Everyone has dreams. Most people have something they are passionate about. I have always loved swimming and exercise. I was always the kid who got out after everyone else did when we went swimming. I remember I wanted to join swim team in HS, but there were 7 grade schools in my city, and my mom wouldn't take me out of school early to make it to practice. I guess swim practice was during my school time. However, what made me a decent swimmer was that she had Kristen and I in swim lessons from the age of 5 or 6-12. When I got to 7th grade, I remember that being a big adjustment. So I didn't join swim team until 8th grade. From then on, I got to swim varsity in HS.
When I got a shoulder injury at the end of HS and had to go through some PT, I decided that I wanted to go to school to become a physical therapist. Long story on this that is written in a previous blog, but basically I majored in exercise science as an undergrad, and got into PT school at UT and Gannon that way. I chose UT. However, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think back now and wonder if things went differently if I'd have made it in PT school. Guess I'll never know, but in the meantime, I took an assistantship at BGSU for kinesiology (the study of human movement/exercise science), and got my master's in it. I LOVED that program. Anyways, I was pretty down after not making it in PT school. I started to work, personal train some and teach fitness classes at the YMCA. I waited a semester and a summer before I could start my master's in exercise science. So what did I do...I decided to train for triathlons. What the heck was I going to do with all that spare time anyways? That was 4 summers ago. I haven't stopped since.
So it took me 4 years to figure out how to train somewhat correctly (I still have ways to go). No problem, I think having a degree in exercise science helped me out, and my background as a swimmer, the marathon and ultramarathon I trained for, and the two 10k swims I had trained for, as well as the numerous other tri's I completed over the past 4 years, they all helped me get to this year and I learned something about myself and training through it all. Also, there were many key people who helped and inspired me along the way, and who I think about when I train and race. Too many to name, but thinking about them and how they approach training and racing always keeps me going! (Ultrarunner and triathlete friends!) Mike also helped me get to where I am on the bike, and I owe much of it to him!
This year, I finally had the money and fitness to compete at USAT nationals. I had qualified in my first year of triathlons, but I didn't really want to compete in it unless I was going to do very well. So I think I signed up sometime in December for Nationals. Beginning in January, I started my regular training. I had a set-back, where I couldn't swim or run for 7 weeks because I got frostbite on both of my heels from doing something dumb. The only exercise I could do was bike, because my bike shoes cut just below the wounds, and didn't both me on the trainer. Also, Mike bought 2 computrainers in December. I really enjoyed killing myself on that thing, and I still do :) The workouts...are awesome. I LOVE seeing my power. I went ridiculous with it, sometimes I'd ride it 5-6 days a week 90min-2 hours or more.
This year, after the frostbite healed, I swam 3x a week (pretty intense) 3000m, biked 3-4x a week, with intervals (usually 2x20 min at my threshold), and run 2, sometimes 3x a week. In June, I biked the same, added run intervals in, working up to 5.5mi of speedwork, and added another day or 2 of swimming in (ramping up swim meters toward the end, too). My running was low mileage because I have a tendency to get injured on the left side (I have a weak hip). However, no injuries this year, I think I did so much swimming and cycling, that all I needed to do was run an easy run or two, and have one intense run a week. That really helped improve my time. I never thought I would break 24min in a 5k, especially at the end of a triathlon, and I ran a 22:34 in one of them. I also never thought my body could break a 49min 10k, and that happened at nationals with a time of 47:40. After a hard bike and swim!
So I went into USAT nationals pretty confident. My original goal was to make it on the first page of results for my age group. I made that goal come true! I had an idea that I might have the chance to make it to worlds. So I gave that race everything I had. I have never raced so hard for anything in my life! The run was the worst, the hardest. (as it always is with me!). I REALLY had to push myself to not slow down. I wanted to walk SO bad, especially during the last 3 miles. It's always a constant battle in my mind to stop running so hard, slow down, or walk. But no....I must keep going is what I tell myself! I finished with a time of 2:21:37, a PR. I PR'd in each sport by a significant amount of time, as well.
For some reason, I have a drive to keep training, and keep doing
triathlons. It is a lot of work, hard work, but it is always worth it
in the end. It makes me so happy. There is really nothing I'd rather do in my life than train. I love it so much. I am so proud, and feel so honored that I made Team USA to compete in the ITU Worlds Triathlon next year and get to wear that uniform! I took the very last spot in my age group to compete, but that doesn't matter, I still made it! I will be training hard for this...switching some things around and adding in a few different things in training.
For now though, a bit of a break. I won't start swimming until probably after my honeymoon, when I can get back at the end of October and focus again on training. I will still run and bike, but with no particular goal in mind except to stay in decent shape and make it up Mt. Haleakala crater in Hawaii on a bike! Training for worlds is going to be hard work...the hardest I have ever worked in my life. But I have higher goals now, now that I know what I can accomplish. Goal setting is very important if you want to accomplish your dreams!
I hope to one day find a job in exercise science that I really enjoy. It would be cool to train triathletes, or work for USA triathlon somehow, or just personal train more. Or test VO2max's all day.....haha. One day :) For now I just keep searching and hoping :) And trying to figure out what the heck I'm doing with my life. At least I'm getting married and get to go to ITU Worlds! So happy.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Maumee Valley Adventure Race 2014
My usual race partner, Rachel Nypaver, could not race with me this year, and neither could another friend I had asked, Jessie Meeker. Then, Chris Tracey said he wanted to, then he could, then he couldn't, so I switched over to a single kayak. I had reserved a double for me and Jessie, then switched to a single when her or Chris couldn't do it. Well, Chris ended up being able to do it, but at that point I said we should just do it solo.
I was actually excited to race it solo this year, see what I could do. I was determined to finish in under 5 hours, and was shooting for a 4:45 because I knew I could do it. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but it would have if the kayaking was in the River.
36 Miles of Cycling
I meant to draft off Chris for at least part of the race, but he took off in the mass start in the beginning and I didn't see where he went because I got stuck behind other people, and I couldn't catch up at that point. He is very fast, and maintained around 27mph for the whole thing...maybe I wouldn't have been able to keep up. So, I was out by myself for awhile, behind the 3-4 top guys, and in front of everyone else :). After awhile, a group caught up to me, and I pulled them mostly for a good 70 minutes. Mostly guys, too so I knew I was doing good! And my friends Lori and Mark were in that group on a tandem, and they are usually ahead of me from previous years, so I knew I was doing good this year! I had to take some breaks and let the guys lead, but I pulled them more. It started raining and getting really windy towards the end, not sure how many miles we had left, but I couldn't cycle strong in the wind anymore, so I moved over and let the guys go in front, and then I couldn't even hang on their wheels. I had done too much work. Oh well, it was still fun!! I am not sure what my bike time is yet, I think maybe 1:43, not sure. The results will be posted tomorrow. I was hoping to maintain 21, but the wind really picked up at the end.
6 Miles of Kayaking
So, usually the race is in the Maumee River, however, it was 2 ft higher than what the R.D. considered safe, so we were put in the canal. Awesome. The canal is dirty water, with a ton of fallen trees. The R.D. and boy scouts had cleaned it up a bit, but it was still hard to maneuver around the trees! I got stuck 5-7 times, and I had to get out a few times into waist deep mirky dirty muddy waters. Gross. And...because it's a canal, there is no water movement. You have to do all the work yourself, you don't have the nice downstream push of the river. So... my time was around 1:55. Everyone else was about 40min slower than usual, as well, because of this reason. Two solo girls had passed me on the kayak. This made me very angry because I was in the lead off the bike. They both had their own kayaks, though, I just rented. Their kayaks looked a lot nicer than my rented one, so it could be that, or I am just slow :)
8 Miles of Backpacking with 20% of my Body Weight
Did I mention my feet were frozen getting off the bike? They warmed up some while I was dragging the kayak into the canal, but of course, having to jump off my kayak to move it over trees left them cold again at the kayak to backpack transition. I took off my socks and shoes, and changed into dry socks and my trail running shoes, ate some gel, and was off with my pack and a bar to eat up the hill. I walked up part of the hill while eating an energy bar, then took off running. I was determined to catch up to those 2 females if it killed me. About 3 miles in I caught one of them, and 4 miles in I actually passed Lori and Mark (I have never done this, and they always win their category each year, so I knew I was doing good!). Also, the lead girl was just ahead and she was walking! Phew, I was gaining on her thank goodness! When I passed her, she said, "If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have gone to the restroom at transition!" lol. I continued on running, then around mile 5.5 all my weight fell out of my backpack! I used my brand new backpack, and the zipper must not have been zipped all the way at the bottom (When I go backpacking next, think I'll use a bunjee on that zipper just in case...). So, I had to stop and gather my weight, and put it back in. That female caught up to me. But once I was situated I took off running again. Around mile 6.5 I wanted to walk so bad, but I wanted to win it for the females, so I didn't stop running. OMG it was so hard, especially since I worked so hard on the bike this year. And getting out into cold waters on the kayak doesn't help tight legs, either! My run was around 12 min slower this year because of that. Ohhh well.
But, I still won! I was the first female, out of every class to finish first, solo, female-male, or female-female! And there were over 300 people signed up! I have finally finished first overall female, a goal of mine I've had for so long. Even though it was a low-key adventure race, it definitely still counts! So excited. Going to treat myself to ice cream tonight!
I was actually excited to race it solo this year, see what I could do. I was determined to finish in under 5 hours, and was shooting for a 4:45 because I knew I could do it. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but it would have if the kayaking was in the River.
36 Miles of Cycling
I meant to draft off Chris for at least part of the race, but he took off in the mass start in the beginning and I didn't see where he went because I got stuck behind other people, and I couldn't catch up at that point. He is very fast, and maintained around 27mph for the whole thing...maybe I wouldn't have been able to keep up. So, I was out by myself for awhile, behind the 3-4 top guys, and in front of everyone else :). After awhile, a group caught up to me, and I pulled them mostly for a good 70 minutes. Mostly guys, too so I knew I was doing good! And my friends Lori and Mark were in that group on a tandem, and they are usually ahead of me from previous years, so I knew I was doing good this year! I had to take some breaks and let the guys lead, but I pulled them more. It started raining and getting really windy towards the end, not sure how many miles we had left, but I couldn't cycle strong in the wind anymore, so I moved over and let the guys go in front, and then I couldn't even hang on their wheels. I had done too much work. Oh well, it was still fun!! I am not sure what my bike time is yet, I think maybe 1:43, not sure. The results will be posted tomorrow. I was hoping to maintain 21, but the wind really picked up at the end.
6 Miles of Kayaking
So, usually the race is in the Maumee River, however, it was 2 ft higher than what the R.D. considered safe, so we were put in the canal. Awesome. The canal is dirty water, with a ton of fallen trees. The R.D. and boy scouts had cleaned it up a bit, but it was still hard to maneuver around the trees! I got stuck 5-7 times, and I had to get out a few times into waist deep mirky dirty muddy waters. Gross. And...because it's a canal, there is no water movement. You have to do all the work yourself, you don't have the nice downstream push of the river. So... my time was around 1:55. Everyone else was about 40min slower than usual, as well, because of this reason. Two solo girls had passed me on the kayak. This made me very angry because I was in the lead off the bike. They both had their own kayaks, though, I just rented. Their kayaks looked a lot nicer than my rented one, so it could be that, or I am just slow :)
8 Miles of Backpacking with 20% of my Body Weight
Did I mention my feet were frozen getting off the bike? They warmed up some while I was dragging the kayak into the canal, but of course, having to jump off my kayak to move it over trees left them cold again at the kayak to backpack transition. I took off my socks and shoes, and changed into dry socks and my trail running shoes, ate some gel, and was off with my pack and a bar to eat up the hill. I walked up part of the hill while eating an energy bar, then took off running. I was determined to catch up to those 2 females if it killed me. About 3 miles in I caught one of them, and 4 miles in I actually passed Lori and Mark (I have never done this, and they always win their category each year, so I knew I was doing good!). Also, the lead girl was just ahead and she was walking! Phew, I was gaining on her thank goodness! When I passed her, she said, "If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have gone to the restroom at transition!" lol. I continued on running, then around mile 5.5 all my weight fell out of my backpack! I used my brand new backpack, and the zipper must not have been zipped all the way at the bottom (When I go backpacking next, think I'll use a bunjee on that zipper just in case...). So, I had to stop and gather my weight, and put it back in. That female caught up to me. But once I was situated I took off running again. Around mile 6.5 I wanted to walk so bad, but I wanted to win it for the females, so I didn't stop running. OMG it was so hard, especially since I worked so hard on the bike this year. And getting out into cold waters on the kayak doesn't help tight legs, either! My run was around 12 min slower this year because of that. Ohhh well.
But, I still won! I was the first female, out of every class to finish first, solo, female-male, or female-female! And there were over 300 people signed up! I have finally finished first overall female, a goal of mine I've had for so long. Even though it was a low-key adventure race, it definitely still counts! So excited. Going to treat myself to ice cream tonight!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Frostbite, Cycling, and Training for Triathlons
I haven't written a blog in a long time, since the 10k swim I PR'd at that will stay in my memory forever :) This blog is about my racing and training experiences. The spirit moved me today to write a blog, so here are my thoughts.
I think I got the email in October or November, saying I qualified for Age Group Nationals for USAT (I have every year, but $ is always an issue, and I felt like I was too slow to compete, and didn't want to until I was a bit faster). Well, I decided to go for it this year. I am training for USAT Nationals. Hardcore. And I believe I will meet my goals.
In December, I'm pretty sure everyone knows, I got frostbite from being dumb (an aspect of my personality I do not like, it's like I don't use common sense sometimes, but it's always because I'm in a hurry). Took weeks to heal. I think it was like 6 weeks before I swam again, and 7 weeks before I was able to run. The left heal is still sensitive to heat. However, over the last 2 weeks, it does not hurt at all (before, when I would flex my ankle I still felt a little pain). No pain!! I thank God a lot for saving me and only running 40 minutes in the snowshoes that day it happened. So, was does an exercise science major/crazy exercise addict do when she can't run, swim, or lift weights until these stupid frostbite injuries that will now slow her down in her training do? Ride the bike trainer. Thankfully, my cycling shoes were cut just below my deep frostbite wounds, and I didn't have to flex my ankle much, so I was able to still ride the trainer, hehe. I always find a way...
I think before or after that happened, Mike bought the computrainers. I owe it all to him, really, and my frostbite injuries. If it wasn't for those two things, I wouldn't have discovered a greater love for cycling and, um, ability to improve? The past couple years, riding the bike trainer sucked. I couldn't get my HR up, and I didn't know why. Well, now I think the reason was because I wasn't trying hard enough, and I wasn't riding it enough. But, to be a good triathlete, I believe you must also be a good cyclist. It is the longest leg in triathlon. In the beginning of January, it was like I broke through that threshold, and was able to get a decent workout on the bike trainer. Of course, having power there from the computrainer helped and seeing how little power I was putting out definitely motivated me to work harder :) I am currently addicted to the computrainer and the Ergvideos. With some help from Mike on how to bike train, along with my input, I just keep on improving! I can't get enough of it, and I can't wait to ride outside when it gets warmer to see how I actually ride with wind, and all that haha.
In the mean time, I am also swim and run training 3x a week. I haven't been running as much (it took awhile to get back to it from the frostbite on my heals!), but once the weather gets nicer it will be easier to run longer. I'm not worried about it. I know the run is my weakest, but I already feel stronger with it from bike training. I'll just throw in some interval training (which I will have a plan, I just have to come up with it yet) this summer, and some longer runs (for the 8mi run part of an adventure race and a 13.1 at the end of a half ironman in June). I am NOT running anything over 10mi this summer for that race. And then, after that half is over, no more running long so I'm not injured for Nationals. I participated in a running study at UT. They took 4 different strength tests and analyzed my form. Found out I'm very weak in my hips, especially the left hip, which is the leg I have had hip, knee, and foot injuries from in the past. I asked why, and was told it's just the way my body is. The only thing I can do is to always strengthen the hips (which is annoying).
My swim training is going quite well. I am not swimming anything over 3x a week, and not much over 3000m, but I cannot believe the times I'm doing my 100meters on, and the time I produced for a 1000 meter TT. I know it's not my limit, so I am working hard towards dropping those times. It takes awhile, though, I won't be ready to drop 5 sec from my sendoff times for another 3 weeks to a month. Which is fine, I have until August! :) My focus is on speed this year, not a crazy long distance...I'm excited to see how my swim performance will be.
On another note, I am still working my 3 part time jobs. Nothing full time yet, unfortunately. I will keep waiting, searching, and hoping for something that fits me right. It's just taking so long :(. But wedding planning is going well! Next step, we have to get registered....which I keep putting off. Most girls would probably find that fun. However, I'm more tomboyish...even though I am excited about my dress, finding shoes, and I did find some of my make up for the big day :)
Have a great snow day!! Happy Adventures.
I think I got the email in October or November, saying I qualified for Age Group Nationals for USAT (I have every year, but $ is always an issue, and I felt like I was too slow to compete, and didn't want to until I was a bit faster). Well, I decided to go for it this year. I am training for USAT Nationals. Hardcore. And I believe I will meet my goals.
In December, I'm pretty sure everyone knows, I got frostbite from being dumb (an aspect of my personality I do not like, it's like I don't use common sense sometimes, but it's always because I'm in a hurry). Took weeks to heal. I think it was like 6 weeks before I swam again, and 7 weeks before I was able to run. The left heal is still sensitive to heat. However, over the last 2 weeks, it does not hurt at all (before, when I would flex my ankle I still felt a little pain). No pain!! I thank God a lot for saving me and only running 40 minutes in the snowshoes that day it happened. So, was does an exercise science major/crazy exercise addict do when she can't run, swim, or lift weights until these stupid frostbite injuries that will now slow her down in her training do? Ride the bike trainer. Thankfully, my cycling shoes were cut just below my deep frostbite wounds, and I didn't have to flex my ankle much, so I was able to still ride the trainer, hehe. I always find a way...
I think before or after that happened, Mike bought the computrainers. I owe it all to him, really, and my frostbite injuries. If it wasn't for those two things, I wouldn't have discovered a greater love for cycling and, um, ability to improve? The past couple years, riding the bike trainer sucked. I couldn't get my HR up, and I didn't know why. Well, now I think the reason was because I wasn't trying hard enough, and I wasn't riding it enough. But, to be a good triathlete, I believe you must also be a good cyclist. It is the longest leg in triathlon. In the beginning of January, it was like I broke through that threshold, and was able to get a decent workout on the bike trainer. Of course, having power there from the computrainer helped and seeing how little power I was putting out definitely motivated me to work harder :) I am currently addicted to the computrainer and the Ergvideos. With some help from Mike on how to bike train, along with my input, I just keep on improving! I can't get enough of it, and I can't wait to ride outside when it gets warmer to see how I actually ride with wind, and all that haha.
In the mean time, I am also swim and run training 3x a week. I haven't been running as much (it took awhile to get back to it from the frostbite on my heals!), but once the weather gets nicer it will be easier to run longer. I'm not worried about it. I know the run is my weakest, but I already feel stronger with it from bike training. I'll just throw in some interval training (which I will have a plan, I just have to come up with it yet) this summer, and some longer runs (for the 8mi run part of an adventure race and a 13.1 at the end of a half ironman in June). I am NOT running anything over 10mi this summer for that race. And then, after that half is over, no more running long so I'm not injured for Nationals. I participated in a running study at UT. They took 4 different strength tests and analyzed my form. Found out I'm very weak in my hips, especially the left hip, which is the leg I have had hip, knee, and foot injuries from in the past. I asked why, and was told it's just the way my body is. The only thing I can do is to always strengthen the hips (which is annoying).
My swim training is going quite well. I am not swimming anything over 3x a week, and not much over 3000m, but I cannot believe the times I'm doing my 100meters on, and the time I produced for a 1000 meter TT. I know it's not my limit, so I am working hard towards dropping those times. It takes awhile, though, I won't be ready to drop 5 sec from my sendoff times for another 3 weeks to a month. Which is fine, I have until August! :) My focus is on speed this year, not a crazy long distance...I'm excited to see how my swim performance will be.
On another note, I am still working my 3 part time jobs. Nothing full time yet, unfortunately. I will keep waiting, searching, and hoping for something that fits me right. It's just taking so long :(. But wedding planning is going well! Next step, we have to get registered....which I keep putting off. Most girls would probably find that fun. However, I'm more tomboyish...even though I am excited about my dress, finding shoes, and I did find some of my make up for the big day :)
Have a great snow day!! Happy Adventures.
Monday, August 12, 2013
2013 Swim to the Moon 10k Race Experience
Ok, here goes my long story about why I chose to swim the 10k again, how I trained, and why I was worried I would not beat my time.
So, I ran the 50k trail ultra in April. I think I signed up for this 10k in January or February. I had a pretty good idea I was going to get injured training for this 50k. And yep, I did! IT band. I knew I'd be upset if I didn't have another goal after the 50k because I had to take some time off running. So there's one reason I signed up for the 10k-I wanted my body to heal its running injury, and what better way to do that than swim?
Also, I just really enjoyed the experience last summer. If you haven't already guessed, I enjoy extreme physical challenges.
Last year I swam all year long, increasing my distance in May of last summer to prepare for the 10k last August. Total mileage 6/11-August 10 last year was 95.44mi. I'm assuming from May (I didn't log then) it could have been 130mi maybe? This year...since May 13-August 11th was 204.7 miles. Last year I mainly just swam for endurance. I swam in a yard pool mostly, anywhere between 5 and 6000 3x a week, and 4000 2x a week. Sometimes 6 times a week I swam. During the 4000's I would add in a little speed workout, but not much. Lots of long, slow distance training.
This year....I limited myself to swimming 5x a week and no weekends (unless it was a triathlon race) to give myself a mental break. I swam a 5k nearly every weekday morning. I also swam in a meter pool this time, most of the time. My workouts looked something like this:
Warm up: 800 swim, 100 kick, 500 pull
4x500 on 8:15, 50 easy
10x100 on 1:45, 50 easy
10x50 on :55, 50 easy (Total= 5050m) Or some variation of this workout. I would sometimes swim 12, 16, or 20 100's, 75's, sets of 200s or 400s.
Sometimes I would do these at a moderate pace, sometimes a hard pace.
Last year I did a lot of pull sets. So I figured this year the only way I'd get faster is to do intervals. I knew that I had the endurance since I raced this distance last year, now I wanted to work on speed. So 3 sets of different intervals I did! And that's how I got an 8 minute PR!
Race Morning and the Night Before:
I hadn't checked my email since Friday, and there was an email saying the I-94W ramp off 23N was closed, so I had to add a few extra minutes driving time to take a different route. I was planning leaving at 4am, meaning I had to get up at 3:30 am, but instead I got up at 3:00 and left at 3:40am. Ugh. I arrived 1 hour early, with plenty of time to spare. Also, the night before I had stalked a few of my competitors in my age group (who doesn't?). One was a college swimmer who swam the mile in 18:35. I was intimidated! So I definitely made my goal to beat my own time, nothing else, which is what I always want, but it's nice to try to place :)
When I arrived, Eva (the race director, I work for the company some, so I know her well!) told me the guy who was timing had a family emergency, at 4am, our race was at 6:10am, so her husband had to drive back to Ann Arbor to get their timing stuff. Because of this, we did not have splits. But that's OK! Also because of the fact he had to drive to Ann Arbor, the race started at 6:20am, and we all left in one wave.
The Race (First 5k):
The first 5k went pretty smoothly, as I expected. It was a mass start, since we all started out in 1 wave. I tried to draft off people, but the 17 before me were pretty fast :) I did start out pretty quickly, and then settled into a nice pace I could maintain for the first 5k.
When I neared the turnaround point, I had to stop a number of times and ask the guards which buoys to swim between (It's confusing at the turnaround point). It started to get pretty sunny, so it was also harder to site. Great, I probably lost at least 2 minutes there. The first year I raced swim to the moon 5k, I swam it in 1:22:28, and last year my split during the 10k was 1:22:30-this year it was 1:19! (A worker was just telling us what the times were when we got out to check in halfway). When I stopped to check in, I drank a small cup of heed, and asked her which buoys to keep on my left and right. So that took another minute or so.
The Homestretch!!
I hopped back into the water, and felt pretty strong on the return trip, unlike last year. Last year I felt progressivly worse miles 4, 5, and 6, lol and just wanted to finish it, I had no time goal. This year my business was to beat 2:50:56.
However, I got confused again at the buoys since you had to again swim around certain ones before heading back to the finish. I had to ask another guard which buoys to swim around and between. Finally, when I swam around the last turnaround buoy I was relieved because I didn't have to worry about swimming between 2 buoys anymore, just the 1 on your left. I still felt pretty strong during miles 4 and 5. Me and this other swimmer were swimming on each others heels for quite a bit. I decided to draft off her for awhile, it was quite nice, I got a break!
Mile 6 or so (hard to determine where you're at):
Once I got back to Halfmoon Lake, the final lake leading up to the finish (you swim through 7 lakes up there in Pinckney Recreation Area), I was excited to almost be done! I started swimming as fast as I could, and was relieved it was almost over, because at this point my arms wanted to fall off, and my hamstrings and hip flexors were getting pretty tight from kicking for over 2 hours! Again, the sun made it hard to site, so I had to look for each buoy individually, make it there, then try to site for the next buoy. Everytime I swam to a buoy, I thought I was almost finished, ha, but noooo this final stretch seemed to go on and on!! Finally I saw the finish line, got to the last buoy, and did what I call a sprint to a finish. (It was NOT a sprint, my whole body was so sore!). Once I got to shallow enough water, I stood up, then ran to the finish line! I was relieved it was over!
I wore a watch, but silly me forgot to start it at the beginning of the race, and I didn't catch what the clock said when I finished. Judging from the actual time of when I started, and when I thought we started, I thought I swam the 10k in 2:47. This is why I was so shocked when I saw my official time of 2:42:41!
So excited. I never in my wildest dreams knew I had that in me. (Well, ok, I did have an idea, but I had no idea how well I'd swim on that day). First in my age group, 5th overall female, and 18th overall. My goal was just to beat my time from last year of 2:50:56, even it was just a minute. I beat it by 8 minutes, and the awesome place I came in was just icing on the cake! Oh and that college swimmer....I ended up beating her :) I'm not sure how this is possible, since I never swam in college, but I'm guessing that I have the ability to hold a faster pace for a longer amount of time. This is something I'm learning more and more about myself every day. I am definitely NOT a sprinter!
Will I do another one? I think so. I just need some time off from swimming. Mentally, it takes a toll on you, because there is no one to talk to, and I have to train mostly in the pool. Staring at a black line for 1 hour and 40 minutes is not what you would call fun! But, swimming is very meditative for me, so I always feel great after my workouts :)
If I do more, I want to do the Swim Michigan series next summer or summer after. 10k early June, 3 mi early August, and 10k second weekend of August. It'd be nice to go to nationals for the 10k one year. However, it'd also be nice to race at USAT nationals, as well. I don't know. I am tired of swimming, and do I really want to start training again in a few months for another 10k in June? And keep it up all summer long? I've got a wedding to plan also! Which is why I'm not doing an IRONMAN next summer. I've got some time to figure it all out.....:)
When I was young, I was the kid who was always picked last in gym class. However, I loved swimming, and we never swam in gym class. I was the kid who never wanted to get out of the pool. I used to HATE running. My lungs burned whenever I tried. But then I started running, loved it, and never stopped. My dad took our family on 15-20mi bike rides when we were kids. What I'm trying to say is this: If you have a dream, whether athletically, academically, or professionally, don't give up. Never give up despite all the odds against you. If you have passion, discipline, dedication to training or the work necessary to achieve the goal, and determination, you can achieve it!
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference." Robert Frost
So, I ran the 50k trail ultra in April. I think I signed up for this 10k in January or February. I had a pretty good idea I was going to get injured training for this 50k. And yep, I did! IT band. I knew I'd be upset if I didn't have another goal after the 50k because I had to take some time off running. So there's one reason I signed up for the 10k-I wanted my body to heal its running injury, and what better way to do that than swim?
Also, I just really enjoyed the experience last summer. If you haven't already guessed, I enjoy extreme physical challenges.
Last year I swam all year long, increasing my distance in May of last summer to prepare for the 10k last August. Total mileage 6/11-August 10 last year was 95.44mi. I'm assuming from May (I didn't log then) it could have been 130mi maybe? This year...since May 13-August 11th was 204.7 miles. Last year I mainly just swam for endurance. I swam in a yard pool mostly, anywhere between 5 and 6000 3x a week, and 4000 2x a week. Sometimes 6 times a week I swam. During the 4000's I would add in a little speed workout, but not much. Lots of long, slow distance training.
This year....I limited myself to swimming 5x a week and no weekends (unless it was a triathlon race) to give myself a mental break. I swam a 5k nearly every weekday morning. I also swam in a meter pool this time, most of the time. My workouts looked something like this:
Warm up: 800 swim, 100 kick, 500 pull
4x500 on 8:15, 50 easy
10x100 on 1:45, 50 easy
10x50 on :55, 50 easy (Total= 5050m) Or some variation of this workout. I would sometimes swim 12, 16, or 20 100's, 75's, sets of 200s or 400s.
Sometimes I would do these at a moderate pace, sometimes a hard pace.
Last year I did a lot of pull sets. So I figured this year the only way I'd get faster is to do intervals. I knew that I had the endurance since I raced this distance last year, now I wanted to work on speed. So 3 sets of different intervals I did! And that's how I got an 8 minute PR!
Race Morning and the Night Before:
I hadn't checked my email since Friday, and there was an email saying the I-94W ramp off 23N was closed, so I had to add a few extra minutes driving time to take a different route. I was planning leaving at 4am, meaning I had to get up at 3:30 am, but instead I got up at 3:00 and left at 3:40am. Ugh. I arrived 1 hour early, with plenty of time to spare. Also, the night before I had stalked a few of my competitors in my age group (who doesn't?). One was a college swimmer who swam the mile in 18:35. I was intimidated! So I definitely made my goal to beat my own time, nothing else, which is what I always want, but it's nice to try to place :)
When I arrived, Eva (the race director, I work for the company some, so I know her well!) told me the guy who was timing had a family emergency, at 4am, our race was at 6:10am, so her husband had to drive back to Ann Arbor to get their timing stuff. Because of this, we did not have splits. But that's OK! Also because of the fact he had to drive to Ann Arbor, the race started at 6:20am, and we all left in one wave.
The Race (First 5k):
The first 5k went pretty smoothly, as I expected. It was a mass start, since we all started out in 1 wave. I tried to draft off people, but the 17 before me were pretty fast :) I did start out pretty quickly, and then settled into a nice pace I could maintain for the first 5k.
When I neared the turnaround point, I had to stop a number of times and ask the guards which buoys to swim between (It's confusing at the turnaround point). It started to get pretty sunny, so it was also harder to site. Great, I probably lost at least 2 minutes there. The first year I raced swim to the moon 5k, I swam it in 1:22:28, and last year my split during the 10k was 1:22:30-this year it was 1:19! (A worker was just telling us what the times were when we got out to check in halfway). When I stopped to check in, I drank a small cup of heed, and asked her which buoys to keep on my left and right. So that took another minute or so.
The Homestretch!!
I hopped back into the water, and felt pretty strong on the return trip, unlike last year. Last year I felt progressivly worse miles 4, 5, and 6, lol and just wanted to finish it, I had no time goal. This year my business was to beat 2:50:56.
However, I got confused again at the buoys since you had to again swim around certain ones before heading back to the finish. I had to ask another guard which buoys to swim around and between. Finally, when I swam around the last turnaround buoy I was relieved because I didn't have to worry about swimming between 2 buoys anymore, just the 1 on your left. I still felt pretty strong during miles 4 and 5. Me and this other swimmer were swimming on each others heels for quite a bit. I decided to draft off her for awhile, it was quite nice, I got a break!
Mile 6 or so (hard to determine where you're at):
Once I got back to Halfmoon Lake, the final lake leading up to the finish (you swim through 7 lakes up there in Pinckney Recreation Area), I was excited to almost be done! I started swimming as fast as I could, and was relieved it was almost over, because at this point my arms wanted to fall off, and my hamstrings and hip flexors were getting pretty tight from kicking for over 2 hours! Again, the sun made it hard to site, so I had to look for each buoy individually, make it there, then try to site for the next buoy. Everytime I swam to a buoy, I thought I was almost finished, ha, but noooo this final stretch seemed to go on and on!! Finally I saw the finish line, got to the last buoy, and did what I call a sprint to a finish. (It was NOT a sprint, my whole body was so sore!). Once I got to shallow enough water, I stood up, then ran to the finish line! I was relieved it was over!
I wore a watch, but silly me forgot to start it at the beginning of the race, and I didn't catch what the clock said when I finished. Judging from the actual time of when I started, and when I thought we started, I thought I swam the 10k in 2:47. This is why I was so shocked when I saw my official time of 2:42:41!
So excited. I never in my wildest dreams knew I had that in me. (Well, ok, I did have an idea, but I had no idea how well I'd swim on that day). First in my age group, 5th overall female, and 18th overall. My goal was just to beat my time from last year of 2:50:56, even it was just a minute. I beat it by 8 minutes, and the awesome place I came in was just icing on the cake! Oh and that college swimmer....I ended up beating her :) I'm not sure how this is possible, since I never swam in college, but I'm guessing that I have the ability to hold a faster pace for a longer amount of time. This is something I'm learning more and more about myself every day. I am definitely NOT a sprinter!
Will I do another one? I think so. I just need some time off from swimming. Mentally, it takes a toll on you, because there is no one to talk to, and I have to train mostly in the pool. Staring at a black line for 1 hour and 40 minutes is not what you would call fun! But, swimming is very meditative for me, so I always feel great after my workouts :)
If I do more, I want to do the Swim Michigan series next summer or summer after. 10k early June, 3 mi early August, and 10k second weekend of August. It'd be nice to go to nationals for the 10k one year. However, it'd also be nice to race at USAT nationals, as well. I don't know. I am tired of swimming, and do I really want to start training again in a few months for another 10k in June? And keep it up all summer long? I've got a wedding to plan also! Which is why I'm not doing an IRONMAN next summer. I've got some time to figure it all out.....:)
When I was young, I was the kid who was always picked last in gym class. However, I loved swimming, and we never swam in gym class. I was the kid who never wanted to get out of the pool. I used to HATE running. My lungs burned whenever I tried. But then I started running, loved it, and never stopped. My dad took our family on 15-20mi bike rides when we were kids. What I'm trying to say is this: If you have a dream, whether athletically, academically, or professionally, don't give up. Never give up despite all the odds against you. If you have passion, discipline, dedication to training or the work necessary to achieve the goal, and determination, you can achieve it!
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference." Robert Frost
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Women's Only Sylvania Tri 2013
So, I was pretty nervous before this triathlon, not as nervous as last year but still pretty nervous. Why? Because I knew I could place. That always puts the pressure on a bit!
The Swim:
You have to seed yourself to how fast you think you'll swim. Each swimmer leaves 4 seconds apart. I decided to go first this year, unlike last year where I seeded myself 4th, but ended up passing everyone anyways (I was too nervous to go first). This girl (who I later found out was in my age group) caught up with me on the swim during the first part, but I was able to swim ahead of her the rest of the way. When I got out of the water, however, to run up all the stairs into transition, she was right behind me! Ahhh!
My swim didn't feel as strong as it did last year. Last year I swam a 6:35, this year it was 7:40 (I missed a week of training because we were backpacking 2 weeks ago-I did not feel strong at all in any workout this past week). The girl who was right behind me also swam 7:40. We tied on that! However....I did not let her pass me up in anything else, hehe!
T1: I was pretty happy, 0:57. However, I struggled putting the straps on my bike shoes down.
The Bike:
It took me some time to get clipped in, and was worried about the straps on my shoes. Then I thought, "The hell with it," and just rode on with my velcro straps loose. My feet weren't going anywhere, they were already in the shoes. Riding down Centennial was fine, except the part where I almost took out one of the policemen working the race. I thought I was supposed to turn, then realized he said straight, and almost ran right into him! I slowed way down for that. I continued on smoothly, riding around 21mph, until I turned onto Sylvania Ave., and then came the wind. I watched my speedometer decrease in speed...to 19, 18..nooo! I tried to keep it up around 20, but it was a challenge. Then I turned onto another road, not sure which one, and there was a nice tailwind. 23mph the whole way. Another turn, 21-22 mph, and into T2!
Two older women passed me (a 60 and 40 yr old!!), and then one other woman caught up to me at T2 (which I knew she would because she's amazingly fast on the bike and run!).
T2: I struggled with this one. Because I don't wear socks during triathlons to save my transition times (which would be a lot slower than they already are!), it was hard to get my wet foot out of my cycling shoe. Oh well, next time I'll put baby powder in them beforehand. 1:08-still not bad for me, it's a lot better than the last 2 years. Oh and I don't know why, but I put on my race belt first before my running shoes. Usually I grab it and buckle it on as I run. Oh well.
The Run: I wore my Garmin so I could pace myself. I tried to keep my pace under 8:00 the whole time. I felt like I was going to throw up during the whole run, so I just told myself, "It's ok, you can puke when you finish, just keep running as fast as you can." I was amazed with my run time. 24:27. That's about 15 seconds slower than my 5k time without the swim an bike attached. I owe that all to Sandi Nypaver, and her running form video. After my 50k when I got ITband syndrome, I knew I had to be done with heel striking and do something about my form. As soon as she said to lean forward with your ankles, not your hips, something clicked in my brain! Definitely don't have perfect form, but it's a lot better than it ever has been. Also, I think psychologically I know the run just sucks after the bike, so why not just think positively, and do the best I can? Change your attitude towards things helps, too.
Overall Time: 1:06:30. 4th out of 167. 2nd on the swim portion (well, we tied), 6th on the bike, and 11th on the run overall. Very happy!!
Ok, I must work very hard this week during swimming so I can be ready for my 10k swim August 11th. Seems I have lost some strength due to the backpacking week, but that's ok, I think I can bring it back.
Great job to all my friends who raced today!
The Swim:
You have to seed yourself to how fast you think you'll swim. Each swimmer leaves 4 seconds apart. I decided to go first this year, unlike last year where I seeded myself 4th, but ended up passing everyone anyways (I was too nervous to go first). This girl (who I later found out was in my age group) caught up with me on the swim during the first part, but I was able to swim ahead of her the rest of the way. When I got out of the water, however, to run up all the stairs into transition, she was right behind me! Ahhh!
My swim didn't feel as strong as it did last year. Last year I swam a 6:35, this year it was 7:40 (I missed a week of training because we were backpacking 2 weeks ago-I did not feel strong at all in any workout this past week). The girl who was right behind me also swam 7:40. We tied on that! However....I did not let her pass me up in anything else, hehe!
T1: I was pretty happy, 0:57. However, I struggled putting the straps on my bike shoes down.
The Bike:
It took me some time to get clipped in, and was worried about the straps on my shoes. Then I thought, "The hell with it," and just rode on with my velcro straps loose. My feet weren't going anywhere, they were already in the shoes. Riding down Centennial was fine, except the part where I almost took out one of the policemen working the race. I thought I was supposed to turn, then realized he said straight, and almost ran right into him! I slowed way down for that. I continued on smoothly, riding around 21mph, until I turned onto Sylvania Ave., and then came the wind. I watched my speedometer decrease in speed...to 19, 18..nooo! I tried to keep it up around 20, but it was a challenge. Then I turned onto another road, not sure which one, and there was a nice tailwind. 23mph the whole way. Another turn, 21-22 mph, and into T2!
Two older women passed me (a 60 and 40 yr old!!), and then one other woman caught up to me at T2 (which I knew she would because she's amazingly fast on the bike and run!).
T2: I struggled with this one. Because I don't wear socks during triathlons to save my transition times (which would be a lot slower than they already are!), it was hard to get my wet foot out of my cycling shoe. Oh well, next time I'll put baby powder in them beforehand. 1:08-still not bad for me, it's a lot better than the last 2 years. Oh and I don't know why, but I put on my race belt first before my running shoes. Usually I grab it and buckle it on as I run. Oh well.
The Run: I wore my Garmin so I could pace myself. I tried to keep my pace under 8:00 the whole time. I felt like I was going to throw up during the whole run, so I just told myself, "It's ok, you can puke when you finish, just keep running as fast as you can." I was amazed with my run time. 24:27. That's about 15 seconds slower than my 5k time without the swim an bike attached. I owe that all to Sandi Nypaver, and her running form video. After my 50k when I got ITband syndrome, I knew I had to be done with heel striking and do something about my form. As soon as she said to lean forward with your ankles, not your hips, something clicked in my brain! Definitely don't have perfect form, but it's a lot better than it ever has been. Also, I think psychologically I know the run just sucks after the bike, so why not just think positively, and do the best I can? Change your attitude towards things helps, too.
Overall Time: 1:06:30. 4th out of 167. 2nd on the swim portion (well, we tied), 6th on the bike, and 11th on the run overall. Very happy!!
Ok, I must work very hard this week during swimming so I can be ready for my 10k swim August 11th. Seems I have lost some strength due to the backpacking week, but that's ok, I think I can bring it back.
Great job to all my friends who raced today!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Fluid Needs in Endurance Athletes
—Fluid Needs in
Endurance Athletes
—Pre-Test
—It is good to keep
drinking a lot of pure water during a long distance race, such as a marathon. T/F
—An athlete does not
need to drink fluids during intense endurance exercise as long as they drink
enough in the 24 hours before exercise. T/F
—Sodium helps retain
fluid during vigorous endurance exercise.
T/F
—It is ok if I train
in a semi-dehydrated state so that my body gets used to this and I don’t have
to worry about slowing my pace to drink during races. T/F
—I don’t need to drink
during endurance exercise in cold weather.
T/F
—
—
—
—What is Important for
Optimal Performance?
—Water is the most
important performance-enhancing nutrient when exercise and heat stress are
combined
—
—The question is, how much
is really needed before and during exercise
—
—AND how can the addition
of electrolytes in water or sports drinks improve performance?
—
—Intro to the
Importance of Fluid Before and During Exercise
—Excessive
sweating=more serious fluid loss and a reduction in plasma volume
—This leads to
circulation failure within the body and core temperature increases to dangerous
levels.
—
—Intro to the
Importance of Fluid Before and During Exercise
—During near-maximal
exercise in the heat, along with dehydration, relatively less blood diverts to
peripheral areas (skin, muscle) for heat dissipation.
—
—Reduced peripheral
blood flow reflects the body’s attempt to maintain cardiac output despite a
decreased plasma volume caused by sweating.
(McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009)
—
—Core
Temperature During Exercise
—Any loss of body
weight > 3% seriously disturbs body temperature regulation and performance (Wein, 2011).
—
—Hyperthermia
–increased core temp. by 5°C or
higher.
—Normal core
temperature during exercise can reach up to 40°C (104°F).
—
—It is dangerous when
core temp. reaches 41°C,
or 106° F
(Vella & Kravitz, 2004).
—
—Core
Temperature During Exercise
—Heat generated by the
active muscles raises core temperature
—
—Signs of heat related
illness can result if one is exercising in the heat, which increase core temp.
even further
—
—Rises in core
temperature even happen while swimming or running outside in cold weather! (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009)
—
—On a hot day,
temperature receptors located in the skin send signals to the hypothalamus to
cool the body by increasing the sweat rate (Vella & Kravitz, 2004).
—
—
—Water
Loss in the Heat: Dehydration
—Dehydration=imbalance
in fluid dynamics when fluid intake does not replenish water loss (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009).
—
—Any amount of
dehydration impairs exercise performance.
—
—A 2% loss of body
weight results in decreased performance and signs of disorientation/confusion (Wein, 2011).
—
—A loss of >3% seriously disturbs temperature regulation!
—
—The risk for
dehydration increases even during intense exercise in the cold, so don’t let the
cold weather fool you!
—
—Water
Loss in the Heat: Dehydration
—Health risks
associated with dehydration include:
—
1)increased
core body temperature
2)increased
cardiovascular strain
3) increased
glycogen use
4) altered metabolic function and possibly altered CNS (Central Nervous System)
function
—
—Water
Loss in the Heat: Dehydration
—The risk of heat
illness greatly increases when a person begins exercising in a dehydrated state
(McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009).
—
—Dehydration can slow
the stomach emptying rate and cause stomach cramps and feelings of nausea.
—
—Magnitude
of Fluid Loss
—During high-intensity
exercise in the heat, a person can lose up to 3L of water/hour (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009).
—
—However, sweat rate
can vary depending on:
1)the
environmental temperature
2)humidity
3)
type of clothing worn
4)
intensity
5)
fitness level
6)acclimation
to the environment (Vella & Kravitz, 2004).
—
—Body fluid loss
results in these 5 negative factors on performance (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009):
—Decreased
plasma volume
—Decreased
blood flow to the skin
—Decreased
stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped out each heart beat)
—Increased
heart rate
—General
deterioration in the efficiency of circulation and thermoregulation during
exercise
—
—Water
Replacement: Rehydration
—Properly scheduling
fluid replacement maintains plasma volume, so circulation and sweating progress
optimally (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009)
—
—A well-hydrated
athlete always functions at a higher physiologic and performance level than a
dehydrated athlete.
—
—Achieving hyperhydration BEFORE exercising in
a hot environment protects against heat stress because it:
1) Delays
dehydration
2) Increases
sweating during exercise to help cool the body
3) Diminishes
rise in core temperature
—
—Pre-exercise
hydration
—It is recommended to
consume plenty of fluids in the 24 hours before exercise (Vella & Kravitz, 2004).
—
—In addition, the
athlete should drink 16 oz of fluid about 20 minutes before the start of
exercise (Vella & Kravitz, 2004).
—
—The athlete still
needs to consume fluids during exercise, especially in the heat (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009).
—
—During
Exercise
—Fluid requirements
vary remarkably between athletes and between exercise situations.
—Fluid loss is
effected by (AIS Sports Nutrition):
1) Genetics-some people sweat
more (Myself-this note was not in my presentation, lol, but because I sweat a lot, I noticed I have to drink more to stay hydrated than others it seems.)
2) Body
size-larger
athletes vs. smaller athletes
3) Fitness-more fit people sweat earlier in exercise and in larger volumes
4) Environment-sweat losses are
higher in hot, humid conditions
5)
Exercise Intensity-sweat
losses increase as exercise intensity increases
—
—During
Exercise
— Better to start
drinking early and often during exercise (AIS Sports Nutrition).
—Every 15-20 minutes,
the athlete should consume between 200-300 mL
(about .85-1.25 cups) (AIS Sports Nutrition).
—
—Adequacy
of Rehydration
—Signs of dehydration
include (Vella & Kravitz, 2004) :
- dark urine with
strong odor
- muscle cramps
- decreased sweat
rate
- fatigue (Vella & Kravitz, 2004)
—The athlete drank
enough fluids during and before exercise if they excrete a large volume of
light colored, odorless urine (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009)
—
—Sodium
Facilitates Rehydration
—A moderate amount of
sodium added to a rehydration beverage provides more complete rehydration.
—
—Maintaining a
relatively high plasma concentration of sodium helps (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009):
- Sustain thirst
drive
- Promote
retention of fluids
- More quickly
restore lost plasma volume during rehydration
—
—Sodium
Facilitates Rehydration
—Restoring water and
electrolyte balance in recovery can help by adding moderate to high amounts of
sodium, such as 2300mg, to fluids or food (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009).
—
—Add 1/3 tsp. of table
salt to 1L of water, especially if exercising for a prolonged period of time in
the heat.
—
——
—What About Potassium?
—A tiny amount of
potassium (36-90 mg) enhances water retention.
—
—This amount may
prevent any extra potassium loss that results from sodium retention by kidneys.
—
—However, even at
intense exercise levels, potassium lost in sweat is small and poses no
immediate danger.
—
—Can replace potassium
lost through sweat by increasing the amount of potassium-rich foods (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009).
—
—Sodium
Facilitates Rehydration
—Fluid intake is
increased when beverages are cool, flavored, and contain salt (AIS Sports
Nutrition).
—
—This makes sports
drinks the perfect beverage to drink during exercise! They have the right amount of sodium and
potassium needed (AIS Sports Nutrition).
—
—Pure water absorbed
from the gut rapidly dilutes plasma sodium concentration, so it’s important to
drink fluids with sodium in them to prevent a condition called Hyponatremia (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2009).
—
—Hyponatremia: Reduced Sodium Concentration in Body Fluids
—Hyponatremia , or low blood
sodium levels, causes symptoms similar to dehydration and is potentially life
threatening.
—
—The sodium
concentration balance is disturbed which can cause swelling of the brain.
—
—Can often occur in
prolonged endurance events of 2 hours or more when large volumes of low sodium
drinks (like water) are consumed and sweat losses are small (from dehydration).
—
—Taking in
sodium-containing fluids helps match fluid intake to sweat loss since sodium
helps retain fluid and lowers the risk of hyponatremia (AIS Sports Nutrition).
—
—To Reduce the Risk of
Hyponatremia, an Individual Can
Follow These 5 Steps:
1) 2-3 hours before exercise drink 14-22 oz. of fluid
2) Drink 5-10 oz. of fluid about 30 min. before exercise
3) Drink no more than 32 oz. of plain water spread
over 15-minute intervals during or
after exercise
4) Add a small amt. of sodium (about ¼-1/2 tsp. of salt per 32 oz. to fluid. Commercial sports drinks are also effective
in providing water, carbohydrate fuel, and electrolytes.
5) Do not restrict dietary salt.
—
—References
AIS Sports Nutrition. (2009).
Fluid-who needs it?
Australian Sports
Commission. Retrieved from
McArdle, W. D., Katch, F. I., &Katch, V. L.
(2009). Sports and exercise
nutrition. (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Vella, C., & Kravitz, L. (2004). Staying cool when your body is hot.
Retrieved from
Wein, Debra.
(2011). Nutrition for ultra
endurance events: fluid and
electrolytes
guidelines. Retrieved from
http://www.nsca-lift.org/Perform/article.asp?ArticleID=299
—
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