Tackling The Off Season w/ Coach Steven Brandes

How I’m Tackling This Off Season

This off season will be different than others because I am going to do everything different. That’s right, I am going to throw out the old play book and work on all of my weaknesses this off season. The thought of this scares me but also motivates me. After competing in triathlon for 11 years, I need a new physical and mental stimulus in order for me to have a great 2018 season. However, this means I have to look at myself critically and determine what my weakness are which isn't easy!

1. Work on my physical strength: I have seen my strength levels decline every year and have seen it effect me in training. I was once a strong climbers and am now getting beat on almost every climb when training with others. Since October I have been in the gym, lifting weights working on developing my muscular strength. The past 2 months have been focused on general lifting at a moderate intensity. I am now getting into lifting at full capacity. This means I am only doing 3-4 rounds of 3-5 repetitions where I am forced to rest 3 minutes before i can start again. This is where the gains will be made to making me overall stronger.
2. Work on my explosive power: This compliments my lifting in the gym, but puts a different spin on it. I haven’t improved my 5k running time, 400 yard swim, of my biking threshold is over 4 years. If your critical speed isn't improving, you won’t get faster over longer events. It’s not as if i haven't tried to improve the above, for whatever reason I haven't worked on the supporting elements that will improve my “thresholds”. So far I have been doing plyometrics and up hill bounding, lifting heavier weights in the gym, doing a tremendous amount of sprinting in the pool w/ parachutes and ankle bands, and short intense sessions on the bike. These sessions are very hard. At first I hated them because my session volumes have reduced almost 50% but i am seeing the benefits already. My personal best in a 50 free was 34 and I am now at 30 seconds! You can’t change technical inefficiencies under a high training load, so if you are swimming 4,000 yards with a bad swim stroke, you will remain a bad swimmer. 
3. Reduce my body fat: I didn’t say I wanted to lose weight, i said body fat percentage. I have noticed that as i’ve gotten older, my body fat has increased. With the added weights and explosive work, that will naturally add more muscle which will keep my weight the same and there is a good chance I will start to lose weight as well. Either way, when I went to CXC Skiing facility to get my Resting Metabolic Rate tested to determined how many calories my body demands each day, I also had my body fat tested… i wasn't happy with it. Having these numbers, i am able to set up my daily eating to know how much i should be eating to either lose weight or maintain my current weight.
4. Race more frequent: I used to only race when I felt prepared and I feel like this is a weakness that always gets exploited on race day. I feel like I hide in my training until I feel race ready and then when i did race I had too many expectations to do well. This is a good thing and a bad thing because you should always have expectations, but I also feel like my performances suffered because I was afraid to fully commit myself in races, almost like i was racing at 90% of my best instead of 100%. So far i have raced twice this off season and before both I almost convinced myself to not race but glad i did. Its a hard thing to put yourself in a situation when you know you wont be at your best, it takes courage, but i am using these races as a stepping stone to manage my overall preparation. My plan this off season is to race 1-2xs a month, from the Pinnacle Indoor Triathlons to local running races, i will be out there learning to suffer!

Coach Steven Brandes

Am I An Ironman?

I crossed the finish line at Ironman Wisconsin and Mike Reilly told me I was an Ironman. I thought that would mean something to me when it finally happened. It didn’t. It still doesn’t three weeks later. I trained for over a year to complete something people tell me “is quite an accomplishment.” So, why don’t I feel different?

I honestly thought crossing that finish line would change me in some kind of meaningful way. I thought it would answer some questions I had never had the courage to ask out loud. I thought I would be overcome with emotion.

None of that happened. I crossed the finish line. I got a medal. And then... Then my life went on, but with a gaping hole in it. I had completed something I didn’t know I could complete. I was an Ironman. People wear that label around like a badge of honor for the rest of their lives. They get a tattoo so other people can show it off.

I wish it was that simple for me, but it’s not. Becoming an Ironman was a point-in-time event for me. It started and ended in the same moment. The moment I crossed the finish line. The moment I realized that nothing had changed and nothing would change because I finished. I was not a different person that than I was the moment before I crossed the finish line.

That’s not totally true. I am a different person since I finished Ironman. I am lost. I am drifting through life without any answers to the questions I set out to find the answers to at that finish line. At the moment I feel more like a victim of Ironman, than a victor.

As I struggle to get out of bed each morning and search for the motivation to do my workout each day, I’ve realized something, my goal was never to cross that finish line. I don’t care about being an Ironman. I don’t care if anyone knows that I finished that race.

I don’t care because for me, Ironman wasn’t a race. It was a 14 month journey of training, camaraderie, teammates, solitude, fatigue, fear, loneliness, friendship, pain and for the first time in my life, a sense of calm in my mind. A calm that comes from a daily fatigue that forces me to focus only on what matters in my life. A calm that comes from feeling like I’ve really lived each day.

I’ve lost that calm and that glorious fatigue over the past few weeks as I’ve “recovered” from the race. Now, it’s time to find it again. It’s time to begin the journey all over again. Training for Ironman WI 2018 starts now.

I didn’t change when I crossed the finish line, I changed when I took the first step in a very long journey to get there.

Ironman Wisconsin: Have I Done Enough?

I’m less than 1 week away from competing in Ironman WI, my first Ironman, and the one question I can’t answer is, “have I done enough?” 

I’ve trained and raced with the Madison Multisport Team for the last year. I’ve worked harder than I ever have physically and I’ve been a type of exhausted that I didn’t know existed. I’ve spent countless hours with my teammates - more quality time with them this summer than with my wife and kids. I did all the workouts my coach assigned (and skipped some of them when my body told me I needed a break). 

I also raced. A lot. In the last year, I’ve completed 3 Ironman 70.3 races, 7 sprint triathlons, 2 marathons, the Horribly Hilly Hundreds 100K and 4 running races of varying distances. That’s an insane amount of racing. 

Yet, I still can’t say I have done enough. I don’t know that I have. I don’t know that I can swim 2.4 miles and then bike 112 miles and then run 26.2 miles. I don’t know that I can do it because I’ve never done it before. I have doubts every day. At times, I think I’ve committed to something I just am not built to do. I’m a big guy. Big guys aren’t endurance athletes. I also think a lot about failing, but I don’t even know what it would mean to fail at an Ironman. It’s a paradox. 

So, how do I convince myself I’ve done enough? Done enough to deserve to be on that starting line. Done enough to make my coaches’ investment in me worth their time. Done enough to hold my head high when I see my teammates after the race. Done enough to make all the sacrifices my wife made to make this possible worth it. Done enough to make my son proud when he hangs that medal around my neck at the finish line. 

The bottom line is that I can’t. I can’t convince myself that I’ve done enough. I can’t convince myself that I’ll be able to hit my goal times for each leg of the race. I can’t convince myself that I won’t fail. I’m genuinely afraid.

This is why you’ll find me starting a 2.4 mile swim at 6:55am on Sept 10, because I don’t know if I can do this and I want to find out. I want to know. I need to know and there’s only one way to find out. Dive in. 

Couch To IRONMAN w/ Lauren Taylor

Some time ago in the not so distant past, my husband asked me if I would ever do a triathlon. “No way!”, I answered. “Swimming is gross, and you know I don’t like to get in the water. Biking might be okay, but I don’t even own a bike.” Yet... I didn’t shut the door all the way.  “I should just do a half marathon or something.”

In 2015, he joined MM and by the end of the season, I was warming up to the idea of becoming active. As I spent more time around the team, I was certain this was a group I wanted to be a part of. I still wasn’t sold on the whole triathlon thing, but I decided to do a sprint tri in 2016 and my goal was “just to finish”.

Starting in the new year, the consistency (or maybe unrelenting frequency) of my new plan was a complete lifestyle change. This was my first week of what I came to call the “couch to Cindi” program:

I had bouts of fitness in the past where I would run or have a dedicated yoga practice, but there was no consistency and there certainly wasn’t much intensity. When I started, I struggled to run a single 10 minute mile without walking. But it didn’t really matter where I started, because as long as I showed up for practice and did my best to try to keep up with anyone on the team, I was improving. Having a coach and and a supportive group to train with was a game changer for me.   

The rapid improvement I experienced was exciting. Not only did I complete several sprints, I crushed my goals as well as my perception of what my body was capable of every time. My dreams and my goals got bigger as the year went on.

By the end of that summer, I was thinking really big and it was time to decide if I could take on Ironman in 2017. Even the thought of it would have been crazy seven months earlier.  

But everything in my life felt like it was settled enough that I would be able to dedicate the time and energy required to training. Conveniently, my “carpool” and near constant companion, Carly, was also ready to take the leap. A group of us exchanged excited texts as we registered on September 12th.

In November, I told Cindi I wanted to run a marathon. I knew I would feel more secure in my Ironman decision if I had at least done each portion of the race by itself. She said it wasn’t really “required,” but I knew I needed to be confident in my ability to cover the distance. Plus, a marathon seemed like a good way to keep motivated over the winter.

The Mesa-Phoenix Marathon was my first race of the year. My goal was to run under 4 hours, but I wanted to push myself see how close I could get to 3:30. Lofty for someone who could barely make it a mile just the year before. The course was pretty flat, the weather was mild, and I even had amazing teammates show up to surprise me in Phoenix and catch me every few miles.

In the end, I ran 3:41:40. I was very happy with my result and loved the experience, despite it being more painful than I possibly could have anticipated. There were many moments where I thought, “Why did I sign up to do this after a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike? What was I thinking?!?” Good thing my teammates assure me that “the Ironman marathon is just different”.

After the marathon, I decided to race less frequently in the year ahead. I had just two 70.3s on the calendar. The first, Ironman Madison 70.3, was a grueling introduction to the distance. After a beautiful swim and bike, I was destroyed by the heat on the run. Like many others, my pace suffered as I slogged around Lake Monona. I didn’t meet my goal of breaking 2 hours on the run, but I was happy to have covered this distance without any mechanical or nutrition issues.

Luckily, I had another shot at a sub-2 run at the Door County half in July. After a shortened swim and relatively flat bike, I was ready to go.  I watched my average pace on my watch knowing that it had to be under 9:09 to break 2 hours and that I would need to bank some time for hills in later miles. I executed according to plan and my run time was 1:57:11.  All that was left now was the full distance in September.

Now, in the days leading up to Ironman I am unusually calm. As I see others on facebook worrying about the swim start change, bike course, or other things ultimately outside of my control, I am not fazed. The hard work is done, now it is just time to execute and enjoy the day.

In writing this and reflecting on my journey,  I think about where I started and how far I have come. From my first sprint, to my first marathon, to my first 70.3, I have had great races so far and I simply trust the process. My training and race planning I have done with MM has never failed me in the past. Thinking about race day, about that first swim stroke until I cross the finish line, ultimately completing my journey from couch-to-226k, I am excited and ready to take on Ironman.  

How I Got Back In The Saddle w/ Carly Hasse

“Oh man, this is not good.”  That was my thought as I was trying to gain control of my bike.  Turns out, hitting a pothole on your bike while going downhill at 30 mph isn’t too great.  After a few swerves to the wrong side of the road and trying not to go head first over my handlebars, I ended up laying my bike on its side in the ditch.  Too bad my left shoulder took the brunt of the force, as I was kind of hoping the bike would and I could get a new one!  As I sat in the ditch with 2 teammates and my coach, I had the same thought “oh man, this is not good for Ironman training.”  I was banged up pretty badly & I knew I was hurt.  An afternoon in the ER and a few x-rays later, the orthopedic surgeon confirmed that I had 3 fractures in my scapula and said the dreaded words I didn’t want to hear.  “You’re for sure not going to do any races for the next 8 weeks, and maybe not Ironman Wisconsin either.”  The tears came fast and hard, and I was devastated.  

I wallowed in those sorrows for a good 48 hours.  Maybe it was the pain meds, maybe it was the awful concussion I got that let me have these “poor me” thoughts.  Then I had a realization.  Why just give up on a goal you have and worked so hard on for nearly a year?  That’s not you, Carly.  Get back in the saddle and finish what you started.  So I talked with my coach and came up with a game plan.  Speed walk. Do yoga.  Kick in the pool.  Do whatever you can.  Just don’t quit on your goal.  

Over the course of the next 8 weeks, I slowly but surely progressed back to being on a normal Ironman training schedule.  Was it easy? No.  Were there days I wanted to quit?  Yes.  Did I have doubts that I could actually get to the start line at Ironman Wisconsin?  Absolutely.  But I knew I needed to persevere and push on.  That first time back riding my bike on the open road was by far the most nervous I’ve been in my adult life.  Pretty sure the first hill I went down there was smoke coming from my brake pads and I was certain I had wore them out!  Lots of positive self-talk and just getting back in the saddle helped ease the fears that come with crashing.  I got more and more confident during every ride I did, and before I knew it, I was doing 100+ mile rides without fear. With a visual scar reminder on my leg (from my handlebars digging into my thigh when I crashed), I reminded myself how fortunate I am that I am a healthy, strong woman who has goals to be met, and nothing can stop me, not even a bike crash.

Having a positive mindset, having coaches that work with you on a daily basis to set small & manageable goals, having teammates that support you (and who are willing to speed walk with you or drive you everywhere!), and remembering that broken bones heal but broken dreams do not are all things that got me to where I am now----less than 2 weeks away from achieving my goal of racing happy and having fun during Ironman Wisconsin!

How I Reshaped My Life w/ Matthew Boardman

In 2015, at my heaviest I weighed in at 195lbs. Now i weigh 160lbs. For someone who was 5'8" and 195lbs, it was obvious that i needed to make some personal changes. I had just come off the 2014 Ironman Wisconsin where i went 12:31 and was training with an online coach. I signed up for the 2015 IMWI to redeem myself only to go slower than what i did in 2015. The lack of improvement really hurt.

My training in 2014 and 2015 consisted of 6 weekly sessions, 2 swims, 2 bikes, and 2 runs. In 2015 i raced Lake Mills Sprint and Door County Half Ironman before Ironman Wisconsin.

Lake Mills Sprint:

Total Time: 1:30

Swim: 9:17, Bike: 49:13 (19.5mh), 25:38 (8:15 pace)

Door County Half Ironman:

Total Time: 6:06

Swim: 45 Minutes, 2:47 (20.8mph), 2:25 (11:07 pace)

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When i was training in 2014 and 2015, I had no real thought process with my daily nutrition: I just knew I was consuming 2500-3000 calories per day.  This included a high percentage of fats (snacks to "reward" myself- but overboard like ice cream and candy), a lot of microwave and easy to prepare meals in high carbohydrates.  I also drank regular gatorade, and took in Gu and bonk brakes without any real thought behind.  I was actually one of those people who gained weight training for Ironman!

While I had goals, I did not have a true plan to reach those goals; my workouts were time based but lacked structure and intervals.  I did no strength training nor did I put much thought into recovery. I was just going through the motions.

After the 2015 Ironman, I decided i needed to make a change that would reshape my life.

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Cue Madison Multisport and Cindi Bannink....

Accountability: This was easily the largest and most difficult change I had to make. Madison Multisport from a training perspective boiled down to ACCOUNTABILITY, COMMITMENT, and healthy competition. TrainingPeaks was a symbol of ACCOUNTABILITY, not GUILT and avoidance! I was determined to train hard and smart while not over doing it. Coach Cindi was key for keeping me on my game, having to come to TEAM practices and look her in the eye and tell her if i was ever struggling was a big step for me, instead of the auto reply of "i'm fine".

Commitment: This was something i wanted to conquer more on a personal level than some race result. I knew i had it in me to not just follow the motions but to improve and get faster. I wanted to prove to myself that I had the hard work and discipline to become a better me. Very early in the season I approached races and body composition with loftier goals than i had in the past. I set these goals and Coach Cindi and myself held me accountable to them. I work in the medical profession which required countless years of hard work, education, and accountability and for some reason I hadn't transfered that same work ethic into my athletic training. I finally paralleled the two and was finally seeing results in training and my body composition. Within the 1st 6 months, i lost over 15lbs and was seeing massive improvements in my daily mood, energy, and training. I was feeling better and running faster at an easier effort.

Madison Multisport has a good blend of personality and ability and I was mixing it up with people I never thought I would have been. In the winters, Tuesday nights typically mean Hill Repeats. I continued to bust my butt to keep up with faster teammates and it was working. I was pushing myself well past my comfort zone and repping the rewards. Each time we would run the Monona Loop, I always tried to keep up with Olivia. Olivia is one of the best triathletes in the Madison area, a Boston Qualifier, and a super encouraging teammate. 

I also asked Colin at Cronometro Bike Shop to put me in a better, more aggressive bike position. With my body composition continuing to change, i could easily go into a better aero position than i previously could. Add in the hard bike workouts that we did at TEAM practices, I was starting to match the watts per kilo of some of the better riders on the team. My confidence was growing each week!

On a nutrition stand point, I started to pay attention to what i was eating. I would consume 450-500g of Carbs per day which was around 2.5-4.5/lbs of body weight. I tried to consume most of these as early in the day as possible as well as when I was training, while not too many carbs at night. I would then try to consume 80-110g of Protein per day (.5-.8/lbs of body weight). I kept these meals in the middle and end of the day. A large change came once i turned 40 as i learned that protein demands in endurance training are higher in athletes over 40, it helps with improving recovery.  I added more chicken and fish while eliminating red meat that contained alot of fat. I also replaced burgers with chicken on the George Foreman Grill. I ate less than 70g of Fats per day. The only time i allowed myself sweets was during training or post workouts when i felt i deserved them.

Bring on the 2017 Season!

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Lake Mills 2017: Overall Time: 1:15

Swim: 9:02, Bike: 40:51 (23.5mpg), Run: 21:44 (6:59 pace)

Door County Half Ironman 2017: Overall Time 4:36 

Swim: 9:39, Bike: 2:32 (22mph), Run: 1:49 (8:20s pace)

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Comparisons for 2015 vs 2017

Lake Mills Bike: 19.5mph vs 23.5mph

Lake Mills Run: 8:15 per mile vs 6:59 per mile

Door County 70.3 Bike: 20mph vs 22 mph (15 Minutes Faster)

Door County 70.3 Run: 11:07 per mile vs 8:20 per mile (20 Minutes Faster)

Food For Fuel, How I Conquered 70.3!

I am Wendy! I'm currently on my third season of triathlons and started training this past year with Madison Multisport.  

This year my big goal was to compete in my first half Ironman, Steelhead, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. I knew that in order to achieve this goal I was going to be spending a lot more hours running and biking, especially on the weekends. With the training I had received so far I knew that there's no time like the present to get going. 

Fast forward to Saturday, July 1, which was one of my long ride days. From what I recall there was nothing unusual about the ride, other than maybe being a bit hot outside. I was following the training plan, doing intervals, feeling pretty good. The next thing I knew I was on the ground coming to in a dreamlike state with people standing around me telling me that I had been in an accident. I had ran my bike into the back of a parked car. I had no recollection of why it had happened, I wasn't sure if a car had gotten too close or if I made some mistake while riding. I probably will never know but that day I ended up in an ambulance and was taken to the emergency room. Thankfully there was nothing serious, just a badly sprained wrist, a banged up face, and diagnosed with a concussion. 

Over the next couple of weeks it really bothered me that I didn't remember what had happened to cause the accident. As I was sharing my story with a clinician at work she mentioned that some of the details I was providing could be linked to dehydration. Up until that point I honestly didn't pay very much attention to what I was eating or drinking even though my coaches talked about it frequently. Even if it wasn't the cause of my accident the wheels started to spin and I knew I needed to start taking nutrient more serious.

The morning of my accident what I can tell you is that I probably didn't start out with enough calories or liquid in my system to accommodate the workout I was about to do. I was running on empty pretty quickly into the ride and the couple of gel packs I had and the calorie free water were never going to catch me up to what I really needed. The possibility that I blacked out while on my bike, on a busy road, scared the crap out of me. If that was what happened I am pretty lucky that getting banged up and totaling my bike was all that happened.  

Being overweight my whole life and being on numerous diets throughout my lifetime had gotten me in a mindset that eating less was better. I had recently lost 95 pounds, so the thought of increasing my food intake was pretty scary to me. After doing some research and at the recommendation of my coach I scheduled an appointment with a dietitian. I kept track of my food and liquid intake in addition to my workouts for several days.  Within a couple minutes of reviewing my journey the dietitian asked me how I was typically feeling during my workouts. I let her know that I generally could make it through most of my workouts but that I typically felt pretty drained by the middle of the workout on most days, running days were the hardest. From there she started going over the journal entries with me and based on that information alone she told me that I wasn't even taking in enough calories to sustain someone who doesn't work out at all, let alone someone like me that was working out on a daily basis, especially several hours on the weekend.  With my half Ironman just over 3 weeks away we immediately worked on a menu plan that was easy for me to follow to make sure I was taking in what I needed. We more than doubled my calorie intake, mainly through protein in the weeks leading up to my race.

Since implement I can tell the positive difference these changes are making. I'm feeling more energy during workouts, I'm not coming home completely exhausted. I competed in the Ironman 70.3 triathlon the second week in August and was amazed at how much stronger I felt especially during the run which is my least favorite part. This I competed in my second sprint triathlon of the season and I was able to take about 7 minutes off my time, more importantly I didn’t need to walk during the run.

I'm really excited to see how I perform next year seeing that I will be training more fully charged than I was before the beginning of this year.

Race Report: Racing with the Best at Age Group Nationals

What is it like to rest with the best in the nation?  It's AWESOME!  It's exciting, and it kindles your passion for growing as an athlete.

My day started with me crawling out of bed as it always does on these 4am race mornings.  Packing went quickly, as I didn't have to bring a wetsuit, I didn't wear a watch, and I didn't bring a change of clothes because the weather was so nice.  I just wore my kit to the race. I had everything else ready from the night before.

The race site was a PERFECT venue. really, when I say perfect I mean it.  With the slight drawback that there is only one way into the park and it's SLOW race morning.  I left with lots of time and it wasn't a problem, for me.  But it ultimately led to a 30 minute race delay, which didn't bother me at all. Just another piece that made this an AWESOME event!  (That's going to be a continuing theme).

I checked my bike over one more time, organized my stuff and told the guy next to me he had his left shoe clipped to the right pedal... :-)

I'll preface with the fact that I had zero tension, apprehension, nervousness, or anxiety at any point, and I loved that.  I was just excited to be there.  Excited to participate.

Eventually they channeled us down to the water onto a massive pier.  The walk was a little funny, it was like walking in a fun house.  The dock swayed left to right with each step so we must have looked like a bunch of drunks.  We were able to get into the water and warm up a bit, then we got back onto the dock and switched to the other side.  We lined up in the water with one hand on the dock.

The airhorn went off and like torpedos the wave took off.  I mean it. It was a hot start, I remember smiling in the water thinking to myself that we were flying.  Well that pace didn't last very long for me. Without the comfort and speed advantage of a wetsuit, I couldn't hack it.  I knew at that moment I wouldn't be qualifying for the World Championship.  These athletes were crazy fast. I dropped back to a pace I could maintain, but I was a little late.  I was gassed and struggling to breathe. I'm either going to have to get better at swimming or I'm going to have to continue being comfortable being in the middle or in this case the back of the pack.  Other than that setback, which was quickly remedied, the swim was a decent one.  Apparently, not very quick. 2:03/100yd pace.  I'm faster than that. And it certainly felt faster.  Several people said the swim was long.  Which may explain the time. Maybe.  Either way, we all did the same distance.  The water temperature was a beautiful 80.6 degrees, so it felt much like a pool. My focus here was not speed, it was form.  And I think my body form in the water was pretty darn good.  My pull phase falls apart when I am not staying focused on it.  I know I pull down and let off before my hips.  I need to focus on a pull that gives me more forward momentum.  And follow through.  Those two things will shave a ton of time and save a ton of energy.

My transition was a little slow but not too terrible I feel.  I didn't use socks, which has become the norm, even in training. Apparently I left my goggles around my neck.  That will look great in my race photos :)

Next came the bike.  I was excited most for the bike.  It looked easy, it looked fast.  And both were true.  But there's a decent hill midway through that really slowed me down. Working on developing strength on the hills continues to be an area of improvement. They don't wear me out, I just don't get up them very fast. 

So anyways, I held a nice 200-220 watts on the way out, which translated to about 21-22mph until the hill which saw about 250-300 watts all the way up. After that hill I maintained about 19-20 for the remainder of the course, except for the return up the backside of the hill, which was easier.

My average speed ended at 19.8 and 196 watts.  Which was not only my goal wattage but also felt just right.  I was really hoping my average would be higher in MPH but I guess my wattage would have needed to be higher to achieve that. 

I was smiling the whole ride, taking in nutrition as planned and using my water for hydration.  I was happy on the bike that my right hip wasn't giving me pain. The week of the race I started to have slight hip pain and I was nervous that it may present itself in the event.  It didn't on the bike and I felt good. It was beautiful out during the whole race with very minimal wind.  A slight headwind on the return, but nothing major.  I came back into transition feeling good and transitioned to the run.

My typical run pace is in the 8's-9's and I believe I was in the lower 8's for the first mile.  Unfortunately my hip kicked in and was forced to run through the pain. There was a groan every time I stepped on the right side for several hundred yards but it went away.  Then mother nature started calling and i was forced to use the bathroom! I exited the bathroom and immediately some guy said shouted "Make Cindi and Steve proud!".  He was already at a speed that was far greater than mine so I could not catch his name.

I finished out my remaining 2-2.5 miles at a decent pace.  Probably about 8' flat until the last 500 yards for a sprint between myself and another guy in a different wave.  He got me.  But by a foot or two.  Good fun!

The race was great and I was so happy to be there.  I'll forever remember this race.  It's the first time I've recorded the contents of the day. I had no idea what to expect with my work schedule consuming so much of my life.  

Considering how crazy work has been, I finished how i expected i would.  Though I did expect that with my output I'd have placed higher. In the end, I have control of myself and not what others in my age group do. I participate in triathlon because it is something I really enjoy. I like to push myself through those moments when pain arrives. Placing well in my age group feels good, but it's not my main priority. Everyone had a great race, it was a great place to have a race and it was an absolutely gorgeous day

I couldn't be happier with what transpired today!

Race Report w/ Bobby Taylor: Progress over Perfection

Progress over Perfection
“Siri—get directions to West Mesa Aquatic Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico”  

I was irritated as I walked away from Sandia pool—the city never bothered to update their posted, scheduled summer lap hours— and I now, according to Siri, had a 20 min drive to the next pool to stew on it.   But I had been on a roll this month since I committed to swimming consistently, and I was stubbornly determined to get myself in a pool.  

That same day, 2000 miles away, my teammates were smashing each other on their Tuesday brick sessions. Coach Steve even decided to write about it (here).  I love Tuesday brick workouts when I am in town, but I obviously needed to do my own thing.

Travelling for work nearly every week and training for triathlons creates some special challenges.  On that day, it meant driving all around Albuquerque to find a place to swim.  I have learned to value progress over perfection and to realize something is better than nothing. 

And if I’m being honest, it really wasn’t a great swim.  The city of Albuquerque sits at about 6200’ above sea level and the air is just a little too thin for my unacclimated, Midwestern liking.  If you haven’t swam at altitude, grab a straw, jump in the pool, and breathe through it like a snorkel while swimming laps.  That’s what I would liken it to.  You can get the work done, but you got to keep it low and slow or you will be gasping for air after 100 yards. Slower intervals, shorter sets, and longer rests are required. 

But I got it done. I rounded out the night with a quick 30’ on the treadmill back in the hotel gym, and Tuesday was in the books.  

Balancing Training and Travelling
As I balance travelling and training, Coach Steve and I start each week by understanding what is possible.  Running shoes fit nicely into a suitcase.  A swim cap, goggles, and jammers do as well.  A bike?  Not so much.  

So this means that all my biking will be done in Madison, when I am in Madison, and we start there.  Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays will have bike sessions.  Very often, these will be my only bikes of the week, so we make them count.  Power-focused sets, intervals, and volume work with the team fill my training peaks each weekend with a good mix of road and trainer riding.  I have learned to love riding my bike, and I have found that I have responded well to the consistency of big weekend riding blocks every 4 days.

Because Coach Steve and I condense a week’s worth of riding into 3 days, rinse, and repeat, it leads to some pretty crazy swings in training peaks week-to-week.  But we know that we are doing what we can, when we can, working within the realm of progress over perfection.

Until about a month ago, I found that swimming would be the thing that I cut out of a week in a time crunch.  And like any bad habit, it compounded over time, and I found my lack of swim training would show in my overall results. I made a commitment to myself that if I was going to training as hard as I was, I needed to round it out and swim consistently—at least 3x week—no matter what. As someone who started swimming 3 years ago, I simply couldn’t fake it and hope to reach my goals. 

So at the beginning of July, I signed up for the Madison Multisport Masters swim at Seminole Pool (26.5 meters is a whole new kind of confusing math) and knew that I could always make Monday and Friday mornings, regardless of my travel schedule.  That just meant finding 1 day each week onsite while travelling where I would need to hunt down a pool, even if it meant driving across Albuquerque and yelling at Siri, and I would hit the magic 3x week goal.  Sprinkle in a weekend bonus swim, and in my head, I would be approaching bona fide fish status.  

Finally, running becomes the thread that ties my weeks together.   I have found that you can run anywhere, and just about every hotel has a treadmill.  I like to run when I travel, not simply for training but because it is a great stress reliever for me.  So we make easy runs a staple of my time on the road, remembering that something is better than nothing. 

I love to explore new cities, check out local running shops, and even join Tuesday night or Wednesday night running groups on occasion.  There is work to be done, but we rarely put key sessions during days when I am out of town.  When I’m onsite, it’s about rounding out the week and recognizing that work obligations often get in the way of the perfect workout we might have had planned.

Putting it all together
I have learned that there certainly is no one-size-fits-all approach to training.  Even if there was, it probably wouldn’t fit my schedule.   So finding the right balance has been a fun part of the challenge.  I continue to improve and I had my best finish at a Race Day Events Wisconsin Tri Series race this past weekend at Triing for Children’s Triathlon at Ottawa Lake State Park.  I took 6th overall, and I put together a well-balanced race.

I felt strong and smooth in the swim, surrendering less time than I typically do against many of the other men in my age group, and I closed the gap on many of my fast-swimming Madison Multisport teammates.  It seems like commitment to swimming is starting to pay off, and I am thrilled with my swim result.

My bike was solid, and I rode my way steadily through the previous waves throughout the 15 miles. I found myself getting passed only a handful of times, including by Madison Multisport teammate Matt Boardman, who had the fastest ride of the day (congrats Matt on the huge result!)

Finally, on the run, I was in my element and I felt for the first time since breaking two ribs on my right side in June that I was able to push myself to my limits on a run.   I know now where my run fitness stands, and I couldn’t be happier with the results overall.

Up next, I will be running the Madison Mini Half Marathon on August 19th, and I am signed up for Ironman North Carolina 70.3 Wilmington in October.

Race Report: Riding Like The Wind w/ Matt Boardman

The tri-ing for children (T4C) sprint was not a race I intended to do. When I was coming up with my race plan in the fall Cindi suggested it; the timing on the calendar made more sense with my schedule so I went with it. Little did I know it would be my sprint PR...

I came into the race with a different perspective. I had already completed my 2 70.3's and am happy with the results. But I still had more goals in mind for the Tri Series.  The weather was perfect.  I knew I had to take advantage of a day in Wisconsin with no wind.

Standing in my wet suit 30 minutes before my wave start I was trying to psych myself up. On MadisonMultisport we have lots of fast teammates that podium several times per season.  I had never been on my age group podium before and this was one of my last two chances this season. 

Swim. I have had "the yips" with my open water swims in the past and this swim got a little rough. There were multiple waves from the Olympic and Sprint races fighting for space in the water. I had to go with my sometimes swimming mantra: relax (and I did not get that from Aaron Rodgers!). I may have been a little too relaxed and wound up coming out of the water almost a minute behind where I wanted to.

Bike.  We knew the course would be pretty flat so I was confident here. But it was chaotic the first and last 2 miles with a narrow road and little space to pass. I admit I was bobbing and weaving around people- just trying not to slow down. Keep my watts as high as possible. Stay in the aero bars. Stay focused.

Run. This is where my sprint performances have come up short. My goal was a sub seven minute mile pace. Cindi keeps telling me I have that gear. I pushed. I was pushing so hard I was a little nauseous! Settled down after a mile and just tried not to lose too many seconds on the muddy trail portion.

When I got my "report card" at the finish and it said 1 under "DIV PL" I couldn't believe it. I knew I had a great race but didn't expect that! Up, up, up👊🏻

I love having teammates who cheer me on in the race and on the side of the road. And it was an awesome boost to see CDB out there rooting us on all of 39 1/2 weeks pregnant!

#/poundSprintlife

Why I Love MM Tuesday Brick Workouts

I used to hate them, now I love them.

5:45pm we meet at Mckee Farms Park and you can feel the anticipation of the workout, everyone knows whats coming because we do it every other week. This is a staple workout for Madison Multisport athletes. If there is one workout per week that makes me a stronger, more confident athlete... it is Tuesday Bricks. 

We warm up 8 miles to the park that we do our transitions from. We then rack our bikes, set up our shoes and helmets. We do this exactly how we would for our weekend races... practice makes perfect. 

Cindi gives us the final instructions for the workout and then we start! It's nice always having Cindi coaching the weekly sessions. If its simple encouragement, or tip on how are transitioning, a running form tip, or even a reminder of one of our individual goals to motivate us... its always helpful.  

The Brick Workout (2-3xs)

400m Run at a 10k effort. Strong but in control. We do this to elevate our heart rate as it would be coming out of the swim.

3.5 Mile Bike at Z4 (Turns into Max effort). This is when the pain begins! This is a rolling terrain with uphills, fast downhills, and flats where you can really hammer. These bike efforts usually last 8-10 minutes depending on the wind. The best wattage ive done over 8-10 minutes have been during this workout, typically it is 310-320, but this time it was 290s. Fatigue is high at the moment, but thats OK! Even when you dont feel good, you have to push!

800m Run The 1st 400m is a gradual uphill, flat, then downhill. The 1st 400 really hurts! You are always wondering why you feel slow and you never want to admit its the hill :)

Rest 3-5 minutes, start again!

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How did it pan out yesterday?

JP is a new athlete on the team and he's gotten quite good. He was finally able to crack Racine *70.3 this year after Madison 70.3 didn't go as planned, he's still learning. The one thing about JP is that he is a competitor and has certainly pushed me out of my comfort level many times in practice. It can get very competitive, but we know its to make ourselves better. A good training partner can really push you but also know when to turn off the competition mode switch. JP wasn't traveling for work, so i knew with him being at the workout it would be hard.

I beat JP on the 1st one as i ran away from him on the 2nd run portion. JP evened the score on the 2nd one by dominating the bike harder than i could afford to push. By doing this he opened up 10-15 seconds that i couldn't pull back on the run portion. When we finished i was greeted with a smirk that said, "tie game". That was all the motivation i needed for the 3rd and final round.

I decided that if JP wanted to beat me on this one, i would make him work for it. The 1st run portion i decided to run much harder. This took him by surprise and he accepted the challenge. I took him out of his comfort zone with this tactic. Onto the bike i had a 5 second advantage and held it till half way before he powered past me. He needed the gap if he wanted to beat me, but i refused to let it open like before. He did not let off the gas till T2. I was pushing as hard as i possibly could to keep up. There was alot of self doubt, but I didn't let up. Coming off the bike together i was contemplating how i should run the 2nd run. Go out as hard as i could or run steady and then attack on the flat. I decided to go out as hard as i could! It turned out he had T2 issues and started the run late allowing me the win. Score 2= Steve 1=JP.

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As I mentioned, every hard workout I use as an opportunity to grow. They are not just workouts, I go into them knowing the goal of the workout, what i need to work on personally and try my best to execute it. 

Pushing outside of my comfort zone and trying to sit on that discomfort has been my weakness. Sure, these sessions have a GREAT physiological boost, but I use them more as a physiological practice for race day. When the going gets hard, do i quit or do i push. I failed on the 2nd one, but i recognized that and regrouped. 

When I get negative or discouraged during a rough patch is the use of "power words". These words are what snaps me out of the negative chatter and keeps me focused on the task at hand. It can be a simple as "GO, GO, GO" or "PUSH, PUSH, PUSH" or "Commit, Commit, Commit". When i drift too far negative, its typically when I haven't refocused and just swallowed myself with negativity. Practicing these power words are very important for keeping yourself engaged on race day. 

Successful workout.

Matt Wulff: Confessions of a Clydesdale

Door County 70.3 Race Report: Confessions of a Clydesdale

Hi. My name is Matt and I’m a Clydesdale. I don’t work for Budweiser or pull a wagon full of beer. (not since college anyway) Rather, I’m triathlete of a certain size.

Now that that’s off my chest, I have a confession to make. I long to be a thoroughbred. This causes me to suffer from a condition that is all too common in the world of triathlon. I am prone to measuring my success based on the success of others. When you’re on a team like Madison Multisport, those “others” are some ridiculously hardworking, fast and talented athletes.

Why does this matter? Well, when you put in almost 5 hours to complete the Door County 70.3, you should feel good about yourself. You should feel proud. The vast majority of people can’t complete a half Ironman. So, rather than succumb to my affliction, I will focus on all the positives from Sunday’s race.

1) I got extra time to warm up.

The wind was pretty strong on race morning and my race start was delayed by about 42 minutes. I arrived onsite at about 6:30am which meant I had about 3 hours to get warmed up. My warm-up mainly consisted of standing around with my teammates talking about the weather and wondering when people were going to go for a run. No one did. Wetsuits went on really early because it was a little chilly out. My warm-up ended being a few sprints while wearing my wetsuit and 10 minutes in the water getting acclimated.

2) I did something new on race day and lived to tell about it.

I drank an iced coffee for the first time in my life. In fact, it’s the first cup of coffee I’ve ever had. I needed/wanted some caffeine and it was my only choice. I added a little sugar to it and actually enjoyed it. I was buzzing pretty quickly (which counts as part of my warm up) and it certainly is true what they say about coffee helping get things moving along…

3) I got to swim in a washing machine.

The delay in the start of the race was caused by wind and waves. The swim was shortened to 400M. That was a smart call by the race directors. With my late start, I got to watch a bunch of swimmers get pulled out by lifeguards. Not what you want to see before a swim, but I was confident in my ability to swim and manage the mental stress of getting battered by waves. The first 50M were relatively calm because the waves were blocked by a pier. Once you cleared the pier, it was nuts. Sighting was extremely difficult. Thankfully the course was lined with friendly lifeguards who yelled at me to get back on course.

4) I got to try out a new nutrition plan.

I had my nutrition planned out really well. My main source of nutrition was to be my bottle of Infinit bike mix. I had some salt chews in my bento. I was also going to try something new in this race - peanut butter and jelly. Well, the best laid plans fall apart when you come out of aero, hit some bumps and lose your nutrition bottle at mile 10. I watched it hit the ground and then thought, “I can’t afford to take the time to stop and get it”. I thought that because I’m an idiot and thought 30 seconds would make a difference in my race result. Lesson learned. Plus, I still had the PB&Js. I was excited to eat my first half sandwich about mile 23. I pulled it out of my bento box and in the process knocked the other half out and onto the ground. I also managed to drop a salt chew. So, I decided at mile 24 that I’d give Gatorade Endurance a try. Not too bad.

5) I learned that you can take time to smell the roses in transition.

In my race plan, I bumped up my T2 estimate to 6 minutes because I was thinking about changing clothes. I was really only going to change tops. Coach Cindi, was having none of this and asked if I was planning to spend all that time in the bathroom. Point taken. I went as slowly as I possibly could in T2 and it still only took 2:28. That’s kind of a good feeling. You can take some time to compose yourself and get ready for the run and it really doesn’t cost all that much time. Again, 30 seconds was not what kept me off the podium.

6) I’m getting close to figuring out how to be ready for the run.

Despite all my nutrition issues, I still felt really good at the start of the run. I managed my effort on the bike really carefully and even dialed back a little on the ride before the finish. I was willing to sacrifice some time on the bike to have a better run. It worked. I’ve completed three 70.3 races in the last 8 months and this is the first time I broke 2 hours in the run.

7) Having teammates on course is amazing.

I’m on a great team with great people and great coaches. Crossing paths with my teammates who were competing was encouraging every time. After Olivia yelled “Maaaatttt” as we ran past each other, I think I smiled for 5 minutes. (We’re easy to spot in our sweet orange, blue and black tri suits.) Having even more teammates on the race course cheering makes a huge difference. Teresa even walked up the bluff with me at mile 9. She did that about 10 times on the day. That was not an easy walk up a very steep hill.

All of these positives actually led me to setting a 70.3 PR by about 20 minutes (adjusting for the shortened swim). That’s amazing! Sure, it wasn’t as fast as some of my teammates, but that’s not relevant. I raced my race. I did the best I could. The fact that I still think I can do better is what gets me back out training and marching towards Ironman WI.  

Amanda Marek: Door County Race Report 1st Female Overall!

What happened yesterday is still surreal. The conditions weren’t perfect but Door County was one of my best executed races in 16 years as an endurance athlete. I’ve said it before, but you can only control the controllable. Your training. Your nutrition. Your mindset. Winning the Door County Half Iron had everything to do with my mindset and mentally overcoming what I thought to be my physical limit. 

About a month ago, Coach Steve and I had a no-BS conversation about what it was going to take to achieve my goals. My success is dependent on my ability to adapt and embrace a new (and amazing) lifestyle which requires the right mindset in every aspect of the sport. Putting together the pieces of the puzzle at Door County meant that each of the three disciplines relied on a different mindset. Composure in the swim, restraint on the bike and mental strength on the run. 

The 5-foot swells on the way out and an aggressive under tow on the way back in shortened the swim. I can honestly say that it was one of the scariest moments of my life. We were tossed around, it was impossible to sight and even more impossible to get into a rhythm. The physical stress of swimming wasn’t the most challenging part of the swim. Instead, it was being able to maintain composure and not panic in conditions that I had never faced before. Hearing a volunteer yell “first female” as I came out of the water was validation that I did that. 

Onto the bike. I was especially excited for this course because it’s one that lends itself to my strengths, flats and rollers. The weather didn’t want to cooperate and it was very windy to say the least. The wind throws a different element into the mix. Yes, it’s more challenging and it requires you to work harder. But more than anything, it forces you to use restraint. There’s this constant battle between wanting to see a certain MPH but not taxing yourself for the run. The right mindset was to accept that my bike time was likely going to be slower than I wanted. I had to remind myself that pushing 90-95% to get an extra 10 minutes wasn’t going to help me if it translated to trashing legs and running 20 minutes slower on the run. I was more attentive to my power than I typically am. I made sure to keep myself in check and was set up for a solid run. 

I don’t know what my lead was off the bike but I was crossing my fingers for at least 7 minutes. The run has been the last piece of the puzzle for me. Over the past couple of years, I’ve had these consistent doubts that I can hold the lead off the bike. I finally did away with that. Putting together the run was a result of believing that I’ve earned a spot at the front and that my fitness is there. I’ve never felt stronger. I was consistent through 9, climbed the last bluff and then couldn’t regain my stride. I probably would have crumbled at that moment a year or two ago. 

Coach Steve and training with Cindi and Madison Multisport have been instrumental to my success. There’s no doubt in my mind that this win wouldn't have happened without them. But, developing a mind set and mental strength is a choice that only YOU can make. My performances at Race Day Event’s Wisconsin Tri Series and the Door County Half Iron have been the culmination of hard work and a new-found belief I can push physical limits. All it takes is the right mindset.

Coach Steve: Pardeeville Race Recap, 4th Overall!

Sprint distance triathlons may be the hardest distance in triathlon. I find them more painful than an Ironman. From the first swim stroke to the final steps... you are suffering. Legs are full of lactate, mind is full of self doubt, but you have to stay calm when the storm is at its fullest.

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I was excited for Pardeeville. I've never raced it and have heard good things. The biggest reason i was looking forward to it was because i gave myself some rest in the final 2 days, yay rest!

On Wednesday i did my last run session which was my common Tuesday cutdown run, 2 miles easy, 2 miles moderate, 2 miles max effort. Life got in the way Tuesday which forced me to do this on Wednesday. On Thursday i did the aquathon where i went full gas in the swim and jogged the run portion. Its hard to be in a competition and not give 100%, but i didnt want a Verona Triterium experience. Rest, be smart.

I tried something different on race morning for nutrition. Typically i get a very tight stomach and have a hard time digesting solid foods, so the bread/bagel, PB and Jelly doesnt work for me. This time i went and purchased a large bottle of Naked Juice Green Machine which worked out GREAT! Green Machine has basically zero fiber with some protein so it goes down easy and it didnt seem to upset my stomach. This is a good solution for you nervous racers, however, make sure you check the labels as some Naked Juices contains a lot of fiber and that will make your chances of stomach issues increase!

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My biggest talent in swimming is my ability to veer left when in open water, i have mastered this! Joking...

The swim start in Pardeeville favors people who start on the left as you can run further. As this seems like the most logical thing to do, i stayed on the right knowing i would veer left. If i started left, i would veer left and be on the inside of the buoy forcing me to redirect and swim extra only to be trapped on the inside of the buoy and get clobbered! The 1st turn buoy was only 50-75 yards from the start so if you dont start fast, you will get clobbered... i dont start fast, its not in my genes. I did have a very good swim, 29 seconds from the first person which is a success but i know its not to where i can swim off my pool fitness. Progress.

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The bike was fast and furious. I set off at a pretty fast pace and was seeing good numbers. I was definitely red lining and often times wanted to sit up to rest but remained diligent to stay in the aero bars. In the past, i would catch myself breaking the aero position. I had some issues bringing my heart rate down so around mile 3, i shifted a couple gears harder to lower my cadence and that seemed to help keep the watts up and eventually brought the HR down. Ok, lets go! The rest of the ride was pretty full on. When youre pushing that hard, it often brings out the negative chatter in your head, "How can i run off this type of effort?" "You should slow down". For much of the ride, we had 3 total riders all within a close proximity so that always helps keep your attention on not losing too much ground. It actually takes your mind off the watts and more on racing.

On a numbers stand point, i was happy with my NP but felt like i had another 5-10 watts in me. The effort of this was much more manageable than a couple weeks ago in Verona. Also, to produce 275 on a pancake course was very good. 

Transition 2 I made some mistakes that may have cost me 3rd overall. Out of the 4 of us coming into T2, i was last. I also had a slower T2 as i had issues getting my shoe around my heel. Once we started running i got gapped. I was running hard but everyone kept putting more and more time into me, was i even running? I kept seeing 5:45s on my watch and didn't believe they would hold the paces they were running so I stuck to my effort. My patience worked out and by 1000m into the run I passed 4th with 2nd and 3rd very close. Once we hit the turn around i was within 30 meters of 3rd and thats as close as i got. i was trying very hard but just wasn't enough. I was proud of my 4th place. 

As i mentioned earlier, sprint triathlons are very hard. I'm not a very fast athlete and don't really excel at them. I do them because they challenge me mentally and physically. They teach me to accept pain, deal with pain, and push through pain. So many times i wanted to give up and "jog it in" but never did. What i also liked about Saturday was how it felt like a real race. I can't afford to make mistakes like i did in transition. By the finish, 3rd place was 12 seconds ahead, 2nd place was 26 seconds, and 5th place was only 16 seconds behind me. From 2nd to 5th the spread was 42 seconds... the is no room for mistakes and letting off the gas pedal.

Door County Half is next on the schedule this weekend and i cannot wait!

Coach Steve: Verona Triterium Race Report! 3rd Overall!

All,

Verona Triterium is done and dusted and my legs are still shaking from the race!

I have been wanting to do the Olympic Distance for quite some time as i've always heard its extremely challenging! I am fortunate to get to ride these roads for training, but to be racing on them is a different feeling. This year they changed the course due to construction, which forced us to ride up and down observatory road twice!  I find that many people seek out races that are flat so they can get the fastest time possible, as fast times look good on paper. I won't deny that I pick races that are flat and fast and racing on flat courses do present their own challenges, but this is one i wanted to conquer for awhile. Believe it or not, Verona Triterium Sprint was my first ever triathlon! This season, one of my goals was to race a lot for than i typically do. I find that racing a lot of sprints and olympics really puts me out of my comfort zone, something i often struggle with.

The week leading into the race wasn't an easy one. While ive wanted to race VT, it wasn't a key race for me so i was training quite hard till Thursday night. Madison Multisport was doing our key run session and i was slotted for 6x800 at 5k pace, with 1 minute of rest. It is a killer session and i had intentions of going easier because of the race on Saturday, but the workout was going great, i was in a good mindset, so i kept pushing. 

For shorter races, I do warm up in all 3 disciplines. Bike first, run second, swim last. The run i go through 10-15 minutes of a progression, 5min easy, 3min moderate, 2min at race pace. I then walk for 1-2 minutes then complete 3-4x100m pick ups, with 1 minute of rest. I was feeling ok, not fresh, but just ok. 

I need a swim warm up! I typically never swim well without one. I was able to get in a solid 300-400 warm up and felt good. The race started and i was off! The swim was 3 laps where we had to exit after each loop and dive back in, i loved this! Shorter 3 laps is much better on the mind than 1 long triangle. This is why i love IMAZ, 3 short bike loops make the race go by quick! the 1st lap of the swim, there was alot of pushing and knocking... 2nd loop, i found myself in the front of our group knowing that Vant was ahead. It was a confidence booster as it felt like i was swimming well, then somewhere in the 2nd loop my arms started to fall off. 3rd loop i tried my best, but i was suffering to keep them moving. A wave started about 20 second after i went past them and could see a bunch of white caps coming up on me quick, i had extra motivation to get to the buoy before them as i didn't want to get clobbered!

Swim done, 2nd out, cool.

I was passed by Ben in T1 which isn't a surprise, I am very good at Ironman transitions, short course transitions I might as well bring a bucket to sit on and a beer to drink. Once i started riding the first hill, i could just tell my legs were toast. The hard week of training was certainly knocking on my legs! Oh well, carry on! They quickly flooded with lactate and i couldn't generate any power... here i am riding a 40k course with 2,000ft of elevation gain and i'm suffering one Hill #1... sweet! Here is where i tried to settle myself down, "It will be fine, you arent warmed up yet, you'll come good" Nope... i didn't come good. Luckily, no one passed me and i held 3rd the whole ride.

I was convinced that the run was going to be a struggle, but once i started running i felt ZERO fatigue. I felt fresh and light on my feet! At this point, Vant and Ben were probably 3-4 minutes ahead of me and i was trying to hang on to 3rd and have a solid run. Mission accomplished.

Overall, I am happy with the race but it was what it was. I pushed hard when i didn't feel strong but gave it my best. 3rd isn't too shabby but looking for better at Pardeville and Door County Half.

Tip of the Week: Mental Preperation

Mental preparation for your race day best

Visualization and mentally preparing before a race are a big part of success (or failure). It’s something I forget to coach on regularly, so here are my thoughts for this week (in the heart of race season)!

Your mind is very powerful and your thoughts have a direct impact on the rest of your body. When preparing for a race, focus on the short term process goals such as how you will feel in the water, what effort you want to settle into on the bike, executing your nutrition/hydration plan, and listening to your body throughout the race. In the days leading up to the race, visualize your race from start to finish. All aspects of the race need to be stated in the positive, see yourself feeling strong, racing with ease, being successful. If you visualize in the ‘what not to do’, you and your performance have a greater chance of falling under that umbrella instead. 

Here is a potential visualization for the start to your race day: I wake up feeling fresh and well rested. I eat a breakfast that will give me energy and help fuel me for success on this day. During my warmup I feel strong and powerful, I’m a race horse in the gates. When the horn sounds at the start of my wave, I immediately dive in and start swimming with powerful strokes. I am moving fast, I’m pushing water, my technique is perfect, I think about having a good catch, I can feel myself surge forward with every stroke, when I sight I am right on target to the first turn buoy, I’m working hard and feeling good, I’m the first one to the turn buoy and easily make the turn, I’m in a groove, I’m passing each buoy one by one, my stroke still feels really good, I’m catching swimmers from the wave ahead of me with ease, I send them good thoughts as I pass, I can see the swim finish banner, I’m making good progress, I’m nearly there, I swim all the way into the shore, I push up off the ground and start running out of the water, knees high, feeling fast, feeling strong, I unzip my wetsuit with ease as I run, peel it down to my waist, cap and goggles come off,… and into transition and the rest of the race. I’m visualizing every little detail (and you can get even way more detailed than this), just keep everything in the current tense as if you are experiencing it right then AND keeping it all in the positive. This visualization process could take 5’ or 50’ depending on your level of detail. It certainly doesn’t have to last as long as your race!

To help you keep your thoughts in the positive, come into each race with a list of mental cues, words or mantras you can speak to yourself when faced with adversity on race day. Some of my favorite mental cues are:
Strong! 
Fight, fight, fight! 
Smooth & powerful. 
You are a lean, mean, racing machine!
Focus, focus, focus. Push, push, push.
Quick feet.
This is supposed to hurt!
I am a force to be reckoned with!
You are crushing it!

I am in the best shape of my life!

I worked hard for this!
What are your favorite positive mental cues? The possibilities are endless.

It is also important, although not when visualizing, to consider all the possible things that could go wrong in a race: big waves, flat tire, switching to a duathlon, high temps, leg cramps, rain, kicked in the face, mean competitors, etc. The list is long and daunting, however, the more you can think through the possibilities, the more capable you are to create a strategy to overcome these if they actually do pop up in a race. This preparation will help keep you calm going into the race as you can both dismiss the events out of your control and have a plan of action for how to tackle each one. For example: 
Big waves: Stay calm. Think about your stroke. Take breaks if needed to get your bearings. 
Flat tire: Have all the tools you need with you and the knowledge to do this without assistance. Stay calm and go through the process of fixing your flat step by step.        
Switching to a duathlon: No biggie! You just get to run a little more than you had planned, so find your shoes and get in a little run warmup before the start.
High temps: Slow down and adjust your goals based on the conditions of the day. Hydrate more. Slow down. Hydrate more. Slow down.
Leg cramps: Take more salt! If you’ve been downing water and no electrolytes, pump the salt to see if that helps. Also, slow down to let your body recover a bit.
Rain: Keep racing and appreciate the liquid sunshine! Find the positive (it won’t be as hot!). And be a little more cautious when out on the bike.
Kicked in the face: Stop to regain composure, appreciate that your two eyes still work, fix your goggles, and keep swimming!
Mean competitors: Not everyone is 100% nice on the race course, be the person and teammate that lifts others up even if someone else is trying to bring you down with their sour attitude or overly-competitive nature. Remind yourself you are out here to have fun

Ok, so that is just a few of the possible things that could put a bump in your day. Most of these you have zero control over going into race day, but what you do have control of is how you respond to each one. If you are prepared for the possibility and ready with a positive response, you will be able to finish with a great attitude and smile on your face.

In summary, it’s really about preparation and attitude. The more prepared you are the more likely you are to have success, and, a great attitude goes a long way on race day (and in life!).

Tip of the Week: Communication

Tip of the Week: Communication is Key.

Our tip of the week is about communication!

Reality is, some people are really good at communication, and some people are not so good. It's part of our personalities, and for those in the latter category, they often have to work very hard to improve their communication skills. I recognize that communication is not easy for all of you, however, I am requesting that you work on this with me so we can best help you reach your goals this year (and beyond!). In this partnership of coach and athlete, communication is critical to the success of the athlete. We establish goals for the year, and part of our ability to achieve those goals depends on effective coach/athlete communication.

Training Peaks makes it very easy for a coach and athlete to communicate through data uploads, post workout notifications and schedule conflicts. For this last one, if you know of upcoming travel or schedule conflicts, please make a note of it in your training peaks calendar so when I’m scheduling out your next week or two, I’ll be able to work around these schedule changes. Utilizing training peaks effectively assures that we are on the same page moving forward. So if you are not already in the habit of uploading your data, making post-workout notifications when relevant, or posting your schedule conflicts, here is my official request for details.

Training Peaks updates are reviewed every few days, so there is a bit of a limiter here as I don't get through all the updates every single day. In the matter of urgent updates, please notify me via text or a phone call as I will receive these the quickest and be able to respond sooner. Email also works well, but not as quick as texting.

So what would be in the category of ‘urgent updates’?

*Getting sick- this will allow for us to have a conversation about how to adjust your plan to best help you recover

*You feel an injury coming on- depending on your potential injury, immediate modifications may need to be made to prevent further injury and/or to expedite your healing. This can also include referrals to medical professionals for evaluation.

*You are stressed at work/home and have no time to fit in your workouts- there is no one right way to success, modifications can be made to your training schedule that allow you to continue to make forward progress while not being overwhelmed from the stress of work/family/training/etc.

*Your race schedule has changed for an upcoming race- this might require a rework of your plan moving forward depending on your race goals (distance, date, travel, etc).

Let’s keep the lines of communication open! I’m not available 24/7, but will do my best to respond to your concerns in a timely manner. Thanks for working together on this!

Tip of the Week: Changing a Flat Tire

Our goal for this tip of the week is to make sure all our athletes know how to change a flat tire. If you are going to call yourself a cyclist or triathlete, you need to know how to take care of your bike, and the most basic bike maintenance is changing a flat tire. No more calls to your spouse to pick you up 30 miles from home cause you are stranded by a flat! ;)

Be prepared with all the equipment you need to fix a flat on the road:
1) Spare bike tube
2) Tire levers (2)
3) CO2 inflator
4) CO2 cartridge

Watch this Video by Trek Bicycles to walk you through the steps of fixing a flat.

For those of you in Madison, we'll have an opportunity to practice this after our Saturday bike session... so come prepared with the above equipment. For everyone else, practice this at home before hitting the outdoor riding this spring so you feel comfortable and confident in your ability to fix your own flat.

Tip of the Week: Goals!

Goal setting: making it count

Our tip of the week this week (after taking a hiatus to FL last week) is all about GOAL setting and how that helps keep our training on track. Goals are what get us up in the morning for masters swim, push hard through one more interval when we are tired, and focus on healthy eating that supports our training. Goals provide focus, guidance and motivation; encouraging us to move toward them with enthusiasm and desire. 

Personal development research and self-help theories offer an over-abundance of goal setting advice. The one thing they all agree on is that goal setting is critical to success. Without getting into all the research here, I’d like to focus on two basic categories I find most helpful when assisting athletes in setting goals.

Two basic categories:
1) Short term and long term goals
2) Process and outcome goals

Setting goals for the short term and long term can take some time, especially if you are new to endurance athletics as we don’t even know what our bodies are capable of achieving and then also what races or experiences might be available to us. The great news is that goals are amendable... you can change them to align with your direction as you grow in the sport.

Short term goals could look something like this:
1) I will drop 5 seconds in my 100 swim time over the next 2 months of training
2) I will lose these 5 holiday pounds by Easter
3) I will run a 1 minute PR this year at the Crazylegs Classic.

Notice each of these has a specific time frame for which to achieve the goal in a short team basis.

Long term goals are also time specific, however, will take longer (think years) to achieve and often encourage us to look 2-5 years down the road.

Long terms goals could look something like this:
1) I will complete my first sprint distance triathlon this year and then do that same race over the next 3 years and improve 1 minute in each discipline per year.
2) I will improve my 40K Olympic distance bike time by 2 minutes (or 30 watts) over the next year.
3) I will finish a sprint triathlon this year, an Olympic distance in 2017, a half-Ironman distance in 2018 and a full Ironman in 2019.

Process goals are designed to support both short term and long term goals, as these are both outcome goals. We can establish several process goals that if achieved, will help us achieve a bigger goal, our outcome goal. Process goals are what we focus on day in and day out that lead us toward achieving a desired outcome. Let’s consider one of our short term goals from above.

Short term + Outcome goal: 

I will run a 1’ PR this year at the Crazylegs Classic

Process goals:

I will complete all prescribed run workouts over the next 6 weeks
I will continue to work on technique/form improvements through run specific drills
I will wear my HR/GPS watch during all run sessions to make sure I am training at the right paces/zones

A couple more things on goals:

1) Goals need to be in the positive, focusing on what you want (eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day), as opposed to what you don't want (stop eating junk food).
2) Goals are YOU dependent, not other dependent. Notice not a single one of the goals I used for examples above depends on anyone else but YOU. Your main goals should be within your control. It’s fine to say “I want to place in my age group at X event”, however, if a lot of fast people show up, you might not get to achieve your goal. Instead, create a process and outcome goal for that X race that, regardless of your place, you determine if you met your goal.

I encourage you, if you haven’t done so already, to sit down (this might take a while) and write down your goals for the year (and beyond!), keeping in mind the categories and guidelines above. Once you have these established, solidify them by creating a goal poster or goal road map, putting sticky notes on your bathroom mirror, or setting up reminders in your phone to follow through on your process goals. If you do this, you will have increased motivation for your training, excitement as you witness your progress toward your goals, and a grand sense of achievement when you put in the work and see those dreams become reality on race day.

Tip of the Week: BiLateral Breathing

Bilateral breathing - essential to powerful swimming

Single sided breathing is one of the biggest mistakes triathletes make when learning to swim. It’s easy to understand as one is just trying to make it from one end of the pool to the other! However, there are multiple reasons why learning bilateral breathing will make you a faster swimmer.

The biggest issue with single side breathing is that it often leads to one side being weaker than the other which creates a host of issues. We often see the following:
A) An imbalance in the rotation of the stroke where you rotate fine to one side but then swim very flat on the other making it difficult for your recovering arm to both finish the stroke and clear the surface on recovery.
B) Increased drag on the arm that is supposed to be out front during the breath cycle. When you are breathing, you are solely focused on breathing and rarely thinking about your supporting arm which then commonly drops very deep before catching. This creates increased frontal drag and voids your opportunity to have a great catch. 
C) It creates an imbalance of strength that limits your ability to create propulsion and balance. Increasing propulsion is essential if you want to become a faster swimmer. If you breathe every 2 strokes then 50% of your strokes are limited! 

So what is bilateral breathing? It’s breathing to both sides, both right and left, most commonly in a pattern of every 3 strokes (counting each hand entry). If this is difficult, you can also try a 3-2-3-2 pattern so you are breathing more often.

Benefits to bilateral breathing in the pool:
1) It helps create a balanced stroke with symmetrical technique, equal body roll, and power production that is equivalent on both sides. 
2) You are able to watch your stroke underwater better if you aren’t breathing every stroke. If you breathe to the right every 2 strokes, you never get to watch what your left arm is doing under the water.
3) It helps keep your body more streamlined and balanced on the surface, preventing inefficiencies such as crossing your midline at any stage of your stroke, leg splay with a scissor kick, and laterally flexing your abdomen (weaving like a snake). 

Benefits to bilateral breathing in the open water:
a) A more balanced stroke is more likely to track straighter from buoy to buoy (when you no longer have a black line to follow).
b) In wavy conditions, you need to be able to breath away from a wave so you aren’t taking in water every time you try to breathe. If you are proficient at breathing to both sides, you can select to dominantly breathe to either side during open water.
c) It helps with sighting and navigating both the course and people around you as you are more aware of your surroundings. 

If you aren’t currently bilateral breathing for the majority of your pool swimming, it’s time to make a change. Focus on implementing this into your swim routine and after 4 weeks of consistent work, you’ll be well on your way to a more efficient and powerful stroke.