Drills Drills and More Drills

I hit the pool yesterday with my Tri Group after not swimming for about a month. I was surprised that I was able to hang with the group for a solid hour of drills. It's amazing how much awareness I have now of my form or the lack thereof. It was a good day at the pool and now I'm getting more excited about actually doing a triathlon after the adventure race in May. I'm thinking either the Danskin Women's tri or something in the Fall. I really want to the do the Xterra at Muleshoe but I will be on vacation that week and I really don't want to miss my vacation!

Freezing temps

BRRRRRRR. The temperatures have reached their lowest lows in over 20 years. We woke up this morning to frozen pipes. An early morning with no shower, no coffee. Thank goodness for that gym membership. It certainly came in handy today. I tried to make myself feel better by working in a swim workout so that the only reason I went to the gym was not for the delicious hot shower. The swim was good. Even now, I'm barely able to keep my eyes open. Does anyone else get super sleepy after a swim?

Barton Creek aka River Wild

Ah it was a BEAUTIFUL day out. Perfect for a ride down to the creek and back. Just wish we had a kayak to hop into when we got there.

Hmmm.... how to get to the other side?

After the last month of steady rainfall, the formerly barren and bone dry Barton Creek finally looks like a creek. If only it were summer so that I could swim and sunbathe to my heart's delight. Unfortunately, it presents a bit of quandry this time of year with colder temperatures. No one, especially me, wants to wade through cold water shouldering a mountain bike and then be faced with freezing because you have sloshy socks and shoes. Hopefully, I'll find a dry place to cross so that I can enjoy my favorite trails on the other side again and go to Zilker.

BTW, we're expecting snow today in central Texas! Hope it makes it way to Austin so I can curl up with a good movie, cocoa, and a warm fire.

Share the road, share the trail, and share the lane

I had a stellar swim workout last night at the pool. It's amazing how empty the gym is on a Saturday night. I was able to swim 800 in peace. Love it! Especially considering that most days I have to wait for a lane to open - although it's not as bad as what the folks at Deep Eddy are battling. See Pamela LeBlanc of FitCity's post about it here. Excellent post and great timing. With the soaring temps and several tris coming up so people are hitting the pool more frequently. I've definitely experienced the frustration of waiting for a lane at the pool and sharing a lane as well. Luckily, I've only had to share with one other person however I'm totally up for sharing with more if I can keep the pace of circling. I know how frustating it can be to share lanes with other swimmers, especially if you don't know them or if you're at different levels, but it's really not that difficult. I rest more than the faster experienced swimmers, so I feel okay with stopping at the wall and waiting until they pass me. Circling is also good practice if you're training for a triathlon. You must get used to others swimming in front of, around and behind you. You also have to get used to people passing you and hopefully you passing them. Also, as far as asking for permission, I rarely do that because people rarely ask me and I'm okay with that. I fully expect someone to drop in my lane if the other lanes are taken and if it's during peak pool hours. If you want the lane to yourself and aren't willing to share no matter what, then go to the pool during non-peak hours. A little good will goes a long way. Share the road, share the trail, and share your lane!

Sidenote, since I've started swimming again, I've noticed that my hair is becoming increasingly damaged and dry. The chlorine has finally taken its toll. Any good products out there?

I'm off to ride. I didn't get one in this morning because I had to watch TDF Stage 15. It was amazing! So now, I'm off to enjoy this fine weather. It's finally here.

The Arbor Trails in South Austin

Each time I go to the gym, I see people running/walking/riding the trails that wind around the Shops at Arbor Trails off South Mopac and William Cannon. There's also a similar system at the retail shops on Brodie Lane complete with bike racks everywhere. I recall some mention of perhaps joining these two systems together so that there's like 35 miles of trails but I can't remember where I read that, who I heard it from, etc. Please comment if you're aware of this development plans or if you know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, yesterday I decided to try out the Arbor Trails and then swim at the gym right after. I parked at the gym, grabbed my iPod and water bottle and hit the trail running. It was well shaded near the gym but pretty soon the trail was splitting off and winding through retail shops, restaurants, and along Mopac. For the greater part of the run, I was in direct sunlight which is great in the winter but not so good in the hot Texas summer heat. I have no idea how long these trails are but they're soft and easy to run on and I would love to refer to a map so that I can plan a run. After a brief run (couldn't bear that heat for too long), I hit the pool and had a great swim workout despite the cloudy pool and broken clock. ;-)

Mountain Bike Proof Sunscreen and Action Wipes

I tried out a couple of new products this weekend while riding Walnut Creek - Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Spray with SPF 50 and Action Wipes.

Aveeno Sunblock Spray. I am happy to report that this product was sweatproof and easy to apply thanks to the mist. I recommend holding your breath while you spray though. Although it has an SPF50, the sunscreen lasted for the duration of my 3 hour ride in which I was sweating profusely and riding in and out of the sun and shade. As recommended, I probably should have reapplied it halfway through my ride just to be on the safe side. Still, I didn't have any splotches that usually occurs with sprays.

Action Wipes. Another product I used after the ride was Action Wipes. This wipe is meant to be used after a workout when you don't have time for a shower or you don't have a shower at the office. Action Wipes are much larger than your standard baby wipe and also it's good for your skin - all natural with tea tree and eucalyptus oils as well as the environment as you can wash them and repurpose them. After riding on Sunday, I used the wipe and am happy to report that I felt and smelled so much better. I even went out for lunch with my riding partners.

Please note that this review is an independent review as I actually bought these products and was not asked to review them. However, I can definitely say that I will continue to use these products unless you can recommend a better one. ;-)

Just do it

IT IS HOT here in Austin. The last two weeks have brought back to back 100+ temps. Although I'm supposed to be "training" for a half-marathon and the days are long enough so that I can get in a nice long run or ride after work, I find myself heading indoors to stay cool and avoid dehydration. This of course translates into running on the treadmill (which I loathe but not as much as running in 105 degree heat), spin classes, or swimming. It's been weeks since I've joined up with my running group - bad Jen! I have chastised myself several times for signing up to do another half especially when the bulk of the training is during the hottest time of the year. Why did I do that to myself!

On a brighter note, by incorporating swimming into my so called training regimen, I am becoming a stronger swimmer. This is a source of great pride and achievement for me because when I began swimming again 2 months ago, I could barely swim a lap. My form, if it could even be called a "form", was embarrassing and exhausting. With the help of my awesome swim coach (and fiancee), my form has improved drastically and I'm swimming for 45 minutes. Of course, I'm nowhere near joining a Masters group but at least I'm looking forward to each swim instead of it being a source of stress akin to panic. And I don't get too intimidated by the triathletes in the lane next to me.

Again, I'm reminded of an Eleanor Roosevelt quote: "You must do the very thing you think you cannot do." (Hope I got that right). I never thought I could be a good swimmer or even swim for as long as I have been swimming but I'm doing it. Is there something you "think" you can't do? (Besides running in this awful heat - you know you can do that - you just won't feel great while doing it!).