Sunday 29 January 2012

This weeks Plan

As part of my training I am going to blog my trainig sessions for the week every Sunday...this helps me become a bit more accountable and also will keep me on track...

Sunday (today)- easy run...was suppos to be long run..but I took part in a fitness workshop yesterday which was my rest day.....so I am feeling that a bit today.
Monday- am TRX....pm Spin
Tuesday- am TRX and Run intervals
Wednesday- am Swim...pm teach Step
Thursday- am Body Sculpt....pm Compuride
Friday- REST
Saturday- Easy run (40 mins)
Sunday- Long run (16 km)

My focus for the next 2 months is to get my mileage up for my running. I registered for the full marathon on May 27th so I need to focus on my running mileage now.....now lets hope this chinook continues for me :-)

Tuesday 24 January 2012

No more Rum.....now I have to run!!

Well here we have it 2 days post Belieze!!
What a great week it was. As I posted before I left I overtrained a little bit and was feeling the effects in my back.....a week off in the sun was just what I needed.
I took the week off and enjoyed it with my best bud Tammy from Houston and 30 of her closest friends to celebrate her 40th Birthday....and celebrate we did!!
So instead of swimming 2000 metres I snorkeled for about 30 mins then cooled off with some rum punch
Instead of biking for 3 hours I threw on a super hero costume and joined in a parade of 30 other super heroes on route to the bar for more rum punch.
Instead of running 20 km I relaxed by the pool and drank more rum punch.
Instead of drinking protein shakes.....I ATE a whole tin of PRINGLES!!

So yes I indulged a bit on my week off....BUT IT WAS SOOOOO WORTH IT!

Today being January 24th we have 7 months until Ironman....so no more rum punch....and no more pringles.....but that fantastic week was just what I needed to get me re focused and on track for the next 7 months.....

next time I am on a beach I will be in a full wet suit and ready to swim 4 km in a cold lake.......so I will keep this memory as long as I can :-)

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Hard Lessons...

Okay well here I sit with some of the most intense pain I have felt in a while.....
Let me back track......last Thursday I taught a class Body Sculpt. Nothing out of the ordinary but I did go a bit heavier with the weights and we are coming off a 2 week break of classes.....so with that I felt pretty sore the next few days especially in my back.
As I said in my last post last week I know I did too much...on top of 6 classes I also did 6 hours of training....so for week one of this year I knew this was too much.
So after my rest day Sunday I felt okay...still feeling it a bit in my back.....which really should have told me to take it easy...
But no I went into my 6 am TRX class and did the class (yup I did not listen)....left that class and my back was a mess again.....it started to feel better later in the day....now instead of resting last night...I jumped on my bike....for about 40 mins....again felt okay but my back was pretty tight...

So woke up today (Tuesday) it is snowing....today I teach TRX then I run. So I knew my back was tight but I thought it will be okay....and the snow.....ahhhh we can handle that...it is ALBERTA!
So I got to class...started the warm up...and BAM out of no where felt like I got stabbed in the back with a knife!! The pain was intense! I tried to do some of the moves in class but by now even standing there was killing me. Now I knew I had a problem. Then a little voice in my head said.....okay maybe if I run after it will work this out?? I know what you are all thinking....yup I was thinking that.
By the end of the class well I could barley walk...so I knew the run was out of the picture...which upset me.
I got into the chiropractor and well it was a rib and my hip out of place...so she got it back....but the pain is still there....because I am so damn tight! So I took some pain killers and that has helped a bit...
I am hoping the massage tonight will also help.

So here it is.....I know you are reading this and what you are thinking...Candice you need to take a break. I know that. So I am a personal trainer and I am very good at telling my clients to watch their limits and how rest and stretching is important. I will be the first to admit I don't follow my own advice. I have a very competitive personally and obsessive about training and I know that. If I don't get a certain workout in I loose my mind. I have been lucky in the past 15 years of training in running and triathlon I have not dealt with any major injuries...until now.
This is a wake up call for me.
I am NOT in my 20's anymore...lets be honest I am pushing 40...so I need to act like it...
I am hoping I have not done crazy damage and this can be fixed but I am going to listen and take it down a bit for the next bit. I want to do this race and I want to do it well so it is time for me to practice what I preach!

So that is it a bit of a confession and to all my client's.....you have the right to yell at me I deserve it :-)

Candice

Sunday 8 January 2012

First week done!

Well the first week of the first year is done...and well I feel every ounce of it!
This was the first week I did all my training workouts...so that was 6 training sessions plus I taught 6 classes........all I can say is OUCH!
I learned a lesson this week....I cant do that....over 12 hours in week one was too much!

So I am not juggling a full time job while training for an Ironman I am juggling being a fitness instructor while training for Ironman...
My issue is I am not the type of instructor who can just sit on the side lines and YELL...don't get me wrong I love to YELL....but I also like to participate and yell at the same time :-)

So what I need to focus on now is how I can still be a good instructor but not overdo my body at the same time....so less doing and more yelling ;-)

So as the next 5 months move on my training volume will increase and I know my body will adjust. I need to adjust my teaching style as well and this will also be a learning process for me....Where I do want to still use my muscle conditioning classes as my strength workouts for my training as well...so it is just finding that balance!

I am excited for the months that lie ahead and the challenges I know I will overcome....

Sunday 1 January 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Well it is the first day of 2012....for many people this is the beginning of new goals and challenges....or time to make a change in their lives...
For me it is the year I conquer the biggest challenge and goal I have ever set and that is Iron Man 2012.
My plan for the fall was to maintain my fitness level and not loose any of my endurance and strength. I am happy that I achieved this goal by maintaining weekly workouts that were not too intense but enough to keep my fitness level up.
Now that is it January 1 my training jumps to a new level and the plan for training for Iron Man 2012 has begun!
Now my official training program from my awesome coach Jen will not start for a few weeks....she wants me to wait until I get back from my trip from Belieze mid January....
I have wrote out a plan for this first month that strats to build my endurance for this first phase of my training program.

My biggest challenge for these first couple of months of training will be the run...I HATE running when it is cold! I also do not have a treadmill so my options are limited.
So this will be an ongoing struggle if the weather turns cold again.

So I will start to blog more frequent as my training gets underway..I am sure you will see posts of my successes as well as my struggles...and I hope this blog helps encourage me as well as some of you that regardless of your goal, big or small anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

I saw this great picture on facebook a while back and it really hit home to how I feel when I do a race or even a long run and I wanted to share


I hope everyone had a wonderful start to your New Year....and reach for your goals and know ANYTHING is possible!!