From Injury to Ironman: 5 1/2 Months Post-Op Road Block

 I decided to write a post about my recovery before the 6 month mark, because the last 3 weeks have been particularly trying. The progress is fun to document, but the setbacks are not always so fun. After many emotional ups and downs on the past weeks, I finally feel clear headed enough to write this post.  In my last post about my hip arthroscopy recovery at 5 months post-op, I was very optimistic and excited to making such great progress. Unfortunately, that all changed 3 weeks ago. I went on an 8km run where I picked up the pace a…

Machines for Freedom Horizons Jersey: Product Review

Machines for Freedom is a sweet new, all women’s cycling apparel company with a fine eye for detail. Did you say all women’s cycling? Did you say fashionable jerseys? This has been a long time coming. Machines for Freedom Machines for Freedom (MFF) is a Los Angeles based women’s cycling apparel company founded by Jen Hannon. It is company that specifically caters to women’s needs for cycling attire, AND has very good looking kits. What a breath of fresh air. To top it off this is a pretty cool name for a cycling apparel brand. I like how the name is abstract and…

From Injury to Ironman: 5 Months Post-Op

  It has now been 5 solid months since I had my hip labral repair surgery in November, and things are much better than they were a couple months ago. I have definitely turned the corner so to speak, and have been almost pain free for the last 2 weeks!   It felt like I would never get to this point, but here I am, and now it just all feels like surreal dream. The holding back, patience and diligence paid off and I am finally riding outside again and feeling stronger than ever. I was even able to complete…

Cycling Training Camp: The Agoura Hills

Part 2 of our training camp was located in the Agoura Hills, which would be our base for the remainder of the training week. We stayed at a motel called the Goodnite Inn. It was a great location and very central for most of the rides (though, I have seen cleaner places).  For the price, it was a good deal, and overall I was happy with it. Some friends rented an Airbnb close by in Topanga, about a 20-minute drive away. Their place was secluded and it had an inviting feel. I would prefer booking something like this in the future,…

Cycling Training Camp: Gibraltar Road

Some friends of mine head to Santa Barbara and the Agoura Hills near Santa Monica and Malibu each year for a cycling training week. When this was first mentioned, I knew very little about the cycling routes around this region. I discovered that both Santa Barbara and the Agoura Hills boast endless, scenic routes–rendering it perfect for a training camp. The setting in this region is ideal: you can set up a base and bike several engaging routes, experiencing new climbs and scenery each day with great weather. Better yet, you’re close to civilization in Santa Barbara and near Santa Monica and…

Thoughts on Sweet Spot Training

I have recently been increasing my workout efforts substantially since I turned a corner for the better a couple weeks ago post-surgery. At 13 weeks I had significantly less pain and it seems as though I overcame a “hump” which allowed me to push harder than before in workouts. Since then, I have been trying to rebuild my fitness that I have lost after a year of winding down the training due to injury. I am trying to do at least one workout a week on the trainer where I focus on sweet spot training. Since doing a few of…

From Injury to Ironman: 3 Months Post-Op

I am now 3 months out of hip labral repair surgery, and things have been moving along, with some expected frustrations and other not so expected frustrations. I have been trying to remain patient, but this proves to be extremely hard when some weeks it feels like zero progress! But writing this now, I am realizing that since my last post at 2 months post-op, I have actually come a long way. I signed up for the Brooklyn half-marathon in May, and hope to run it to complete the distance and not really race it for a PB. I have also…

My First Zwift Ride: A Review

So my focus this spring is to get stronger on the bike, in the hopes of training for an Ironman. I have heard some pretty good things about Zwift, the virtual reality training app. I decided to give it a go and see if would help me with the motivation and focus I need to get stronger. I am unable to bike outside at the moment because of my hip surgery recovery, which you can read more about here. So this was an additional source of motivation to try out Zwift. I hooked up my new Stages power meter, downloaded…

7 Tricks to Stay Healthy as a Vegetarian Cyclist

More and more athletes are opting to go vegetarian, due to the great health and environmental benefits. However, it can be tough to stay on top of your nutrition, and maintaining strength while training might feel like more of a hassle. In the past, I’ve struggled with staying in top shape when putting in long hours on the bike. Luckily, I made some changes to keep on top of it.   When you’re highly active, your body needs more protein and more care. Believe it or not, getting your daily requirement of protein is actually quite simple. But, you need to…

From Injury to Ironman: 2 Months Post-Op

I recently posted on my experience with hip arthroscopic surgery for labral tear repair and FAI here. The journey has been tough at times, and my goal has been to stay positive and motivated. Now 2 months has passed, and here is an update on my exercises, progress and tips for recovery. This time around surgery recovery feels like it is progressing quickly, because I was only bound to crutches for 2 weeks instead of 6. This helps you feel stronger and more mobile faster. Things have been going well for the most part. I have been slowly gaining more and…