Out of the bright blue sky today fell snowflakes!! What? Not yet. In the middle of the Mohawk Towpath Duathlon. These athletes never catch a  break with the weather. This weekend always turns cold and gives them a run/cycle/run for their money.

It is such a great event because it draws top triathletes alongside those du'ing it for the first time. The course starts at Riverview Orchards offering fans a place to stay warm and down a coffee and cider donut while their loved ones race. Giffy's fires up the bbq before the start so the runners head out enticed to return for a bbq chicken lunch. The bike takes them on a tour of Clifton Park's apple orchards finishing with a flat 2 mile run.

Eric Hamilton, race director, was a bit afraid of noting that this was the 13th annual event, but it went off without a hitch thanks to his efforts and those of his awesome volunteers. Tracy Perry was on the awards again this year creating special age group award ornaments that came attached to a candy apple.

I took over 1500 pictures of the event. Everyone should get at least one picture they will cherish - at least for today!

I am lucky to have a great group of people to run with on a regular basis. The Friday run is a bunch of cul de sacs that end up offering some decent hill training. I headed out this morning figuring I would take it easy, but maybe work the hill on the return. As usual there were runners of varying speeds headed out. Joe quickly popped over next to me and started up a conversation as he bounced along with a nice quick cadence. I thought for a second that maybe I should drop back and take it easy, but decided to hang with Joe and drop back at the light if I needed. We were moving along at a good clip - not completely conversational for me, so I tried to keep Joe talking. As we went into the cul de sacs I was started to feel our pace, but I really wanted to try to maintain the cadence (Joe has been helping me get it up).

As we headed up one hill I decided to hang back and let Joe run the cul de sac so I could stretch my hammie and get some air! I was able to get my HR back down, so could take off with him again. We chatted and held a strong pace for another mile or so. I then started strategizing how I could make the rest of the run in my head. I figured I could ease up a bit before the last hill and then try to maintain a decent pace to hang onto the hill. Maybe I should walk. Maybe I should just say I can't keep up. Maybe I should just suck it up! Right then Joe says "OK let's hold this pace to the stop sign then we dial back and recover to the creek. At the creek we work the hill" Hallelujah - that I could do. We eased back a bit, maybe too much. As we headed up the hill my legs were toast, jello, nothing, nada left! I tried to push it, but really just lost that loving feeling. I hit the top behind Joe who quickly congratulated me! I knew he had had a plan for me and it was great to feel that success. He knows I have a kind of lofty goal and he is happy to help push me out of my comfort zone to get me there! It was a tough run, but what a sense of accomplishment afterwards.

I am looking forward to my next run with Joe - with a little trepidation and a lot of anticipation! Pick a  workout and push out of your comfort zone. As a coach I try to get my athletes to do that in a variety of workouts. It is fun for me to be on the other side of the fence! Thanks Joe.

This past Sunday I ran the Mohawk Hudson 1/2 marathon. It was a beautiful day for a run. My husband dropped Sharon and I off at the start and we headed inside to stay warm finding Nanette and Sue (all pictured here). It is always fun to hang out before the race as you see people you expect to see and some you haven't seen in a while (like Holly in visiting from Mass). Right after the start our group broke up and I headed off. I caught up with Wendy - I chatted with her about her husband's 50th surprise party and how much sangria she had consumed on Saturday! After telling her a PR was still in the mix I forged ahead. I ran with a few others before crossing the finish line. Along the way there were plenty of spectators and I heard my name called a few times. It is always uplifting to hear that and have the kids high five you along the route. As always there were some awesome signs on the course and fun water stops. After I crossed the finish line a woman came up to me. She looked familiar, but I wasn't sure why. She said 'hi Kristen' and proceeded to remind me that a few years back we had run a good part of the marathon together. I remembered she was a nurse, but had to ask her name. 'Krista' one would think I could remember that! Anyway she said something I had said stuck with her and she thought about it during all her races. She was pretty jazzed as she had just PR'd her 13.1 at the age of 51!! Our marathon conversation was about qualifying for Boston, our careers, and of course our age. I feel strongly that age is just a number. I told the ladies I was with that it didn't matter how 'old' we were what mattered was how we felt. If we felt we could do a fast marathon then that is our reality. We were all about the same age. After mile 14 we had drifted apart. By then Tammy was running with me and keeping me going (always helps to have the young chicks pushing you through). I saw Krista again at the finish and she was signing up for Boston.

Back to Sunday at the half marathon. Krista said she always thought about how I had said that age was just a number. She was on a serious running high that at 51 she had run a 1:39 half marathon and beaten her best time from over 20 years earlier! It was so uplifting to hear that something I said has motivated this woman during her workouts and races. Her joy at her accomplishment filled me as well and made my day just a little bit better. Remember words matter. What you say can lift someone's day. They can carry them through a tough workout or just motivate them to stay on track. Age is JUST a number and I am 33 :-)

BTW - Wendy ran a PR :-)

Getting started can sometimes be the biggest challenge. I love my tagline Do Believe Achieve because it all starts with Do. You have to get out there and give it a try for anything to happen afterwards. Taking that leap, that risk, that challenge can be scary and tough. But SO often the reward is worth every stressful minute.

I talk to people all the time who want to try a triathlon or want to do a 5K, but don't think they have it in them. I believe that everyone has it in them. You just haven't uncovered it as of yet. Some decide to do a 5K and head out the door for a 3 mile run the first day. It hurts and the first day becomes the last! Having guidance, support and a plan can make all the difference in the world. Set your goal and then be SMART about it! We all know that life is a journey, but we don't always proceed down the path. We want to leapfrog ahead to big milestones without learning and enjoying the journey along the way.

You know the SMART acronym. S. - Specific  M. - Measurable  A. – Achievable  R. - Realistic  T. – Time based
Sometimes it helps to have someone look at it with you, to rein you in when needed and give you that little extra push when needed. The new Upstate Warriors program is all about creating goals and then working together on the path to success. That success may be a time or a smile at the finish line. The most important piece is the DO. So get out there today and DO. Start your journey. I am always here to help!

I like to look at results of races. I like to see how I have done, how my athletes finished (from Wendy - "PR by 4 1/2 minutes!!!!! Felt great, I now wonder how much faster I can do! :-)", and how the competition fared. I am no different now that my son is running cross country. The invitationals often have multiple races for each age division. He raced at McQuaid Invitational in Rochester a week ago in the sophomore race. As a freshman it means he was up against kids 10th grade and younger. I was pretty thrilled when he finished 16th! A new PR ( not as hard to do when it seems every race is a different distance), but still crazy hard. His team finished first and got to head up on the stage to get their plaque. A week later the family headed down to Manhattan to watch him run with his team in the Freshman C race at the Manhattan Invitational. Coach had put together a good team (we had 4 freshman teams of at least 5 kids each!). I was about 1/4 mile off the start to get some good pics as they headed into the woods. I really expected our boys to be toward the front, but they were a bit buried in the 215 bodies. I caught Alex and followed him with my lens yelling (cheering) the whole time. I had enough time to sprint across the field and get a spot at the open section of the gate near the finish. I knew I would need to lean in to get photos of the guys sprinting the last 400m. I was ready as the first guy came down. Then in 4th and 5th I saw the first two Shen jerseys. I was clicking away and cheering on Alex and Evan. Evan had Alex by a step and they were both working hard. Then came Greg in 8th - the third day back running after an injury and in tenth Kyle. Woo hoo the boys had sealed the first place trophy! Being new to this I wasn't sure how deep medals went. As I was talking pictures of the JV race (where our boys ran well), I heard them announcing the Freshman C race. Alex was 5th and yup the team was first. I was cheering like a crazy proud Mom. Luckily Alex was with the team so he didn't have to be embarrassed.

Today I was revisiting the results putting together some sponsorship info for our Veterans Day Dash. I did the analysis to see that our freshman team had the second fastest time out of the 5 races run. Not bad. Then I decided to see how Alex stacked up. He was 12th overall out of 771 runners! Wowzer. Pretty damn proud of my runner! Who knows what the future holds for him, but I can tell you I'll have fun analyzing his results and puffing up my chest as I do!

Heart rate training sounds easy, but is it? No, not for most athletes and for a number of reasons. The first is that is can be confusing and the second is that it can be frustrating! Confusing because there is a fair bit a data to be analyzed which changes over time (your season and your life) and changes over the distances you race. Frustrating because staying in the zone is tough. At the low end you feel like you aren’t working hard enough and at the high end you realize you’ve never come close to working hard enough!

Let’s start with the fact that the heart is a muscle which can be trained. Many male endurance athletes will have enlarged hearts, just as their quads and lats are bigger and stronger. It is tougher for women to build muscle, so they gain efficiency without the size.

For years athletes trained on perceived exertion which was a how hard the activity felt. Highly trained athletes are typically able to push harder longer and many have a different pain threshold. Perceived exertion scales run with 1-10 or 1-20. The Borg Scale developed in 1998 is the 1-20 scale. A 6 is no exertion at all and a 20 is maximal exertion. Perceived exertion ratings between 12 to 14 on the Borg Scale suggests that physical activity is being performed at a moderate level of intensity. It has been found that for moderate exercises this can relate fairly well to heart rate. As an athlete gets more fit they should see their pace change at the same perceived exertion level. So if our athlete runs a 9 minute mile at level 14 (somewhat hard) and enters into a training program with changes in intensity that over time a run at level 14 would be done at an 8:45 pace. See the slideshow for graphics.

Perceived exertion is just that - perceived. We all view things differently, so what heart rate training allows us to do is get some hard data into the picture. Most gyms have the heart rate training zones graphic posted which can give some guidance, but does not take into account the resting heart rate. The old way of calculating your maximum heart rate was to take 220-your age= your max HR. This however does not take into account your fitness level. For a 50 year old 220-50=170. Researchers say that for females a better calculation is 206-(88% of age) = 162. Which does not match my female max HR of 176! See it is confusing. The Karvonen method of calculating heart rate zones takes into account your resting heart rate. To determine your resting HR check it when you wake up in the morning (if possible without an alarm) for 3-4 mornings in a row. Average the results and your should have a good basis for your resting HR. Then you can plug that into the Karvonen calculator or for those who like math the equation is: Target Heart Rate = ((max HR − resting HR) × %Intensity) + resting HR

This is another way to get an approximation of your aerobic threshold
1. Take 180 and subtract your age.
2. Take that number and correct it by the amount next to the statement that best describes your level of fitness:
a. Subtract five beats if you are recovering from a major illness or injury that has kept you from training for six months or more.
b. Leave the number where it is if you have been working out about two to three days per week for at least a year.
c. Add five beats if you have been working out more than three days per week for at least a year.
d. Add 10 beats if you have been working out more than five days per week for at least five years without recurring colds, illnesses, injuries or long periods of burnout.
e. If you are older than 55 years old or younger than 25 years old, add an additional five beats to whatever number you have right now.

Once you have your HR ranges you will see they fall into zones. Triathletes will often talk about training in zone 2 or 4. What they mean is the percentage of max heart rate. If someone says they did a workout at the top end of zone 5 you can ask how hard did they fall to the track. Zone 5 is an anaerobic effort. We will start there since we can’t last long there. Anaerobic means without oxygen. What this means is that your body is forced to create energy without the use of oxygen (which is the efficient way to go). Without getting too technical, your body breaks down ATP to create energy. It can either do this with or without oxygen. It takes longer for the ATP to breakdown without oxygen, so you can only go for about 2 minutes. Using oxygen the body is much more efficient and can continue on for long periods of time. Here are some examples of different distances raced and the energy system used.

Heart rate zones - see graphic above

So there are zones and now the question is - what do these mean for me? Well where you train depends a bit on what you are training for - the distance. But pretty much across the board we all want to build a bigger aerobic engine (that will let use stay in the aerobic zone longer) and have the ability to draw on the all out when we need it (a kick to sprint up the hill). The majority of our workouts should be on zone 2. The knee jerk reaction to that is well I can’t train there because:

• It is too slow
• I am not working hard enough
• I don’t feel like a got a good workout
• I’ll never get faster doing this

You can train there and you should train there. This is where the pro athletes do the bulk of their training. It is just that their pace in Zone 2 is something we aspire to and may only touch in Zone 5. They trained to get that speed and you can too. If you spend the time training here you will see a drop in your pace over time. How do you know you are there without a HR monitor. It is also called the conversation zone. You should be able to hold conversation with others around you in this zone. You won’t need to take a breath in the middle of a sentence. You are fully aerobic.

Zone 3 is where most people train. They are breathing hard and working hard. They sweat and feel like they worked hard at the end of an hour. But here we not building our aerobic engine nor are we ‘punching the ceiling’. It feels like you are working hard, but in reality your aren’t working hard enough. We need to move over to zone 4 to put in the quality work. This is your threshold zone - you can do it for an hour, but not more. Your breathing is heavy and your muscles feel it because you are at race pace. Zone 5 are the real short efforts. If you are racing sprint events and need a powerful kick at the end you’ll train here to have that in your arsenal.

So the majority of your work will be done in zone 2. This does not mean that all workouts are pure zone 2. Interval work will take you from zone 2 to zone 4 and zone 5a/b. A coach can give you workouts that will give you the right mix for your target events.

Why should you care if you aren’t trying to podium? You train this way to make your races more fun! I believe everyone should cross the finish line with a smile on their face. Heart rate training is a tool to get you there. Plus it feels good to know that long easy run is really paying off!

Since every athlete is different and comes from a different background you’ll be tweaking your zones and honing in on your numbers. It is fun to see how perceived exertion is different from your heart rate. You’ll notice that you may think you are working really hard and yet your heart is telling a different story. Celebrate in that - a new level of fitness achieved!

One more wrench to throw in the game! Your run heart rate zones are not the same as swim and bike! In the water and on the bike you are not bearing your full weight. So when you get your zones for running then subtract 10-15 for the bike and your would subtract another 10 for the swim (if you can get your HR in the water).

Another way to get training data for the swim is a 1,000 yard time trial.
300-500 yd warm up
6-8 x 50 yds on 10 seconds rest between each
1,000 yd time trial (best effort)
300 easy cool down
Then you can use your 100 pace for the 1000 to create times (paces) for workouts. If you swim a 2:00/100 yard pace then you might do a hard set of 100s on 1:50 pace.

One last tidbit is fat burning and calories usage. You’ll see that on the charts in the gym. At a lower heart rate you are in the fat burning zone. Many of us would like to burn a little of the over 80,000 stored calories we have on our body at any time. As your heart rate goes up the fuel mix changes and you need glucose to help in that energy production. Sadly we can only store about 2500 calories of glucose (hence the need to fuel as you go longer in a race). BUT as your heart rate goes up so does your calorie burn which is why the HIIT classes are so popular. If you really get your heart rate up then your will burn more calories over an hour than if you stayed in zone 2 for the hour. So what are we to do? What is right for your goals. If you are doing triathlons or road races you will want to train in zone 2 (benefits - build aerobic engine, burn fat and teach your body how to better burn fat a fuel source we have in bulk) and punch the ceiling in zone 4-5 (higher caloric burn, pushes out your max, makes you faster, makes you stronger, learn the pain).