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On May 1st, in the town of St. George, Utah, Quentin Stewart set his sites on qualifying for the Ironman World Championships. In spite of it being an inaugural event, the St. George course had quickly become a hot topic of debate as to whether it would be the toughest Ironman course in North America. On race day, there was little to be argued. Featuring a bike course that started at 3,200 feet and climbed several peaks upwards of 4,700 feet, triathletes faced quad burning ascents and lightning fast descents. The run course offered little reprieve as competitors faced two laps of rolling climbs from 3,000 – 4,700 feet.
If the course wasn’t enough of a challenge, Quentin races in one of the fastest age-groups in the field. Finding himself in 366th position after the swim, Quentin rode his bike 112 miles in 5:30:27 for an average speed of 20.3 mph. This was good enough to move him up the ranks with the 47th overall bike split. After over 6 ½ hours of racing, it was now time to lace up the running shoes and face the marathon. It’s been said that the run makes or breaks your triathlon and this proved to be the case at St. George. Quentin quickly found a good pace to settle into and ran the 26.2 miles in just over 3 hours and 16 minutes for a 7:30 pace. Putting down the 22nd fastest run split for the day (including the pro athletes), Quentin claimed 5th place in his age group and secured his spot for the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii later this year.
To aid in his quest for Kona, Quentin began working with our own USAT Level 2 coach, Jeff Delaune in December 2008. “When Quentin came to me, he was a self-professed mid-pack cyclist with a history of injury and inconsistent training and results”, said Jeff. In their time together, he’s completed his first triathlon (Ochsner Ironman New Orleans 70.3), placed 4th in his age group at his first Iron-distance event, Vineman, and run in 5 marathons. Prior to working with Jeff, he had not raced a single triathlon or marathon. In each of this five marathons, he’s set a personal record beginning with a 3:21 in Huntsville, and most recently ran the Rock n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon in 2:56.
When asked about his coaching, Quentin notes, “Jeff has trained me in a way that I have remained injury free and achieved success in every race, distance, and discipline we have prepared for. Without a doubt, what has been accomplished is the result of a consistent and objective training plan that has been implemented by Jeff. Furthermore, as a coach and individual, he has a remarkable ability to adapt the training plans and loads as needed based on the data he is presented. Such a drastic improvement in my athletic performance would not have been possible without his coaching and guidance”.
“It’s been a great joy to work with an athlete of Quentin’s ability, determination, and drive. I take a great deal of pride in watching him succeed and continue to improve. His threshold power has improved a full 70 watts in the time we’ve worked together and his run splits continue to amaze me. Looking forward to Kona, we’re eager to see what these two are capable of pulling off on the big island. “I’m sure I’ll be a nervous wreck on October 10th. Watching the results come in at St. George kept me on the edge of my seat. When I saw that he grabbed a qualifying spot, I literally jumped out of my seat.”
Jeff Delaune
Jeff Delaune is a USA Triathlon Level 2 Certified Coach and works with Ben Elder and the Team Rising Sun multisport team at Elmwood Fitness Center. To find out how he can help you reach your multisport goals, contact him at jpdelaune@msn.com.
WE DO TRIATHLONS BECAUSE THEY ARE FUN!
THE RULES ARE THERE FOR SAFETY AND FAIRNESS!
SPORTSMANSHIP IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT!
ENJOYING A LIFETIME OF HEALTHY HABITS IS THE GOAL!
REST (SLEEP) IS THE OMITTED 4TH ACTIVITY OF TRIATHLON!
WE COMPETE AGAINST OURSELVES & OUR PERSONAL GOALS!
DON’T CHASE THE TROPHY, LIVE THE EXPERIENCE!
WINNING IS FINISHING!
KIDS ARE OUR FUTURE
Contributed by council member, René LaVergne of Little Rock, AR.
You know you’re a triathlete when…….
You can’t imagine who’d be calling you after 8:30 PM because don’t ALL your friends know that you’ve been in bed for 30 minutes all ready, and hey, why aren’t they asleep, too?
Dressing up means a clean t-shirt and no lycra
When your significant other asks for a quickie and you say “sure” then hop on your bike for a fast 30 mile ride.
You carry in your car as permanent accessories: a pair of speedos, a pair of running shorts, a running tee, goggles, trishorts, bike shorts, running shoes, a water bottle, GU, and a pair of socks beside what you carry in your training bag!!!
Your idea of a romantic evening is to snuggle with your loved one, sip gatorade, and watch a video of an Ironman… and cry at the finale.
You wear your heart rate monitor during a “romantic interlude” to see if it qualifies for a cardio workout. Then you check your recovery time to see how fit you are.
You travel 20 hours to do a race that will last 70 minutes, with no hope of getting a prize.
Your first criteria in buying a car is that the trunk has to be big enough to hold your bike.
Your bike cost more than your car.
You wake up at 4:00 AM but don’t get to work until after 9:00.
You bring bottled water to a party so that you’re properly hydrated for the next morning’s long run… everyone else at the party also brought their own bottled water becasue they don’t have a social life outside of triathlon. Oh yea, and they all showed up by 7 PM and left by 10 PM.
You own more swim, bike and run clothes than other clothes.
You ride your bike to the start of a local 10k race. You can use the words “hammer” and “brick” in a conversation that has nothing to do with construction.
You purchase a third wetsuit to have more range of choice for different conditions.
You can only get major projects done at home during taper weeks.
Your bill for vitamins, supplements, protein powder, energy bars and recovery drinks surpasses your grocery bill.
You can’t remember the last time you had all your toenail and you’ve actually grown kinda fond of the alternating blue/black and white/pink pattern on alternate toes.
You are convinced that if you rest more than one day, your muscles will atrophy, your ultra fit body will turn into a pile of goo and everyone in your age group will beat you.
author unknown
Shelly Campbell
USAT Level3 International Elite Development Coach
Often I ask an athlete how they did in a race and, sometimes irregardless of what they say, I hear the statement, “I could have done…”. This is a common mistake many individuals make after a race performance. It is ok to be desirous of success, however, you need to monitor that properly for your mental health and learn to celebrate the achievement(s) you have accomplished. Your mind can become injured just as your physical being. Often we do not see perceive this type of injury until it is too late.
The road to a positive, successful, performance-enhancing evaluation begins BEFORE the race by writing down your goals for the race. By putting your thoughts on paper, they become objective after the race. At that point those goals are also impossible to change in suit of your post race needs. Perhaps you will want to share those goals with a friend, coach, or spouse so that they are realistic and honor the reality of your circumstances. (For example, those goals can be anything from finishing to a time projection. From maintaining pace with anther competitor to an individual sport focus).
Then when your event is complete, in your log compare YOUR race to your pre-race goals. This is important because if you meet or exceed your goals then you have no basis for negative self- talk. You then have a basis to forge ahead to new goals and levels of success. This is the point of celebration.
However, the inner critic will typically be very prominent. You may find you are holding yourself accountable for situations beyond your control (i.e. weather or another’s performance). You may have set an unrealistic goal that only encourages failure (i.e.-I have to win this race, or it is a waste of time). You may be only comparing your performance against that of another athlete. You may find yourself using negative adjectives to describe yourself (i.e. you stupid idiot, you could have pushed harder!). Your critic may dwell on negative characteristics (i.e. you are always late and never warm-up enough). Finally you many find that you are plagued by a self-labeled view (i.e. all the other competitors do not like me and think of me as worthless). Can you relate to any of the above?
Of course many of us can. Sometimes, overcoming this powerful voice can be too much for the individual athlete to tackle alone. A coach, friend, mentor or even another health care professional may need to intervene. However, the path to improvement can be exposed with one word—WHY? Why do you perform? Why do you race? What is your self-worth should the ability to race be taken away? Perhaps it is time to revisit the log book and start writing again. Or, maybe it is time to re-evaluate the role sport plays in your life. No matter what direction is taken, you will have begun a thought process that is more powerful than that inner critic. You are then on the road to becoming a better athlete and a better performer.
Shelly Campbell is a USAT Level 3 International Elite Development Coach, The SMW Regional Athlete Development Coordinator, a High Performance Junior Team Coach and a PanAmerican Camp Director. She may be contacted at shelly@icon1multisport.com
Shelly Campbell
USAT Level3 International Elite Development Coach
Without exception, Olympics inspire dreams. Especially for the young athletes who, when they close their eyes and replay the moment their favorite athlete crossed the finish line, they see themselves doing the same, open their eyes and say in a mix of words, “I want to do that and I need you (parent, coach, friend) to show me how”.
At that moment, an array of emotions floods a parent (coach or friend).
What do you say?! After all, no one wants to discourage the aspirations of a child.
How does one become an Olympian?!
Who do you talk to?!
Who said parenting was easy!?
Unfortunately I often hear that a pre-teen athlete is doing an Olympic Distance event (1.5k swim/40k bike/10k run) because someone erroneously decided the distance gave the athlete Olympic potential. Even more often I hear that 9, 10, and 11 year olds are doing sprint distance events because that is the route to the above distance. At those moments I am filled with a heavy heart knowing that the dreams of those young athletes may never be fulfilled and a lot of disappointment is sure to embellish their future.
What does it take to become an Olympian? The obvious is a VERY fast swim, bike, and run combination. However, the journey to becoming a top Elite athlete is filled with challenges that require much more than just physical ability.
Seek a Balanced Approach to Athletic Achievement
With the scenario above I often see the athlete finding success very quickly in performance, media acknowledgement, rewards given in the form of fancy equipment, and an identity with being a winner gauged only on the performance of the day. The danger is that when the athlete doesn’t stand atop the podium, something else must drive the athlete to succeed. If less than first, suddenly the sense of self worth is challenged and personal identity is shattered. Suddenly the new bike they were promised may not happen. Suddenly the car ride home is silent because their whole world has crashed – all because they got beat.
Unfortunately this situation has nothing to do with the potential of the athlete in triathlon. Yet it has everything to do with the approach taken and the future of the athlete in sport.
So what do you do?
Seek a Professional Coach
No matter what the age of the young athlete, my first suggestion is to seek a professional who understands draft-legal and Elite style racing. You can contact your National Governing Board for a list of those coaches.
The United States has a designated Regional Athlete Development Coordinator (RADC) that is listed on the national website. There are many coaches who work with Age-group athletes but that is a very different style of racing than Elite so the coach must understand the difference.
Alternatives to Distance
With young athletes under the age of 12 the theme of training, especially run, should be speed and skill, not volume. I highly encourage team sports such as soccer, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, etc.
Under the age of 15
Swim- I strongly encourage participation with a swim team. Swim in open water if available.
Bike- Off-road riding is a great way to have fun and gain skill. Utilize a velodrome if you are lucky enough to live near one.
Running- Beyond age 12 there is the potential to participate in cross country in school. Seek hills and off-road running when possible.
Beyond Swim/Bike/Run
Here is a short list of things that can be successfully incorporated into a training plan and will support the goal of becoming a top performer. I strongly suggest that a professional is sought in each of these areas to maximize the educational opportunity for everyone in the family.
1- Gymnastics for youth. This is an incredible sport that even if it is only a part of their lives for 3months can have long term benefits.
2- Understand basic physiology. After all isn’t that the engine of performance? Even 7-10 yr olds should be able to describe the role of the heart & lungs and utilize a perceived rate of exertion scale.
3- Nutrition. There isn’t an Olympic athlete who doesn’t understand the critical role this plays in performance. Have the athlete chose, shop, cook a meal, and be involved in the weekly family meal planning.
4- Stability training. Notice this does not say weight or core training. There is a lot more to strength work than iron plates and abdominal muscles.
5- Transitions. Work through them often and strive to be the absolute fastest athlete at every competition.
6- Basic bike maintenance and mechanic skills. This can range from a 7 yr old understanding basic parts (ie frame, etc) to those traveling with their bike, equipment specifications, and measurements. Spend time at a local bike shop.
7- Public speaking. If you have been watching the Olympics you can see that athletes are ambassadors to their country and not just participants in sport.
8- Setting goals and a plan for achievement. The very topic of this article starts with dreams of a young athlete. However, a dream is a dream until written. Then it is a goal. It is never too early to begin working with goal setting. Don’t forget the characteristics of a goal; 1- it must be measurable, 2- be within your control 3- it must have a time-frame to achievement, 4- It must be attainable.
9- Giving Back. The best way to understand knowledge is to work with others. Teenagers should embrace the opportunity to help younger athletes.
10- Encourage FUN! Evaluate the season, the races, the mental aspect of racing, and more. If you have to, structure and plan time away from triathlon. Go skiing or hiking or anything else that the heart desires. Just mix it up because who knows? You may be working with a future Olympian.
Shelly Campbell is a USAT Level 3 International Elite Development Coach, the SMW Regional Athlete Development Coordinator, a High Performance Junior Team Coach ,a PanAmerican Camp Director, and the head coach for Team Gecko Multisport Kids and IconOne Multisport. She may be contacted at shelly@icon1multisport.com
New swimmers and triathletes often ask, “If I’m in such great shape, running and cycling, why can’t I swim one length of the pool without feeling out of breath?” The answer is multidimensional. Ask yourself: “How many of the factors listed below may be at work in my swimming/drilling right now?” Once revealed, you’ll understand that you’re not out of shape and be less likely to abort your efforts to master drills out of fear that, because they don’t seem demanding, drill practice may be causing you to go soft.
Factor One: (The BIG ONE)
Most folks think that the stimulus to breathe is lack of Oxygen (O2). In fact, only about 25 percent of the O2 in the air we breathe is utilized as it’s transported through the body. The fact that exhaled breath has plenty of O2 left in it is what allows CPR to be effective.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2), on the other hand, is only found in minute quantities of the air we inspire, but constitutes about 5% of what we exhale. We produce CO2 as a byproduct of energy production at the cellular level. The more active you are, the more CO2 you produce and transport to the lungs where it’s exchanged for fresh air. Out with the bad air, in with the good. This increasing level of CO2 in the blood is the brain’s chemical signal to breathe.
At rest, we breathe between 10 and 15 times per minute or once every 4-6 seconds. With strenuous activity such as running or cycling you might finding yourself breathing as often as 60 times a minute or more as your brain signals you to get rid of accumulating CO2 by breathing faster. No problem when you’re on the road or track. But what happens when your face is underwater? Your body rotation rhythm now dictates your respiratory rate, and this is often not rapid enough to satisfy the sensors in your brain.
Suppose, for example, that it takes you three cycles of Triple Switch and about 30 seconds to get from one end of the pool to the other. That equates to one breath every 10 seconds or so –much slower than the usual rate of once each 4 to 5 seconds. Though you try to remain relaxed while doing the switches, at the end of the pool your brain still may say, “Blow off some CO2 until we’re back to baseline and comfortable again.” Again, this is purely brain chemistry, not conditioning. This is why we recommend three full breaths each time you roll to air in most drill practice.
Know then, that any breath-holding activity will cause you to compensate at the other end with deeper or more rapid respirations. Thus, we need to mimic as close to a normal breathing pattern as possible. If you hold your breath while you’re nose down – whether doing switches or whole-stroke — until the very last moment and then try to quickly exhale/inhale, as your face comes to the surface, you’re breath holding. To maintain a normal pattern, begin exhaling lightly from the moment you turn your head nose-down. This helps keep water out of the nose and the last bit of exhalation occurs as the nose clears the surface and you take a breath through your mouth.
Factor two:
During the late 1980’s an O2 usage study was conducted with some elite runners — Boston Marathon winners. O2 consumption was measured while the runner’s preferred, normal stride length was artificially manipulated on a treadmill. Slight alterations of either shortening or lengthening their preferred stride produced marked changes in oxygen consumption.
If you’re new to TI, you are probably engaged in trying to change your stroke length and rate. Until the new SL becomes routine for you, it would be normal to expect that the change itself may temporarily increase O2 consumption and CO2 production. As your economy of movement also improves, you should see a decrease in O2 consumption.
Hopefully, this has put your mind at ease. If you’re a triathlete, with the other training you’re doing, it’s highly unlikely you could be out of shape or “going soft” by doing drills in the pool. For each of us, breathing is the necessary evil. Becoming more skilled at rolling to air without losing your balance, or your “anchor” with the lead hand, is the challenge. Switch drills are essential to acquiring that skill. As your rhythmic breathing in whole-stroke becomes more seamless, practice breathing every cycle (breathing to your right on one length, to your left on the next) to insure that your respiratory rate is adequate. As that happens you will find yourself spending less time on the wall recovering between laps and swimming farther without fatigue. Ultimately each of you will find your own particular stroke length and rate that allows you to feel the freedom to continue with ease and pleasure. Be a student first and resist abandoning the pursuit of higher efficiency for the sake of training inefficient movement.
Instructing swimmers since 1965, Atlas Athletics’ Coach Bob Wiskera has seen and contributed to the evolution of swimming instruction. He is an American Swim Coaches Association Level 2 Certified coach. In addition, he is a 10+ years experienced, Certified Total Immersion Coach/Director, traveling nationwide as a Director of TI’s freestyle weekend workshops. More articles and information on his coaching schedule can be viewed at http://www.swimdallas.com/index.html
Boris Robinson, USAT Level II Coach
Transitions are a critical part of triathlon racing. Most people spend hours training on the swim, bike and run; yet neglect training for the transitions from Swim to Bike (T1) and Bike to Run (T2). These two transitions are integral parts of the sport. Even when athletes go out for a combo workout, many times they bike a few miles, come back and then run for a few miles. While technically this is a combo workout the focus is normally on getting their running legs back after getting off the bike and not on the art of transitioning.
I attended a race recently and watched a few athletes come out of the water in the top group, only to get caught by a number of slower swimmers because of slow transitions. What’s the point of swimming fast only to get caught and in some cases passed in the transition area? I have seen folks sit down, put on socks, drink water or sports drink, even eat in the transition area while other athletes pass them by.
Transitions are what I call “Free Speed” you don’t have to swim faster, bike faster or run faster. They don’t require hours of training or high mileage but they do require planning and practice. Once you have mastered the art of transition you will see significant improvements in the amount of time you spend in the transition area. Streamlining your transitions will also make the race a lot more fun.
I recommend laying out your gear just like you would for a race (in the order of use), since you transition from swim to bike (T1), I recommend your helmet be the first item you put on once you get to T1, it’s a safety issue as well as a rule; wear your helmet before you touch your bike. My motto is “no helmet, no ride.” Select a towel (something unique to help you spot your area) to lie on the ground, and then lay out your gear for biking, then the run. Most experienced triathletes have their shoes clipped into the pedals on the bike, so you really only have your helmet and sunglasses to put on before you un-rack your bike and head to the mount line. Once you have laid out your gear for the bike, then lie out your run gear; running shoes, race number belt and hat if you wear one.
Once you gear is laid out in the order of use, you should walk to the swim entrance into the transition area and get a good mental picture of where your bike is racked. Next you should move to the bike exit/entrance and look back to your rack making a mental note of where your rack is in relation to the bike entrance. Transition areas look very different once a race starts and you should have specific landmarks or reference points that will not move to help you locate your rack.
Using these simple techniques and practicing them at least on a weekly basis will improve your transition time and get you out biking and running much faster.
Boris Robinson is a youth elite and junior specific coach and owner of T3Multisports, LLC He is the head coach for the Hawaii Youth Triathlon Club on Oahu and the newly formed T3Multisports Elite in Round Rock, Texas. He is a featured coach for Training Peaks.com and has written and published triathlon training plans specifically for age appropriate development of young triathletes. Boris is a USA Triathlon Level II Coach, a USA Cycling Level III Coach, and a member of the National Council of Youth Sports. He was selected as a 2008 candidate for the USAT Elite coaching mentorship program. Questions contact coachBoris at: coachBoris@T3Multisports.com or visit: www.T3Multisports.com
Do you feel guilty when you don’t get your Monday swim workout in and then make it up on Tuesday? Do you feel bad if you don’t get your 2 hour bike ride in on Saturday? So then you go do the long bike after your 15 mile run on Sunday to “flush out the legs” right?
We triathletes, generally a Type A personality, always strive for the best. We strive to be the best swimmer, best spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend, best cyclist, best co-worker and the best runner to name a few. Most of us have a 40 hr week job, family and friends along with many weekly hours of training. It’s no surprise we sometimes forget about ourselves. Because we tend to be over achievers, we don’t listen to our bodies as much as we should. Think about it… How often do you go workout feeling sore, fatigued and not really motivated but the schedule is pushing you. Even your heart rate is above normal but you have to get that workout in don’t you?
What do we call this? As coaches, we call this over training. What is over training? Over training can be defined as the state where the athlete has been repeatedly stressed to the point where rest is no longer adequate to allow for recovery. Over training is a collection of emotional, behavioral and physical symptoms and is known as “burnout” or “staleness.”
Now don’t get confused about being sore and tired after a hard workout. You will feel as such when you are training for all three sports. Fatigue is going to happen. Training includes getting the right type and amount of physical stress followed by the necessary amount of rest. The rest period is where you become stronger and recover for your next workout. Over training is consistent exhaustion which continues even after planned recovery periods. The most common symptom is fatigue. The athlete may become moody, easily irritated, experience changed in sleep patterns, loose desire and motivation for the sport and even become depressed. Some athletes may have decreased appetite along with weight lost. Your body needs to recover. That’s simple physiology. Listen to your body! It is critical to allow the body to repair, either through rest or easy recovery workouts.
How does an athlete get this way and how can an athlete avoid over training?
Develop a training plan or hire a coach that can do it for you.
To develop a training plan, be sure to use periodization. Developing your own training can be overwhelming when your schedule is already overloaded. Consider hiring a coach to help develop a personal program. Ensure that you stick to your goals and give yourself enough time to rest and recover. Adhering to a calculated plan of attack will keep you from logging junk miles and focus on quality training. Triathletes tend to log junk miles for some reason…
Set goals and stick to your plan
Set goals and be realistic about them. Are you a 1st year triathlete and want to do an Ironman? That is an amazing and attainable goal but you’ll need to work your way up to it. Ironman training can be too taxing for 1st year triathletes… especially for someone who’s been inactive for a while. Take your time and do it right. Setting goals too high may push your training beyond your capacity, which could lead to over training.
Another very important tip is to stick with your training plan. Stick with your plan not your partners plan. If you have all intentions to go nice and easy but you see everyone pushing it, you may tend to push it with them. Don’t copy anyone else’s schedule…stick with your own.
Keep a log
A training log is a great way to monitor your progress. It is also a useful tool for keeping an eye on your body and its level of fatigue. Not only should you keep track of your distance and the intensity of your workouts but AM heart rate, weight, how the workout felt, the number of hours of sleep and if you are fatigue as well. Any significant change may signal over training.
Eat and Sleep well
Make sure you are getting enough calories but make sure it is the right proportions of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Don’t forget about the vitamins and minerals which your body needs. A diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables, lean beef and whole grain could give you great results and keep you from running down your body.
We tend to forget how important sleep is to the recovery process. If your plan calls for a rest week, REST!! A lot of us athletes forget how important sleep is to the recovery process. The amount and quality of sleep you get both affect your body’s recovery AND its ability to improve and perform.
By ensuring you are getting enough quality sleep, along with proper eating, keeping a log, setting your goals and developing a plan, you will reduce fatigue and avoid over training. In addition, you’ll better remember to keep a smile on your face.
On the bike you need to look forward at the rider in front of you or at upcoming traffic patterns and signals. This is done by focusing on someone ahead or looking for warning signs, signals cross roads and tight turns. Look in the direction you want the bike to go. If you are trying to avoid something and you look at it, you’re going to hit it.
Coach Boris specializes in youth elite and junior draft legal racing. He is the director and head coach for T3Multisports Elite a USAT High Performance Team. He also coaches adults and elites; in addition he is a featured coach for Training Peaks.com and has written youth and junior specific training plans available at www.trainingpeaks.com/coachBoris.
This category is for sharing imformation about multi-sport clubs in our region.
This category is for council members to post articles of importance to our members.
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