Sprint Triathlon Training

Archive for the ‘womens triathlon’ Category

I had a great question via email this week and wanted to share my response with everyone.  Keep in mind, this is not medical advice, always check with your own physician.  DISCLAIMER:  This is just what I do.  Some people will have adverse reactions to over the counter supplements.  Always make sure there is no interaction with your current medications before taking anything new, even if it is available over the counter.

Question from Lakewood, OH:

My question is that for the few days leading up to my period I have absolutely no stamina or ‘legs’ and of course it is looking like the race might fall into that window (fingers crossed it doesn’t).  Any tips on how to deal with this besides just accepting a slower race pace?

My Reply:

It may be too close to experiment since it’s only a month away, but in the future try experimenting with the foods you eat in the week prior to your epected periods.  Try to avoid caffiene, fats & processed foods.  Make sure your sleep pattern is routine. If needed, I suggest trying melatonin and/or valarian root for a sound night’s sleep.  You can also take ibuprofin to help decrease flow, the suggested dose is 800mg 3 times a day for this purpose, but check with your OB/Gyn before trying it. These things can all help. Other than that, just be thankful you can run & play and get otu there and enjoy the race.

 

If you are inclined to do further research on your own, here is a nice paper to get you started. Many others exist. Bottom line seems to be that not every woman will respond in the same way and some may not notice any changes throughout the cycle.

Finally, if you are experiencing significant problems, either physical or emotional, to the extend that they interfere with your normal functioning, be certain to talk to your physician or gynecologist.

What kinds of strategies do you use to deal with “Aunt Flo” while you train?

As a busy mom, womens triathlon training can seem to be an impossible task. While true that the first few years of life require a large portion of yoru time to be devoted to your little one, there are ways to carve out time for yourself in order to fit in some training for your next triathlon.

What’s even better, is that while the number  of hours in a day remain the same, your child keeps getting older and will soon be involved in activities that don’t require as much time from you.  Things like preschool, daycare and playdates.

Finally when your future triathlete gets old enough they be able to start participating in some of your trianing with you, possibly even becoming a good training partner for you!

So no matter what phase of motherhood you are in or how old your children are, here are some top ideas for fitting in workouts where ever you can.

1)  Babysitting at the gym – perhaps the gym you belonged to before you got pregnant wasn’t so kid friendly…but I bet there are plenty of gyms in a decent driving distance that offer some type of daycare or babysitting for parents while they workout.  Your child gets to see a new environment and socialize with a new group of kids, and you get to sneak  in your treadmill session or spinning class.

2)  Children’s lessons – Swimming is a great example of an activity that you can share with your child. If swim lessons are offered for your child’s age group, you may be able to get in some lap swimming at the same time. You may be torn about watching your little guy or girl learn to swim, but if you have no other opportunity to get into the pool, it will help you get some exercise, destress and reneergize…all of which make you a better mom!  After the swim lessons and your workout you can spend some time together playing in the kids pool.

3)  Playdates in the nieghborhood. This works best if you can find a group of 3 or more moms (or stay at home dads) who are all interested in helping each other find some time for each other. Here’s how it works.  One mom (or dad) hosts a play date for an hour or two while the other 2 (or more) moms go for a midday run or jog.  The more parents in the group, the better because with more than 3 kids, having another adult along ot watch the kids is a safer situation. Likewise, having a larger group of exercising moms helps your womens triathlon training group grow…making it more likely that you will all continue training!

4) Naptime Core Workouts. No parent wants to be far from their child during  naptime.  But with a baby monitor right next to you, naptime is a great time to do some core work, yoga or pilates DVDs at home.  I know that when your lil triathlete is sleeping you may be tempted to take a nap as well.  But keep in mind that this may be one of the only times you have some alone time…do something nice for yourself, like working on that slim mid-section!

5) Bathtime with Dad. It’s no secret that mom’s do the lion’s share (lioness’ share?) of the work in most households. Even if you are a full time working mom, it’s likely that you still spend more time with the tykes than dad (unless dad stays at home).  Give dad some one on one time with the kid and let him help with bathtime/bedtime routines a few nights a week.  Take t his time for yourself ot do a quick jog around the block, or mabye a spin on your indoor trainer.  You’ll be done wiht your mini-workout just in time to help tuck Junior into bed.

I hope this has inspired some ideas for womens triathlon training.   Just because you’ve got a baby/toddler/tween/teen in the house doesn’t mean you cant successfully find time for a little sprint triathlon training. 

Let me know if you have other ideas!

-Coach Suzanne