December 29, 2005
While on vacation from my desk job this week, I undertook several home improvement tasks. Channeling Tim the Tool Man, I put on my tool belt with needle nose pliers, hammer, screwdrivers and drill bits, and replaced the fluorescent lamp over my kitchen sink. Channeling the Karate Kid, I painted the living room. And channeling, uh, the guy who murders everyone in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I took shears and chainsaw to the brush in my forested backyard and chopped down a bunch of invasive plants such as wisteria and mimosa.
Excellent upper body workout. However, I admire anyone who does manual labor for a job and THEN goes out to train for endurance sports. I am exhausted by the end of the day. I ran five miles yesterday, but otherwise my plans for a vacation week chock full of exercise have not panned out. I am running ten miles on Saturday at the track club's End of Year Run. Looking forward to it!
Posted by megabeth at 05:26 PM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2005Hope you're having a nice holiday season. I'm off work this week so I prefer not to sit by my computer. I have been eating a lot of cookies, but I have maintained my exercise schedule.
I went with a friend to volunteer to feed the homeless on Christmas morning, and it put things in perspective for me. Triathletes are often debating which gel is better, should we buy the carbon fiber frame, etcetera. But what if your main problem was "Will I get to eat today?" Helping those less fortunate is a heartwarming experience and reminds me of the many blessings that have been bestowed upon me. I sometimes worry about being caught up in the obsession of training and winning. Volunteering reminds me to take a break from helping myself so that I can help others.
Posted by megabeth at 08:02 AM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2005I am the biggest baby in the world about being cold. I doubt that any amount of the most expensive, high-tech clothing is going to keep my extremities warm on a bike ride on a cold day. Heck, it's somewhere between 70 and 72 degrees in my office and my hands are blocks of ice. Anyone need their drink chilled?
My 'punishment' for having the circulation of a 90-year-old woman is that I stay indoors during the winter, pedaling a bicycle that goes nowhere. Like a hamster on a wheel. At home, I have one CTS training DVD and one Spinervals DVD. I feel depressed when training alone at home. However, I found a support group to help me endure my pain and suffering on an indoor trainer.
The group meets at Bob's Bikes in Homewood every Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6 pm for an indoor training session. Mike clears out the racks in the back of the store and we watch a different training video each time. While I'm riding, I look around at the racks to see if there's anything I want to buy. I like to shop!
I have to force myself to work hard on a trainer, because I am the type who doesn't get motivated unless there is a person or a ball to chase.
My one wish for the training videos is that they put some upbeat music in the background instead of that annoying repetitive techno beat. CTS videos in particular have the most annoying sound effects.
My favorite training videos focus on interval training or hill climbing. That's what makes Birmingham so much fun for a cyclist. I enjoy the ups and downs of hills rather than monotonous flats. I tried riding at the beach last summer and nearly fell over from boredom.
Posted by megabeth at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
The Mercedes Marathon is on February 12, 2006. It seems to be a popular race and gets quite a bit of media buzz. This will be my first year participating rather than spectating. In past years, there have been some pleasant race days and some bitterly cold race days. I pray for anything over freezing. I have heard that the post-race event is a lot of fun.
The Half Training Plan is a helpful guide for training. I've been managing to get in two to three runs per week plus some rides on my bicycle trainer. I'm not exactly following the training plan on the race website, nor I am following the track club's 10K to Half training plan. I think that schedule initially intimidated me not to sign up for the race, but coach Danny convinced me otherwise. The real question is not "Can I finish?" but "How fast can I finish?" That's where methodical training pays off. Since I have not been methodical about my training, my goal to finish in under two hours is realistic.
Anyhow, if you're in the Birmingham area and are not running the race, I encourage you to spectate. I enjoyed cheering the runners on. It's especially fun to watch the front pack of runners zoom by.
Posted by megabeth at 10:44 AM | Comments (1)
December 17, 2005This morning I woke up at 7 am and met a group of runners for a preview of the Mercedes Marathon course, despite the voice in my head telling me to JUST STAY IN BED... IT IS WARM THERE. The run went well for me. I started dragging during the last few miles, and the last mile uphill was a bit painful. But this is the longest distance I have ever run in my life, so I am proud of myself!
Most people talked during the run, which is something I don't enjoy doing when I am in pain. During my long, slow paced runs, my mind gets into a state of meditation. Social runs can be fun, too, and this nine mile run seemed a lot shorter due to the interaction.
When I'm in a large group of people I don't know (but they know each other), I get painfully reticent. Hopefully this doesn't appear like snobbery to others!
Posted by megabeth at 03:25 PM | Comments (2)
December 16, 2005I signed up for the Mercedes Half Marathon and joined the Birmingham Track Club last night. Went for a short run (3.5 miles) and it was easy. Increasing my mileage makes running short distances so much easier. I hope that building this aerobic base helps during next year's triathlons.
I entered into the triathlon world as a cyclist. Cycling is by far my strongest event. But I think that I am a runner at heart, but the fear of IT band injury has made me limit myself in the sport. I'm very optimistic right now about my future in running. I think I would enjoy becoming a marathoner. I would love to run a marathon in New York or San Francisco! One of the track club coaches is going to teach me some IT band stretches next week, and I hope that keeps the problems at bay.
Posted by megabeth at 09:51 AM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2005I decided this week to sign up for the Mercedes Half-Marathon on Feb. 12, 2006. I keep talking to people I know who are running in the race and I am going to feel sad if I don't participate. Plus, I feel confident that the weather is going to be in the mid 50s that day instead of the low 20s! Right???? Right!!!!
The longest road race I have run in is the New Milford 8 (in CT), so the half-marathon will be a nice accomplishment and hopefully a stepping stone on the way to a full marathon. I am going to ask my dad or younger sister to run the last three miles with me.
I'm going to get some help on IT band stretches to hopefully ward off any potential injury from increasing my mileage.
Apparently it takes a commitment to races to motivate me to train in a methodical manner.
Posted by megabeth at 08:51 AM | Comments (1)
December 12, 2005This Bicycle Velocity Predictor is a lot of fun to play with. It would be difficult to prove how accurate it is, but by changing only one variable from left to right you can see the difference it makes.
Posted by megabeth at 03:23 PM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2005I went on a search to find a book at the library to help me with my running technique. I have never been taught the most efficient way to run, and I am looking for any way possible to maximize results with as little training as possible. Call me lazy. :)
I found a good book called The Triathlete's Guide to Run Training by Ken Mierke. It's hard to explain the right way to run in just a short post. The author goes on for pages and pages about technique, and I have read just a few pages and tried to apply it to my 7 mile training run today. Basically, the most efficient stance is a slight forward lean, while minimizing up and down bobbing. Also, be sure to swing the arms an equal distance backwards as forwards, like a pendulum. This stance will also help to minimize injury. It did seem to use less energy since I felt pretty good during my run despite giving blood a few days ago. (The only deleterious effect I have noticed from giving blood is that I cannot for the life of me keep my hands and feet warm.) I wish I could be videotaped while running so I can see my habits. It's hard to tell if I am using the right technique without feedback.
School is over for me on Wednesday, and that will free up some time to work on the design for this blog. Stay tuned for a 'pretty' update!
Posted by megabeth at 04:32 PM | Comments (0)
December 06, 2005A lot of athletes will not give blood because they fear it will affect their performance. I found a good article in Triathlete Magazine about blood donations. The doctor notes that it can take anywhere from two days to a month to get back to optimal performance after a blood donation. The first time that I gave blood (in July), I did experience some sluggishness on long bike rides (over three hours) in the intense Alabama heat. However, while I suspect that the blood donation may have been the cause, it could have been a number of other factors such as diet, stress or being at a certain point in my menstrual cycle.
Since I haven't planned to race in the next month or so, I gave blood again today. I didn't eat much for breakfast this morning and that didn't cross my mind as I sat down in the chair. After they finished sealing up the baggie, I started feeling dizzy. Next thing I know, they have me reclined in the chair, placed ice packs on my stomach, chest, neck and head, and they are trying to force feed me grape juice. My blood sugar had tanked. I couldn't breathe deeply and I was burning up. After a few minutes, I started to feel better again. I drank juice, ate cookies, and then went back to work.
If that is what 'bonking' at a race feels like, count me out. It is very unpleasant.
Posted by megabeth at 11:46 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 05, 2005I have been a sufferer of iliotibial band pain for several years now. The IT band is a tendon that runs from the side of your hip to the side of your knee. It is typically exacerbated by lots of running, especially on banked surfaces (such as a road). Weakness in the gluteal muscles and hip flexors sets the stage for IT band inflammation.
Peter mentioned to me in an email that he, too, suffers from IT band pain. So I dug up some information from my personal experience and on the web since at least one person is interested!
I went to the chiropractor and physical therapy for a while to treat my IT band tendonitis when it flared up badly and prevented me from running. It took 9 to 10 months to heal completely from two past flareups and that meant NO running for that length of time. The cause of my problems was playing ultimate frisbee, so I quit the sport in favor of less damaging activities. Cross-training activities like cycling and swimming are helpful in preventing overuse injuries like IT band tendonitis.
Stretches, strengthening exercise and massage will help to prevent IT band pain, as well as making sure that you have the right running shoes for your foot type AND keeping your running shoes fresh and updated. I wear Brooks Adrenaline because they were recommended by a pedorthist and I will not change shoes now that I know they are good for me.
Massage: Since most people cannot afford a regular personal massage therapist, there are various products available for self-massage (and I mean the clean type, thank you for keeping your mind out of the gutter). I use an ordinary tennis ball, the Happy Roller ($15 at Bed Bath and Beyond), and the Theracane ($30-$40). There's also the Foam Roller ($15) and The Stick ($30).
After a long run (and your post-run stretches), if your IT band is hurting, put ice on the source of pain for 20 minutes, then 20 minutes off. Repeat as needed. Then massage your IT band with one of the products suggested above.
Here is a good article about IT band syndrome.
This article recommends some stretches and strengthening exercises which will help the condition. These exercises are very similar to what my physical therapist recommended.
More information on ITB tightness from the Running Times newsletter:
Q: My iliotibial bands (ITBs) seized up during a hilly section at mile 17 of my last marathon. Once I got back into the flats I was able to get my pace and stride back. Any suggestions on how to deal with this ITB issue?
A: When ITBs seize up during a marathon, it is usually due to two things: stress from braking on downhills or the "bowing" effect that having to run on crowned roads has on the outside of the downhill leg.
In the first case, you are likely over-striding: landing on your heels, your foot hitting the ground way out in front of your center of gravity, your leg straight and your knee joint locked. Quads and ITBs are the usual victims of this extra stress.
Cause #2 of ITB tightness is due to the uncommon strains on the ITB from the extra stretching it has to do on each stride. The roads need to have a fairly good degree of lateral slope away from the middle for this to occur. You mentioned that your "bands" seized up, so I'm not so sure about the crowned road theory in this instance, unless you spent an equal amount of time on each side of the road.
Regardless of the cause, once you feel the tightening start, you need to stop and stretch. The best stretch targets the outside of your leg by crossing the "good" leg in front of the tight one, then raising the arm of the tight side straight up and tilting your arm and upper body toward the other side—away from the tight ITB—forming a crescent from your foot to your hand.
Posted by megabeth at 09:13 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 02, 2005Text-messaging driver accused of hitting cyclist
Victim died 2 days after accident; 17-year-old charged with misdemeanor.
From the AP:
Updated: 10:27 a.m. ET Dec. 2, 2005
"HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. - A teenage driver accused of text messaging behind the wheel and hitting a cyclist was charged with a misdemeanor, authorities said.
The 17-year-old was charged with careless driving causing death, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
The victim, Jim R. Price, 63, was riding his bicycle Nov. 23 when he was hit by the teen’s car, said Lt. Alan Stanton, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office. Price died two days after the accident.
The teen has not been identified because he is a minor. Authorities said he lost control of the car because he was sending text messages on a cell phone. He was issued a summons and ordered to appear in court, authorities said."
A misdemeanor does not seem like ample punishment for killing a man on his bicycle, but I think I understand the nature of the law here. If you are driving a car and cause an accident with another car, and inside that car were one or more people who perished as a result of the accident, then you as the driver are not punished by law, assuming that you were not driving under the influence or being careless. Perhaps the person who died inside the car wasn't wearing his seatbelt. That wasn't your fault.
On the road, we as cyclists want to be treated as vehicles so that we can use the same roads as motorized vehicles. As drivers, we mess up sometimes and cause accidents, but never with the intent to kill someone. The teenager in this new story was being reckless without intent to kill. He could have hit another car, or he could have run his own car off the road. Unfortunately, circumstances were different, and he hit a cyclist.
The same punishment would probably be invoked if the kid had hit a car and killed an occupant. The law projects the message that the cyclist accepts the risk involved with riding on the roads without a layer of (steel) protection to guard against injury from accidents.
Ride at your own risk.
Posted by megabeth at 11:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack