October 30 – 9.5km James Cunningham Seawall Race

November 12 – 5km & 10km Energizer Night Race

November 20 – 10km or 21.1km Fall Classic **I wouldn’t recommend this as a first half marathon

November 27 – 5km & 10km & 21.1km Vancouver Historic Half

December 3 – 1km & 5km Santa Shuffle

These of course are just the “Vancouver” races; there are other runs schedule for the fall of 2011 throughout the Metro Vancouver (Burnaby, Langley, and Delta to name a few).  If you know of any fun races that you have participated in in the past please leave a comment in the bottom; I would love to hear about it.

Remember to consult your doctor before starting any new workout regimen.

Until next time, happy running!

xx Lk

Whey protein is the highest quality of protein derived from milk protein.  Milk protein is made of two parts: Whey protein (approximately 20%) and Casein (approximately 80%).  As far a supplements go, Whey protein is the best form of protein to take; you get all the advantages of protein without the excess fats and lactose sugars milk protein has.  It is also the highest rate in the biological value chart: Whey Protein Isolated 159-170 (or “100” because there’s no such number as higher then 100%), and Whey Protein Concentrate 104 (again, “100”).

Before Exercise

According to some studies, consuming whey protein along with some form of carbohydrate prior to exercise increases the anabolic response of the body.  Some studies suggest that there may be more benefits to drinking supplement prior to workout, but research needs to be done.

If you choose to drink whey prior to exercise, it has been recommended drinking it about 30-45min prior to exercise.  This allows the body to digest the protein before you start any physical activity.

Post Exercise

Studies have also shown benefits to consuming whey protein post exercise.  After exercise, an increase in protein synthesis and protein breakdown occurs; Whey protein post exercise helps to prevent the breakdown of muscles and speeds up recovery.

There is a debate on how soon after a workout you have to drink whey protein.  You will find that most people suggest that you have a window of 30 minutes of finishing a workout, while in recent times I have read that it may actually be within 15 minutes of exercising.  More research needs to be made.  For the time being I would suggest drinking it as soon as you are able…whether that is soon after or around the 30 minute mark.

Breakfast

Whey protein for breakfast, what a great concept!  People often say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and they are absolutely right.  Breakfast is the first meal since your last meal the day before.  That is somewhere around 8 to 12 hours of not eating.  What makes whey the perfect first food for breakfast is it quick absorbing capabilities.  It is a great way to reintroduce nutrients back into your digestive system.  It also helps to increase protein synthesis and keep the body from using muscle as a fuel source.

So pull out your blender, add your favorite fruits, ice, juice and a scoop of whey!

Whey will not make you fat!

Whey protein will not make you fat.  As previously stated earlier in the article whey does not contain fat or lactose sugars.  Ladies, whey will also not make you build masculine muscles.  In order to do that other supplements along with a lot of hard work and dedicated hours lifting heavy weights will result in larger and more pronounced muscles.

Whey is definitely a big part of my training.  I make sure to drink a water bottle with one scoop of whey after every exercise.  I find it speeds up my recovery time and that it has helped me maintain a healthy and fit body.

Is whey a part of your exercise regimen?

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2.  PRACTICE THE TRANSITION!!!  T1 & T2 is just a part of the triathlon as the swim, cycle, and run; you can lose significant time here, so practice practice practice!

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3.  The timing chip will have a significant pull-back during your swim.  I would recommend doing a couple of swimming practice with a watch or large bracelet tied around one of your ankles.

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4.  Don’t leave packing for the night before.  Make the day and night before your triathlon as calm and relaxed as possible.  The last couple of days prior to your triathlon you will naturally feel agitated, avoid putting yourself in situation of stress.

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5.  Practice the nutrition as you intend on doing it during the race.  Every sip and gel consumed before, during, and after the race  was preplanned and methodical.  Not only is this the fuel that makes sure your body will cross that finish line, but done wrong, it could also be the thing that stops you!

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6.  Have fun and smile as you run across the finish line.  You’ve worked hard and the photographer will be there to capture your victory!!

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I was getting ready for a triathlon and here are things that I packed.

Swim:

• bathing suit
• swim cap (don’t assume your triathlon will include one)
• goggles
• towel

Cycling:

• helmet
• bike shorts/pants (not mandatory)
• jersey/shirt (may be mandatory)
• socks (not mandatory)
• cycling shoes
• cycling glasses
• 2Water bottles (water & carbo pro w/ water)
• floor bike pump w/ gauge
• Bicycle

Running:

• Running shoes
• hat
• glasses

Transition Area:

• towel/mat
• extra water bottle
• tape, scissors, safety pins
• sun screen
• hair elastics
• heart rate monitor
• race #
• wetbag
• GU gel
• Whey powder w/ water (for recovery)
• extra clothes

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So here’s what you’re going to find in my saddle bag always:

1. 2 spare tubes
2. 2 tire levers
3. multi-tool allen keys
4. air pump (CO2 inflators during a race)

And of course, cell phone, and cash.

Changing a tire video to follow.

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Carbohydrate loading (carb loading) is a method that has been practiced by endurance athletes for a few decades now.  The idea behind carb loading is to increase carbohydrate consumption, usually complex carbohydrates, 12-72 hours prior to competition.

Carb loading can improve performance during high-intensity endurance exercise.  If you are competing for 90 minutes or more, carb loading could possibly improve your performance.

Carbohydrates: Fueling the body.

Foods that you eat contain a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.  All three of these nutrients supply the calories your body uses for energy, but carbohydrates is the primary source of energy.

Carbohydrates can be found in grains, vegetables and legumes, and are also found in sweets including fruits and dairy products.  A gram of carbohydrate contains four calories.

During the process of digestion, your body takes carbohydrates and converts it into sugar.  The sugar then enters the blood stream and is transferred in to individual cells to provide energy.  Your body may not require all the energy immediately, so extra sugar is stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen.

Carb-loading: Storing extra energy for endurance.

The muscles in your body usually store small amounts of glycogen which is used as energy for you to perform your day to day functions.  When you start exercising at high-intensity or for periods longer than 90 minutes, your muscles start to run out of glycogen, and your stamina and performance diminish.

By increasing the amount of carbohydrates intake while decreasing the amount of exercise you do, it forces your muscles to store more glycogen.  An increase in glycogen stores in your muscles results with a boost in your endurance.

Carb Loading: Improve performance.

Like training for each individual sport in a triathlon, nutrition is something that also needs to be incorporated throughout your training and not just the week before your competition.  When you are swimming in a pool doing drills, your body learns and recognizes each movement through muscle memories and that allows you improve and become more efficient in your strokes.  By having a carbohydrate-rich diet throughout your training, this allows your body to learn to use the carbohydrates more efficiently.  The rule of thumb is to aim for a daily diet containing about 3 grams of carbohydrates for every pound you weigh.

During the week before your event:

1.  Reduce exercise.  In order to retain the a large amount of glycogen in your muscles, endurance athletes start to taper the amount of exercise leading up to race day.  This doesn’t mean quite all exercise.  By gradually decreasing the amount of exercise you do throughout the last week will help to avoid any muscle stiffness.  The last day – day and a half you can be a “rest” day, depending on the distance of your completion.

2.  Carb-Load.  Here where you want to increase your carbohydrates to maximize the glycogen stores in your muscles for race day.  The key is to increase carbohydrates while decreasing foods higher in fat to compensate for the additional carbohydrates.  Aim for 60-70% carbohydrates; 15-20% fat; 10-15% protein.  Foods you want to eat:  whole-grain pastas and breads._______________________________

Even if you’ve loaded up on carbohydrates, you still need to keep them coming while you’re exercising to maintain your blood sugar levels. Try to drink 5 to 8 ounces of a carbohydrate-containing sports drink every 15 minutes while you’re exercising; drink more if it’s hot outside.

Carb Loading: Potential drawbacks.

Things to look out for when carb loading are:

1.  Weight gain.  You are slowing down on you exercise while increasing your carbohydrates intake.  While consuming more carbohydrates you are increasing the amount of glycogen stored in your muscles, but it also helps the body retain extra water.

2.  Change in Digestion.  Foods high in fiber should perhaps be avoided the last couple of days leading up to race day.  These foods then to encourage bowl movements, and might also cause gassy cramps and bloating discomfort.

3.  Blood sugar changes.  Since the body converts the carbohydrates into sugar it can affects the blood sugar levels if you are diabetic.  Consulting a doctor or dietitian can be extremely beneficial where they will be able to create a program that is specifically tailored to you.

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The basics regardless of whether you are competing in a pool or open water you need goggles and a swimming cap.

If you are swimming in a pool your options are: a full piece or a two piece bathing suit for women, speedos or swim shorts for men (preferably tight so not to interfere as you move through the water).  Another option is a tri suit (women & men).

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In open water, where you’re swimming in the ocean or lake you would wear any one of the above with a wet suit over top.  Depending on the location of the open water event and the time of year, there are different thermal ratings to consider for a wet suit.

Lastly, goggles.  There are a variety of colors and styles of goggles to choose from; each with a different purpose.  Growing up during my swim team days I’ve always used a blue speedos goggles.

During my first triathlon I wore a full piece bathing suit, a swimming cap, a blue speedo goggle, and my heart rate chest strap and watch.

I will in a later post expand on the different goggles and wetsuits options.  In the meantime, should you have any questions or suggestions for a post, please do not hesitate in leaving a comment!

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I had a great 1 hour workout yesterday; here’s what I did:

Warm up

10min on treadmill 7.0miles/hr
-  squatting with ball weight on one hand by your side, other hand straight out; stand up touch weight to other hand – 15reps – repeat other side

-  side squats while holding ball weight – 15reps – repeat other side

-  holding ball weight w/ both hands, squat while lowering the weight; stand up and bring the weight over your head – 15reps

-  holding ball weight w/ both hands; forward lunge rotating torso towards the outside – 15reps – repeat other side

Cardio #1

Level 12; climb 15 floors on stair master (stair treadmill)

Drills #1

-  toes on seat of rowing machine, arms on bench; pull legs in and out – 15reps
-  hands on seat of rowing machine, toes on bench; pull arms in and out – 15reps
-  back on bench, knees up above hips, weights on each hands; bench press it up while stretching both legs out – 15reps

-  cables pull 60lb – pull below your chin, make sure arms are straight when extending – 15reps

-  standing on a step with one foot, touch the ground with the opposite foot, then cross over with same foot and touch the ground on the other side – 15reps – repeat other side

repeat

Cardio #2

3:15min treadmill @6.0mile on an incline

Drills #2

-  one foot on step, holding weight on same side; step up and raise weight above head; step back down while lowering weight – 15reps – repeat other side

-  holding dumbbell with one hand, elbow sticking out, squat while lowering weight between legs, stand up and raise weight while keeping elbow above weight – 15reps repeat other side

-  sitting on step with legs raised, side to side while holding dumbbell with both hands – 20secs

-  sitting on step with legs raised, holding dumbbell with both hands, move weight front and back – 20secs

repeat drill #2

Cardio #3

stationary bike – 13 level, 2:15min, keep heart rate over 90…over 100 better

Drills #3

-  one foot on half bosu, weight on opposite hand; lunge down while curling weight – 15reps – repeat other side

-  plank position arms on bosu – 45sec hold

-  lunge stance, elbows tucked by your side holding cable weight, stand up while pulling down on cable  – 15reps – repeat other side

repeat drill #3

Cardio #4

stationary bike, level 10, cycle 1.6km

Drill #4

-  sit-ups – 15reps

-  lay with back on mat, on leg bent with foot flat on ground, other leg sticking up; raise hips up and down – 15reps – repeat other side

-  lay with back on mat, legs up knees above hips, alternate lowering and raising legs (keep lower back flat on mat)

repeat drill #4

STRETCH!!!

Done!!

NOW RECOVERY!!

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5km on a kayak is far!  I wasn’t wearing my heart rate monitor or a watch so I’m not too sure how long it took me, but I know that there’s a definite room for improvement.  I will be doing several drills in the gym and work on strength training.  I will post those up soon.

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Today I took the opportunity that the sun was shinning and decided to take my training outdoors.  I haven’t done much running outside due to such terrible weather, so I definitely wanted to take advantage of this opportunity.

As mentioned in a couple of my posts now, my training hasn’t been what it should be.  So for this session I was hoping in combining some distance running with speed.  I’m fortunate enough that I am only doing a sprint triathlon which means the running portion is only 5km.  Lucky for me, that’s the same distance that I have to run for the Adventure Challenge in September which I’ve been training for (except that for the Adventure Challenge it is a 5km trail run!).

It was such a beautiful day that Jason decided to accompany me on my run.  Jason is a self proclaimed anti-long distance runner: “I don’t like any sport where you have to test your lungs!” Yet he plays hockey, go figure!  So instead of working on speed and distance, I worked on playing around with the different heart rate zones.

Just today I read some interesting articles about using a heart rate monitor during your run and making the most out of it with the information at hand.  With the information I read and practiced today, I feel as though my running has already improved significantly.  I will definitely elaborate on the lessons I’ve learned through the various articles in a later post this week.

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