Adrienne Langelier Racing

I type this with a smile on my face for numerous reasons: it's been a great week in the sports psychology world (at least in my tiny slice of it), today brought an absolutely gorgeous day here in The Woodlands, and I'm closing out my first structured week of triathlon training. Yup.

Of course pretty days lead to great running weather, and perhaps the highlight of it all was that I got to partake in it this morning with my usual group. Not that running on a hotel treadmill in Auburn, AL at 5:30 AM is a bad thing (trust me I could have hugged the dang machine the moment I saw 'one hour' turn on the clock), but one of my fave rituals is getting together at one of my favorite cafe's and cruising long on the roads.

I'll begin with a recap of what will likely be a light week. I'll cycle 30-40 miles tomorrow morning bringing my initial total time training to somewhere around 10 to 11 hours for the week. Sleep, eat, work, and train-disciplined and driven (aka boring!)  folks like me actually love this!

Monday: AM: 20 mile bike ride/PM 7 mile treadmill run
Tuesday: AM: 2400m swim (freestyle, backstroke, pull and kicking drills); 25 min weights
Wednesday: AM: 45 minute spin on the trainer/PM 6-mile run on track and Millbend Loop (typical neighborhood route)
Thursday: AM: 4 mile treadmill run/2400m swim
Friday: AM: Mini brick-20 mile bike ride/20 min run off the bike
Saturday: AM: 8.5 mile run
Sunday: 30-40 mile bike ride

Much busier than I'm used to, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless. I'd like to see more run miles, but baby steps are necessary. :) Some initial observations:

1. The swim can pretty tiring. Tuesday night especially I felt nice and heavy-limbed, but in a different way. Nothing really sore, just enough to make me not want to get off the couch that evening. The upper body and core muscles apparently still need more time in the water.

2. My PowerBar consumption is steadily increasing. Yum!

2. Muscle memory is a weird thing. I ran my morning run at an almost identical pace to what I usually do on the Hubbell route. I was able to talk the whole time and actually hit some sub-7 paces at some junctures (I opted for no Garmin). For the record, I worked to correct the pace ASAP, coach! Right or wrong, it did wonders for my confidence knowing that I can still cruise. Perhaps it is an association thing as well; running a route I'm familiar with and like could also have an effect on pacing. Hmmm....that would make for an interesting research study....

3. Speaking of confidence and mental things: at no point was I not relaxed or negative during the run-being able to run rather briskly without really knowing it is an indicator that I need to work on relaxation and focus on running like a "buttered noodle"(thanks Camille H. for the analogy!;)) as opposed to forcing pace. If I stay calm and relax into it, the pace should come to me instead of me trying to find it.

4. Running 1/3 to 1/2 my weekly miles on a treadmill looks like a promising option. I don't mind belt-surfing one bit if it allows me to comfortably put in miles. My mileage record is 15 miles on the 'mill, but I have not intention of doing that any time soon!

5. The Brooks Ravenna 3's are awesome. I ran in them this morning and the updates are nice: a tighter lacing  system creating a saddlelike wrap around the forefoot and a meshier upper perfect for summer runs- I like to run sockless (gross, but that's how I roll) so that's definitely a plus! They also are softer and more flexible than their predecessors. Great long run shoe that rides really nice.

It looks like next week is identical in volume-and hopefully some more awesome weather to train in.

Stay the course.

"Cuz you keep me comin' back for more, and I feel a little better than I did before..." Adam Levine and Co. buzzed through my iPod this afternoon as I cruised through a near-effortless 6 miles on the treadmill. This run came after a morning bike ride, because, well, I can! One thing for sure, I have built some killer aerobic capacity with the variety in workout modality. Today's run also felt like my usual easy 6's I put in-no fuss, just get in, jam out, focus on form, and stretch out. Yessss.

As my plane landed from an awesome trip to the NCAA championship swim meet, I had an email waiting for me from Coach Bill that my TrainingPeaks account had been updated and my first two weeks of official training (as a triathlete!) were waiting for me. I stepped off the plane feeling like a complete athlete again. And it felt good. Checking in this morning I saw swim-bike-run workouts and couldn't help but feel kind of weird yet excited-like I'm that grad student again who's clueless but eager to get in there and kick some boo-tay in any way I can!

Regarding the mental side of things, a mantra that seems to stick is 'transform'. In a way, it seems to elicit a lesser degree of certainty but open things up to a whole lot of possibilities-and I'm just at the very beginning. I've already noticed some decent gains in my pedal stroke and endurance on the bike, and my swim technique (which I still have little to no bragging rights yet), especially my kick is feeling more powerful. Of course I have great support in my community in addition to Brooks and PowerBar and many individuals willing to lend me advice as I figure this thing out.

One thing I'll admit is that I'm still getting used to growing muscles on top of my muscles; at one point I was rather whippet-like (however fairly unhealthy at that size), and having bigger limbs is still kind an adjustment for me. But dang, I feel strong thus far, and I don't feel like I'm carrying a big load when on the run.

There's a steep learning curve and lots of adjustments ahead, and it all starts with my little emails I secretly missed for a while guiding me into the next couple days. Tomorrow-it's swim and weights day. 2400 in the pool at 6:30 AM. I have my kick board, cap, and goggles all ready to go.

I'll close this out with a quote by Jesse Thomas (who's wife is one of my fave pro runners btw) regarding tri training:


"When you like to exercise, triathlon is a good way to justify doing so without looking nutso. Actually I guess you still look a little nutso." Oh, well!!

Here's the synopsis: Almost every year, I seem to hurt my lower leg. My legs even like to take turns Last year it was the right, this year the left. Yeah, it sucks. Yeah, it hurts. Sometimes it's really bad, sometimes it's not. It doesn't take a good sport psychologist to point out a cycle and or pattern!

So this time around , I was graced by some oddity of a deep calf muscle and tendon (and to clarify the left side) - sort of like shin splints on a banned substance. Limp city- at least when I tried to run. Last time this happened I went into a stability shoe a la Brooks' fine Adrenaline 11, and they helped. I then went on to rotate some neutral shoes in there, notably the Brooks Pure Flows. Note: injuries are hardly ever, in my opinion, just about shoes, although they do help. I also picked up some strengthening exercises that I have recommitted myself to. The result? Returning to running in 3 weeks instead of the 4-6 I anticipated. I recently was asked about my routine used to strengthen my ankles. It is fairly simple, but I'll walk the reader through the protocol:

1. Ankle Flexion: 10-20 reps x 2-3 sets ea. Done first thing before climbing out of bed, while watching TV, or other times I was stationary. All I did was point and flex my feet, emphasizing feeling a stretch on opposite sides of the leg with each change in position.

2. Ankle Adduction/Abduction (i.e. rolling ankles inward and outward) 2-3 x 10-20 rolling ankles inward (without any add'l resistance); holding 2-4 seconds each time.

3. Single-Leg balancing. I would typically stand on one leg, raise the other, and go through the alphabet, or my name because it's so long twice.

4. Heel Raises: Sitting at a chair with feet flat on the floor, raise heels off the ground, rotating the ankle out about 30 degrees. Think "up and out, keeping the toes on the ground. This one in particular is supposed to work the posterior tibialis muscle, which plays a role in ankle/foot stability. (think pronation)

Stretching: 
I stretch about 2-3 times per day to some extent almost every day and am quite proud/fond of my flexibility routine. Here's an active stretch I really like a 'la Competitor.com

Shoes: I am a fan of rotating shoes and shoe types for different types of runs and have been fortunate to have  "garage" full of them at my disposal. To get started, make sure and have a proper gait and fit analysis. Pay attention to how your legs feel, especially in the hours and day after a run for discrepancies, and be patient with the strengthening process. Who knows, your stride just may improve along with your strength!

So there you have it. I am actually doing heel raises as I type and have at least 6 miles on the schedule tomorrow! Need more info.? Email me privately or for those locally in The Houston area, check out yourbodymechanix.tv.

Stay the healthy course.

I actually have a little bit of training to write home about this week.

I was finally able to ride the post-Woodlands marathon high that I experienced vicariously through friends and lace up a little bit myself this week. Nothing crazy, nothing fast, just incorporating some short, easy runs back into my routine that is rapidly increasing in complexity with the swim/bike addition. Wow, I missed running-even 20 minutes feels awesome and productive! I write this after just capping off a 5-miler on the treadmill and could have hugged the machine when I finished!

Exercising caution, I have switched back into a stability shoe for a while to ease the strain on my finicky posterior tibialis muscle as I work on strengthening my lower leg (pronation causes the tibia/ankle region to shift and irritate the muscle, or so the research says) My choice of "training wheels"- the new Brooks Adrenaline 12, of course! After one week in these kicks, I find the stiff feel and support post comforting as I have encountered little discomfort and minimal calf soreness with these. I have a new pair of Pure Flows waiting for me when I get the confidence in my foot strike back.

While I have just completed two outdoor runs and kept most of it near 'bored-stiff 'slow on the treadmill, I know I have to let the muscles and tendons adapt again. I do believe that the pool and bike time I spent quickened the healing process by always supplying the inflamed tissue with blood flow. Cross-training is an amazing thing!

News from the great tri experiment front: I finally got a pair of Profile Design aerobars installed on my bike-done by no other than  the guys at Bike Lane (see sidebar addition). You guys rock! I am excited for this rainy weekend to pass so I can try them out on the roads. I think they look pretty mean and fast, what do y'all think??....

Side note: the trainer is not so bad if you focus on the purpose of your workout!

Stay the course.

Wow, where to begin!?

I'll attempt to put this non-race report of The Woodlands Marathon/Half in a more condensed and 'highlighted' version for the sake of my readers-there's so much I can say about the past 48 hours!

Lets just say I had one of the best times NOT racing that I have ever had before. I saw a lot, learned a lot, witnessed some really neat things and most importantly, some more good quality time with friends-especially Rebecca, who ran a super-smart race and finished beautifully on the too-well manicured streets of this fine town.

After a neat conference call with my new running research team (think 4 sport psych people all in different states at once talking shop:)) I picked up my packet from the race I withdrew from, well, mainly because I like free things-why not, right? Ok, I'll admit even with all my knowledge of sports psychology and perspective, I hit some low spots leading up to this thing since I was one of the original top seeds. I believe that I did succeed, however, in putting it aside and taking it all in thought. Back to the event....

Packet picked up, work in the bag and a couple hours later it was time to hit the press conference/expo and meet up with Ms. R. before having a low key pre-race dinner at my apartment.

While we did have a low key dinner, it was not without some nice company in PowerBar Teammate Camille Herron, the race's headliner and one of the top marathoners in the country. In my one-bedroom apartment. Hey, that's how runners roll. Camille (a super-fun gal who won in 2:37 and change, btw) was very gracious the whole weekend and was always willing to share her experiences, training advice, and any other random and crazy questions Rebecca and I had. As I'm still quite tired from yesterday, here's how the day pretty much panned out:

Race morning-up at 4, at the VIP area to volunteer at 5, slog massive amounts of coffee, make sure the elites have what they need and get out to the 6:45 AM start. I'll admit, I started out going the wrong way-oops-but they got where they needed to go.

6:45- race is off, I yell out some good words to Rebecca, Krista, Camille, and everyone else taking off and finish volunteering. I brought my bike to the course to cruise around and hit it at about 7:15 or so.

7:30- Riding like gangbusters alongside racers trying to catch the leaders on a nice race course. I finally catch everyone at about mile 11 and start cheering like crazy. What I didn't know is that they cannot hear me if I ride by while fast. Call it inexperienced cycling. And a killer threshold workout.

9:00-some light rain starts, drips down my helmet and I decide to cut back and quit joyriding for the day. I fell kind of bad for the runners and go wait at the finish. Actually joyriding felt more like a crazy spin class as I tried to make up ground in the wind!

9: 20ish-Here comes Jeffrey Eggelston and Camille killing the course in 2:15 and 2:37. Way to set the standard early on! Realizing I still have my VIP credential on, I head into the chute.

9:50-Heeere comes Rebecca-looking amazingly strong and steady at the finish. I think I made up for not being able to find here a couple months ago after her awesome Houston finish! Congrats Becca-your consistency in this beast of a race is truly amazing.

11:00 off to feed the marathoner, her BF, and myself. Cycling (and a little vicarious effect of watching runners) makes you hungry too!

12:00 pick up Camille and Jeffrey and hang out at another local pub. Talk more shop. Have more fun.

3:00 short jog (yup gotta start somewhere) at the apartment before round 2 (or is it like 6 or 7 now?).

6:00 convene at the closing ceremony, talk to a bunch of runner peeps, winners, and anyone else who'd listen!

7:30 dinner reservation at the Goose's Acre-one of our favorite hangouts with Becca, Keith, Coach Bill, and  some other (top) race finishers. Drop runners off at their hotels.

11:00 Freakin' tired. No mas!

 And there you have it. The committee-which consists of many of my awesome friends, did a fantastic job with resurrecting a classic race in this unique and special community of The Woodlands, TX. From a bystander's perspective I thought this event was first-rate and I am CHOMPING at the bit to totally heal and race again. I badly want to try my hand at this fast course in my own backyard.

I saw lots of friends finish either their first of 26th marathon, met some incredible runners and saw the challenges and rewards of putting on a big event. Congrats to everyone who finished, PR'd and worked to put this race on the map!

Stay the course.