Domestique Diaries - Bedtime Routine/ Workout #4

Our favorite time of the day is bedtime, hands down. After working, training/workouts, errands, making dinner and socializing, it feels so good to hop into bed and finally relax only to start the cycle over again the following day. However, lately these triathlete bedtime routines are turning into a hour long ordeal in which i’ve had nearly 40 minutes to read by the time Brent gets to bed, and then i’m caught laughing so hard I can’t fall asleep.

In our household we have renamed Brent’s wild bedtime routine to Workout #4. He takes it as strict as a workout, it’s nearly as long, and we have a good laugh about it all the time!

Let me demonstrate through a comparison list. To the “average person” my bedtime routine is moderately lengthy, and consists of:
-floss teeth (3 min)
-brush teeth (3min)
-wash face, tone face and apply two different moisturizing creams (5 min)
-moisturizing cream to hands, Blistex on lips and i’m set and in bed! (2 min)
TOTAL TIME: 13 minutes

Brent’s Workout #4 has grown since he’s been getting back into training, it wasn’t always this complex, but here’s what it is these days
-quick stretch (7 min)
-apply BioFreeze to legs and let soak in (7 min)
-put on heart rate monitor and watch (2 min)
-get into compression gear (6 min)
-look at himself in the mirror while flexing (5 min)
-brush teeth (3 minutes)
-drink one glass of water refill and place full glass on bedside table (4 min)
-set alarm for some unseen early hour of the morning and recheck at least once to make sure it’s still set (2 min)
TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES!!!

Finally, 40 minutes later in strolls Brent looking completely different in his compression gear. He looks somewhat uncomfortable with a slight waddle in his gait, yet the minute he hits the pillow he’s out cold.

Brent is sound asleep and i’m left with a sore stomach from so much laughter and burning nostrils from all the inhaled BioFreeze. Finally, after I calm myself down and I’m just about to fall asleep Brent’s legs start to twitch. Sometimes I think his whole body clears the mattress by at least an inch and I assume that must have woke him up however he doesn’t even seem to notice.
He tells me Workout #4 helps him to wake up and feel like a million bucks. Workout #4 causes me to regardless of my day go to bed with a smile on my face and therefore i’m waking up “feeling like a million bucks” too!

You know you’re living with a triathlete when:

-Workout #4 starts promptly @ 7pm
-you’ve grown accustom to restless leg syndrome and can sleep through it

Happy Dreaming,

Carley

Domestique Diaries - There are benefits!

Not all triathlete ways of living leave me thinking to myself, “this only ever happens if you’re living with a triathlete.” Rather than skeptically pondering those frequent situations that make me laugh yet think, to the contrary sometimes my palate and stomach are left utterly satisfied and craving more of pure wholesome goodness.

After one of our errand scenarios, Brent baked the best/healthiest (in my opinion) cookies I have ever tasted. Watching him bake is a masterpiece. My usual baking occurs in a rush when I

have somewhere to go, I throw all the half hazard measured ingredients in a bowl mix once and place huge pieces on a cookie sheet. Brent, takes his time accurately measuring all ingredients, mixing when instructed to and making all ingredients combine together so

precisely. I usually delegate myself to clean up crew so I can watch Brent bake from the sidelines. Anyways the cookies were made with almond meal and coconut flour and had nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves in it. They were fantastic and a definite benefit of living

with a triathlete.

The finished masterpiece:

Halt! Then out of nowhere I came home to find this in the kitchen pan:

You know you’re living with a triathlete when:

-You always have fresh cookies on hand that you can eat for breakfast,

lunch, dinner and/or snack.

-You come home to find dinner still moving in the pan!

Happy Eating,

Carley

Domestique Diaries - Errands

“ Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time.”

When we have errands to run, which is pretty much every weekend, Brent recites that line from Old School. We don’t usually go to Home Depot, or Bed Bath Beyond, we’re more of a Costco, Vitamin Shoppe, Central Market and the Mall type frequenters. However, the goal is always the same tackle the things on our list and get home for Brent to rest his legs. We’re usually on a strict “see how Brent’s feeling timeline” which means I have to plan this outing logically before even pitching it to Brent. I know the stores he likes, so I start with one of those which happen to be close to one I want and build upon that cycle until ending with “renting a movie on the way home”. The movie part always solidifies my chances with an agreement to the overall plan.

After Brent’s first training session in the morning we set out to run our weekly errands. Brent packs up a nutrition bar and at least 2 water bottles. This is where the problem starts. By the time we arrive at the first store I’m already feeling like I’m shopping with a two year old. I can honestly tell you where the bathrooms are in every gas station and store in the Fort Worth area thanks to Brent. He plans these bathroom breaks strategically too. Immediately when we get in the store he runs to the bathroom and tells me he will meet me somewhere. Then one of us gets sidetracked and we end up shopping ourselves for the list and meeting at the check out. As we are checking out Brent goes to the bathroom again, perfect timing for him to avoid either paying for the items or loading them all in the car. We get to the car just in time for Brent to down more water and the cycle repeats itself at the next store, or we don’t even make it to the next store with out stopping at a gas station first.

Overall, I’m thinking it might be more productive to leave Brent at home during the errands.

You know you’re living with a triathlete when:

-The word hydration has taken on a whole new meaning, “to supply a triathlete with a diaper due to excess fluid balance to avoid constant stops at all bathrooms”

Be hydrated,

Carley

2009 Summary & 2010 New Adventures

"Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward"

2009 has come and gone and we are now on to a new year and a new race season. It was a long season in which I had the opportunity to spend six weeks in Hawaii for a training camp with some great athletes. I competed in the following 70.3 races: Disney, Kansas, Buffalo Springs, Vancouver Subaru, Calgary, Muskoka, Longhorn, and World 70.3 Championships. Overall, I progressed and improved throughout the season finishing 6th in Calgary thus earning a spot for Clearwater. An unfortunate penalty in Muskoka, and sub four hour races in both Austin and Clearwater helped end my season in a positive and strong manner. As oppose to becoming fatigued and burnout out as the season grew longer I became strong and continued to improve and gain excellent fitness. For this I am very grateful as this proved to me that with hard work and dedication I will achieve my goals.

After Clearwater I had some great run races, finishing 10th at the Dallas White Rock half marathon where I faced some stomach problems, nonetheless continued to improve my run performance.




After a good negative split season, I was scheduled for my first triathlon break in all of my career. Breaks are not something I do well, probably due to my ADD tendencies. I always went from triathlon to swim season and vice versa, or triathlon to Cycle Cross, or Triathlon season to early winter race season. However this season was different, I took a two week holiday from the sport. It was tough and I have to thank Carley for putting up with me. I have to admit we were the only ones driving around the streets on New Years day at 9 am looking for any open stores for me to walk around aimlessly. Coming off a break I feel great and ready to go, and I know this was essential for my physical and mental performance. Getting back at it has had its ups and downs as I have been feeling a little flat lately however I feel as though I am quickly gaining and surpassing last years fitness level .

I would like to thank my Sponsors from 2009, Coach’s, training partners and of course Carley and all other friends and family for your outstanding support. Thank you!


It is now time to move forward and all I can say is: Bring it on 2010! I am excited and motivated for this season. I am starting to get along a bit better with my alarm clock after the first few episodes of it going off for an early morning swim practice and Carley having to get up to turn it off. This season will be action packed with plenty of racing and some hard training camps. With all of the new races spread out across North America my race season is still in its planning stages.

Just like all of the New Years Resolutioners I will be back at it in the gym building up my strength. The drag suit is on, the running shoes are out of the closet and the computrainer is warm and set up in the middle of my living room (sorry Carley). I also have a new pretty cool food scale in the kitchen to weigh out some of my foods, just in case the American serving sizes have grown on me.


Next up will be a tentative race schedule, tales from the Domestique and some fun pictures from New Years. 

Thanks for Reading,

Brent