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Running and Triathlons – 10 Tips on Doing Your Next Triathlon for a Stronger You!

July 22, 2018 carmenmicsa Leave a comment

Two weeks after running my fifth marathon Mountains 2 Beach and finishing in 3:30:59 , I raced my second triathlon organized by the amazing Total Body Fitness at Rancho Seco. I felt the need to challenge myself differently, while still recovering from the marathon. To my delight, I finished third in my new age group and loved every minute of the triathlon (click on the triathlon and read how to prepare for your first triathlon and have fun with it, too). After having done my first triathlon last year and realizing that swimming in the open water was easier and more fun than in the pool, I promised myself to incorporate triathlons into my marathon training, because my muscles and body were happier and staying healthier, too.

Second triathlon and finished third in my age group.

Racing in my new TRI suit that I bought from Amazon, as that will help me be faster during the transitions.

Once again, I was amazed how good and strong I felt at the finish line, which is why I want to encourage you to do your first triathlon as well. However, since I am pretty new to triathlons, I would like to share with you the story of a more seasoned triathlete, Kareasa Wilkins, whom I first met during a Pilates class at California Family Fitness. A full-time ESL teacher and a wine enthusiast, who teaches wine appreciation classes at the local community college, Kareasa also has a passion for traveling and has been to more than 40 countries. She has a great love of sport, particularly swimming and triathlon (she has completed 8 triathlons), and loves the feeling that training and working out gives her. Kareasa lives with her loving husband and fabulous orange cat in Sacramento.

Kareasa and I at the finish line. We both finished third in our age groups. So happy to have met her! My first triathlon friend!

Kareasa on the podium, enjoying the moment.

Kareasa’s 10 Tips for doing your next triathlon:

Get into the sport with energy and enthusiasm and just decide to do your first triathlon.
Enjoy the multi-sport aspect, which will certainly keep you from getting bored during the race.
Kareasa’s strength is the swim event, as she used to be a competitive swimmer, so enjoy your strengths while also doing the other events that might be more challenging. For me, it is running that propels me to the top three in my age group, but I am determined to work on my swimming and biking skills and be well-rounded.
Triathlons are a great total body workout and a lot of fun.
Start small by signing up for a sprint of super sprint event.
Find a local tri-club to train with and meet like-minded and supportive athletes.
Don’t spend a ton of money on new and fancy bikes and wet suits until you get more serious about the sport. Kareasa did her first triathlon in a regular swimsuit and riding a mountain bike.
Start in your comfort zone by doing sprint triathlons, Olympic distance, and then maybe get into a 1/2 ironman in the future.
Rejoice in your progress and improvement.
And last, but not least always have fun when doing triathlons, which is motivating enough!

To find triathlons and other races around you, please go to Total Body Fitness and find your joy! Ready, set, go!

For more info on running and real estate, whether buying or selling, please e-mail me at carmenmicsa@yahoo.com, or call me at 916-342-2446. Running for real estate with joy!

Biking and Running for Stronger Body, Running and biking, Running and learning new things, Running and real estate, Running keeps us younger, Running Strong and Injury free, Sacramento real estate, The joy of running, Triathlon Training, Trithlon training, Vegan Biker, vegan running

Why Every Runner Should Do a Triathlon to Become a Stronger & More Well-Rounded Athlete

August 5, 2017 carmenmicsa Leave a comment

I graduated with my Masters degree in English from Sacramento State University in 2011. One of the highlights of my going back to school besides learning and becoming a better writer was biking from home to school using our beautiful American River Parkway. I was biking 20 miles round trip and loved my bike rides and the freedom they brought to my day. At the time, I was doing century rides for the American Diabetes Association in memory of my dear father who died of a heart attack due to his diabetes at the young age of 53.

TRIATHLON – A NEW SPORT TO MAKE US MORE WELL-ROUNDED

Now as a runner, I experience tremendous freedom and joy, but I also use the same muscles. After attending a free Triathlon information session at Fleet Feet, I have decided to jump right at it and do my first women only triathlon coming up on September 9th. Being new to triathlons, I did not even know what it really meant to do a triathlon. I found out that I would have to swim half a mile, bike 20 miles, and run 4 miles, so all doable. Moreover, after taking some clinics and talking to my runner friends who have done them, I realized that doing my first triathlon will open up new fitness doors that I never knew existed. This reminded me how important explorations and trying new things are.

At my first swim clinic wearing a wet suit for the first time in my life and feeling like a seal – all sealed up – ha!ha!

I figured the wet suit is not needed, so I bought myself some comfy swim shorts for my triathlon, as Carolyn, one of the women who has done many triathlons told me that it is easier to swim in a swim suit and transition easier and faster to the bike. I agree and have accepted the great advice.

What is a BRICK in triathlons? Why runners should do them once a week, or every other week to become stronger and faster whether training for a triathlon or not?

Veronica, one of my trail runner friends , who used to do half Ironman told me that I needed to start doing brick workouts. She explained to me what they meant, as I had no clue. The biking-running brick workout is one of the most popular, as one bikes first and then runs to prepare for the triathlon. Second most popular brick workout is swimming first and biking second. These two brick workouts can also be done in reverse, meaning run-bike, bike-swim, but the idea is to experience the same conditions and order as in the triathlon.

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/using-brick-workouts-in-triathlon-training/

According to Chris Carmichael, there are various type of Brick workout, which he describes in his article.

http://trainright.com/get-it-together-with-brick-training/

Doing my first brick workout in preparation for my first Triathlon. I biked for 12.7 miles and then ran 4 miles.

Meeting Christy, a new fellow biker, who rides 50 miles on her days off. Wow! We rode together and immediately connected due to our being health conscious, vegan, and loving the freedom and control that exercise brings into our lives. To new friends! To more happy rides!

TOP FIVE REASONS TO DO BRICK WORKOUTS AS A RUNNER, OR JUST FOR OVERALL FITNESS

Excellent cross training exercises and routines.
The two sports help work and train different muscles in our bodies.
Reduced risk of injuries.
Increased cardio fitness.
Fun, fun, and more fun!

My first brick workout was biking 13.7 miles at a brisk pace and running 4 miles in the low 8s right after the biking. Although I felt my legs turn into bricks right after biking, I was able to run at a decent pace easing into each mile and being amazed at what my body could do. I felt confident and happy with my very first brick workout. I will report back after doing my second brick workout swimming and biking.

My selfie picture during the 4-mile brick workout. I had to quickly stop around mile 2, as it was getting hot. Running was not easy after biking, but what a great training!

Whether doing a triathlon, or not, I highly recommend mixing these type of brick workouts into your training to help you stay stronger and infuse more variety and fun into your workouts. Happy feet! Happy pedaling! Happy swim strokes! This is my favorite order for my upcoming women only triathlon, but everyone will have different favorites.

For more info on running and real estate, whether buying or selling, please e-mail me at carmenmicsa@yahoo.com, or call me at 916-342-2446. Running for real estate with joy!

Biking and Running for Stronger Body, Healthy eating and stronger running, Marathon running, Running and biking, Running and real estate, Running keeps us younger, The joy of running, Vegan Biker

5 Reasons Why Running and Biking Make a Great Cross-Training Team

April 16, 2017 carmenmicsa Leave a comment

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you have to keep moving.
Albert Einstein

My Biking Background

Before I became a runner, I used to love to bike places by myself and with our sweet kids who learned how to bike before they turned eight years old.

The kids and I doing a short bike ride around the neighborhood at the beginning of 2017.

I also used to bike to Sacramento State University when I did my Masters degree and loved the no parking hassle and getting my exercise done at the same time. I have also done a few century (100 miles) and 100K rides for Diabetes Tour de Cure in honor of my dear father.

After a long 10-hour century ride. I used to always get lost and my family worried about me.

Running and Cross-training

Yet, once the bug of running took a hold on me in 2015, I started to neglect my Specialized Women design road bike. With a sticker on the middle bar that reads in Japanese calligraphy, self-moving vehicle, my bike started collecting dust in our garage, because I had found pure joy and more freedom in running, not to mention an excellent way to burn roughly four times more calories. I was thus preoccupied with my running Lunar 8 Nike shoes and my Brooks Cascadia shoes and following my training schedule provided by our racing team coach. At first, I was running 4 to 5 days a week, but then I increased to 6 days a week to cram more miles and get stronger, and yet more prone to injury.

Overusing our muscles doing the same repetitive motion will certainly lead to injury sooner or later, which happened to me last month in March after a tough track workout. Thank goodness, I can now start back running wiser and stronger after my tendon has healed. As I biked 20 miles today, I kept writing in my head, while feeling the wind, smelling barbecue meat cooking on the grills the day before Easter, and watching the swollen and swift American River on my left side.

My 20-mile bike ride today instead of my 20-mile long run, as I need to build back up slowly with my running and marathon training for Mountains to Beaches at the end of May.

I even imagined a funny conversation between my bike and I that went this way:

Bike: “So, now I am good enough for a 20-mile spin, because you can’t run in your snazzy Lunar Glide shoes, huh?”

Me: “Uhmmm! You know you have been my first love ever since childhood.”

Bike: “Yeah? And running is your hot lover who gets you high all the time.”

Me: “Nonsense. I just love to run and maybe my Lunar Glide shoes and you can be civilized and share the roads and trails from now on,” I replied while listening to the Runner’s World podcasts.

Bike: “I guess we can… Pedal harder! You can get a biker’s high without getting too tired, or too winded!”

Me: “Sweet! Maybe biker’s high is a little more real than unicorns.”

While biking and not getting tired, I also came up with five reasons biking and running can be best friends:

Biking is a fast and great way to do intervals and hills with less pressure on our body.
Biking can be done during a class indoors no matter what the weather is like, or outdoors for more sunshine and vitamin D.
Biking can be a great training partner during off season, during an injury that allows you to bike, or just as an addition to your rest, easy days.
Biking will build up your stamina and endurance, as well as provide excellent cardio benefits.
Biking and running can become best friends and help you with that PR when running your next race.

As for me, I have decided to balance running, biking, playing tennis, strength training, and aqua jogging to avoid injuries. Running 5 days a week should be enough. Running and swimming the same day if I choose so can give me two intense cardio workouts and less stress on my joints and body. It will feel as if I am training for a triathlon and maybe one day, I will actually do one! Cheers! Happy feet! Happy pedaling!