Flip Turns and Pig Farm

So what do flip turns and a pig farm have in common??? Both were instrumental in my coached training yesterday. At 8:00 a.m., the team met at the Pleasant Hill Adult Education Center (about a mile from my house) to start with a 27.5 mile ride from Pleasant Hill to Pinole along a rural route that takes you by an abandoned pig farm. However, it isn't the actual farm that is the attraction of the ride, but a short, albeit wicked uphill grade on the return trip. Evidently if you utter the words "pig farm", experienced Bay Area cyclists will give a collective groan just thinking about the hill. At this point in my cycling career, I did not take on the challenge of going up the grade---since I would be walking it anyway. However, I was not off the hook---my teammate and 2009 Ironman finisher, Jennifer, made sure I got in my mileage and hill repeat practice. Jennifer followed behind me and kept shouting "pedal, pedal, pedal". The key is to keep pedaling even when I'm flying downhill, so I will maintain enough momentum to climb uphill. I ended up riding 20 miles.

After our ride, we jumped into the pool for 1.5 hours of swim drills. During the last 30 minutes or so, a group of us were taught how to flip turn. Mind you, I was on the swim team as a kid, but that was about 40 years ago and I haven't flip turned since. I didn't have any trouble with water going up my nose, but I was totally disoriented as to where the wall was. However, it was a lot of fun practicing somersaults in the water.

The last part of our training was core and strength exercises. Coach Mike made sure that we felt our stomach muscles afterwards. Several crunches, planks and "supermans" basically finished us off.

2010 at a Glance:

1/1: Lake Chabot Trail Run with Mama Lisa & TNT Alums: 6 miles

1/2: Team Ride 25.60 miles (including marker set) (Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Franklin Canyon)

1/3: Coached workout: 1.5 hours swim; 18 mile bike ride (San Ramon/Highland)

1/4: Swim workout: 1500 yards (including marker set)

1/5: Spin workout at Sports Basement

1/6: Core/Strength workout with Kelley

1/7: Swim workout with Coach Mike & teammates

1/8: REST!!

1/9: 20 mile ride; 1.5 hour swim; 30 minute core/strength

1/10: slept in until 10:00 a.m., went to REI sale......