Preparing for PiYo

Since I've moved to Rochester, I've expanded the classes I teach beyond cycling.

Tonight, I have the two new formats I've learned, body sculpt, which I adore teaching, and a bootcamp-style class, which is fun as well.

Sunday I'm going to be certified in yet another format, PiYo.

This is a pilates-yoga combo. I adore Pilates but bemoan yoga (I'm debating going to a class tonight, but 45 minutes sounds like eternity). I enjoy doing it but I get bored at the same time, so we'll see how it goes. I have loved the PiYo classes I've taken, they've struck a good balance.

It's taught by BeachBody, which also does TurboKick -- something I might pursue as well. It's a one-day training. I've already read through the manual, it's going to be an intense 8 hours.

I've heard good things, we'll see how it goes!

Training update: I took yesterday off, was beyond exhausted. Now I've got a packed few days ahead!

App review: It's RUNtastic

I said RIP to my Garmin 305 a few months back. My poor, trusty watch stopped sinking, then the battery didn't last as long, then it stopped working altogether.

I have yet to get a new one. I'm focused more on a new bike. Instead I've been playing with a number of different smart phone apps. They don't replace the watch -- I have to leave them at home if the weather is bad, for one, but they work for now.

I've tried several, but one app stands out among all others. It's RUNtastic. Normally it's a paid app, but I got it for free on one of those daily special deals.

It tracks everything -- pace, distance, elevation, everything the Garmin does. And it syncs automatically -- I think I can get it to autopost to DailyMile. I need to change the social media settings, I think the postings to Facebook are a little excessive.

The interface is so easy to use, and I love the data. Screenshot:

Training this week has been exhausted. I didn't get up this morning, as I should have. Now I'm on the fence about taking tonight off. It's the final snow race... I should get a swim in, but I'm sleepy.

I'm thinking my best bet will be to regroup tonight and go hard tomorrow.

An aggressive week ahead

I'm now into Week 3 of my cardio schedule, and it is exhausting, but I can already see improvements as a result of my weight training.

My speed has improved. I can run sub-10:00 miles comfortably, though I'm still trying to run at 11-12:00 paces to save my poor knees.

It's hard to tell with cycling because I'm on the spin bikes right now, but I'm able to sustain a 90-minute ride at 130-150 bpms.

I'm up to doing 1.4 miles in the pool, but I need to work on swimming more laps consecutively.

I'm following a half-ironman schedule from Beginner Triathlete, modifying each week to fit my schedule. I opted to repeat week one a few times to get used to the increased cardio. I had a scare a week and a half ago, a sore knee, but all it took was some ice and a couple days off and I'm good as new!

Beginner Triathlete calls for six days a week, but I am only doing five.

Here's what this week looks like. The original plan is here.

MONDAY
40 minute run
Downtown Fitness Club athlete program

Swim: wu:  4 x 75, last 25 in each is backstroke; main:  3 x 400; cd:  150 easy


TUESDAY

Teach body sculpt at Fairport RAC
8 mile run (increased to also train for Flower City -- 8 weeks away!)


WEDNESDAY
60 minutes road or trainer, all small chainring work, low effort.

Swim: warmup: 400 continuous - last 50 in each 100 is kick; main:  8 x 100, cd:  6 x 25, each slower than last


THURSDAY

Teach body sculpt and bootcamp at Henrietta RAC

Bike: 45 minutes - 15 warmup, 15 steady effort, 15 cooldown
DAT if I have time and energy

FRIDAY

Off


SATURDAY

Bike:  90 minute ride (I'll take a spin class somewhere)


Swim: Warm up - 200swim, 200kick, 200pull, 200swim, main:  1 x 1500, cd:  4 x 50, each slower than last
Run: 30 mins


SUNDAY

Off

T1: Strength to Cardio

For the past six months, I’ve shelved any kind of aggressive cardio (with the exception of an occasional 100-mile bike ride) in favor of strength training, and I’ve even tossed in some agility training toward the end.

Thank you Trainer Matt, it’s paid off. I can do man pushups now. (A few.) My running time has improved significantly, pulling sub-9s on shorter runs. I’m putting more resistance on the spin bike. I’m getting way more confident in the pool.

With 22 weeks until race day, it’s time to scale back the strength training and again follow a cardio routine.

I’ve settled on a HIM training plan from Beginner Triathlete. I like it because it’s detailed. I’m going to start Monday, so my week will look like this:

Monday: 40 min run, 40 min swim

Tuesday: 30 min run, 60 min bike

Wednesday: 30 min swim

Thursday: 60 min run

Friday: 30 min swim, 45 min bike

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 90 minute bike

In addition I’m starting a Crossfit-style program at the Downtown Fitness Club, just twice a week. Enjoying it so far!

Mission: Don’t die. 

Race report: YMCA Indoor Triathlon Feb. 3

I’m a triathlete!

Well, I’m still in training, and I’m sure that Sunday’s indoor triathlon will seem like nothing after I've battled open water swims, people kicking in my face, messy transitions and hills.

But I’ll revel in my glory until then.

Sunday was the indoor tri at the Y. Hopefully there will be some good pictures up soon, they took so many!

Results are here. You covered as much distance as you could in 15 minutes. I did 12.5 laps in the pool, 4.5 minutes on the spin bike and 1.7 miles on the track.

I feel like I killed it on the swim and run. I feel like I kind of got shafted on the bike – the resistance was pre-set and I felt like mine was really high, I couldn't get above 80 RPMs, where the person next to me was flying. It’s nearly impossible to level the playing field on those bikes so when they send out the survey I’m going to suggest that they just let people set their own resistance next year and trust they’ll put on enough so they don’t blow out their knees.

I thought the five minute transitions would be ridiculously long but they went by way too quick!

So, the blow by blow (as best as I can remember several days later).

SWIM

I got to the pool and drew the short straw on the swim, I was smack in the middle of the pool. But all was good. I managed one warmup lap – I would have liked more but what can you do – and was off for 15 minutes.

The water was ungodly warm. It felt great at first but after the first few laps I wished it was cooler. I think it was the water temps, the DFC pool is colder, but I was struggling with my breathing.

The guy counting my laps was great, very encouraging, wouldn’t let me pause when I turned around.

I didn't think I was doing so well. I felt slow and sluggish, felt like I was taking too long in between laps. My shoulders were killing me and I was already out of breath. Then with 6ish minutes left the guy tells me I had 8 laps down. More than I thought, I wasn't counting. I picked it up and ended up with 12.5. Way better than I thought.

Then silly me forgot a towel. I threw on my bike shorts over my wet bathing suit and rushed to the spin room, almost getting lost in the locker room on the way.

BIKE

I had chatted it up with a woman who turned out to be a spin instructor, and she directed me to her section of bikes. This turned out to be a mistake.

I started pedaling, and had trouble accelerating. The resistance was way up. The people next to me were flying. Discouraging, but I kept going.

The guy managing the spin room was great. Very encouraging and helped pass the time. I pushed hard, and ended up with 4.5 miles.

He pushed us through the last three minutes, and I pushed hard, I was on the brink of 4.5 miles and wanted to get there. I picked it up as much as I could and got there. I felt dizzy as I got up. No time for that, time to run!

RUN

I got up to the track and had 2 minutes to sit down. I bought a super-cute running skirt in a black Friday sale, I put that on with a pink tank, pink calf sleeves and my running shoes, and barely made it to the track before the whistle.

This was my strong suit, but I was exhausted. Legs felt like jello the first few minutes, but slowly I found my legs.

I felt like I was slowly getting faster and by the end I was kicking it, despite feeling cramped up and dizzy.

I didn’t think this tri would exhaust me this much, but I was beat!

I still have a ways to go before Musselman. 

Hello, foam roller...

New Twitter, and a plug for the local guys

I've been a terrible blogger lately. I've got a blog coming Sunday about a 100 day challenge I'm taking on, but today (Saturday, because I am absolutely not writing both entries Friday night while I should be out having a life and setting them to autopost ;) ) there's something else on my mind.

Shameless plug first: I have a new Twitter account -- @jessicatris703. Follow me!!!

There are a lot of choices for fitness clubs around Rochester.

I've been really happy teaching for Rochester Athletic Club, they've taken the time to teach me some new class formats and I'm so excited to be taking on my own bootcamp-style class next month! And I've been able to push both myself and others teaching with RPMs on their awesome bikes. It's out of Buffalo and I really like that they have five locations. When it comes to group fitness, they're very organized and professional, and the instructors are excellent. My experience there has been overwhelmingly positive.

But RAC can afford to promote itself (just watch any video on the D&C site)!

I've had two very positive experiences, though, with private fitness centers in the past week that I thought I'd share.

I joined the Downtown Fitness Club on Chestnut Street for one reason: The pool. I needed an inexpensive place to swim with flexible hours and that was it. But ever since I joined, the owners/managers remembered my name. They've held some awesome events and challenges that you just don't see at a corporate place. This week I emailed them for more info on a challenge they were hosting. I decided it wasn't for me. The owner pressed back, asked what my goals were, recommended another program. It's so clear that the club values its members, and when LA Fitness opened, with a pool, for the same price I had no interest in jumping ship.

Next, I picked up a Groupon for Cycledelic Studio, a indoor cycling studio in Brighton. It took me a couple classes to warm up to it, it's a different style and with indoor cycling sometimes it takes a couple tries to find an instructor who fits your tastes. Tonight, though, I took a class with an awesome instructor and LOVED it. I can't remember the last time I've been pushed so hard in a class. Plus, the instructor knew her stuff, which always makes the class better.

I chatted for with the instructor for awhile after class, and an hour later I get a nice email from the owner of the place, among other things concerned that I got my water bottle back that I left there over a month ago. She had also made it a point to introduce herself to me in a previous class.

These things count, and sometimes get lost in the corporate world.  These are the kinds of things that make me want to come back. So, if you've found my blog through Googling different fitness clubs or gyms in Rochester, NY, (yes I pay attention to what Google terms bring people to my blog) do shop around, find the best place for you, but make sure these places are on your list.

Ok, so I've got one more. Anyone who knows me knows that I like my red wine. I adore Century Pittsford Wines, a Wegmans creation. But there's this tiny little wine store by me, Corn Hill Fine Wines and Spirits on Exchange Blvd. I've actually only been in there two times (despite how much I talk about wine, I don't drink that much).

Both times I've been in, the owner was working. He knew about his wines, and tonight I was looking for something new. I described what I liked, he took me right to it, Opera Prima Cabernet Sauvignon, and it's delicious.

Where have I been? And seeking out a new challenge

Again, I have abandoned my blog for a prolonged period of time. Where I’ve been comes in a second. But first, I’m putting in writing (which from past experience means very little, but hey it’s worth a try still…) my goal of doing a 100 day blogging challenge in … something.

I made a new Twitter handle, though I haven’t had time to flesh it out yet. Follow @jessicatris703.

The something I’m still nailing down. In the next couple months I need to transition from weights to a ramped up cardio regimen, again following a schedule. I’m going to be dropping out (such an ugly word…) of personal training

But it needs to be doable. I have a bad habit of getting overly ambitious then wearing myself out and not following through.

So I’m going to think on this for a few days, and take suggestions (and buddies…???) Comeon blogger friendsJ

I’m also going to be registering for Musselman very soon, and putting together a wish list of races. Wondering if I should be supercrazy and go for the DoubleMussel J

In between the election and the holidays life has kept me pretty busy. Since my last real entry Nov. 13 (about a challenge I did not follow through with) I’ve:

Learned two more classes: I’m now cleared to teach body sculpting and a bootcamp style class (RIPT) at Rochester Athletic Club. Definitely more challenging than cycling, but I’m having fun with it. Now I’m trying to decide what’s next! I always thought pilates would be fun, but the certification is expensive!

Really slipped when it comes to what I eat: There’s a definite connection between gluten and my tummy troubles, and I both slipped and paid for it several times. Oy. Also since I gave up gluten I’ve been craving sugar like a madwoman. Low and behold, the two are connected.

Done a few races: Nothing major, I did the Webster Turkey Trot, the Reindeer Run and a Snow Cheap race. Reindeer Run was amazing, without trying and without pain I ran an 8:30 final mile. Awesome! Snow Cheap was crazy. 2.5 miles through knee deep snow. I just kept thinking “human dominoes” as we went up the hills, and learned that the crab walk is an effective downhill strategy!

Become a powerwoman: Ok, not really. Far from it. But after really pushing the strength training I am where I want to be, so after this month it’ll be time to transition back to cardio.

Posts to come: Comparing half-iron plans!

New Spinning music

At some point I'll get back in the habit of posting my Spinning playlists, I've been slowly modifying an interval class that has turned into a great profile, I'll get that posted eventually, along with my all classic rock class that the earlybirds seem to really enjoy. For now, though, I figured I'd post a few new songs I've added into my playlists.

(Note: "New" doesn't mean new, just new to me... or rediscovered!!)


Modest Mouse: Float On, warmup or climb

Every time I hear P!nk's latest song I think about this one... which made me want to hear it!


Flogging Molly: Don't Shut 'Em Down

Heard at a race. Thank you, Shazam.


Flo Rida: I Cry

All over the radio. But good for jumps.


P!nk: Walk of Shame

A little bit dirty but I found a clean version. Very catchy.


Walk the Moon: Anna Sun

Good for a slow, steady climb.


Rolling Stones: Get off of my Cloud

My latest classic rock obsession.


Hellsongs: We're not gonna take it

Not a spin song. But I enjoy it.