Warming Up

One thing I have started to embrace is how much warm up I require to really fire.  I used to think I was just slow.  Then I blamed age.  I finally put the pieces together and realized my body does not sprint out of the gate.  It is not a matter of forcing it, caring more, or trying harder.  It just simply takes me time.

It it sometimes tough to be a slow warmer-upper.  I can't start a run with a friend that is married to their average pace on their garmin because I don't want to start off "on pace."  I can't keep up with faster run groups, at least for the first few miles.  (Or I can keep up but I am miserable.)  I struggle with early swim sets.  I feel grumpy when people are pushing the pace of group rides in the first few miles.  (even if they aren't really pushing, it feels like pushing to me!)

But the positive to my physiology is that I can generally last a but longer in sessions.  I usually feel better at the 3500 yard of swim class then I did at 1500, and I am faster too.  In our swim set today, I dropped 7 seconds from my fast 50 pace from the 1st 50 to the 36th 50.  I seriously thought Gil was going to make me redo the set since I finally found my groove.

I think the other issue is the timing of my training.  Early person I am not, although I am trying! Most of my training happens at 5am.   I generally set my alarm at 4:20 to get going at 5am.  And honestly, I am still just not awake.  My body is not awake.  I have tried taking in a little caffeine, using the foam roller, stretching, etc.  I just don't think I can realistically wake up much earlier.  I think that the time of day we train does make a difference.  I am probably a person that would do much better with later morning training.

Here is how I have worked on to help me embrace my physiology, enjoy training, and do my best:

1.  If I can, I try to run a couple of miles before meeting friends for a group run.  That way, I don't have to worry about garmin paces or keeping up.  Plus I get a little time to just kind of jog, stretch, and shake off the rust without having to hang on to the back of a group right away.

2.  I just relax at the beginning of swim class, and I don't sweat intervals anymore.  If we start a set and I am not hitting paces I know I can hit, I just dial it back and relax.  I tell myself, "oh, I am not warmed up yet.  Let's just swim and see if it comes around."  And most of the time it does, like today.  And sometimes it doesn't, like last week when I was just slower.

3.  I really extend my warm up on the bike.  Most of the workouts call for a 20-30 minute warm up.  But I really need 20 minutes super easy, followed by another 20-25 minutes aerobic.  And then, it helps me to have a few really short pick ups.  And maybe then I am ready for whatever the work out calls for me to do.

4.  I just don't worry about pace when I am not on.  I realize it is hard to do picture perfect training early in the dark morning before out vestibular, somatosensory, and visual systems are really ready to go.  So, I just do the best I can and then get on with my day.

5.  I tell myself that it is better to work with what our bodies give us than to stress what it doesn't.  Part of the fun of life is taking our unique qualities, unlocking the mysteries of our own, awesome bodies, and then making the most out of what we have.   

Happy Training!