Countdown to Ironman, WEEK 2 (!!!): Lists, lists, more lists

Ironman is about nothing if not Gear. You would think it wouldn't be that different from an ordinary triathlon, which takes a small mountain of gear. But you would be wrong. It takes a large mountain of gear.

For instance, in a regular triathlon (even half-Ironman), you can get away with one stick of Glide (that stuff that makes sure your wetsuit doesn't rub on your neck and your arms and legs don't chafe in the run). But for the Ironman, I'm packing 5 of them (3 regular size, 2 mini). Why? I need one to do my neck, legs, and arms before the swim start. That has to go in my "warm clothes" bag (stuff I'll use before the swim but will have to leave behind - remember, nothing is allowed in the transition area that's not in an official bag or on your bike).

The 2nd Glide will go in my T1 bag, to be used before the bike. The third (a mini) goes in the Bike Special Needs bag, just in case. Fourth is in the T2 bag for use under arms before the run. Then I'll stick a mini in the back of my tri top just in case I encounter chafing on the run. Because of the length of the day and the complexity of having all of your stuff in separate bags, you often need duplicate gear in different places.

You also just need MORE. More food, more drink mix, more sunscreen, more Glide, more spare tubes, more cooling clothes if it's hot, more warming clothes if it's cold. So I've got lists and lists and lists of gear that I need to make sure I own, buy, or borrow, and then pack. At least this time I'm driving, which reduces the complexity of stuffing this all into a suitcase.

With more gear comes more anxiety - what if I forget something? Of course, that's what the piranhas... erm... vendors at the Athlete Village are for: to charge you double or triple for that stupid little thing that's sitting back at home on your bedroom floor or hanging in your closet.

Luckily, since I'm the mom of the busiest kids in the planet, I have no time for panic or anxiety. So I'll just have to make do with general levels of stress and hope for the best.

Countdown to Ironman, Week 20: Gearing Up

It's getting to be that time in the training cycle: time to start thinking about gear for the race. For a sprint distance race, you can get away with wearing almost anything, eating almost anything, and drinking almost anything. I mean, how else can you explain this:

What was I thinking? Okay, to be fair, that was circa 1989. Everyone wore neon-colored balloon shorts. No, really. It sure makes you appreciate the tri suits of today, doesn't it?

But for an Iron distance race, every gear choice is important. The wrong socks can be 26.2 miles of blisters, the wrong drink mix can mean puking behind every porta-potty. The wrong saddle can mean a world of hurt in the nether regions for far-too-many hours.

So, it's time to start doing my training rides and runs with the clothing, gear, and nutrition that I'll be using on race day. In a couple of weeks I'm going to put a bunch of miles on my bike in what's known as a "big bike week". I'll be doing some comparisons between my favorite tri shorts to see which ones make the cut. One thing I discovered last time is that getting used to a thin pad instead of a traditional biking short with a thick pad makes life a whole lot easier in Iron land. For one thing, you don't have to change your shorts in T1, a feat which only people who have tried to pull on lycra over wet flesh with cold, shaking hands can truly appreciate. For another thing, I have learned that thicker pads don't really make for more comfort in the long haul, and in a day spent largely on the aerobars, a tri short is more comfortable for me. You'll be happy to know that nothing I am wearing will be in the color range of neon.

Next up on the agenda is to order some Infinit, an all-in-one nutrition solution that eliminates all of those messy gels from the bike. Last time I felt like I was carrying an entire garage sale in the back pockets of my jersey, and after hearing from numerous athletes who are Infinit fans, I am definitely willing to give it a try.

My biggest decision is probably going to be shoes. I've been doing all of my training runs so far in my Vibram Five Fingers, but do I want to go 26.2 miles on pavement in those? I'm not sure. My alternate shoes are Nike Frees, but now there are a lot more brands of minimalist running shoes out there. I'll have to go shoe shopping and see what looks like it will work best. I can always stick my Five Fingers in my Run Special Needs bag in case I need to go back to them.

I'm sure there's a million more details I'll need to work out in the coming months, but these are the ones to start with. Once I start thinking about all of this, it really brings home the sheer lunacy of the entire Ironman enterprise. All this gear, all these decisions, all this training, for one crazy idea. And yet, here I am, doing it again. Sometimes I don't understand myself, yet when I'm out there training I can tell you one thing: I love it. I ran to work today, and ran home, and it felt so darned good. I was just loving the pure feeling of running. And the feeling of the sweat running off of my body today on the bike trainer, where it's just you and the interval timer and the pain of it all. When you're done, it feels like nothing else. I know what it will feel like to finish the Ironman, and I can't wait.

Got Gear? What You Really Need to Do A Sprint Triathlon

It's six weeks to the Iron Girl Sprint triathlon at Lake Tahoe California. With only a month and a half to go, it's time to start thinking about gear. You can look at my own Triathlon Checklist to get an idea of what I take to a race.

Triathletes are notorious gear junkies, and the selections of everything from water bottle holders to tri shorts can be overwhelming for a first timer. What do you really need to do your first sprint triathlon? Surprisingly little!

SWIM:
Suit
Goggles
Swim Cap
Wetsuit (optional)

The first thing you have to think about it the swim. A pair of goggles is highly recommended, and the most important thing to consider is how they fit. Try them on if possible (press them against your eyes and if they stick a moment, they'll probably be fine in the water).

Next you need to decide if you're going to need a wetsuit or not. It's important to find out the predicted water temperature ahead of time and plan for what you're going to need to wear. Tolerance for cold water is highly individual. My personal rule of thumb is that I can tolerate 55 degrees or above in a full sleeve wetsuit, 62 degrees and above in a farmer john (sleeveless) wetsuit, and about 70 degrees and above with no wetsuit. Some races will not allow wetsuits above a certain water temperature (76 degrees is typical).

If you will need a wetsuit, you may purchase one, or rent one. Iron Girl races have wetsuit rental available, and this is an excellent option for first time triathletes.

If you're wearing a wetsuit, you can wear triathlon shorts and a top underneath the suit if you want to, or you can wear a swim suit or one-piece triathlon suit. If you're not wearing a wetsuit, wear something you can swim in, such as

a one or two piece swimsuit, or triathlon wear designed for swimming.

Stay away from non-triathlon wetsuits. I often see first-timers at triathlons in some sort of water skiing wetsuit. These are bulky and difficult to swim in. You may get chafing and other problems from wearing such a suit.

Speaking of chafing, pick up a stick of BodyGlide and you will be much happier! Apply it liberally around your neck, under your arms, and anywhere else your wetsuit might rub.

Lastly, most races will provide a swim cap, but I always stick an extra one in my bag, just in case.

BIKE
Helmet
Bike
Shoes
Sunglasses (optional)
Gloves (optional)

Obviously, you need a bike to complete a triathlon! If you already have one, you're in business. Many first-timers use a mountain bike or commuter-style bike in their first race and you don't have to worry that you'll be the only one. Make sure it's a bike that you're comfortable on. If you're borrowing a bike, make sure you get the seat and handlebars adjusted to fit you. An improper bike fit can cause knee or back pain, something you definitely don't want!

Helmets are always mandatory in triathlons, and make sure the buckle is secure and will stay so throughout the entire race. You must buckle on your helmet before leaving the bike transition area, so getting used to doing that before every ride is a good idea.

You don't need fancy bike shoes or pedals, but if you have specific pedals/shoes, make sure you are comfortable getting in and out of them.

Sunglasses are optional, but I always wear them in a race to protect my eyes from any road debris or flying bugs. Gloves are also optional. They take some time to put on, especially when your hands are wet from the swim, but some people feel much more comfortable with them on.

RUN
Shoes
Socks
Hat or Visor (optional)
Sunglasses (optional)

Run in shoes that you're comfortable in, that you've trained in, and that are not brand new! Don't buy new shoes just before the race, make sure you've had a couple of weeks to break them in. I always go over my socks before I pack them to make sure there are no splinters or burrs in them. A hat or visor can shade your head on a hot day, and sunglasses are something I always wear for eye protection.

EXTRAS
Watch
Towel
Nutrition and Hydration
First aid kit
Sunscreen
Safety pins
Electrical Tape
Garbage Bags

A watch is a great thing to wear if you want to know how fast you're going. Some folks don't, so it's not mandatory! A towel is something you put down in your transition area for your gear to sit on. I always bring one that I can easily identify.

Depending on how long the race will take you, you may need to bring some food (gels, energy bars) and water or electrolyte mix such as Gatorade, Accelerade, etc. Most races will have water and electrolyte drink on the run course at the least. Many athletes like to pack some kind of protein bar to eat in the transition area about an hour before the start, and one gel to take 10 minutes before the start. In a sprint triathlon, many people find that they don't need to eat anything at all during the race.

Sunscreen is a must-use, as you'll usually be out on the course for at least an hour or more. I always bring emergency items such as a first aid kit (with ibuprofen, band-aids, etc.), electrical tape (for anything loose on the bike), safety pins (for wardrobe malfunctions), and garbage bags (big black ones, in case it rains - you can cover your gear and you can cover yourself.)

Bust Out Of Your Fitness Rut! Five New Ways To Keep Your Mind and Body Challenged

Are you in a fitness rut? Are Sundays always your long run, and Tuesdays always your gym night? I know I tend to do the same types of workouts on the same days, day in and day out if I don't catch myself and change it up. Some of that is schedule-related, it's hard to fit in a long run or bike ride on a weekday. Some workouts need to be done during hours the pool is open, or hours of outdoor daylight. But whenever possible, we should shake things up and change our routines around. It's not only better for us physically, but mentally as well.

We already know that exercise in itself causes you to grow new brain cells:

In experiments in which mice were timed running through mazes or recalling patterns, the rodents that broke a sweat on a hamster wheel performed better. After slicing into their brains, scientists discovered why: The exercising mice had grown new brain cells.

But varying mental challenges also goes a long way toward keeping you mentally and physically stronger.Both the connections between brain cells and the strength and tone of your muscles depends heavily on getting out of your ruts. You can challenge yourself in small ways: Move your kickboard and water bottle to the other end of your lap lane when you swim, run clockwise at the track. You might be surprised at how much this shakes up your workout!

Here are five good ways to shake up your workout routine, build new muscles and connect those brain cells:

1) Do It In the Dark: Are you used to going to the gym or only running or biking during daylight hours? Do it in the dark instead! Of course, safety precautions are a must, and a good headlamp goes a long way as well. Fortunately, with lightweight LED technology and reflective clothing like Illuminite, being well-lit doesn't mean carrying fifty pounds of flashlight and clothing covered in reflective tape. My favorite items are my Illuminite headband, and a couple of reflective wrist and ankle bands. They cheap, and because your arms and legs are moving they draw attention to you as you move through the darkness. You can continue your bike commute or even something dramatic like nighttime mountain biking through the woods if you're well lit (by that I do not mean by a thermos of the hard stuff). My husband swears by his mountain bike lights from GeoMan Gear. I've used the smaller one on my bike commutes and I always get comments from other cyclists about how bright it is.

2) Do It At Different Intensity: How many different tempos and durations do you use for your workouts? Chances are you have a few fallbacks: the 45 minute run. The 30 minute Ab Lab. The hour in the weight room. Try something new. Try a ten minute run as hard as you can for those ten minutes (with appropriate warmup of course!) Try using half the weights that you're used to and going twice as many reps, or twice the weight and only doing one or two reps. This guy did a spontaneous marathon one day on his treadmill. He just had his family keep bringing him food and drink! Shake it WAY up and see what happens.

3) Do It Someplace New: Does your jogging route always go down the same street? Go one block over instead. Drive to the next town and start your bike ride from there.Go to another pool (I recently took my kids to a wave pool in the next town and swam laps in the pool there. It felt completely different than my normal workout.) Visit a new gym (most will give you a week's trial membership around this time of year).

4) Do It With Someone Else: Are your workout buddies stagnant? The same topics of conversation keep coming around? How 'bout them Ducks? Okay I had to throw that in, as a UO alumni, I never thought I'd see my Duckies as #1 in the country. Find a new running group, a new yoga class time or instructor, an all-woman's hiking group, my mom even found a "Kayaking and Poetry" group. They each bring a poem, kayak to a location and take their lunch and share their poetry. Now that's keeping your brain and body engaged!

5) Do Something Completely Different: I just signed up for a Flashmob online. Yes, a Flashmob. No, I'm not a very good dancer. But I'm going to learn the choreography, I'm going to show up, and I'm going to make sure I'm standing behind at least three or four rows of better dancers! How about Parkour, Geocaching, Night Orienteering? Organize a midnight game of tag on your local soccer fields. Go on a snipe hunt. Re-enact a civil war battle, go inner tubing without a rope tow and hike up the hills. Tie your dogs to your scooter and practice dog sledding. Just shake it up and your brain and your body will thank you!

The Fastest Dork Wins

Leave it to the folks at Trifuel to come up with a saying to put everything in perspective. I was sitting her stewing over my recent purchase of an aero helmet and wondering whether I dare to even put the dorky thing on to take it for a test ride down the bike path, let alone wear it in a race, when I do a search to see what the folks on the Trifuel forums had to say on effectiveness of aero helmets and come up with this gem of a quote: Fastest Dork Wins. That about sums it up, doesn't it?

And with the weather looking worse by the minute for this half-Ironman in Washington state this weekend, my decision to wear or not wear the Helmet of Ultimate Dorkitude may have more to do with the fact that it covers my ears nicely from the cold wind than with whether or not it will shave 18 seconds from my bike split. It might be worth looking totally foolish just in order to not have my eardrums feel like someone is driving railroad spikes into them for 56 miles. Besides, any time savings from the helmet might be made up for by the quilted down jacket I'm planning on wearing on the bike course. I knew there was a reason I moved down here from Washington - fifteen degrees colder up there and raining! I miss having all the lakes to swim in during the summer, and oh yeah having a local triathlon to go to almost every weekend, I miss that too. But the weather is right up there with the Seattle traffic in my book, and I don't miss either.

But back to the all-important helmet decision... I wonder how fast you have to go to not look silly in one of those things. 20 mph? 22? 24? 30? I am reminded of the tragic story of a friend of mine who borrowed an aero helmet for a big race last summer, then got a bad foot pain on the bike course that wouldn't go away, ended up pedaling almost one-footed for the entire race, averaging about 16 mph and having everyone passing her sneering at the helmet. It makes me worry I'll jinx myself just by getting this thing out of its (ridiculously long) box. On the other hand, my bike splits have been improving steadily over the last few years, and I haven't gotten any real technological updates during this time. My frame is not very aero, but it's comfortable. I'm not in an extreme riding position, but my knees and back are still untouched by surgery, so I guess that's a positive, right? My race wheels are pretty low-end and I've never used a disc, but I've managed to pass more than a couple of people riding with them. So maybe it's time for The Helmet (and then maybe one of those faux-disc wheel covers next year...and then maybe a new frame.... well I won't get too carried away.

So if I decide to use the helmet, I'll let you all know if I see any super speedy effects on my bike split, if I simply feel really ridiculous, or if I'm just happy that my ears are warm.