It's Tuesday night and my first triathlon was Sunday morning. I felt so alive and STRONG on Sunday. I was still feeling pretty good on Monday and even went to my Master swim class Monday evening. But about an hour ago, I began to feel like I just stepped out of the ring with Mike Tyson. My right quad is on fire and muscles are twitching. The triceps in both my arms are tender and sore. My lower back is stiff. What the H E double hockey sticks??
My husband says smugly from the couch that you always "feel it" two days later.
Of course, I had to do my own research. And what my husband is referring to is DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This muscle pain or soreness is typically felt 12-48 hours after strenuous exercise - BUT leads to GREATER overall stamina and strength as your body recovers and rebuilds (so there is a payoff here).
What causes our little friend DOMS? Get this . . . microscopic tearing of my muscle fibers.
OK, OK . . . so how do I make it go away? In my research, there is no "proven" method, but here are the suggestions on how to recover from DOMS:
1. Take a break for awhile. It should go away in 3 to 7 days! (genius)
2. Ice Bath (forget it! I'd rather be sore)
3. Sports Massage (not likely . . . the cost of the triathlon put a big enough dent in my wallet)
4. Non-Steroidal Anti-inflamitory . . . like Ibuprofen or asprin (now we're talking)
5. Yoga (my training schedule has no room for one more class, are you kidding me?)
But I guess the better question is - can it be prevented??
Yes.
Stretch after your strenuous exercise. Even if you're feeling like the Queen of the World and want to take pictures to savor the moment and talk to the other athletes and call your husband to gloat . . . take 10 minutes from your parade of one to STRETCH. And if they offer a FREE sports massage after the event (as they did at Donner Lake), take advantage of the offer. I'm just saying . . . it was probably factored into your entry fee anyway, you might as well use it.
But I think ultimately, the soreness is like a battle scar. And I'm proud of it. So, go ahead, little microscopic muscle fibers . . . tear away!! With every wince, I will remind myself that my body is busy building a Warrior Princess.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Reflections of my first Triathlon: Donner Lake Triathlon 2010
So . . . I signed up for the Donner Lake Triathlon as an afterthought. I had originally signed up for the Triathlon at Pacific Grove - Olympic Distance. And then I thought - hey! I need a "warm up" Sprint Distance before I tackle that big race. I looked up all the races coming up in my area and chose Donner because it fit my schedule. Little did I know that I had selected one of the hardest Triathlons out there!
The swim was fine . . . in fact, I think the swim is what people stress about the most. But at Donner Lake, the water was nice and warm and the lake was smooth as glass. It is a lake and so the water isn't very clear. I've been in a grand total of 3 lakes up to this point in my life, and I think with the exception of Lake Tahoe, lakes are dark and murky - accept that.
The run was also fine . . . in fact, it was a nice and shady route. There is a slight incline, but nothing too bad. You run along South Shore drive. At one point, a little girl ran out with her little siblings to cheer me on as I ran past their house. It was pretty cool.
But the bike . . . God have mercy. If you ever decide to sign up for the Donner Lake Triathlon, you MUST be able to train on a freakin MOUNTAIN. No . . . not "hills" but a MOUNTAIN! You bike straight up Highway 40, climbing 1200 feet over 3 miles. It never lets up for even 10 feet. It's UPHILL FOR 3 MILES! And then, you come screaming down that mountain - hands gripping your brakes. I think I shaved 2 years off the life of my brakes coming down that hill. It was a strange mixture of fear and joy, coming downhill for 3 miles after climbing 3 miles.
So, I have a friend who is a very experienced Triathlete who couldn't believe I chose Donner Lake as my first Triathlon experience. But here is the silver lining: all other races will seem like a cake walk in comparison (so I tell myself).
I learned a lot of a little tips from watching the other Triathletes, but that's a post for another day!
The swim was fine . . . in fact, I think the swim is what people stress about the most. But at Donner Lake, the water was nice and warm and the lake was smooth as glass. It is a lake and so the water isn't very clear. I've been in a grand total of 3 lakes up to this point in my life, and I think with the exception of Lake Tahoe, lakes are dark and murky - accept that.
The run was also fine . . . in fact, it was a nice and shady route. There is a slight incline, but nothing too bad. You run along South Shore drive. At one point, a little girl ran out with her little siblings to cheer me on as I ran past their house. It was pretty cool.
But the bike . . . God have mercy. If you ever decide to sign up for the Donner Lake Triathlon, you MUST be able to train on a freakin MOUNTAIN. No . . . not "hills" but a MOUNTAIN! You bike straight up Highway 40, climbing 1200 feet over 3 miles. It never lets up for even 10 feet. It's UPHILL FOR 3 MILES! And then, you come screaming down that mountain - hands gripping your brakes. I think I shaved 2 years off the life of my brakes coming down that hill. It was a strange mixture of fear and joy, coming downhill for 3 miles after climbing 3 miles.
So, I have a friend who is a very experienced Triathlete who couldn't believe I chose Donner Lake as my first Triathlon experience. But here is the silver lining: all other races will seem like a cake walk in comparison (so I tell myself).
I learned a lot of a little tips from watching the other Triathletes, but that's a post for another day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)