Race Report by Athlete Ann D.
Lake Murray Sprint
5/12/18

Pre-Race:
I didn’t sleep exceptionally well.  Stayed overnight with some good friends who live less than 10 minutes away from the event site so that was a plus.  Got to set up an hour before the race started and was surprised how crowded it was.  Seemed like a LOT more participants this year than before.  Had to park in a less than legal spot on the grass.  Had a hard time using hand pump to fill my bike tires.  Chip pick up and marking was well organized.  I made it to my rack in transition (which was close to the bike in/out area) and set up.  I felt good.  Excited but not nervous.  The water temp was announced as 75 degrees and wetsuit legal.  My decision was to go with the wetsuit.  I would say that about 80% of the participants had some form of wetsuit-most were sleeveless.  I brought my sleeveless as well.

Warm Up:
I hopped into the water to get acclimated.  I had no problems.  Water was pretty calm (thank God!) The race had a deep water start about 100 yards from the dock.  I swam out to there and back, practicing sighting every 6 strokes.  The sun was strong, so I knew it would be a challenge sighting the buoys after the first turn.  This race did have green sighting buoys between the yellow turn buoys.  This was very helpful.  After the second turn, it was a straight shot to the dock.  The only thing marking it was an orange buoy. (I really wish they use large flags which are easier to see…)

Swim:
After the prayer and National Anthem, the song “Lose Yourself” started blasting over the PA system.  I was stoked!  I love that song.  I’ve kept that on my running playlist for years.  “Lose yourself in the music, in the moment…”  “You’ve got one shot, one opportunity to prove yourself…” It speaks of digging down deep and finding that strength to succeed.  After I heard that I knew that this was my moment to DO IT.

I was in the 3rd wave, which started precisely at 8:06 AM.  In a rare move, I positioned myself near the front.  When the gun went off, there was chaos.  I stuck to my plan.  “1-2-3-4-5-6 sight”  I kept repeating this even as I was kicked, bumped, etc.  Before I knew it, I was at the first green sighting buoy. I heard the last wave horn going off.  Excellent! I was that far already in the race!  I turned by the first yellow buoy.  Things then got difficult because of the sun.  I could only spot the green buoy every other sighting or so.  I was still in a pack of other ladies, so I knew I was (hopefully!) going in the right direction.  I know it’s really mean, but when I saw myself pass a pink cap (the men in wave 2 wore pink) I was secretly happy.  I didn’t let a crowd of people around me upset me because as long as I saw others I knew I was “in the pack” and not lagging behind.  The only time I stopped to “tarzan swim” was when I really needed to figure out where I was because of the sun.  I found the buoys and motored on.  When I rounded the second yellow buoy, I knew it was a straight shot to the shore.  Just like last year, it was hard to sight, but I stayed the course.  “1-2-3-4-5-6 sight.”  When I saw that there was no one around me, I realized that I had drifted to the right.   I had taken the turn fairly wide.  I had to started shifting to the left to get to the dock.  I’m pretty sure that was where I added on 50 yards or so to my swim.  As I got closer to the shore, I kicked it up a notch.  Brian was waiting for me and shouted that I was under 20 minutes.  I was elated.  My unspoken goal was 20 minutes.  I bettered that goal.  I shaved 7 minutes off of last year AND I wasn’t dead last.

T1:
I’m no speedster in transition.  I was able to peel off and out of the wetsuit relatively quickly (for me) and after a quick drink of water I headed out.  It was starting to warm up.

Bike:
The race actually starts on an island.  About a mile in, there is a causeway that you cross.  It is deceptively flat, meaning it looks flat but there is actually an incline.  And headwinds.  Not sure how I could have forgotten this.  I then realized I didn’t have any strategy for the bike.  I was trucking along at 10mph, and everyone I beat out of the water was starting to pass me.  Every time I heard their Tri bikes come up behind me and pass me, I got angry.  <Note to self:  Work with Coach Jay about cycling! > I had to rope myself back in the moment.  I had a tough time for the first half of the bike.  Lots of gradual inclines.  I just wasn’t getting the speeds I wanted.  My legs were tired.  I had water with me and drank every so often.  Probably not enough but I was fearful of losing control of the bike.  The roads were in bad condition.  Lots of potholes.  And then there was traffic.  Some crazy drivers with trucks pulling boats.  Some of them weren’t leaving enough clearance as they passed us cyclists.  I watch one car slowly follow some cyclists head of me for about a mile before they finally passed.  The one that scared me the most was the truck that was pulling a pontoon boat.  As it whizzed by me, the cover on the pontoon had an unsecured rope that was whipping around in the back and nearly hit me!  I was playing a passing game with a girl on a mountain bike, but she was the only person to this time that I passed.  At about mile 10 I saw our friends cheering me on and I perked up.  After that, it was another steady incline to the turn back onto the island. I caught up to these 2 little boys that were being marked just before me at pre-race.  Mean thing #2 about me.  I was going to pass those little snots! It wasn’t too hard.  The worst incline of the race is at mile 14 back on the island.  This was where I gave up last year and walked my bike.  I wasn’t going to do that this year.  I hunkered down and climbed that hill, passing those 2 boys like a champ!  I looked at my time.  Unspoken goal #2 was to do the ride in 1 hour.  I wasn’t going to make that goal.  I started off too slow.  When I got to transition, I was at 1:05.  <Note to self:  Work with Coach Jay about cycling!>

T2:
As I got off my bike, my left hip was sore.  The time in the saddle, the effort on that last hill took its toll.  I moved as quickly as I could and started out.  It was now 80+ degrees out.  All the volunteers were cautioning people to HYDRATE.

Run:
I saw Brian.  He reminded me that if I could run my pace, I could finish in 2 hours.  I really wanted to do this and my mind was all in.  Unfortunately, my body wasn’t.  As I started running, my left hip was “pinching”  with every step.  Not cool.  I was only 1/4 mile into the 5K.  I stopped to shake it out and stretch.  I started up again.  Within a few steps, I felt this sharp, take your breath away pain in my left pelvic area.  The pain shot down my left leg and I couldn't move.  I stopped.  I needed to figure out what to do.  I was past the first-aid booth, so at first no one saw me.  I didn’t want a DNF, but I couldn’t move.  So I did was pretty much every female would do; I cried.  And I mean I UGLY cried.  Big, pitiful sobs of anger and frustration.  My greatest fear JUST materialized.  Two guys from behind came to me and asked if I was OK.  I’m sure I convinced them when I said “I’m fine.” between sobs.  I was determined to finish, tears and all.  I walked mostly and tried to run when I could.  I have NO doubt I made my situation that much worse for the attempt.  At one point I was basically dragging my left leg and hopping on my right.  The course was hillier than I remembered and there were many people walking, which only made me feel slightly better.  I kept looking at my watch, and then I’d cry.  I wasn’t going to make my 2:00 goal.  In the end, I beat last year’s time despite a 39 minute 5K (my worst 5K ever)
When I passed Brian and our friends in the Finisher’s shoot, he saw my face and knew something was wrong.  I limped across the finish, turned in my chip and headed to the car.  We stopped for ice before going back to our friends’ house and I never looked at my results until the next day. 

I know that I need to appreciate the gains that I made instead of dwelling on the negative.  But in the end, this damn race got me…again.  My friends promised they’d race with me next year if I attempt it again. Sigh.   I’m crazy enough to take them up on it.

Coach’s Notes….
Every race is an opportunity to learn. So we should always look at what went right and what we can improve on.

The Positives:
You had a great swim. You proved to yourself you can change your mindset and overcome. 2 weeks before this race you were considering not doing the race because of the 2 bad practice OWS you had. From that to a sub 20 swim is a HUGE accomplishment. Your transitions were good, not blazing fast but not slow either. Your bike was solid. Yes, we can make a lot of gains there, but you still had a good ride. You stayed focused on the moment and were able to bring your mind back when it wandered.

What can we improve on:
What can I say about your run? I'll start with I'm sorry. As your coach I have the responsibility to get you to Race Day healthy. I feel like I failed you. Your hip injury got quiet for a while and I lost focus on it. I'm proud of you for finishing the race. You are a fighter and you proved it by not giving up. We knew the hip injury might show up on race day and unfortunately it did. Going forward, your run mileage will be more closely monitored and a longer run taper will be implemented.

I view this race as a success. The swim was your biggest hurdle and you crushed it. Your mental game is getting so much better. And if it wasn't for the hip, you would have finished 3rd or 4th in your age group. Congrats. Now it’s time to get that hip healed up and get you ready for Age Group Nationals in Ohio!

Thank you for putting your trust in me. I appreciate it and you. Coach Jay

Good nutrition doesn’t just happen.  It takes planning and a little time to consistently plan and prepare nutritious, healthy meals.  If you are committed to starting a healthier eating plan, I’ve put together some advice and ideas that will hopefully help you.

First of all, planning is key.  Without a plan, there’s little to no chance of proper execution.  If you don’t have a meal plan for the week, you’ll be more likely to turn to eating out and/or eating junk food.  Plan your week around your schedule.  I recommend committing the time to put in a bulk cooking session one day per week.  Yes, it does take time but isn’t your health worth a little extra time each week?

I have weekends off work so I try to plan for my bulk cooking day to be Saturday.  On Wednesday, I make a meal plan for the upcoming week.  This gives me a few days to work it out and extra time if something comes up Wednesday and I need another day or so.  I mainly plan on dinners since breakfast and lunch are generally the same every day.  Plan your dinners to try to utilize any leftovers and remember – the freezer is your friend

We typically do a big grocery shopping day on Friday, so I start my meal plans on Fridays. 

A typical week of dinners for me will look something like this (I’ve added some notes)

F – pasta casserole (usually provides leftovers for weekend training lunches or another week night meal)
S – veggie pizza (fun and a good weekend meal)
S – vegetable bowl with greens, a grain, beans, hummus, etc.
M – lentil tacos with a side of roasted potatoes
T – soup of the week (a big pot of soup will feed us for at least 2 weeknight meals, and sometimes provide leftovers for a weekend lunch)
W – leftovers or a stir fry
Th – soup

Does it always work out perfectly?  Of course not.  Maybe your husband is training for an Ironman and eats all the soup on Tuesday.  Maybe those leftovers you were counting on as Thursday’s meal are a little too left over.  I like to keep certain staples on hand for those evenings when I need to create a dinner on the fly.  Canned or frozen beans are a must, as are lentils.  Make a big pot or two of beans on your bulk cooking day and freeze them.  Potatoes keep well in a dark pantry and are also good to have on hand.  Canned tomatoes come in helpful as do a few boxes of pasta.  While we try to stay away from highly processed foods, like boxed pasta, having it once in a while is generally all right.  Tofu is processed, but also has a long shelf life.  In a pinch on a Thursday night, a tofu scramble and roasted potatoes makes a decent meal.

Another idea for the last night of your “meal week” is what I call a “Hodge Podge Meal” which means I just look at what we have in the fridge and create something.  Half an onion, half a pepper, some black beans and some quinoa equals a simple stir fry for dinner.

I also try to plan for snacks and snacky-type afternoon weekend meals.  If Coach Jay is out for a 4 hour bike ride on Saturday morning, I know he will need more than a lunch of leftover soup for the afternoon.  Other leftovers are always handy, as is salad.  Homemade trail mix is filling and easy to make with nuts, dried fruit, some vegan chocolate chips and a sprinkle of salt. 

Create your grocery list while making your meal plan.  Try to be as comprehensive as possible and pick up a few extra things at the store. 

An extra head of cauliflower comes in handy for an afternoon snack.  Roast the florets and toss in buffalo sauce.  Carrots and pita bread dipped in hummus is a filling snack as well. 

As I said above, a bulk cooking day takes time but ultimately saves you much more time throughout the week.  On a typical Saturday cooking day I will make/do:

• 1 – 2 pots of beans – use one for this week’s meals and freeze one for next week.
• A double batch of Hippie Bars – use half this week and freeze half so I only make these every other week
  
• Salad dressing
  
• Big batch of trail mix
• A big pot of soup
• “Chop” for our weekly lunch salads (*see below)
• Roasted chickpeas for our weekly lunch salads
• 2 cold dishes for Coach Jay’s weekly lunches (bean and ancient grain, lentil and carrots, etc.)
• Wash, and spin out salad greens – store in big ziplock bags in the fridge to use during the week
• Something fun for the weekend like salsa, guacamole or vegan French onion dip

It looks like a lot, but with practice it becomes easier.  Try to use this time to have fun and catch up on a tv show while you cook or listen to music – just be sure you pick something that doesn’t distract you from prepping and cooking. 

Each week is a little different, depending on what I have planned but by prepping ahead of time, I usually only cook 1 or 2 weeknights a week.  Everything else is ready! 
Remember, the freezer is your friend.  Check it while meal planning to use things before they get too old, and use frozen leftovers for quick weeknight meals.  A few weeks ago we had lentil tacos and I froze the leftover filling.  It served us well as a quick dinner last night.  Plan next week’s soup around this week’s frozen beans.  You can even freeze cooked rice to use in future dishes.

Make your plan around your own schedule and I promise the more you plan and implement these strategies, the easier they become. 
 
* salad chop – add a scoop of this on a salad anytime.  Mix chopped cucumber, bell pepper (any color), beans (opt.) and add white wine vinegar, a little salt and a little sugar (opt). 

Race Report by Athlete Rose S.
IMNC 70.3
10/21/2017

The weather was perfect; the start was 52 and high was 74. 
 
Swim:
I was in wave 12 so I had a lot of time before I started.  1.2 miles in the channel seem daunting. I usually get really nervous and the swim is the hardest part for me.  The current is strong this year.  The  water temperature is 70 degrees so I was excited about wearing a wetsuit and having salt water. My friend, Carmen, found me and we talked which relaxed me.  No warm-up time was allowed.  So I started to play with my watch and accidentally pushed the start button with 2 minutes to go.  I tried to stop it. Then, it went into transition mode.  I quickly try to get it restarted.   The horn blows so I just went.  I never made it to the far section of the water like I usually do.  So I just started swimming. I had practiced breathing every 2 strokes.  So I felt relaxed.  I was concentrating staying near the buoys to get the best pull from current.  I was drafting and bumped others.  But It's like I was in a trance because I was not getting overwhelmed.  I started seeing some white caps, the prior wave, which I am pink. So I just kept swimming.  It went by fast.  Swim: 29:46.

Transition 1: 
 
It is long but I just kept moving.  Awesome .25 mile run and I felt great to be able breathe.  I thought I needed arm warmers but now I felt warm and just ditch them.  T1: 7:22. (There is major time to improve here.)
 
Bike:
 
The bike is my strongest part.  I felt good even though it was hard to hold back in the beginning.   I really wanted to follow the race plan even though everyone was passing me now.    I held back in zone 2&3  and concentrated on eating and drinking. There are 3 metal bridges which some people walked. There was no way I was getting off my bike.  So I ignored the volunteers along with a few men.  Someone had an accident.
 I was eating a full Larabar and Scratch bottle every hour. I only practiced with half a bar but I was hungry like I predicted.   At mile 40, I started picking it up zone 4 and felt great even though there was some wind.  It was time for me to have fun, and start passing people.  I saw my coach and friends and the last descend and a zealous feeling came over me.  Bike 3:06:48 
 
Transition 2:
 I was pumped up but I needed to concentrate which is not good for my ADHD. So I tried to go slow down.  I put on my shoes without my calve socks.  So I had to take off my shoes and redo it.  Then I need a bathroom stop I forgot to take off my gloves so I threw them away.  T2: 5:26

Run:
I was stoked because this is the first half marathon I have run in 7 years.  It is a answered prayer so I have to slow myself down.  My plan was to hold a 9:30 pace and go faster.  The first mile was 9:38.  I saw my hubby and I was so excited.  I walked the water breaks to actually drink gatorade, and soda.  Mile 4, Kieth rode his bike and talked to me for a while.   Eight butterflies flew right near me while running.  The run was idyllic through  running in the woods. 
Mile 8, the fatigue sets in.. I tell my self to stay on pace.
Mile 13:  It felt great.  I sped up to 8:56 pace and can't wait to stop running.  The last .20 was glorious with the energy and the crowd.  Run: 2:07:57
 
Total time 5:57:19
 
I did not dream of breaking 6 hours. I enjoyed the race and stayed present.  I felt God's presence through the race and I was so grateful for my ability to do this.  I can honestly say, it was a blast!

Coaches Notes:

I really wanted to be there when Rose completed her first 70.3 Triathlon. There were also other local athletes competing in the race so Heather, Teresa, and I made the short 1:15 hour drive to Wilmington to cheer for everyone. It was a beautiful day and so much fun being the spectator (and not the athlete for once).

Here are a few Coaches Notes from Rose's race:

Positives: There are a lot of positives about this race. From a coaching and athletes perspective. Rose did amazing. She trained hard and she trained smart. She trusted me when my style of training differed from what she was accustomed to. She followed the Race plan and had a successful first Half Ironman. We kept the goals simple for this race... get to race day healthy and complete the race. I'd say we nailed both of those goals!

Things that need to be addressed:  Not much to say here. If/when Rose decides to do another 70.3 there are a few areas we can work on. If she wants to be more competitive (she will) then we'll work on getting her in/out of transition faster. We will continue to work on long course pacing and endurance.

It was an honor and privilege to coach Rose to her first 70.3 finish. I'm looking forward to next year and to see what she's capable of.

Coach Jay

Welcome to the Fifth and final installment of a 5 part Beginners Series.

In case you’ve missed the other posts, so far I’ve covered: Is Triathlon for me?, Picking Your First Race, Training for your First Triathlon, and Race Day!

You’ve just completed your first Triathlon. Congratulations! Completing a Triathlon is a huge accomplishment. Make sure to take time to reflect and enjoy that accomplishment. Then when you’re ready, it’s time to review your race experience.

When reviewing a race, I find it helpful to first review areas that you feel were successful. You can write out a list if that helps.  Then look at areas that you need to improve in or require more training in. Review everything starting with “did I get enough sleep the night before” to “did I finish the run strong”. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, every race is an opportunity to learn. About yourself, about each sport, and about triathlon racing.

Once you’ve reviewed the individual parts, then review the experience as a whole. Did you have fun? Did you gain fitness while training? Do you want to do another Triathlon? Hopefully the answer to that last question is YES. If it was then you’ll have a few more decisions to make.

So now that’s you’ve finished your first, what do you want to do for your second one? Like I covered in the previous post (Picking your First Triathlon) there are so many different types and lengths of Triathlon to choose from. Remember to keep challenging yourself and try to get out of your comfort zone. You might try a longer distance Triathlon or maybe you will decide to train harder and be more competitive.

Another consideration is to add or upgrade your triathlon equipment. You don’t have to want to be competitive to benefit from better equipment. Triathlon specific equipment is usually more comfortable, easier to use and easier in transition. Tri suit, better/newer bike, Tri specific running shoes (elastic laces), run belt, and/or aero helmet are just a few ideas of equipment upgrades.

 Whether or not you decide to be more competitive in your next Triathlon, hiring a coach is always a good idea. A Triathlon coach will be able to help you become a better over-all triathlete. The coach will help identify areas where you can make the biggest improvements and then help you achieve them. A swim coach, cycling coach, and/or run coach are also an option if you just want help in one specific sport.

I hope you enjoyed this 5 part Beginners Series. If you have any specific questions please use the Contact Page and reach out to us. Triathlon can be a fun and rewarding sport. Even if you decide Triathlon is not for you, make sure to put a race on your calendar to stay motivated and keep moving. Exercise is so important for a healthy happy life. Find a sport or activity that interests you and stick with it. Happy Training!

Coach Jay

It's October and the weather is getting cooler, at least in some places.  Here in South Carolina it's still pretty warm during the day, but soup is always a good option for dinner.  I like to make a big pot of soup on the weekend for meals during the week.  It's a quick fix if you get home from work or the gym late and just don't have time or the energy to cook a meal.

This simple minestrone soup is easy to make and, as most of my recipes, easy to modify.  The recipe calls for white beans and I have used both Lima beans and Great Northern Beans - both are good.  The pasta can be any variety you like, but I find a smaller shape is best (small shells, rotini, etc.)  You can also leave out the pasta and add an ancient grain like Barley or Bulgar.

We think this soup is best when made a few days ahead of time.  It's easy to keep it oil free by sauteing the veggies in water instead of oil.

Jbird Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:
2 quarts ( 8 cups ) vegetable broth
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (we like fire roasted)
1 large onion diced
4 - 5 carrots diced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
cooked (or canned) white beans - 3 1/2 cups (2 cans)
8 oz frozen peas
1 cup of bite size pasta
salt and pepper to taste

1)  In a small saucepan, just cover the diced carrots with water and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes.

2)  In your soup pot, saute the onions in water (about 1/4 cup adding more as needed), until soft.  Add the carrots and the carrot water to the onions.

3)  Add the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and saute for about a minute.

4)  Add all other ingredients.

5) Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, partially cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

I hope you enjoy this soup!
Chef T

Welcome to the Fourth installment of a 5 part Beginners Series.

In case you’ve missed the other posts, so far I’ve covered: Is Triathlon for me, Picking Your First Race, and Training for your First Triathlon. Next, I’ll cover Race Day!

Being new to Triathlon you will more than likely be overwhelmed by the amount of “stuff” you need for Race Day. Swim stuff, bike stuff, run stuff. I always recommend to my Athletes to make a Packing List. As the Race Day nears your nervousness will probably grow. A great way to help counter the nervousness is to create a list of everything you will need on Race Day. Each time you review the list you’ll probably think of something else to add. This is a great way to get it out of your mind and onto paper. Then the night before the race you’ll have a great list to check off as you pack things up.

There is another list that I recommend you create. It’s your Race Morning Itinerary & Transition Check List. This is a list and itinerary for the morning of your Race because there is a lot to do. Included on this list is what time you’ll get up, eat, leave for race, arrive at race, packet pickup, body marking, transition setup, transition walk through, put on wetsuit (if applicable), get to start area, Race Start. Also on this list is what you need to setup in transition. Examples could be: rack bike, hydration on bike, race number on bike/helmet, bike shoes, socks, running shoes, race belt w/ bib number, timing chip/strap, etc.

I find that lists are a great way to calm the nerves on race morning. You can focus on checking things off the list instead of trying to remember everything. Make sure to buy one of those cheap headlamps that you can pick up at a home improvement store. Most Triathlons start very early in the morning and it will be dark. The headlamp will allow you to have both hands available while setting your transition area up.

Triathlon Races are just like most Running Races as there will be a Packet Pickup. The Packet will generally contain your Race numbers, promotional T-shirt, swim cap (color usually corresponds to swim wave start), Timing Chip, and other freebie stuff. Many times there is Packet Pickup available the day before the race. I recommend picking up your Packet the day before if you can. If the early pickup is at the race venue then it will give you an opportunity to see the transition setup in the daylight and make race morning easier as there will be one less thing to do on your list.

 Make sure you have the exact address for the race venue. Enter it into whatever GPS app/device the day before the race to be sure it finds the address correctly. Give yourself plenty of time to drive to the race. The bigger the race, the longer it will take to get parked and make your way to the transition area. You should have practiced your transitions during your training, so you should know about how long it will take for you to setup. Make sure to leave time for Body Marking and one last stop to the Porta-John.

Once you have your transition area setup, take the time to walk/jog through the transitions IN’s and OUT’s. Start by walking from the swim exit to your transition area. Make sure you count which isle and how many rows it is to your bike. Then visualize your transition to bike. Then walk to the Bike exit and find the Mount Line. You’ll have to be on the other side of this line when you mount and dismount your bike. Next walk back to your transition area (again counting isles and rows) and visualize transitioning to run. Now walk to the Run Start to familiarize yourself with it. Walk through this sequence again if you have the time and/or had any trouble visualizing any part of the transition.

You’ve done a lot of work to get to Race Day, so Race Day should be about celebrating all of that hard work. Make sure to Have Fun! Remember to smile. Enjoy your accomplishment.

 It’s your first triathlon and there’s a chance that it won’t go perfectly. But that’s ok because every race is an opportunity to learn. Embrace the successes and learn from any mistakes. I’ll cover this and more in “What’s Next?”, the final installment in this 5 part series.

Coach Jay

Welcome to the Third installment of a 5 part Beginners Series.

You’ve decided you want to do a Triathlon and you’ve picked out your first race. So now it’s time to start training. Just like all the variables in picking out a race, there are just as many variables in setting up a training plan for your race. What is your athletic background? Do you have a cardio base already? What distance race are you training for? How many weeks until your race? How many hours a week do you have available to train? These are just a few of the questions that a qualified Triathlon Coach will ask.

Obviously, I recommend you get a coach. There are so many things to learn about in the sport of triathlon. A coach will help teach you just the things you need to learn to get you trained for your first race. Then as you are ready, your coach will help you progress in the sport. A good coach will help keep you motivated, accountable, healthy, and get you prepared physically and mentally for your race.

Having a plan is one of the most important components of successfully training for your first Triathlon. By plan, I’m referring to a schedule of workouts written out for each week of your training. Do not expect to “make it up as you go along” and then have a successful race. A proper training schedule will include a Base, a Build, and a Taper phase. It will include workouts for swimming, biking, and running. Ideally, you’ll be working with a coach that will supply you with a weekly schedule that is designed specifically for you. It will take into account your current fitness level, work schedule, available hour to work out, etc. If you have chosen to train without a coach, you can find generic training plans online for various distance triathlons. Try to find a plan that best fits your life and triathlon goals.

Whether you decide to hire a coach or not, look around for a local Triathlon Club. Many clubs will offer group training for members. Clubs are generally very helpful to new triathletes. Club members can offer helpful insights into training and racing. If there are no local Triathlon Clubs available then reach out to friends or co-workers that have experience in Triathlon.

Remember you don’t need a bunch of new equipment for your first race. Many athletes get caught up in wanting new gear that they lose sight of the goal… which should be to have fun and complete their first Triathlon. So, make sure keep it simple for your first race. Concentrate on the training and not so much on the gear. That being said, try to train with what you plan on using for race day.

Make sure to train your weakness. Triathlon is 3 sports and many new (and veteran) triathletes make the mistake of neglecting the sport they like the least or aren’t the best at. Sure, if you’re a runner it’s easy to spend more time training for the run. But you will be better served by training for the sport that you are the weakest in. Most (not all) runners aren’t good swimmers and most (not all) swimmers aren’t good runners. Point is, it’s really hard to be great at swimming, biking, and running. So spend more time training for the sport you can make the most gains in.

Practice transitions. This is often over-looked in generic training plans. It doesn’t matter if you are competitive or not, transitions are an important part of Triathlons. Poorly executed transitions are a waste of time, energy, and can be stressful. Having to transition from swim to bike and then bike to run will be something completely new to the beginner triathlete. You can practice transitions just by setting up in your driveway, out of your car in a parking lot, or just about anywhere with a little open space.

I also recommend to all triathletes to train on the race course when possible. But new triathletes especially can gain a lot of confidence by swimming, biking, and/or running on the race course during training.

While training for any race isn’t (and shouldn’t be) easy, you should make sure to have some enjoyment and fun. Triathlon can be a very rewarding endeavor. Embrace the challenge and the journey. Good luck with your training! Stay tuned for the next installment, “First Triathlon - Race Day”, post 4 of this 5 part series.

Coach Jay

Race Report by Athlete Brian K.
White Lake Fall 70.3
9/9/2017

It was a strange week leading up to race day, I was calm. I wasn’t nervous, the taper wasn’t even bothering me. I was confident. I felt strong. For the first time in as long as I can remember I was going into my “A” race healthy and mentally prepared. I didn’t think I was going to have a good race, I KNEW it! As my coach, Jay Hamvas, says “You put in the hard work and suffering into training and race day becomes a reward”. He was right, there was plenty of hard work leading up to this race and I knew I was set up for a successful day.

Race morning, we got to White Lake and it was chilly, 58 degrees or so. Water temp was in the mid 70’s. I remember saying I couldn’t wait to get to the swim so I could warm up. Pre-race went smooth, plenty of time to check in and set everything up. Jay and I did a walkthrough of all the transition entrances and exits to be familiar with them come race time. The overall atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. I was ready.

Swim time! I got into the water a little early to do some warm up strokes. The wind was blowing pretty good and the lake had some chop to it. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, that will change shortly. There were 3 swim waves and each one was small. That makes for a nice and easy mass start. The gun goes off, we start and then the wheels fall off. We start on the 2-loop course and it is directly into the chop. I made it about 100m before I start to panic. I got kicked and a couple face fulls of water and I’m frozen. I can’t swim, hell I can barely breathe. I immediately turn over and float on my back. So many negative thoughts are shooting through my head, I know one of them was to call over a support craft.

Then something happened. A random guy stopped his swim and asked if I was okay. He didn’t know me, and I will never know him but that one sentence was enough to pull me out of my dark place that I had put myself in. I put my face in the water and swam. After a few strokes and a couple successful breaths I started to get into a rhythm. When I got out of the water I wasn’t tired and overall, I felt good. My time wasn’t what I wanted but considering where I was 50 minutes ago I was satisfied.

The run to T1 was long but I was able to get on the bike in only a couple minutes. My plan on the bike was to take the first 10miles easy and slowly ramp it up from there. Here comes the wind! I started fueling and hydrating early and often. It was good to be on the bike after that swim. I’m comfortable on the bike, it’s my strongest leg of the race. Miles were flying under my wheels, I only looked at my speed a couple times. I held to the race plan. My HR and perceived effort were my focus. Coming into the last few miles of the bike I took some time to assess how I felt. One word: Amazing! I couldn’t wait to get on the run.

T2 took a little longer than I wanted. I had so much dirt on my feet from T1 and I needed to get that cleaned off or I knew I would pay for it later on the run. I left on the run and I was shocked to see that everything was lining up perfectly. Pace and HR were exactly where they needed to be. Legs felt strong. I had this…or so I thought. The aid stations were spaced very far apart, too far for me and it was getting hot. I was able to tick off my first 5k in 27-28 minutes which was perfect for my race goal. Then I tried to eat my gel and my stomach said “NO”.

I really don’t know how I made it through the rest of the run. It was horrible, I was in pain. I was hot and more importantly I was disappointed in myself. I got to the turnaround at mile 7.5 and looked at my elapsed time. With some rough calculations, I figured that I could run 12:00 minute miles and still make my 6:00 hour PR goal. I had this, nothing was going to stop me from that. I put my head down and just ran as hard as I could. I would go from traffic cone to traffic cone. The last mile was the most painful I have ever run.

I was so happy to see the finish line. I can’t believe that I snuck in under 6 hours with a 5:52:30. I will take it! Looking back, I would like to think that I would’ve pushed myself that hard on the run if I had gone through all the training alone, but I didn’t. My coach had just as much invested in me as I did and I would be damned if I was going to let him down that close to my goal. I know that without his help and preparation I wouldn’t have been able to be in the position to have 2 of the 3 legs of my race go horribly wrong and still get a PR. I knocked almost 24 minutes off my old record! That folks is a good ending to a very hard and trying day. I went to bed happy that night….at 7:00PM.

Coaches Notes:

As a #coachthatraces I know how hard tough races can be as an athlete. But I was a little surprised at how hard it was waiting for one of my athletes to cross the finish line. I started getting worried when Brian hadn’t finished when I expected him to. I started second guessing all of his training. Wondering if I had done something wrong and could have done things better.

Ultimately every race is an opportunity to learn. For the Athlete and for the Coach. There are no bad races. Only learning experiences. So here are a few Coaches notes and my takeaways from Brian’s race.

Positives: Great T1 and T2 times. Transitions are free time if you use them properly and Brian did. Awesome bike split. We had a plan for the bike leg and Brian executed it perfectly. All the training in the world can’t always perfectly prepare you for race day. Things happen. He had things go wrong in his race but he dug deep and gutted it out. That in of itself is a huge Win. Plus a new PR! Congrats.

Things that need to be addressed: I should have encouraged Brian to do more Open Water Swims. The swim was very choppy and I didn’t prepare him for that. We should have done more “worst case scenario” mental training. Practicing visualizing how things might go wrong, and how you would handle them, really helps on race day when things go sideways.  We need to address his nutrition on the bike and run. Even though he felt good coming off the bike, it’s possible he was already behind on calories. Better heat acclimatization and fueling on the run will also be addressed and perfected before his next race.

Welcome to the Second installment of a 5 part Beginners Series.

So, you’ve decided you want to do a Triathlon? I recommend picking a race as the next step. As I discussed in the previous post in this series, there are a lot of options to consider when deciding on a race. But once you decide to do it, pick the race, add it to the calendar, then it will give you the motivation to start training for it.

With so many variables in picking your best “First” Triathlon, it will really come down to individual choices. I’ll cover some of these variables in no particular order because only you can decide which of these are most important to you.

Are you ready to take on all 3 sports? If not, there is nothing wrong with joining a relay team and just doing one leg of the race: swim, bike, or run. Doing so will allow you to experience the race without having to train for all 3 disciplines. Not all races have the relay option so make sure to research that. Some races have Facebook pages and people will post that they’re looking for another member for their team. Or form your own team with friends or co-workers.

2 out of 3 ain’t bad! If you aren’t ready for all 3 sports then consider doing a Duathlon, Aquabike, or Aquathon. Not all races offer these options so there might be fewer races to choose from, but these are a great alternative to doing the full Triathlon. Duathlon is run-bike-run. Aquabike is swim-bike. Aquathon is swim-run. There are many different lengths and combinations available so do your research and find one that fits your needs.

Swimming is probably the biggest reason many athletes don’t get into the sport of Triathlon. It can be intimidating and scary for cyclists and runners. The reality is, swimming is probably the best cross-training sport a cyclist and runner can do. The low impact nature and buoyancy in the water make swimming the perfect rehab and active recovery exercise we can do. But swimming is also the most technical and hardest sport to master of the 3 disciplines….. unless you grew up swimming. In which case, you can skip this paragraph LOL. There are 2 options when choosing a race with regards to the swim leg of a Triathlon, Pool Swim or Open Water Swim. Both have their pros and cons. Pool swim races offer a clean, clear environment and lane lines to keep you swimming straight. But pool swim Triathlons can be crowded and often result in waiting in long lines to start the race. Open water swim (OWS) races are more challenging when you have a fear of water or what lives in the water. But there are also different types of open water swims available, like rivers, lakes, ponds, waterways, and ocean. Many of the OWS races have wave starts that reduce the amount of people starting at once, hence reducing the amount of bumping and melee.

Have a mountain bike? Great! There are Off-Road Triathlons available. XTERRA is the best known off-road triathlon organizer. They offer races all over the world. And like Ironman, XTERRA offers a chance to qualify for the World Championship held in Hawaii. All XTERRA races are open water swims but many are in quiet rivers and lakes. Another option is riding the mountain bike for a regular on-road Triathlon. Some smaller local races offer a “fat tire or mountain bike” division.

Pick the distance of the Triathlon based on your strengths and previous athletic accomplishments. Many Triathletes do start with the shorter Sprint distance, then over time try doing the longer Olympic/International distance. But there is no rule that says you “have to” do it that way. I know several athletes that did an Ironman distance as their first Triathlon. I don’t necessarily recommend doing that, but my point is that you should pick the distance race that you feel motivated to train for and complete.

Another thing to think about when choosing your first race is the location. I generally recommend picking a race that is close to where you live. There are several reasons for this. First, it’s best if the terrain you will be training on matches the terrain of the race. Training in the flat and racing in hills can make for a rough first triathlon experience. Secondly, traveling to your first race adds other logistics that can make your first race experience more stressful. If you choose to (or have to, due to race availability) travel to your first race then book accommodations early and as close to the venue as possible. Consider picking a race in a town where you have family or friends that will come out and cheer you on.

If you are lucky enough to live in or close to an area with a Triathlon Club, many times the club may sponsor a local race. Typically, these races are very beginner friendly as most Triathlon Clubs love to help foster the sport and encourage new athletes to the sport.

Here are a few websites to help you find available races.
www.active.com
www.trifind.com
www.triathlete.com
www.setupevents.com (North and South Carolina Races)
www.xterraplanet.com

Whichever race you choose, make sure to have fun going into this new challenge. Stay tuned for the next installment, “Training for your first Triathlon”, post 3 of this 5 part series.

Coach Jay

Several years ago, I wanted to create a bar like store bought bars, but I wanted it to be healthy and not packed full of ingredients I couldn't pronounce.  I experimented with some recipes I found online and finally came up with my own creation.  These are handy when you need a little snack or are craving something sweet. 

I list the basic ingredients below, but you could always mix it up with different dried fruit or add nuts.  Also, the measurements are approximate, you can always adjust to your taste.

To really make these easy, you need to use a food processor and a good mixer.  The food processor is integral to getting the fruit chopped up small.

Ingredients:
Dried dates (pitted) - 1/2 -3/4 cup
Dried apricots - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
Raisins - 1/2 -3/4 cup
Ground Flax seed - 1 Tbsp plus a sprinkle
Unsweetened applesauce - about 3/4 cup
Banana - 1
Quick oats - 2 cups
Cocoa powder (regular or dark) - 2-3 Tbsp
Vegan chocolate chips - 1/2 cup
Water - as needed

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Add the dates, apricots and a sprinkle of flaxseed to the food processor.  Mix until the fruit is finely chopped.
3) Add the processed fruit, flax seed, applesauce and banana to the mixer and blend until the banana is mostly mush.
4) Add the rest of the ingredients, except water, and mix.  Add water as needed to help it mix and add moisture.
5) Spray and 8x8 or 9x9 glass pan with cooking spray.  Add the bar mixture and press in and smooth out.
6) Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.  If they are too moist, cook a little longer next time.
7) Cool before cutting.  I cut them into squares and store them in the refrigerator.