Emma Lujan

Moving

2011-06-08T10:37:00.001-07:00

It is a work in progress, but I am beginning a website. I have moved my blog on over to emmalujan.com feel free to check it out! Thanks.

April 21, 2011

2011-04-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

I just finished my last exam for the year!!! (Until summer classes start...) I calculated that I have taken over 24 classes of post secondary education at Uvic. Wowzers, that is some serious note-taking, coffee-drinking, and money spent. So glad that I get a 2.5 week break until classes begin again.

Training is going super well! I am really loving the sunlight, the pools, and all the new toys I have been fortunate enough to use. I want to send out a huge thanks to the Bike Barn for the new bike I will be riding for the upcoming season. The Orbea Diva is my first all carbon bike, and it took a few rides to get completely comfortable on it, but it now feels smooth. A cateye strada bike computer was put on and I am quite happy with this, for it allows me to keep track of my cadence. I was also given a Polar F7 heart rate monitor. Now that I am done school I have some time to learn how to program it!

I have a whole lot more I want to say, but I am in the process of putting together a Wordpress webiste! So I will be moving my blog fairly soon, and proper posts will then occur. Look at me go, getting all computer savy... Truth be told, I am getting a LOT of help from people who actually know what they are doing. So, until next time... thanks for reading.

1500m TT

2011-03-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Friday March 4th 2011

Wake-up. Check e-mail. Training Peaks alert- Work-out #1- Recovery run. Work-out #2- 1500m TT. I knew this was coming, but regardless the email confirming it makes it real, and yeah a little nerve-wracking. I did my recovery run at 7:30am. Legs felt a little fatigued; don’t worry, probably best to spin them out a bit. Come home, eat breakfast, stretch, do strength exercises. Do my walk to school. Daze and get lost during lectures. Not too nervous.

Eat a bit more, and have a coffee. 1:30 changed and on pool deck. It sorta just feels like any old practice. Jump in start with 800m skps. See Noa walk in during the 200 kick with a couple stop watches... not quite a normal practice. Stomach a little fluttery and uncontrolled- something I ate? Nerves? Kevin tells me to tighten my goggles; good idea. Blue top. GO!

First 100m was fast; Claire and I knew this would happen. At 500m feeling pretty good, try pushing the pace; Claire responds and takes off- not too far ahead. She holds in front. Lose count. Look at the clock- 10 min in. Ok must be half way (ish). Turns getting sloppy around 1000m. The ground is very blue. No wait very green? Turquoise. How do you spell turquoise... t- u-r... flip. Kick. We have got to be getting close. Just keep SWIMMING, swimming, swimming. It has got to be 200 to go. 200 is do-able. Kick, push, follow through; remember- this is supposed to be hard. Kick kick 50m kick kick...

DONE. 1500 hurts.

This was my first 1500m TT and also my first important timed event of 2011. I am over the initial hump of racing, and I feel that next time I will be able to deal with pre-race angst more efficiently. I am very happy with my 21:19 time and my 1:15 first 100m. To say I am satisfied is incorrect, I know I am capable of more. Regardless - today I am happy with what I did. And in return I got a boost of motivation to work harder.

Thanks to all who came out to watch. The support is unbelievable; I greatly appreciate everything. Huge props to Claire; this girl is such a talented modest athlete. I feel pretty lucky to have been able to have her pushing me all year. A lot more work to come... thanks for reading.

Emma

Swim Race 2

2011-02-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

2011-02-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

Reading break provides one with the opportunity to catch up on studying, work ahead on assignments and perhaps do chores around the house... NOT quite the way I spent the first few days of my break.

I will let the video below speak for itself. Basically I spent the past few days at the UVIC Visual Arts Computer Lab with my roommate Dani editing footage from Monday’s race. We laughed so much editing this, and probably irritated the only other student there struggling to finish his paper. Poor guy! It was my first time using Final Cut Pro (and a Mac for that matter), so it was slow going, but I managed to finish it in a couple days. ¬Enjoy.

Plans

2011-02-21T11:26:00.000-08:00

On a more serious note, from the previous post, I have firmed up my summer plans. After getting some helpful advice from a couple other student athletes and discussing finances with my ever supportive parents, these are the plans I have decided on for the next several months. UVic Spring classes end April 1st, then exams are the following : April 8th- Chemistry, April 8th Philosophy, April 21st Physics. I will then enroll in summer classes from May through July. I will be in and out of Victoria throughout the summer, but luckily it just so happens I will be in town for all the summer exams. I have made the decision to NOT have a job during the summer. I will be applying for bursaries and student loans to help fund this. It was (and still is) slightly daunting to not work for a summer, but I figure short term loss for long term gain in finishing my degree faster... and then I can train and recover more and better!

So that’s it! The plan is pretty simple, not too different from what I have been up to the past 5 months; school and train. That’s all for now... except for this gem my mom sent me in a random email Sunday morning. I was the champ (well me and my dog) in the Ironman 5k fun run 1998 (?)

dear god. my hair.

Race Time- Jangles vs. Cobra

2011-02-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

A new and exciting adventure has cropped up within my race schedule- The Mer Cristalline Serpent Grand Prix

Races will occur Mondays at Crystal pool after the scheduled Team PT 4km swim practice. They will be 100m dashes with various handi-caps for me and my race opposition Von Jangles. As it stands the series is at 1-0 in favour of Von Jangles. The last race I was given a 7 second head-start and Von Jangles swam in fins. He caught up by the 50m mark, but as he cannot flip turn (yet) I was able to hold on to my slight lead. At 75m he broke away and I finished a close second. An exclusive interview is available here

Over the past two months I, the Cobra, have been able to hold 100m paces 15sec faster than Von Jangles. But with this said, I will have the disadvantage of swimming 4km before-hand, and a lot of it with paddles (my weakness).

Race two, in the best of 7 series match-ups, will be much more even. I have decided to race without goggles and give Von Jangles a 5 sec head-start. Von Jangles has mad-speed over 50m, but can he hang on for 100m while his blind opponent chases him down? The trash talk and mind games have begun via twitter, facebook and text. I feel the pressure, as this is my first televised race(footage will be added to blogs later in the day). The winner of the Mer Cristallane Grand Prix gets unlimited bragging rights for the season, but the winner of the series and Grand Final will get a Quinoa-Chocolate-Cupcake and beverage of choice from Bubby’s. The 27th at 8:50am is judgment day for race number 2. The coverage will be aired later that week. Stay tuned...

The Thursday

2011-02-10T14:59:00.000-08:00

Right now Thursdays are the only days of the week when I can sleep in, as LATE as I want. All other days of the week, I find myself getting up at, 6:40, 6:23, or 7:30. This Thursday was no exception, although I find I wake-up around 8 regardless (just not the sleep-in type). Right now Thursday is also the day where I get just shy of 24 hours rest between work-outs. And with Thursday being my lightest day of school, I get time to CHILL, stretch, see the physio, and catch up. So what did I do today?

Woke-up, made a large breakfast, baked a delicious chocolate brownie loaf. (I found a recipe on pattycake.ca and tweaked it a bit). Went to school, sent a bunch of emails, worked on assignments, saw the physio, and now preparing for the group run at UVIC.

I have felt a bit of a cold coming on these past few days, which I am certain is the story for many people out there, but time to keep the fluids coming in, stay warm, and keep a hat on my wet head after the pool (I forgot it twice, and that may be my un-doing). I am taking Oil of Oregano, and keeping a steady intake of pro-biotics, so stay away sickness! One more big weekend ahead and I will have completed my longest weeks of training yet!

I have found myself trying to treat each work-out with the same level of importance. I am learning that whether the goal of a work-out be: consistency, speed, base, or technique; each has their perfect spot speckled within a week. I find I really look forward to all sessions; experiencing that nervous excited feeling about most of them! Even in the rainy, dark, cold mornings or nights, I don't really care what the weather is. Training with Noa and all of her athletes make it fun. Things are good, but recovery is also key, and not a moment too late. Next week training drops to around 13.5 hours. A perfect time to clean my car; and house... that has REALLY taken a back burner these past few weeks. Anyways, hope all is well with you and yours. Don’t get sick!

One Week to Go

2011-02-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

One more week to go and then recovery week ensues. I have really enjoyed the past few weeks of long hard work. Scheduling has often been tight. I found myself packing an entire days worth of meals the night before... this made for a very heavy backpack ;) I also have begun planning several days in advance in terms of when to do certain school papers. I know that after particular training days my brain will turn to mush after 7pm, and trying to think critically is just taking two step forwards on step back, and that really is not utilizing my time. I have learned when this happens the best, most productive thing to do is sleep and attack it the next morning.

So all in all things are just peachy! Wednesday is one of my long days. 6:23am wake-up (every min counts when the sun has not risen) 3ish km technique-focus swim in the morning,core/stretch, eat, school, eat, 4.6km swim with a challenging main set. Then a lovely snack, quick lie down and a deceivingly tough trainer ride. I finished the day strong and came home to eat a great big yam and chicken curried salad (part of it courtesy of Planet Organic). I indulged in several peanut butter coconut cookies and a mug of hot cocoa then a coma for the next 9 hours. It was a long day and the rest of the week brought the same sort of action! The weekend I deem to be the most successful. Long ride with Oak Bay Group and long run thru Beacon Hill park were the highlights. I feel as if things are beginning to fall into place and glide smoothly. – both physically and mentally I am enjoying it all.

Sunday afternoon brought some great time to work on a physics assignment, and read several articles about aboriginal land rights for my Philosophy class. I also spent a fair amount of time organizing plans for the upcoming months (more to come on that later). Many lessons learned this week, both in training, and in academia. Looking forward to one more hard week- thankfully no mid-terms, then some good ol’ fashioned recovery and then reading break! Wow time is flying!

Couple Pictures from the weekend in Seattle with my Dad. Good to see family

Me contributing to the gum wall.. kinda gross!

Wicked looking Nike Free

The fortune I received at lunch in my cookie!

Paitence and Quality in January

2011-01-29T17:48:00.000-08:00

In early December (I remember the day was Dec 5th, because it was right before my physics final exam), I got a call from Chris Prowse at the Bike Barn. Chris, Lisa and Will, the three owners of the Bike Barn, proposed to me an extremely generous sponsorship arrangement . I flew to Penticton over the holidays to pick up the winter bike I will be riding for the next several months. Last Saturday was my first official outdoor ride on it. Nick and I met up at 9am and headed alongside Lochside up to the ferries. We cruised along Lands End and down through West Sannich in just under 120 minutes. I continued through Emily Carr/Royal Oak residential area and then down into Fernwood before heading back to Gordon Head. WOW what a difference a lighter bike made! Dura Ace is a huge step up, and I can safely say I am never looking back!

My swimming has been progressing nicely. I love swimming at different pools and with different people all the time. Keeps things interesting and challenging. A few x-varsity swimmers joined on with the Tri Club, and their January speed is FAST! One of the new girls hopped in and crushes 1:13s/100m. She doesn’t have the endurance yet, so I can keep up over a 4.5km set, but when she gets fit...SCARY. I love swimming with these kids, they’re super talented, fun and make me look forward to every swim with them.

Running is where things are a little rocky, but I am focused on sorting out all the physical irritations my body is experiencing and then keeping them at bay. Tuesday brought a glimpse, of good running form. It wasn’t much, but it was proof that something lies below the surface, just waiting for my body to be healthy and strong enough to run fast. I am SLOWLY learning that running quality miles, versus dozens of junky miles, will not only get me farther, but keep me healthier. Quality versus quantity here.

I finished my Stats class, and passed with flying colors! The class actually boosted my GPA. But let’s not get any ideas... I am NOT about to become a Math major. That was purely completing a pre-req. I am now taking a fun(ish) elective; Moral Ethical Concerns of Contemporary Society. There are really great discussions in this class.

I have been trying to do a fair amount of cooking and baking, with the intention that I will save money...mmm OK probably not since I try to buy organic, but it IS healthier for sure! Since Jan 12th I have made several batches of gluten-free cookies, one banana chocolate loaf and, dipping into my Spanish roots, I made a Spanish omelette. It is pretty much just an omelette baked in a dish. 6 eggs, some potato thinly sliced, bacon, spinach, olive oil, red pepper and well I think I added a few other veggies, but I don’t remember (It didn’t have a long life)

OK looks like I hit the main areas of my life! Happy training.

Quick Update

2011-01-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

2011 did not quite begin the way I was planning, but in the grand scheme of things I think it is only a hic-up. I raced the Pioneer 8km this weekend, and long story short it was a very inaccurate reflection of where my fitness and run ability lay. I felt fine for the first 2km, in fact the pace felt aerobically too easy. Unfortunately there was a tightness in my left hip flexor, and hamstring, which I felt during warm-up and my run on Sat, which resulted with me dropping off pace (well dropped to half marathon pace, but not cool for an 8k). I know I could have pushed harder, and mentally I had the strength to do so, but I weighed the options and could tell that this was something that needed to be sorted out and running harder was not going to do it!

It was a disappointing feeling to come across the line in the time that I did, but the positives I can draw from this experience are: there are an abundance of 5,8 and 10 km races around the island, so plenty of time to redeem myself, I felt aerobically fine holding the targeted pace (which means I do have the fitness to run fast), and my irritation with this performance has spurred me to really sort out what is going on in my body so I never repeat it. Usually I leave races elated and eager to race again, I feel I have left this one eager to race again to prove something.

Some exciting news to come in a later post, once I get some photos together, but I have an awesome new sponsorship agreement with the Bike Barn based out of Penticton BC. The Bike Barn was extremely generous and supportive in what they have offered to me. I am so grateful and honored to represent their store. Thanks Chris, Lisa and Will for having faith in my athletic endeavors, 2011 is only the beginning.

-Emma

A little thing called life

2010-12-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a while. Let's see what has happened since November 16th (I think that was my last post). Well:

Training volume has steadily increased; lots of swimming which I am happy about. Mon, Wed, Fri I swim with Noa overseeing my my faults, strengths and everything in between. It is great to get feedback on Wednesdays from her, because not 5 hours later I am in the water again at Uvic with some of the Tri team. These guys are good! Lots of them were/are competitive swimmers, and wow they push hard. I am happy that I can not only keep up, but also push the pace with them. Sunday is a 'solo' swim, but lots of the uvic kids join me... so it is never easy. I have been a total wimp in regards to the weather: I ride inside and would rather treadmill-it that run outside. What has happended?! I am from the interior, and allegedly like to ski.

Running has been slowly coming along; I think. Just plugging away right now and trying to strengthen my gluts and core. Unfortunately a little thing called school sorta got in the way the past 2 weeks. I have never worked so hard at studying. And it came at a price! I am sure all training buds can back me up, when I say that "I was not myself these past few weeks." I seriously could not remember a single swim work-out, so I swam at the back to know what to do! With that said, I managed to complete all work-outs and I am happy I did. More than anything I like to be consistent. I had my stats exam yesterday and I must have put in at least 4-7 hours of solid studying a day, with the morning of the final writing all 3 practice exams, then leaving the house in a daze to write the Real Final. I think it paid off (well we'll see when results are posted), but I feel really confident about it!

Holiday plans are the following: Work at Peninsula Runners starting on Tuesday the 21st, Dog-sit Leif and Laura's pooch Luthor until the 28th. Go to Alex's house for Christmas dinner, play XBOX with Myke, and go back to Penticton on the 31st for New Years with my family.

I am off to work on some scholarship stuff so I can repeat that joyful process of stressing and studying again!

Here is a song by Xavier Rudd. I listened to ALL of his music while studying. I am not sick of it yet, because it is so GOOD!

PS if you have ever tried to play a didgeridoo, it is hard!

Too Dark, and too many distractions!

2010-11-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

I am pretty sure it is the late rising sun, and early gray cloud coverage in the afternoons, for I have a mind that just cannot stay focused! I start in on some studying and not half an hour later I find myself getting up to grab a drink, go to the bathroom... have a study break! That break ends up lasting more than half an hour... not productive. As far as training; if it wasn't for a group to work-out with, guaranteed the training sessions would not get done! It is hard to leave the house in the dark. This is always the toughest time of year for me in terms of goal setting, determination and MOTIVATION! Things always turn up exponentially come January (something to do with New Years resolution? Perhaps) but until then, I plan to plug away with the miles, and finish term one strong, nothing less than an A- in Stats is my goal! Deciding date for that is Dec.17th, plenty of time :)

I found this song today; it has a light spring melody and really did help me get out the door to run.

Thanks

2010-10-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well, as I sit here post-race and glass of red wine in hand, I feel I should get semi serious and do the classic thing to do on such a holiday Sunday and mention a couple things I am thankful for. 1a) My health. Sounds terribly cliche, but honestly there is no way I could pull out the time I managed to today at the Victoria half without the help of my amazing body I am fortunate enough to have. Thanks mom and dad! This also goes for the mind I have... determined, stubborn, yet driven- could be a recipe for disaster, but more often than not helps me through the tougher of times. 1b) All the training partners, coach, room mates, parents, co-workers and sibling that support what I do... for FUN. I believe I could go on much longer here, but I feel I mentioned the crucial ones.

As far as the race goes... well let's just leave it as; I got a long run in. It was a beautiful day to run 21.1km and I am much happier I did that than anything else in the morning of 10/10/10 from 7:30-9.

Now off to cook the remainder of my first Turkey... for those of you who do not know... I recently converted to being a meat eater... So far things are going smoothly :)

Stay Healthy and Happy

Pre Race Jitters?!

2010-10-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

I was not feeling particularly 'ready to run' this morning when I awoke at 645 and had to blow my nose for a good couple minutes. But things began to change... after my swim my calves loosened up, my head felt fresher and I somewhat felt an appetite. When I arrived at the Package pick up, the hub-bub of running a race honestly still did not hit me. I felt as if I was picking up a race number and shirt for some other Emma. I bypassed all the freebees (first time ever!) and rushed off to work my 4 hour shift at the new downtown Pen Run. Lots of customers were asking if I was running any event tomorrow, and I would reply that "yeah the half." I still was not getting excited... I suppose the in between shoe fits of nose blowing had something to do with it!

Well it is now 5:00pm, post easy-trainer-ride annnnnnnd it is finally sinking in that I am running a race tomorrow at 7:30 am. Being sick is far from the worst thing that could have happened pre race. It just means that I might hurt a little bit more thus I will have to focus harder tomorrow. Nothing out of the question by any means. So away I go to get all numbers on my clothes, lay out my outfit and pack and change of clothes... and lots of socks; forecast says rain!

Pre-Thanksgiving

2010-10-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

The other day I was on my way out the door for a run when I realized: I needed to wear some warmer clothes. Which got me to thinking... it's already October! Which got me to further thinking of the days of high school xc. The best races of the year were always in the first weeks of October. One thing that stands out vividly is the finish line process. When a runner crosses the finish line he or she is handed a Popsicle stick with their corresponding place number on one end. Then we would have to hand our Popsicle sticks into the results tent, or whoever was holding the clip board. Funny way to do things but it worked!

That was an off hand intro, but thought it would spice things up ;) This week was a red-bull and or highly caffeinated sort of week. Many a mocha were on hand, and let me say those are just the bees knees; not too sweet, but a great kick. School, however, did have a kick. And it kicked my butt this week! Lots of stuff seemed to pile up, and there were not enough hours in a day to do them all. Thankfully the holiday Monday will allow me to catch my breath... and sleep in!

This Sunday is the half marathon, I am hoping that it will not rain, but I don't think I will be that lucky. At this point as long as my cold is somewhat gone I will be happy... and if not: (I'm pretty sure i heard this quote from a one Myke Labelle- the work-out was 200s at the time) "running sick just makes you stronger." Regardless, I am looking forward to the rush a race brings. That's all for now.

Happy holidays.

September Routines

2010-09-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

September has brought back the return of school. I am only taking 3 courses and 2 labs to be able to keep on top of training, work as well as school without becoming too crazy busy! I have already been late for too many classes, and have only just finished buying all textbooks... 3 weeks in isn't that bad ;)

I suppose the stresses of school, and being in facilities where at least 20,000 other people have been, I was beginning to feel the onset of a cold on Wednesday night. Thursday was more or less a write off as far as work-outs go. My ride was incredibly miserable and the evening run wasn't much better. I went into it with a defeated mind-set... I was prepared to only do an easy warm-up loop. I did one hill repeat then thought to myself, OK I can at least do 4 of 8. At 5; "OK, forget hard effort just finish the darn thing". By the end I felt cold and shaky, and my heart was racing, yet I felt like hardly any effort exerted... yes getting sick for sure. Friday was spent drinking lots of teas and eating an excessive amount of oranges and taking it easy. And now I think I bypassed whatever was coming my way. One day spent doing absolutely nothing in return for a weekend of solid workouts sounds fine to me! Long run on Sunday is what I am looking forward to most.

I have recently been added to the PT Performance Training high performance Triathlon team. I am beyond excited and honored to be able to work, (really hard!), train and love life alongside 5 really other talented athletes. Can't wait to begin group sessions :)

Racing: on Oct 10 is the , I decided to do the RVM half marathon. Goal: any time better than my 2008 time I will be happy with. 1:35 would be alright... 1:30 would be awesome. Lets see what the day has to bring. 10/10/10 the half is full 6,800 people out for that event solely. Should be a great day! 7:30 am.

Eat well, drink well, work well, study well. enjoy.

Back at It

2010-09-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

Bliss... is how I would describe getting back to Victoria after 30 hours of traveling, and 2 and a half weeks of sleeping in unfamiliar beds. The rest of the afternoon upon my arrival was spent unpacking and then sleeping. Monday was back to training...

RAIN RAIN RAIN... it was not the best welcome home present, nor the most encouraging weather to get back on the saddle. I put my head down and tried to switch my mindset from vacation/sitting around to: 'time to do this training ride because there is no other time today that it can get done'. So away I went, with some new tunes on my ipod... thanks Deadmau5. It was great to be back outside exercising. Sort of like I never left! This morning my alarm went off and I forgot why I had set it... OH Yeah, swimming! Turned out all the pools in Victoria are closed for maintenance. I wish I would have called before I drove to them all... oops. Ian Stewart it is, outdoors in the rain :)

Before my 2 week break my body felt as if it was never fully recovered before each work-out. I could always manage the prescribed work-out but often my legs just felt like they were 100lbs each. Easiest comparison is to this Jenga tower: my endurance, strength and skill were improving but there were holes in the foundation, which I could feel, resulted in inconsistent work-outs.

But NOW, given my 2 weeks off (some light runs, fun swims etc) I have been able to fill those holes and have fresh light legs once again.

So with this solid foundation now firmly in place, I cannot wait to begin harder work-outs. I have also made some interesting discoveries about myself over the past several weeks: 1. I do not have a high tolerance for dairy, I stopped drinking milk for 2 weeks and have never felt better. No stomach upsets at all. 2. It is easier to mentally focus on the task at hand, such as a hard swim set vs. trying to plan the remainder of the week. My mind just gets confused if I try to organize work, training, grocery shopping, bill paying etc while doing something strenuous. 3. MAKE SURE i have eaten enough before working out. never fun times. 4. stretch 5. do yoga.

OK, so hopefully I can abide by these. At least the dairy one, that one has made the most significant alteration thus far.

That's all for now.
Train hard, train happy

Mahalo for the Fruit and Sun

2010-08-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

Mahalo is the Hawaiian word for thanks, and I hear it everywhere!

This afternoon I had some of the best tropical fruits! Mango, pineapple, avocados (these avocados were literally a foot long) and some bananas...a delicious fruit concoction. I also bought an iced tea smoothie. It was a green tea base, ice, frozen mango and some frozen banana. It was light, cold and really hit the spot. The family and I went on a long car tour of the east side of Oahu. We stopped in Waimanolo and went to a beach with white powder-soft sand and water so warm it was not even refreshing. Tomorrow the plan is to rent kayaks and paddle to some smaller rock islands off the coast.

As far as triathlon life goes, I have decided on what my A race will be for next year. I am not going to give it away just yet, but I would like to say many thanks to my Dad and Mom for supporting me not only financially, but in all other ways a person can support and encourage someone. Thanks for allowing me to get this far. Until next time

Emma

Vacation Time

2010-08-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

So the trip began at 3:30am and continued with flying until 12 Hawaii time (which is 3 Pacific Time). My sister, my dad and 17 other relatives arrived at our time share rental house on the island of Oahu around 2:30 Since being here I have spent time with relatives, whom of which are all from Los Angeles. It is really nice to be around my family, all of whom I hardly get to visit. It is my grandparents 50th anniversary, so the entire Lujan clan made the expedition.

All of us went on a snorkeling expedition this morning and saw a plethora of fishes as well as 2 huge sea turtles.
The photo was taken my by aunt. This was Hanauma Bay snorkel beach.
There were also some wicked Hawaiian delicacies I have tried. My favorite being Li Hing Mui: dried plums salted with Li Hing powder. It is salty, spicy and sweet all at the same time. Good in small quantities.

Until next time...

Kelowna and Everything in Between

2010-08-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Upon my arrival home, or back to Victoria (my new home), from the Penticton training camp; training progressively got more challenging. Both in terms of intensities and general time spent training. I finally began to feel more confident on group rides; I didn't get dropped after the first ten minutes. Swim times in the pool were also steadily improving and becoming more consistent. I do not quite have an internal swim clock yet, so open water swimming was more difficult in terms of pacing. Running was also improving, my long runs were often 20km and I felt consistent with all efforts being put forth on the track. Looking back, the past 6-7 weeks has been the hardest, busiest and most rewarding weeks ever.

So with all that under my belt, it was time to race an Olympic distance. The night before Kelowna I am pretty sure I just stopped talking to everyone; I got so nervous. The morning of was deemed a wet-suit legal race...annnnd I didn't wear one. I had an OK swim, but I know that I can go faster. I played it safe, maybe a little too safe. But I clocked the fastest T1, and was first onto the bike for a good lap, then got passed by 2 girls but managed to stay close behind. I was super happy with my bike time especially because it was a distance which is totally foreign to me. The run was HARD. My calves and hamstrings felt really tight and started to have minor cramps after 1km. I tried to pick up the cadence and felt better, but at 5km I felt DONE. Nothing in me wanted to do another lap. After hearing Noa, Tyler, Derek and my family cheering not only my name, but also 'Cobra', I knew that I could do another lap. I finished my first 10km of the season, I can't say I really raced that 10km, because I really just ran out of steam at 6-7km and from then I just needed to finish. I finished 5th in my age group and 34th woman overall... not too shabby for my 5th triathlon!

It was a tough day, and I had a blast and I am eager to only learn more about pacing and racing. I am taking the next two weeks off training, going to a family reunion in Hawaii, and relaxing/recharging etc. Big things await for when I return to the schedule Sept.5th. Until then, the next posts will be irregular: holiday time, hiking, ocean swims, food: all good normal things.

Ciao

Penticton... continued

2010-07-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt the week of July 17th- July 23rd was the single most successful, challenging and hottest week of my athletic career. OK so my athletic career, at least in triathlon, is still young, nonetheless that statement stands true. The week started off with a 4:45am wake-up for the Peach Sprint followed by a 90 min lake swim later that day. Monday was another 4:45am wake up to cycle the iron man bike course, I started in Osoyoos and rode the rest of the route. Then capped off the day's workout with a 30 min run off the bike. Tuesday I got to sleep in until 6:15 (latest that week). A 90 min swim to begin the day then at noon was (wahoo!) long run! Right from the get go I knew that the day's run was going to be solid. I took off from the group and lead the entire way from Penticton to OK falls. At 40 min in I did some tempo pace work, and cruised the remainder of the run.

I think around this point in the camp I began to lose track of time and days. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were so successful for me, that looking back, it was only natural that Wednesday would be low. Terrible swim in the morning, but I brushed it off and enjoyed some wine-tasting and delicious lunch. I felt light-headed off my 4 or 5 tastes of wine and fell asleep in the car. The afternoon's ride was the worst ride I have ever had. There was not much time to stew on poor performance because I was up at 5:45am the next morning. The work-out was a hill ride. I was able to work with 2 other guys from the camp for the majority of the hills, but they could gain time on me on the descents... I blame my lack of technique descending and body mass. It was an amazing 3 hour ride, I felt awesome! Then a 50 min run along Skaha Lake to end it. Friday morning was 5:50 wake up and I was prepared to give it my all on the last run of the camp. Hill run was the work-out of choice. I gave it 100%, and my legs felt about 100lbs each by the end.

It was a tough week and I had a lot of fun, but I am happy to be back home on the island. My bed has been kind to me; I believe within the past 3 days I have slept about 33 hours, at least.

Next race is Kelowna on August 21st, my birthday weekend! This race will also be my first Olympic distance.
A tough 3 weeks awaits! Happy training.

Some Photos So Far

2010-07-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Penticton 1st several Days

2010-07-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

I arrived in my hometown of Penticton on Friday and one of the first thing I did was take a dip in the crisp, clear Okanagan Lake. Friday and Saturday consisted of errand running, seeing familiar faces at Bike Barn and Peach City Runners, buying groceries and spending whatever time I had left with my hometown friends.

This morning was an early wake-up for the Peach Classic Sprint Tri. After a bowl of fruit I gathered my things and cycled to race start. Great thing about Pen is that all places are within cycling distance. Surprisingly I was not nervous for this race (I think all my worry had been concentrated on the camp that is to follow).

I swam with no wet-suit! Wise choice; I am not sure of my time yet, but it felt faster than any previous race. The swim was 750m which worked in my favor, the 500m swims I had raced in the past were not enough distance to gain any sort of lead. After clocking the fastest T1 time I was out onto the bike. Uggh my legs felt the week's rides. It was a tough build for the camp, but after 8ish km I found them and was able to gain some considerable time on the women ahead of me.

T2 was another quickie and the run began. It felt average. No unnatural pain (injury wise) but I lost all my base during the past several months of being injured. I was 3rd woman for a bit, but was passed in the remaining 500m, and my legs just can't accelerate like they used to. I have faith that my running fitness will return and when it does I have a inkling that the run will be the place for me to really attack. So ended up 4th woman, 10th OA and 1st in my age group.

I am happy with my performance, but I know there is a lot to improve on. Open water swimming being one, power-power-power on the bike and my running of course. Off to meet the team for a swim and yoga this afternoon and then LONG bike tomorrow. Train well. Train Hard.

Long Run City

2010-07-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome home long run

Today was my first official LONG RUN in a LONG time. OK well it was only 55ish minutes, but still! I am happy to report that it felt great. Painful/uncomfortable hip flexors were not an issue. After cruising Gordon Head locale for a bit I found my way over to the Cedar Hill Golf Course chip trail (my 2nd favorite place to run in Victoria, first being Elk Lake). After another 15 minutes there, I cranked up the tempo (well, picked up the pace ever so slightly so I was giving a bit more intensity) for 10 minutes. This change of pace was just what I needed, I was about to hit the bored mark on long run city. After 10 minutes I was rejuvenated and ready for another couple intervals, alas that would not be a smart move, so I eased off and ran back home.

The long run is one of my favorite work-outs and I am very glad that I am able to enjoy it once again. On another positive note, I got a new pair of shoes: the Nike Free Runs. In my favorite color purple! The pictures speak for themselves about how much I enjoy them.

Only a couple more days until I leave for Penticton and experience my first training camp!

Pre Run Messy Room

Having Some FUN!

Some Race Pickies

2010-07-07T08:12:00.001-07:00

Sushi at some delicious place in UBC

Walk down Jericho Beach

Ahh... wetsuit?

Running!

Thanks Mary and Tracy for the accommodation and support, was totally great to have you two there. Much love

Running Again? In a Race!

2010-07-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

To wet-suit, or not to wet-suit? That was the question I was pondering on Saturday afternoon while gazing out at the balmy Pacific Ocean on Jericho beach, only 16 hours away from start time. I swim at least 10sec/100m faster without a wet-suit, yet the ocean did not look warm. I did a quick dip without the wet-suit; it was cold, but not terrible, mind you it was 3pm, sunny and 23 degrees. I was set on not using one to be quite frank.

Alarm went off bright and early at 5 am, had some trouble finding my car keys (yikes!) but was out of the house by 5:35, had half a whole grain bagel with peanut butter on the way to the race. That's when Alejandro by Lady Gaga came on the radio... that woke me up and since I was the only car on the UBC roadway I zipped to the course and got a great parking spot.

I was feeling a lot better about nutrition for this race... I know what works for me and what DEFINITELY does not: nix spicy food pre-race, replaced Gatorade with Vega sport electrolyte(easier on stomach and milder taste), really important one for me is when to eat the night before and how much. My two friends: Mary and Tracy and myself went out for sushi, that sat great- light, plain and digests quickly.

So the question of the day comes up: wetsuit? After a solid run warm-up I decided against it. It was beginning to rain and the air temp felt colder than the water. So I got tossed around a bit in the choppy waters (wind picked up for sprint start), I swallowed some water... I was irritated with my swim. But quick T1, got on the bike and vowed to pick off as many people as possible. The new bike set-up felt pretty good, especially the new position of the aero bars.

Into T2, my left shoe was hard to get on, but grabbed my race belt on off to the run. Consensus: my legs felt slow. Injury is progressing, but still not 100%. I wish I could have run at full speed, alas I am not QUITE there. Turns out my run time was better than I thought. Got a text from Noa congratulating me on it, and I thought: Really? It was good? 22 and change, and it was off a long bike course. So it is coming along... Finally. Ended up 6th in my age group, and I got to watch fellow Pentictonite Jeff Symonds win the half iron, along with Tyler and Leif cleaning up the relay division.

Next race is Peach Classic in Penticton: no wetsuit there I sure hope. MORE WORK TO COME.

And note to self, go to bed early. This past week, what with out of town visitors, the holiday, sleep patterns were thrown for a loop. So on that note, it is A-OK to go to bed when it is still light out :)

Happy training

Feels good to stop, but really good not to stop

2010-06-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

I Experienced one of the single hardest bicycle climbs ever this Saturday afternoon. I have been cycling for about 2 months now, so just about every ride is hard, or progressively getting harder. The ride started up W.Saanich, where I ran into Chris and the two of us continued onto Willis Pt rd, then onto Millstream. Around this time Chris asked "Have you ever climbed up Munns road? Me, being full of vinegar and zest for life a.k.a. only about 45min into the ride, said "No, let's do it!" (Big excited grin on face)...

I have never been so close to getting off my bike.
It was so brutal it felt like I could not even turn my legs. I think it was the second to last climb that I just about peeled off to the side of the road. After the corner, it looked
like one more hill... honestly I couldn't be sure, my legs screaming at this point wanted to be done... Thankfully Chris was there or I probably would have stopped. But instead I stood up, and pushed hard to the very tip top. And wow it felt great to climb that hill, I was so proud of myself for not giving up. And also because Chris said I just completed two 15% grades.

It is always good to listen to your body, but sometimes it is only your mind that doesn't want to do it. In the case of this Saturday afternoon ride it really was mind over matter. Now off to shower from Lake swim this morning and then perhaps
some Wimbledon is on order.

New Balance Race Report

2010-06-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

The New Balance Sprint was an all around success for me! Mostly because I went in knowing that I could run, albeit not nearly at the speed I would like, but hey running slow is better than no running at all in my opinion. I was also more prepared for transitions; had my cleats clipped into my bike, baby powder in the shoes, so sans socks... I felt better than Shwanigan to say the least. My sister was also in town which gave me a an extra incentive to do well.

Aaaaaand the cannon exploded, or for the wave of girls, a whistle blew. Swim was choppy and overwhelming for the first 50-75m. I got a little clobbered and panicky, but once I got out from the main swarm of people I eased into it a bit more. T1 was smooth and felt so much faster than Shawnigan as I headed out onto the bike. I was beginning to feel a bit of heartburn at around half way somewhere (too much spice in the curry last night, was good, but not worth it!) I drank some gatorade and that didn't help, water calmed it for the time being. T2 felt fast although my right foot was somewhat frozen, so slight struggle to cram the shoes on. And off to the run. Heart burn returned, did not feel the BEST. Got some water at an aid station and kept it at bay until the finish. I felt alright during the run, but not fast. All in all I was happy with my performance. Shaved off 10min from Shawnigan! placed 10th woman OA and 5th in Age group. More hard work to come... getting more comfortable in open water...especially with starts, gaining power on the bike, recover fully from running injury. Looking forward to it all. Next race will be Vancouver Sprint on 4th of July. There will be a celebration after in favor of my dual citizenship, and then off the Penticton on the 17th for training camp. Congrats to all who did the race, including all PT teammates and of course Adam who won the 1/2 iron. Thanks to all volunteers, spectators and sponsors. Race was a grand ol time.

Emma

PS Pictures are a comin'

Music: Friend or Foe?

2010-06-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

Friend is my answer. In the car, at home, and yes work-outs too. I can definitely survive without it during a ride or run, but sometimes that little bit extra can be given if your heart is pumping to some electro, hip-hop, top 40 bar star song, or really whatever gets you going. I've never raced with music, it can be dangerous, and well I like to hear the crowds, cars and all others around me in a competition. But during training (especially during the solitary work-outs), music is well; just peachy. Yesterday I had to coach a run clinic, so instead of my regular evening group ride, I did the work-out solo in the early afternoon. After 40 min of warm-up and pump-up to some random electro remixes I settled down with a repeat of Dj Khaled "all i do is win" for my 6x5 min steady repeats...(I got the song off of So You Think You Can Dance). First three were TOUGH! But I was able to pull them out all really consistently, the 2nd being the fastest. Number 4 is always hardest, in any type of repeat set for me (or the half way point). But once number 5 began I switched songs to something a little lighter and decided to let my body carry the music instead of the other way around. So I turned it to 'king without a crown' by Matisyahu (my favorite artist right now) and let the song and my effort get progressively faster. Number 6 was an absolute delight, replayed the song and churned up the hill again.

Only precaution when having the ipod in is; watch for cars! I only keep one head phone in when around a lot of cars, or I pause the tunes in a busy intersection. Train safe :)

-Emma

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUgYG2bLuuw&feature=related

Shawnigan Lake

2010-06-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

My day began at a beautiful 4:40am. I managed to get about 6 hours of sleep (better than I was expecting) and after a bit of breakfast of cinnamon mini-wheats and orange juice I was out the door and on my way up to Lake Shawnigan. I was nervous mainly because the past several days my old granny hip was really tight which made it hard to run. My short brick work-out on Sat was more of a hobble/walk than a run. Nonetheless, I put that out of my mind and hoped that when the time came to run my body would co-operate for 5k.

I got up to the lake in time to watch the half and the olymipc competitors start and come through the first transition before the cannon went off for the sprint start. At 8:40 I got into the lake to do a bit of a warm up and, wow the lake was chilly compared to Thetis! But when that cannon boomed and the water started to froth with arms and legs, I did not feel the cold; instead I focused on getting out ahead and not getting kicked. Coming into transition was tough, it was hard to run up the hill to my bike because of my hip, even though the cold semi-numbed it. I fumbled for a bit to get my shoes, glasses, helmet and race belt on because my hands and feet were colder than I had thought.

The bike seemed to go by quicker than I expected. The course was rolling which I liked; it kept my mind working and processing the whole time. I held my own on the course not letting any women pass me. T2 was even more of a struggle than T1. After 40 some odd min on the bike my feet were really frozen, running through transition felt so surreal, because I couldn't feel my toes my balance had been compromised. But I shoved my feet into my flats, zipped up the laces and threw off my hlemet... Next came the pain train

Run was terrible... hip was in horrible condition. I got passed by a lot of people, so the focus turned from racing into finishing running (or at least my half hobble I was doing at this point). At 3k I could feel my feet again, and although it was a balmy 13ish degrees and drizzly I was not cold at all. The run course was a flat out-and-back along a gravel path, so I got to see Adam and Andrew killing it in their races.

Turns out I had quite successful swim and bike times, 8:24 swim 6th woman, 48:18 bike, 12th woman, and I was in 10th place heading into the run, until things went a little sour. But overall I loved the experience! I learned a lot about transitions, equipment, and race-prep. Congratulations to all competitors and team mates Nick, Adam, Andrew, Tyler, Derek, Lief and Hannah. Thanks to coach Noa, as well as all the volunteers, race was a huge success and great time for me.

This past week I have been doing yoga and physio religiously to stretch out my hip flexor and thankfully it has helped an enormously. I had a 15 min run off of a 2hr ride yesterday and I was apprehensive about it at first, but my hip held up and everything felt great! Huge, huge improvement since last week.

I am looking forward to the rest of the season and (fingers crossed) summer weather.

Pre-Race

2010-05-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

I am used to having nerves before a race, but usually the onset is about 12-18 hours before race time... I think I am about 85 hours out right now and I am already getting that familiar excited nervous jittery feeling. I have not raced since last October and it really does feel amazing to know that all the training, waking up obscenely early in the morning, and going to bed when it is still light out have been done in preparation for something like this Sunday.

I went for my first open water swim the other day. That was a bit of a shock. Swimming open water is much different than in the pool. The thing I found most unsettling was the fact that it was simply hard to breathe. I don’t think I was warmed up enough (after 5 min breathing was easier), nor was I used to the constricting feel of my wet-suit. All excuses aside, I found it harder than pool swimming. Sighting is something I won’t even delve into yet because let’s be honest, not my strong point. So, yep working on that!

To keep myself occupied and my mind off of the race, for now, I have been cleaning my house... and my car! Never have I seen either in better condition. I found a pair of earrings in the glove compartment, always a nice surprise.

To conclude; my living quarters are now spotless, and I am just as excited and nervous as ever...I guess my next post will be a race report!

Month of May

2010-05-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened during the month of May: I went home to visit my family and hometown friends, my sister graduated high school, I brought my car back to Victoria (along with my wet-suit and bicycle), AND I just finished registering for the Shawnigan Sprint Triathlon. This is going to be my first race of the season, and also my first ever triathlon race! I decided on the sprint distance mostly to avoid re-injuring my hip. I am beyond excited to get out there and give a race a go! The past several weeks has compromised of very consistent training. Swimming has been steadily improving and I am noticing that I am also gaining more confidence in the water. My first open water swim of the year is this Sunday... from what I hear the water is warm?? Running has been pain-free this past week and a half, but I don’t want to push it too fast too soon, so a 5k it is. Cycling is definitely the leg which I have the least experience, but I have noticed gains in strength during most every ride as well as an increase of comfort and confidence in the saddle. A new work-out that has recently been introduced into training, it is: the brick. First time I jumped off the bike for a run I did not feel my legs. I also felt as if I really had to concentrate on simply lifting them up and moving forward. Ten minutes in, the running groove hit and everything began to feel normal.

As far as daily life goes, I have been working at Peninsula Runners selling shoes... and OK buying some myself. So far the Asics DS Trainer in a raspberry color and the Newton Motion is where a small percentage of my pay check has gone to. This past weekend was crazy busy with prep for the Oak Bay Half marathon, it was also one of the first times I watched a running race instead of being in it. During time off I have been doing some outings such as the breakwater, hiking Mt. Doug, taking photos, and watching the local wild-life.

My First Blog

2010-04-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is my official inauguration into the world of blogging! This blog will consist of my training, racing, probably some cooking (let’s be honest a passion for training comes hand in hand with eating good food) and other interesting factotums about my life. With this blog I hope to not only network with other athletes, learn about the ever-advancing sphere of triathlon athletics, but I also hope to share what I have learned and experienced thus far in my time as being an endurance athlete. For this is not only my very first blog post, but also my first year of racing triathlons.

My early beginnings stem from a cycling background: both my parents were competitive cyclists who met in Southern California in the early eighties. It was the love of cycling that brought the two together, so naturally I was given my first bike at the age of two. It was a red Schwinn (training wheels included) and I loved that little red thing. Cycling competitively did not catch as I aged, I think it was one of those ‘going against the grain’ of what your parents want you to do. Regardless, they did indeed plant a seed for future cycling. I took up running in combination to playing soccer, and swimming came along in the winter months when the Penticton weather made it too cold to comfortably run outside. (yes I avoid cold weather) Unintentionally I was choreographing all the agents needed to become a triathlete.

Up until February 2010, I had been running somewhat seriously: doing road races ranging from 5, 10 and ½ marathon. I was satisfied with my results, but I was beginning to itch for more improvement.

In early January after the Pioneer 8km I emailed (with advice from friend and now co-worker, Myke Labelle) Noa Deutsch to discuss my options for joining on with PT Performance Training. I originally was interested in purely running, but after a hip flexor injury, which conveniently placed my in the pool and on the stationary bike for recovery, I began to think about incorporating the two into the running schedule.

So as you can imagine one thing lead to another and before I knew it I was swimming biking and, now that I am healed, running like there was no tomorrow! And I can safely say that I am in love with it all. The work-outs never fail to put a smile on my face and remind me of how very fortunate I am. I have a great family and a bunch of high quality friends whom support me unconditionally as well, I get to live and train in the beautiful city of Victoria alongside a really talented, driven positive crew of athletes.

So that is my initiation into the blogging community, there will be more to come in due-course.

Cheers :)
Emma