Dream Chaser On Wheels

My Garmin Is Not Too Smart

In recent months, I've grown to rely on my GPS/HR monitor for training purposes. The ability to have it run programs which coach SZ assigned is enough reason to bring it to every training session. I was scheduled for some intervals today. When I ran the program, all the Garmin did was count down the first on-piece and went beep-beep-beep....-beep-WORKOUT FINISHED! I tried it several times without success. I finished my workout based on some rough estimates and was a little annoyed that my trusty Garmin failed me.

JaS and I shot some video of our skating after practice for some much needed video analysis. Let me just say one thing: unless you have perfect technique, it is an incredibly bad idea to pick apart your own skating days before a race!! Suffice to say, after watching my own video frame-by-frame, I am not so cocky about my skating ability anymore. Haahaa, this is definitly the last thing I need before a race this weekend.

So after I got home, I figured out what was wrong with my Garmin. As it turned out, I never erased any workout history since purchase. It finally reached the point of saturation and that was why it went berserk. I'm relieved to know that it is not broken and now everything is back to working order.

On other news, I would like to coin a term and hope that it will catch on. Here goes:

Crashy

adjective

1. Prone to crashing

Usage: John is a bit crashy recently...best to stay away from him in the pack!

2. Conducive to crashes

Usage: That 150m of the trail is crashy with so much debris all over the place.

3. High frequency of crashes

Usage: It's been a crashy race with people falling left right and center.

Returning to CITC

1500m TT: 2:58.68 (PB)

500m: 0:55.32

10000m: 22:27.38 (PB)

How do I feel about returning to the banked track at Canadian Inline Training Centre after enjoying my season's best track results at Nationals in June? It is a little hard to sum up in a few words but it was a tremendously enjoyable and stress-free experience.  Although the main reason to visit the track is an ability meet (RSO Points Series) on Sunday, I was not feeling too concerned about my performance. In fact, I didn't even mind the sore muscles and fatigue incurred by the World Team fundraiser training camp held at CITC the previous day.

The training camp was a lot of fun as expected. We began our day with a 14k road skate on a stretch of very smooth pavement in Harriston. We had a nice group of six skaters including JeP and SaH. I remember skating on this same road two years ago (in my rec skates, no less!) and had my first taste of skating in a pack moving at speed. Countless mileage later, I am now a much more confident skater and I really held my own in that road skate on Saturday. I was so proud of myself when I bridged a gap to SaH as well as being right there in the final sprint.

We returned to the training centre for some dryland drills after the morning skate. We did a variety of drills with focus on fast legs, jumping (some in skating position, some on explosive power in different directions), and core muscles strength. As can be expected, there was a competitive edge to some of the drills and we try to best each other's records ("Oh yeah? I can do more reps in one minute than you just did!"). ShH posted some pictures here and here.

After lunch, we put our skates back on and it was time for some circle drills. Coach AP had us work through a set of three exercises which builds up from right leg push to a full crossover. Control is the key here. I hope to do these drills on a regular basis over winter because it will improve my cornering technique. In addition to my usual laundry list of weaknesses, we discovered that I collapse my left ankle in the underpush and that obviously compromises some of the power from my push. Definitely things to keep an eye on. I had to leave early at that point though I heard the spinning class in the afternoon was fun. Oh well.

I woke up on Sunday morning with slightly sore muscles and a high heart rate. My waking heart rate had been creeping toward overtraining territory in the last few days so it did not surprise me that I was feeling none too well. Coach SZ and I have been making minor adjustments to my training workload to keep it at bay so I knew that I was not prepare to give 100% at the race. The race itself was ran at a very relaxed pace with a delayed start (waiting for the track to dry) and some long breaks. I did not mind it at all since it felt more like a day of hanging out with friends with some skating thrown in anyway. I had a good off-skate warm up and I felt alright in my warm-up accelerations. However, I had a hard time skating more than three laps at a time so it did not bode well for the 1500m time trial (that's 7.5 laps). The time trial came and went uneventfully...somehow I managed to break three minutes for the first time and finished less than a second behind PP.

The 500m group sprint went as I expected. PP took off at the start line with me a few strides behind. The rest of my group were about a quarter lap behind me, I think. I finished about half a second off my personal best so I have nothing to complain about. As for the 10k race...well, that was interesting. I thought I would DNF for sure until an idea occurred to me. There is a huge difference in ability within my group so I decided to sprint off the line until I lap the slowest skater in the group. I could call it a day and just sit in the pack to finish the distance. I told PP about my plan and we rolled to the start line knowing that I would not be "racing". The signal went off and I carried out my plan with PP right behind me. The big guys, GN & EM, were not far behind and PM was skating in a pack of three at a moderate pace. As soon as I lapped PM's pack, I was ready to be a spectator of the race between GN, EM, and PP. Well, for a few laps, I was hoping to finish with PM when he got dropped and I tried to prevent his pack from passing him. However, when EM and PP lapped us, I was itching for some fun. I hopped onto their pack and followed quickly with an attack. I was hoping that PP would come with me and we could drop EM. She didn't follow so I eased up and let it be. Some time later, I found PP on her own so I skated with her until her last three laps. I was three laps down and finished my distance uneventfully. As much as I didn't want to skate, it was definitely a lot more entertaining for me than to DNF (or as MW called it, the "free radical" in the race, haahaa)

It has been a very tiring weekend and I look forward to my rest day tomorrow!

Awesome Fun At The Clinic

It's been an exceedingly long day but I had a very good time today at the Support Your World Team Clinic. In short, I skated surprisingly well in the road skate and it was fun to see the strengths and weaknesses of different skaters in dryland (you may be surprised at what stumps us). Oh yeah, returning to the banked track for the first time since Nationals brought back good memories too. It was a great day of hanging out with my skating friends.

I will provide more details tomorrow...hopefully our RSO race will not be affected by rain.

Take That, Fever!

I came down with a mild fever and sore throat yesterday and it had me worry. My body typically takes a long time to recover from a cold or flu and with a string of competition coming up, I want to be in top shape. I skated a bit at club practice last night. I had to work very hard just to stay with the group in warm up. Threw in a bit of cold sweat and I decided to head home early for some much needed rest.

I woke up this morning with a higher heart rate than normal but luckily the fever was gone. I met up with coach SZ, CC, and JaS at the track after work for some attack/bridging up/counter-attack drills. When I first took to the track, I wasn't feeling all that great. Even though we were skating at warm up pace, I felt like I was at risk of getting dropped. However, after a few accelerations, I began to feel a lot more comfortable. SZ, CC, and I each took turn with attacking, bridging up, and counter-attacking. It was a fun drill incorporating acceleration into race strategy. Of the three different roles, I had the most trouble as the skater drafting behind the one who bridges up. Not being able to deliver a strong acceleration in the first few strides is one main reason. However, what I enjoyed the most about the training today was that it was completely stress-free. I was happy just to be able to train! In regular club practices, these kinds of strategy drills stress me out because I always feel like I am not up to the standard required to complete the drill. It was a very pleasant change to just skate the drill, without worrying how I perform.

Trust

I am very fortunate to have a strong group of people supporting me through training. One of the main reasons for this successful support network is trust. I trust that coach SZ designs my training program with my best interest in mind and her experience with training will point me to the right direction. I trust that my training partner JaS gives me unbiased feedback and he pushes me to train harder because he knows that I am capable to do it. I trust that when coach AA and coach AH tell me how I can skate better, their suggestions are based on their expertise and what they observed in me instead of some generic weakness that's applicable to any skaters you pull off the trail. Because of this trust, I am comfortable talking to them about my concerns and my doubts. I would like to think I place my trust carefully and my support network is key to help me grow as an athlete.

I went to the track with JaS for some pyramid drills last night. JaS skated behind me for that drill and he commented how my track speed is significantly slower than my road speed. Coming from someone who skates with me on such a regular basis, it really made me pause and think. Even though I've been spending so much time practicing on a track, my cornering remains a huge stumbling block. My crossover technique is obviously one issue. In a straightway stride, I know what I can do to maximize weight transfer and add more power to every push. With my crossovers, although I'm slowly getting the hang of underpush, my pushes are still clunky and tentative. In a sprint, I have a lot of problem with increasing my leg speed especially because I always seem a little uncoordinated. Every crossover is deliberate and executed in slow motion. Hopefully another winter of indoor skating will help me in that regard.

In Command

It is a subtle change but since I came back to training after my forced rest (2 days!! LOL), I've been feeling very good on skates. I'm not referring to speed. Rather, it is a general impression that I am more in command of how I want to skate. I remember a year ago I went through a very tough period with coach EG's coaching. He was surprised that I did not visualize how I skate while I skate and I just couldn't grasp what the big fuss was about. Twelve months later I still don't constantly think about what I look like when I skate. However, I no longer just slap my foot down and let whatever happen happens. I am more aware of small changes that I can make so I can skate in a particular way. This is the overwhelming impression in the last few days. Coach SZ will come to practice tomorrow. I hope to continue with some good skating so I can show her my improvement.

I went to the track today for some interval training. I am proud (and a little sheepish) to say that I completed my session with the effort it was intended for the very first time this season. Sure I always skate hard for the on pieces but I've been struggling to increase the intensity of my off pieces. Perhaps I am more well-rested...whatever causes the change, I am very pleased with this improvement. I only hope the weather holds up in the next few days so I can continue my training as scheduled.

Waddling (Quack Quack)

I have a funny walk in the last couple of days not unlike a duck waddling around. I do have several walks depending on my mood but waddling/limping certainly is not one to be proud of! I went for a regular 5k walk with my father today after work and it was the longest 5k I've ever endured. My left calve is a bit sore now because it was compensating for my bummed right knee. It's strange how skating felt so easy yesterday in comparison to my walk today.

I've started tracking my heart rate, weight, and food intake more systematically upon coach SZ's advice. It's a bit difficult to adjust but those are important data to reveal my fitness level. In a sense, I am glad that I start now instead of earlier. When I first started working with SZ, I wasn't even sure I have what it takes to stick to a training program. Had she tried to get me to log those information back then, I would probably be too overwhelmed. However, she's been slowly building up my training regimen little by little so it is much more a gradual and logical progression for me.

Restless

It has been three consecutive days of being off-skates for me and I am getting a little restless. Monday was a rest day. Tuesday's practice got rained out so I went to the gym for some minute/minute workout. Today was perfect for skating except that after my workout with dad, I discovered that the track where I was going to skate had an unavoidable puddle of water. The sun was quickly fading so I had no time to find a different place to skate. I ended up completing my interval workouts on a stationary bike in the gym instead. I really really hope the weather will hold up tomorrow for our club practice.

Not Always Coorperative

Other than my first two races of the season, all my races this year resemble the same formula. Basically, sprint hard from the start line, hang on to the pack for dear life, and be ready to skate solo when I get dropped. However, that is definitely not the only way to race. It is a valid strategy to race for a faster finishing time but when placement is my goal, it is less than ideal. I would only be in a position to react to the pack and that is no way to race for placement.

I had a good chat with coach SZ today on this issue and how my training program prepares me to take a more pro-active role in a pack. It was a moment of "aha!" to finally see how those hours of hardwork apply to race situations. In a nutshell, I must not get intimated/wide-eyed just because I skate in the pack that I skate in. I have a choice to skate coorperatively....or not. I can't wait to give it a try this weekend at our weekly distance skate!

In case you haven't noticed, I'm getting very pumped up about my upcoming marathons.

What Are The Chances?! Part 2

I went for my pre-race workout at the track near my home. It's not my favourite place to skate but it does its job in a pinch. 200m into my warm up, I had a head-on collision with a wasp...I'm pretty sure it caught both of us by surprise and it stung me right at the outer corner of my left eye even though I had my glasses on.

For the remaining of practice, all I could remember was how the wasp sting swollen up little by little until my entire left face felt a little numb. I never had a wasp sting before but I was not too worry about allergic reaction. However, paranoia set in and knowing that I had a long road trip ahead, I dropped by my doctor's office for a brief visit. Armed with antibiotics and some cream, I'm ready for Chicago.

MG from Ottawa said I should change my moniker from Candy Supergirl to DangerGirl. Considering my recent string of freaky accidents, I think calling myself DangerGirl is like tempting fate. Probably not the best idea!

No Really, What Are The Chances?!

I went to Ellis Ave for some hill repeats today after work. We had some serious thunderstorm in the afternoon so it was a little damp. Fortunately, the ground was dry and that was all it really mattered. I left my car at the top of the climb and gingerly made my way down to the bottom. In the last couple of weeks, our downhill sprint drills really helped me to lessen some of my fear of skating downhill in traffic. That alone was enough to make my practice today a lot less stressful than I originally anticipated. Little did I know what was waiting for me.

I started my first climb with a few technique points in mind. I aimed for a low recovery and keeping a steady uninterrupted rhythm. Less than a hundred meters into my climb, something plopped from the sky and landed squarely on the inside of the lens of my glasses. Since it was a tree-lined street, I thought it must be some rain water from the leaves. Some of it splattered into my eye and I tried my best to blink it away without interrupting my climbing. My legs kept on skating yet I couldn't help but notice the "water" was not transparent...in fact, it was a blob...I tried not to think about it and concentrate on my stride.

By the time I made my way to the top, I couldn't take my glasses off soon enough. To my horror and utter disgust, that blob was a huge piece of bird poop and it was all over my left eye! EEEEEWWWWWWWW........I wiped my eye with tissue after tissue yet there were still little bits and pieces of stuff. I knew I should have stock my firstaid kit with eye wash!

I think this really is THE gross-out skating story of the season. I was moving at speed yet somehow, I was hit by that piece of poop precisely between my face and my glasses. What are the chances?! Sure, if it land on my shoulder or helmet...but my eye?! SZ told me that it's good luck to be hit by bird poop. Well considering the trauma it left behind, it better be good luck!!

Getting Comfortable

Now that downhill sprints on a surface with some loose gravel is becoming a lot less scary, practice today shifted focus to climbing. Unfortunately, coach AH could not make it to practice today so he left us with a program to run. For the climbing technique, he wanted us to concentrate on a lower recovery, driving our knees forward, and a steady rhythm. However, with a lack of feedback (and the fact that it was not really a hill that we climbed), I was not entirely sure I was climbing efficiently at all.

One of the drills had two skaters attack from the back of the pack on a climb. I paired with JB and surprisingly fared better than expected. I honestly thought I would not even get to the front without dragging everybody in the pack behind me. Perhaps most people in the pack collectively decided not to chase hard...I don't know. In any case, I made sure to stay in the draft while we went through the downhill portion and JB was right behind me. When we approached the turn, I slowed down just a tad to open a gap in front and then started my sprint. When my attack was done, I saw only two skaters ahead of me (don't forget that I was the slowest one in the group). JeP told me afterward that I dropped them but I didn't have a chance to ask who were the "them" in question. Oh well.

One silly thing that I tried to do today was to roll over the manhole covers on purpose when I was just cruising. I have this disproportionate fear of falling over obstacles. The truth is, many of these obstacles are no match for my wheels. To conquer my fear, I'm starting small slowly work my way up. Knowing exactly what I can skate over and what kind of obstacles I should avoid will increase my confidence with road skating for sure.

I knew that I worked hard today because my legs are sore. However, that seems to be the recurring theme lately with every one of my practices. However, this fatigue may also just be a result of my body not recovering quick enough or I'm not skating efficiently enough. Hmm, I surely hope not.

52 Weeks Ago....

Do you remember what you were doing 52 weeks ago? I do and I think so do many of my skating friends. Exactly 52 weeks ago to the hour, we were getting soaked head to toe in torrential rain in Montreal24 2007. I just finished running around sorting out support duty for EG's solo effort and was about to head to my cot for a brief nap. In about an hour's time, it was my turn for the night shift in my team. In "honour" of this special memory, I got caught in some torrential rain today and was soaked head to toe (for the second time this week!!). Luckily, no bearings were harmed in this little ritual.

I went for some solo interval training last night and this morning. Since Monday is my rest day, by the end of the week, I'm usually very low on energy. It had been a tough week of training and my legs just felt heavy. As soon as I get home, all I can do is to put my legs up and rest. Tomorrow will be another session of distance skate on the Hamilton Beaches Trail. Those sessions used to be rather social for me but lately, they are turning into my weekly race simulation. With my legs in so many varying level of soreness, I'm not so looking forward to it anymore...

That Thing Called Self-Preservation

I went to a training session today hosted by coach AH on downhill sprints. The course that we skated cannot really be classified as a true "hill" though it has enough incline to pick up some speed. I know that for my upcoming races, being able to skate down a hill is a key skill that can make or break my results. Therefore, as much as I am uncomfortable with downhill sprints, I soldiered on.

Let me first say that I started off as a nervous wreck. The combination of skating on road, some debris, and going fast uncomfortably had me tensed up like you wouldn't believe. Of course that is exactly the worst thing I could have done. Coach AH gave me some pointers including staying low, push hard against the ground, weight on my heels, maintain the same stride length (don't shorten my stride because of getting scared by the debris and speed), and recovery. He made a good point about how I probably skated faster on flats than when I was going down that hill. However, because of perception and general lack of confidence, I get intimidated by the speed. So while the rest of the group moved on to more difficult drills, I concentrated my effort on simply forcing myself to get comfortable going downhill. It felt like I was consciously dialing down my sense of self-preservation...all my senses were telling me what a stupid act it was and how much it would hurt if I crash. I battled to focus on my strides every step of the way.

I am learning lots from these extra practices and these are skills that I don't necessarily pick up at regular club practices (well, after all, a track is flat). For me, 2007 was the season of foundation (developing my speed skating stride, pack skating skills, crossovers). This year, it is about intermediate skating skills (acceleration, starts, climbing, downhill, navigating inside a pack, sprints). Next week will be a lesson on climbing. Can't wait!

Can You See What I See?

One of the things that I did in preparation for Nationals was some visualization exercises. The 300m TT is a race unlike any other. As the only skater on the track, the feeling is not unlike that of an actor standing on stage, ready to delivery his solliloque. It is one of those rare moments in racing such that the spotlight is on me, and me only. Nervous yet?

I had an indoor recovery ride a few days prior to Nationals so while I aimlessly pedalled away the time, I decided to visualize my TT over and over again in my head. I desperately wanted to break 35s so with nothing else better to do, I stared hard at the clock on my bike.

At the 50 second mark, I saw myself rolling up to the start line on a bright sunny day with AP standing at the side. Inhale. Exhale. Smile as I look confidently ahead of me. My heart is beating faster. I get into my time trail position. Stretch my right leg behind me. Load. Explode. I run as fast as I can towards the apex. Mr. P's voice comes through loud and clear, "Stay low!". I come out of the corner and bend my knees more when I take to the straights. 14 seconds. I am at full speed now. I get a little higher up the bank in corner number 2. Fast legs and push with my left. Stay low! Long powerful strides and it's time for corner number 3. I go up yet a little higher on the bank and exit the corner over the hump. Just a few more strides. 35 seconds!

Like a video clip, I played it over and over again until every little details was as real as can be. With each replay, I could see my heart rate jumped up and feel the adrenaline pumping through my body. On race day, I did not have a single shred of nervousness because everything was just so familiar. I knew exactly what I needed to do and it was just a matter of giving everything I had on the track.

Skater Fashion Faux Pas

I went to our home track late in the afternoon for my delayed interval sessions. I've heard often how skaters work so hard in training that they had to vomit though I have never come anywhere near that...until today. Those ten minutes of intervals was probably one of the most physically demanding ten minutes I've endured so far. When I came to my last two reps, I slowed down considerably for the simple reason that I was trying hard to hold it in. Yuck.

Skinsuit is one of those rite of passage thing for anyone first taking up speedskating. In my club, a skater typically start off with baggy shirts and baggy shorts before progressing to more slim-cut clothing made of technical fabric. For some, the transition to skinsuit is pretty quick but for others, they may never feel comfortable with a one-piece skin tight garment. That's all fine and dandy but recently I come to the realization that there is also a time and place for skinsuit. If you are one of the skinsuit advocates, have you ever show up in a social skate decked out in all your Bont/Luigino/club suit glory only to discover everyone around you are in T-shirt and shorts? I have, far too many times, and frankly feel stupid every time.

Your choice of skating attire can say so much without you even uttering a single word. A few weeks ago, I showed up at practice unprepared so I ended up skating in my T-shirt and low-rise jeans (very very bad idea). I thought it would be amusing if in lieu of matching skinsuits, our relay team come dressed in matching T-shirt and jeans. Coach AH immediately responded "Only if you win the race". I suppose there is the notion that showing up at the race with "inappropriate" clothing is a sign of disrespect for your competitors. So if you end up getting your butt kicked, it's a double whammy that you can't live up to your arrogance.

I'm not sure I like this whole idea of conformance though it is something amusing to think about.

On My Own

Training by myself on skates has never been something that I'm particularly fond of. Without other skaters around me, I seem to be less motivated so I don't tend to push myself as hard. The fact that I had a fantastic practice today on the track all by myself is more than a little unexpected.

After work, I met up with a couple of TISC skaters for a recreational roll hosted by the North Toronto Ski Club. The reason to attend was mainly for networking and promotion of inline skating in general. We skated along the Waterfront Trail between Marie Curtis Park and Port Credit which included some curbs, rails, and rough surfaces. It was good practice for me to improve my ability to negotiate different terrains. It was pretty low intensity as far as skating goes but agility is something that I really need to work on.

By the time I arrived at our home track, it was already past 20:30 but my workout of the day had just begun. I skated about 15 minutes of warm up and got right to my minute/minute workout. In the absence of a pack, the pressure to hang on is gone. So instead of panicking that I am not fast enough, my mind was freed up to concentrate on technique. I was skating hard obviously but I was also experimenting with all the feedback that I received over the last few months about my cornering technique.

"reach your left leg into the corner"

"lean more"

"set down the left skate gently heel first"

"instead of stepping over with your right skate, think about pushing your left skate to the outside"

"higher and more aggressive arm swing"

"faster legs"

"swing your right arm to the front as if along a curve, not a straight line"

Guess what? After a few tries, things actually began to gel. I didn't realize it but spending some time on my own is something that I desperately need. I have no trouble regurgitating information that I have been given but without a chance to put these feedback to practice, they are simply knowledge gathering dust somewhere at the back of my mind (and I neatly label them as I-know-it-but-my-body-does-not).

Upon a bit of analysis of my workout data, I notice that I generally do not reach top speed until 15-20 seconds into my one-minute sprint. This number seems way too high to me.  Acceleration is obviously not my strong point so as much as it discourages me, I must keep working on it to improve.

Tale Of A Short Girl: Mastering The Shu Kung Fu Kick

Today I had my first session with coach AH at Hamilton Beaches Trail. I invited JaS and GN to skate with us since all of us can benefit from some technique work in the straights. The theme of the day was initiating our weight transfer from the hips (I hope I word this correctly) and big recovery. While I skated behind AH, I focused on imitating his timing for falling-recovery-setdown. With less empthasis on forcing a push out of my legs, I felt that the side-to-side rhythm of skating became so much more effortless. This is exactly what I hope to learn by skating more often with AH.

I often find myself skating with bigger and stronger guys. Obviously, one of their push is more powerful than one of my push. I brought this up to AH and asked how I can adapt effectively in pack skating without resorting to throwing in a few quick strides to make up the difference. AH suggested that I need to skate lower. When my supporting leg has a deeper knee/ankle bend, I can leverage a longer stride which can offset some of the difference in leg length and power. Later in the evening, GN commented that JaS has one of the longest strides among our group (is it any wonder that he also skates low?). JaS has a tendency to speed up nearing the end of his push which gives it an extra oomph. How can I not giggle when GN likened his push to a kung fu kick to the side?

From Idea To Reality

Being relatively new to the sport, learning to skate in good form is of high importance to me. However, I am also past the completely clueless stage. I know what good form should look like, I've heard numerous times the many key points which contribute to good technique. Now comes the hard part: learn to execute the technique until they becomes second nature to my body.

A try-and-true way to achieve that is to skate behind skaters with good technique and simply mimic their movement. This is somewhat of a catch though...under normal circumstances, skaters with good technique would need to seriously conpromise their speed so I wouldn't be dropped. Since training time is valuable for everyone, it may not be easy to find a good skater so I can tag along. Last year I lucked out and spent countless hours shadowing coach EG when he trained for Montreal 24 at a steady pace for long hours. Yesterday, while chatting with coach AA about skating clinics, he offhandedly suggested an alternate way to spend my training dollars...why don't I use it instead to get a skater to train with me at the speed that I want?

I was amused by the idea but the more I think about it, it does make a lot of sense. A training session like that can benefit me in many ways. First off, I can learn good form by mimicking instead of thinking through every little movement. That may eventually lead to skating with flow. Secondly, it's good practice for drafting. Third, it's kind of like motorpacing (heh). It will force me to get used to skate faster and holding that speed for longer period of time.

My first session will begin this Friday with coach AH and I'm really excited about it. My plan is, with a once-a-week session, I will be able to hang on to a faster pack than I am now by the time September rolls around.

Crashed & Burned!

I went to the 400m track near my home for a short training session today. I do not like that track too much because the surface is a bit wavy and I always feel horrible skating there for some reason. Lo and behold, I fell on the exact same spot as I did last season. On closer inspection, there was a slight dip in the track surface but it was filled with sand and dust. That was why I did not notice....my wheel got stuck and I went down. To make things worse, I landed in the exact same fashion as my last fall. Same road rash on the bum (and the last one just healed up a few days ago!) and same swollen knee. I soooo don't need this with a race this Sunday. Bummer.

I don't want to go back to that track again tomorrow. You just know that it's wrong when the pharmacist remembers you for your recent purchase of Tegaderm...and you're coming back for more.

On a more positive note, I was not the only one who train on that track! I ran into coach GW of Markham Speed Skating so it was rather nice to chat with him for a bit.

Choices And Inspiration

It's been three days since I last skated and it certainly feels a little strange. It was on and off drizzling rain so the dampness combined with the cold temperature was rather unpleasant to say the least. At Thursday's club practice, I did something that I haven't done before. The sky threatened to rain several times, spitting down droplets of rain, and we were unsure if practice could proceed. After standing around in uncertainty for a while, I decided to pack it in and head over to the gym instead for an indoor workout.

It may appear that I was a wimp. The way I see it, I could stay around for the sake of just staying on skates. However, with the uncertain weather, would the quality of training be worthwhile? Would my time be better spent on an indoor workout instead? I chose the latter. With only a limited amount of time I can spend on training, these are the kind of decisions that I need to make. In retrospect, I really can't say if it was a smart decision or not.

On days like these, motivation is hard to come by yet many of us in the club still commit ourselves to training. It got me thinking...what exactly inspired me to take on this mindset? I remember there was a time I announced to anyone who would listen that one day, I would stand on top of the masters podium at Nationals. That was when I only completed one marathon (ever!) and barely squeaked under the two hour mark. I did not even expect anyone to take my words seriously. However, SZ listened. Not only did she believe in me, she told me that I could aim higher and break the current records for the different distances. She showed me how I can get there with training programs, knowledge, and hardwork. Coach SZ's support is one very powerful motivation which inspires me to train hard for my goal.

2008 Off-Season Round Up

This is somewhat of a belated post but I really haven't had a chance to give this topic the thoughts it deserves until now. After reading CB's comment on my last entry, his question prompted me to review what I set out to do at the beginning of the off-season, what I have done, and how well my training program work.

• Reliably complete a marathon: I know this may sound silly to some but it was really an issue that bothered me much in 2007. If you talked to me at the start line, you probably heard me said "I just want to finish the race". If you saw me at the finish line, you may have caught glimpses of me rolling in pain. Confidence, endurance, nutrition, and equipment all played a part. In order to address the confidence and endurance issues, coach SZ prescribed lots of 2h rides on the stationery bike during the off-season. I built up from a very leisurely pace back in October to eventually completing the session at race pace effort with variation of cadences thrown in. On the nutrition front, I significantly increased the protein intake in my diet. As for equipment, transition to my custom boots and 4x100 set-up went relatively smooth in December saved for a few weeks of frame position problems. I will find out at the Montreal Marathon how well the training work.
• Building strength: It's no secret that I am not that physically strong. Years of relatively non-active lifestyle and genetics probably have something to do with it, haahaa. The plyometrics program in the off-season played a key part in increasing my strength. Plyos is painful but a very important part of the my off-season training. No weight-training though.
• Technique: I spent a lot of time in September weighing the pros and cons for skating short track ice or indoor inline during the off-season. Now that all's said and done, I am very glad that I chose to skate indoor inline three times a week. Why, you ask? Comfort in a pack is a big thing because we have no choice but to skate in very close proximity at indoor practices. All those echelon and passing drills gave me the confidence to move within a pack now that we have so much more room outdoor. My crossover has also improved over the course of winter. This is an important skill for me to work on because I do track racing too in the summer. The unfortunate part was I had my share of injuries from indoor, some more painful than others. I hope I have not done too much damage to my knees.

Speed Is Just A Number

When I skate, I don't like to check the speed on my GPS (aka geek watch) because it only distracts me. However, reviewing my GPS log at the end of the day can be interesting sometimes. I know that speed is really just a number and it does not tell the whole story about my skating but there is a certain satisfaction knowing that I can comfortably skate at a certain speed which seemed so far-fetched last season.

I feel more than a little weird for saying I can skate at such and such speed. However, at this point in my skating progress, 30km/h is a threshold that holds certain importance. At my best form of last season, I could only maintain above 30km/h briefly when I was in pack of reasonable size and swinging both my arms to hang on. This morning, I was in a pack of four and maintained that speed for one kilometer with a nice draft from JaS. If I remember correctly, I was working at about 90% effort...hard enough to challenge myself but not to the point of exhaustion. More importantly though, I cannot yet generate that kind of speed on my own. Sure I see those little blots of data on the GPS log but I also know that they were achieved when I was sprinting instead of the efficient strides for long distance races. I wonder if I will see any improvement this outdoor season or it will come to me after another winter of dedicated off-season training?

My last race at Ottawa a few weeks ago was actually my first review of drafting in a straight line this season. As expected, I was a little clumsy and not as efficient as I could have been. After a few weeks of outdoor training, I think I found my groove again. I was noticably resting when I skated behind JoS and he is not one of the bigger skaters I typically draft. When I was skating behind JaS, I had no choice but to skate really close because it was a fight to stay in the pack. Every bit of saved energy counts. However, it was also a good chance for me to practice driving my knees forward with every stride. I really had to maximize the power or risk opening a gap.

I felt really good after the session this morning and I hope to carry this confidence into the Montreal Marathon on May 11. Next weekend will be another long session so it will be interesting to see how my body performs for something close to a marathon. I've been working hard all winter on the stationary bike, mimicking the effort and duration of a skate marathon. I hope it means my body is ready work hard when it counts.

Tegaderm & Tylenol: The Dynamic Duo

JS and I went to Hamilton Beaches Trail this morning for some distance skating because the weather forcast for tomorrow (our regular Sunday distance skate session) was not looking too promising. We started off with one warm-up lap, trading leads occasionally. I wasn't feeling too bad at all. I concentrated on driving my knees forward and drafting JS close enough that I could rest my chin on his back. So everything was hunkydory until we reached approximately the 8km mark. I was leading at the time and my left skate tripped over something on setdown. Next thing I knew, I saw JS flew over my head before landing and I was sliding forward on my palms and right hip. Who would have thought we could have a bonafide pile-up even though there were only two of us in the pack?

We sat down for a bit to examine the damages. It didn't seem too bad. My right bum was stinging and my left knee was getting a little sore. Meanwhile, JS's right shin got a bit of road rash and the right hip of his suit was ripped. Two ladies came over to make sure that we were alright and they commented that the crash looked pretty bad from where they stood. Dusting the dirt off our suits, we continued with training.

After we returned to the starting point, we did a bunch of sprints alternated with rest. I paid attention to fully extending my push and a more exaggerated back swing. I also found out how far I could sprint before my body gives up. This is very important for me to know so I can plan my sprints accordingly in a race.

Our last lap was cooldown/technique. I experimented with setting down on my outside edge and a more snappy recovery. Overall, it was a very productive session for me today despite the fall. My pretty skates are all scuffed up though....well used, well loved.

When I got home, I took two extra-strength Tylenol and sat for a while. Showering would be painful for sure so I wanted to make sure the painkiller was in effect before attempting the inevitable. A screamfest ensued but I was glad I got it over with. Although I did not rip my suit, I got myself a bright red road rash which explained why it stinged so much. I covered it with Tegaderm so hopefully it will heal up nice and quick. Now that I think about it, this is probably the worst road rash I had since I started skating.

This Supergirl Wants Some Super Power

Invisibility to be exact! No, I am not trying to disappear into the background. Rather, I want to be able to draft well enough that you can hardly see me in the pack on race action photographs. Unless of course I was leading or it was a field sprint. Not being particularly tall, I should be able to use my size to the best advantage while skating.

In addition to my skating-related training, I began a twice-weekly workout session with my father starting this week. Our goal is to gradually work up to a 5km run by the end of summer and we will enroll in one of the many running events in the city. I think this is a great opportunity to spend time with my family and reintroduce my father to an active lifestyle at the same time. Through skating, I have learned much about exercising and its benefits to our health. I cannot imagine a better way to share this gift than with people who are important to me.

I was looking for information on inline speed skating in Japan today because I may have a chance to go to Tokyo or Osaka for a week in very near future. Unfortunately, most of the information that I found are from a few years back. Does anyone know of any speed skating clubs in Japan?

Here's a bit of nostalgia for you. My first inline skating race! Two years ago, I skated 55:17 for a half marathon in Ottawa after training with TISC for merely a month. Since then, I returned to Ottawa many times but something always went horribly wrong in those races. Fast forward to 2008 and two pairs of skates later, my time has improved to 45:52 and I had a fantastic race at last. I think I have finally broke my Ottawa curse. Photo by Michelle Foster.

Countdown To Outdoor

With this neverending string of snow storms, it's hard to believe that the off-season is actually winding down. It is now March, the sixth and last month of "official" off-season. A few days ago, I received a newsletter from Carmichael Training System saying that now's the time to kick up the intensity of off-season training in anticipation for the outdoor season. I mentioned this to coach SZ and she agrees.

SZ gave me a new training program yesterday with lots of specific detail on each of my workouts. I did a two-hour ride today at the gym following her direction. Normally my typical Saturday two-hour ride at steady pace is quite boring because there's nothing good on the television and the time just drag on. However, these new workouts consist of many small pieces varying in cadence and intensity so there's always a change of pace just around the corner. The two hours flew by easily.

I don't know about others but I feel a bit of pressure at this time of year. In a way, it's similar to coming to the end of Study Week in school and exam is not far behind. Have I done my homework to meet the deadlines for all those end of term projects?  Have I study enough to be ready for exams? In a few weeks, I will find out if I train hard enough and smart enough during the off-season. Although I know that I put in my share of hardwork in the last few months, it's difficult not to think that perhaps I should have done more.

I Did My Homework Today

You know that sense of accomplishment after you finish your homework and you can now go out to play? That's the feeling I have today after completing my two-hour ride. Actually, before I even started, I had a pre-workout chipping away at three (Count them! Three!) snowbanks on my driveway. Now that the snow is piled so high outside my house, every scoop of snow had to be thrown way higher than my head in order for it to land on the pile. I think that absolutely counts as core and upper body workout.

The ride was done at a pretty easy pace. With two magazines as entertainment, time flew by pretty quickly. My left knee started off a little sore but I think it had something to do with the fact that I I accidentally bumped it with my snow shovel (ouch). Hopefully tomorrow's practice will be okay.

My food craving has escalated...that sounds like an odd way of putting it, I suppose. I really want to make all kinds of decadent food, the kind that I cannot eat. Off the top of my list includes dark chocolate banana stuffed baked french toast, sweet potato muffins, focaccia sandwich with fritata, chicken pot pie, and bread pudding. This is getting out of hand!

58:10 Minutes Of Riding

I returned to the gym for the first time since falling on my knees at practice last Monday. My knees are not hurting quite as badly and the swelling is now gone. I have a wonderful palette of purple and red and blue but otherwise the joints don't hurting when I bend them. I planned on an hour of riding at an easy pace. For the most part, I was feeling okay. However, when there was less than two minute to go, my left knee shot me a jolt of sharp pain that was not unlike pinched nerves. It went away within seconds but I am a little worry. I will give this another try tomorrow and see what happens.

A few of my friends have spoken to me about my weight loss goal. More specifically, they are concerned that my goal of 110lb would push into unhealthy territory. Although I understand their point of view, my perspective is influenced by the female figures I grew up with. In fact, my mother was between 98-102lb most of her adult life at 5'1 and she certainly was healthy. In my family, there seems to be a divide between svelte and fat, with no middle ground in between. There was a Cantonese slang which started a few years ago alluding to chubby girls as "pork chop". I feel like a piece of pork chop right now and that's not a good feeling at all.

Brain Buckets

These are my Giro Atmos helmets. I had been searching high and low for a helmet which doesn't make me look like a mushroom-topped dork and I think the Atmos is stylish enough to escape that fate. Unfortunately, it also comes with a hefty price tag.

The one on the left I purchased at regular price earlier this season. I have been seen in many inline skating pictures with it. The blue and silver one I bought yesterday because there's a 2007 inventory sale at Curbside Cycle on Bloor. At $120 (GST included), it is a reasonable deal. I bought the last medium size but there are still a few small and large available. Not that I'm vain or anything but I can now colour coordinate my skating outfits (helmet+skinsuit+skates). On a somewhat unrelated note, I always suspect that coach AA colour coordinates his helmet and skinsuit though of course he would never admit it...

Since plyos on Thursday, I've been hobbling around much of the time because I was sore all over. I went to watch some local short track races at the Brampton ability meet on Saturday. It was really neat to see many familiar faces. Some of the adults I skated with last year are racing this year and all the kids are so much taller (and faster) now! I missed indoor practice this morning due to some mix up on Saturday night which dragged into the wee hours. I enjoyed a rare morning of sleeping in and ended up logging some time on the stationery bike at the gym. All in all, not a bad weekend and it's nice to be away from my skates for a little bit after a week's worth of bad practices. Let's see what Monday brings.

Giving Credit Where It's Due

Rereading yesterday's post, I guess some clarification is in order. The practice itself was very well planned and coach AA explained the topics with clarity. The drills themselves were designed and skated at a very controlled pace which allowed everyone to participate. They gave everyone a chance to practice passing in a controlled environment. That's my objective review of the practice. I really appreciate all the planning and thought AA put into coaching and, more importantly, everyone's effort to keep the speed down. Which was all the more reason why I was so angry at myself. Given the opportunity, I was not able to take advantage of it to get the most out of practice.

That's enough negativity for today.

Coach SZ, MW, JS, and I met up at the gym today for a plyos session. SZ wanted to make sure that we have a correct understanding of the exercises. Besides, it's more fun when I don't have to suffer alone, haahaa. I haven't been doing plyos since I fell on my knees so it has been three weeks since my last session. Actually, I made an attempt a couple of days ago but had to abort due to knee pain. Today, I was able to complete most of the drills (save for one or two) so I'm feeling reasonably good. It feels reassuring to know that I am slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things.

Jumping Contest

Since a few of us in the club are doing plyos in the off-season. I thought it would be interesting to have a monthly two-legs standing long jump contest to measure our progress. We had a small turnout at practice today but it was still fun to see how everyone measures up, especially in relation to their skating speed. Each person took two attempts and everyone had better result in their second jump. The results are available here.

Ooo, I passed the two metre mark! My distance was 203.5cm.

My Treadmill Accident

I was at the gym today for my off-skate workout. Just as I got on the treadmill for my warm up jog, I dropped my timer and it rolled under the machine. It's okay, I just got down on my hands and knees to retrieve it. Unfortunately, when I stood up, I hit my head really hard on the handrail and stars were dancing in front of my eyes. It did not take long before I could feel a lump rising from my forehead.

Thanks to some helpful advise from BY, perhaps I should consider wearing my helmet to the gym from now on. I thought the timing for this accident can't be worse since I have the office holiday party this Friday. It's a little difficult to get dressed up and act inconspicuous when I have a big lump on my forehead. However, looks like that is actually the least of my problems. It is sore to the touch so how am I suppose to wear my helmet to practice tomorrow?! I think I have a real problem.

(yes, I completed my off-skate workout despite this little mishap)

Robo-Girl

I had my first plyometrics workout session yesterday morning followed by a one-hour recovery ride in the evening. As a result, I'm quite sore and stiff all over now. More accurately:

• outside of my thighs
• inside of my thighs
• abs
• front of my shoulders where the arms connect to my chest
• glute

Doesn't sound like much but it is enough to make me move around like a robot! I will likely be more cautious tonight at indoor practice because fatigue usually is my number one reason for falling.

I got myself a kitchen timer because my program consists of a lot of one minute pieces. I hope it works well...I'll get to do this all over again tomorrow!! Joy oh joy. However, I do have a mantra for motivation purposes though. By the 40s mark, I would repeat to myself "Mike Garvin...Mike Garvin...". Mike is a friend from the Ottawa Inline Skating Club. He worked really hard last winter during his off-season training and made huge improvements in the following outdoor season. I have confidence that if I continue to work hard this winter, my effort will not go to waste.

That's Not How You Use It!!!

I am a little intrigued that within the same week, I heard from two different sources (here is one of them) to use the cardio machines for more skating-specific workout. So last night, since I only had 30min to work with at the gym, I climbed onto the elliptical trainer. I set the machine on a low resistance setting such that I could push without using my arms. For every 30sec, I alternated between basic-position-low and upright. Suffice to say, I wanted to kill myself after the first 5min.

However, having said that, the burn that I got in my legs felt very similar to actual skating motion. I suppose it means I'll have to fight with all the girls in the gym from now on (it's a women's only gym) to get my turn on the elliptical. [As an aside, I found that women are drawn to the elliptical trainers more than any other cardio machines. The stationary bikes, recumbent bikes, stairsclimbers, and treadmills are usually unoccupied while there's a line-up for the elliptical. Go figure.]

One interesting thing that coach SZ pointed out was how my finishing time for 10km did not translate to my marathon results. She suspects it has much to do with the way I train. Looking at my training habits, I rarely have uninterrupted workout sessions for the duration of a marathon. Most of my sessions only last up to 60min so it's no wonder I struggled with my marathon after the 60min mark! This winter, I will eventually work up to riding 1:45 continuously at race pace. It will not be easy but I believe it will give me the conditioning and confidence I need to skate well in marathons next season.

Wipeout Free

I broke my wipeout streak today because I did my workout in the gym. Well, I suppose there's always the potential to fall flat on my face anywhere but putting myself in a low-risk environment certainly helps. Based on SZ's suggestion, I spent some quality time on the stationary bike with 10min easy, 15min hard, 15min medium, 15min hard, and 10min easy. All the hard pieces were completed on high resistance setting which made me wish the clock would tick a little faster. I'm so tired. I've got to slowly build up my strength with the higher resistance. Pedalling at a higher revolution rate, as tempting as it is, does not help me to achieve what I want.

The bruises from all my falls are starting to show and I am quite amused by the one on the inside of my right wrist. I don't think I've ever bruised that part of my body before! My knees and shins are wonderful shades of blue, purple, green, and red...just like the colour in my bruise pallete makeup for Halloween. Now is a good time to study the colours so I can do a better job of applying the makeup next time.

Did You Say A Face Plant?

When SZ invited me to come out for a bike ride on Saturday afternoon, I was a little apprehensive. As you may know, I only relearned to ride not too long ago and I haven't had a chance to practice since. The only bike I have at home is an old hardware store mountain bike which has been sitting in our garage for as long as I can remember. It would take some work just to dig it up behind all the boxes! However, JS generously offered to let me borrow his commuter bike and SZ told me that we would be riding loops on quiet streets. I really have no convincing reasons not to come even though it is clearly out of my comfort zone.

I arrived at JS's home before anyone else arrived and he brought out his bike for me to try. I got a little flustered when I couldn't get the bike to start moving! I have yet to figure out what to do when my feet can't touch the ground...sigh. Luckily, JS adjusted the seat to the lowest height and with the help of a little downward slope, I finally got it moving (phew!).

Once we met up with SZ, AH, and CC, we rode over to a nearby street where we raced the Mississauga Criterium last August, a quiet 1km loop. I more or less rode at my own speed, just learning to get more comfortable with the bike. At one point, I lost my focus and hit the curb head on. Next thing I knew, I was out of the bike and face planted my way to the ground. Luckily, I landed on some mushy grass so it was just some bruising on my knees and a good scare. Heehee, it was a rather embarrassing fall so I was glad none of my friends were around to witness! I guess I rode about 17 laps before calling it a day (my friends rode more, obviously). We returned to JS's place but not without another mishap. I was the last one to arrive and with everyone looking on, let's just say I had a rather messy haphazard braking and dismount. Well, for the second time out, it really wasn't so bad.

Answer To Cardio Boredom

Logging hours on the bike inside a gym is boring to say the least. I have no issue with the stairsclimber nor the treadmill because one mistep and my bum would be on the floor. However, the bike was simply mind-numbing. Aside from the typical distractions such as TV, music, or throwing in some sprints to vary the program, there must be ways to pass the time a little easier.

I found my answer to the cardio boredom today. Thanks to my new Nintendo DS Lite and a few games which I like, I had one of my easiest 90min session today (I typically get extremely bored by the 60min mark)! The time just flew by while I was busy with slaying monsters and cutting down grass. I have a feeling that I'll become a much better gamer by the end of the off-season.

Continuing along the lines of dieting and body-image from yesterday, I saw one of the most inappropriate (or appropriate, depending on your point of view) program at the gym today. In a women's only gym, they were showing the Hooters pageant on one of the televisions in front of the cardio section! One of those things that make you go "hmmm...". I had a good laugh over this absurdity.

Friday Night At The Gym

Going to the gym on Friday evening is one of my least favourite schedule because the gym closes an hour earlier than usual. Therefore, under normal circumstances, I like to take my rest day on Fridays. However, life is of course full of surprises so rescheduling my rest day is sometimes inevitable. For example, this week, I needed to take Tuesday off to prepare for my Halloween costume so Friday is another night at the gym for me. Unfortunately, by the time I remembered about the earlier closing time, I already spent some precious time shopping for grocery. As a result, instead of a nice long session of lower intensity cardio, I squeezed in a brief workout of very high intensity.

I normally prefer to run at a steady speed of just under 10km/h for 60min. High intensity though is of course just another way to say faster with some incline thrown in. After 15min of running at 11.27km/h (see a useful speed converter for your favourite unit), my heart was pounding away at 180bpm That was absolutely nuts! I thought I was going to die. That was closer to my outdoor speed but then I don't typically stay at that speed for lengthy period of time. I dialed back a bit and slowed down to 9.65km/h for another 15min to finish off the rest of my workout.

I was chatting with a long time friend the other day. He said to me "Whatever happened to the girl I knew who work out to pig out? Did she got kidnap by the aliens and replaced by a clone?!". We laughed it off but that comment got me thinking. As much as I enjoy food and wrote about lots of my eating excursions, "pigging out" was exceptions, not the norm. In fact, ever since I started doing my own grocery shopping and cooking in second year university, I always eat a very disciplined diet for my day to day meals. Of course it was very carb and vegetable centric but portion control is ever present. I've been fighting the battle of the bulge for years because it is fun. I am fascinated how the body responds to the way I eat. Only difference now is that I've become more strict with my choice of food, meal times, and portion control. I shudder to think that I used to give off the impression that I work out to pig out.

Cycling-Challenged No More!

For the longest time, my inability to ride a bicycle has been a running joke among my friends. One of my most embarrassing story was signing up for a volcano sunrise bike tour in Hawaii. The plan was to drive to the top of Haleakala, watch the sunrise, and then downhill our way back to the bottom. The trip sounded so perfect on paper! It had been more than a decade since I last rode a bike. However, "you never forget once you learn how to ride a bike", right? Right? Unfortunately, I managed to prove that age old saying wrong. I ended up riding down the volcano on the support van in embarrassment.

As most skaters would tell you, cycling is an important component of their training program. However, for a cycling-challenged individual like me, I really have a disadvantage compared to my peers. I even considered selling ice-cream on a tricycle in summer!

Thanks to AA, I am no longer cycling-challenged. He started me off with a bike without pedals and the seat low enough so I just shuffled my feet to get moving. Once I got enough speed, I experimented with balancing on the bike, braking, and steering. It was far easier than I remembered and I quickly moved to riding with the pedals though the seat was still low enough for my feet to touch the ground. He gradually moved the seat higher until I could only touch the ground on tiptoes. The lesson wrapped up with a short ride around the neighbourhood with some light traffic and some parts of the Etobicoke Creek Trail. Although we were caught in the rain, I still had lots of fun. Compare to skating, I can ride a bike over so many different terrains without falling over!

I guess there is a downside to my newly acquired skill though. I just lost one of my pick-up lines! :D

Running Is Hard

I reviewed some of my earlier posts today. I realized although running still feels as tough as ever out of all the cardio workouts that I do, I actually run significantly faster than I used to. Back in March, I was fretting over my 5K time of 33min on a treadmill. However, finishing that same distance in 25min is my norm now. Running hasn't feel any easier though because I continue to push myself to go for a faster pace, at a longer duration. I really hope the benefit will reflect in my overall fitness.

Unfortunately, boredom is beginning to set in after a month of cardio at the gym. I'm actually surprised at my own discipline! I can't believe I can commit to 6-days a week workout on my own without "reporting" to any coaches or any training buddies. However, I really hope for a change in November when I will begin skating indoor at Scooter's as well as off-skate training with SZ. Neither of them will be easy but the challenge will be stimulating I'm sure.

Oh No! Not The Cough!

Just as I fear, now that my cold is mostly gone, I start coughing. Just like I remember, my respiratory system is now extra sensitive and the coughing is particularly bad when I exercise. This is bad news for all the skating and cardio workout I have planned. I can only hope for the best now and the cough will go away sooner rather than later.

(Positive thinking exercise: Woohoo! Free abs workout!)

So in my last post, I was all exicted about how great I felt on the stairsclimber. Well, I can't say the same about my run the next day and my session on the stationery bike today. Running is one of the most demanding cardio that I do and my legs felt sore after those 45min of brisk run. I was walking a lot slower today than I normally do. Although articles often say that walking is an acceptable form of cardio exercise, I'm really not sure. I was on my feet walking all around town today from 10am to 4pm but it sure didn't feel like a workout. So I ended up on the stationery bike at the gym. It was hard work just to push the pedals, hmm. To make things a little more interesting, I did 30sec sprint every 5min. I was exhausted.

Grr....Sniffles And Wimpy

It absolutely sucks to get sick. After two days of procrastination at home, I'm finally feeling better today but only slightly. Although the sore throat, ear pain, and headache have subsided, they are now replaced by sniffles, lightheadness, and zero strength in my body. I need to steady myself for just getting up from my chair to walk around in the office. Urgh.

I'll try to do some light cardio tonight at the gym. I think this calls for stairs or walking on the treadmill. I will probably feel horrible regardless since I took three days of rest. Well, got to start somewhere eventually, right?

On the bright side, I tried on some old clothes that I bought the last time I was skinny. There is this one dress which used to fit me like second skin but now it's all baggy around my waist and hips. Happy happy joy joy!

Indoor will start in a couple of weeks so that will be the beginning of a different training program for me too. All these cardio workouts is getting boring. I can't wait for a change.

editted: OMG, three days of rest did wonders to my body. Instead of feeling awful after 45min on the stairsclimber, I felt like I was ready for more even after 60min. Wow!

Number Crunching

Due to my rather dumb decision to donate blood a week prior to my annual check up, some of my blood test results this year are pretty messed up. Most of the tests including blood cholesterol levels reflect a good picture of health. However, Doc was concerned at the abnormal results of my ferritin (iron) and hemoglobin (red blood cell) tests. My ferritin test results is a measly 8ng/mL compared to the normal range of 10-200ng/mL while my hemoglobin level looked quite normal with 12.5gm/dL compared to the typical range of 12-16gm/dL. Doc made an interesting analogy. He said that the low iron level is like the money I have in my bank account and the hemoglobin level is like how much cash I have in my pocket. Judging from my test results, he said that I am okay with day-to-day function. However, if I need to make a large purchase, my body is not prepare to do so because of the low iron level. This makes a lot of sense because I have in fact just "bought a car" when I donated blood!

However, knowing that I routinely run low on iron because of my choice of food, I still need to be extra mindful about my iron intake. It's not like I don't like eating red meat. In fact, I find it tasty, especially offal meat. It's just that I do not like to prepare meat in my kitchen and I cannot usually get them in a ready-to-eat format that is enticing either. I better make a point of choosing red meat from the menu whenever I eat out.

My hemoglobin level is an interesting story though. Doc and I went through my records since 2000 and we compared some numbers. My past results ranged anywhere from 11-14.5gm/dL. Those were results before I started taking training seriously! So with a current reading of 12.5gm/dL, it's no wonder that my daily cardio workout feel so laboured. It will take some time for me to entirely recover from this blood donation.

Doc wants me to go back for a re-test in January. I hope the results will be good next time.

Eat More, Lose More?

Upon SZ's recommendation, I recently did a lot of reading on Dr. John Berardi's website on nutrition and fat loss. For the last month and a half, I was quite obsessed with eating less (and less!). It wasn't even so much the weight loss I was concerned about...that was just a nice-to-have side effect. I am well aware of the consequences but this is not the first time food obsession and my life intertwined. Anyway, the point is, I finally got tired of counting my carrots so to speak.

So, my focus has now shifted a little to concentrate more on losing fat. Some key changes include saving my starchy carbs only for post-workout meal, increasing my protein intake (no thanks to protein powder though. Ewww), eating every 2-3 hours, and eating a lot more fresh fruit and vegetables (the extra fiber helps to make me feel full). More sensible eating habits, you know? Here's a look at my typical daily menu:

meal 1: 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1/2 cup yogurt or cottage cheese, 300mL skim milk, 10g dark chocolate, 1 multi-vitamin

snack 1: 250mL coffee with 1 tsp sugar and 2 tsp 10% cream

meal 2: 150g of raw carrots or celery with 1 tbsp hummus

meal 3: 1 piece of fruit (e.g. pear) or 250mL of low-sodium vegetable soup

meal 4 (pre-workout): 1 energy bar (e.g. CLIF bar)

meal 5 (post-workout):

3/4 cup starchy carbs such as boiled mini potato with skin on OR two slices of white bread (I really really like white bread) OR 1 cup rice noodles or 1/2 cup rice

1 hardboiled egg OR 1 can of sardines in tomato sauce OR quarter chicken (roasted or blanched or steamed) OR tofu with soy sauce OR 2 slices of ham

1 cup of vegetables (salad OR blanched dark leafy greens OR canned corn OR edamame OR V8 juice)

10g dark chocolate

snack 2 (optional): 1/2 cup of kimchi OR 30g of aged cheese

As you can see, this is a much more balanced menu than my previous month's effort. One thing that I do not skip though is my post-breakfast and post-dinner dark chocolate. These are not chocolate bars but rather 70-85% dark chocolate so they contain very little sugar. They really help to break up the monotony. I eat substantially more food than what I was doing in the last month but fortunately the weigth is still coming off. All those raw vegetables keep me feeling full though I crave more flavourful food. I'll review my menu again in a month.

Tired In The Weekend

I went to the doctor's on Friday for my annual check up and came away with a bit of bruising from where the needle pricked me for blood samples. So I kicked off my long weekend with a rest day. SZ looked at my planned cardio program for October and advised me that it is probably too strenuous. She said that I should not work too hard at this time of the season and risk my performance next summer. I think she's right so I've scaled back my program a little.

On Saturday, after walking around town all day, I finished off my day with 2km of walking and 3km of running. On Sunday, in anticipation of Thanksgiving dinner, I planned for a more intense workout. The original plan was to enjoy a long skate at Hamilton Beaches Trail in the morning but unfortunately the weather did not coorperate. Instead, JS, MJC, KN, and I did some dryland. I did some two-legged squats and one-legged squats which didn't feel too bad when we were done. In the afternoon, I went for 45min on the stairsclimber, my latest favourite cardio. I was dead tired by 10pm when I got home after dinner! When I woke up this morning with sore muscles and a familiar sluggish feeling, I knew that I had no choice but to take things easy. I so wish the gym would stay open today because the heat and humidity combine to make my outdoor run a lot harder than it otherwise would. I went for a 3km walk and 2km run in the suffocating humidity. I couldn't believe how heavy my legs felt.

Cardio Musical Chair

Under normal circumstances, I should be taking my annual break from training now to A) avoid training burnout B) let my muscles and joints to fully recover. Unfortunately, it is not quite normal circumstances for me right now. Since I decided to skip short track ice skating this winter and skate indoor inline, I will have my work cut out for me. The intensity at indoor inline will be high because I am one of the slowest skaters in the group. I will have to work really really hard just to hang on. This means I cannot afford to lose any of the hard-earned fitness I gained this summer.

I'm also trying to fight the inevitable slowing of metabolism that comes with my reduced food consumption. As a result, I am spending October rotating between a few different cardio exercises. My plan is to continue with working out 6 days a week. I switch between cycling on a stationary bike (+75 min), running (5K hard or 10K easy), stairs climbing (+60 min), and of course skating at the Hamilton Beaches Trail (30K - 45K). It is frankly a little boring but since I started taking my headphones to the gym, I can now enjoy watching prime time television. I think I can learn to enjoy it.

Tough Decision

A few weeks ago, I thought I had my winter training all planned out. It would be two days of short track ice (to sort out a lot of my alignment and technical issues) plus lots of LSD, weights, and plyos. However, for the last few days, I'm not so certain anymore.

I skated both indoor inline (2-3 days a week) and short track ice (2 days a week) last winter. That was definitely too much time on skates so I really did not have time to invest in any proper off-season training. From that experience, I know that I only want to skate 2 days a week this winter. The weekday indoor inline sessions at Scooters were too fast for my ability last year. For the latter half of the season, I was mostly skating in the middle of the rink by myself because I could not keep up with the pace. Whereas for short track ice, I was skating with the kids and we got to work on mostly technical drills with very little intensity thrown in (except for the occasional relays). By the end of the season, I eventually got more comfortable on the ice but I was still stiff as a wooden dummy.

SZ suggested that I list out my goals for next season and use that to help me figure out my priority and training plan. My long term goal of breaking some of the masters women Canadian records is still firmly in place. However, I still have a few years before competing in the masters category. As a medium term goal (haahaa, is there such a thing), I would like to be competitive enough to race in the senior women category in provincials and nationals...you know, not being blown out of the water immediately in the first round of an elimination race kinda deal. Heh. As for goals of 2008, I aim to get consistently under 40s for my 300m TT on track (current PB 00:39.21), under 20min for my 10K road (current PB 21:30.00), and under 1:40 for my marathon (current PB 1:43:26).

I know that I have little motivation to compete on ice. Short track ice in Ontario is very much geared towards kids progressing through the ranks. As an adult skater new to the sport, I only want to use it to supplement my inline training and to help me achieve goals in inline. Can I get the same technical benefit from skating indoor at Scooters? Well, perhaps. After all, there are differences in technique between ice and inline.

My main concern with skating at Scooters is that I'm not fast enough to benefit much from the very intense weekday sessions. Having said that, I must say what I learned there last winter were immensely helpful in my outdoor season. The comfort I gained in pack skating and the improvements I made in starts and crossovers were not immediately seen in my indoor skating but those new skills were applied effectively in all aspect of my outdoor skating in 2007. Would it negate the LSD training I plan for winter if I punctuate my week with two very intense skating sessions? I better do some researches.

If I give up skating on ice this season, will I ever come back? Of course I can try again next winter but I will also face a steep learning curve all over again. Will I still be motivated to get back on the ice if I skip a season?

Last but not least, cost is a big concern. I have just made a big purchase in the form of inline custom boots. The cost of skating ice this season is about one of those boots (either the left or the right, take your pick). It will be significantly cheaper to skate indoor inline. I can probably afford to skate ice but skating is not the only plan I have for my money (sad but true). I would very much like to visit my grandpa in Hong Kong this winter so I must watch my spending carefully.

All reasonings seem to lead to the conclusion of skating indoor at Scooters. However, I am still undecided. Tough choice to make indeed.

Stepping On The Scale Again

I went to the gym today for 45 minutes at the stairsclimber. I was bored stupid. Watching Entertainmnet Tonight and Prison Break on mute can only amuse me for so long. After that, my mind was completely occupied by the annoyance of sweat and my thin eyebrows. I think in order to survive all the LSD this winter, I better remember to bring my headphones and iPod to the gym every time.

I stepped on the scale after my workout. Speaking of scales, I actually don't trust my bathroom scale at home. So one of the reasons I go to my gym is to use their medical mechanical scale, you know, the type they use at the doctors. To my surprise, I now weigh 125lb. That's 7lb less than I was in July. No wonder all my skinny clothes are now fitting nicely again. It's good to know that my hardwork is paying off.

Rest

I took three days of rest after the Montreal Rollerblade Festival according to coach EG's recommendation. It felt very strange to be home so early. When I finished doing my chores around the house, it was still so early. When I inevitably fell asleep on the couch and woke up in the middle of the night, it was only my usual bedtime anyway. I felt like I was living in a time warp.

I took my waking HR this morning and it was 53bpm. I'm not too looking forward to the crappy feeling I'll get tonight when I get back on my skates.

An Obsession With Food

Despite all the helpful tips and guidelines my friends gave me on nutrition and its relation to performance, I'm having a very difficult time with putting these information to action. In fact, I'm getting ever more paranoid about what and when I can eat.

At this point, I'm pretty certain that I'm not eating enough to ensure optimal performance. However, in order to avoid more regular episodes of sugar low during exercising, I'm experimenting with my eating schedule instead. Here's a look at my typical day:

30min after waking up: breakfast of one slice of white bread, one tablespoon of peanut butter, one large banana, 300mL of skim milk, one multi-vitamin.

2hr after waking up: 300mL of coffee with one teaspoon of sugar and two teaspoon of 10% cream.

2.5hr before work out: If I have a non-skating workout, I'll have a cup of vegetable soup followed by an All-Bran bar an hour later. If I have a skating workout, I'll have a sandwich of two slices of white bread, mustard, handful of dark leafy green, 2 slices of ham, 1 slice of cheese.

10min before work out: one energy bar such as CLIF bar or Vector bar.

Immediately after work out: If I have a non-skating workout, I eat a peanut butter sandwich. If I have a skating workout, I drink 500mL of chocolate milk.

2hr after work out: a handful of grape tomatos or a glass of V8 juice or some kimchi as a treat. I like kimchi.

Sigh, I just want the season to be over, so much so that I don't really care for my performance anymore in Montreal or Duluth as long as I finish the race. I know that I trained hard this season and I'm spending lots of money on these two races. Letting my obsession with food getting in the way of skating well is not worth it. However, "obsession" is the key. My mind is so occupied with the thought of eating less right now it seems like nothing else matters. I do not enjoy this mind frame at all.

Lots Of Running

For one reason or another, I've done more running than cycling recently for my supplement cardio workout. I suppose part of the draw is since I'm cycling-challenged (i.e. I'm limited to logging time on a stationary bike in a gym), running allows me to track my progress over the course of a season and constantly try to better my time. I'm not much into running long distances so 5K seems to be a good benchmark for me. Roughly speaking, I've brought my 5K time from 35min in March to about 30min now though I only train sporadically. I think it's reasonable to aim for 25min before winter hits.

With the help of my GPS+HR monitor, I can now do some post-workout analysis and I discover something interesting. In a typical distance skate session, I would spend the majority of time with my heart rate in the 80-90% capacity range. However, with running, my heart rate would hover above 90% for the entire duration of the workout. I know that I often end up gasping for air after a race so I assume it means I don't push myself as much during practice. I think it is possibly due to the fact that I'm more aware of technique when I train. I'm not sure that I should push myself so much during practice that my technique totally fall apart...after all, that's just reinforcing bad habits. However, I do need to work on my cardio so it appears running would be a nice supplement to my training program.

Another interesting thing I discover recently is that I actually like going around small loops. I love skating on the 200m track that we use for club practices and I enjoy running this little 1km loop nearby my house. The monotony of going round and round the same scenary is actually quite soothing. I don't have to worry too much about unexpected change of terrain. Yes, in a sense, I'm kinda boring and unadventurous. :)

Dryland

It's been over a month since I last skated Hamilton Beaches Trail and I was excited to go back. Actually, come to think of it, I haven't really done any trail or road skating in a long time! KN and I arrived at the trail just after the main pack left the starting point ten minutes prior. It really didn't make much of a difference to me as the main pack consisted of guys who skate much faster than me anyway. I went for a lap with RA which we took turn pulling for long stretches. It was a good warm up and I eventually picked up my speed to a steady 25km/hr (ha, the joy of finally skating with a GPS!). The whole lap was under 36 minutes. I can still remember my rec skating days less than two years ago when it would take me 50 minutes to complete the lap. That was such a long time ago!

I started my second lap with the guys, tucking in between GN and EG. GN pulled for about three kilometres and he made me work hard. His cadence was slow with what I call a "perma-glide". We would be gliding on one skate for what seemed like forever before each set down. It took me a while to adjust to his skating style but once I did, it was good practice for me to lengthen my stride. However, I had to swing my arms hard to keep up and I was getting tired. I pulled for a short distance and had the best dropback I've even done. My strides synchronized with the pack as I dropped from the front to the back and I merged with the pack without an acceleration. It felt great. I got dropped shortly after due to fatigue and eventually packed up with EG (who was moving a picnic table out of the way from the trail) for the rest of the lap.

JS, KN, and I went to EG's home for dryland after skating in the morning. We did some drills on setdown and recovery which placed emphasis on body alignment and a snappy recovery. It was very helpful to see the video feedback as I saw how my shoulder tilted slightly in the opposite direction and my foot pointed outside when I reached forward. Pushing with my left looked pretty solid but I have much work to do with the opposite side. Next we worked on a sensation drill. A rope was fasten to my waist on one end and a tree the other. I leaned away from the tree and did one-leg squat using both the outside leg and the inside leg. It was tiring but I can't really relate this drill to actual skating yet (I mean, I can visualize how it relates but body is not processing this information yet). Slideboard was the last item on the agenda and it was fun. I have yet to get comfortable on the slideboard and I need to work on much deeper knee+ankle bend! On the bright side, I didn't fall off the slideboard which means I don't really push back.

Phew, I was exhausted!

In Search Of My Skating Legs

Two weeks away from skating (or any exercising for that matter) is definitely a longer break than I can afford at this point in my training schedule. However, I must admit that this vacation was very enjoyable and it satisfied the foodie part of my personality (at the expense of the athletic part, unfortunately). During my brief stay at Barcelona, I was particularly impressed by how well the city supports cycling as a way to commute. For example, on some of the busiest streets in the old part of town, you would find a dedicated bike lane in the middle of the road shielded with landscaping so that the cyclists are protected from the traffic. There are also traffic signals for cyclists, plenty of bike "parking", and of course rent-a-bike places which allow you to rent the bike at point A and return at point B.

As much as I had fun during my vacation, training resumed immediately upon my return and I have been struggling since. I spent some time in the gym last Monday and Wednesday for cycling and running. Surprisingly, though I had to work hard to push through the entire session, I wasn't sore the next day. However, skating at club practice on Thursday was a different story. After half an hour of 3-min-on-2min-off drill, I was totally exhausted and my legs were very sore the next day. On Saturday, I joined EG at Rondeau to log some miles. I had a difficult time keeping up at 23-24km/h for an entire lap of 15km. I would typically drop off at the half way point and skate back at a slower pace. I was not at all pleased with how much ground I now have to make up but at least I know where I stand.

The next few weeks will be very busy time for me, skating-wise. This will be my schedule for the next few weekends:

06/30/2007: RSO Series

07/01/2007: Canada Day Marathon

07/07/2007: Nationals

07/08/2007: Nationals

07/14/2007: Montreal 24

07/15/2007: Montreal 24

Of all these events, my priority definitely goes to Nationals. Coach EG said that I have the necessary mileage so it will be intervals for the next few weeks. This is going to be painful but I am definitely looking forward to competing. It's been a long time.

(Not Really) Mega Miles Training Camp

EG had been planning for a week-long Mega Mile training camp at Rondeau Provincial Park for a while. As much as I enjoy skating, I knew that it would simply be painful for me to match him mile by mile. Instead, I came to the training camp with a rather lighthearted attitude...in fact, I was more excited about the camping part than the skating part of the trip!

After an easy three hour drive, KN and I arrived at the campground on Sunday morning in good spirits. We immediately threw on our skates and the four of us skated a lap on the very smooth and quiet road in the park. I love how the road goes right between the marshes and the trees! The guys kept me in the pack for the first lap but the speed inevitably picked up in lap two. I dropped out of the pack and skated back to the campsite and it wasn't long before everyone came back anyway. After a leisurely lunch, we explored a bit in the park. I particularly liked the beach which stretched on and on in the distance.

One of my favourite pictures from this trip: The TISC Kung Fu Masters