After reading on many sites that I need to purchase a heart rate monitor to really train properly, I went out and got one on the weekend. Perfect. Now I can monitor my heart rate and keep it in target zone. Do I even know what my target zone is? Somewhere over 100 and under 200 to be precise.
So I decide that I will just wear it while I am running and see what happens.
I warm up a bit and do some light stretches and it is over 100 already?!! Ok, then I head out on my first wired run. Big Brother tells me that I am over 160 in a so called heart beat and I am pretty sure this is too high. Must be the f%&#@$ monitor!!! Piece of junk there is no way it could be that high. I can still talk( I talk to myself just to make sure) .... so my breathing is a little laboured( yes...I am Canadian. I say zed not zee too) but not too bad and I have barely broken a sweat.
A couple of km's later and the p.o.s. is still reading around 170 and beeping at me regularly. I will need to read up on setting my target heart rate. Maybe I will go back to the store and exchange this one for one that doesn't read so high.
I come to a bit of a hill and decide to push it a bit to see where it goes. I get to the top and my heart rate is 177 bpm. Now I feel the exertion but I don't feel like I need to stop and so I run back down and continue into the home stretch. The numbers get a little smaller and hover at 170 again.
I start walking a few hundred yards out and watch the p.o.s. The numbers start to drop and get to around 150 so I take my own pulse to compare. 24 beats in 10 seconds x 6 = holy crap this thing is not lying! Now what?? Do I walk the run in my first tri ( which is next weekend) or run at a walking pace so that if someone takes a picture I might at least look fast?
Monday, May 28, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
In the beginning
This is the beginning.
I have just discovered the tri-geek dreams excellent blog site and since I have just started to train for a triathlon this is perfect timing. I had been surfing around to see how much online resources are available for training( all kinds!) and I found this while checking to see if there were any triathlons in Vegas.This could be partially because I like to play cards once in a while or because my brother and his wife live there. Regardless I am starting my blog to document my training and share it.
I am entered into a "try-a-tri" June 3 in Milton ON for my first race. The race is for newcomers and is a 375m swim, 10k bike and 2k run. Far cry from an ironman but you gotta start somewhere. My goals for the year are to compete in an Olympic length race in August or September. There are a couple of options close to home - I will decide somewhere down the road.
I read about the Tri Geek Dreams race in 2008 and like the idea. That may be an option for next year.
At this point in my training I have been running about 10 times. My running stamina increases dramatically with each run but I am sure that the gains will start to decrease soon.
The same can be said for the bike. I purchased a used bike that is not the perfect fit for me but it is comfortable to ride. I definitely have a phobia about riding on roads with much larger and faster cars/trucks. Hopefully that subsides.
I really only started swimming once I signed up for this race and that is definitely my weakest link. I will probably have to do breast stroke for a good portion of the swim. I have been in the pool 4 times now and working on my technique is my focus. I can swim about 75 to 100 m before stopping but my stamina is very weak. I was a strong swimmer in my youth so hopefully I can rediscover some of that. For now I study good swimmers and work on my technique to minimize exertion.
I am going to an information night for a triathlon group in Barrie ON and have talked to a couple of other groups about training but haven't decided where to join yet. I am sure that answer will surface in the next while.
This new focus is a great motivator.
I have just discovered the tri-geek dreams excellent blog site and since I have just started to train for a triathlon this is perfect timing. I had been surfing around to see how much online resources are available for training( all kinds!) and I found this while checking to see if there were any triathlons in Vegas.This could be partially because I like to play cards once in a while or because my brother and his wife live there. Regardless I am starting my blog to document my training and share it.
I am entered into a "try-a-tri" June 3 in Milton ON for my first race. The race is for newcomers and is a 375m swim, 10k bike and 2k run. Far cry from an ironman but you gotta start somewhere. My goals for the year are to compete in an Olympic length race in August or September. There are a couple of options close to home - I will decide somewhere down the road.
I read about the Tri Geek Dreams race in 2008 and like the idea. That may be an option for next year.
At this point in my training I have been running about 10 times. My running stamina increases dramatically with each run but I am sure that the gains will start to decrease soon.
The same can be said for the bike. I purchased a used bike that is not the perfect fit for me but it is comfortable to ride. I definitely have a phobia about riding on roads with much larger and faster cars/trucks. Hopefully that subsides.
I really only started swimming once I signed up for this race and that is definitely my weakest link. I will probably have to do breast stroke for a good portion of the swim. I have been in the pool 4 times now and working on my technique is my focus. I can swim about 75 to 100 m before stopping but my stamina is very weak. I was a strong swimmer in my youth so hopefully I can rediscover some of that. For now I study good swimmers and work on my technique to minimize exertion.
I am going to an information night for a triathlon group in Barrie ON and have talked to a couple of other groups about training but haven't decided where to join yet. I am sure that answer will surface in the next while.
This new focus is a great motivator.
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