Adrienne Langelier Racing

"It's time to take the kid gloves off".

This is what I said with wavering confidence to my bestie Rebecca as we planned our run route for the next day on my first day of my visit to Fairhope, Alabama over the weekend. Both of us had harder runs planned: her a marathon-specific tempo run (aka 'threshold run' for Bill D!), because she's a distance-monster, and me doing a "5k via correspondence" for the Bill Crews Remission Run being held in Conroe, TX.

The Remission Run is put on by some dear friends and it was tough to miss, but I committed to do a 5k effort in Bill's honor in the serenity of Coastal Alabama's rolling hills and historic homes. That and with one of my best friends. Ideal setting for testing out the gears for the first time since July. Yes, July.

Originally, I didn't plan on monitoring pace or keeping any kind of time at all-admittedly out of fear/avoidance and distrust of my body and fitness post-injury.  I've gained a fair amount of muscle mass since starting triathlons, my once pipelike upper body broadened out by hours in the pool and in the aero position. Could I carry myself in the same way feeling like a gargantuan compared to my former frame?

Yes, readers-I had some considerable negative self-talk going on. My base run training has been going awesome, yet I held on to some suppressed apprehension of running faster paces. That being said, one of the best ways to squash these ideas is to challenge them. Time to turn the GPS back on on my Garmin. So here goes my own (very) little moment of truth in my running life-what's Adrienne got in the tank? Just a little test for an much bigger cause down Interstate 10 in Conroe.

Despite all the apprehension, the idea that I could be stronger was present in the back of my mind too. I guess there's only one way to find out...

Becca and I agreed to start conservative and slowly take the pace down progression-style, an idea I more-than-agreed-with. I had set a reasonable workout goal in my head to just dip below 7:00 for a sustained amount of time to regain some confidence back that I haven't become just a one-speed wonder with a rubber monitor strapped across her torso and wrist.

"You tell others to get out of their comfort zones all the time, Langelier, time to back it up!"

 First mile we took off and got on pace. I'm not too big on posting numbers anymore, but it was a solidly sub-7:00 minute mile, feeling really strong. Almost werided out. I kept thinking "OMG...just like I left it"..."I've still got it"..."why was I even worried"...I even recall looking down at my Garmin and smiling for a brief moment. It's the little things, folks! Mile 2, the pace gradually came down and Becca and I were running side-by-side. With a little encouragement from both sides, it was soon time for my turnaround as she went on.

Mile 3 I was able to negative split with unexpected ease. I was running along Mobile Bay and enjoying the gradual burn in my legs. Instead of dreading this feeling, It was like my legs were waking up. Enjoying being able to feel that burn, feeling like myself-but perhaps a little more experienced and feeling stronger than I've felt in a long time-physically and mentally. What was really cool was how I remembered almost immediately to run within myself. This was just a small little workout-but an important one for my re-development into my next stages as an athlete and competitor. I'm also glad my friend was there to go with me.

On any other day, this could have just been chocked up to a day's work. At this stage, it was a needed mental boost and one of those small truth moments that help us along as we work to improve as runners. I know there will be many a tempo that I'll have to grit my teeth through in the future. But I encourage everyone to find their little confidence booster in their own little moments of truth. Sometimes the most ordinary things are the most needed. For whatever reason, that day I needed that run.

Thank you, Bill Crews and family and everyone in Fairhope who made me feel so welcome in your state over the weekend.

Be mindful of those little moments of truth. Pay attention and embrace them.

Stay the course.

The "start line"in Fairhope, AL: One of my favorite places to run.

Today I decided it was time to take a full rest day. It's been a while since I've done so largely because love training and working out and am always finding excuses to skip the R&R and hit the trails, easy spin, or pool for just a little while. That or I just really didn't need one until now.

 Building a big triathlon base for the upcoming season also makes it easy to tell myself "oh, it's just a little swim, or I'll just take a day off next week" since there's always a discipline to be touched on; not to mention the numerous races where I watch my athletes and end up running around like crazy, even though there's no "official" workout planned for the day. Seriously, marathon spectating is an event in itself-especially in the cold rain!. Anyhow, I digress.

I know technology can quantify recovery progress (a' la Training Peaks), but being a big picture kind of person I'll attempt to qualify based on biased personal experience...

Being the "woman of science" that I am (ok that's an exaggeration, but let's go with it) I found myself thinking for some reason about the last 24 hours. Not that the last 24 hours was anything special or different, I guess I was just paying attention, or actually doing what was best for my body. I'm not as big as I was with posting numbers about my workouts but I did put in a substantial, even if steady and of lower intensity day: 2 hours 40 minutes on the bike, a 3 mile run afterward in my Pure Connect 2's, and then a 1200 meter recovery swim that evening-as much as a boredom buster than functionality and feel for the water. Total of a little over 3 hours and I was actually looking forward to taking a "Zero" for my Monday.

The workout aside, my thought processes were piqued this afternoon after waking up fairly sore and tired and progressively feeling better and looser as the day went on. I even felt some tightness in my L leg from my bike ride (likely due to seat height issue) that was present yesterday and has since disappeared.  While we're all different and can handle different loads I can't help but think that I am starting to find a medium that works for me. Taking stock of the boxes I checked off yesterday and today, I find the noticeable effects of rest I feel today as a combination of at least these factors and principles I've learned in my years of training:

How does Adrienne recover from workouts (if you care)?

1. Sleep-gotta regenerate. My friends pick on me regularly, but I don't mind. Saturday night before my ride I made it known to my girlfriends that I had  "9:00 curfew". Mentally it just helps me knowing I will be batting with at least half of a full deck the next day:)

2.  Recovery is affected by what we do to fuel our workouts-especially the long endurance ones (usually 1:20 min run or 2:30 on the bike, give or take), or intense sessions. Getting enough nutrition in, whether that be a solid or liquid meal before the workout is important. Caloric requirements depend on athlete size and workout duration, but a good rule of thumb is a carb and electrolyte source, such as PowerBar or sports drink, or fruit/nut butter, or cereal. Starting in the "black" keeps you from getting too depleted in the first place. Easy for me, because I love breakfast!

3. Nutrition and hydration during workout. I've almost dialed in my bike nutrition. My aero bottle filled with PowerBar Perform, another two bottles filled with plain water. Sip each every 5 minutes alternating. Gel or Bel Blasts every :45. Simple as that and I feel great. Yesterday's ride felt nice and steady. Stable blood sugars keep the unnecessary stress on your body during exercise at bay.

4. AFTER-the most widely discussed aspect of post workout recovery. I drink my recover drink or chocolate milk almost immediately. Makes all the difference in the world for me.

5. Rest days-just as today. Like I said earlier in this post, I was actually looking forward to resting. Mentally, this is definitely an indication to take a step back. Also the soreness I had from hours in the aero position in my back and quads was definitely talking to me more so today than usual. Having a tight outer quad yesterday also was an indication. That to me is unusual-time to back off. Best part is that I actually am getting better at listening to these things. Today's example I practically felt like a dented coke can getting pushed back out to normal.

6. Governed Easy Runs. I run without a HR monitor when doing fartleks, hills, and usually longer runs, but most days per week are governed by my HR monitor. Usually when I do this I walk away feeling like I haven't run at all after a short amount of time. When not working out hard, I find that is ideal to keeping me on the roads.

7. On rest days, keep moving. I typically make it a point to walk around a lot when not doing any kind of workout. Sometimes an easy swim works too. Blood flow is good and you don't feel as much like a lazy bum!

Put it together and be surprised how rested you begin to feel quickly.

I gave a small seminar to Volte Endurance Saturday morning and part of the talk was on mental recovery. We don't have to be 'on' all the time, in fact-it's an impossibility. Once we accept that and dial in to what's important; including truly taking care of ourselves-the magic begins to happen. Part of it is knowing not just when you're physically tired, but mentally as well. In short, my best advice is to be mindful what you put in, put out, and think about when training. It's a lesson in patience, but worth it.

Back to today, nerdy me found it interesting to go about the day actually feeling my body get more energized. In this ongoing science experiment I call training-here's the latest qualitative data from the case study of Adrienne N. Langelier: runner, triathlete, and workout freak. Hope y'all learned a little something.

Stay the course.

*Note: I am a proponent of using whatever footwear works for the athlete am not promoting one style, brand, or type of shoe in this post.

Some thrive on cushion "a lot of junk in the trunk" (as one of my athletes so creatively puts it) and others like the feel and free biomechanics in the 4mm and less heel drop category. I myself fall in between that continuum. Yesterday I got home to a box of Brooks Pure Connect 2's. Besides racing some in the Green Silence, trying these shoes out is a tad "out of the box" for me. No pun intended, of course! I will begin wearing them on my shorter days and I feel they will be a great shoe for my golf course runs. I tried them on immediately and loved the way they initially felt-and looked as I love the blue-green color scheme. Brooks has also introduced with much fanfare the PureDrifts, which have the unique option of removing part of the sockline to go from a 4mm to zero drop. If I like the Connects, I will probably make the leap to the Drifts as well. As I run in anything from the Ravenna 3 to now the Connect 2, Brooks knows how to provide a variety to different types of runners- something I really like about the company.

Now to introduce my guest poster, Mr. Matthew Kyle. He'll talk a little about hiking and minimalism, and give his .02 on the subject. He's a barefooter (in the shoe sense) and an avid hiker/climber. When it comes to climbing and the outdoors (non-running activities) the function of barefoot shoes is different than running. But I'll leave that to Matthew:




As "multi-injury survivor" of sorts, I agree with the need for some degree of cushion on pavement, especially for longer miles for my legs. One recommendation I have is to run on soft surfaces most runs of the week-something I enjoy and seem to really benefit from. Bottom line: approach your shoe choices from a functional standpoint. Thanks Matthew for your input. Not sure I'll be out climbing any time soon though!

Now time to lace up my new pink Ghost 5's and hit the road for a bit!

Stay the course.

Even though the sun is shining through the window as I write this, it's been a weekend of workouts in less-than-ideal conditions (at least to my standards). Even though the miles don't run and ride themselves, I must admit January in Texas-although I love Houston Marathon weekend and everything that goes with it-is not one of my favorite months!

The good news is that the more one subjects him or herself to (safely) uncomfortable conditions, the tougher one becomes-mentally and physically. I feel mentally I am doing fairly well as I have had no trouble with motivation to get out the door and get it done, but physically; that's another story. Even though I have a fair amount of Brooks winter gear, I still haven't found that all-weather tolerance physiologically. Fortunately, while I'm in motion it's all good, when I stop...not as much.

For instance, yesterday's forecast called for light rain and low 40's for the 6:30 group run. I have recently pushed up my long run to Wednesday or Thursday as I do a long bike ride on Sunday (more playing around with physiology) so I was just going to do an easy 7-8 miles. After seeing my athletes off at Market Street, it was my turn to head out. Cue rain picking up. I had to talk myself through the first mile until I warmed up and settled into a surprising rhythm running around Lake Woodlands. The HR was steadily in the low 140s and I was putting in paces in the low 8:00's. Just working on the house-building it up rain or shine!

Upon returning from the run, all it took was somebody asking me a simple question before I realized how numb my face was and I had purple hands. Seriously? Warm clothes and coffee, stat! I was reminded that my cold weather tolerance is not the best. C'est la vie.

This morning was long ride day. 2-2.5 hours on the schedule. Me being the running freak that I am, I was going to do a few miles off the bike. Let's just say the ride was decent despite me not riding outdoors much (indoor training has its own mental challenges) but upon me getting the Pure Grits on for a grass run, I could have had ice blocks attached to my lower legs for all I knew-so much for doubling up on socks!

A positive of cold weather training is the lower HR response. I may get cold, but the cellular-level response I'm going for is easy to come by. So this weekend of easy paced training was not necessarily easy, but the miles don't complete themselves. Can't always get everything you want.

Be tough, be smart, dress warm, stay the course.