All over the news lately is a new trend called barefoot running. The obvious definition- running in bare feet. I have been intrigued by this new phenomenon and I do like to follow new trends. I consider myself a trendy chick for a forty something, well sort of. Anyway, I looked at some interesting web-sites and while intrigued, I still was not inspired enough the other morning when I went out on my deck to inspect the great outdoors to discover the outside temperature of 13 degrees Fahrenheit or -10.5 Celsius. I immediately ran back inside, barefoot, right to my computer to learn more.
I spent the morning surfing and learning about the Vibram Five Fingers shoe especially made for this,"barefoot running," at eighty bucks a pop I wondered why I'd bother with these since the trend is without them. I read more about the folks out there who are purists and really prefer wearing nothing on their feet at all and about a guy whose done one hundred marathons barefoot. Humm. What's a girl to do when she wants to try a new trend? I decided to wait for the spring to attempt running sans shoes outside. I packed my bag and off I went to do some barefoot running of my own; on the HydroWorx treadmill.
A perfect and safe environment for barefoot running is on the underwater treadmill at HydroWorx. I'm in my swim suit too and barefoot and as carefree as a pregnant woman. Okay so maybe I should save the stand-up for the spring too, but the warmth of the water and safety of the underwater treadmill came through again. I'm still on trend, but I am not going to have to shock my feet into understanding why I am running without shoes. The underwater treadmill leaves me weightless and therefore my feet are not taking the pounding they would barefoot on a road or trail. I am still carefree and running; just safe and pain-free.
While running barefoot I decided to do intervals. Anyone who runs knows the importance of interval training and while I am an older athlete, my speed is probably not going to improve greatly at this point, it is still something that I incorporate into my workouts rather than doing the same old run at the same old speed. Repeats or intervals are something that I normally do on a track or on the pavement. The last time I did intervals was with my friend Fran, the crazy, mountain- trail racer. I was miserable because we did them running on the road and by the fifth one I could feel my feet hitting the pavement, this was with a very cushioned shoe; imagine without shoes.
The underwater treadmill was perfect for an interval workout and fun. I warmed up by running at about 6mph for about ten minutes. Then I alternated speeds, and to make things even more fun, I added the resistance jets on the pool, making it feel like you are running uphill. I ran at about 6.5 mph for about one minute fifteen seconds and then keeping the same speed, added the resistance jets at about 75% for about a minute. I did ten of these. After about thirty minutes I switched to straight running at 6.5 mph and then did a cool down at about 6mph for the last ten minutes.
I was completely distracted during the intervals because I was looking at my watch for time and constantly changing the resistance jets; this made the workout fly by and it made it fun for me because I was changing my routine a bit. Distraction is something that I have become very good at being an endurance athlete. I break my workout into chunks of time rather than thinking of the whole session. That's exactly how I get through a triathlon; I think of each piece of the race and then I move onto the next portion. If I thought of the whole distance I would never make it.
Because I was barefoot, I could also watch my form. I could see my feet hitting the treadmill underneath me and fix corrections if my feet were not properly aligned. If you are an under or over pronator this would be valuable to you because you can literally see what your feet are doing. Unlike the repeats that I did the week before on the road, my feet did not hurt. In fact my legs were not sore either and usually the day after repeats I want a low impact workout of some type. I went downhill skiing that night after my workout in the HydroWorx pool and felt great. My butt would have been in a hot tub and to bed early if I had been out on the road.
I think I might buy a pair of those Vibram Five Finger shoes; but I'll save them for my next,"barefoot," session on the HydroWorx underwater treadmill. For more information on hydrotherapy go to http://www.hydroworx.com/.
Tri-on Friends,
Kelly
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
If at First You Don't Succeed...Try-Tri again
A great friend of mine from college recently asked me to write about how to get over mental anguish after a "bad" race. I'm not sure what her definition of a bad race is, but I do have lots of stories to share about things that have gone wrong for me during triathlon and running events. While I really try to focus on the positive there are many pitfalls I've overcome in participating in these events over the years. If you've been reading you may think that my "Susie Sunshine," attitude is a bit annoying. I do have another side but I try to keep,"Negative Nancy," in check.
This post is about how to overcome mental anxiety after some trouble in an event. This post is for you Karen. Let me start by sharing with you some things that happened to me last year when I was training for the cycling portion of a half iron man. Trying to train for my events with another person's schedule (while safer) adds another layer of difficulty to my already challenging schedule; therefore I train alone, at least most of the time.
Last year I ventured out for a long ride (around 30-35 miles) and right off the bat I came to a four way stop and misjudged a car in front of me. I thought the car was going to skate through the stop but he did what he was supposed to do and came to a complete stop. I was trying to stay clipped into my pedals and not stop my bike and clip out when down I went, clipped into my bike. There I was on the side of the road, one mile from house, stuck to my bike, lying in a corn field.
A nice man,( not the one in front of me who came to a complete stop), stopped and asked if I was okay. My pride was more bruised than my legs and while I wanted to cry out of shear frustration, I didn't. I replied to the nice man that I was okay, got out of my toe clips, brushed off my knees, and decided I had to get a ride in. All this happened within one mile from house, it would have been easy for me at that point to turn around and go home, but I did not.
Why didn't I turn around? I knew I had to put in the time for my upcoming 56 mile ride and if I didn't I probably wouldn't make it at my event. I was shaking (literally) when I got back on my bike and it took me a few miles to settle down but I managed to do it. Cliche as is sounds, the old saying, get right back on when you fall off is exactly the advice I followed and it really is true. The hardest thing to do is to face your fears, but it is often a very good remedy.
Later, during that same ride, I was feeling really good. I was about finished and I had just come up a really long climb. I knew I was getting closer to home and that I didn't have any more tough hills to face.
Then as I crested the hill I looked to my right only to spot three Doberman Pincher's standing erect in their yard. To my left there was a large corn field so it was not like I could make a quick left and get away. The only way out was forward or to completely turn around and head back the twenty miles I had come. None of the choices were great. Then I spotted the owner of the THREE Dobermans and I managed to hear him say,"Heel." I pedalled as fast as I could past the house, praying that they would in fact,"heel."
Ah, but that is not the end of the story. I could not make this stuff up, honestly. But as I flew past the dogs and the owner I had one more small hill to get up before making the turn down the road which would lead me home. As I came to the top of this hill, yet another dog came to the road to greet me. This was a Collie of some sort and while I am a dog lover, I am not a lover of dogs that I don't know. I did a u-turn immediately to avoid Rover. This is a busy street I turned on, but in a split second I decided I had had quite enough of canines for one day. Fear, once again, made me ( or highly influenced my decision) continue in the opposite direction.
Needless to say I made it home safely and changed my bike route the next time out. Lesson learned here; there were plenty of other bike routes, I just needed to choose another. A can of pepper spray also found it's way into my list of things to purchase. I remember feeling very scared the next time I went out to ride but by simply following some new changes everything was fine the next time. Face your fears and it will build new confidence within you.
A few years back I did a 10k running event that started out great but ended badly. I had a wonderful pace, even placed fourth in the event out of a large group of participants. The problem: too much of a good thing. I over hydrated and didn't quite make it to the port a potty at the end. The lovely dark spot on my shorts sent me to the car before the awards ceremony. Lesson learned here, I didn't need the thirty two ounces of water that I drank during the race.
Another blunder took place last summer. A good friend of mine, named Fran, is a trail runner. She is always trying to get me to sign up for these crazy trail running events that take you up and down mountains and cliffs. She thinks what I do is crazy. I finally decided to do a nine mile training run with her. She said it was over at Pinchot State Park which I am familiar with as I've raced there before. The terrain is challenging, to say the least, but I thought I could handle it. We ran on a trail but it was nothing like the pristine trails I usually run on. Most of the run I thought we were making the trail ourselves. At mile three I bit the dust. I tripped over a root or a piece of a cliff and down I went in slow motion. Fran stood in horror as I cursed my way up off the dirt floor.Once again she asked me if I was all right, my reply was, "yeah." As I looked at my bloody knees I was convinced she was on a mission to humiliate me and that gave me all I needed to keep going. She said," do you want to turn around?" "Hell no," I responded." Give me your water." I took her water and doused my bloody knees. "There is no way I am going back, lets go." Out of sheer pride I kept going and we finished the nine mile loop, climbing cliffs and avoiding rocks and roots on the trail while my knees bled.
Ah pride, a funny little thing. If fear won't get you motivated perhaps pride will. It certainly worked for me that day. Have I done that trail since? NO! I am a glutton for punishment, but I also learn from my mistakes. Would I do another trail run with her? Of course, just not that particular one. I now don permanent scars on my knees that I've nicknamed, my" Fran-scars."
An area that I struggle with in triathlon is transition. Transition is that tricky time in between swimming, biking, and running, that is added into to your total time. It becomes hard when you are doing longer distances because, if you are anything like me and like to change clothes, you can add on time. During Sprints and Olympic Distance Tri's I wear the same thing for the entire race. I'll wear bike shorts and a crop top or bike jersey that you can swim in. The bike shorts are designed for this(called tri shorts) and the shorts drain( sort of) so usually I am a bit miserable running in them, but I won't add extra time onto my event. My last event, the half ironman, I did not want to run 13.1 miles( after riding 56) in bike shorts. So I utilized the changing tents in between events and added a lot of time on to my final time. Did I care? Yes, in way because that's my competitive nature. Was I comfortable? Yes, as much as I could have been, so it was a trade off. I gave myself a break on the time added, as it was my first half. Next time, I would try to hurry a little more in transition to better my time. Maybe I should invest in a better tri suit that I could wear for longer distance tri's. The bottom line is that I can always do something better in my events and transition is my next area to tackle for long distance triathlons. Improving my time keeps me coming back for more.
Perhaps the old saying practice makes perfect should be mentioned in this article. How many times have we heard that? Truth be told it's meaning holds importance. The more you do something( as long as you are learning from your mistakes) the better you will become.
The more I train or practice, the better prepared I feel for an event and as I've said before my belief is that confidence and believing you can do something is half of it. If you don't think you'll do it, you probably won't. This is so true in anything in life.I am reminded of how I feel when I go into teach school and I have looked at the material I am presenting. Starting a business, losing weight, quitting smoking, finishing school, doing well on a test... get the picture... the more you tell yourself you can, you will. Positive thinking is key to life and to triathlon.
One more tick of the trade is to not listen to your negative inner voice. We all have one and I nicknamed mine," Negative Nancy." She is the person in my head that tells me to go back to bed when I should be training. She is the one who makes me procrastinate projects. She is the one who says I don't need to clean my bathrooms. How do you get rid of the negative voice? Ignore it and don't think too much about racing or training. The old Nike adage, "Just do it," rings true for me. I schedule racing and training like I schedule a doctor's appointment; write it down and go do it. I think of racing and training like going to the doctor; I don't want to pay the high co-pay if I don't show up; I don't want to suffer the consequences if I don't put in the preparation for my events.
Pride, fear ( if kept in check), perseverance, planning, positive thinking; these are the ingredients to a recipe for success. But beyond all this wonderful advice (wink-wink) the bottom line is that you must love what you do in order to stick with it. I love swimming, biking, and running. I really love the fact that I don't have to do the same sport every day. There are many fitness options out there, and maybe once you look inside yourself you'll find that running isn't your thing. I hope this helps and if all else fails; tri-try again.
Happy Tri-ing,
Kelly
Have a question or a comment? Please post below.
This post is about how to overcome mental anxiety after some trouble in an event. This post is for you Karen. Let me start by sharing with you some things that happened to me last year when I was training for the cycling portion of a half iron man. Trying to train for my events with another person's schedule (while safer) adds another layer of difficulty to my already challenging schedule; therefore I train alone, at least most of the time.
Last year I ventured out for a long ride (around 30-35 miles) and right off the bat I came to a four way stop and misjudged a car in front of me. I thought the car was going to skate through the stop but he did what he was supposed to do and came to a complete stop. I was trying to stay clipped into my pedals and not stop my bike and clip out when down I went, clipped into my bike. There I was on the side of the road, one mile from house, stuck to my bike, lying in a corn field.
A nice man,( not the one in front of me who came to a complete stop), stopped and asked if I was okay. My pride was more bruised than my legs and while I wanted to cry out of shear frustration, I didn't. I replied to the nice man that I was okay, got out of my toe clips, brushed off my knees, and decided I had to get a ride in. All this happened within one mile from house, it would have been easy for me at that point to turn around and go home, but I did not.
Why didn't I turn around? I knew I had to put in the time for my upcoming 56 mile ride and if I didn't I probably wouldn't make it at my event. I was shaking (literally) when I got back on my bike and it took me a few miles to settle down but I managed to do it. Cliche as is sounds, the old saying, get right back on when you fall off is exactly the advice I followed and it really is true. The hardest thing to do is to face your fears, but it is often a very good remedy.
Later, during that same ride, I was feeling really good. I was about finished and I had just come up a really long climb. I knew I was getting closer to home and that I didn't have any more tough hills to face.
Then as I crested the hill I looked to my right only to spot three Doberman Pincher's standing erect in their yard. To my left there was a large corn field so it was not like I could make a quick left and get away. The only way out was forward or to completely turn around and head back the twenty miles I had come. None of the choices were great. Then I spotted the owner of the THREE Dobermans and I managed to hear him say,"Heel." I pedalled as fast as I could past the house, praying that they would in fact,"heel."
Ah, but that is not the end of the story. I could not make this stuff up, honestly. But as I flew past the dogs and the owner I had one more small hill to get up before making the turn down the road which would lead me home. As I came to the top of this hill, yet another dog came to the road to greet me. This was a Collie of some sort and while I am a dog lover, I am not a lover of dogs that I don't know. I did a u-turn immediately to avoid Rover. This is a busy street I turned on, but in a split second I decided I had had quite enough of canines for one day. Fear, once again, made me ( or highly influenced my decision) continue in the opposite direction.
Needless to say I made it home safely and changed my bike route the next time out. Lesson learned here; there were plenty of other bike routes, I just needed to choose another. A can of pepper spray also found it's way into my list of things to purchase. I remember feeling very scared the next time I went out to ride but by simply following some new changes everything was fine the next time. Face your fears and it will build new confidence within you.
A few years back I did a 10k running event that started out great but ended badly. I had a wonderful pace, even placed fourth in the event out of a large group of participants. The problem: too much of a good thing. I over hydrated and didn't quite make it to the port a potty at the end. The lovely dark spot on my shorts sent me to the car before the awards ceremony. Lesson learned here, I didn't need the thirty two ounces of water that I drank during the race.
Another blunder took place last summer. A good friend of mine, named Fran, is a trail runner. She is always trying to get me to sign up for these crazy trail running events that take you up and down mountains and cliffs. She thinks what I do is crazy. I finally decided to do a nine mile training run with her. She said it was over at Pinchot State Park which I am familiar with as I've raced there before. The terrain is challenging, to say the least, but I thought I could handle it. We ran on a trail but it was nothing like the pristine trails I usually run on. Most of the run I thought we were making the trail ourselves. At mile three I bit the dust. I tripped over a root or a piece of a cliff and down I went in slow motion. Fran stood in horror as I cursed my way up off the dirt floor.Once again she asked me if I was all right, my reply was, "yeah." As I looked at my bloody knees I was convinced she was on a mission to humiliate me and that gave me all I needed to keep going. She said," do you want to turn around?" "Hell no," I responded." Give me your water." I took her water and doused my bloody knees. "There is no way I am going back, lets go." Out of sheer pride I kept going and we finished the nine mile loop, climbing cliffs and avoiding rocks and roots on the trail while my knees bled.
Ah pride, a funny little thing. If fear won't get you motivated perhaps pride will. It certainly worked for me that day. Have I done that trail since? NO! I am a glutton for punishment, but I also learn from my mistakes. Would I do another trail run with her? Of course, just not that particular one. I now don permanent scars on my knees that I've nicknamed, my" Fran-scars."
An area that I struggle with in triathlon is transition. Transition is that tricky time in between swimming, biking, and running, that is added into to your total time. It becomes hard when you are doing longer distances because, if you are anything like me and like to change clothes, you can add on time. During Sprints and Olympic Distance Tri's I wear the same thing for the entire race. I'll wear bike shorts and a crop top or bike jersey that you can swim in. The bike shorts are designed for this(called tri shorts) and the shorts drain( sort of) so usually I am a bit miserable running in them, but I won't add extra time onto my event. My last event, the half ironman, I did not want to run 13.1 miles( after riding 56) in bike shorts. So I utilized the changing tents in between events and added a lot of time on to my final time. Did I care? Yes, in way because that's my competitive nature. Was I comfortable? Yes, as much as I could have been, so it was a trade off. I gave myself a break on the time added, as it was my first half. Next time, I would try to hurry a little more in transition to better my time. Maybe I should invest in a better tri suit that I could wear for longer distance tri's. The bottom line is that I can always do something better in my events and transition is my next area to tackle for long distance triathlons. Improving my time keeps me coming back for more.
Perhaps the old saying practice makes perfect should be mentioned in this article. How many times have we heard that? Truth be told it's meaning holds importance. The more you do something( as long as you are learning from your mistakes) the better you will become.
The more I train or practice, the better prepared I feel for an event and as I've said before my belief is that confidence and believing you can do something is half of it. If you don't think you'll do it, you probably won't. This is so true in anything in life.I am reminded of how I feel when I go into teach school and I have looked at the material I am presenting. Starting a business, losing weight, quitting smoking, finishing school, doing well on a test... get the picture... the more you tell yourself you can, you will. Positive thinking is key to life and to triathlon.
One more tick of the trade is to not listen to your negative inner voice. We all have one and I nicknamed mine," Negative Nancy." She is the person in my head that tells me to go back to bed when I should be training. She is the one who makes me procrastinate projects. She is the one who says I don't need to clean my bathrooms. How do you get rid of the negative voice? Ignore it and don't think too much about racing or training. The old Nike adage, "Just do it," rings true for me. I schedule racing and training like I schedule a doctor's appointment; write it down and go do it. I think of racing and training like going to the doctor; I don't want to pay the high co-pay if I don't show up; I don't want to suffer the consequences if I don't put in the preparation for my events.
Pride, fear ( if kept in check), perseverance, planning, positive thinking; these are the ingredients to a recipe for success. But beyond all this wonderful advice (wink-wink) the bottom line is that you must love what you do in order to stick with it. I love swimming, biking, and running. I really love the fact that I don't have to do the same sport every day. There are many fitness options out there, and maybe once you look inside yourself you'll find that running isn't your thing. I hope this helps and if all else fails; tri-try again.
Happy Tri-ing,
Kelly
Have a question or a comment? Please post below.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tri- Scheduling
Okay it's January 7th have you kept your resolutions so far? One week into the new year and I have even slipped on some of my new goals, but have no fear, just like slipping off of a new diet or exercise program, it is easy to get back on the wagon. Don't sabotage yourself if you haven't quite kept up, goals are not an all or nothing experiment. I have learned through triathlon that slow and steady is the way to success to get myself to the finish line and the same applies to things that we want in life; slow and steady and you'll get there.
This post is about making a plan for race season. I am often asked about the different types of triathlon and how I decide what races to do. Each January, along with my resolutions, I sit down and make a list of the different races and distances that I want to accomplish for the upcoming season. I am a planner and I tend to stick with things more if I have them in writing. My husband says,"Don't put things in writing unless you really mean it." There is some real truth in that statement because I find that writing things down puts ownership on it. Especially when I am writing a blog for an audience, I better do what I say or I am going to lose credibility. Highly successful people write things down and follow through. So no matter if you are planning to lose weight, quit smoking, or starting a business, a written plan will help you.
There are four different levels of triathlon. The original triathlon was the full distance or Iron distance triathlon. In 1977 a bet was made between five men after a running event. The argument was, who is the better athlete: a runner, a swimmer, or a cyclist? Each person thought their area of expertise made them the better athlete and so they came up with a contest to take place in Hawaii. The gruelling winds, the heat and the distance would make it an incredible challenge.They would swim 1.2 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a full marathon of 26.2 miles to see who faired the best and so Kona Triathlon or the Ironman World Triathlon was created.
The triathlon bug caught on in the 1990's and race directors around the country realized they could attract more athletes by adding some different distances. There is a Half Iron distance which is a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and a half marathon(13.1). The challenging Olympic Distance(which was just added in 2000 to the Olympics), which consists of 1 mile swim, a 25-30 mile bike and a 10 K run. Finally, for the newbie or really fast athlete there is the Sprint Triathlon which usually consists of a half mile swim, a 15-20 mile bike, and a 5k run. Don't scoff at any of the shorter versions of triathlon because each distance offers a unique challenge. Terrain and weather conditions can turn a sprint into a tough event.
When planning your race schedule it is important to keep the distances in mind. Obviously if you have never done a triathlon before it would be a good idea to try a sprint distance in my opinion. That is the shortest distance, but by no means the easiest because you have to go fast to get placement in these types of events. A pool swim is also important if you are newbie to the sport. Many athletes that are not well versed in swimming panic and a pool swim is a great way to ease any swim anxiety. Many YMCA's offer triathlons with pool swims. This is an excellent way to start if you are interested because it won't take over your life in order to train for the event. A few hours a week diligently training in each venue will get you to the finish line. When you get into the Olympic distance and on up to Ironman the training gets more involved and becomes a second job to most, but it can be done.
Once you decide on the distance then it is time to find an event. This can be done by searching the Internet and looking for local events. If it is your first triathlon I would recommend you find one local. Triathlon entry fees can be pricey. It costs the race director a lot more money to put on one of these events because you need area to swim, bike and run along with timing programs and public officials to help manage large amount of people doing it; hence it is more expensive to put on than a running event. I like Active.com to find events but I also love talking to other athletes to see which events they liked and why. Other triathletes will talk to you all day long about this stuff. I think staying local will also cut down on your lodging expenses. Once you've tried it and had some success, than you could move to another distance and even another town or state. I guarantee if you train properly and plan accordingly you'll be hooked and you will want to do another and then another.
I usually plan on around four triathlons per season. I could probably do more but that seems to fit into my life and not overtake other important areas like work and family. I like to do smaller distances to start my season and then end my season with the longer distances. This type of staging makes perfect sense because just like my training, the racing is a gradual build to the longer distance at the end of my season. I love to do local events because I feel I am supporting my community that way. The Tricat Sports series is a group of triathlons that I like to do each year and the races are near my hometown of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.
The series benefits cystic fibrosis. The series offers a few sprint distance tri's along with an Olympic distance and this year they may be offering a half iron distance. Don't let the sprints fool you; these are challenging sprints- one takes place in the hilly area of Pinchot State park and the other is a course on City Island in Harrisburg, PA. The swim on City Island takes place in the Susquehanna River and it is not for the person who is fearful of the water; at any given time you may dodge logs, rocks or people.
Another series that is close to home for me is called the Rivertown Race Series. This series offers triathlons, running and cycling events. But sometimes you can't find races that are local to meet your needs so you have to figure out how much you want to spend and what distances you want. I used to live in North Carolina and there is a wonderful series there where you could do a race every weekend if you wanted, but I wouldn't recommend it. Florida is another state that offers a nice variety of triathlon events.
There are some great books out there to help with training once you've decided on what event or events. A favorite of mine is called Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals by Steven Jonas. It is the first book I read on triathlon and it gives wonderful advice as well as realistic training programs. I would recommend it for the new triathlete or the well versed.
Look for me this year at the Philadelphia Olympic Distance Triathlon. I've always wanted to do this one but I usually get closed out. Yet another reason to plan early. The more popular venues fill up quickly and ofter there is a cap on the event.
There is a lot to consider when signing up for a triathlon but that is another reason why I love it. My type"A" personality thrives on the fact that I must plan accordingly for my season. Triathlon is so involved because of the equipment, time, training, and planning, but that is one more bragging right that you can enjoy when you cross the finish line, and say,"Yeah, I did that one!"
Happy Tri-ing!
Kelly
P.S. My last entry I mentioned that I wanted to start a charity called Empower-Tees. Please collect your old race shirts(gently used or new) and inspiring sports tee-shirts to send to the women's and men's shelters in Harrisburg, PA. I believe that we may be able to inspire some struggling folks to get fit, but also to change their lives for the better. I'll soon have a PO Box where you can send your new or gently used tees, so look for more info soon.
This post is about making a plan for race season. I am often asked about the different types of triathlon and how I decide what races to do. Each January, along with my resolutions, I sit down and make a list of the different races and distances that I want to accomplish for the upcoming season. I am a planner and I tend to stick with things more if I have them in writing. My husband says,"Don't put things in writing unless you really mean it." There is some real truth in that statement because I find that writing things down puts ownership on it. Especially when I am writing a blog for an audience, I better do what I say or I am going to lose credibility. Highly successful people write things down and follow through. So no matter if you are planning to lose weight, quit smoking, or starting a business, a written plan will help you.
There are four different levels of triathlon. The original triathlon was the full distance or Iron distance triathlon. In 1977 a bet was made between five men after a running event. The argument was, who is the better athlete: a runner, a swimmer, or a cyclist? Each person thought their area of expertise made them the better athlete and so they came up with a contest to take place in Hawaii. The gruelling winds, the heat and the distance would make it an incredible challenge.They would swim 1.2 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a full marathon of 26.2 miles to see who faired the best and so Kona Triathlon or the Ironman World Triathlon was created.
The triathlon bug caught on in the 1990's and race directors around the country realized they could attract more athletes by adding some different distances. There is a Half Iron distance which is a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and a half marathon(13.1). The challenging Olympic Distance(which was just added in 2000 to the Olympics), which consists of 1 mile swim, a 25-30 mile bike and a 10 K run. Finally, for the newbie or really fast athlete there is the Sprint Triathlon which usually consists of a half mile swim, a 15-20 mile bike, and a 5k run. Don't scoff at any of the shorter versions of triathlon because each distance offers a unique challenge. Terrain and weather conditions can turn a sprint into a tough event.
When planning your race schedule it is important to keep the distances in mind. Obviously if you have never done a triathlon before it would be a good idea to try a sprint distance in my opinion. That is the shortest distance, but by no means the easiest because you have to go fast to get placement in these types of events. A pool swim is also important if you are newbie to the sport. Many athletes that are not well versed in swimming panic and a pool swim is a great way to ease any swim anxiety. Many YMCA's offer triathlons with pool swims. This is an excellent way to start if you are interested because it won't take over your life in order to train for the event. A few hours a week diligently training in each venue will get you to the finish line. When you get into the Olympic distance and on up to Ironman the training gets more involved and becomes a second job to most, but it can be done.
Once you decide on the distance then it is time to find an event. This can be done by searching the Internet and looking for local events. If it is your first triathlon I would recommend you find one local. Triathlon entry fees can be pricey. It costs the race director a lot more money to put on one of these events because you need area to swim, bike and run along with timing programs and public officials to help manage large amount of people doing it; hence it is more expensive to put on than a running event. I like Active.com to find events but I also love talking to other athletes to see which events they liked and why. Other triathletes will talk to you all day long about this stuff. I think staying local will also cut down on your lodging expenses. Once you've tried it and had some success, than you could move to another distance and even another town or state. I guarantee if you train properly and plan accordingly you'll be hooked and you will want to do another and then another.
I usually plan on around four triathlons per season. I could probably do more but that seems to fit into my life and not overtake other important areas like work and family. I like to do smaller distances to start my season and then end my season with the longer distances. This type of staging makes perfect sense because just like my training, the racing is a gradual build to the longer distance at the end of my season. I love to do local events because I feel I am supporting my community that way. The Tricat Sports series is a group of triathlons that I like to do each year and the races are near my hometown of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.
The series benefits cystic fibrosis. The series offers a few sprint distance tri's along with an Olympic distance and this year they may be offering a half iron distance. Don't let the sprints fool you; these are challenging sprints- one takes place in the hilly area of Pinchot State park and the other is a course on City Island in Harrisburg, PA. The swim on City Island takes place in the Susquehanna River and it is not for the person who is fearful of the water; at any given time you may dodge logs, rocks or people.
Another series that is close to home for me is called the Rivertown Race Series. This series offers triathlons, running and cycling events. But sometimes you can't find races that are local to meet your needs so you have to figure out how much you want to spend and what distances you want. I used to live in North Carolina and there is a wonderful series there where you could do a race every weekend if you wanted, but I wouldn't recommend it. Florida is another state that offers a nice variety of triathlon events.
There are some great books out there to help with training once you've decided on what event or events. A favorite of mine is called Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals by Steven Jonas. It is the first book I read on triathlon and it gives wonderful advice as well as realistic training programs. I would recommend it for the new triathlete or the well versed.
Look for me this year at the Philadelphia Olympic Distance Triathlon. I've always wanted to do this one but I usually get closed out. Yet another reason to plan early. The more popular venues fill up quickly and ofter there is a cap on the event.
There is a lot to consider when signing up for a triathlon but that is another reason why I love it. My type"A" personality thrives on the fact that I must plan accordingly for my season. Triathlon is so involved because of the equipment, time, training, and planning, but that is one more bragging right that you can enjoy when you cross the finish line, and say,"Yeah, I did that one!"
Happy Tri-ing!
Kelly
P.S. My last entry I mentioned that I wanted to start a charity called Empower-Tees. Please collect your old race shirts(gently used or new) and inspiring sports tee-shirts to send to the women's and men's shelters in Harrisburg, PA. I believe that we may be able to inspire some struggling folks to get fit, but also to change their lives for the better. I'll soon have a PO Box where you can send your new or gently used tees, so look for more info soon.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Tri- New Year
With the new year approaching, like many of you, I am reflecting on 2010. This blog is about what I'm thankful for and goals for the new year. Last year I started a personal blog, called Kelly Mac, where I write editorial pieces and share short stories. I haven't posted too much in there lately, but I am thankful I started it because it has led to My Tri Life. I am thankful that some of you reading have enjoyed the posts and I am grateful that it has led to other writing opportunities.
I am also thankful to my sponsor, HydroWorx, as they have helped me financially and have believed in me as an athlete and as a writer; without them I would not have the support for success. Their commitment to helping me is amazing.
I am grateful that I have been given God given ability as an athlete, but more importantly I am thankful to God for being stubborn. I think that perseverance is what has kept me at triathlon for the last nine years. Perseverance is what has kept me writing as well. Any writer will tell you that they write to write; which is true. But the other part of writing is sharing and hoping that others will find enjoyment in what you have to say. My Tri Life is a great outlet for me to write about triathlon, but more importantly life, and my hope is that someone is reading and that someone is enjoying the pieces.
One of my big goals for the new year is to continue with my triathlon training and racing. I hope to be" tri-ing" for years to come. I also want to use the HydroWorx pool as a regular( once a week) part of my training. I have said it before, the benefits of their pool surpass many of the other tools I have for training.Continuing my partnership with HydroWorx is an important goal for 2011.
Another big goal is to continue blogging and writing with the hopes to land more recognition as a professional. Writing and Triathloning aside, I really want to give back to my community, as corny as that sounds. Triathlon has empowered me in so many ways and now I feel it is time for me to give something to help make the world a little better.
So this year I am starting something to help empower women who are in shelters. Maybe these women just need a little something to know that they can do whatever they put their minds to, to get out of bad situations. I would like to start a foundation called Empower-tees. The idea is really simple; I need all of you reading to donate tee-shirts to my p.o. box. From there I will take the tees to a local women's shelter and donate to the women there. I have a drawer full of race tee-shirts from triathlons and running events. What do I need all these tee-shirts for? Usually as part of my race fee a tee-shirt is included. Why not donate these to someone who might need a new shirt, but also how many times have you been inspired by something on a shirt? I love the Nike shirts that say,"Just do it," and I'm inspired each time I see one.
I told my husband about the idea and he said,"As a kid, I was inspired by wearing a tee-shirt with a sports team on it." That is exactly what I thought my race and your race tee-shirts could do for someone suffering. Maybe it will inspire them to get out of the shelter, maybe it could inspire them to get out of a bad relationship, maybe it will just be something new and clean to wear which makes everyone feel better. Maybe the triathlon tee-shirts will inspire these women to "tri." I don't know what will come of it, but I'd like to give it a shot. I'll soon have an address available so you can start sending tees.
The shirts can be gently used. I just ask that they are clean and preferably race tee-shirts of some type. I will also accept shirts that have inspirational sayings on them; I would like to keep the theme to sports related shirts.
Sports have empowered me all of my life. I ran track as a middle school student and I was a competitive swimmer in high school. As an adult I found masters swimming and later running events and triathlon, and I know how these activities have kept me mentally and physically strong; with those skills you can tackle the difficulties in life. My hope is that with starting this charity lives of others could be inspired and improved.
There are several women's shelters in my area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A tee shirt is an easy thing to give so I hope you will consider and pass this along to friends and family that could donate.
Happy New Year and Happy "Tri-ing,"
Kelly
One more thing...I am truly thankful for a wonderful husband, and two great, healthy kids. I am blessed with the gift of health. I am thankful for the people in my life who really love me because without love nothing positive can happen in the world.
Please feel free to post comments on my blog anytime; I love feedback:)
I am also thankful to my sponsor, HydroWorx, as they have helped me financially and have believed in me as an athlete and as a writer; without them I would not have the support for success. Their commitment to helping me is amazing.
I am grateful that I have been given God given ability as an athlete, but more importantly I am thankful to God for being stubborn. I think that perseverance is what has kept me at triathlon for the last nine years. Perseverance is what has kept me writing as well. Any writer will tell you that they write to write; which is true. But the other part of writing is sharing and hoping that others will find enjoyment in what you have to say. My Tri Life is a great outlet for me to write about triathlon, but more importantly life, and my hope is that someone is reading and that someone is enjoying the pieces.
One of my big goals for the new year is to continue with my triathlon training and racing. I hope to be" tri-ing" for years to come. I also want to use the HydroWorx pool as a regular( once a week) part of my training. I have said it before, the benefits of their pool surpass many of the other tools I have for training.Continuing my partnership with HydroWorx is an important goal for 2011.
Another big goal is to continue blogging and writing with the hopes to land more recognition as a professional. Writing and Triathloning aside, I really want to give back to my community, as corny as that sounds. Triathlon has empowered me in so many ways and now I feel it is time for me to give something to help make the world a little better.
So this year I am starting something to help empower women who are in shelters. Maybe these women just need a little something to know that they can do whatever they put their minds to, to get out of bad situations. I would like to start a foundation called Empower-tees. The idea is really simple; I need all of you reading to donate tee-shirts to my p.o. box. From there I will take the tees to a local women's shelter and donate to the women there. I have a drawer full of race tee-shirts from triathlons and running events. What do I need all these tee-shirts for? Usually as part of my race fee a tee-shirt is included. Why not donate these to someone who might need a new shirt, but also how many times have you been inspired by something on a shirt? I love the Nike shirts that say,"Just do it," and I'm inspired each time I see one.
I told my husband about the idea and he said,"As a kid, I was inspired by wearing a tee-shirt with a sports team on it." That is exactly what I thought my race and your race tee-shirts could do for someone suffering. Maybe it will inspire them to get out of the shelter, maybe it could inspire them to get out of a bad relationship, maybe it will just be something new and clean to wear which makes everyone feel better. Maybe the triathlon tee-shirts will inspire these women to "tri." I don't know what will come of it, but I'd like to give it a shot. I'll soon have an address available so you can start sending tees.
The shirts can be gently used. I just ask that they are clean and preferably race tee-shirts of some type. I will also accept shirts that have inspirational sayings on them; I would like to keep the theme to sports related shirts.
Sports have empowered me all of my life. I ran track as a middle school student and I was a competitive swimmer in high school. As an adult I found masters swimming and later running events and triathlon, and I know how these activities have kept me mentally and physically strong; with those skills you can tackle the difficulties in life. My hope is that with starting this charity lives of others could be inspired and improved.
There are several women's shelters in my area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A tee shirt is an easy thing to give so I hope you will consider and pass this along to friends and family that could donate.
Happy New Year and Happy "Tri-ing,"
One more thing...I am truly thankful for a wonderful husband, and two great, healthy kids. I am blessed with the gift of health. I am thankful for the people in my life who really love me because without love nothing positive can happen in the world.
Please feel free to post comments on my blog anytime; I love feedback:)
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