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Zeo Sleep Manager: Preview

Saturday, February 18th, 2012

My new toy is a Zeo bedside sleep manager that I won from a Twitter contest. It is like having a heart rate monitor strap around your head while you sleep, and it records what stage of sleep you are in (wake, light, deep, REM) throughout the night. They have an online “coach” that helps you figure out your baseline and ways to improve your sleep too.

I’m still up in the air on how I’ll figure out how to make all this data actually worthwhile, but once I do, I’ll post a review in a few weeks.

Until then – GIVEAWAY TIME!

I’ve got a second Zeo sleep manager that I’m giving away for anyone who donates to the Rev3 Run Across America.

Here is the deal. Go HERE to donate whatever you feel comfortable with (as little as $1) and let me know by leaving a comment. In two weeks, I’ll pick someone randomly and I’ll ship them out a brand new Zeo bedside sleep manager so they can figure out what their body and brain are up to while they are tucked under the sheets.

Donate: http://rev3tri.com/america/donate/

Tags: rev3 run across america, ulman cancer fund for young adults, zeo sleep manager | Posted in Reviews, Triathlon, Videos | 8 Comments »

All You Need Is Just Enough – Motivation

Friday, February 17th, 2012

This morning’s swim session was a test of my mental strength more than anything else. Mildly entertaining and potentially insightful, so I thought I’d share.

First alarm goes off at 4:40. I turn it off. Roll over. Close my eyes.
Second alarm goes off at 4:50. I turn it off. Roll over and put my arm around Sam. She is very warm and comfortable.
“If I can just put my feet on the floor, I can get my swim in this morning.”
I keep my feet under the blankets. They stay warm. The floor is cold.
I pry my feet from under the blankets at 5:05, throw on socks, shoes and a sweatshirt, grab my pre-packed swim bag (I can’t find a speedo in the dark for the life of me) and am out the door by 5:10. Pretty much the latest I can still leave my house and still be ready and in the pool when practice starts at 5:30.
I hit every. single. red. light.
15 minutes to go under 4 miles. I daydream (is it possible to daydream at 5am?) of spring and when it is warm enough to bike to the pool – which would have been faster. Parking lot is already full.
Make it to front door of the pool at 5:28 with a few other stragglers. Apparently I wasn’t the only one hitting snooze this morning.
I shuffle through the locker room and my stomach reminds me that I had Chipotle last night. Ugh. Not something you want to ignore before a swim.
Yadayadayada, 10 minutes later and I’m finally ready to suit up and hit the pool.
10 minutes later means 10 minutes late. Warmup has ended and everyone is already onto the main set. I’m still bone dry.
I stare at the wall, trying to figure out if it is worth turning around and going home, maybe squeezing in a strength training session before work, or just diving in for a short(er) swim set.
Motivation is pretty much depleted. I’m 20 feet from the edge of the pool, but all I want to do is drive back home.
I dive in.
Some new girls are in my normal lane. They are fast. It hurts. Bad

The moral of today’s story is that sometimes, you are just off. Constantly. You don’t need to be organized, efficient and 100% on top of your game to get training in while still having a “normal” life. Sometimes you need just enough motivation to put your feet on the floor…

Or to still jump in the pool after an exhausting buritto-induced bowel movement.

Happy Friday! I hope you have at least “just enough” motivation to get shit done this weekend and be more awesome than you were yesterday.

| Posted in Triathlon | 5 Comments »

Smell Sexy For Your Valentine

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Here is a free tip for all the triathletes out there – men and women: The smell of chlorine is not a turn on.

So if you are trying to become a fish in the pool this winter, and still be superman (or woman) in the bedroom, do yourself a favor and smell the part. My lovely friends over at SBR Sports are helping you hook up by giving YOU the hookup. In the form of 20% off all of their products for the whole month of February. I’ve been using this stuff for a few years now and swear by it. I get kicked out of bed if I don’t. No joke.

Just go to www.sbrsportsinc.com, pick up some conditioner, shampoo, body wash or lotion and use the code “triswimval12“ at checkout.

And if your hair is REALLY bad, check out their contest to get hooked up with a 6 month supply. That’ll keep you satisfied.

Tags: sbrsports, triswim | Posted in Reviews, Swimming | 2 Comments »

Flat On My Back

Friday, February 10th, 2012

I can’t tell how much of it is my from weight training and how much is from the heavy swim training volume and intensity, but my upper back and shoulders have been REALLY angry lately. To the point where I could actually hear the knots in my shoulder muscles creaking noises when I tried to stretch them out. Muscles are supposed to move, and make OTHER things make noise. They aren’t supposed to make noises themselves.

It took one mention of watching out for overuse injuries from one of my masters swim coaches, and I freaked out a little and started the attack on my back knots. I tried to incorporate some new stretches, like this one.

And I did a LOT of foam rolling on my back, like these:

(Skip to 6:22)

[PS, that is exactly what I look like with my shirt off. I promise. Just trust me on this one.]

Apparently I had some major junk collecting back there, because the day after a big foam roller session left me SOOOO SORE. Like I had just finished a big weights workout, or had done some major bruising to my whole upper back.

Then, I spent some much needed time under the thumb (and forearm and elbow) of a trained professional. I love my massage therapist, not only because he digs into places I can’t reach myself. He also always is really smart and dissects my recent training and helps me figure out why my muscles are acting up and gives me stretches and strength exercises to make it all better.

Plus, there is always a little anatomy and personal training lesson thrown in there somewhere, where he pulls out his skeleton and weight set to show how different movements address different muscle groups.

And after all that, my back finally doesn’t make weird creaking noises like an old wood floor when I stretch!

| Posted in Triathlon | 2 Comments »