First Timer #4

First time triathlete #4 is young, smart, and full of energy.   She enjoys hiking, backpacking, climbing, and camping. 

Bryce Richman

Kimberly, Idaho

Age: 23

Male

Hometown Race:  Magic Man

Distance: Sprint

What better way to meet girls than train for a triathlon.  That was one of Bryce's thoughts as he considered pursuing a new challenge and his athletic goals.  Follow Bryce and see if he gets his medals and the girls.

Goal:          Medal in age group

Fear:          Nothing. . . but knows that the swim will be a challenge

Strength:   Training and running

Questions or comments for Bryce:

First Timer #3

First time triathlete #3 is young, smart, and full of energy.   She enjoys hiking, backpacking, climbing, and camping. 

Jessica Ortega

Twin Falls, Idaho

Age: 18

Female

Hometown Race:  Magic Man

Distance: Sprint

Jessica started training to do a triathlon because she wanted to do something she had never done before.  Climbing mountains was one thing but swimming, biking, and running without a break was a new and exciting challenge.

Goal:          Finish her first triathlon

Fear:          A bit concerned about the swim

Strength:   Running

Questions or comments for Jessica:

First Timer #2

Our next first time triathlete is a student at the College of Southern Idaho.  Ruggedly handsome and having no lack of confidence he prepares for the season expecting success.

Mark S. Lewis

Twin Falls, Idaho

Age: 19

Male

Hometown Race:  Magic Man

Distance: Sprint

Mark was introduced to triathlon by a friend who was training for his first event and asked Mark for help in becoming a better swimmer.  Mark has a swimming background but in just coming into his own on the bike and run.

Goal:          Looking good while racing

Fear:          Fears nothing. . . but would like to strengthen his bike and run

Strength:   Swimming

Questions or comments for Mark:

First Timer #1

Over the next four weeks we will introduce you to four unique individuals who will be training to participate in their first triathlon.  We hope you will share in their journey's and find motivation in their willingness let you in on the ups and downs of their preparation and race.

Sierra Chapple

Twin Falls, Idaho

Age: 19

Female

Hometown Race:  Magic Man

Distance: Sprint

Sierra chose triathlon because she wants to do something she never thought she could do.  She was active in high school sports but never competed in swimming, cycling, or running.

Goal:          To not finish last

Fear:          Swimming

Strength:  Believing in herself

Questions or comments for Sierra:

Aw! SPRING

Okay, so your training went into hibernation during the winter.  The sun is warming the air and you are starting to plan for the upcoming racing season.  Time for a tune up!

Six keys to gearing up for the months ahead:

Be Realistic

Sit down and evaluate where you are really at physically and mentally.  Individuals of every size and shape will experience greater improvement, and do so with less risk of injury, if they create a training routine that is consistent with their current fitness level.  Now is the time to slow comfortable swimming sessions, bike rides, and running.  Work on mechanics and gradually increase the length of your workouts.

Set Goals

Develop goals consistent with your level of fitness and years of competition.  In some sports, like triathlon, it can take several years to reach a competitive level.  Set targets that allow you to compete with yourself.  The Olympic motto, "Citius, Altius, Fortius" does not mean Swifter, Higher, Stronger than everyone else, it means to reach levels you have never reached before.

Develop True Motivation

Identify why you want to become more fit, more healthy, or more competitive.  Write these reasons in your training log, on your running shoes, or put them up on the refrigerator.  Take pride in your progress, trust in your training, and believe in yourself.  Everyone struggles now and then, but remembering why you started and what you will accomplish will help you when the doubts begin.

Commit

Sign up for the race or races you want to do this season.  Racers the world over know that training truly begins when you put your money down and sign the dotted line.  Perhaps the most common reason for failing to reach a goal among those who want to race is the procrastination of committing to an event.  Don't give yourself an excuse!

Be Flexible

Most of us dream about the unencumbered life that allows for everything we want to do and is void of things we have to do.  In the days, weeks, and months ahead the challenges of life will present themselves.  When training is shorten or cannot be complete to attend to things that are most important be flexible and stay mentally strong.  Life happens to everyone.

Patience and Persistence

Tolstoy said, "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time".  You cannot change the past and you are not ready for the future, but you can control the present.  As you train remember to "be here, now!" and each training session will become a stepping stone to success!

In every neighborhood, in every city, in every state, individuals are just beginning to shake off the effects of winter.  The months ahead provide opportunity.  Take advantage of the opportunities and enjoy the promise.

Comments, thoughts, questions  

Your First

Since the first of the year many have asked, "What's should I do to prepare for my first triathlon"

Thinking back to my first triathlon I enjoy remembering the wonder of everything being new and exciting.  Training and becoming more fit, race week's anticipation, check-in, listening to the race director, my trepidation as I entered the water, the starting horn, finishing the swim, blowing through the first transition, grateful to be on the bike, taking the second transition a little more slowly, the last 100 yards of the run, crossing the finish line, the medal, and the great sense of accomplishment.

So, for those of you reading this let me jump to the basics of the triathlon. The race begins with the swim, transitions to the bike, and finishes with a run. Between each leg is a transition stage. T1 (first transition) is between the swim/bike; T2 (second transition) is between the bike/run. Your time in transition counts towards your final time.

There are triathlon distances. Generally the name of a triathlon indicates the distance:
Sprint: 750m swim / 20k bike / 5k run - 1/2 mile swim / 12.4 mile bike / 3.1 mile run
Olympic: 1500m swim/ 40k bike/ 10k run - 1 mile swim / 24.8 mile bike / 6.2 mile run
Half-ironman (or 70.3): 1.2mile swim / 56 mile bike / 13.2 mile run
Ironman: 2.4 mile swim / 112 mile bike / 26.2 mile run

When choosing your first race we recommend that you go short and stay close to home.

Distance:  Training for a triathlon includes preparing to swim, bike, and run all within the same race.  Your training will be more effective and your results more enjoyable if your first race allows you to focus on success rather than survival.

Location:  If your first race is local you can train on the courses, become familiar with the venue, and have lots of family and friends come to cheer you on.  Traveling, transporting gear, lodging, and a million other questions that go along with going to a big race in another state will not allow you to focus on achieving your real goal of finishing your first triathlon.

Suggestions:

Train with a structured training plan

Focus on endurance (going the distance) rather than speed

Train with the gear you will use on race day

Train with a coach or experienced triathlete

Practice transitions

Train with the nutrition you will use on race day

Review the race venue and swim, bike, and run courses

Believe in yourself and trust your training

There are always things you can do to improve or race better, however, preparing to finish your first triathlon will allow to enjoy the training and smile on race day!

SEE YOU AT THE STARTING LINE

Comments, Thoughts, Questions

Winter Is The Perfect Season

Winter is the perfect time to work on our limiters; the areas of our racing that holds us back the most.  For multisport athletes it could be swimming, cycling, or running.  For runners it could be endurance, force (the ability to maintain power on hills), or speed.  For some it may be a combination of these elements.  Regardless of the limiters we face they will continue to hold us back from our best performance if we do not work on them.

With as little as an hour a week of focus training (working on the mechanics of a discipline or an element of a sport) someone who has seen minimal progress in their racing can begin to experience break through workouts and see significant improvements in their times.  Many individuals believe that if they simply focus on speed, or running, that they will reach their goals.  The error in this thinking is that to reduce all training to a single focus overlooks the importance of their sport.  Great athletes who achieve understand that they must work on their areas of weakness to improve them, (you are only as strong as your weakest capacity), but that they must also continue to develop their strengths.

Winter is the perfect time to work on our weaknesses.  We generally have the time and we do not feel the pressure of race day just ahead.  TRAIN SMART, STAY FIT, HAVE FUN!

Questions, Comments, Thoughts?

Winter Training. . . Building your Base

Okay, the days are shorter andthe temperatures are dropping. . .  but is that really a reason to blow off training?

The months of January through April are ideal for endurance athletes to build base miles and prepare the body for peak performance in the months that follow.  To many the idea of running, spinning, or swimming slowly seems counterintuitive.  A common question is: "How will I become faster if I don't push myself in every training session?"  The answer is to discipline yourself to develop an aerobic base that will allow you to have breakthrough force and speed workouts in time to peak for your race.

Science has proven that there are both physiological and psychological advantages to a well developed aerobic base.  Physiologically the body will become more efficient by improving the transportation of oxygen to the muscles, reducing the rate of lactate buildup, increasing the rate of lactate removal, and increasing the utilization of energy production.  Psychologically the mind will more effectively process the demands on the central nervous system, reduce perceived exertion, increase the release of endorphins, and increase the perception of the pursuit of achievement.

So. . . starting now, find ways to increase your yards, miles, and hours at a steady aerobic pace that will prepare you to GO anaerobic just in time to blow away the competition and set your own PERSONAL BEST!

Questions, thoughts Comments!

Benefit of Strengthening your Body Core

Strengthening the body's core is key for endurance athletes. However, this is often an overlooked element of strength training and becomes a factor in many who set out with determination but lack the "guts" to finish.
With many options to strengthen the core during a training period endurance athletes can make a real difference in their performance by including any of the following:
Pilates - builds strength in the body's core postural muscles which support the spine. These  exercises require awareness and control of breathing, spine position and torso muscles creating a total body workout without impact. They tone and realign the body improving flexibility, strength and posture, reduce the chance of injury,  and even muscular imbalances.
Gym Equipment - Today's fitness facilities include many pieces of equipment that strengthen and build the body's core:  Machine Crunch, Captain's Chair, Balance Ball, Hyperextension Platform, Exercise Floor, etc.  Each of these offers a variety of abdominal workouts that will build the body's core and produce results.
Yoga -  uses a combination of physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation to push the body to gain increased flexibility, strength and balance. The concentration and mind-body connection gained in yoga enhances the mental focus needed in endurance sports training and racing. It can alleviate stress, muscle tension, and aid in recovery. 
Adding core body strengthening to a well developed training plan will take each athlete's training and racing to a whole new level! 
Thoughts, comments, questions?
An athlete is only as strong as their weakest physical or mental element!

Off Season Strength Training

This blog is our effort to "put it out there" for you to read, comment, question, and apply so you can become a better athlete.  It's intent is to make a difference!

Off Season Strength Training:

Similar to sport specific training, off season strength training is maximized by periodization.  There are three generally recognized periods (or phases) of strength training for endurance athletes are: 

1.    Anatomical Adaptation:  This period progressively adapts the muscles—especially muscle attachments to the bone—to more easily cope with heavier efforts during subsequent training phases.  This phase is generally four to six weeks in length.

2.    Maximum Strength:  This period increases muscular motor unit activation and recruits fast twitch muscle fibers.  This phase is generally four to eight weeks in length.

3.    Muscular Endurance:  This phase increases capacity of neuromuscular system and aerobic adaptation.  This phase is generally 6 to 9 weeks in length.

Weight Bearing Lifts:		Core Emphasis:
Leg Press		V Sit-up
Chest Press		Oblique Bridge
Leg Extension		Hyperextension
Shoulder Press		Seated Crunch
Leg Curls
Front Lat Pull-down
Calf Raises
Seated Row

Strength Training continues to be one of the key secrets to success that many developing athletes discount.  Top athletes, coaches, and sport specialists have been singing the praises of this training phrase for more than a decade and still relatively few elite, top age groupers, and novice endurance athletes have incorporated it in their training plans.  

Be a leader. . . put it to the test and reap the rewards.  It works!!

Your thoughts?

 Power = (force + speed) x endurance