! So, I thought, I will just stop and do other aqua exercising for a while to help release my jitters and see if that would help. After a while of playing, I felt ready to re-start swimming again. I started off okay, thinking I got this, then the wheels just fell off my nutcase wagon, AGAIN! I still couldn't swim 50 meters correctly--it was like I had never swam freestyle before. I was so disgusted and upset, that I just stopped and left the pool. I was just done dealing with this horrible swim session!

That bad swim day occurred 10 days ago. In the past 10 days, I had many chances to go jump back in the pool and get going, but I just couldn't. I've did other exercises and had enough rest days, but had no desire to swim...

Well, this evening I looked at my training schedule and said to myself, let's just see what I can do since I walked away from the nutcase wagon...I can just take it easy and get used to the water again...

Well, I got used to the water and ended up performing the most fantastic swim ever!!! I swam 350 meters in 10 minutes and 20 seconds, which is the best I've ever done with any swim! I had perfect form, was completely relaxed, felt absolutely great, and had a lot of stamina left to keep going. I could feel myself just gliding along in the water effortlessly and had a crisp, clear mind. I was so excited with my performance tonight that I am happy to report: I am back on my swim cadence horse and adjusted my training schedule...I look forward to swimming 400 meters very VERY soon!

Cycling Diva- more cowbell please!

Cycling Diva rode the Tour de Scottsdale on 10/3/10- 70 miles of fabulous hills and heat. It was an unseasonably warm day which made the hills so much more fun. The last ten+ miles of the ride were UPHILL in the ungodly heat. Did I mention the Cycling Diva had two flats? Thank God for teammates...Cycling Diva's good buddy helped her repair the flats.

The best part of the event was Cycling Diva's cheerleaders! Neon pink signs and cowbells greeted her at the 25mile mark. Attitude is a HUGE part of athletic success...Cycling Diva's attitude was VERY poor after flat #2 (bad Diva!). Cycling Diva was ready to quit until she turned the corner and saw her cheerleaders a 2nd time!! Who doesn't love cow bell? :)

On the course Cycling Diva saw a couple of cyclists passed out or puking d/t heat exhaustion! The event had GREAT medical support and awesome sag stops.

Moral of the story...attitude is everything!!!!

Running Diva

Ran 4 miles in 51.5 minutes

I got a little distracted when my medic alert anklet broke and had to pick up the beads so nobody would fall...I'm such a considerate running diva ;)

Yes, the Mermaid Diva is Alive!

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while, but I've been training!
I have been focusing my training on running and swimming for six days a week with Wednesdays being my rest day. I have been running up to three miles and will beat myself swimming 30 minutes at a time. I only need to swim 30 minutes and get plenty workout. i feel pretty comfortable with my swimming form and just need to keep working on building my endurance. I will be increasing my miles with running as I will be running in the PF Chang's 1/2 Marathon with the Running Diva. This week I'm up to 4 miles and will be increasing a half mile up to the marathon in January. The Running Diva and I will be running together on Fridays and may even run the longer distances on weekends at Reach 11, which is an 11 mile "park" in Phoenix that goes to Scottsdale.

Bye Bye Old Suit!
So, this past week I did my usual lap swimming and when I hung up swimsuit to dry I noticed the back side of my suit was lighter colored. I looked at the suit closer and could see my fingers through the material. I had noticed this old suit was feeling stretched out, but I did not know that my backside was about to split!!! UT OH!!! So, I had a special funeral for my old suit which was a simple slam dunk to the trash and bought 2 new suits. One suit for my training and the other a lovely pink and black, (yes I said PINK) suit for race day. I'm a grown woman and will be wearing a bright pink swimsuit...all I can say is if you come watch us in December, you will be able to spot me!


Trip up North!
The Cycling Diva and I went up to Flagstaff. The Cycling Diva went off cycling, while I ran four miles. Four miles is usually not a problem for me to run, but I wanted a challenge that I don't have around my neighborhood in Phoenix--HILLS! I ran up and back a pretty steep hill. I conquered this hill while telling myself..."low and slow" as the Cycling Diva would say.


I'm Working on Endurance!

I was so proud of my swim tonight! My goal was to swim 5-25 hard swimming meters with 10 second rest periods in between. Not only did I swim 5-25 hard meters, but four my rest periods were less than 10 seconds. WhooHoo!

Running and Cycling Diva updates

Running Diva: Ran 3 miles in 38 minutes...woo hoo!!!!

Cycling Diva: Also training for El Tour de Scottsdale (10/3) and El Tour de Tucson (11/20)

Donuts, manure and gnats, OH MY!

Well…the Cycling Diva has found a new route that has less road debris and less car traffic…it has a few hills and lots of incline too (good for training!). The problems are the donuts, manure and gnats! The ride begins with the delicious smell of freshly baked donuts. After my organic oatmeal and banana breakfast this is a cruel thing to put my tummy through. A few miles later the route goes past a horse stable…ugh…horse poo. A few miles beyond the horse poo odor is a canal with millions (well, maybe hundreds) of gnats. Riding through the gnats feels like being pelted with hail! No exaggeration! I think I will continue to use this route despite the donuts, manure and gnats (OH MY!).

A tale from two divas!!!!

Mermaid Diva:
I did it! I did it! I did it!

Last night I finally tested for swimming. (I didn't forget my swim cap and goggles this time like I did 2 weeks ago! Hey, blondie moments happen!) I swam 400 meters with a time of 12 minutes and 46 seconds. According to my book, I am considered a very beginner of the beginner swimmer category. Hey, it's a starting point! I was so happy that I could go this far. Of course there has to be a funny part to every story, right? Coach Rich was telling me to stop, but I didn't understand what he was saying or doing, so ended up swimming an extra 50 meters. Poor Coach Rich was yelling and hand signaling, but I just happen to hear "You're done!" Oh, is that what he was trying to tell me??? DOH!!! So, next time we will have clear communication established before hand! As tired as I was, I still had enough in the tank to keep going...so I know I can push myself to easily shave another minute or more off this time. A guy next to our lane was curious what we were doing and he had been watching me. I told him about our event and he said he was a former swim coach and gave me a pointer to try. He thought I did very well for having no swim experience and for this being my very first trial time. I thanked him for the tip and he wished me good luck. Coach Rich and I walked out of the gym all excited! Yes, I did it!!!


Running Diva:
Ran 2 2/3 miles in 35 minutes! Best time so far!
This diva is ready to kick some boooooo-tay!

Copper Triangle

WOO HOOOOOOO! The Cycling Diva (along with roadie support from the Mermaid Diva) completed the Copper Triangle! Breathing in that elevation was difficult...but the scenery was unforgettable! Now on to train for the El Tour de Tucson (109 miles); my goal is to shave off 10 minutes from my time last year!!

Cycling Diva needs oxygen please

Cycling Diva will be in Colorado for a cycling event...

"The famous Copper Triangle has long been considered one of Colorado’s classic alpine road rides. Graced with breathtaking scenery, gorgeous roads and three challenging climbs, the Copper Triangle exemplifies cycling in the Colorado Rockies. The 5th anniversary of the Colorado Cyclist Copper Triangle Alpine Classic will take place on Saturday August 7th, 2010 as an impeccably supported ride. The Colorado Cyclist Copper Triangle course is a spectacular 78-mile loop cresting three Colorado Mountain passes - Fremont Pass (elevation 11,318’), Tennessee Pass (elevation 10,424’) and Vail Pass (elevation 10,666’). The course passes three ski areas and is littered with historic mining outposts and camp Hale, the training ground for the famous 10th Mountain Division. The total elevation gain for the course is 5,981 ft."

Mermaid Diva is coming along to carry Cycling Diva's limp body back to the resort after crossing the finish line.

Say a prayer for Cycling Diva's saftey and that she can actually complete the event!

Running Diva has rockets on her shoes!

Last night I ran 2 miles in 26.5 minutes...I'm so excited!!!!

Mermaid Diva + Ping Pong =????

A Game of Ping Pong Always Helps!

I watched the swim turn videos AGAIN and realized I was missing a major detail! I went out to the pool this morning (in the lovely spitting rain) to work on the swim turn. After making my correction, I could feel how much easier and faster the turn actually is. I was so excited about getting this technique figured out that I started playing ping pong in the deep end of the pool. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, tiny rest, back and forth, back and forth... What a fun, but exhausting game! I didn't know I had been in the pool for over an hour when Coach Rich came outside to watch while drinking his coffee. He saw the big difference! It feels so great to officially say, I know how to do the swim turn!!!! I'm soooo excited!!!

What's my next challenge?
I have a date with Coach Rich on Monday for my 400 meter swim test. How far and fast will I go???

Splish Splash!!

The goal this week was to swim another 100 meters or more if I could. My schedule told me that I was supposed to swim last night. We all know that feeling after a loooonnnnng day that you just ease into laziness--yep it was one of those evenings. Wednesdays are my rest day of doing no physical activity, so I ended up having two rest days in a row. Was that a bad thing? You be the judge! I swam a comfortable 200 meters (and could have gone farther!), jumped out of the pool right into an hour long challenging yoga class...and feel great!

I'm moving along faster than I anticipated according to my workout schedule...time to revise the schedule to crank up the workouts a tad!

On a side note, I remember reading about how swimming will make you become disorientated. I felt a little bit of that tonight, which felt like the beginnings of being drugged. Hey, at least I stayed straight in my lane and didn't run into anyone!

-The Mermaid Diva-

Thoughts from the Running Diva!!!!!

My first goal is to work on conquering the miles then I will work on increasing my speed. Currently I am running 1.5miles…halfway there! I even ran while I was on vacation (visited my hometown in Iowa and ran on the farm roads!)!

At home I work out on the elliptical- I had to figure out how to track my mileage since the machine measures flywheel rotations, not distance. Below is some information I found on this subject (thank you WikiAnswers!).

I’m training with 3 different girlfriends- the support and motivation is very helpful to my training.

Cycling Diva has been nagging me about contributing to the blog…I told her that I can either spend my time blogging or training...she very quickly responded “TRAINING”!!

-The Running Diva-


Ellipitcals measure flywheel rotations, not distance, but there is a rough way to estimate distance as if walking.
1. Rotate one pedal until it has achieved its most rearward position without starting forward again. Do use the pedal and not the flywheel. The wheel rotates in a circle, but the pedals rotate in an elipse with a greater maximum change in forward/backward distanc than the diameter of the flywheel.
2. Position a ruler or stick vertically at the pedal's front, the bottom of hte ruler/stick marking a place on the floor.
3. Rotate the pedal until it reaches its most forward position, and mark that point as well.
4. Measure the distance, which is actually the estimated distance travelled in on half of a flywheel rotation.
5. Multiply the figure by two to get the distance for a full rotation.
Now you have a ROUGH estimate of linear distance traveled in one rotation -- but at WALKING SPEED (more on this later). You can use this to calculate how many rotations are necessary to travel say a mile. Example: my elipical has a linear distance per "step" of 17.5 inches, which means 35 inches per two steps or one rotation of the flywheel. A mile has 63,360 inches.
(1 mile = 63,360 inches) hence: 63,360 / 35 = 1810 rotations = 1 mile
(1 km = 39,370 inches) hence: 39,370 / 35 = 1125 rotations = 1 km
The Problems of Thrust/Inertia and Speed
When actually jogging or running, your stride length elongates and your thrust and/or interia increases. There are split second instances where both feet are off the ground while running, and you travel forward a little farther than your actual stride length. This cannot be accounted for on an ellipical. There are complicated equations that can estimate this, but they aren't really necessary. Rough judgement will be adequate and give you fewer headaches. I use the following to modify Rotations per Target Distance at subjectively labelled speeds.
Walking: 100% x rotations
Jogging: 90-95% x rotations
Running: 80-85% x rotations
Sprinting: 65-70% x rotations
Other people may have different opinions on change of stride length and interia/thrust. The two points relevant here are:
1. there's no way to be certain.
2. we're only looking for an estimate.
With these figures, you can even break down your target rotations (estimated distance) by how much time you spend at particular subjective speeds. You can use this to plan out a regime of speed changes after a certain number of rotations given a target distance you wish to "travel." Or, if you can remember the rotations per speed change you made in a session, you can back track through an figure the rough overall distance you travelled.
In the end, it doesn't really matter that much. Putting in the time at your own pace for your health is what it's all about.

Thoughts from the Mermaid Diva

I had two workouts yesterday:
In the morning I tested myself for cycling time for 3 miles. I got on our recumbent bike, set it to the hardest setting and frantically pedaled for a total of 12:25 minutes. According to the chart, I'm on the borderline for beginner and fit athlete. Do keep in mind that a real test would be out on the actual road with less hills. Since I was at the hardest setting, I was burning my legs going "up" hills on the recumbent bike. Even if this is not a total apples to apples comparison, it's still a starting point and l'll use the same setting when I test again next month. After burning my legs, I thought...I'm gonna cool down in the pool. YEAH RIGHT! The pool was hotter than me! I was hoping all the clouds we had this past week would help bring the temperature of the pool down, but no. So, I ended up doing a "baby" brick. A brick when you do two types of exercise together, such as cycling and swimming. People who train for triathlons will do bricks throughout the week in training. I plan to do official bricks at the end of August.

Last night, I worked on swimming techniques. Coach Rich was in California last week, so he had not seen me swim for about 1 1/2 weeks. Coach Rich noticed that I'm swimming with the right arm reaching higher than my left arm. I was correcting this form by doing a fingertip drag to make my arm strokes even, which I'll keep working on to get the muscle memory ingrained in my arms. This is definitely something I would not know unless I had a coach! He noticed that I looked more confident with the actual swimming part, but doing the turns is another story! I watched the videos again before swimming. I know what I'm supposed to do and how a turn is to feel, but getting the coordination of timing is not there yet. I still have a lot of work to do. Coach Rich had some encouraging comments on my graceful turns, such as, "...um, was that supposed to be fast?" I love my coach!


Working on the turns last night reminded me of when I spent hours every day with a volleyball beating up the house and barn trying to learn to serve overhand in 9th grade. All my teammates and coaches knew I couldn't serve--it was so embarrassing, frustrating, and I felt like such a weakling. My strength was playing the back row, but I would have sub for serving. I just hated being the only one on the team who could not serve overhand. My hours of daily beatings on the barn FINALLY paid off, towards the end of the volleyball season! I'll never forget the first day in practice I served overhand over the net. Our coach walked by, did a double-take, and said, "was that you Lori???" YES, THAT WAS ME! Our coaches (including the varsity coach) and teammates helped me celebrate my victory at that practice. After that, the coach still had me playing back row, but I got to SERVE in games. I had that serve down (...and still do! :) In fact, I had all perfect serves for those games. I was so proud when I received an award after the season was over for...you guessed it...SERVING!

I WILL CONQUER THE SWIMMING TURN!!! Anyone up for a game of volleyball???

Diva outing!

Cycling Diva and Mermaid Diva spent the weekend in Munds Park. Cycling Diva rode the Taylor House metric century on Saturday. Friday and Sunday both divas hiked; Crystal Point and Schnebly Hill.

Lessons learned:

Lesson #1: What goes down, must go up. Schnebly Hill was a beautiful hike (see attached pic)! Approx.2.5miles down became a rough 2.5 miles UP! GORGEOUS scenery though!! Cycling diva learned that hand sanitizer from Bath and Body Works can also be used as bug repellent (good idea Mermaid Diva!). The Divas used their cell phone GPS apps. to track their mileage.


Lesson #2: Cycling Diva hates yard sales! The Taylor House event signage was neon green signs with black arrows (the arrows indicated when we were supposed to turn). Well...there were also a bunch of yard sales that used the same signage. At least I wasn't the only idiot cyclist who visited a few yard sales during the ride. Mermaid Diva worked as Cycling Diva's roadie for this event. Thanks Mermaid Diva!!


Cycling Diva was surprised by two very special fans at the last 3 miles of the ride...on the side of the road were mom and dad cheering on a very tired Cycling Diva. Without mom and dad's truck to follow...Cycling Diva wouldn't have found the finish line...why???...because someone moved the final arrow!! GRR! The lame map the cyclists were given wasn't specific enough either.

In Summary...the divas had a LOVELY weekend of hiking and cycling!

Mermaid Diva conquers the pool!

FOR 7/22/10:
My goal today was to swim at least 100 meters non-stop. Well folks, not only did I swim 100 meters once, but swam it twice tonight! I am so proud! I only swam with breaks for about 30 minutes total, but MAN am I beat! I did some stretching and off to bed I go! I'm celebrating my victory, just in my sleepy state tonight!

Lori

Have your kleenex ready

this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen...if you are lacking motivation or inspiration in your life....this will change everything

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH943Az_lPQ

"There is a bee in my bonnet "

So today I tried my new route and loved it! Not as much debris in the road and less traffic. My goal is to do 20 miles in 1:05. I am currently doing it in 1:09:47. Shaving off that 4 minutes is going to be very difficult...but I believe that it is important to always have goals.

As I was flying down the road at 21mph a flying bug found its way into my helmet. I began to shake my head it attempts to release the bug from my helmet. This flying bug was the size of a small hamster! I was not having any success so I pulled over...unstrapped my helmet...and threw it into the bush. I peeked into the helmet to find the little demon still in my helmet. All of the sudden I hear "are you ok Senorita"? Two of the construction workers from across the street had been watching my little freak out...*blush* and came over to assist. One of the construction workers took the flying hamster out of my helmet and released it (why didn't he just kill it!?). I thanked the kind gentlemen and was on my way again.

Mel

Mermaid Diva has grown legs!!

I ran like crazy for my first test this morning for 1.5 miles and came up with a time of 13.52. According to my chart, I am considered a solid "Fit Athlete." (This makes me laugh.) Here is the kicker; I would have probably done better except I ran for about .25 of a mile and looked down at my Garmin and saw it was not keeping track of distance. I guess you could call that an extra hard "warm up," but it sapped a good chunk of my energy. I also looked at my Garmin as I passed the 1 mile at a time of about 8:15. I was so shocked, especially after having to stop and start over. So, let me rephrase how I actually ran today. I ran like a crazy jackrabbit for the first mile and ran liked a sick cheeta for the next half mile.

So, I learned two lessons today folks: 1. DO NOT TURN ON YOUR GARMIN INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!! 2. I have always done a very light warm up with running, but I think a little jog before actually hitting the time button does benefit.

Lori

Triathlon Training With Chopin

The NYTimes
July 15, 2010
Triathlon Training With Chopin
By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN


After all that preparation: Participants in the 2008 New York City Triathlon swimming in the Hudson.

The water is seeping into my goggles, swishing back and forth. I am trying to turn my head sideways to gasp air. My arms are alternately thrusting forward and pulling back, but they don’t leave enough time to get my mouth above water level. I am not sure what my feet are doing. My body doesn’t seem to cohere. It seems composed of random pieces. I’m starting to lose any sense of rhythmic motion. Everything is happening too fast. This is swimming?

I’m training to race in the New York City Triathlon on Sunday. Maybe it’s a foolhardy attempt to recover lost youth, or a simple desire to share an experience with my son and daughter, who are also in the race, or even a sign of perverse addiction to pressured performance. My son and I have also enlisted in the race to raise money for an organization called Zero, which is dedicated to fighting prostate cancer, a charitable ambition that alleviates slightly the sheer narcissism of the training. But have I pushed things too far?

For months I have thrust myself out of bed at 5:30 a.m. and stumbled into the water or onto a track or a bicycle. The race demands a swim of nearly a mile in the Hudson, followed by a 25-mile bike ride up the West Side Highway and finishing with a 6.2-mile run ending in Central Park. I know I can handle the bike and the run — at least in theory — but at the beginning of April, I can only swim half a pool length without panting to a stop: not 1,500 meters but 12.5 meters; not a mile, but the length of a house.

Yet there is something familiar about the sensation I have when finding myself so far out of my depth. I recall it not from a pool but from the piano keyboard. Feeling as if I can’t catch my breath? Losing a sense of poise and coordination? Overwhelmed by complicated events? Those were the sensations, I also remember, when learning the coda of Chopin’s first Ballade (as well as many other difficult pieces).

I may have known how the music was supposed to sound. I may have trained my fingers, arms, breath and ears for countless hours, learning how to leap over octaves without strain, how to shape Chopinesque patter into liquid sighs, how to weigh the notes of a chord to emphasize inner voices. But my wrists are tense, and the rhythms readily grow slack or stiff. And I am racing, yes racing, to try to keep up with the pace the music demands. There is too much to do in too short a time.

This might seem strange, thinking of a rigorous artistic enterprise while training for a purely physical challenge, but panting for breath in the pool, I cling to the comparison for comfort and instruction. And I recall, too, the importance of a teacher who could examine the bodily and sensory chaos from the outside.

Of course, the race is a much simpler activity. Each of its segments — swimming, biking, running — requires little more than repetitive physical movement. There is no team strategy that needs to be considered; no subtle maneuvering is required. It isn’t soccer or tennis or even billiards. I just need to go through a series of motoric motions, as if engaging in Czerny exercises for the piano or a sequence of scales and arpeggios cascading up and down the keyboard. The physical movements required by the race are almost brutishly simple: up and down, side to side, round and round, in and out. Just do it fast enough and regularly enough without tiring, and you’re done. With music, of course, that’s only the beginning.

But that’s also why the race seems to isolate an essential aspect of how we teach our bodies and minds. Watch someone who is at home in the water, or comfortable running or biking, and the activity seems perfectly natural; there is no excess movement; nothing is jarring or out of place. It is as if the human body had been made for these activities. A swimmer’s body can plow the waves like some Homeric vessel guided by the gods.

In actuality, though, can anything be more unnatural? Free-style swimming is devised for movement through an alien element. Ordinarily we are not aware of our breathing; in swimming, breathing is the determining factor. The movements of the arms and body are designed so that the mouth can regularly be raised above the water’s surface without disturbing forward thrust. Bicycling is also pretty unnatural: what animal moves by leaning over and moving the feet in tight circles? Watch a beginner — watch me — and the peculiarities are obvious. The beginner demonstrates the unnaturalness of it all, the perversity of the enterprise.

Part of the appeal of watching races is that we see that perversity overcome. The unnatural becomes natural, the difficult turns simple. The motion eventually makes sense. It feels as elegant as it looks. I know this, too, from the piano: is anything less natural than moving individual fingers up and down or arms from side to side to create music?

Practice is partly physical training: teaching the body to feel comfortable with the artifice and its intricacy. Ultimately, the playing must seem effortless; all the tension, the strain, the struggle must be dramatized in the music, not in the body. And when I have practiced enough, I no longer have to be aware of every minute finger motion or position of my elbow. Movements mold themselves into phrases, becoming supple and poised. My body’s once uncoordinated parts cohere; the body can be forgotten.

So this is what I must do. I find a teacher, Earl Walton, and learn that in swimming, the head isn’t really lifting up to breathe; actually the body is constantly rotating, swinging around an axis, bringing the mouth above the water to breathe at the same time as the opposing arm drops and thrusts. The body rocks through the water. Breathing becomes effortless because it is an incidental part of the stroke.

Of course, the drama of a race is that this naturalness of the trained body is then subject to extreme strain. It is distorted by the sheer force of competitive will. The body is pushed to its limits; the natural is turned unnatural. A competition is a bit like pressing down on a thin layer of ice: how hard can it be pushed until it gives way? And what happens when you have more than 5,000 people doing this at once? At the triathlon more than 100 racers at a time leap into the Hudson in assigned “waves,” so that the arms and feet of others threaten to disrupt whatever poise you have worked so hard to achieve. And then you follow two completely different competitive rounds on wheels and earth.

A race is a risk, a testing of limits and limitations. Maybe it’s a bit like what happens when a pianist has learned a piece well. During a performance great risks are freely undertaken: tempo is increased, dramatic gestures expanded. The excitement of the music presses against the limits of virtuoso control.

So there’s the pattern: first limits and limitations; then transcendence; then pushing at limits yet again. In swimming and in racing, as at the piano. In my triathlon training I have also tested that final stage. But alas, prematurely, and alas, disastrously.

Having built up to the demands of the race so that it is almost beginning to seem natural, I relax my attention one day on a run through Central Park. On a piece of broken pavement, my ankle turns, pain shoots through my body, ligaments tear; I am fitted with an Aircast.

And limits again assert themselves. I may have finally made swimming almost seem natural, but I am doomed, for this particular race, to feel clearly the boundaries of human possibilities. Instead, on Sunday morning, I plan to watch others put those limits to the test. I will be gazing at the triathlon (and at my children racing) with envy and appreciation. Then, it’s back to Czerny, until I get it right.

Connections is a critic’s perspective on arts and ideas.

The New York City Triathlon begins at 5:50 a.m. on Sunday in the Hudson River along Riverside Park, at 99th Street; nyctri.com.

Mermaid Diva's plan of attack!

Okay, so today I spent time putting together a detailed training schedule for the next six weeks. This schedule will be focused on my swimming technique, but will get me started on endurance training as well. I also spent time watching very good swimming videos that gave tips on getting the right techniques. I'll be watching them over and over and over again. Coach Rich will be doing the same. :)

I will also be doing a running, swimming, and cycling test these first three weeks to compare to a fitness scorecard. I'll be doing this testing about every 4 weeks to see my progress--well at least I should see progress.

Here are my short term goals at this time:

1. Establish proper swimming technique by August 28th.
2. Swim continuous 200 meters by September 18th.
3. Run a 5K in less than 30 minutes by September 25th.

I think these are pretty realistic and I may achieve them before the dates.

I'm ready to start tomorrow and I am ready to tackle swimming!!!

Lori- the Mermaid Diva

Triathlon vs Triathalon

Although miss-spellings are common, the proper spelling is Triathlon.
Here are some common miss-spellings:

* Triatlon
* Triathalon
* Triatholon
* Triathon
* Triathalons
* Traithlon
* Triathelon

Mel- cycling diva

My Tue/Thur rides are always difficult...not because of the 10 miles of incline or the two big hills...because at the start of the ride I have to pass Bashas'...and smell their delicious freshly made donuts. Then...at the end of my ride...I have to ride past McDonalds and smell their delicious breakfast food...just to come home to my "delicious" bowl of organic oatmeal. Today I saw a bunny (as usual) but no snakes today! phew! I did have a flat...I'm thinking of changing my route...this route has a lot of caca in the bike lane which always = a flat. It was incredibly hot and humid (even at 4:45am!!)...I'm looking forward to being back in Flag and cycling in the cooler weather.(picture was taken last weekend while cycling in Flag)

Lori- mermaid diva

Okay, so I swam over 30 minutes at the gym this evening to see how I could do. WOW! I have a long ways to go. I did swim a full 50 meters at once, but that was about all I could do at once. Ah! I took many breaks and did a few hard 25 meter runs, but that is about it. Yikes! :)

Redneck Divas in training

So here it is...our very first blog! The Redneck Divas are in training for the Anthem Sprint Triatholon!! December 11, 2010.

We thought it would be fun to blog our training experiences!

Jacque: running
Mel: cycling
Lori: swimming

Thanks for following!! :)

Hugs,
Mel