Tips for Training and Racing in the Heat - #1 Get Acclimated!

We seem to on a bit of a delay with the heat moving in to Atlanta, however it is coming and you can bet on the fact that it will hang around for several months!  Are you ready to train and race in the heat?  If not, that's okay because I have some tips for you to deal with the high temps in Atlanta.

One of the best things you can do is get acclimated to the heat!  This can best be done by...you guessed it...actually training in the heat!  It takes anywhere from 10 to thirty days to acclimate to the heat, depending on how many consecutive days you are willing to expose yourself to training in the warm weather.  Read this article for more information and tips on how to acclimate: PowerBar Training Tip: Dealing with Heat and Humidity

Be smart by building the time you spend in the heat and the intensity in which you are exercising.  Gradually build from a conservative level to your regular duration and pace.

Hydrate during these workouts by following this guideline: Consume 20 - 24 ounces of fluid* for every hour of exercise.  Plan to consume fluid* even if your workout will last less than 60 minutes, especially as it warms up.

*Fluid should consist of water mixed with electrolytes and carbohydrates.      

Quick tip for a homemade fluid mixture: In your water bottle, combine 20 - 24 oz of water with 1 tsp of salt, 1 Tbsp of sugar and juice from your favorite citrus fruit.

Happy Training and Racing in the Heat!

30 Years...Then and Now!

I'm still on a bit of a high after completing my first triathlon of the year on Sunday, March 24th and I wanted to share my experience with you!

Signing up for this year's Great Clermont Triathlon Olympic Distance Triathlon last year was a no brainer.  I love having an early season race on the calendar to keep me motivated over the winter.  I love racing in Clermont, Florida for three reasons: #1 - The area is beautiful, #2 - The bike course is hilly and #3 - Sommer Sports offers low-cost registration fees and Clermont is an inexpensive place to stay.  The fact that it was the race's 30th year made it that much more sweet!

Enjoying our visit to the National Training Center

30 years ago I was 12.  The chances are good you could have caught me in front of the TV watching People's Court, eating a package of Soft Batch Cookies and drinking a bottle of Pepsi.  You would NOT have seen me running, unless it was from the police when my friend Kar-Dog and I were caught tying toilet paper across the street around a street sign and stop sign.  My Middle School and High School friends think it is fascinating that I'm involved in the sport of triathlon based on the cookie-eating, pop-drinking pre-teen and teenager they once knew.

Okay, enough reminiscing...on with my race report!

On the beach, I lined up in front with the first buoy directly in front of me.  My plan was to get to the first buoy as soon as possible, then settle in to a hard, slightly uncomfortable pace.  I was also not planning on doing a lot of sighting.  It was quite cloudy in the morning and during my warm-up swim, I could tell I wouldn't easily see the yellow buoys.

The gun fired and we were off!  I'm not sure how many women were in my wave, but it didn't seem like more than 80.  I was definitely in with several fast women who quickly left me behind.  It was *all good* because before I knew it, I already passed a guy in the wave before mine.  I kept on trucking through the swim, seeing the buoys when I needed to and keeping my head down for the majority of the time.

At the first turn, the water started getting choppy due to the increasing wind speed.  I was struggling to get a breath because water was washing over my face just about every time I turned my head to breathe.  Luckily, I love hypoxic breathing swim workouts so I knew I was in good shape.  A few times, I flipped on my back to get  a breath, but immediately got back in my rhythm.

As I exited the water, I started to unzip my wetsuit and immediately realized my zipper was stuck.  I ran right up to the burly, red-headed, male wetsuit stripper, (who, by the way, told me his name was Cinnamon and he was only stripping to earn money for college!  <wink>  LOL!) told him my zipper was stuck and I turned around so he could help me.  He told me it was down and I started working my arms out of the wetsuit.  I had some trouble getting out of that thing, so I started jumping up and down.  It was actually pretty funny!  I finally got my arms out.  I pulled it down as far as I could, laid on the ground and "Cinnamon" did the rest.  He handed me my wetsuit and away I went in to transition!  

Swim Split: 25:27 (Fastest 1.5K swim ever!)

NOTE: After unpacking my gear, I noticed my wetsuit zipper was indeed stuck because it was still stuck when I pulled it out of my bag.  

TI was smooth sailing.  I guess this is where my experience comes in to play.  I got to the race early and snagged an end spot on the rack.  Also, I try to keep my items in transition to a minimum: Bike, Bottle to Rinse Feet, Helmet, Bike Shoes, Sunglasses, Running Shoes, Socks, Fluid Bottle, Race Belt w/ Number and Hat.  One of these days, I'll go sockless on the run.  <sigh>

T1 Split: 3:02

My race buddies, Kristi, Angela, race supporter Vanessa and I drove the bike course the day before so we knew what was ahead.  Hills.  Some short.  Some long.  Some steep.  All good!  Bring 'em!  That was what I thought until the wind became a factor.  It wasn't terrible, but enough to slightly change my bike strategy.  I kept my head down, cadence high and I didn't let my heart rate go above the top of Zone 4.  I wanted to have the best bike split I possibly could while setting myself up for a good run.

The hills came and went.  The lake was ahead so I knew we were done with the hills.  However, when biking around a lake, the wind tends to be stronger, especially in the areas where there are very few trees.  I crossed over a bridge and felt my bike wobble a bit as the wind picked up.  There may have been a slight heart rate spike at that point, but nothing serious.  <smile>

As I came in to transition, I was happy because I felt like I was smart on the bike, even if I was a bit slower than my goal.

Bike Split: 1:23:14

T2 was a bit of a comedy.  I have this lightning-fast strategy of racking my bike, taking off my helmet and shoes, grabbing my hat, race belt and putting them on as I run out of transition.  Ooops...I forgot I also was planning to carry my fluid bottle.  Since I don't have a third arm and hand, I realized my lightning-fast strategy was going to be more like a slow-drizzle.  I grabbed all three items, started to run out of transition, stopped at the end of transition, dropped my fluid bottle, but on my hat and race belt, grabbed my fluid bottle and the run was underway!

NOTE: As I mentioned earlier, I have a lot of experience.  With that, I'll admit...the Olympic Distance is the distance that is the HARDEST distance for me to nail.  Why?  You go hard for 3 hours!  The truth is that I haven't done an Oly Distance race since August 2010.  Clearly, I could have used a little bit more practice in a few areas (ex. T2).

T2 Split: 1:12 (I'llllllll take it!)

My goal was to have a strong run with 9 minute per mile average splits.  I knew this would be tough, but I wanted to push more than I ever had in this distance race.  As I started the run, I realized how much humidity was in the air (89%).  I also realized the temperature was warm (75 degrees).  I knew I must stay on top of my hydration.  I stayed on top of my hydration SO MUCH, that I finished my 20 oz bottle before I hit the 4 mile mark.  Luckily the aid stations were in the right places and I continued to drink and dump water on my head at every opportunity.

During the run, I practiced the form tips Kyle O'Day gave me during our Run Videotaping Clinic last month:   "Lift your knees a bit and bring your foot down like you are crushing a can."  As I began to fatigue, I was still able to "crush the can", but "lifting the knees" became challenging.  I continued on and crossed the finish line with a big ol' grin on my face!

Run Split: 57:32 (9:16 minutes per mile average pace)

Overall Time: 2:50:25^, 5th Place in my AG (Women 40 - 44) out of 14, 38th Place Overall Women out of 106

^Technically this is not a true PR because I did 2:40 at Turtle Crawl in 2009 when the swim with SO FAST with the current.  With an 18 minute swim at that race, I put an "*" by that finish time.  Bottom Line = This is my fastest non-"*" Olympic Distance race!

Angela and Kristi finished strong and Vanessa was an excellent race supporter!  A big "THANKS" goes out to these ladies for coming down to one my favorite race venues and putting up with all my quarkiness!  We had a really fun weekend and I'm looking forward to racing in Clermont again, possibly in 2014!  Maybe in another 30 years and I can look back on all the funny things that happened 30 years ago!

Next up: Turtle Crawl Olympic Distance on Saturday, May 18th!

What is your next race and what are your goals?

Happy Training and Racing!

Best.Swim.Ever.

I can honestly say that last Thursday was my best swim ever!

Typically when I prepare for a swim workout, I have a motive.  Either #1 (68% of the time) - I'm doing the next scheduled workout for Blue Iron Swim Team. #2 (24% of the time) - I am trying out a new workout for the team.  #3 (8% of the time) - I am doing my own Time Trial or other race-specific workout.  Last Thursday I left the house without a plan.  Ugh.  Ugh.  Time to get creative!

When I arrived at Washington Park Natatorium, I decided to do a continuous swim for 60 minutes alternating between three of my favorite drills:

200 DPS (Distance Per Stroke)
200 Thumb to Thigh
200 DPS
200 Four Corners
Rest, but only enough time to take two sips of my sports drink.
Repeat

My goals was to finish 3,000 yards in the 60 minutes.

Historically, the workouts I write are not continuous.  There are drills, easy intervals, speed, hypoxic or technique intervals, rest intervals, etc.  This makes for a very focused and structured workout, however it is tough to determine how far one can swim in an allotted time period.

When I completed 3,000 yards and my Garmin alert had not sounded yet, I was thrilled!  Have you ever tried smiling with your face underwater?  Try it!  It's fun!  I finished the 60 minute interval with 3,150 yards under my belt. I was thrilled!  Why?  Because it proved I can swim, a good distance at an easy-moderate pace, doing a combination of drills and average 1:54 per 100.

Attention Blue Iron Swim Team: This will be a future workout!  I've named it "Distique", which is a combination of Distance and Technique.

Stay wet, my friends!

12 Tools for Your Triathlon Toolbox - #12 A Coach

“I don’t know where to start.”

 

“I want to do it right.”

“I need to be held accountable.”

“I trust you.”

“I’ve been doing this on my own for awhile and now I want to improve.”

“I want honest feedback.” 

“I want to be pushed.”

 

“I don’t have a lot of free time so I need to maximize my time spent training.” 

“I need help figuring out all the details.”

When I hear statements like these from athletes, I nod my head and smile…for two reasons:  #1 – Statements like these indicate to me that the athlete is ready for coaching and #2 – I know I can deliver.

 

Having a knowledgeable coach in your triathlon toolbox is a great way to succeed in the sport of triathlon. 

 

A good coach will save you time.  They will spend time thinking about you, your goals, your races, your life, your strengths, your weaknesses and your limits.    They will use their expertise to create a training plan that is exclusively for you.  Not only will they create the plan, they will adjust the plan when an unexpected event happens.

After one of my athletes finished his “A” race for the year, he sent me a wonderful email in which he stated the following:

“Having a two year old and a family is not an easy task.  I know there were missed workouts in there that I just did not get to for one family reason or another.  You were always supportive of changing my schedule and adjusting to the challenges.   I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.”

An effective coach will give you honest feedback.  Coaches can look at athletes from the outside…in…with an objective eye.  It is sometimes difficult to know when to push and when to back off.  There are several ways in which athletes are influenced (ex. Friends, Family Members, Training Partners, Blogs, etc.).  The job of the coach is to focus on the athlete’s needs, abilities and goals by keeping it real.  There is nothing the coach wants more than for the athlete to succeed.

Here is more feedback I recently received: 

“Although I tend to feed better off the positive energy, sometimes I need a kick in the pants from the “coach” every now and again.  You were always there to give me a little dose of the truth when I needed it.”

A dedicated coach will help you with all the details of your race.  There are tons of logistics involved in a triathlon which can be overwhelming at first.  The longer the distance of the race, the more details are involved.  “What time should I arrive at the race?”, “How do I set up transition?”, “Will someone steal my bike while I’m swimming?”, “What’s the deal with Special Needs Bags?”, “Where do I take off my wetsuit when I come out of the water?”, “Are there bathrooms on the run course?”, “Can I change my clothes during the race?”

I traveled with one of my athletes for his Ironman.  From the time he arrived in the host city until right before the race, everything was “smooth sailing”.  About 45 minutes before the race was to start, he realized he forgot his nutrition bottles in the refrigerator at his B&B, which was 2 miles away.  Guess who “high tailed it” back to his B&B to get his bottles…..ME!  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, when your loyal coach accompanies you to a race, they WILL go back and get ANYTHING you forgot!

 

I definitely realize having a coach is not for everyone.  But, if you are ready to take it to the next level, start talking to different coaches and coached athletes.  Coaches have their own personalities and methodologies.  Be sure the coach you are about to hire has a certification through USA Triathlon , has a solid reputation with current and former athletes and is clear about their services and expectations.

With the addition of a coach to your triathlon toolbox, you have everything you need to be a star triathlete!

Happy Training and Racing! 

NOTE: I will be conducting a free clinic, “Planning Your Triathlon Race Year” at Road Runner Sports in Atlanta on Monday, February 11^that 6:00pm.  RSVP on Road Runner Sports’ Facebook Event Page to be entered in a raffle to win a free pair of shoes!

12 Tools for Your Triathlon Toolbox - #11 Time Trials

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Time Trial”?  Pain and suffering?  Puke fest?  All out sprints?  How about these:  Benchmark?  Progress?  Race pace? 

Over the past five years of coaching, I have advised my athletes to do time trials in all three disciplines.  The tests are relatively simple, however they always seem to bring on a wave of panic when athletes discover them on their training schedule. 

Time trials should not be considered a workout of “pain and suffering”…okay, there may be a bit of pain and suffering toward the end of the trial.  Time trials are not “sprints”.  Time trials are important tools for athletes and coaches to set a benchmark for the athlete's current fitness and help coaches plan a smart training schedule.

I attended a web seminar with Justin Trolle, USA Triathlon Level 3 Coach and President of Vanguard Endurance titled “Field* Based Testing: Taking testing into the field for better race day results”.  He discussed field based testing as ways to help answer three questions:

#1 Where are we now?

#2 Where do we want to go?

#3 How far do we have to go to get there?

*Quick Note: “Field based testing” or “field tests” are any tests done outside of a laboratory.

Performing a time trial in the field will set a benchmark for the athlete.  (Where are we now?)  After a field test, athletes and coaches can discuss goals for training and racing performance.  (Where do we want to go?)  Depending on the athlete’s goals and the date of their “A” race, workouts can be developed accordingly.  (How far do we have to go to get there?)  These steps should be repeated periodically throughout the season to help stay on track.

Justin provided a handful of field tests to be used for athletes.  He also recommends picking just one for each discipline for both short-course and long-course athletes to be used across the board for all athletes.  I have been using the same tests for all my years of coaching. 

It is important that prior to each test, athletes are rested, well hydrated and nourished.  Tests should be repeated at the same location under similar circumstances when possible.

Swim:

After a 10 – 15 minute warm up of easy swimming and drills, swim 10 x 100 as fast as you can maintain for all 10 with a 10 second rest after each 100.  Record your total time and subtract 90 seconds for the rest interval to determine the average for the 100s.  Cool down with easy swimming and drills for 5 minutes.

Another test I use for a long-course athlete is a straight 1,000 swim.

Bike:

Choose a flat course with little traffic and stops for the test.  After a 15 mile warm up riding in the small chain ring at 90 – 95 RPMs, ride 25 miles as fast as you can maintain for all 25 miles. Record your total time.  Record your average heart rate as well.  Cool down for 5 miles with easy spinning in the small chain ring riding at 85 – 95 RPMs.

Another test I use for a short-course athlete is a 15 mile test.

Run:

Choose a track or flat course for the test.  After a 10 – 15 minute warm up with easy running and dynamic stretching, run 6 miles as fast as you can maintain for all 6 miles.  Record your total time and average heart rate.  Cool down with easy running and static stretching.

Another test I use for a short-course athlete is a 3 x 1 mile test.  The first two miles should be at High Zone 4/Low Zone 5 with the last mile as fast as they can maintain (Zone 5 or above).  Take approximately 2.5 minutes of recovery after each mile. 

These time trials should be repeated, however not too often to avoid “analysis paralysis” and/or burn-out.  For example, I give my Blue Iron Swim Team athletes a monthly time trial.  This might be too often for an individual athlete, however I do this because not all the swimmers show up on “Time Trial Day”.  For the athletes who do attend "TT Day", they typically notice a huge improvement over the course of the first several months, then they experience a plateau.  This is normal.

The time trial results are excellent indicators for race results.  Why?  These tests push the limits in training and show what can be tolerated in terms of pace and heart rate.  Then, coaches and athletes can use data from the tests and apply it to racing.

Now, get out there and do your favorite time trial to benchmark your fitness.  After 6 – 8 weeks of training, repeat the test to track your progress!  Test + Train = Results!

Happy Training and Racing!  

    

For a chance to win a Blue Iron Coaching Nalgene-style water bottle, become a follower of my blog and leave your guess in the comments section of what you think my average 100-yard pace of my Swim Time Trial on Wednesday, January 2^nd.  One guess per follower.  Don’t repeat another person’s answer.  In the event a duplicate answer is given, I will take the one who answered first.  Do it now!  Contest ends at the end of the day! I will contact the winner to coordinate delivery of the bottle.  (Photo courtesy of Sarah Tynes.)

12 Tools for Your Triathlon Toolbox - #10 Experts

A few weeks ago, our Team visited Neurosport Physical Therapy for a Functional Movement Screening, conducted by Physical Therapist, Matt M. and Exercise Specialist/Head PT Tech, Chris H.  The screening revealed our individual weaknesses and inflexibilities.  Chris and Matt provided each of us with a safe and effective core strength program that addresses each of our dysfunctions.  As we keep up with these exercises, there is a good chance we will prevent future injury.  Hooray!

Last week, our Team had the pleasure of meeting with Kyle O’Day of Continuum Sports Solutions who specializes in Run Stride Analysis.  He demonstrated several dynamic warm up drills and asked us to practice the drills so he could check our form.  Then, he watched each of us run while he provided tips to help us improve our efficiency.   It was extremely beneficial and I was grateful to Kyle for sharing his expertise with our Team!

Next month, our Team will host Robin Benardot, RD of Benardot Nutrition as she shares her knowledge and experience about nutrition with the Team.

Having these professionals in my circle are extremely important to my coaching business.  My job as a coach includes guiding athletes through the disciplines of swimming, biking and running.  Of course, I also incorporate mental toughness, injury prevention, strength training, nutrition and technique.  Referring to these professionals comes into play when I recognize that I have an athlete that needs more help in an area than I can provide.  Since I've established great relationships with these experts, I can work with them to tailor the athlete's plan to best address his/her deficiency while keeping training at a high level.

Training for this sport takes a lot of our precious time.  My suggestion is to save time and consult an expert as soon as you start having an issue that needs a higher level of attention. 

When one of my athletes needs more help in an area that is not my specialty, I don’t hesitate referring them to one of these more experienced professionals. 

Happy Training and Racing!  

12 Tools for Your Triathlon Toolbox - #9 Training Partners

I got my start in the sport of triathlon ten years ago with Team in Training.  Being part of a Team to train and fundraise with was a fantastic way to get initiated in to the sport!  I made tons of friends, learned so much from the coaches and fundraised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Crossing the finish line at the 2003 St.Anthony’s Triathlon meant a whole lot more than just finishing my first triathlon.  It meant working hard to reach a goal, enjoying it with friends and making a small difference in someone’s life who could not compete in the sport due to their illness.

As I continued my involvement in the sport by competing in longer distance races, I learned the importance of having solid training partners, especially for bike rides.  It’s tough to face a 65 – 100+ miler on your own, especially when you need to complete rides like this on a regular basis to get ready for an Ironman triathlon or other long distance event.

Over the years, I’ve relied on several fellow triathletes and cyclists to join me on rides.  I’ve treasured my training partners over the years.  Here are some of the qualities they possess:

·        Timeliness

·        PMA (Positive Mental Attitude)

·        Seriousness

·        Preparedness

·        Honesty

·        Ego in Check

·        No Sandbagging

·        Good Citizenship

Take this short quiz to find out how you rank on the “Coach Mari Fridenmaker Training Partner Compatibility Scale”:

1.)  When you decide to meet for a “Wheels Down at 7:30am” ride, do you…

a.      Arrive at 7:05am, get everything ready and show up at the starting area at 7:25am?

b.     Arrive at 7:25, quickly get everything together and hope you are good to roll out at 7:30am?

c.      Pull in the parking lot at 7:35 wondering if you are in the wrong place?

2.)  When you come to ride with your Training Partner, do you…

a.      Always have enough fluid and nutrition for the duration of the ride and even a little bit extra?

b.     Arrive with just enough to get you through the ride?

c.      Show up to the ride, then remember you left all your bottles and nutrition sitting on the kitchen counter?

3.)  How do you greet your Training Partner when meeting him/her at the ride?

a.      “Hey buddy!  You look strong today.  I’m feeling great and can’t wait to ride!  Let’s go!”

b.     “hey.  ready?”

c.      “Hey.  I didn’t get any sleep last night because my date kept me up all night…talking.  Then, I was late for work.  My boss kept me in yet another meaningless meeting until 5:15pm.  I feel like crap and my ride is going to suck.  Should we just go for pizza instead?”

4.)  When you meet your Training Partner for a mid-week recovery ride and you know he/she is a little bit slower than you, what do you do?

a.      Ride at his/her pace without letting him/her know you are taking it easy. 

b.     Ride ahead of him/her, but close enough where he/she can see you.

c.      Go “balls to the wall” and *maybe* see him/her back at the parking lot.

5.)  When approaching a stop sign while riding in town during a busy part of the day with your Training Partner, what do you do?

a.      Stop.  Unclip.  Look both ways.  Proceed when traffic is clear.

b.     Slow down.  Stay clipped in.  Look both ways.  Proceed.

c.      Ride so fast through the stop sign that the cop can’t catch you to give you a ticket…only for him to eventually catch up to you to call the ambulance.

  

If you answered mostly with an “a”, you are an excellent Training Partner.  If you answered mostly with a “b”, you’ve got a few ways to improve.  If you answered mostly with a “c”, please return your Blue Iron Coaching cycling jersey immediately!

In this sport in which we spend a lot of time training, having solid training partners is invaluable!  I’ve had tons of awesome training buddies over the years…too many to mention.  These people have contributed to the joy I have received from the sport.  I hope you all cherish your training partners and serve as one yourself!

Happy Training and Racing!