Jello Legs Yoga Video for Runners, Cyclists and Triathletes

Fred visits us again with a great video of yoga techniques for those of us in need.  Make sure you give him a visit at the following locations!

www.enduranceyoga.com

www.tritrainingfrenzy.blogspot.com

twitter.com/enduranceyoga

www.youtube.com/enduranceyoga

Swimming 30 Miles in 3 Days

I tried beating Jamie Patrick's challenge of 29 miles of swimming in three days and it was BRUTAL.  I learned a lot during the process, including a tremendous amount of respect for ultra swimmers who do this on a regular basis.  There where many, many times when I thought, "This is freaking CRAZY!  I'll never finish this!"  But, I finally did and here's the breakdown: 

• I took my estimated pace and then slowed it down by a bunch.  Using that, I figured that I would have to swim 5 hours every day for three days in a row to do it.  That's around 10.2 miles or 16,500 meters per day!
• Swimming 5 hours is a lot like a 5 hour bike ride.  It's zero impact, so it's all about pacing and fueling.
• Jamie said to fuel and drink every 20 minutes.  I kept my fuel mix by the edge of the pool and wore a watch to keep track of time.
• I swam all but 1 hour of this in a 50 meter long course pool to minimize flip turns and simulate real open water as much as possible.
• I also learned quickly that bilateral breathing was the only way to go.  Breathing to just one side wrecks your neck in short order.
• Ok, go time!  Every swim was good for the first hour.  After that, it was a battle of willpower.  
• When fueling goes bad, your mind turns towards the negative.  In fact, aches and pains and negative thinking is a sure sign that you need to adjust your fueling.
• After the first day, I felt great.  I was only a little bit sore and I was doing it!  Still, it was pretty tough going.
• After day 2, I was beaten.  I finished ok, but it wasn't pretty.  This was getting really tough!  How was I going to finish day 3?
• On day 3, I felt amazing!  I attribute this to figuring out my fueling.  I actually swam faster on the third day than the first two!  Not only that, I felt great afterwards with tons of energy.
• I had sleep on my back every night.  If I rolled on my side, the weight on my shoulders when I woke up was like being shot with a rifle.  Ungh!

Ok, so here's the fueling breakdown:  

Day 1:  3 scoops of maltodextrin per hour.  Also, 3 servings of Hornet Juice, some flax seed oil, some sea salt, and one caffeine pill spread out over the 5 hours.  Felt sick to my stomach from overfueling.

Day 2:  2 scoops of maltodextrin per hour.  Also, 3 servings of Hornet Juice, some flax seed oil, some sea salt, and one caffeine pill spread out over the 5 hours.  Felt weak from underfueling, so added in some Perpetuem solids to get in some extra calories.  And felt sick from the oil.

Day 3:  3 scoops of maltodextrin per hour.  Also, 3 servings of Hornet Juice, some sea salt, and one caffeine pill spread out over the 5 hours.  Supplimented with Perpetuem solids on rare occasion in case I wasn't feeling super strong.

Using the Goldilocks method and three days of back-to-back long swims, I was able to finally nail the nutrition and felt like a rocket!

End the end, I was able to take years of bike fueling training and figure out how to do long swims, totalling 30.75 miles in three days.  Long swims are AWESOME for getting in aerobic work while giving your legs a rest.  And most importantly, it gave me the confidence needed to do the 20 miles across Tahoe.  Now, dealing with the cold?  That's another story.  Brrr!

Podcast - Interview with Adventure Swimmer Michelle Macy

Click here to listen!

As we ramp up to my swim across Lake Tahoe with Jamie Patrick, we interview one of the great adventure swimmers, Michelle Macy.  Michelle has swum the English Channel twice, crossed the Cook Strait in New Zealand, and just swam the Strait of Gibralter.  You can view a list of her amazing swims here.

We talk in detail about how to swim open water and what these amazing athletes know that most of us don't.  For example; if you see a fin moving up and down, that belongs to a mammal.  If it's moving side to side, it's a shark!

Listen in as we discuss what I need to know about cold water swimming, safety and much more.  And don't forget you can follow and support Michelle at @MacySwim on Twitter.

Looking for a challenge?  Check out ZenTri Epic Camp and earn yourself a belt buckle!

Click here to play or download

ZenTri Epic Camp!

Alright, all you crazy endurance freaks!  ZenTri Epic Camp is HERE!  It will be two days of Ultraman format racing in the brutal Texas heat.  Finishers will get this killer belt buckle and bragging rights forever - 

Here's what you need to know: 

• WHEN? - July 30th & 31st
• WHERE? - College Station, TX. (Front burner of Hell's Kitchen.)
• FORMAT? - Day one is three hours of swimming and three hours of cycling.  Day two is three hours of cycling and three hours of running.  Total mileage is added up and the person with the most miles wins.
• PRIZES? - Everybody who completes the full event gets a finisher's belt buckle.  The overall winner gets an extra large bottle of Ibuprofin with all the participants' signatures on it.  You can then post pictures of you with your awesome trophy all over the InterWebz for everybody to envy.
• WHY? - This is the best excuse to TRAIN with no interruptions.  All you have to do is show up and get to work.  You'll have set aside the time, so nothing can stop you!
• WHERE DO I STAY? - We have room for six guests in our house, slumber party style.  These will be given away on a first come, first serve basis.  After that, there are plenty of cheap hotels in the area.  
• HOW MUCH? - ZenTri Epic Camp costs $110, and that includes the belt buckles and access to the world class A&M olympic pool.  To register, email your hard-earned and sweaty cash to texafornia at gmail via PayPal.  Remember, first come, first serve and slots are limited!  If you have to back out, you'll get your money back.
• WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE INFO?  Post your questions on this thread to find out more, including race details, finding a roommate, and lots more.

What's Next - USAT Nationals and Tahoe Crossing

Just a quick update with what coming up next on our calendars:

1. I qualified for the 2011 USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals on August 20th in Burlington, Vermont.  I burned up a lot of vacation time going to Alcatraz (and money!), so we'll have to keep our fingers crossed that I can make it.

2. Before Nationals, I'm heading to Lake Tahoe to attempt a swim crossing of the lake.  It's 22 miles of open water, nicely chilled at around 55 degrees.  I'm going with Jamie Patrick, who holds the record for the only person to ever swim across and back, so this should be tons of fun.

3. We also are holding ZenTri Epic Camp at the end of July.  More info soon, but what is certain is finishers will get a belt buckle. 

That's it for now, so stay tuned!