Zone 1 is commonly known as the recovery zone. We don't think of it as a "training zone" like the rest of them. Usually zone 1 is described as "extremely easy", "embarrassingly easy", "gentle", and "slow". It's basically one step above sitting on the couch. None of these words make us feel like we're getting any work done so we tend to avoid zone 1 because it's typical descriptors devalue its training worth.In a study from the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance*, that compared training intensity distribution during the course of an Ironman season, statistically significant performance increases were shown when training time was spent primarily in zone 1, compared to zone 2 and higher. For the purpose of this study, zone 1 corresponds to heart rates below aerobic threshold, and zone 2 corresponds to heart rates at and above aerobic threshold (but below anaerobic threshold), which is the intensity in which an Ironman is primarily performed.
The participants that spent the majority of their training time above their aerobic threshold (zone 2), had comparatively slower competition times than those who trained mostly below their aerobic thresholdSome of the key benefits of zone 1 training include increased endurance, durability, fat utilization, and oxygen efficiency. Training below your aerobic threshold builds capillary pathways that transport oxygen to your muscles, and carries lactate away from your muscles, which is the key to efficiency. The argument for spending a majority of your training time in zone 1 is most effective when paired with minimal training in higher intensity zones (above your anaerobic threshold), rather than staying stuck somewhere in the middle. By spending more time in zone 1, the quality of your training above your anaerobic threshold will improve and you will be able to go faster. This model is referred to as polarized-training.The study suggests that performing about 75% to 80% of all training sessions at an intensity below your aerobic threshold can maximize your performance, combined with a certain degree of moderate to intense training.
In addition to zone 1, athletes can benefit from additional training above zone 2, rather than within it. One of the best ways to keep your speed sharp, while focusing on building your aerobic fitness, is to add in short 20 to 30-second bursts of speed, or "striders." These can be added into the middle of a zone 1 workout, with plenty of recovery between each effort. This polarized training model not only increases speed, but it reduces the risk of overtraining due to less overall stress on your sympathetic nervous system.In terms of putting this into practice, the off-season is the perfect time of year to slow down and develop zone 1. One of the most common challenges for athletes starting to develop their aerobic fitness is the inability to keep their heart rate under zone 2, especially when running. It is important not to fall into the trap of wanting your pace to be faster and compensating by running in a higher heart rate zone.
Developing zone 1 requires patience, which is why you should start now. If your heart rate is excessively high, it may require mixing in some walking intervals in order to bring it back under your aerobic threshold. For more fit athletes getting back into training, begin this process by focusing on RPE (rate of perceived exertion). Make sure that your effort feels easy (yes - to the point of embarrassingly easy). When you feel your fitness coming back around, then pay attention to your heart rate staying in zone 1. Even though it seems counterintuitive to train at a slower pace than you intend to race, staying disciplined and getting comfortable in zone 1 will have a significant effect on your race results.* International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2014, 9, 332 -339 https://dx.doi.org/10.1123/IJSPP.2012-0352 © 2014 Human Kinetics, Inc.
QUESTION FROM ATHLETE:
I’ve noticed lately—with the exception of track work, which I’ve been rattling off just fine and have been happy with my performance—that longer runs feel like a slog. It isn’t an issue of being unable to get HR up, which I understand is a symptom of overtraining, but rather (1) running way slower at the same high HR, and (2) being unable to run at those high HRs anymore. Today on the hills I had to stop and walk at the top of hills, on a course I normally devour without stopping.
So I guess my question is ... is this normal? A sign I’m doing “too much” Z2 running and not enough tempo and threshold (i.e. I’ve lost my ability to mentally endure high HR running)? Cumulative fatigue? All the cycling? The heat, humidity, and dew point associated with Texas summer? Just kind of curious on your take and whether you’ve had athletes have similar experiences. Thanks for not only the coaching but educating me along the way!
REPLY FROM COACH DAVE:
It's definitely good to get this feedback and keep an eye on things. I think it's totally normal, but we should always be tracking. You are finishing up a big training block and fatigue is normal--in fact, it's expected. The "problem" with structured training like we're doing is that it's hard to directly compare any two workouts. You can't hold everything constant (nor would you want to) such that you could just pick two workouts and compare to see progress. When we do testing blocks, you've probably noticed that they're identical--I have only created one testing block that I use every time. The goal is to create the same conditions each time. Of course, that doesn't actually happen--think of all the other variables besides your workouts: sleep, nutrition, hydration, professional workload/stress, family load/stress, caffeine consumption, general health, heat/cold, humidity, wind, wear on your bike chain...it's endless and gets into tiny details. So we do the best we can when we test but there's always some wiggle room. Fortunately, there's wiggle room baked into the training concept. (Some coaches and athletes think it's straight-up science, but you didn't hire one of those coaches.)
So when you go to compare last weekend's long run with a long run from last month, they might both be in the same zone for the same number of minutes on the same course, but nothing else is held constant. The heat and humidity is an enormous factor for a lot of athletes (myself included). But even small shifts in which way the wind is blowing can make a difference to pace (or effort required to hold a pace). Obviously, how much fatigue is in your system from the past weeks' workouts play a part. And then there's that long but incomplete list that I noted above. This is why looking at pace alone can be deceiving. Obviously on race day, if we want to work to a specific time goal, we need to pay attention to pace. But in training, you're going to have "fast" long runs and "slow" long runs--even if both are in Z2, for example. And running at the same pace is going to feel different on different days.
For IM, you don't need the ability to run at high heart rate--you need to be able to run at a moderate heart rate for a long time. So you'll definitely lose some of that top-end speed as we progress through the program. But you are making huge fitness gains along the way that are specific to your goal.
So on the days when you can't hold a pace/HR combination, there's actually awesome training in that. You have to "embrace the suffering" and build mental strength to keep moving forward. It's okay to stop and walk for a bit to catch your breath or reset mentally. That is outstanding preparation for Ironman racing. If you can push yourself through on the hard training days (which are not necessarily the longest or most intense days in your training plan), you'll build mechanisms that you can tap into on race day to keep you strong--knowing that you've pushed through worse.
Coach Dave is a USAT Certified Coach and believes that becoming “triathlon literate” is key to meeting your goals. Triathlon is indeed a lifestyle and like the other important areas of your life, knowledge is power. I encourage you to explore the nuances of the sport, be open to new ideas and ask questions – of yourself, of fellow swimmers, cyclists and runners, and of your coach. Whether you’re training to win or new to the sport, the most accomplished athletes are those who are open to coaching, eager to take on new challenges, and are committed to continuous improvement!
Throughout his triathlon journey, Phillip has embraced 'the process' with great energy and enthusiasm shares his coach, Brad Seng. From his early years racing with the CU triathlon team to the present, Phillip has always been a true "team" player while making impressive individual gains. His interest in pursuing medical school is rooted in helping others. This passion became readily apparent with his selfless act of donating a kidney back in July. Putting his own racing and training goals on hold, he made the brave decision to donate a kidney to someone he had never met or knew. After extensive testing to ensure he would be a viable match, the surgery was successfully completed on July 9th. Eleven weeks later Phillip was toeing the line at the Oktoberfest sprint triathlon en route to a 2nd place age group finish. His preparation for 70.3 Arizona went well and gave him a 6th place AG (25-29) finish. And he has another late season 70.3 to look forward to as well. While Phillip's success in sport has been fun to watch, I have been truly amazed and inspired by his genuine interest in the health and well-being of others.
It's a pleasure to turn the spotlight on Phillip and we hope you enjoy his Q&A.
1. You were on the CU Triathlon Team; is that when you started racing or does your history with triathlon date back further?
I started training with the CU Triathlon Team the summer before my senior year. I ran cross country (albeit not well) in high school and had never heard of triathlon. To be honest, I didn't care much about running then either. At the beginning of my freshmen year of college, I ripped a piece of cartilage off of my femur and ended up having five surgeries over the next two years. After about eight months of waiting, I received an osteochondral allograft for my final knee surgery. It took about a year to fully rehab, but there was still a significant chance that I would not be able to run again. About three months into the physical therapy rehab I purchased a road bike as my new form of cardio. At the time, my top speed was around 12 mph. I can be a bit stubborn, so when I was told I would not be able to run that made me want to run. I began to look into cross training and became more and more interested in triathlon. If I was going to run, I knew I would need to supplement my running with other activities to limit the stress on my joints. Once I was cleared by my surgeon to ease into things I contacted the CU team and began training under Brad's guidance.
2. Now you are pursuing a medical career, how does triathlon fit into your studies/professional responsibilities?
A career in medicine is actually on hold for the time being. Eventually, I plan on going back to school and reapplying for medical school. After applying twice, I'm taking a brief break. I'm working for a local tech startup and volunteering at a student-run free clinic a couple times a month. Training is a great relief and supplement to working/studying. It helps me relax, feel good, and focus. I'm sure much to Brad's chagrin, training is a flexible priority for me. Showing up to race in great shape is very important but I try not to lose sight of other things in life. If I'm in the clinic after work, I often will miss my workout to not sacrifice sleep and if friends are getting together for drinks at the last minute I'll occasionally push my workout. That said, there's not much of a point spending more money to race longer distances if I am not going to show up prepared. I've found that I can only focus on so many things at once. When I maintain a balance between structuring my life so that I can train and allowing myself to focus on other things I seem to be the happiest and most eager to train hard. Brad has always been fantastic about helping me plan and is great about adapting my training if it becomes necessary.
3. You made a very big decision to donate a kidney which meant hitting the pause button on your training and racing. Please tell us whatever you would like to know about this decision, the experience, etc.
After waiting for a graft for my knee, paying it back was in the very back of my mind. Before my graft, a knee replacement in my late twenties was on the table. I went from worrying about walking without pain to running faster than I ever did before. Waiting for a kidney is far worse than waiting for a cartilage graft and most people die waiting. After doing extensive research I began to more heavily consider taking actionable steps to donate. If I was going to do it in the next ten years, I knew that it would need to be before I entered medical school. After applying to medical school, I began the testing process. It took about 8 months of testing for the transplant team to determine if I was physically and mentally fit to donate. After the transplant board approved me they began looking for a paired-donation match. Since I was a non-directed, anonymous donor I wanted my donation to trigger another donation. Paired donation takes a non-directed donor, like me, and matches them with an incompatible donor/recipient pair. Paired donation can unlock multiple incompatible donor/recipient pairs.
The testing process was not too bad. All in all, it involved a few mornings off of work, a couple X-rays and CAT scans, a few urine tests, and a lot of blood draws. The transplant team wants to ensure that donors are physically and mentally capable and have a commitment to living a healthy life. Kidney donors can live a very lengthy and unaffected life, but the ramifications of becoming obese and developing diabetes are more severe.
The first few days after surgery were rough. I didn't stay on top of my pain medication the first night in the hospital which set me back a bit. I went under Monday afternoon, spent two nights in the hospital, and was back home Wednesday afternoon. I stopped taking the pain medication over the weekend and was back to work on Tuesday. Overall, the recovery from surgery was smooth. It's important to not lift anything or strain your core for the first four weeks, but in many ways, the recovery after the first week was easier than some of my past surgeries.
I told Brad of my plans very early on because the donation obviously changed my plans for racing in 2018. Outside of Brad and family, I told very few people. I love Casey Neistat and he recently said something along the lines of "less sharing intention, more sharing action." It felt odd to talk about something so serious yet uncertain before it happened. Now that the donation is in the rearview mirror and I've regained my fitness I'm a bit more comfortable talking about it. My experience receiving a graft sparked my interest in donating, but after reviewing the risks and the potential impact it just made sense to me. Kidney donation is one of the most significant medical interventions that modern medicine affords patients. There is no comparison between a patient that receives a donation and one that does not, especially a living donation. My donation added 10-20 years to someone's life. There are certainly risks associated with donation, but they can be minimized. I was comfortable with those risks, especially in the context of the potential impact and the dire need that goes unmet every year. I still feel a bit weird and slightly self-aggrandizing talking about donating an organ and my "why", but I've realized that's counterproductive. I hope that my donation, and even racing, can remove some of the stigma surrounding living donation and will encourage people to consider the possibility. It's certainly not for everyone, but if more folks took the time to consider the possibility of donating we could put a dent in the more than 100,000 people that are currently waiting for a transplant and will likely never receive one. If anyone would like to chat with me more about my experience please don't hesitate to reach out.
4. How was the transition back into training? Did you have to work with a doctor to monitor vitals in any fashion, or how did you get cleared?
The transition back to training was great. I had a follow-up appointment with the transplant team after leaving the hospital and a couple of phone calls to check in. One of the biggest concerns following abdominal surgery is exerting too hard and developing a hernia. I began spinning with little to no resistance about a week post-surgery. I began slowly easing back into jogging on a treadmill about two weeks post surgery. I would jog for about thirty seconds and walk for a few minutes and slowly ramped that up over the following two weeks. I wasn't able to swim for six weeks after the surgery due to the incisions and hernia risk. I'll return to have more follow up tests done at six months, one year, and two years. Knowing that I wanted to race AZ 70.3 motivated me to rehab properly and quickly but also kept me from pushing anything too hard. I knew that if I didn't rest enough and allow my body to adapt or if I developed a hernia that I wouldn't be racing anytime soon.
5. You had a great finish at AZ 70.3, describe your experience racing this event, on the heels of your recovery.
I had a solid, but short, build going into AZ 70.3. Excluding the six week recovery time where I was slowly increasing my cycling and running, I had about 2 months to prepare. I knew that I wasn't going to set any PR's but I still wanted to be competitive. Most of all, I wanted to have a positive race day. For me, the race was a bit of a culmination of my recovery. I was the most inconsistent with my swim training leading up to the event so I was focused on swimming smooth and easy. For the bike, I wanted to stay just under my target wattage and fuel properly. I had a limited idea of what pace I could hold on the run but I planned to listen to how I was feeling and try to remain consistent. For my limited training, the swim went well. I was dropped by the faster folks and ended up swimming mostly alone. I zig-zagged a bit too much but left the water feeling fresh. The bike felt great although the curvy course definitely took a toll on my legs. I started the run feeling strong but the muscular fatigue set in and took a bit of the spring out of my step. I ended up walking all the aid stations and running about 7:30 pace in between aid stations. I wanted to ensure that I stayed properly hydrated throughout the day and listen to how I was feeling to see what I was capable of post-donation. I was really happy to come in under 5 hours. I was even more happy to finish feeling mentally present, relatively well hydrated given exercising for 5 hours, and strong albeit tired.
6. How did Coach Brad help you balance your training with recovery and into the 70.3?
Brad has kept me healthy and free from overuse injuries for the four years that I've been racing. That's huge. His plans and adaptability have also helped me recover from surgeries and this was no exception. Without Brad's guidance and the importance that he places on recovery and overall health, I would not have felt comfortable trying to race AZ 70.3. I knew that if I listened to my body and was smart, Brad's guidance would lead me to a fast and healthy recovery to life and racing. I love triathlon, in part, because it keeps me fit and healthy. Brad has ensured that I remain healthy, even when recovering from something as substantial as kidney donation.
7. What else would you like to share about yourself, triathlon, studying medicine, or anything?
If I look back at the kidney donation process and life over the past four years the one thing that has become crystal clear for me is just showing up. I learned this from a buddy a few years ago when I was working in the food industry. Over the past few months, I've realized the importance behind the statement: just show up. If I just show up every time, when it's convenient and inconvenient, I can have an outsized impact on life, relationships, and even racing. I can't wait to see what next season has in store!
Humans have over 10 trillion individual cells. Some regenerate faster than others and some do not regenerate at all. As we age the regeneration process slows down. With time the cells die at a faster rate than the new ones being born.
Current research in regenerative medicine is showing promising results in using stem cells and PRPs (platelet-rich-plasma) to facilitate the restoration of healthy tissues. Stem cells can come from an embryo and can develop to any cell of the body. Adult stem cells are found through the adult and juvenile body but can only replicate into a limited type of cells.
Stem cells are currently used to help repair diseased tissue in the body by injecting them to the injured site. The preliminary evidence is showing promising results in the healing abilities of these virgin cells in the treatment of osteoarthritis and other sports injuries.
Stem cell treatment is not FDA approved yet and the debate whether it ever will be is still on the table.
PRPs are a blood derivative. Plasma is the part of the blood that remains after the red, white and platelets are removed. Plasma is rich in enzymes and proteins with healing capabilities. Similarly to stem cell treatment, the plasma is injected into the injured site with the intention to trigger the healing process of the tissue. Recent research has shown promising results in the use of PRPs to treat knee osteoarthritis and degenerative changes of the spine. In terms of PRP use for acute injuries such as tendon repair or post-surgical regeneration more studies need to be conducted to compile conclusive data.
Whether an athlete is a candidate for stem cell or PRP procedure depends on many factors and the best first step is an assessment by a qualified physician. In my quest to find answers regarding regenerative medicine that I have been frequently asked by my patients and athletes, I stumbled upon Dr. Sonja Stilp (RISE), who is a local-to-Boulder physiatrist and has been on the forefront of regenerative medicine research.
While we do not have the highest level of research available yet, we have enough promising evidence, according to Stilp, that we can be hopeful about the future of regenerative medicine and the role it will play in treating degenerative changes in the body.
Being an athlete, mother and a working individual, Coach Martina is aware that time limitations can be a struggle and a source of frustration for most typical age group athletes. Therefore, she places a lot of importance not only in gathering objective data, such as lactate threshold, from the athlete but also subjective information such as routines and stressors that an athlete faces on a daily basis. Finding a healthy balance to fulfill the needs of “athletic” and “non-athletic” self is a form of art that requires attention to detail and commitment to perfection, both of which I am proud to offer as a USAT Certified Coach and Doctor of Physical Therapy.
It has been over a week since the Ironman world championship in Kona, Hawaii. I am so happy that so many of our friends could be there for me and to cheer on AJ.
Race day was an early morning to get into Kona before the road closures. Thank goodness for Starbucks being open! Our support crew included Kevin (one of Joe’s best friends), Amanda (close friend), Darlene (close friend), Rosanna (one of my best friends), Courtney (AJ’s wife) and Emma (AJ’s daughter). While AJ was doing his final checks before the race, we were looking for places to watch the swim start and the transition to the bike. The crowd of people was so amazing! I don’t think that I have seen a bigger crowd at any Ironman that I have been to. As we started to say goodbye and good luck to AJ, the tears started to flow from all of us. My emotions were all over the place: wishing Joe was here, so proud of AJ doing this in a short period of time, the support crew that had made the journey knowing this was going to be hard for everyone, and the connection with AJ and Joe from the beginning to now.
We went to find a place to watch the start and I was impressed with the people there. When you are watching an Ironman, you start talking with your neighbors around you. “Who are you supporting? What is their story? Is this your first Ironman? Where is a good place to eat?” This is one of my favorite things about this community- the support! Of course, we told people about AJ and Joe’s story, and all of a sudden people were making room for us in very crowded areas. The emotions were overwhelming... these people didn’t know me or need to do this for me but they did. And that happened everywhere we went throughout the day. Amazing! After seeing AJ transition from the swim to the bike, we all needed food and to relax until we could see AJ on the run course. During this time, we were in contact with people who wanted to know more about the race and how AJ was doing. The amount of support was overwhelming to us; everything from text messages to Facebook posts. I can’t express what that meant to me.
When we got to see AJ on the run course, I could tell he was tired and hot from the weather. But he stopped to talk to us about the first part of the day. He said the swim was easy and fast. On the bike, he said Joe told him to be safe and smart. He gave us a hug and told us we would see him at the finish line.
Courtney had reached out to one of her contacts about being able to medal AJ at the finish line. We had talked about it and we weren’t sure if it was going to happen. Courtney & AJ said that if only one of us could do, it was going to be me. There are no words that can express how much that meant to me. Thanks to Courtney’s contact, we were able to medal AJ at the finish line. When AJ was close to 30 minutes away, Courtney, Emma and I checked in and went to the “holding area” until AJ was about 5 minutes away. All the emotions leading up to this moment took over and here came the tears.
As AJ crossed the finish line, he pointed at his shirt that had a picture of Joe from one of his Ironman finishes. He was also holding the necklace that was carrying Joe’s ashes and a fingerprint from Emma. We were all in tears while we were hugging and AJ said he didn’t know how he did it but we did it. This was over 15 years in the making for AJ and Joe; I am so glad that I got to be a part of this part of Joe’s life.
The next day, AJ and I took some of Joe’s ashes and a couple of leis to the start of the swim. This moment along with yesterday will be something that I will never forget. And I can’t tell him this enough but AJ did such an amazing job doing this for Joe and for our family. I couldn’t think of anyone better to complete this journey for us. Thank you AJ and we love you.
~Stephanie Vrablik
Coach Jim nominated Carla Laukka for our Featured Athlete Spotlight and we are glad to recognize her for three reasons (and so many more): her achievements this season (shaving 29 minutes off her 70.3 time!), her consistency and commitment to her training, and the communication she shared on the path toward reaching her goals. It all adds up to a stellar season and we excited to introduce you all to Carla. Coach Jim shared that he is very proud of how Carla was able to bring all of your training elements together for the Maine 70.3, nail her targets and finish top 10 AG.
Enjoy the Q&A with Carla.
1. Based on some race highlights that Coach Jim, shared, it looks like racing 70.3s are a favorite distance. Why do you like the half IM distance?
This year I focused on 70.3’s because I felt it would give me the foundation to build up to doing a full IM. I tried to think of this year as a prep year for a future full IM race. That being said, I wanted to try new courses and see if I could go harder and be faster at that distance. I really do enjoy racing 70.3’s and the challenges that are presented.
2. You were able to take 11 minutes off your time between the Boulder 70.3 and Cour de Alene 70.3 and had another big jump shaving 18 minutes off your time between CDA and Maine; that's 29 minutes between Boulder and Maine! What are some of the elements (or factors) that contributed to your improvement? What changed in your training, attitude, nutrition, etc.?
I am newer to endurance racing as this is my 3rd season. 2018 was my first year with 1:1 coaching (Coach Jim is fantastic!) and he put together plans that challenged me to really push myself outside my comfort zone. We talked after CDA and I said I was ‘all in’ for Maine and with his guidance I was able to build a high level of fitness for Maine by following his plan consistently and really working to hit the targets that he had set every single workout. He told me that I was going to learn to love my bike and he was so right!
I had some concerns in February about subpar performance in my races so he recommended I get bloodwork done. Based on the results I was able to add the correct supplements. Without those changes, I don’t think this season would have been as successful as it was. He has definitely steered me in the right direction throughout this season.
I really tried to focus on doing the easy intervals/workouts easy so that I could recover for the next interval/session. Coach Jim recommended going to the D3 morning workouts and working with the team. What an amazing group of athletes who are so inspiring and fun. Being at those workouts really pushed me and made a huge impact on the quality of those sessions.
The other big thing I tried to focus on was being grateful and having fun. Grateful for being able to train, to race, for having the desire to train and race, people to share these experiences with, the opportunity to learn and to share what I’ve learned.
3. Jim appreciates that you are a strong communicator and provide feedback in your log after workouts. Please expand on your coach-athlete communication style?
I try to make a note after each workout. How I felt, what I did, what worked or didn’t work. I want him to know what happened during the workout and I also want to be able to look back down the road to see what was working. I try to note my nutrition and what happens on longer sessions so that I can try to simulate on race day. I also do my best to put social plans on the calendar so he knows when I needed time off - in hopes of avoiding the dreaded red on my TP calendar! Sometimes I just said I like the workout so I would see it again (fingers crossed) or tried to put something funny down. I think I’m going to try my hand at putting jokes in the notes to see if I can get him to laugh!
4. Jim is very proud of your ability to push your limits and race to your full potential and he saw that play out at Maine 70.3. You reached your goals and you were top 10 AG.
a. Describe how you prepared yourself the week of that race.
Race prep is always a big deal to me just like everyone else (routes, water temp, tide, weather, nutrition, attire, cutoffs, etc) so I try to do my homework before race week so I can just try to move from step to step during that week and not stress about the details. I like to know as much as I can, see as much of the course as I can prior to race day and have everything ready way in advance so if I have to change my mind I already know what my options are just in case. Traveling makes it even more important. Planning for what if’s. I like to visualize the race from start to finish. The perfect race, the mechanical issue race and then the epic blowup one. Then figure out what I’m going to do in those situations. Of course, the perfect race is fun to sit through. The other ones not so much!
b. Describe your thoughts on the race now, afterward.
I was happy with Maine because I hit all my targets, felt great during the whole race and really had fun with the race. I found myself smiling throughout, being so grateful to be on that course, on that day and just enjoyed the experience. Are there things I would do differently? Of course! But I felt like I executed my plan and accomplished what I set out to do.
5. Where is your favorite place to swim, to bike and to run?
My favorite place to swim is any open water. I know I need the pool time, but being outside is my favorite place to be. My favorite bike routes are up to Jamestown or to Carter Lake (near Boulder, CO). Favorite place to run? Hall Ranch, Button Rock or Pictured Rock (near Boulder, CO). I don’t make enough of an effort to get out there as much as I should - so when I do it’s a treat and I really enjoy those runs.
6. Dream piece of equipment ... if there was nothing holding you back, what would you add to your gear (for training, racing, recovery, doesn't matter!)?
I really love my bike, but I would like to get a TT one of these days!
The entire D3 Coaching Team is pleased to celebrate Carla, her commitment and consistency with her training, and her fantastic 29-minute improvement this season! With only 3 seasons under her belt, we are excited to see what she can do with her talent.
Not too long ago, I would hop on my bike trainer, my very expensive fluid trainer, and ride. I would watch Sports Center, or a movie, or reruns of Ironmans and Tour de France races. I would count down the time until my 60 minutes was up, looking at my watch every 5 minutes. It was a means to an end as I would avoid the cold, snowy, wet and not ideal conditions outside. Fast forward twenty years and the 2nd place male athlete in the Hawaii Ironman has not been outside unless it was a race. 100% indoor training. What madness!
I feel I have been through a pretty dramatic evolution in triathlon since I started in 1998. The style and appeal of bikes, and now the method of how we train on them. I don't mean intervals I mean how we do those intervals. Indoor or out, our cadence, power, heart rate or RPE. So, here’s the question, is Zwift the ideal training solution?
PROS
CONS
Let’s dive in, the pro column is looking pretty darn good. But call me old fashioned when I’m doing workouts on the trainer. I do not import workouts or use the workout library and I do not use ERG mode. When on Zwift, I choose the route that I want to get the best workout that I’m looking for. You see I really do like the hills and undulations of the terrain. The trainer difficulty for the hills goes away in workout mode and erg mode. I think when you go outside to train or race and your goal is ½ Ironman effort, you really do need to control your efforts on your own with changes in terrain.
Suggestions to Use the Tool Wisely: the next time you need to do some specific work on your bike and you choose the Kickr and Zwift combo, choose a route that gets the job done that you need to simulate.
What would coach Jim (me) do?
First, I would ride some quality sessions on Zwift and probably not all of them on my TT bike. The other 1-2 days I might have a road or gravel bike and get out on some back roads or trails where the traffic is minimal. I don't care about the speed or power on these days, but I can ride without worry and work on the technical aspects of riding. Take a bike class that teaches bike handling. Most of these classes are in grass and are so slow you’ll be lucky your Garmin even gets off of auto pause.
Second. I would really consider riding your road/ gravel bike more. I think triathletes spend entirely way too much time on their TT bikes. Give your neck a break, and ride a road bike. Develop more muscular power, different muscle groups and even some different muscular patterns and recruitment to actually make you stronger on the TT bike. Like Cam Wurf, I only ride my TT bike 1-2 days a week. Road bike 3-4 and gravel bike usually at least once a week. Yep, that's about 6-7 days a week, but not all hard days! TT bikes are built to be fast. So ride it fast. Your easy rides, or climbing rides, or social rides or commuting rides should not be on a race bike. Ferrari owners have more than 1 car.
Ride Zwift and feel the terrain, and learn to focus on the proper intensity, or just go KOM hunting, that’s a fantastic workout too. And occasionally join a Zwift race! Then ride the outdoor bike for fun and focus on bike handling skills. Feel the wind, the road obstacles, the cornering. Don’t worry about power, just have fun.
Coach Jim recognizes that athletes spend too much time focusing solely on their strengths or just on their weaknesses. As a coach, he believes you should work on both. Your strengths can give you a competitive edge in one or more of the disciplines but spend an inordinate amount of time on them and you can forgo progress in other areas. Not enough time and you’ll see them diminish. Same with your weaknesses, but together we’ll build a plan to balance the two and make you the best overall athlete you can be!
When you are paying for coaching, you want to make certain you are maximizing your coach's knowledge. But to get that value and to create the foundation for a strong athlete-coach partnership, you need to pitch in. How an athlete can do this? COMMUNICATE!
What does that look like?
Having expert advice from a 13-time Ironman World Champion finisher is invaluable as you prepare for your own race. His approach to racing this course every year is strategic and calculated. Heed his advice on these three-pointers and you might end up as he did in 2017 taking the age group (70-74) win by over an hour! We wish Simon all the best as he heads for his 14th Ironman World Championship race and what will be his 25th Ironman.
Three Tips from Coach Simon
Planning the Bike: Perhaps more than any other race, getting the intensity right for the bike is key to a successful race in Kona. Everyone has heard about the winds but not so many people realize that there are also a lot of hills, 5,800 ft of altitude gain. That's almost 2,000 ft more than this year's Boulder IM and much of it out in the scorching heat of the lava fields. So even in the best of wind conditions, like last year, it will be a slower ride than your qualifier, unless you did Lanzarote. Plan your nutrition accordingly and lower your target power output. There is a very helpful article by Joe Friel on Training Peaks that can help you work this out. With the wind so unpredictable, at least up until the evening before the race, you should have two plans, one for mild conditions and one for the worst. Then when you get out there on Saturday morning you will not be cursing the weather forecaster, and if they get it wrong, you will be happy as you will have a plan for that.
About the Wind: The first 20-25 miles of the bike might make you think “wow all this talk about wind is bull”. As always, be patient. If it is going to be windy it will probably start when you reach the top of the hill looking down to the big resorts at the north end of the Queen K. Enjoy the ride up to that point, sometimes the wind is even at your back. In 2001, the worst year to date and my first, it gusted to 55 mph on the Queen K and was 30+ going up the hill to Hawi. The secret to survival is staying low on the bike, that means riding the aerobars much of the time. You need to get comfortable with that and if you are not, get a bike fit now before it is too late. It is much easier to survive a gust if you are low to the road. It is also possible to anticipate the gusts. Watching trees and shrubs ahead of you is an obvious thing but even the grass will tell you if a big one is about to hit. On the Queen K when it is very bad you also need to watch out when going through a cut in a big hill of Lava. As you enter, the wind you are leaning into will suddenly vanish and shortly be followed by wind bouncing around inside the cut. Then when you come out you need to be ready to lean into the steady wind again. Some parts of the Queen K going and coming home have a berm of 4-5 ft along the side of the road. If the wind is coming over the berm getting close to it can reduce its speed. This is especially true coming back after Waikoloa, a time when every little bit of help is welcome.
Coming back down from Hawi if the wind is blowing hard it will be very fast, for some scary fast. Even if you are not scared it will be hard if not impossible to get food out of a pocket. So anticipating that is a good idea. The last 1/2 mile coming into Hawi and departing is not usually very windy and is the time to fuel up. You should also be able to do that after you pick up your special needs.
Hopefully, you know that staying on the aerobars for the entire 112 miles is not a good idea, it is also hard to do. You may have a plan to get out of the saddle every 10-15 min for a stretch. With the winds on the Queen K and the last 5 miles into and out of Hawi, that kind of plan can be derailed. So the best approach is to sit up and/or get out of the saddle when the conditions permit and not follow a rigid plan.
Heat/Humidity: You can’t overcome the effect of the climate in Kona, it will always slow you down some, but you can get used to it mentally and physically and minimize its impact. Now is the time to start that process. I am in the sauna after every swim workout now and soon every day for 30 min. If you take that approach, be careful and ease into it if you are not a sauna regular. I am doing it now because I would like to be as prepared as I can be when I arrive 2 weeks before the race. If life does not allow the luxury of 2 weeks in Kona pre-race, then you need to be preparing for this no later than 4 weeks out. Advice from coach Bobby McGee (USAT Run Performance coach) is not to overdo this. You should do some of your last workouts in your taper sweating hard (extra clothing on the run, indoor bike with no fan going hard, and possibly some heat) but he recommends no more than 30 min at a time. If you have a long ride planned you could ride outside for say 3 hrs and then 30 min inside sweating. Or plan a looped run picking up some layers for the last 30 min at your home or car. You will be tapering at this point so doing more time hot is not going to help the taper. From my experience of being in Kona between anywhere from 5 days to 4 weeks before the race, I don't think you can adjust to the heat well in anything less than 10-14 days. This is like everything else, it's an individual thing, and best to prepare well in advance until you know yourself well.
In the big picture, Coach Simon sees attitude more than age making the difference in many aspects of this sport. There are times in triathlon that to see improvements you need to slow down and spend some time working on your technique – which requires a great deal of discipline. So does having a coach and following the plan written for you. The best coach in the world can only be of help if you’re ready and willing to do the work. Coach Simon is a USAT, Certified Coach USMS swim coach, FIST Certified Bike Fitter and Training Peaks Certified Coach.
Swim Workouts to use in case you need one or want to try something different!Death by 100s (2800 total)WU: 400, every 4th length backstrokeWU set - with paddles: 5x 25 fast, 10” RI 25 fast, 10” RI 50 easy, 5” RI100 easy, back/freeMS #1: 4x 100 @ LT + 2-3”, 10” RI 100 @ LT + 4-5”, 10” RI100 easy, back/freeMS #2 (same as #1): 4x 100 @ LT + 2-3”, 10” RI 100 @ LT + 4-5”, 10” RICD: 100 easy, back/free
IM Swim: Broken 3300 (4600 total)WU: 400, every 4th length backstrokeWU set - with paddles: 4x 75 hard, 10” RI 75 moderate, 10” RI100 easy, back/freeMS: Broken 3300 550 @ IM pace, 10” RI 500 @ HIM pace, 10” RI 450 @ IM pace, 10” RI 400 @ HIM pace, 10” RI 350 @ IM pace, 10” RI 300 @ HIM pace, 10” RI 250 @ IM pace, 10” RI 200 @ HIM pace, 10” RI 150 @ IM pace, 10” RI 100 @ HIM pace, 10” RI 50 @ Oly pace, 10” RICD: 200 easy, mixed strokes
Anaerobic 25s & 200s at Threshold (2800 total)WU: 400, every 4th length double-arm backstrokeDrill set: 6x 50 with paddles, swum as 25 catch-up, 25 3/4 catch-upWU set: 4x 50 build, 10” RI50 easy, back/freeMS: 6x 25 sprint, 10” RI 200 easy back/free 2x200 at Threshold pace, 20” RI 200 easy back/free 6x 25 sprint, 10” RI 200 easy back/free 2x200 at Threshold pace, 20” RICD: 150 easy, mixed strokes
Broken 200s (2400 total)WU: 400, every 4th length double-arm backstrokeDrill set: 6x 50 1st half of set: wear right paddle & left fin 2nd half of set: wear left paddle & right fin Focus on reach upon entry & syncing your hip rotation with your pull.WU set: 200 @ LT + 4-5", 10” RI 150 @ LT + 2-3", 10” RI 100 @ LT, 10” RI 50 @ LT - 2-3”, 10” RI100 easy, back/freeMS: 200 @ LT, 20” RI 50 easy, 30” RI 2x 100 @ LT - 2-3”, 15” RI 50 easy, 30” RI 4x 50 @ LT - 4-5”, 10” RI 50 easy, 30” RI 8x25 @ LT - 7-8", 5” RICD: 150 easy, mixed strokes
Descending Pyramid
400 swim, warm up.
6x75 on 10" rest. First 3 are with the R paddle and 2nd 3 are with the L paddle. Focus on the catch when wearing the paddle.
6x50 on 30" rest, very fast. No equipment.
8x25 on 20" rest, very fast.
1350 warm up.
Main Set:
400 with pull buoy, steady pace - think IM pace.
1x100 very fast with Pull Buoy and Paddles.
300 with pull buoy, Moderate-Hard, think 70.3 pace.
2x100, very fast, same as above - on 20" rest.
200, with pull buoy, very fast - think OLY distance pace.
3x100, very fast, same as above, on 20" rest.
6x25 on 40", 35" and 30". If you are faster, take another 5" off and if you're really fast, take another 5" off.
100 easy backstroke to cool down.
3100 total. Variable Pace 200's
WU: 100 swim- ez, 100 drill, 100 swim- moderate, 100 stroke, 100 swim- build
MS: Each numbered set is done non-stop as a 200.#1—100 easy, 50 mod, 50 fast (10”).#2—50 easy, 100 mod, 50 fast (20”).#3—50 easy, 50 mod, 100 fast (30”).#4—100 fast, 50 easy, 50 mod (20”).#5—50 fast, 100 easy, 50 mod (10”).#6—50 fast, 50 easy, 100 mod. (60”)Repeat the entire set (#1-#6).CD: 200 easy with drills.Total: 3100
Band Sets
WU: 300 choiceMS: 4x(200 band and buoy, 4×50 band only)- rest 20"- 8×75 - rest 15"
(50 free/25 back)- focus on body position and core engagement without the band- 12×25 - rest 15"(4 band only, 2 swim fast, repeat)- 200 c/d
Total: 3100
7x 100 Descending, 3x 100 hold speed
WU: 500 swim easy.8 x 50 done as 25 drill and 25 swim.MS:7 x 100 (20” rest) #1 is easy. Descending time for each interval.Rest 1-2 minutes.3 x 100 (20”) each same pace as #7 of first set.300 kick steady effort.CD: 200 easy swim.Total: 2400
Equipment Drop
WU: 3006x 50 with fins (25 kick on back/25 swim)MS: 3x: (300 swim with snorkel (if you have it), buoy, ankle band/ 3x100 snorkel and ankle band/ 4x50 swim at 80% effort with good form and body position)12x 25 at 80% effort with higher than typical stroke cadence200 c/dTotal: 3500
Descending 100's
WU: 2x: (100 swim/100 w/band)MS:500 constant pace, moderate effort. Rest 1 minute.5 x 100 (20”) Descend each 100.400 constant, moderate pace. Rest 1 minute.4 x 100 (20”) Descend each 100.300 constant, moderate pace. Rest 1 minute.3 x 100 (20”) Descend each 100.200 constant, moderate pace. Rest 1 minute.2 x 100 fast.CD: 400 easy swim.Total: 3600
Short Swim - 1800 yards
400 Warmup12 * 50 on 1:30 - alternate EZ/FAST300 pull12 * 25 1:00200 easy.
Mixed Set: 2700 yard400 Warm-up
3 * 200 0:45 rest
8 * 25 kick :10 rest
4 * 100 0:25 rest.
8 * 25 kick :10 rest.
5 * 50 :10 rest.
100 loosen easy swim.
6 * 75 pull with paddles 0:20 rest.
200 cool-down.
8x100 on 3:00 Test SetWU: 600 wu and then 6x50 - ez down/back fast on 20" rest
MS: 8x100 on 3:00 trying to hold best possible average (BPA)
200 very easy
8x25 kick
3x300 on 15" rest
CD: 200(Take your average of the 8x100 and add 5-7" per 100 and this is your T-Pace)
8x200 @ T-Pace400 wu. 12x25 on 25" rest. 25s are ez, med, fast in groups of 3.
8x200 on 20" rest. Goal is to swim the 200s AT T-Pace. If T-pace is 1:30 per 100, then these 200s should be 1:30 pace.
100 ez.
200 kick.
200 pull cool down
Speed Pyramid: 10x 25, 50, 100, 50, 25
300 swim
200 kick w fins
300 pull with paddles
200 (25 drill down swim back)Main set (15-20 seconds rest, and 1 minute rest between sets)10x25 (visualize on getting out fast)10x50 10x100 (visualize mid pack surge on main swim speed)10x5010x25 (visualize fast finish speed)Cool down
Mixed Workout: 2x (300 swim, 200 pull, 200 swim, 300 pull)
300 swim, 200kick fins, 300paddles, 200 drill down swim backMain set10x25 build(300 swim 200 pull) 200 swim 300 pull) repeat once again.100 choice easy10x25 fast
Mixed Set: 4x 200, 3x200, 5x100
300 swim, 200kick fins, 300paddles, 200 drill down swim back10x25 build200 swim, 200 swim with paddles, 200 swim with fins 200 swim with paddles and fins.3x200 swim without aids fast.5x100 descending each by 2 seconds.Cool down
Mixed Swim of 200s and 25s
300 swim 200 kick and drill, 300 pull
4x50 with dolphin dive shallow end.Main set 2x through
1x (fast 200 :20, cruise 4x25)
50 easy
1x(fast pull 200:20 sec rest 4x25 10 sec rest)
50 easy
4x100 (1/3 fast 2/4 cruise
50 easy200 cool down
4K swim: mixed 100’s and 150’s alternating base and hard effort
400 swim
200 kick
200 pull
8x 50 1-4 2x on 15” rest
Main Set
3x 150 on 20” rest middle 50 all out
5x 100 on base + 5”
2x 150 on 20” rest middle 50 all out
4x 100 on base
1x 150 on 20” rest middle 50 all out
3x 100 on base -5”
100 easy recovery
When ready:
100 for time
500 cool down
3K with mixed effort 200’s and 100’s
400m swim, 200m kick, 200m swim
2 times through with 10 seconds between swims.
4 x 25m
#1 – 12.5m easy, 12.5m fast
#2 – 12.5m fast, 12.5m easy
#3 – 25m easy
#4 – 25m fast
7 x 200 - 15 sec rest
#1 – Swim 50m fast, 150m easy
#2 – Swim 100m fast, 50m easy
#3 – Swim 150m fast, 50m easy
#4 – Swim 200m fast
#5 – Swim 150m fast, 50m easy
#6 – Swim 100m fast, 50m easy
#7 – Swim 50m fast, 150m easy 1:00 rest
Take 1 full minute of rest and go right into 100s.: 15 sec rest
7 x 100m
#1 – Swim 25m fast, 75m easy
#2 – Swim 50m fast, 50m easy
#3 – Swim 75m fast, 25m easy
#4 – Swim 100m fast
#5 – Swim 75m fast, 25m easy
#6 – Swim 50m fast, 50m easy
#7 – Swim 25m fast, 75m easy
200 ez
Endurance 3500 6x400
300m Free
2x 50m Free - 25m drill/ 25m swim - on 10s rest
4x 50m Free - 25m head up, 25m free - on 10s rest
100m Free
4x 50m Free - building - on 10s rest
900m
Main Set 6x400
400m Free - steady - on 40s rest
400m Free - steady; last 100 hard - on 40s rest
400m Free - steady; every 4th length hard - on 40s rest
400m Free - steady; last 100 hard - on 40s rest
400m Free - steady; every 2nd length hard - on 40s rest
400m Free - steady - on 40s rest
3,300m
Cool Down
200m Choice
3,500m
3600 mixed effort 200’s
WU: Build effort on each rep.
2x through: 100 swim, 100 kick, 100 swim, 100 kick, 100 swim.
MS: Each numbered set is done non-stop as a 200.
#1—100 easy, 50 mod, 50 fast (10”).
#2—50 easy, 100 mod, 50 fast (20”).
#3—50 easy, 50 mod, 100 fast (30”).
#4—100 fast, 50 easy, 50 mod (20”).
#5—50 fast, 100 easy, 50 mod (10”).
#6—50 fast, 50 easy, 100 mod. (60”)
Repeat the entire set (#1-#6).
CD: 200 easy.
Total: 3600
3000 pacing workout IM through Oly efforts
3k Workout
300 easy w/fins
4x 50 as 25 build / 25 easy (RI:10)
4x 25 as 1 fast, 1 easy, 1 fast, 1 easy (RI:15)
Main Set: (2000)
*Look to pick up pace slightly with each distance cut, 1-2 seconds per 100.
2x 400 (RI:25) bit easier than IM effort
2x 300 (RI:20) about IM effort
2x 200 (RI:15) about HIM effort
2x 100 (RI:10) about Olympic effort
12x 25 kick (RI:10)
100 easy
5k IM workout with mixed paces and distances
300 easy w/fins
4x 50 as 25 build / 25 easy (RI:10)
4x 25 as 1 fast, 1 easy, 1 fast, 1 easy (RI:15)
Main Set: (4000)
*Look to pick up pace slightly with each distance cut, 1-2 seconds per 100.
4x 400 (RI:25) bit easier than IM effort
4x 300 (RI:20) about IM effort
4x 200 (RI:15) about HIM effort
4x 100 (RI:10) about Olympic effort
3x 100 kick (RI:10)
100 easy
3K combination with paddle, buoy and band –
Warm-up:
(600 total)
300 (100 freestyle, 50 drill)
300 (100 free, 25 kick on side/25 drill x2)
Pre-Set:
(600 total)
100 pull with paddles, buoy and band, rest 20 sec
4×25 swim with band, rest 15 sec
100 pull with buoy and band, rest 20 sec
4×25 swim with band, rest 15 sec
100 pull with buoy only, rest 20 sec
4×25 swim with band, rest 15 sec
Focus on a high tempo throughout to keep hips high in water.
Main Set:
(1600 total)
4×50 descend tempo 1-4 with 15 sec rest
2×600 hold goal race pace with 20 sec rest
4×50 FAST with 15 sec rest
Cool-down:
(200 total)
50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 100 choice
= 3000 total
Who: This technique clinic is for Team D3 athletes who are 1-to-1 coached or using one of our custom or pre-built training plans.
What: During this Technique Camp, the D3 coaches will work with each athlete to assess technique and guide them toward improving in each the swim, bike, and run disciplines through specific drills and workouts. Having a coach's eye on your technique and providing valuable feedback is the focus of this camp. Each athlete will leave with a 'report card' of the areas they need to focus on during the winter months so they arrive stronger in the spring.
When: Wednesday, October 17 - Sunday, October 21, 2018.
Where: Training venues vary between Longmont and Boulder, CO.
Why: When you are training for swim, bike and run with proper technique, the gains can be translated to race day. - think PRs! This camp is your opportunity to have a coach's eye on your technique. Plus, you get the opportunity to experience the Team D3 camaraderie.
Cost: The Camp is $550. Athletes are asked to pay a non-refundable $100 deposit to D3 Multisport by October 1st. The balance will be due on October 10th. All but $100 is refundable until October 14th at which time it is non-refundable.
How: Contact Melanie@D3Multisport.com with questions and to register.
_________________
Wednesday, October 17 - Sunday, October 21, 2018
*This is subject to change.*Group lodging is set up at Candlewood Suites in Longmont and is $109 per night and in addition to the cost of the Camp.*Some meals are included, others will be paid for by the athlete.
“Keep your easy days easy and your hard days hard.” This is the mantra of coaches around the world in many different sports. If you have been doing triathlon for a long time you will have heard your coach or fellow athletes emphasize the importance of recovery. However, all to often, most people don’t understand why recovery is important and so they focus really hard on their training session and ignore the importance of recovery. Unfortunately, the science says that you need both to see true fitness gains.
The figure below is referred to as the super-compensation curve* ( Nikolai N Yakovlev) and it demonstrates how fitness gains are made. At the start of the curve, a stress is applied (your training session) followed by a “recovery period” in which you return to a higher level of fitness than before you started.
Now armed with this knowledge we can begin to see how fitness gains are made over the course of several training sessions. In figure 2, three training sessions are performed after proper rest and recovery resulting in a higher level of overall fitness.
If these same sessions are performed without proper recovery, fitness loss can occur (see figure 3.)
Coach Bill Ledden is a USA Triathlon and USA Track and Field Certified Coach. As a finisher of three Ironman races while traveling over 100,000 miles a year, he specializes in helping busy athletes reach their goals.
According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), 123 million American live in counties that have a coastline. Yet while Hawaii, Florida, and California might have waters you can jump into on a semi regular basis, Oregon and Alaska tend to stick a bit chillier at 58 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the height of summer heat. Even Lake Michigan near Chicago is chilly from June to September, something I can vouch for personally; and as a former swimmer who likes her water cold, that’s saying something. Even if you are to brave the temps, boats are to swimmers what cars are to cyclists. It makes trying to get any open water swim practice a frustrating and possibly panic inducing dilemma, if you’re not lucky enough to live in an area that promotes a safe place to swim.
MAKING DO IN THE POOL
What’s a determined triathlete in training to do when open water isn’t an option to workout in? A pool may not be the ideal situation, but all the skills you need to be confident in the open water can be practiced in this contained area. In working almost a decade with the University of Colorado Triathlon team whose regional championships are in March and national championships in April (long before our local open water options are viable), I’ve collected a few practice moves to help get those skills honed when the actual thing is not available.
Things to do when you have a lane to yourself:
1. Practice sighting: set up a kick board at the end of each lane and work every third 25 as sighting length. Work on crocodile eyes that peer just above the surface, keeping your body long and horizontal. If possible, set the board a few feet off the end of the pool to make it more difficult. BONUS: close your eyes except when you look up to sight! Please only do this at slower speeds and when you are the only person in the lane. If you have a coach on deck, it might be possible to request the boards be moved every so often to simulate the movement you and the buoy will have in open water.
2. Do no wall turns: open water has no walls, so changing direction without that extra propulsion is key! I find these work best in a descending set of 50’s or 100’s (8x100 descend 1-4, 5-8 or 12x50 descend in 3’s) and turn around at the T (about 3 feet from the wall). BONUS: Do a corkscrew turn at the T to simulate getting around the buoy.
3. Deep water starts: float on your stomach away from the way (about the flags) and then sprint to the other end. If you can float without moving forward, even better, as it really forces you to learn how to drive off the start in a deep water start.
Things to do when you have a group:
1. Practice chase starts: in groups of two, have one pair float out to about the flags and have another ready to start on the wall. On a signal (either within the group or from a coach on deck), sprint to the other end. Switch flag starts and wall starts, and which side you swim on. These can really only be done in single length swims, so please don’t attempt and make them into 50’s (or 100’s in LCM). BONUS: Swim 3 or more abreast and add in a third pack between the wall and the flags. You’ll learn to be tactful in getting around people, getting swum over (when doing with fellow swimmers, as you would in a race, be controlled!) and having lots of thrashing and splashing around you as you swim.
2. Work pace lines: similar to pace lines in cycling, you’ll swim in a line, drafting from the person in front and changing out at a determined interval. With my collegiate athletes, I find this is a good way to get in longer swims (400’s and up) in crowded conditions and avoid distracted swimming. Chat with the local pool to see if there’s a way to have time with the lanes out and no open swim swimmers: I’m a firm believer that you can leave a lot of opportunities on the table by simply not asking questions. The worst they can possibly say is no! While there will likely be a fee involved, get a group together to practice in a no lanes situation and split the costs. With a decent sized group, you can practice swimming with 90 and 180 degree turns and wide mass starts. Be sure to include sighting with this! Make sure you check out your athlete guide for any open water swim practices that are available at your race venue.
While only getting a few hundred yards in there won’t supplant the thousands of yards needed to be well prepared for a triathlon with an open water swim, that familiarity coupled with use of the practices above will help immensely! Good luck and good swims!
Coach Leigh Dodd is a USA Triathlon Certified coach with a specialty in swimming and coaching younger athletes. She proudly helped to coach the CU Tri Team to seven national titles and has qualified for the USAT World Team.
For many athletes, using a coach is a way to get more out of themselves and to give their best effort to the sport they love. But sometimes, the coach/athlete relationship evolves into a friendship and over time, that friendship get stronger and you become more like family than friends. That was the case for myself and Joe, an athlete who I had the honor of coaching for 15 years. Over time, Joe and I went from athlete and coach to friends to very close friends whose lives and families grew together. We celebrated the good times and talked through the bad. We shared our hopes for the future, and even helped each other shape that future.
But sometimes the future doesn’t end up like you envisioned. In an instant, everything changes and you’re left with an empty feeling that just won’t go away. For me, that happened on April 19th, the day Joe passed away unexpectedly. With his passing, Joe left behind a wife, a brother, a mother and father, and countless friends who all miss him every day. He also left a goal that he had yet to accomplish - racing the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Joe had spent years training in order to qualify, and now, after he had been selected to race, he was gone. But his hard work will not go to waste. As his friend, and to honor his dedication, I will be lining up in Kona to race in his honor.
The story of Joe and I starts in late 2002. I had just been certified as a USA Triathlon coach and joined D3 Multisport (a coaching company). The owner and founder of D3 Multisport, Mike Ricci, saw that someone had been to his website and partially filled out an inquiry form. Of course Mike followed up immediately with a phone call. After a good conversation, Mike mentioned that he had just hired a new coach who he thought would be a perfect fit. The coach was me, the athlete was Joe Vrablik.
When I started coaching Joe we both lived in Boulder. We had our initial meeting, and he told me his story. Joe had been heavy most of his life and at one point he weighed over 400 pounds (he was about 6’ 1”). He decided to do something about his weight so he started swimming at first. As the weight dropped, he started with other sports and soon found triathlon. He had done a few short triathlons and weighed around 300 pounds at the time. But he told me he wanted to do an IRONMAN and so we started planning.
After the first year, we started to bond more as friends. I had moved to Highlands Ranch, Co. which is about an hour south of Boulder, but we talked often. He was single and trying out the dating scene, I was married but still tried to offer advice. We talked about his job - he was an IT Support Tech for the University of Colorado. He was also very smart and kept up with local, state, and national politics and what was going on around him. He could tell you why certain counties were better for tax reasons, and why a local ordinance would actually have the opposite effect of it’s proposed goal. His opinion was never void of facts or reason. He was also very true to his word and honorable. He was the type of person who could look himself in the mirror every day and be proud of his decisions and actions and I always admired that about him.
But Joe also had his struggles. He held on to stress, be it at work or just life in general, and that lead to some poor nutrition choices. It was his way of dealing with the stress. The training was a way for him to keep his weight down. It was an odd combination, and it didn’t always work. Through the years, his weight would ebb and flow. But the training was also a way for Joe to get away from all of the noise. He’d often type “Sanity Break” in his workout comments. I like to think training was his sanctuary. He was consistent, but not perfect. The winter months were a challenge with the weather and he would travel to see family. This fluctuation in training wasn’t a big issue, but with an eye always on his goals, I tried to get him to do a bit more during the winter.
His first IRONMAN was Wisconsin in 2006. Joe had some very consistent training and while I felt he was capable of finishing I was also nervous. One thing Joe had going for him was that he never let his ego lead the way. He knew what he was capable of and was happy with that. Since online tracking was not yet a thing, I had no good way of knowing where he was during the race. With his training and all of the advice I could give him, I knew he was ready, but there was still a lot of anticipation and hope for his race day. I spent much of it wondering how he was doing. That curiosity was soon answered as Joe finished in 15:02 and had the biggest grin for his finish line photos. This was to be the start of Joe’s IRONMAN journey.
The next six years was pretty much the same. Training, a few local races, then off to IRONMAN Wisconsin. He loved Madison- the course, the people, the atmosphere and seeing the same people at registration and the volunteers. Joe would train less in the winter, and the weight would come back on. The spring would be a bit of a struggle, and sometimes the weight came down, sometimes it did not, but he was always able to get in the majority of the workload and surprisingly he had very few injuries. Despite being a tech guy, Joe didn’t use any fancy gadgets and rarely even used a heart rate monitor. As his coach, I would have liked him to use it more, but I always let the athlete decide what makes them happy. For some, the more technical things get the more stress it brings, and I think that was the case for Joe, despite his job.
Naturally, throughout this time coaching Joe, my life changed. After 11 years of racing triathlons, 13 Ironman races and two years racing professionally, it was time for something different. I kept coaching, but in 2008 I started to do more freelance writing. At first, it was for triathlon related magazines, but later I branched out to general outdoor magazines as well. Then, in 2011 my wife and I got hired to start an all-digital triathlon magazine, TRI, based near Ventura, California. It was a big step, but it was a lot of fun. I was still riding a lot, mostly because I did all the bike reviews, and was the managing editor of our sister publication ROAD Magazine, but only raced little. Most of the racing I did was road or mountain bike races with a few tris here and there. I found a new interest in stand up paddle surfing and surfed nearly every day. At this time, I coached only three to four athletes, and of course, Joe was part of that mix. We had our usual groove of some short local races leading to IRONMAN Wisconsin and then things changed in late 2012.
IRONMAN announced the Legacy Program. This program stated that any athlete who finished 12 IRONMAN events would automatically qualify for the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii and be let in the race with a few years of qualification. Kona is the goal of just about every triathlete, and Joe knew this would be his only route there. Joe instantly expressed his desire to go for it. We immediately set out a long-term plan to get Joe to Kona as soon as possible. He was already signed up for IRONMAN Wisconsin (again), which would be his sixth IRONMAN, so we had six more to go.
In early 2013 my wife and I moved back to Colorado and were now living only 5 miles from Joe in Erie, which is about 15 miles east of Boulder. My wife and I also had our daughter, Emma, in July. Joe was so happy for us and our friendship grew tighter. We had dinners together, celebrated Thanksgiving early with a Turducken (Google this, it was delicious). It was during these next few years that our friendship would evolve to a new level. Our Legacy Program plan was ambitious. It involved doing three IRONMAN races in 2014 and 2015. It was a lot, but the goal was not to push every IRONMAN to the limit, it was to finish and do as little damage as possible.
Still, Joe had lost quite a bit of weight and was racing much faster. At IRONMAN Wisconsin in 2013, Joe set his PR of 12:08:57. Our Kona Legacy program started in 2014. The plan was to race IRONMAN New Zealand, IRONMAN Boulder, and IRONMAN Wisconsin (again!). Another big change was that Joe had been dating Steph, a girl he had met in college through a community service fraternity they were both a part of. Steph was incredibly supportive of Joe from day one and we got along great. Joe loved to travel and recruited his longtime friend Luke Douglas to go with him to IRONMAN New Zealand. Joe raced smart, and despite some crazy bad luck (being struck by a trailered boat), he finished in 13:08. Joe and Kevin had a blast after the race traveling around the countryside. Being a fan of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, seeing where parts of the film were shot was a big treat for him.
IRONMAN Boulder was a new race on the calendar, and the idea of getting to race locally was a big deal for him as his friends were eager to see him race. Of course, I was there as well cheering him on the course. It was at this race that I finally got to meet his mother and father, brother David, and David's wife Tawnya. Watching him run down the finish chute for the first time was a moving experience for me. This was also the first IRONMAN that Steph was at.
Wisconsin was almost an auto-pilot race for Joe by this point. He got it done as always, finishing in 13:38. For Steph, this was a big race because Joe had gotten her a VIP Pass and she was able to medal him at the finish.
For 2015 we had the same idea but substituted IRONMAN South Africa as his early season IRONMAN. Steph was joining him as well. Before he left for South Africa Joe told me he was going to propose after the race. The race was brutal, Joe said it was one of the hardest races he had ever done, but he finished in 15:18. I texted him good job and told him that now it was time to get to the important stuff. He proposed and she said yes.
IRONMAN Boulder was another tough day for Joe. The heat and lack of humidity took their toll, but Joe got it done in 15:45.
Finishing the year with IRONMAN Wisconsin (again!), Joe pushed himself to a 15:30 finish. At the end of 2015, he now had the required 12 IRONMAN events and he put in for the Legacy Program. One stipulation of the program was that you had to finish an IRONMAN race every year to keep your eligibility. We knew that at best he would be racing in 2017, but likely it would be 2018.
After so much racing we backed off, letting him recover from his two-year journey and dialed it back to only one IRONMAN race per year. While Joe could have easily stayed local and raced in Boulder, IRONMAN Wisconsin was his favorite and it made for good timing for him to get in shape through the summer. Plus, Joe and Steph were planning on getting married in the spring of 2016, so it made for better timing.
In April of 2016, Joe and Steph were married. I was a groomsman and my two and a half-year-old daughter was a flower girl. It was a beautiful wedding at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO, overlooking a small pond with mountains in the background. After years of searching, Joe had finally found the right girl and they were ready to spend their lives together.
However, all of the planning and stress meant a lot of stress eating and a lot of the training went undone. His weight was higher than it had been in awhile. Joe was unprepared for IRONMAN Wisconsin, and he knew it. But his goal was to simply finish and knowing his determination and willingness to stick to a plan I was confident he would finish in time. For a few years, Joe had used a company called Beacon Athlete Tracking so family and friends could track his progress. Steph was at the race, and I was at home anxiously watching updates. He made the bike cutoff, but his run was slow. I was nervously watching the dot on the screen, trying to will it to go faster. Steph was texting me since she was concerned he wouldn’t make the time cutoff. The computer had him finishing with minutes to spare. And at 16:51, Joe crossed the line. It was only the second time he’d been at the 16 hour mark.
After they were married, my wife and I got together with Joe and Steph even more. One of the things Joe and Steph had in common was their love of Disney. Joe had spent part of his childhood in Florida and had gone to Disney World often. Steph grew up in California and had gone to Disneyland regularly. She had even worked at the park as a character. Between the two of them, they knew everything about Disney. In fact, we took two trips to Disneyland with them and they were the perfect guides. They knew which rides to go to and when, which restaurants to hit and which to skip, and how to get the best seats for the shows. Both Joe and Steph bonded with Emma, and she immediately trusted and loved them.
While we had hoped Joe would get into Kona for 2017, that did not happen because while he had achieved the requirements, the eligibility still remains a lottery. However, we knew he’d be in for 2018. He raced again at Wisconsin, finishing in 15:35 much to everyone’s delight. Sure enough, in mid-November, just before his 39th birthday, Joe got an email from IRONMAN saying he was in for Kona for the following year, October 2018.
At that point, it was pretty much all hands on deck. We all knew that this was likely Joe’s only shot at Kona. Joe and I discussed the strategy for the whole year leading up to the race. I wanted to make sure he was ready to handle the day, how far to push his limits and how much to keep it under control to make sure he enjoyed the day. It’s a fine line between pushing yourself and having a great day and pushing yourself too far. We knew from past experience that humidity caused issues for Joe, and we were addressing that.
Joe and Steph dialed back their travel schedule so Joe could train more. Steph was building her photography business, Joe was still working at CU, and the rest of the time was spent training. Still, Joe wasn’t as consistent as I had hoped. He was dealing with work issues and other things in his life. He had a tendency to feel responsible for things that weren’t his responsibility and it caused extra stress in his life.
To add to things, in November of 2017 I began working with them to find a new home. I had just earned my Real Estate license and was happy to help them find their home together. So that was added into the mix of training, work, and life. Joe had spoken with his long time friend Kevin and his wife Amanda about finding some lots together and being neighbors. Sure enough, we found a new home build with land and models they both loved. They would be living just 1/4 mile from each other.
Through the winter his training hadn’t been as consistent as I had hoped, but I certainly wasn’t panicking either. His weight was also higher than I wanted, but he and Steph had talked with me about a nutrition plan and I sent them contact information for a good daily nutritionist on staff at D3 Multisport.
TRAGEDY STRIKES
In early April, Kevin lost his father suddenly. Joe was very good friends with Kevin’s father and he took it very hard. It had been two weeks since we had spoken, and I knew I needed to check in to see how Joe was feeling. His training had been a bit behind with everything so I wanted to help motivate and get him back on track. I had meant to text him a few times but got distracted, but on April 19th I called and thankfully he picked up.
I remember that we talked about the loss of Kevin’s father and how difficult it was for him. He talked about some drama that was causing stress, and we discussed a few things about the new house. Then we talked training. With everything that had happened, he had missed a lot of training days, especially on the bike. He mentioned that the running was feeling great, and it was the one thing that was helping him cope. I stressed that we really needed to buckle down and he agreed. When we were talking about the training his voice was upbeat and optimistic. While things weren’t perfect, I knew Joe was OK and that we still had time to get him into good shape for Kona. Joe had a habit of being able to really crank things down when he needed.
That was the last conversation I had with Joe. Later that night I was sitting on the couch, it was around 7:45 and my daughter was in bed and my wife was at a yoga class. My phone rang. I saw it was Steph and I thought she might be calling me with some home questions. When I heard Steph’s voice I knew something wasn’t right. Her voice was off, she sounded dazed and distant and all she said was, “A.J., Joe’s gone. My Joe is gone.” I was stunned. My brain froze, I couldn’t even process if I knew anyone named Joe. “Joe? Joe who?” I thought. There was no way that the Joe I knew could be gone. But he was.
I stammered out the best words I could, but there was little I could say or do. After hanging up I paced my house, not wanting to believe what had just happened. When my wife came through the door her eyes opened wide when she saw me and she said, “What’s wrong?” I told her the tragic news and she was as stunned as I was. We both cried and stared at each other in disbelief.
It took a bit to get everything straight regarding what exactly happened. At first, I was told he had a heart attack while on the bike. This made me feel like I directly had caused his death. Then I found out he was actually still at work and was getting ready to ride when something happened, but it wasn’t a heart attack. His co-workers found him immediately and paramedics were there within 6 minutes (he worked across from a hospital), but he was gone before they arrived. I immediately wondered if the training over the years had contributed to his early passing. The next day, I looked back at years and years of data, searching for an abnormality but found nothing. Since Joe wasn’t a big tech user in his training, there wasn’t much to go on. Joe had regularly gotten physicals and had just gone for a physical three weeks prior. Plus, Joe was not the type to ignore his body. If he had ever felt something was off with his heart he would have said something.
What we were eventually told after an autopsy was that he had developed a tear in his heart. It likely formed over a day if not hours, and there was no way to prevent this. Plus, even if he had been in a hospital when it happened doctors would not have been able to save him. Nothing genetic, nothing preventable, just really bad luck.
The days after were rough. We had to tell Emma, and she took it hard. Joe’s funeral service was filled with friends and family coming together to mourn a loved one, and the support was truly amazing. It seems like only now that I look back do I realize how much Joe meant to me. I don’t think I took him for granted, rather I think I didn’t quite understand how much a part of my life he was, especially over the last few years. I miss him every day
I knew the topic of Kona would come up. Having raced there myself three times (2004, 2005, and 2006), and having traveled to the race 14 times, I know what that race entails. I had a feeling that Steph and the family would want someone to race in his honor, and that I would be the most obvious choice. Joe had worked so hard to get to Kona. He had put years of training in to accomplish something very few can achieve and the thought of him not completing Kona just tore at me. It is a feeling of an unresolved goal, a dream that what missed, but I could, in a way, finalize that journey. Plus, if it was going to happen it was going to be this year.
Selfishly, I also thought about what it would be like to cross the line with my daughter watching. She’s seen me race a few bike races, and I’ve taken her on the podium of some races, but Kona would be a scale she’s never seen before. Having raced there before, I know the inspiration and energy of that finish line first hand and it gives me goosebumps to think of finishing with Emma watching. While she is already naturally competitive and very active, there is something in me that wants her to see me accomplish this and show her what you can accomplish if you put your mind to it. So I said yes, let’s go for it. I didn’t want to look back in 10 or 20 years and regret not having at least tried to race and honor Joe in this way.
But I also had some reservations. The thought of full on training again, and racing Kona in less than four months was daunting. At 41 years old, my body is not quite as strong as it was when I was 28 and training 20 to 25 hours a week. I hadn’t raced a triathlon in four years, and my last IRONMAN was in 2008. I have kept in shape on the bike, but my running has been sporadic and swimming has been completely non-existent.
And the past three years have been very difficult for me personally. In 2015 my wife and I experienced unexpected tragedies suffering two miscarriages after the birth of Emma. Going through that put me in a spin I haven’t quite recovered from. I felt a deep emotional pain that I'd never experienced. It changed me physically, I lost focus, felt a never ending fatigue and my drive to push myself physically was gone. While I once relished pushing my body to its absolute limits, I began thinking, “What’s the point?” It was as if the fire to train and race had been surgically removed. My last race was December of 2016, where ironically I won the Colorado Cyclocross State Championships in the 40+ Cat 3 Division. After that, everything pretty much stopped. Rather than go for a ride I was happy to spend my days with my family and truly didn’t miss any aspect of endurance sports training at all. In 2017 I did not do a single race. Not a bike race, running race, triathlon or anything. It was the first time in probably 20 years that had happened. And I had no plans to race in 2018. I was actually getting back into tennis, a sport I played in high school and college, and wanted to pick up golf.
But this race is not about me. It is about honoring my friend in the best way I can. It is about finishing something that a friend worked so hard to achieve and then never got the chance to finish. My heart simply said, “yes” I had to at least try to race for Joe. So with their permission, I wrote a letter to IRONMAN on behalf of Steph and the family to inquire about racing Kona for Joe. I explained the situation and was adamant that this was not about me finding a way to racing in Kona, it was truly for Joe. In addition, Mike with D3 Multisport was able to lobby IRONMAN, and Steph wrote an email too.
At this time I started to train a bit. I was just riding and running when I could to be prepared to do some real training if I did get in. It was difficult to get started because I kept thinking about Joe a lot. But I knew I had to keep at it if I was to do Joe proud.
On June 15th email from IRONMAN hit my inbox - I was in for Kona. In that instant, everything changed. I was happy/nervous/excited/scared all at once. And I was also sad. Sad that I even had to get this email, that it was now me racing instead of Joe, that he was no longer with us. The reality hit that that I also had to get my butt in gear to be prepared.
I started training in earnest that day. Within 20 minutes of reading the email that I was in for the race I was out for a run. I started swimming, got some nutrition, and gathered up some of my old gear. Ironically, about six months prior I had donated a lot of my old but still usable gear to the CU Tri Team.
The training has been solid so far, but there have been some struggles too, just like there were for Joe. Plus, I looked at the training as a way to maybe get things back on track for myself. I have no intention of getting back into racing, but the only way to get better is to change something. So maybe this is Joe helping me, giving me a challenge to shake me out my funk.
My first swims were much better than I anticipated. I am only about 10 seconds per 100 slower than I used to be. I am able to run 8:00/miles pretty consistently and have already run over 10 miles. My cycling is by far my strongest sport, but I haven’t been on a tri bike in about three years. I also didn’t have a tri bike anymore. Joe was about 6’1” and had bought a custom Alchemy Boreas from his friend Ryan at Kompetitive Edge. Joe had always supported Ryan as he built up his business, so it’s more than just a bike, it’s another symbol of his loyalty and friendship to those who knew him. The bike is a size too big for me, but I’ve swapped the stem, slammed the seat forward and have been able to make the bike work. It also has Joe’s name on it, so that makes it even more special. I am taking things slowly and simply working on building my duration with very little to no intensity. Again, this race is not about finishing in a time, it’s about finishing.
My motivation still comes and goes. I often whisper, “Thanks a lot Joe,” as I head out the door. It’s a bit of humor that I think Joe would appreciate as his level of snarkiness was the highest of anyone I know. And that’s how it is with friends. Of course I think about him while I train. I miss him a lot and sometimes the training just reminds me of the losses I’ve suffered in the past few years. It hurts, but there’s no use hiding from the pain. It will always be a part of my life and I need to find my way to move forward as best as I can. And that’s what I’m going to do because that’s what Joe would have done.
I miss Joe every day. I think about what he will miss, and how those in his life will miss his presence. It's not often that you get to have people like him in your life. He was a role model for a lot of people, even though he didn't always want to be. He wasn't shy about telling his IRONMAN story, but he didn't shout about it either. As he got older, he got more comfortable talking about his journey. He was even featured in the athlete welcome video at IRONMAN Boulder and IRONMAN Wisconsin. He did what he said he would and was always looking for ways to help others. He didn't do IRONMAN to prove anyone wrong or to make a point, he did it simply because he loved it. That is what I most admired about him, he was always his own person.
So I'm going to give it my best and do everything I can to make my effort worthy of Joe. It won't always be pretty, and I hope that by sharing my journey someone else may be inspired, or maybe even learn a few things from what I'm doing. If you want to follow this crazy journey, follow me on Instagram at @ajoutside, I'll also be using the hashtag #thisisforjoe. You can follow my workouts on Strava too. I’ll also be writing a few follow-up posts to keep those interested up to date.
Monica Stratton has a diverse athletic background, but triathlon has become her passion. She balances her time between a physically demanding job, caring for her father, and finding the time to train. The Sacramento native now calls San Diego home and is coached by D3 Coach Julie Dunkle. Monica is mostly focused on long course racing and has already competed in several 70.3 races this year and has Ironman Canada still to come.
We asked Monica a few questions to learn more about her background, how she manages her time, and what drives her to compete.
D3: Can you give us a brief history of your sporting background and how you got started in the sport?
Monica: My background in sports could not be more different than triathlon. I started playing golf at a young age and started to play competitively at age 11. I played through High School and earned a college scholarship were our team was number two in the nation and I was an All American. I have been very fortunate I had the opportunity to play all over the country and four trips to Japan. After college, I played three years professionally and soon found out that it was not for me and decided to become a PGA Professional and work at a golf course. Golf was my main sport through high school and college, but I did get very involved in Martial Arts at age 15. Martial Arts was a great addition to playing golf in my athletic development. I stopped training after college. I earned a third degree Black Belt in Kenpo and first degree in Tae Kwon Do.
I stumbled into triathlon. In 2011, I started running with a friend that wanted to run a half marathon. We were not very fast, but we did run several races in a year. My training partner started not to be able to run because of her back so we switched to biking. I hated biking it hurt my butt and my back, it was really hard for me. Then my training partner could not bike anymore, so I was trying to decide what I should do next. I saw the Ironman World Championships on T.V. and did not know anyone who raced triathlons. I went to our local YMCA to see if I could swim as I had taken a few classes in college. I went to a Master’s swim and the rest is history. I participated in my first triathlon in June 2012 at the San Diego International Triathlon and did an Olympic distance race a few months later. I found my people and have never looked back. Triathletes are so different than what I know, and I love it.
D3: What drives you to compete and continue to improve yourself in the sport?
Monica: Coming from a golf background I never thought of myself as an athlete and competing in triathlon makes me feel athletic. I want to see how good I can be so I keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone
D3: Julie mentioned that you are a golf pro and on your feet 8 to 9 hours a day and take care of your father. How do you manage the physical nature of your job and how do you manage the day in order to get quality workouts in?
Monica: My schedule is crazy, it makes me tired just thinking about it. I am very fortunate that I am able to have two days off from work not back to back. I currently have Thursdays and Saturdays off which gives me two long training days with a rest day in between. The average day: the alarm goes off at 4:37, and I start training at 5 am to 7:30 or a bit later depending on what I am doing. I teach golf lessons from 8 am to 10 am, then I start work as the Head Professional at a very busy driving range. I stand all day which makes my legs really tired so after work, training is not an option. The hardest part of my job is that I am with customers all day which makes it extremely difficult to eat. I am constantly drinking protein smoothies or any quick snacks. Julie has a great understanding of the physical strain on my body and she limits my workouts such as easy spins or easy runs knowing that I am walking around all day. My dad is turning 85 this year and I am very happy that we are close. I try to spend my days off after training with him and helping him as I can.
D3: What has been your biggest challenge that you have overcome or greatest goal you have achieved?
Monica: I am a work in progress.
D3: Julie also pointed out that you are an excellent teammate who always encourages others. What is it about being on Team D3 that you like the most?
Monica: Julie has done a phenomenal job bringing us all together for workouts. On a weekly basis, we run hill repeats and Julie coaches masters once a week that we all try to attend. We truly all care about each other and it really starts with our leader.
D3: How has your season progressed this year and what do you still have on the race calendar that you are working towards?
Monica: I am really happy with how my season is progressing. I started with 70.3 Oceanside, St George, Coeur D’ Alene then Ironman Canada. Every race I am learning more and more about myself and racing. I am extremely excited about Ironman Canada the bike course is exactly what I love, lots of climbing. The course is so different than most IRONMAN courses with how hilly it is. I don't have a time in my head, but if I stick to the plan that Julie and I have, I'll have a good day.
D3: What is the most important or surprising thing you've learned so far?
Monica: I am learning that it takes a great deal of focus to race. You have to stay in the moment and not get too far ahead of yourself.
D3: Last, what is your favorite/toughest workout that Coach Julie gives you?
Monica: There are so many workouts it is hard to pick one. My favorite workout challenge is when she does the 100/100 swim. The toughest workout by far is when we did the IM race simulation. The 9:30 workout definitely took it out of me. I was so happy that I had Julie and other D3 athletes to suffer with me.
So You Wanna Be An Ironman … (OR: Five Things to Consider Before Jumping Up to A New Race Distance) It’s that time of year: your friends‘ Strava feeds are exploding, social media is clogged with finisher photos and race recaps, your FOMO antenna is quivering, and you’re left wondering … should I throw my hat in the ring? If you’re considering making the jump from sprints and Olympics to a 70.3, or from 70.3’s to the Ironman distance, here are five things you should consider:
Before hitting up a new distance, make sure you’re solid at your current race distance. Sure, there are triathletes who jump into a 70.3 or Ironman-distance race their first season. Would I recommend it? Not really. I believe that endurance is built over years, not months, and therefore your best chance for success at a new race distance comes from one or two years of racing one tier below that. For 70.3’s, I recommend two years of Sprint and Olympic-distance racing before making the jump. For Ironman distance, I recommend completing several 70.3’s before moving up to 140.6. You also want to make sure you have at least one Olympic (prior to 70.3’s) or 70.3 (prior to 140.6's) that you would call successful, as in: you executed your day more or less as you’d planned.
If you’re going to train for a race that’s twice as long as your last one, it’s obviously going to involve some additional training hours. Here’s what you can expect along that front. Going from Olympic distance training to 70.3 training can present a noticeable change in training volume. If you’re accustomed to the two swims, two bikes, and two runs per week training approach, settling into a three swims, three bikes, and three runs per week schedule can take some time. You should anticipate doubling up on workouts most weekdays, plus completing weekend rides that build to 3 to 4 hours and weekend runs that build to two hours or longer. Ironman distance training both is and isn’t much different from 70.3 training. The three swims, three bikes, and three runs schedule still applies, and your mid-week training volume doesn’t increase by all that much.
Clearly, though, the long swims, bikes, and runs get a lot longer. You should anticipate swims building to at least 4000 meters/yards, bikes building to 5 to 7 hours, and runs building to the 2.5 to 3 hour range. (And while you’re budgeting time for training, be sure to factor in extra naps and early bedtimes. Your first year training for a new distance can be exhausting!)
Grab a Gatorade or some gel blocks and you’re good for a sprint-distance race. A full day of swim-bike-run, however, requires that you put a lot more thought into fueling. Along with training for swim-bike-run, you need to include developing, testing, and tweaking your race day fueling plan in your training. You’ll want to get a good understanding of your caloric, hydration, and sodium requirements, find products that meet those requirements, and test them on long training days - starting months before the actual race. Oh - pro tip - all those gel blocks and endurance drinks and peanut butter filled granola bars don’t grow on trees. If you’re the budgeting type, you’ll want to factor those into the overall equation.
Speaking of budgeting, your grocery bill is definitely going to go up as your training volume increases. Morning pre-workout fueling, post-workout recovery fueling, healthy afternoon snacks, and healthy dinners that can fuel tomorrow’s long workouts are all a part of long-course triathlon training. On top of the number of meals, the amount you consume at any given meal is likely to go up as well. Given that, you’ll need to start stocking the kitchen a little more robustly than you might have previously. As you hit weeks with considerable training volume, you’re going to be hungry - all the time. You want to ensure that you’ve got healthy options within arm’s reach so that you don’t default to quick and easy solutions (but sub-optimal fueling choices) like potato chips and fast food.
Most importantly, you need to have a good understanding of why you’ve chosen to undertake this massive, fabulous goal. Everyone’s reason is different, and no one needs to understand yours except for you, but you HAVE to know what it is. If you didn’t figure it out from the discussion of training hours, long-course triathlon training requires a lot of time, energy, and focus (and napping). Finding the space for that within a life that is already filled with work, family, friends, and other hobbies can be challenging. Even after you figure out that balance, you are always going to hit a point (or several points) in training where you feel like you’ve been training forever, you’re staring down the face of a long workout, and you just lack the motivation to hit the pool, road, or trail. Reminding yourself of your “why” and the realities of race day might be the only way to convince yourself to get out the door.
And then there’s race day. No matter how well prepared you are, no matter how well you execute your day, at some point (or several points) during the race you’re going to hit a low, and wonder what on earth you were thinking signing up for this darn event. This is where your “why” is of critical importance. There WAS a reason why you signed up, and if you believe that reason deep in your bones it will propel you toward the glory of that magical finish line. And believe me: that finish line is, in fact, glorious and magical, and you really, really want to experience it.
My wife told me that she'd gone to see a doctor because she gets a sharp pain in her eye whenever she drinks coffee with cream. I asked, "What did the doctor say?" She replied that the doctor told her to take to spoon out of the mug... da-da ching! How does this fantastic comedy snippet relate to training for triathlons? Unfortunately too many athletes ignore the obvious signs of pain.
I can't tell you how many times I've had a conversation with an athlete that goes something like this:
Athlete: Hey coach, I'm getting this unbearable pain in my foot/knee/kidney/thumbnail/brain every time I run longer than 300 yards.
Me: How long has this been going on?
Athlete: A couple of months.
Me: Months? What did the doctor say?
Athlete: I haven't seen a doctor yet...
Your coach should have deep knowledge and years of experience working with athletes and may have seen in the past something that's almost exactly like what you're experiencing. But (with some exceptions), your coach is not a doctor. We know you want us to say, "That's nothing. Just rub some dirt on it and get back out there" but that's not generally what you'll hear.
Triathlon training isn't unsafe or bad for you but it does tax your body. Injuries and "niggles" happen. As athletes, we can generally tell the difference between fatigue or a minor issue as a result of overdoing things and an injury that hangs on for days or weeks or more.
When you have an issue, don't wait weeks or months playing through the pain to figure out what's going on. I know that healthcare can be expensive and taking time to make an appointment and be seen by a doctor or PT is a hassle. And often times, it's nothing major so then you feel as if you should have waited it out rather than wasting your time and money. Maybe it's something that happens as you get older, but when the doctor tells me I'm healthy, I've never felt that I've wasted my time and money. Pay attention to the little problems before they become bigger ones. And don't be afraid to take rest days- even unscheduled ones!
When injuries occur, even small ones, check in with your coach right away (and log the issue in TrainingPeaks--there's a "Metrics" entry that's perfect for these notes). But often, getting to see someone who can assess and treat you (if needed) early is going to be the most valuable thing you can do with your time and money.
Dave Sheanin has coached athletes of all levels and types, including the University of Colorado Triathlon Team to six National Championships. Coach Sheanin is certified by USA Triathlon, USA Swimming, and TrainingPeaks. He also races with Athletes in Tandem, helping disabled adults compete in endurance sports.
Learning to control your breath during a race is critical to your performance as well as your overall enjoyment. Coach Alison has a tip for each the swim and run to help you bring your breath under control which will ultimately help you have a better race day.
This month's featured athlete of the month Nic Cumings is like many triathletes- balancing work and family with the demands of training for triathlons when he can. The former Marine is married with three kids and has the physically and mentally demanding job of being a firefighter in Denver. He exemplifies the type of commitment and attitude that D3 Multisport is all about. He's pushed himself to achieve his best while still staying focused on what's most important to him.
Cumings started in the sport at the early age of 12 doing a sprint triathlon. However, he raced very little over the years, accumulating about 25 races under his belt so far. He started IRONMAN racing in 2014 at IRONMAN Boulder and has raced there every year since. He is drawn to the sport by the desire to continue pushing his limits, something that reminds him of his days in the Marine Corps.
Like many triathletes, he faces a balancing act to fit in his training on a daily basis. To fit in the training around his complex schedule takes a high level of planning, flexibility, and support from the family. "It takes lots of scheduling and getting creative with squeezing in workouts," says Cumings. "I’ll run or bike to our destination like appointments, gymnastics meets, soccer etc. Numerous times my wife Sandi brings a gallon of water and a change of clothes for a roadside shower before the event." Despite the juggling act, Cumings fits in 10 to 14 hours a week of training. In previous years he used training plans to guide his training, but this year he started working with Coach Jim Hallberg and his training has been more focused than ever. "I’ve put in less time training this year than ever before but it’s smarter training and I’m more rested," he says.
While you might assume that the stress of training could negatively effect his ability to perform on the job, Cumings sees it the other way. "Honestly, I never have been concerned about being too tired to perform at my job," he says. "If anything, it’s made me a better firefighter. I’ve been on fires at wee hours of the night for hours and kept myself going with proper nutrition so if anything I’m better because of triathlon." He even brings extra food for the rest of the crew because he knows they will eventually ask what he has.This year at IRONMAN Boulder Cumings thought he had a shot at qualifying for Kona and was ready to put it all on the line. But a course mishap saw those hopes dashed. At the 50 mile point on the bike he was fifth in the age group and in the hunt for a Kona spot. Unfortunately he was directed off course on the bike. He realized the error and got back on course, albeit well back and with his Kona chances far up the road.
While some athletes might throw in the towel, that's not what Cumings is about. "I may have said a few choice words at myself because ultimately it was my fault," he recalls. "The thought to not finish never crossed my mind. I was more concerned with being DQ’d." So he continued on and even stopped to help a fellow athlete change a tire and another put a chain back on. He also ran out of race nutrition and was cramping badly. In total, he rode 130 miles. Off the bike, he walk/jogged his was to the finish line, finishing in 11:52. He was well off his goal time, but he had a bigger goal in mind after his mishap. "I was also trying to teach my son and two girls that if you start something you finish if you're able," he said. As for Kona, Cummings isn't going to stress about what happened in Boulder and doesn't plan on chasing a spot, but he's not letting it go either. He's taking a sort of wait and see what happens approach. "I don’t want to chase a qualifying spot but I may race again this year just so this season ends on a better note," he says. He's considering IRONMAN Florida but has not put any pressure on himself. "If it happens than great, I’d rather execute a great race and know I brought my A game."
So while IRONMAN Boulder ultimately did not end as he hoped, his attitude and mental toughness made sure that something good came from all of his effort. It's that type of determination that inspires others, including his coach. "I have the utmost respect for Nic because of his mental and physical strength even at the worst of times," says Coach Jim.
No matter where he's racing or what's going on, you can be sure the Nic Cumings will be giving the race everything he has because it's who he is and how he competes.
Throughout the history of triathlon we have seen many advances in various aspects of our sport – equipment, apparel, nutrition, training protocols, racing formats, etc. With the onset of heart rate monitors, GPS devices, power meters (for both bike and run) and other fun gadgets there is one mode of monitoring and measuring metric which has remained constant– the tried and true rate of perceived exertion (RPE). While there are obvious benefits to using various technologically advanced tools and making the training process three or four dimensional, it seems too many athletes struggle to develop their internal gauges which can ultimately stunt their athletic growth.
As a coach, I am a big proponent of using technology and the data it generates to guide an athlete’s training progression and applying that information to their racing when paired with RPE. I often ask my athletes to paint a picture for me of how their body is responding to the training demands using RPE and other internal cues including the following:
What should a Vo2 swim or threshold bike interval feel like? It can be all too easy to simply peg a number on our watches or bike computers without developing any sense of what it feels like.
We can get so attached to our devices that it becomes a distraction. Instead of focusing on the process we get fixated on chasing a number. To maximize our athletic potential and make the most of our triathlon journey I believe we should embrace the idea of developing our internal clock. There are many ways to do this. One of my favorites is having athletes complete a session without using any kind of device or covering up their power meter or bike computer. I find this especially good for the active recovery sessions and periodic quality sessions.
A couple of comments I recently received in TrainingPeaks include:
I am confident you will find a sense of freedom when periodically rolling out without any kind of device. Additionally, it is not uncommon for technology to fail during a race. How would you be able to respond to a situation where your HR monitor, bike computer or power meter suddenly stopped working during a race? Hopefully you have the athletic confidence and ability to not panic while using your internal gauge and RPE to guide you.
Brad Seng is a USA Triathlon and USA Triathlon Youth and Junior Certified Coach, and also the current coach of the CU Buffaloes Triathlon Team. For over a decade he has worked with athletes of all levels and abilities to help them achieve their dream. He also has a long list of personal accomplishments in the sport, including racing Kona four times as a professional and having several top 10 finishes at IRONMAN events.
