Two for Triathlons

Season in Review...

2010-10-03T22:14:00.000-04:00

Loyal Readers:

We know we promised to post more frequently over 3 months ago, but somehow the summer came and went and now our newest edition is 5 months old. Between adjusting to our new life and contestant #2's return to work, time has become more precious.

In any event, we will try to resume our posting on a more regular basis, especially as we enter the off season.

Contestant #1 did have a full summer of races - hopefully he'll fill everyone in on his experiences in the near future.

Contestant #2 returned to competition at the end of July with the Crystal City Twilighter - a 5k race in the evening. Fortunately it was at night because it was scheduled for literally the hottest day of the year - I think it was still 100 degrees at race time. Considering I had only been exercising for about a month, I felt really good and I ended up with a good time, even though my focus was just on running the race.

Fast forward to September and we were on track to participate in the Nation's Triathlon as a relay - contestant #1 on the 1 mile swim, contestant #2's dad on the 40k bike, and contestant #2 on the 10k run. All of us were on track and training well. About 2 weeks before the race, contestant #1 came off a flip turn awkwardly and injured his foot. Turns out the injury is either a healing stress fracture or tendinitis. Fortunately swimming was still on the approved list of activities for him, but his season was over in terms of full races.

For those of you in the DC area and who know about the race, the day before the race was beautiful and then on race day, it was torrential rain. We ended up making our way down to the race with our son, but ended up abandoning the race after all of us got wet and they delayed the start of the race by an hour. Too bad, but we had to make sure none of us got sick.

Last weekend we ventured to Onancock, VA for the Crystal Beach Triathlon. It's a nice, low key event run by a local. The competitors range from a few hard core competitors to first timers. The race organizer was nice enough to let us convert our entries to a two-person relay because of contestant #1's injury. So #1 did the swim and I, #2, completed the bike and run. The course is flat and fast and takes you through the neighborhoods of Onancock. People are very nice and supportive throughout the race. We really enjoyed our time and hope to make it an annual race.

Now the days are getting dark earlier and the mornings are cooler, but we are looking forward to a productive off season, where contestant #1 can recover from his foot injury and #2 can continue to return to form.

Hope to have more on our training soon.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

And we're back in action...

2010-06-21T21:21:00.001-04:00

Argh! Contestant #2 here. We must apologize for yet another lag in posting. Yes, it's true, we haven't posted an entry in over 2 months, perhaps that's because we have been extremely busy with our newborn son! We welcomed him to the world on April 28 at 8:46 pm, weighing a proud 8 lbs, 7 oz. That is certainly much larger than anyone, including our doctors, expected. And he keeps growing - 95th percentile for both height and weight as we speak!

In any event, now that he's coming up on the 8 week mark, we're all getting back into gear. Contestant #1, aka new dad, has already had a busy month and has participated in two races. Overall he is pleased with his performances given the fact that he had limited training in the first few weeks of kiddo's life. But now he's got a good rhythm going as he prepares for a race over July 4th weekend near Buffalo, NY (contestant #2's hometown).

Contestant #2, aka new mom, got the all clear to resume all physical activity about 2 weeks ago. Although I was feeling okay, I limited myself to walking, ab work, and resistance bands until my doctor said I was good to go. I know a lot of women resume exercise much sooner, but I was too exhausted and too cautious to do so. Luckily we've got a lot of hills around us so the walks were of high quality.

I've started my comeback focusing on cardio. Given that our son is probably about 14 pounds already, I feel as though I'm getting a decent upper body workout every day and I know my strength will return once I start lifting weights again on a regular basis. But I really want to regain some endurance first. Even though I worked out literally until the day before the baby was born, which helped immensely during labor I must add, I feel like I've lost a lot of endurance from my pre-preggo days. Of course part of the issue is that I'm still getting used to not being pregnant and exercising without the 30 extra pounds on my body. I must say that I do feel quite light! Thus far in these first two weeks, I've run a few times (my legs do not have a memory of running hills), ridden the bike, used the arc machine, and gone swimming. The swimming is definitely the easiest, probably because I swam throughout my pregnancy and I stopped running about halfway through when the pressure and weight of my belly became too much.

Okay, that's probably enough for now. Any comments/suggestions about how to continue my comeback are much appreciated. Contestant #1 will publish his post-race reactions in the near future.

As always, thanks for reading.

Sidetracked by Baby Preparations

2010-04-08T14:38:00.000-04:00

We know we've been very quiet for the past month. First, it was the Olympics that occupied our time. Now, we're in nesting/baby planning mode as our newest addition is expected to arrive within a few weeks.

However, that hasn't stopped us from focusing on our sporting endeavors. Contestant #1 has been busy with his training for the upcoming tri season, although he's been nursing a bit of a sore calf for the last two weeks. But that seems to be improving as the days go by. On the contrary, contestant #2 has been slowed by an increasingly large belly, although she has remained quite active in anticipation of the post-natal recovery period that is to come.

Contestant #1 is still finalizing his summer race schedule, but we did sign up for The Nation's Triathlon located conveniently in our neck of the woods. We opted to do the relay - contestant #1 will undertake his specialty, swimming, in the Potomac River; contestant #2's father will do the bike; and contestant #2 herself will make a return to racing with the 10K run through the DC streets.

We'll keep you posted on our race schedule once we nail that down and of course other developments as they come up.

Thanks for reading.

A slight lull in the action....

2010-02-28T22:35:00.000-05:00

Loyal Readers:

We apologize for the lack of posts over the course of the last two weeks. We've been distracted by the Olympics, particularly the curling and the nordic combined.

On the curling front, was anyone else amazed by Canada's Kevin Martin aka K-Mart/The Old Bear? We found him to be a magician on the ice and gained a new appreciation for the sport. Now we need curling to take off in the USA!

And how about the American nordic combined athletes, especially Johnny Spillane and Bill Demong? It was certainly inspirational to see American athletes excel in a discipline previously dominated by other countries.

The only bit of disappointment stems from the ice hockey losses to the Canadians. Contestant #2 is a native Buffalonian, so today's loss in the men's hockey finale was tough to swallow as Team USA's goalie was the superb Olympic MVP Ryan Miller. Ryan, along with Buffalonians Patrick Kane and Brooks Orpik, made Buffalo proud during these Games. And in the grand scheme of things, a silver medal isn't too bad.

Contestant #2 also gives a shout out to bobsledder and Olympic gold medalist Steve Mesler, yet another Buffalo-born athlete.

We hope you all enjoyed the Games as much as we did and we'll attempt to resume our normal posting routine.

Thanks for reading.

Not-so-Fairweather (Gym) Patriots - Observances from the NY Times

2010-02-22T23:44:00.001-05:00

I saw this article while I was browsing the NY Times today in search of real news. It talks about how frustrated people get when all those people trying to make good on their New Year's work out resolution. The whole point, as I interpret these folks, is that too many people do nothing at the gym but listen to iPods, talk on cell phones and hoard their favorite dumbbells. And, not only that, they come and clog the gym during January and February with unrealistic visions of bikini bods dancing in their heads.

First, I think if people get to the gym, even if it's for a couple of months, give them credit. Tens of millions don't get off their couch every year. Also, as a person who takes a bit of hiatus after the tri season, I showed up in January to begin training for races in the spring. Since I'm not an Ironman-in-training, I think taking a couple of months off from October-December gives me some free time, which I look forward to.

Second, I don't use an iPod in training since most tris don't allow them during the race, but it's hard to occupy time on a treadmill or a stationary bike without sweet, sweet Barry Manilow. I definitely think it's fine to listen to whatever to get you moving, as long as I can't hear it.

I agree with the position of the authors on the whole commandeering equipment thing. Look, if your not using it, then don't claim it. I also can't understand why people have their favorite bike, treadmill, or "place" in the gym...my view is that we're all adults, so just deal if someone gets on that 20 year old Lifecycle.

I guess the gym I go to is huge, and when I go I'm focused on getting it done, not on what others are doing to waste their time or use it fruitfully.

Do these traits described in the NYT articles happen frequently, maybe I'm just not aware?

Thanks for reading.

Get Outta My Lane! - Etiquette in the Pool

2010-02-15T17:48:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting experience this during a morning swim at our local YMCA. I am fortunate enough to have President's Day off from work, so I took my time getting to the pool today. Arriving at about 11 am, I knew in advance that only 2 of the 4 lanes would be reserved for lap swim. I don't mind sharing a lane at all (as long as no one slams into me) and I find that most people think the same way.

The pool was really busy today, probably because of the holiday. I had to wait a few minutes to get in the pool because both lanes already had 3 people in them. No big deal in my mind.

I got in a lane with a two very different swimmers - one woman who doing breast stroke pretty leisurely while her husband and kids played in the recreational swim area (she's ID'd as breast stroker in this post) and another woman who was a good swimmer and clearly swam quite often during the week (ID'd as superior female swimmer from here on out). I would put myself in between these 2 in terms of ability.

The three of us seemed to be managing our circle swim quite well until a fourth person, a male swimmer, jumped into the lane with us. It definitely became a bit of rush hour and the superior female swimmer was clearly not happy that there were 3 other swimmers in the lane who were serving as barriers to the completion of her workout. The male swimmer was staying out of everyone's way because he was a very fast swimmer. At one point, female superior swimmer asked if she could go ahead of me on a lap and I said fine, but she then proceeded to literally swim into the breast stroker.

Fortunately, the breast stroker and superior female swimmer ended up finishing their workouts shortly thereafter and the male swimmer and I were able to split the lane ourselves for the remainder of my workout.

Now I recognize that swimming is my weakest tri leg, which means I'm slower than many swimmers, and I have the added perk of being 7.5 moths pregnant. At this point I'm dragging 20 extra pounds through the water, so I am probably swimming slower than I had pre-pregnancy. But I don't got to the pool to break any world records; I was looking for a low impact, but high quality workout (which I talked about in my previous post about prenatal fitness).

My attitude is, if you're a faster swimmer than others in the lane, either figure out a way to pass them or discuss with them how you want to share the lane. It's no big deal and it's par for the course when you participate in a sport that is friendly to all ages and abilities, and you definitely get a wide range of swimmers at the Y. If you only want to be around fast swimmers, then join a swim club or a pool with more lanes. We were all doing our best to stay out of the way so we could all enjoy a swim.

I'm interested in others' perspectives on this issue. Thanks, as always, for reading.

NBC, the Olympics, and "Live" sports

2010-02-14T21:51:00.001-05:00

I've been watching the Olympics on NBC today and I've noticed that they're airing the sports about 30 minutes behind "live". The specific event I'm talking about is the men's moguls. They even posted the results on their facebook fan page before they aired it. I find this (not airing the event live) totally annoying, and I hope NBC fixes this. I'm an east coastie, only 3 time zones away from the games. There is no reason they can't air it live on one of their 4-5 networks, if they want to show the sport on TV. I get if they don't want to show some sports, but if they choose to show it, then show it LIVE!

The world can follow the results online, and most of the world can follow these sports live on television stations in their countries. Why can't the US media allow its viewers to do the same? I think there are $785 million (US) reasons why.

In a way, I think it's a tribute to the fact that NBC lost money on these Olympics. I think most Americans don't understand this broadcast model and are frustrated by it. Unfortunately, it's become a habit of US media since the late 1980s. I can't wait for the day the United States television networks choose to air Olympic events live, regardless of the time zone.

2010 Events

2010-02-14T17:31:00.000-05:00

I'm still deciding on which events to do, but here are the one's I'm looking at. Some are huge events, others are smaller. If any reader has done any of these, please let me know which ones are nicer. I'm planning on doing 5-7 events. It depends on schedules and baby demands, of course.

The following events:

June 5th 2010 - Harrisburg PA (2 Hrs)
http://multisportmaniacs.org/id1.html

June 5th Luray VA
http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_detail&eventID=1490

Jun 12 Hampton VA
http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_detail&eventID=1450

June 26 - Philadelphia
http://www.phillytri.com/eventinfo/sprint

July 3 Buffalo Triathlon
http://score-this.com/atriinbuff/atriinthebuff.html

July 10 Colonial Beach, va
http://www.ymcaracing.com/Colonial_Beach_Tri_s.html

AUG 7 Mayo Lake Triathlon
http://fsseries.com/index.php?action=event&event_id=43

September 2009
Crystal Beach Triathlon (VA) (target for my Wife's first Tri back from Pregnancy)

September 12 National Triathlon - Relay (Swim - me, Bike - Father-in-Law, run - wife)

October - Osprey Triathlon (MD)

Thanks for reading.

New Logo and snow training photo.

2010-02-08T16:14:00.016-05:00

As you can tell from the header, my wife and I have a new logo, complete with pregnant person :) It'll change once a newborn enters the family, but we thought it would be neat to have something. I designed the logo using PowerPoint. We're thinking about opening up a free CafePress store with some triathlon graphics and witty sayings for those competitors with children. If we do we'll put up a link.

My wife and I live in the DC Metro area, and due to all the snow, our training has been restricted to a walk around the block. Of course, I've gotten a pretty good workout shoveling snow. But my wife has been hard at work on the bike. Here's some evidence:

Thanks for reading!

Training for Two (while pregnant)

2010-02-07T22:48:00.000-05:00

Contestant #2 here. As a preface, I will disclose that I've had a relatively easy (knock on wood) pregnancy that has allowed me to stay active. Please consult your medical team before undertaking any fitness routine during pregnancy.

I've always been an extremely active and fit person, so when I found out we were expecting, I knew I'd have to adjust both my expectations and my actual fitness routine. Pre-pregnancy I was working out 5-6 days per week, but I've reduced that to 3-4 days per week, depending on how I feel. My goal for my pregnancy has been to stay active and do what I can for as long as I can, adjusting my regimen as I've gotten bigger.

When we competed in our first triathlon last summer, I was pregnant at the time and I didn't know it. The major upside is that I had the spent the summer getting into some of the best shape of my life, which has clearly served me well during my pregnancy.

In the first trimester, fortunately I avoided the dreaded morning sickeness, but I faced extreme fatigue - like I had hit a brick wall, particularly at night. I tend to be a morning exerciser anyway, which was great because I found myself low in energy at the end of a work day. During this time, I continued with my normal workout schedule as best I could, but I immediately began to cut back my intensity and the number of days I worked out. In addition, I began to monitor my heart rate more closely so that I didn't over-exert myself. Most websites and books tell you to stay around 140 beats a minute. In the beginning I found that to be a challenge since I was used to pushing myself in my workouts.

From a triathlon perspective, I opted to not participate in anymore races, mainly because I was a bit uneasy about being on the bike. Don't get me wrong, I've read about women participating in races while pregnant, so it can be done, but that's a personal decision. However, swimming and running caused no problems.

Once my second trimester came around, my energy returned. I felt really good during this time. Of course I also had an ever expanding belly. Over Thanksgiving, when I was around 20 weeks, I worked out with a trainer who is certified in prenatal fitness. She gave me a great weight lifting routine that is easily modifiable as you get bigger. I still wanted to weight lift 2 days a week in order to keep my strength and bone density up. I stopped running and started walking instead, mostly because I began to feel pressure from the extra weight. I am also quite fortunate in that the instructor of the sports conditioning class I take was willing to work with me and find alternatives so I can still attend class. The biggest thing I had to modify starting this trimester was my ab work. Instead of doing full sit ups and planks, I adopted a modified style for both.

Now I'm just into my third trimester. The best thing about triathlon training is that it introduced me to distance swimming, which is a great prenatal exercise. Believe me, as I write I'm 29 weeks along and a half hour of buoyancy goes a long way! I truly appreciate how easy it is on the body, but still yields a satisfying workout. I'm also still walking, using the arc machine, riding the stationary bike, and lifting weights. I'm hoping to take some pre-natal yoga classes soon that will help me with labor.

The reality of being pregnant is that your body lets you know, very early on, that change is necessary. I think this is a blessing for those women who can't fathom taking off more than 1 day a week from their fitness routine. It forces you to listen, very closely, to what your body is telling you. And once our baby is born, this will serve me well as I recover.

The Uber Single Sport Athlete vs. The Triathlete

2010-02-06T02:18:00.000-05:00

I work in a very large office building with a world-class gym. Unlike a lot of gyms, this workout place is frequented by very fit people and very few workout beginners. Watching people pushing 6 minute miles on the treadmill for an hour, or bench-pressing 400 lbs or doing 1000 sit-ups with a 15 lb medicine ball does not help me focus on training. I don't feel intimidated, but I feel like do feel like a weakling sometimes.

I do think there is a silver lining however, as triathletes (even recreational ones), I think we all have one up on most of these uber-fit individuals. I notice that 99% of these fanatical lifters, runners, or aerobics lovers definitely do not train in the other tri-sports. That makes me feel pretty good.

All triathletes go outside their comfort zones every week in practice and racing whether it's in a sport we're not the best at or challenging ourselves at long distances (for all you Iron-people and Iron-people in training). I have found this mindset absent athletes who just do just running races, swimming, or cycling. The more I participate in "triathletism" the more I believe that triathletes don't take comfort zones for granted.

Thanks for reading.

Mental Running Block and More Cool Tri-Tech

2010-02-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

Week Two of training is going fine, working mostly on cross-training (rowing) and running, last week it was running and biking. My wife (the poster of the previous blog on Cross-training) will post on pregnancy and training this week. I might start swimming, but the cold weather blocks my swimming mindset.

As readers will find out I (the husband of the two of Tris), really have trouble enjoying the run portion of the triathlon and loathe it during training. It's a mental thing, I'm sure, but maybe some reader can help me out on this. What am I supposed to be thinking about when I'm running to pass time on a treadmill...I don't listen to an iPod since it's not allowed on most races. I find getting to 20-30 minutes completely agonizing, it's marginally better if I run outside. I have a lot of room for improvement.

On to the Tech:

(Used with Permission of Yankz!)

Yankz! TriathlonBAGs: I asked for one of these last year, and it is the best all-around tri-bag I've found period. They are designed to stand up for easy access at the transition. I got the Apollo Size ($70.00), which I liked because of it's got every feature I need in a compact size. My wife liked the design so much she wanted one of her own! They come in four styles , the other models are Zeus ($150) and T2 ($120) both of these models offer more features than the Apollo (like separate wetbag and laptop case). These were equally cool, but I like to minimize my stuff at the transition to cut down on time and confusion. The traditional ($95) is their original design. Definitely check these out, make sure you click on the picture of the bags to get the 360 view!

Speedo Vanquisher Goggle: I became a fan of these goggles last season. For swimming these mirrored smoke-colored goggles keep out the sun and did very well in the cloudier races as well. The seal is great and the adjustment is all that a swimmer needs. My indoor swimming goggles are the Speedo Sprint, which I have used for over 20 years. I like the clear variety in the Sprints because it offers the best field of vision, and the foam eye seal is soft on the sockets. Both varieties have silicone straps.

The Benefits of Cross-Training

2010-01-30T11:28:00.000-05:00

As a caveat, I (the previously named contestant #2) am not a certified personal trainer. But, over the course of my athletic career I have seen tremendous benefit and improved athletic performance from cross-training my body.

With regards to triathlon, cross-training does not simply mean focusing solely on the three disciplines of swim, bike, and run. Yes, that is technically a form of cross-training and it is obviously necessary to train all three legs in order to complete a race. However, the exercises that you engage in outside of these three will likely result in improved flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, and overall performance.

Cardiovascular Work

I'm not going to talk much about any cardio training because I find I get enough cardio work from my training. The only thing I will say is that interval work, for all three tri disciplines, does help with speed and endurance.

Improving Muscular Strength

Even during race season, I regularly take a sports conditioning class that usually involves weight lifting and weight lift at least one additional day per week. Personally I find weight lifting really helps me in my tri training. The sports conditioning classes I take at The Energy Gym in Arlington are great because it truly is a full body workout - we use everything from our own body weight to resistance bands to medicine balls to kettlebells to body bars. The class focuses on strength, endurance, cardiovascular fitness, and plyometrics. At the end of an hour, we are all usually pretty exhausted (but in a good way). The great thing about this class and others like it is that you notice improvements relatively quickly if you go on a regular basis.

CrossFit is the newest and greatest form of cross-training that works your cardio fitness while improving strength and endurance. The exercise routines are extremely challenging, but I promise you will get into great shape by doing them. To learn more, go here to Crossfit.com.

Improving Flexibility

Now that we're all getting stronger, it's important to not lose flexibility in your muscles. I am a fan of yoga and I find it helps keep my muscles limber during the training season. Now I know not everyone likes yoga, but some sort of stretching routine is important during your training and will contribute to overall muscular health. Tight muscles that cramp, strain or pull easily do not serve anyone well on race day.

I want to focus for a moment on one particular piece of equipment - resistance bands. As a former collegiate swimmer, contestant #1 introduced me to some resistance bands exercises that target shoulder strength and flexibility. Doing three sets of a few simple exercises will help keep your shoulder muscles flexible during the rigors of training and most importantly, serve as a way to prevent injuries.

Core Strength

Never to be neglected, the core is the epicenter of athletic performance. Strong abdominal and back muscles are not only going to help you in your tri training, but they're extremely important in every day life. Be sure to work your abs and back equally so there's a balance of strength. I particularly like full sit-ups with a medicine ball - you hold the ball over your head and then sit all the way up and touch ball to the ground. For my back, I like Supermans - lie on your stomach and lift your arms and legs at the same time. You'll feel the burn. You can also alternate your left and right side. Of course a great exercise that works your abs and back at the same time is the plank - either resting on your hands or forearms with your body straight and on your toes. Be sure to not shoot the moon and keep your butt down.

Recovery

I take at least one day off per week, sometimes two. I need to let me body recover and I can tell when my muscles are fatigued. I know some gym rats hate the thought of a day off, but I've had numerous trainers tell me that recovery can play a crucial role in overall athletic performance. The worst thing to do is overtrain your body heading into a race.

Finding the right Competition

2010-01-28T01:05:00.000-05:00

As an aspiring sprint/olympic triathlete, I am very particular about where and when I'll do a triathlon. My first triathlon was the Mayo Lake Sprint and I trained from May to August 2009. Honestly, it was more like an X-Terra race, and an interesting first foray into multi-sport challenges. It was fun, but not your typical sprint triathlon (if there is such thing as a "typical sprint"). My follow-on events were in September and October, both very flat courses and in salt water. For Mayo Lake, I didn't do much homework above reviewing some websites and reading previous race feedback to find this race. As a result, I've thought about what are my top five things I look for in an event:

1. Day of the Week: I am a BIG fan of Saturday triathlons. Summer traffic tends to be less, if you're returning home, and you have a full day to recover. I know, what you're thinking is, "why does a puny sprint triathlon require a day of rest?" Well...um, I'm not sure it does, but it sure does feel nice to have a day off before returning to work. There are quite a few races on a Saturday in the Middle Atlantic region, you'll see that after I post my schedule for the year...which is coming soon.

2. Type of Competitors: Every sport has their lazies and their crazies. I look for events that have a share of both. I plan to do some events that are very family friendly that embrace the fun aspects of competition, and I also plan on trying some races that will challenge my ability not finish last in my age group. Who doesn't love watching that 30 or 40 something stud(ette) who has the $10K bike and crazy get-up finish with the same time as someone just starting out from their couch at home? A diverse group of competitors make racing much more fun!

3. Course Type: Some folks like flat courses and some like monster hills. Some like the calm fresh lake waters and others like the choppiness of the inlet. My first race at Mayo Lake last year was, as I mentioned earlier, was a bit more challenging with a 15 mile hilly bike and a 5K full trail run. Had I known more detail (above what the website said), I would have trained differently, since I'm still new to the bike and run. It was only the 2nd year for the race, but the race grew from 50 participants in 2008 to over ~300 in 2009. I chose the race, in part, to participate in something less crowded and more with more beginners, however, there were a lot of more skilled triathletes than in my last two of the season (apparently the NC X-Terra championships were the week after Mayo Lake, so we had a bunch of folks testing their skills). I still had fun (and will probably do it again this year), but knowing what to expect is half the battle especially when your starting out. I mean, most people wouldn't start out with a SavageMan if they knew they were aiming for something like the Nation's Tri. Right now in my triathlete career, I'm leaning towards flat to slightly hilly courses for both the bike and run. As for the swim, freshwater is nicer, in my opinion, since it doesn't involve ocean water, but I'll take an ocean/bay swim if it's slightly choppy or calm.

4. Location: This is a no brainer and common sense right? Well, on the East Coast some people are willing to go to the ends of the earth, packing their bags and heading out for 6-8 hours in a car for a one weekend. I personally aim for a 2-4 hour drive time, which puts me anywhere from NJ to NC. After a race, whether you're staying the night or not, it'll give you the rest on the day to get home, minimizing uncomfortable post-race car time.

5. Accommodations: I like to go to events with better hotel accommodations. I didn't say expensive ones, just "better". We all know that triathlons can take place in very austere locations, far from places with lodging and food places above one AAA diamond, I try to avoid those races mainly because I try and will try to make mini-vacations out of race weekends wherever possible. I guess I like being able to sleep in a comfortable bed, not a campground, and eat well, instead of eating fast/convenience food, for 48 hours.

Thanks for reading.

Let me know what you think.

Conquering the Swim: Tri made easy (Getting Better)

2010-01-24T23:21:00.000-05:00

During pre-race prep or just talking to other triathletes, I've heard various people say things that disparage the venerable sport of swimming, as it relates to being a brother of "Bike" and "Run." As a competitive swimmer, I can't say that swimming is simple, but I can offer some tips to that sub 25 minute 1500 meters. (Take these tips at your own risk)

Here's a strategy:

Step 1. Focus on technique: Just like Master Miyagi from Karate Kid taught Daniel to beat the Cobra Kai by teaching the basics first, most swimmers are taught technique before they learn to be medalists. There are many triathletes out there with poor swimming technique.

First, I think the fastest way to get better, technique-wise (if you're not a swimmer) is to find a swimmer friend or a master's team and get a few in-water freestyle pointers on head position, arm position (pull and recovery), FLIP-TURNS and BI-LATERAL breathing. Then, after getting some pointers (I don't think you need hours of lessons), focus on getting setting up a solid stroke by making it a part of your regular workout. It might slow you down a bit a first but your stroke will be more efficient AND you'll be able to breath on the left (or right) to avoid a mouthful of your nearest competitor's wake.

The aim isn't a perfect technique, it's about improving your stroke until you feel smooth in the water and so you're not thinking about maintaining some stroke count or pace. After you've got freestyle down, then you can challenge yourself with the other strokes.

Tip: Pool time won't always improve your performance. Doing some dry-land and cross training with your upper body with rubber stretch-cords to build up upper body strength and resistance training. I'd use a medium resistance (not too easy). Focus on time, rather than reps, but here's a good link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D37Ye_ADQ30 to get an idea. I'd recommend something like doing five different exercises for one minute each...in a few weeks, you'll start feeling the difference in the water and decrease the risk of injury at the same time.

Step 2. Focus on workout quality: A great 2500 yard/meter workout is better than the lame 4000-5000 workout. I see a lot of triathletes focusing in the pool on swimming lap after lap after lap continuously. By doing this you're focusing on the wrong goal (mindless distance) and not getting better at swimming. You'll gain distance rapidly with good technique and time. I'd suggest that during the tri season, swimming long distances during workouts probably are necessary to make sure you can go the distance and have the pacing down right, but you should be doing that maybe once a week or two. I'm not a big fan of fins, but throwing them into a workout every once in a while to focus on technique while at speed is sometimes beneficial. I'd suggest that if you're going to use fins on a regular basis get a pair of short fins, like these Zoomers. Yes, they're harder to use, but they will improve your kick and make sure you don't cheat the whole main set. For a 2500 freestyle workout (scalable to 1000 or 5000, if you know other strokes well enough work them in) try something like this:

WARM-UP (400-500)
Example:
400 Freestyle (straight and slow, focusing on technique)

Pull/Kick/Drill (400-600) - (essential for technique and muscle memory)
Example:
400-600 Drill/Kick/Pull (something like 10 x 50 or 6 x 75 yards, alternate by workout)

MAIN SET(S) (800-1600)
Examples:
8 x 100 Free or 2 x 400 on challenging intervals
or
6-8 x 125s on interval (trying odd lengths like 125s and 175s can really keep you off guard)
or
2-3x 500 on intervals

WARM DOWN (300-400)
Example:
300-400 warm down (take it slow and focus on technique)

Step 3. Focus on speed: But once you've got your arms, head, and legs moving like you want them, you can start taking your intervals down and doing longer distances.

Step 4. Focus on open water: As a pool swimmer for all my life until last year, open water is new to me. I guess practice is the most important thing here. The same principle applies to a pool swim...swimming as fast as you can without draining yourself for the rest of the race. I think the most advanced things that apply in open water would be learning how to draft and locating buoys. I think swimming in a variety of conditions is also helpful (i.e. clear vs. murky water or placid vs. choppy).

Caveat: I would say throwing yourself right into swimming back and forth in open water isn't going to make you a better swimmer. Crappy techinque in open water endangers not only yourself but others...and competitors who float on the swim are annoying to those who want to get on to the bike :)

I hope these tips spark some ideas.

Thanks for reading.

New Stuff

2010-01-24T17:28:00.000-05:00

Last week I purchased my first triathlon bike, with the anticipation that I'm going to up my commitment this year.

My purchase was a Giant Trinity Alliance 1, on sale. It's a carbon composite model with the pieces of flair that one might need to hopefully be more speedy on the bike portion of a race. It's not a totally tricked out-bank account draining bike, but it's a good bike. I have a Trek road bike, which works fine by all accounts, the new bike just looked too cool (and was too cheap) to pass up. I don't believe the arguments that you can buy speed, and don't believe $5000 bike with $1000-2000 wheels is going to make you a better triathlete. It's all about your 'tude. A trip to the podium is about the people (behind you), perseverance, and practice.

I had the new bike tricked out with a Sipstream hands free hydration system. And, I have to say, that I'm more excited about it, than the bike. The reason: a well hydrated triathlete is a better-happy triathlete. Truthfully, It's the coolest hydration system I've ever seen and it works like magic. It's worth every penny. Period.

This week I start my training for triathlons in June...remember. I'll post about good swimming workouts later this week.

Backgrounder on the "Contestants"

2010-01-21T00:04:00.000-05:00

The Honest Truth:
We are not the couch to criterion types. Both of us have had athletic success outside of triathlons as youths or young adults as part of teams and individually. So, we started triathlons to do something together...we're focused on improving our efforts, but not aiming at the podium. I'd like to think we're the Everymen of triathlons. We're not early-middle aged folks looking to prove to ourselves that we can complete a race and we're not blessed with the free time to focus many more hours per week to get to the Ironman level. But, we are serious about training and having fun.

The Facts:
Contestant #1 (Male) is a former college distance swimmer. He's relatively new to cycling and HATES running. So his strongest area is the water, he gets by with the bike, and struggles to enjoy even a 1K run, let alone 5K. He gets a euphoric high when fellow competitors moan about the swim course being too long. The only thing that keeps him going to the gym is competing in triathlons with his wife.

Contestant #1 Improvement Areas:
Swim: Consistent training in conjunction with the bike and run...instead of endloading all the swim training.
Bike: More seat time on the road and less on a exercise bike at the gym.
Run: Getting over the mental hurdle of not enjoying running. (Tips please?)
Transition: Not loafing it.

Contestant #2 (Female) is a former field sport (lacrosse) and squash player. She's biked a century and has experience running races 5Ks to 10 milers. So, she's familiar with two of the three tri sports. Thankfully, for her husband's sake, she's relatively new to competitive swimming. Unlike her husband, she likes going to the gym and participating in everything from the treadmill to crazy fitness classes.

Contestant #2 Improvement Areas:
Right now Contestant #2 is waiting to be a mommy and will be begin training after a due date April for September races...so until she can train and compete, we won't make an assessment :)

And so it begins...season 2.

2010-01-20T23:44:00.000-05:00

My wife and I are about to start our second triathlon season in 2010, and were inspired by some other blogs that talk about the subject. So, here we are on the inter-web.

We expect to cover everything from training to equipment (we LOVE new gadgets!). However, we expect our niche to be the lighter side of training and we choose to make the sprint distance our main focus (unlike many other tri blogs that focus on dreams of reaching for the Ironman). Yet, our comments and reviews will definitely apply to the Olympic/International distance as well.

We also like to take things with a healthy dose of humor and sarcasm, so if we accidentally rib some of those recreationally elite triathletes on the best tri blogs, we do so with total respect for their multi-sport prowess.

Please enjoy the posts and comment freely!