D3: Where did you grow up?

John: I'd like to think that I haven't grown up yet. However, as a military brat, I moved around a bunch when I was young born in Delaware, lived in Arizona, Florida, New York, and Texas, before moving to Italy and then Belgium for 8th grade through high school graduation. I moved back to Texas for undergraduate, then Chicago for graduate school and finally Denver in 1988.

D3: Can you tell us a little bit about your sports background? Which sports did you do as a kid and as you got older? 

John: I swam competitively for about ten years and was a decent Texas age grouper and European high school swimmer. I also played high school baseball and gave football a try my senior year. I turned to golf, skiing and a bit of weight training after high school. Aerobic exercise was generally an afterthought. I'd do the occasional 10K if challenged by friends.

D3: What was your motivation to get started in triathlon?

John: I was drawn to triathlon mostly through Kirk MacDonald's passion for the sport. Kirk and I worked out at the same club. I did mostly strength workouts while he showed a great balance of strength and aerobic exercise. Kirk achieved an amazing physical transformation and had an infectious enthusiasm for triathlon. Kirk knew of my swimming background and encouraged me to do the Steamboat triathlon with him. We did it, had a ton of fun, and the hook was set.

D3: What is your current job and what do you do? 

John: I am partner and founding member of Legend Retail Group. We are a commercial real estate company specializing in retail brokerage and development.

D3: Are you married and do you have any children? If so, how do you keep things balanced? 

John: I'm married (25 years last month) with three children (ages 20, 17, and 15). Balance has been achieved through less sleep, a super organized wife, and an understanding family. We also have a mutual appreciation and acceptance that each family member has activities that are uniquely important to them.

D3: You recently raced in your first Ironman. How did the day go for you?

John: It was tremendous. Great pre-race camaraderie with Kirk MacDonald, Tom Gart, and Johannas Faessler followed by the unbelievable energy of the mass swim start, then a day of individual focus and effort. The swim was a piece of cake in the beautifully clear and temperate Lake Zurich. The bike was technical and challenging but picturesque like something out of a tourism brochure. The European cyclists were intimidating but I stuck to the plan Ricci and I developed and felt pretty good heading into the bike/run transition. The run was the great unknown. I'd never attempted a full marathon much less one after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 miles. The actual run was pretty comfortable except for my "dark zone" which occurred between miles 17 through 20. When I crossed the finish line under twelve hours, I felt good about my result and knew that my preparation had served me well. While I wasn't ready to immediately go out and do another IM, I didn't feel like I was hit by a truck, and I could enjoy the post race libation.

D3: What was the most important workout you did during your IM prep?

John: Without a doubt the most important workout(s) were a series of four swim (one hour), bike (six to seven hours), and run (one to two hours) days that Mike set up for me on consecutive weekends starting about two months before my IM event. I did most of these up in Steamboat Springs and got an altitude benefit as well.

D3: If you could spend day training with anyone, who would it be? 

John: Anybody who likes to challenge themselves and keeps a positive attitude and outlook. No whining.

D3: What's your favorite workout?

John: Long easy run when it's in Steamboat Springs and I have good music. I look forward to Mike's "enjoy the scenery" comment.

D3: What your least favorite workout? 

John: Swimming T-pace test day actually for that matter, any discipline where the workout has the word "test" in it.

D3: Have you considered the 2011 season yet and maybe another IM?

John: I'm close to finalizing the 2011 schedule. I look to do three 70.3s and marathon. I'm planning on another IM in 2012.

D3: Tell us something interesting about you! 

John: I've danced with Janet Reno.

How did you get into triathlons?

As part of a fitness program to lose weight.

How long have you been involved in the sport?

Took up triathlon in July 2004 and just completed fourth full year of age group races.

How has having a D3 coach help you with your goals?

Tailoring training to my family and work schedule, setting realistic goals (i.e. measuring success against my own PRs/potential and not be unrealistic/frustrated about what I am not able to achieve), preventing overtraining/injuries and building training schedules from her base of understanding of being a top long distance AG athlete herself.

Which is your favorite of the three sports?

Enjoy all three but miss running the most when not able to run due to schedule, rest days or nagging injuries that force layoffs.

If you could spend a day training with anyone, who would it be?

Reinhold Humboldt, two time Kona AG champion in 55-59 and 60-64 age groups.

What is your favorite race and why?

Ironman Germany (so far). Energy derived from popularity of sport in Europe, huge crowds (500,000 this year) that push your pace and fast, technical bike course.

Person you would most like to meet and why?

Reinhold Humboldt. I would ask him how he mentally sustains 15-20 hour training week with a heavy professional workload and secrets of his success in competing well into middle age (which, at 53, I would like to do as well) at the highest level.

Favorite junk food?

I guess fried egg sandwiches with mayo would qualify along with fat free chocolate pudding combined with big scoops of peanut butter.

Book?

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Recently released. Beautifully written about why the Taramuharan indians are the best endurance runners in the world with added benefit of psychology of how to sustain long distance events.

Advice you would give a newbie?

Understanding that it will take several years to maximize your potential in triathlon by building a big endurance base and learning the technical/psychologically aspect of races. Respect the sport and its history. Read www.dailytriathlon.com to get a sense of what is happening in the sport daily, pick up training/racing insights/inspiration and be part of a triathlon social network of more than 2000 athletes.

This month's Athlete of the Month (Presented by Mix 1) is Chris Masilon. Chris has been a D3 athlete for about a year and just recently qualified for the USA Triathlon World Long Course Championships. He's got an interesting career, good training partners, and a passion for triathlon. I know you’ll enjoy his interview.

D3: Can you tell us a little bit about your sports background? Which sports did you do as a kid and as you got older?

CM: I grew up playing team sports like most kids. I played baseball for 7 years, soccer for 10 years and basketball for 2 years. I also raced BMX when I was in grade school. In high school I played football, basketball and track & field. I played a year of football and track & field in college. When I was 21 I was introduced to mountain biking by a friend. I didn't stop mountain biking until I was 32. I raced up to the expert division. I even raced single speed for 2 seasons! During that time I also taught spin classes for 6 years. In my mid 30's I did some adventure racing, some as long as 3 straight day and nights.

D3: What was your motivation to get started in triathlon?

CM: I had been racing mountain bikes for about seven or eight years and was massively burnt out. I had always wanted to try triathlon; however I was terrified of the swim. Someone at work encouraged me to try one and gave me some swim lessons and let me borrow a wetsuit. That was in 2002. I did a few races in 2003 and 2004. I was still massively burnt out and stopped doing any endurance racing and training for about 5 years. In 2009 a friend of mine encouraged me to try triathlon again. I did a race and although it was a near death experience, I was HOOKED!!

D3: When and where was your first race?

CM: My first race was the Catalina Island Triathlon which is located on Catalina Island which is an hour boat ride of the coast of Orange County CA. That was in 2003.

D3: Favorite Distance?

CM: HIM

D3: Anything you want to say about any current or past training partners (good or bad)?

CM: Mundy and Browne s&*k ^$lls. Hahaha j/k. Honestly, one of the best things about this sport is sharing it with my friends who are my training partners. We talk A LOT of crap, but it's all in good fun and at the end of the day we all want to see each other succeed and get better.

D3: You have a very interesting job what is it? 

CM: I'm a homicide detective.

D3: What services have you used at D3 to help you with reaching your goals?

CM: One on one coaching, pre-made training plans and currently the 12 week custom planning with consultation.

D3; Have you done any races that you'd traveled for?

CM: Yes. Wildflower and the Myrtle Beach triathlon.

D3: Best Triathlon moment?

CM: Finishing my races with my 5 year old son!!! Haven't beat him yet!

D3: What is your favorite race and why? 

CM: Wildflower because of the festival environment, camping with my family and the challenges that the course presents.

D3: What are your long term goals in triathlon? 

To continue improving, having fun and being a good active role model for my son.

D3: If you could spend one day training with anyone, who would it be?

CM: My son. You should see him on the mountain bike tag-a-long!!!!!!

D3: What's in your race future?

CM: Oceanside 70.3, Leadman 250 (Ricci talked me into it and I'm not too happy about it), ITU Long Course World Championships in SPAIN!!!!!

D3: What's your favorite workout? 

CM: Long hard bike rides.

D3: What your least favorite workout:

CM: Anything with the word "run" in it! Haha!

D3: Tell us something interesting about you!

CM: I once at a dozen crispy cream donuts all by myself.

D3: What is your athletic background?

Adam: I played all the main sports growing up but Hockey and basketball were my two main sports. I started running my freshman year of college, but not competitively or anything. I did a few running races that summer and continued to run more but I was not fast at all.

D3: How did you get started with the C.U. Tri Team?

Adam: My junior year, I had a friend try out a practice and I decided to go with her to the next one. She quit and I kept up with it. I was the person at the swim in board shorts and no goggles doing the doggy paddle for the first week, pretty embarrassing.

D3: What are you currently studying?

Adam: Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology, I am graduating this semester and I start med school at Emory School of Medicine in the fall.

D3: How do you juggle training with studying and a social life?

Adam: You have to make priorities, like this semester I didn’t take very many classes so I could train a lot. Last spring though when I was studying for the MCAT, the studying took precedent. At the same time, working out is a big part of my life to keep me sane so even if I am really busy I will get in workouts.

D3: Do you miss out on some of the late night college fun due to fatigue or having an early morning workout?

Adam: Yes and no, I am really bad about rallying myself to go out if I have had workouts that day. At the same time, I usually have so much fun at practices that a lot of times I feel as though I do not need to go out. The tri team has a lot of fun though, we usually plan our events on days that we get to sleep in a little or that are longer runs in the morning because those are easier to not be feeling great for opposed to a track workout.

D3: The C.U. Team has so many great athletes, what is the chemistry like?

Adam: Everyone is competitive but at the same time very supportive of each other. Within our team everyone has different strengths and weaknesses which allows us to complement the strengths and help the weaknesses. Its really cool when the great swimmers will stay after practice and help out the slow swimmers like me with swimming form. As a team, we cannot get enough of each other,we always go to breakfast or lunch after weekend practices and every monday after swim we study together at the library.

D3: The team recently won another National title, how does that feel?

Adam: Greatest feeling ever! It capped off a fantastic season in terms of training and emphasized how much of a family the team had become.

D3: You were just named the C.U. Club Male Athlete of the Year, was that a surprise to you?

Adam: I had no idea I was getting the award. I knew I had to go to the banquet but I thought that I was being forced to go because I was an officer on the team. When I saw my parents there I was surprised and figured that something was up but I didn’t fathom that I had won athlete of the year award.

I see the award as a testament to our team and how exceptional everyone is because triathlon is inherently an individual sport and it is truly amazing that we came together as a close knit team in the way that we did. I think that allowed me to stand out among all of the individuals from the other teams.

D3: How has Coach Mike influenced you as an athlete?

Adam: Mike brought the lifestyle of triathlon to me. In my past sports, coaches have always focused on the moment and when you are at practice you are focused on that sport but after practice, you are done. Mike stresses nutrition, sleep, rest, academics and fun; all of which can contribute to performance.

D3: Last, which of Coach Mike’s many hard workouts is the toughest?

Adam: It was easily the 8×100 test set followed by another 8×100 test set. We thought we only had to do one set so when coach said we are doing it again, we just figured that he was saying that we would do it again before nationals. NO, he gave us 3mins rest before we had to go into another test set. The second hardest workout was a double brick on a day that was so windy that it was almost scary to ride. Mentally it was the toughest for me because I had just gotten back from Japan and I was still recovering from jet leg and the altitude. My legs felt like bricks on the run and I couldn’t make any power on the bike.

D3: Can you tell us a little bit about your sports background? Which sports did you do as a kid and as you got older?

SB: I played youth soccer and little league baseball growing up, but by the time I got to junior high, I was all about running. I ran cross country in junior high and continued with track and cross country in high school. I also increased my skiing quite a bit when I moved to Colorado for school.

D3: What is your current job and what do you do?

SB: Officially, I am the Campaign Finance Manager for the Colorado Secretary of State. Right now, it pays the bills, but it is only temporary. Ultimately, I am hoping to continue developing and expanding on some post-expedition projects and create an international, education-based non-profit that will keep me out of the office and exploring the world permanently.

D3: When and where was your first race?

SB: My first non-school related race was the Bay to Breakers way back in 1993. It's a great race; it's like the Bolder Boulder on crack.

D3: You and a friend spent 2 and 1/2 years traveling around the world by car a few years back and were up for Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic Adventure Magazine. While it must have been amazing, what did you do to stay in shape?

SB: We were always doing something active on the expedition. Whether it was surfing in Australia, climbing one of the most active volcanoes in the world in Indonesia in the dark to try and catch a summit sunrise, mountain biking the infamous "Death Road" in Bolivia, or rock climbing pretty much everywhere we got the chance, we were active. You also end up walking quite a bit. With big trucks, you usually end up parking them in a secure location and then walking everywhere—walking to find a place to stay, walking to get food. I probably walked an average of 5 miles a day exploring places we were in. At least that is what it felt like.

D3: You recently raced a 50k trail run, what got you into the ultrarunning scene and how do you balance the needs of ultrarunning with triathlon?

SB: I love triathlons, but I am a runner at heart, and I never delved into the long distances until I heard about an Ultramarathon in South Africa called the Comrades. It is an 87-kilometer race outside Durban, and in 2008 nearly 13,000 people started with just over 10,000 finishing it. It sounded amazing, and I knew I wanted to come back and do it someday. When I came back to the states, I started running and running and running. The hardest part of ultrarunning is balancing the need to get training time in without overdoing it and getting hurt. Therefore, Curt has me continuing to train frequently on the bike and in the pool to give my legs a break every now and then and to aid in recovery from long weekend runs.

D3: What is your favorite race and why?

SB: The Bolder Boulder is always a great time. I can go and push myself hard but show up with a group of friends who are just jogging, and we can meet at the end and celebrate. For triathlons, hands down Roth is the best. It's a great race, and a great atmosphere. The people are amazing, the course is fast, and the competition will humble you. I got passed by a guy on a bike that must have weighed 30 pounds and outsprinted by another guy who I later saw smoking cigarettes and drinking beer post-race.

D3: What are your long-term goals for endurance races?

SB: To test my own limits. Triathlon is a mental and physical sport, and ultrarunning is no different, maybe even more so from a mental standpoint because you start to get into variables such as extreme exhaustion in 24+ hour races. I would like to see just how far I can push myself. I guess that is one of my personality traits—if someone tells me they think what I am doing is crazy or can't be done, it just pushes me to want to do it even more. A lot of people thought driving around the world was crazy or that we would fail, but we proved them wrong. A lot of people can't fathom running an ultramarathon and think I am insane, but just as soon as I finish one, I can't wait to attempt another.

D3: If you could spend a day training with anyone, who would it be?

SB: I would like to go see if I can hang on a run with the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico.

D3: What's on your schedule for the rest of 2010?

SB: Leadville Marathon, Vail Half Marathon, Leadville Trail 100, and possibly Harvest Moon Triathlon or Boulder Backroads Marathon.

D3: What's your favorite workout?

SB: Hill repeats. Nothing makes your legs and lungs burn like repetitive 3-minute sprints up a steep hill, and the fitness boost is amazing.

D3: What's your least favorite workout?

SB: Anything on the track. There is something about running around in circles that I never liked. You spend hours running but never go anywhere. I'd rather be out on the trail enjoying the scenery.

Big thanks to Steve for answering our questions.

‍

D3: Tell us a little about your sports background as a kid and adult.

MK: As a child I played soccer and baseball. I was one of just a few girls that played in the two leagues. In high school I ran cross-country and track. I also swam a few summers on a summer swim team, just to keep in shape for cross-country. In college I rode in the Little 500 bike race at Indiana University. I got back into running after my daughter was born and then tried my hand at triathlons a few years after my second child was born.

D3: Tell us a little about your family and if they enjoy being active like you? Do you do any of these things together?

MK: I am married and have two children. My daughter heads off to college this year and my son is 11 years old. My son and I have run a couple of 5K’s together. In college I met my husband at the local bike shop, he was a manager there at the time. We do ride together sometimes and occasionally he convinces me to mountain bike.

D3: What is your favorite race distance and your favorite race moment with your family being there to cheer you on?

MK: This is a tough question. I know it is NOT Olympic Distance, the 10K kills me. I really enjoy sprints because I tend to place better at them than I do longer distance races but I have really loved the two Ironman races I have done.

Both Ironman races my family followed me around throughout the day and to see them every hour or so on the bike always raised my spirit. Because of how Louisville is laid out, it was possible for them to ride their bikes through much of the run course and so the emotional support they gave me during the event was incredible. But to see their smiling faces at the finish is definitely the best!

D3: How did you get involved in triathlon and how long have you been involved in the sport?

MK: A friend of mine convinced me to try a local sprint triathlon before getting into a fall marathon training program, he said it would be good training. That was in 2003. As soon as I finished the race (I did better than I thought I would) I was in love with triathlons and was committed to doing more the following year. I have done races every year since then, except last year when I wasn’t able to race due to injury and then a trip out of the country.

D3: What are your other hobbies?

MK: I tend to keep busy with my children’s activities. I try to help out at their school with volunteer work. I volunteer with my church’s assistance program, helping local residents with their bills. Reading, when not falling asleep because I had to be up at 4:45 to train. But mostly just being with my family.

D3: What are your racing plans for the rest of this year?

MK: I’m going to focus on sprints this year. I wasn’t able to race last year and so I have been looking forward to just getting back to racing this year. I do have a 15K race planned in early September and then my step out of my comfort zone race – the Iceman MTB race in northern Michigan in early November.

D3: What is your job and what do you do?

MK: I work full-time for Indiana University South Bend in the library. I also, on the side, teach group fitness classes – usually 3-5 per week, though currently I’m taking a short hiatus.

D3: We understand you do a lot of volunteering for the triathlon community. Tell us your thoughts on the importance of athletes volunteering their time and giving back to their sport and community?

MK: I do volunteer at local races. I am on the committee to organize the local Komen Race for the Cure. I have also volunteered to head up race day registration for two local triathlons. Last year I had the opportunity to volunteer at a local children’s triathlon – that was great fun! I also help out at some local running races. My children sometimes volunteer with me, as well. For the last few years I have been the president of our local tri club – Triple Threat.

I think it is very important to volunteer at races. I love to work the registration because we get many questions from new triathletes and I enjoy speaking with them and helping to ease their concerns. In several of the races I assist at, I know the race director. I think because of our experience in triathlons, we can offer insight to the race director that a non-triathlete would not be able too. It helps with the development of their race. I believe it is important to be on the other side of the event as well, just to provide the opportunity for others to race.

D3: If you could do any triathlon race, what one would you do and why?

MK: Kona would be the obvious, because I think it would be incredible to be on the course with all those exceptional athletes. But I would want to do a race where I would get to enjoy the beauty of the landscape and there it is hard to pick. I think Lake Placid would be great, but I know there are many beautiful courses, so that is a tough call. But it would definitely be an IM race.

D3 caught up with Richard Peck, our Athlete of the Month for January 2012.

D3: Can you tell us a little bit about your sports background? Which sports did you do as a kid and as you got older?

RP: Typical played basketball in high school and college.

D3: What was your motivation to get started in triathlon?

RP:: Trying to fend off father time I started triathlon training after several years of running marathons. Loved the introduction of the swim and bike in addition to the run. I feel more balanced. Motivation was to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

D3: When and where was your first race?

RP: My first race was the Escape from Alcatraz in 2006. What a great introduction! Interesting story after hearing all the stories of swimming from Alcatraz (the shark folklore) my wife took me on a tour the San Francisco aquarium the day before with their exhibit of the marine life of the San Francisco bay. Really wasn't interested in seeing all of the marine life that I would be swimming with in my first triathlon the following day kind of intimidating. Certainly not a recommended experience to calm pre-race nerves! A great race nonetheless!

D3: You just started a new business what is it?

RP: We just started a mobile bicycle mechanic support and service business The Bike Rover (www.thebikerover.com). Aside from the amount of work associated with opening your own business it has been very exciting and rewarding. We are in the business of selling enjoyment. We are specializing in mechanic support as well as Support and Gear (SAG) services designed to enhance the safety, convenience and enjoyment of your passion for cycling. Our goal and philosophy is summarized in our slogan Don't Worry Bike Happy

D3: What did you do before this new business venture?

RP: After serving in the United States Navy, I have been working in the defense contracting business for over 20 years.

D3: What services have you used at D3 to help you with reaching your goals?

RP: I first started with D3 by purchasing off the shelf training plans for triathlons of various distances. Last year I made the decision to work with a coach in a more interactive way it really paid off and I believe that I progressed more rapidly toward my goals (thanks Coach Ivy!).

D3: Have you done any races that you'd traveled for?

RP: My wife and I have been fortunate to travel to races in many locations throughout the years. This is what excites me about triathlon it provides a unique perspective to see a new location. In my opinion there is no better way to take in a new place than to swim, bike and run throughout the location. For example, when I raced the Escape from Alcatraz, I took the opportunity to pause midway through the swim and look at the skyline of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge while swimming in the waters of San Francisco Bay it isn't every day you get that opportunity!

D3: Best Triathlon moment?

RP: Reaching the goals we set. For example, winning my age group at the Skipjack triathlon in Cambridge, MD last year.

D3: What is your favorite race and why?

RP: They are all great however, Ironman Lake Placid has to be my favorite. Not only was it my first Ironman distance triathlon with incredible challenge and scenery but it holds a special place for me. My father worked the 1982 winter olympics as a New York State Policeman. He was stationed at the intersection of River Road and Route 86. I always think of him at those intersections on the bike and on the run course great comfort and motivation.

D3: What are your long term goals in triathlon?

RP: To continue to stay happy and healthy and to chase the Kona qualifying standard!

D3: If you could spend one day training with anyone, who would it be?

RP: Coach Mike of course!

D3: What's in your race future?

RP: Solid races for this year include Ironman 70.3 in San Juan in March, Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman Florida. I am deciding on races in May and September this year any recommendations?

D3: What's your favorite workout?

RP: All of them!!! Is that the right answer?! But really that first outdoor really long ride in the spring.

D3: What your least favorite workout?

RP:: Indoor treadmill workouts in the winter. They are excruciating.

D3: Tell us something interesting about you!

RP: I will once again be racing to raise awareness and funds to support the mission of the National Down Syndrome Society to craft a world where all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance our quality of life by realizing their life aspirations by becoming valued members of welcoming communities. This will be the third year that we have partnered to support the Down syndrome community and to celebrate the achievements of those 400,000+ individuals living with Down Syndrome. I am so happy that they have included me in their efforts!

Congratulations to Richard on a great 2011 season! We wish you great training and racing in 2012!

Yaicha Schuneman did her first triathlon, 5430 Half Ironman, the summer of '07. An admitted "yoga junkie", Yaicha decided to take the sport more seriously in January of '08 when she signed on with coach Amanda McCracken. While battling to figure out her gluten allergy, Yaicha consistently showed improvement, setting new PR's and placing higher in her age group throughout '08 while competing in races of all distances well almost all. The year of 2009, she decided to go after some milestones: her first Ironman and Marathon. Yaicha completed Ironman Germany in Frankfort in 13:03. Not only was this her first Ironman experience, it was also her first trip abroad which carries with it a lot of extra stressors and unknown factors. Then, Yaicha turned around and qualified for the Boston Marathon by running her 3:31 in Chicago, her first marathon. Yaicha is not just a talented triathlete who has just begun to discover her knack and love for the sport. She's a dedicated journal entry writer on Training Peaks and often includes humorous details her coach is amused to learn. Yaicha's dedication, discipline towards taking care of her health and injuries, and light-hearted/"challenge me" spirit has brought her the success she deserved this year.

D3: Can you tell us a little bit about your sports background? Which sports did you do as a kid and as you got older? 

Yaicha: Growing up I was not involved in sports at all! I had severe asthma that forced me quite inactive. In the past five years I have found a passion for anything involving exploring the outdoors! I will try anything once and usually I will add that on to the list of things I love to do. Through swimming, biking and running I have actually been able to pretty much get rid of my asthma, and my quality of life has significantly improved.

D3:What was your motivation to get started in triathlon?

Yaicha: Getting involved in triathlon happened by chance, and it may have been the best thing that happened to me. I had done a couple of running races and had done fairly well considering my lack of training. I had several friends that were involved in triathlons that convinced me to do a triathlon as well. Without ever swimming or riding a road bike I signed up for the 5430 long course (that was dumb). I was able to successfully purchase a bike suited for triathlons, and learned to swim. I trained all summer and successfully completed the long course in Aug 2007

D3: What is your current job and what do you do?

Yaicha: I manage a Starbucks in Denver. We like to rock and roll.

D3:You recently raced IM Germany as your first IM. How was that experience given the stress of the travel?

Yaicha: I have found that traveling with a bike (especially internationally) is a very stressful experience. So many things can happen. When I did the Ironman I actually got a flat tire which changed my day very quickly. Although I got the flat, it was still an unbelievable experience to do the Ironman in Europe! I cannot even begin to describe what a great experience doing the Ironman was. It took me awhile to be okay with the fact that I got the flat, and it took a lot of time for me to recover from the change in plans (And it took me FOREVER) to fix the flat. Today I actually fee good about what happened. It made me stronger and I realized how strong I actually am.

D3:Only 3 months after Ironman Germany you qualified for the Boston Marathon by racing the Chicago marathon. What did you do in between those 2 big events to stay focused and fit?

Yaicha: I ran!!! After the Ironman I was on a mission, I knew that I could potentially qualify for Boston (even though I had never done a stand-alone marathon) and that helped to keep me motivated to train.

D3:Best Triathlon moment? 

Yaicha: Finishing the Ironman in Germany. I felt such highs and lows that day, it was an amazing experience to cross that finish line, and know what I had just accomplished.

D3:What is your favorite race and why?

Yaicha: I had such an amazing day at the Chicago Marathon. I knew going into it that I could potentially qualify, but my goals were much simpler than that. My two goals were to HAVE FUN and also run at a pace that I could maintain for the entire race and not go out too hard. I succeeded in having fun, the miles went very quickly and I made sure to SMILE the entire way. My pace stayed the same (within 5 seconds) for the entire race. It was such a great feeling when I knew that I qualified for Boston.

D3: What are your long term goals in triathlon?

Yaicha: I am itching to do another Ironman! I also want to continue to challenge myself and do my best everyday!

D3:If you could spend a day training with anyone, who would it be?

I am so lucky to have to people around me that I do, I love all of the people that I currently train with and I am really content just being able to train with any of them!

D3: What’s in your race future?

Yaicha: I am gearing up for RAW (race across the west) right now. It is a bike race from San Diego to Durango!

D3:What's your favorite workout? 

Yaicha: Hands down, any trail run is my favorite!

D3: What your least favorite workout?

Yaicha: I hate doing core work. I know it is really beneficial, but I just don't like it.

D3: Tell us something interesting about you!

Yaicha: I climb 14ers year round with my dad!

D3: Can you tell us a little bit about your sports background? Which sports did you do as a kid and as you got older?

Tracy: I grew up playing all the typical little league sports and continued playing baseball and football in high school. I started running in college and did my first marathon while in my surgical residency in Indianapolis.

D3: What is your current job and what do you do?

T: I am an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon in Edmond, Oklahoma. The focus of my practice is maxillofacial reconstruction which involves surgery of the face, mouth and jaws.

D3: What was your motivation to get started in triathlon?

T: I completed the Chicago Marathon in October 2002 while in my residency. I loved the training and racing involved, but wanted more diversity in my workouts. Triathlons were a perfect fit.

D3: When and where was your first race?

T: My first triathlon was the Shelbyville Polar Bear triathlon in Shelbyville, Kentucky. It was in February of 2003, and consisted of a 1.6 mile run, a 6 mile bike ride, and finished with a 200 meter indoor swim. It was freezing cold, so they did the race in the opposite order we normally do triathlons. I struggled to finish each segment, but was thrilled that I could tell everyone I was now an "official" triathlete.

D3: You raced your first IM this year and came in well under your goal time, what do you think was the biggest contributing factor to your success?

T: Consistency was definitely the key to my success. Curt had dialed in very early in my training the volume I could handle from a recovery and a lifestyle standpoint. That allowed me to consistently get my workouts in and not feel I was neglecting other aspects of my life (well, most of the time anyway!) Since I had a training volume that fit my lifestyle, the workouts just became part of my week, so staying consistent was much easier.

D3: You also set PR's at the Olympic and 70.3 distance, which one are you most proud of?

T: I’m most proud of my 70.3 PR. My first 70.3 ever was on the same course with much better weather conditions, and I was able to take an hour and twenty five minutes off that time. It was the first time I felt I was competitive in a race and not just trying to finish.

D3: What is your favorite race and why?

T: My favorite race is Ironman Arizona. It was a great setting and the weather was perfect. I would suspect it's hard to beat your first Ironman experience.

D3: What are your long term goals in triathlon?

T: My long term goal is to keep competing. Each of us is susceptible to that moment when you move from being a triathlete to being the guy that used to be a triathlete. I want to be competing in triathlons for years to come..

D3: What's in your race future?

T: 2010 will be a year for 70.3 races.

D3: What's your favorite workout?

T: Anything on the bike.

D3: What your least favorite workout?

T: Any of them with the word "interval". You don't become a mediocre triathlete by doing intervals. It takes year of undisciplined, unstructured training to get that title!

D3: Tell us something interesting about you!

T: I'm the Facial Trauma Surgeon for the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team. Go Thunder!

Kristen Klein is the D3 athlete of the month for December. In November she completed her first Ironman tackling Ironman Cozumel in 12:37. On her way Kristen tackled a hectic schedule, illness, and a calf injury just to get to the start. She tells us how she got it all in and managed to have a great day.

D3: Can you tell us a little bit about your sports background? Which sports did you do as a kid and as you got older?

I played sports in junior high and high school, mostly volleyball and track. I have waterskied and downhill skied most of my life though that has been limited since the girls were born. We are hoping to hit the slopes hard this year! I have also jogged over the years.

D3: What was your motivation to get started in triathlon? 

My best friend and I had just finished a 10K race when she said we should sign up for the Danskin Sprint Triathlon which was only 5 weeks away. Neither one of us could swim more than 25 meters and we didn't even own road bikes so this was a bit of a stretch to say this least. Both of us ended up doing pretty well, considering, and we were hooked. We bought some bikes, hired a swim coach and trained properly for our next triathlon.

D3: You recently completed your first Ironman, how did the day go? 

It was awesome! You couldn't ask for more beautiful surroundings and supportive community. A dolphin show started the swim and the water was crystal clear and calm. Aside from a few jellyfish stings, it was actually pretty easy and fun. The bike was better than expected too. It was three loops and we dealt with some ocean head and crosswinds for about half of each loop, but we had a great tail wind as we crossed the center of the island and headed into town. The crowds on this section and in town were incredible! My nutrition was dialed in perfectly, thanks to AJ, and I was able to ride a little faster with each loop. Knowing I wasn't going to have a strong run (see next question), I pushed a little more than I should have on the final 12 miles and had a hard time trying to lift my leg over the bike at the dismount line. I won't lie, the run was difficult. It was very hot and humid and I was undertrained for this portion of the race due to injury. Having said that, when I realized that I might be able to finish around the 12 hour mark, I did all I could to keep moving.

D3: You were dealing with an injury in training that limited your running, how did you work around that? 

I truly couldn't have done it without my coach, AJ Johnson. I tore my calf muscle in mid September and I was told by my doctor NO running for a minimum of 4 weeks. AJ immediately adjusted my training program and replaced the runs with elliptical workouts and water jogging after some swim workouts. After 4 weeks of not running and only 6 weeks until the Ironman, my doctor gave me the go ahead to try running again, but only up to 20 minutes and half of that was walking. I eventually got up to 30 minutes of nonstop running on the treadmill and would finish the workout on the elliptical. AJ checked in frequently to see how I was doing and would adjust my training schedule accordingly. We were both worried about re-injuring my calf again, especially so close to the race so we were conservative. Needless to say, I was concerned about the marathon portion of the race!! We decided I would approach the marathon using a run 6min/walk 4min approach. After the first 8.7 mile lap, my calf was holding together so I decided to run as much as I could for the remaining two laps and hope for the best. With AJ’s adjusted training plan and lots of PT work, I was strong and healthy enough to actually run the rest of the marathon albeit at a slow clip.

D3: You also had to work your training around your kids and your husband's traveling, how do you juggle it all and find time to get your own workouts in? 

As AJ can attest to, I had to move my workouts around a lot! He was very patient with me, but would also guide me where best to move them or if it was better to just drop one for the week. Also, I tried to hide most of my workouts while the kids were at school or would train really early or really late on the trainer or treadmill in my basement. Try as I might, I couldn't hide all of them, especially the long rides, so I owe my friends a lot of babysitting hours!

D3: Tell us about your best triathlon moment? 

That one's easy! I won a sprint triathlon (first female finisher) in Wisconsin and my Dad was there at the finish line. I think it shocked us both, but having him there to see me cross the finish line first was truly special. He is my biggest fan!

D3: If you could spend a day training with anyone, who would it be?

My husband. He has done a few triathlons, but it's not really his thing. Having said that, he supports me to the nth degree. When I was on the fence about doing IMCOZ, he texted me one day and said he booked us a vacation in Cozumel for the same week as the Ironman so I may as well just sign up for the race. Back to the point, Chris and I had a few hours free one day while the girls were at a birthday party. We decided to get our workouts in and he joined me in the pool and did my workout with me. It made the workout so much easier and it was a blast to hang out with him sans kids. It doesn't happen often enough!

D3: What is your favorite workout?

See previous answer.

D3: What your least favorite workout? 

The seven hour bike ride! I picked the wrong route on the wrong day. The first half was uphill and when I turned around, I was faced with strong head and crosswinds. I wasn't very happy at the end of the ride.

D3: Tell us something interesting about you!

Turning 40 makes people do some crazy things. I am no different. Doing the Ironman was my "freak out 40 thing" and I'm beyond thrilled that I completed it. I am a little worried about what I will decide to do when I start approaching 50!

Meet our Athlete of the Month for August, Marc Arseneau. Marc is a married father of two, a business owner, and a generous community member. He recently completed his first Ironman in Lake Placid, despite battling a few injuries along the way. His current goal is to maintain his health through IMFL and achieve a personal record at the Ironman distance. Enjoy the interview with Marc:

**Q:** Can you tell us about your sports background? What sports did you participate in as a child and as you got older?
**A:** As a child, I dabbled in various sports but didn't excel due to being a late bloomer and lazy. However, I developed a passion for numerous activities as I grew older. I participated in Alpine skiing, scuba diving, hockey, tennis, wrestling, soccer, and more, simply because I didn't want to miss out on anything. In my twenties, I focused on golf and achieved a 4 handicap. Later, I took up bowling, earning nine perfect games and even appearing on TV twice. In my thirties, I prioritized my business and gained weight, sidelining sports. However, in February 2005, I started running and eventually got into ocean rowing, winning the Bay of Chaleur 20-mile crossing once and finishing second three times.

**Q:** What motivated you to start triathlon?
**A:** About two years ago, a friend sent me a motivational email featuring the story of Rick and Dick Hoyt. Inspired, I immediately told my wife I was going to do an Ironman. I bought a bike and sought guidance to enter the sport.

**Q:** When and where was your first race?
**A:** My first race came shortly after receiving that motivational email about Rick and Dick Hoyt. Unfortunately, I had to quit due to a mechanical problem with my bike. Winter arrived before my bike was repaired, so I focused on rowing. However, I finally competed in my first triathlon on July 18th, finishing 20th out of 80 participants. I then registered for the Lake Placid Ironman a week later.

**Q:** What is your current job?
**A:** I am a general contractor, involved in building everything from restaurants to car dealerships.

**Q:** How does your job affect your training?
**A:** With our current workload, finding time for training can be challenging. I try to schedule my workouts around my work commitments rather than the other way around.

**Q:** Tell us about your family.
**A:** My wife Nathalie is a nurse and incredibly supportive of my endeavors. We married young and have two children: Gabrielle, 21, who is studying at McGill University, and Eric, almost 18, who will start university this fall.

**Q:** What recent award did you receive?
**A:** In 2005, I received the Entrepreneur of the Year award, followed by being named in the New Brunswick Ambassador group in 2007. Additionally, in 2011, I was honored with the Provincial Outstanding award for my local business contributions.

**Q:** Who is your coach at D3, and how have they helped you achieve your goals?
**A:** Mike Ricci is my coach, and I have complete confidence in his ability to guide me toward my goals. I doubt I could have completed IMLP without him. He has supported me through my lows and kept me grounded at my peaks.

**Q:** Have you traveled for any races?
**A:** Most of the races I participate in require travel, from Montreal to Moncton and Lake Placid.

**Q:** What is your best triathlon moment?
**A:** The final 200 meters of the Lake Placid Ironman. It made all the hard work worth it and more.

**Q:** What is your favorite race and why?
**A:** I have to say Lake Placid because of its challenges and breathtaking scenery.

**Q:** What are your long-term goals in triathlon?
**A:** I adore the Ironman distance, and my wife and I would like to combine races with vacations. Like every triathlete, I aspire to compete in Kona.

**Q:** If you could train with anyone for a day, who would it be?
**A:** Lance Armstrong, without a doubt!

**Q:** What races are in your future?
**A:** I plan to compete in a half Ironman in September and prepare for Ironman Florida in November.

**Q:** What is your favorite workout?
**A:** Group workouts are my favorite, but I also enjoy recovery runs and intensity sessions.

**Q:** What is your least favorite workout?
**A:** The fourth swimming workout of the week!

**Q:** Tell us something interesting about you!
**A:** In recent years, I've taken up mountain climbing. Last winter, I climbed Kilimanjaro in Africa with my son, and this January, I'll be tackling the 22,800 ft Mount Aconcagua in South America. My bucket list is far too long for just one lifetime!

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D3: Can you tell us a little bit about your sports background? Which sports did you do as a kid and as you got older?

Ketill:If any, then that would be running , because when I was a kid I used to be sent into the hills to send sheep out of the forest, that my grandfather had grown. All other sport, I couldn't do, I was the last one to be picked into the football team, could not pull me up on the ropes in gymnasium, or jump over the stuff. As I grew older I tended more to sport like snowmobile or salmon fishing, watch F1 on the TV.

D3:What is your current job and what do you do?

Ketill: I do run my own companies, processing fish in China and import to USA and distribute there.

D3: Where do you currently live, and how is the training in the area?

Ketill: I live in Dalian, China. I live in suburb, on the beach. It is very good to run around there, lot of space and half a mile from me is a great track, 1km long. After bike for 10 min. I am out of the traffic and can bike for hours without stopping on all sorts of roads. From May I can swim in the ocean which is a 5 min walk from my apartment. I have about 6 pools to choose from, 6 of them are 50 meter pools.

D3:What was your motivation to get started in triathlon?

Ketill:After doing my first race ever, in middle of April last year, which was half marathon, then I felt so high that I was sure that I could do Ironman so I decided then that I would go for one.

D3:When and where was your first race?

Ketill:My first Triathlon race was Olympic distance in Beijing in July last year. I lasted for MAX 10 minutes, then I could not swim more, got too stressed, got some panic attack. This is how great I was. Beginning of Sept last year I did finish an Olympic distance first and only time.

D3:You recently completed IM China for your 1st IM. Why China and how did your day go?

Ketill:One of the best in my life. Even though I got so bad cramps that I was starting to think about pulling out, simply because I could not walk. Still this was greatest day . I did Finish 3 hours later than I had planned, but that was very OK due to what happened there .

D3:What workout or workouts do you feel prepared you the best for race day?

KEtill: Hard to tell, I believe they were all vital. I would not have wanted to miss any. If something , then those long bike tours, 6 to 7 hours. They became pretty handy after I had biked some 140 KM and had 50 to go .

D3:What are your long term goals in triathlon?

Being honest, of course I want to go to Kona. But while I am waiting for that, then my realistic goal would be to finish an Ironman by doing the swim all freestyle ( I did all breast stroke this time ) and run the marathon , not walk or walk and run, just run.

D3: What's in your race future?

Ketill: There is an international marathon in my city this month so I will do half distance. One year anniversary. Then there are some 5 official OLY distance Triathlon races here in China this year. I intend to go there with my club and in Sept. we have half IM distance race as well in China.

D3: What's your favorite workout?

Ketill: Hard to say, this all started because I was biking with my son ( he was jogging ) . I have had progress in swim for last months and like that now a lot. But bike with good friends in good warm weather, not too much head wind, that is nice.

D3:What your least favorite workout:

Ketill:Cant say I like them all just none, if anything, then stretching

D3: Tell us something interesting about you!

Ketill: I am 46 years old born 1963 in Iceland. At 18 years old I started to work on the trawlers and was there for 7 years or so. It was there where I got used to work like 18 hours in row, sleep for 3 hours and keep on working. That came pretty handy racing for Ironman. After that I started to run fish factory in Iceland. In 2000 I moved to China and have been here more or less since.

One and half year ago, I got tired walking up few steps of stairs. I was smoking about 3 packs of cigarettes on a good day and had done that for 30 years. I was eating more or less what was on the table. I did not think about it at all what I ate. As well I did drink quite a lot of beer and stronger stuff as well .  I did change all those things, step by step, and today I don't smoke, think about what I eat and drink from nothing a week to max 1 or 2 bottle over a whole week.

Have you ever wondered if you would ever get comfortable riding your bike? Would the discomfort of sitting on the saddle ever go away? Just know that you are not alone in making the adjustment to sitting on your saddle for long periods of time and wishing the ride were over. With the bike portion of triathlon being the place where we spend the longest amount of time we want to be as comfortable as possible. Being more comfortable in the saddle does not have to be complicated or excessively expensive.

There are a number of different saddles on the market that provide great pressure relief and are easy to find in cycling stores, catalogs, and any triathlon shop around. Determining what saddle is right for you is all personal preference. Ask other women that you train with, talk to someone in the cycling or triathlon shop and they will more than likely be able to recommend a saddle that will be comfortable for you.

Once you find that saddle there will be an adjustment period of breaking it in to fit you. It really is like a pair of Berkinstocks, the more you use them, the more they contour to your feet‚ the saddle seems to be the same way. You can also help soften the saddle and help avoid chaffing by using Aquaphor (medicated Vaseline) around the edges to soften the materials a bit. Keep in mind that this may break the material of the saddle down more quickly, but I personally favor the comfort/changes I can make with the saddle over the potential shortening of the life span of the saddle.

Even with a new saddle and breaking it in, we may still have a need for pressure relief while riding. The longer we ride and more intensely that we train and race can change our position on the saddle. With this said, a key for us in strength in our core. As we fatigue while riding our pelvic position changes and this can create pressure on the saddle leaving us feeling numb or sore. Core strength can help make a difference in your position in the saddle (see D3 core work to assist you with this).

Another means of relieving pressure is to pop up out of the saddle every so often. If you are riding on a flat course there is a tendency for us to stay in the saddle to entire ride. Every 20-30 minutes can help with pressure relief and it is a nice change for the legs too!

So, enjoy the ride gals! That pressure relief can be easily addressed and have you comfortable on that saddle in no time at all. Happy Training!

Workout #1

by Coach Jim Hallberg

For a winter time bike trainer workout, que up a good movie or Tour de France video, or anything else that gets you going for 2 hrs and follow this:

Start with a 20 minute spin in Z 1-2.

Hop off the bike and do 3 sets of 10 reps of 1 arm and 1 leg exercises. (example:  alternate between squats and bench press, or reverse lunges with weights and push ups).

Once the 3 to 10 sets are done, hop back on the bike.

20 minutes either in Z 3, or 5 minute hill climb simulations on the trainer.  Cadence 70-80rpms @ 85% FTP or Z 3 with 3 minute spin in between. Repeat until 20 minutes is up.

Hop off and choose 2 NEW exercises 3 sets of 10 reps.  (example:  alternate between weighted fast switch leg step ups and pull ups).

Back on the bike for another 20 minutes, this time every 5 minutes build the intensity. From Z 2-4, not going above 100% FTP, but ending with the last 5 minutes at 100% FTP; or just simple gear change while maintaining  the same effort.

Hop back off the bike for another set of arm and leg exercises. (example:  hamstring curls or straight leg dead lifts to engage glutes and hamstring, and dips off a chair or bench).

Hop back on the bike, 20 minutes in Z 3.

Then cool down!

Workout #2

by Coach Brad Seng

For a run workout, try the Mona Fartlek (named after Steve Moneghetti, Australian Olympian)

WU: 15-20' with several strides at the end

MS: 2 x (90‚" fast/90" easy). 4 x (60" fast/60" easy). 4 x (30" fast/30" easy). 4 x (15" fast/15" easy).

CD: easy 10-20' jogging

Here are a few race week tips that may help you in your upcoming race:

Equipment:
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Swim Wetsuit

Make sure the zipper works and add a little lubricant to make it zip and unzip easier.

See if there are any holes in the suit itself

Remember body glide or Pam spray this on your lower legs, wrists and back of you neck. This will help you from getting burns.
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Swim Goggles

Check to see that the gaskets aren’t old and crusty or falling off

Bring two pairs to the race start in case you lose a pair or the strap breaks

Bring a dark pair and a clear pair to use if the day is cloudy or bright

If your goggles are scratched you may want to replace them|
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Bike

Tighten all bolts on the bike

Check tire threads and make sure your tires are not starting to dry out from winter’s storage (if you are using race wheels)

Change over the magnet so that you can get MPH or cadence

Clean your chain the week of the race

Clean your bike the week of the race (that 2 lbs of dirt that you remove will make a difference)

Make sure your cables aren't frayed

Bring extra tubes to the transition area before the race

Your tire repair kit should have two tubes and two CO2 cartridges or you should have a frame pump with you on the bike
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Run

Pick out your race socks and put them inside your race shoes so you don’t forget them

Bring your race belt

Bring your race hat

Bring your fuel belt or water carrier if you use one.
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Nutrition:

Start drinking water on Wednesday before a Saturday race and Thursday for a Sunday race

No sugar

Try not to eat after 6:00 pm

Eat light and often

Mental Preparation:

Each night before going to bed focus on good form, seeing yourself do well during the race and reaching your goals

Give yourself a mantra to repeat to yourself during the race when it gets hard – when the bike gets hard for me during a race I like to say “ I am tough and my legs are pistons”

Focus on the mission, do not lose sight of your goals

Positive thinking will help you a lot, but negative thinking twill almost certainly doom your race.

Physical Self:

Do your workouts as scheduled

Get plenty of rest

Eat right – no sugar the week of the race.

Get your workouts in early in the day – more time to rest

Other Tips:

Pack your stuff long before you leave and recheck it again later

Follow the attached checklist

Get to the race sign in early – get this out of the way

If you have time – drive the bike course and bike the run course

Make sure you know when your wave starts!

Don’t forget sun block the morning of the race. I usually put it on before I put on all my race clothing.

Each month in our newsletter we list some of the improvements of our athletes. This doesn't happen by magic or some special pill, but most of it is from what we do in the off-season. This time of year, right now, is when you get fast for next summer.

The following protocol only pertains to athletes who are time limited, have been training for at least three seasons without injury, and have a sufficient aerobic base. Not to get too technical but if you are an experienced triathlete with a few seasons under your belt and take a month off from triathlon training, I am going to make a huge assumption that you have a sufficient aerobic base. Actually, my assumption isn't too huge.

Within each week, we do have our athletes execute swim drills, bike peddling drills, and running drills. This is important in the off-season. So is the easy long swim, the easy long bike and the easy long run. The definition of "long" can be argued but for our purposes at D3 I like to define a long swim as somewhere around an hour. A long bike may be 90 minutes and the long run somewhere between 75 and 90 minutes.

With those two pieces of training out of the way, we get into the "no fluff" side of training. There are no two ways about it. We hit it hard. Very. Hard. VO2 hard. In the pool, on the bike, on the run (treadmill or outside, weather permitting) and in the weight room.

Dr. Max Testa is considered one of the best cycling coaches in the world. I had the pleasure of listening to him present at my USAT Level III Coaching Certification class in 2005. What I walked away with was that in the words of Dr. Testa."strength equals speed". The stronger you are, the faster you will race. The stronger you are, the more watts you can push on the bike, the faster you can run up a hill, and the faster you can swim. "Getting stronger" means doing more hard work than you are currently doing, and raising your lactate threshold or MLSS (Maximum Lactate Steady State). Note, I did not say work harder, but do more hard work. There is a big difference there.

Taking this point even further, I looked into what the strength coaches think about strength and endurance. Mike Boyle is the premier strength and conditioning coach in this country and maybe the world. Alwyn Cogrove is an Olympic level strength coach of triathletes, boxers, soccer players and others. It is always belief that that maximal strength levels should be achieved prior to endurance or energy system development. Quoting Alwyn, If we haven't built up appreciable levels of power, speed or strength, then what the hell are we trying to endure? A low level of power? A low level of speed? Conditioning coach Mike Boyle once pointed out that:

It is significantly easier to get an explosive athlete"in shape", than it is to make an "in shape" athlete explosive. The first will take weeks the second may take years.

Does that make any buzzers go off in your head? If you don't have speed and you go out to ride long, what are you learning to endure? Riding slow? Riding at a low level of power? Do you see how riding long, slow miles at 16mph is only going to make you good at "riding at 16mph? For example, wouldn't you rather build your base speeds up to 20+ mph in training, so that when you add in endurance you can do your long rides at 19-20mph? Even better yet, learning to push 400 watts in training will make pushing 200 watts MUCH easier. A 200 watt average at an ironman race like Arizona or Florida will net a 160 lb. triathlete a 5:15 bike split. Being stronger means going faster.

Next month I'll talk more about specific workouts. In the meantime, take a look at our 12 Week No Fluff Winter Plan.

It works. Trust me on this.

As a student of life, I value recommendations from colleagues and friends about how I can be a better communicator, employee, and so on. In that context I was recently introduced to Freakonomics Radio and was surprised to find that the episode I happened to listen in on was something that I could apply to being a better coach and athlete.

The one that I am referencing was a rebroadcast of the Economics of Sleep. One of the aspects of the broadcast was working on the quality of sleep and early morning alertness. Because of my experience as an athlete and a coach, I understand that sleep is very important to performance and is one of the most effective recovery tools available. What caught my attention was the notion that we should move beyond the question of how long we sleep and rather examine the quality of our sleep. The following is my synopsis of the broadcast for which I know will leave you with new ideas on how to improve the quality of your sleep.

In training, the era of junk miles is gone! Through years of trial and error and research, we know that simply putting out a number to hit every week (for example, run 40 miles a week to be a faster marathoner, or ride 100 miles to be a better cyclist) is bunk. What's the point of running 40 miles a week but you never work close to your goal pace? So in crossing over to sleep, why do we just blankly accept that X amount of hours of sleep, regardless of the quality, will cut it?

Turns out, the 8 hour rule we've been handed stands up to research (see the Sleep Foundation's study) but, during those 8 hours we need many rounds of REM and non REM cycles. All sleep stages provide certain benefits (reduction of cortisol, increase of growth hormones, etc.), much like variety in training leads to gains.

There are many ways to set yourself for a great night's sleep (no caffeine after 3 pm, have a quiet, dark, and cool room, use ear plugs and an eye mask, have a regular bed time and routine) but one that is often over looked because it's so new is to quit using screens (TV, tablet, phone and e-reader) at least 60 minutes before bed time.

A paper published in 2014, looked at the effects of using a device or screen in the hour before bed and found that nearly all of the participants who did experienced prolonged time it takes to fall asleep, delays in the circadian clock, suppressed levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, reduction in the amount of and delays in the timing of REM sleep, and reduced alertness the following morning. Sounds like a recipe for skipping or slogging your early morning workout, huh?

My first take away was to set time off from device set limits and boundaries. The researcher in the interview (Lauren Hale) has a little trouble following her own advice, but for a week between episodes, she challenged herself to avoid screens from 9 pm to 7 am. She found that this particular schedule gave her a better early night sleep, but also better late night/early morning sleep, as after doing her newborn's 5 am feeding she would go back to bed rather than start to check email. Personally, I'm been sticking to a 9/9:30 cut off and have only been waking up 1-2 times a night without my usual tossing and turning (I was/am a chronic tablet gamer). Two nights ago, I slept straight through! I honestly don't remember the last time that happened!

The second take away was that an increase of 1 hour of sleep per week (which is less than 10 minutes per night) results in a 4.5% increase in productivity. While I don't think that translates directly to watts, I cannot help but that think in terms of productivity for triathlon training, it would allow for greater concentration and an ability to aim for the upper end of the range (for instance, when shooting for 110-120% of threshold and with better technique. Hale, herself, found that keeping to a start time for her screen time actually gave her nearly 90 extra minutes of sleep!

Sleep is the most important and easiest training recovery tool we have, yet it still astounds me how often it gets overlooked or neglected. I highly suggest giving both parts of the broadcast a listen; there's a lot more in them than I've discussed here that doesn't directly deal with training, but there may be pieces that speak to your triathlon journey.

Coach Leigh Dodd believes that passion and drive will take you a long way in triathlon! Put those qualities to work within the context of a structured plan and you're off to a great start. Add in relaxation on a regular basis and there will be no stopping you! It may seem counter intuitive at first, but planning time for both quality training and quality downtime is the key to great results!

In the world of triathlon, there are three types of athletes. Some athletes may look at the off-season as the couch season and let his/her fitness go until race season is bearing down on them. The second type of athlete usually, asks ‚ÄúWhat off-season? There is no off-season.  I just race year round‚Äù. The intensity is frequent and improvement is most likely rare. The third athlete takes the off-season to make adjustments, regroup mentally, rebuild physically and to come back stronger and faster than the year before.The off-season is usually associated with a lack of race season. The important races are done and it‚Äôs time to give our bodies a break from the intense part of training. Even more importantly here is what should be happening in the off-season:

Throughout the year we tend to get more intense in our season and very focused on how fast and how far we train. We endure a lot of mental stress about how many seconds our intervals were from another; we are fixated on numbers, be it pace, miles, wattage, time, or Heart rate. We constantly strive for more and greater effort and improvement.

The off-season allows both our body and mind to recuperate from this type of stress and bring volume down to much lower levels as well as bringing down our intensity. We can mentally relax a little bit on how fast we should be running, swimming and cycling. During the off-season, we should be rebuilding our fitness; our mental stamina and fixing all those nagging injuries that caused us to miss training time. For example, at the end of the season you get to a point both mentally and physically where you can progress no more. Your speed and endurance are at their limits for that season. You have reached the tippy point of the pyramid. And hopefully you had a great race to prove it!

But now, imagine rebuilding that Pyramid.  It‚Äôs time to allow yourself to rebuild, to improve your aerobic base, to work on weaknesses and re-assess what you would like to do differently for the upcoming season.

Many people follow the same routine day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month and year after year. This is fine if you still find improvement in your training and racing. However, if improvement is rare, maybe a change in your routine is what’s needed and here’s where you can try new things, since you’re not supposed to do anything new in the triathlon season. Maybe it’s a new bike, a new bike fit, a new style of shoes, or even taking up trail running, or swimming more frequently. In addition, strength training might be on your ‘to-do’ list , or maybe just turn your normal routine upside down. Change something.

The off-season should be about exploring your boundaries and making changes.

Its also about paying your family back for all the training time you had, and now a little bump in your routine (Psst! Trying sleeping in?) could do you some good.

You shouldn’t be hitting it hard, yet occasional efforts are definitely good. The major emphasis is about building a strong foundation without the mental and physical stress of high intense effort. If you do intense efforts, make sure to spread these efforts out do so they don’t compromise the bulk of your training.

Building a Strong Pyramid takes time, and each year your pyramid of excellence should be a bit bigger, stronger and taller than the one before it. Whatever keeps your motivation rolling and your strength building and your endurance growing, is what you should be doing.

Lastly, I’d be remiss not to ask you “What can a coach do for you for in off season?” He or she can take you out of your comfort zone and rebuild that wonderful genetic engine you have. If you want your upcoming season to be phenomenal, beyond expectation and if you want to totally dominate then make that offseason really meaningful and productive. Best wishes to you on a strong, fast and powerful 2013 race season!

USAT Coach Jim Hallberg can be reached for consulting or one-on-one coaching at Jim@d3multisport.com

The most common mistake I observe among athletes, whether they are beginners or seasoned veterans, is pushing too hard on their easy training days. As an athlete myself, I've struggled with this issue, understanding the importance of maintaining a proper effort level on recovery days. Failing to do so impedes true recovery, hindering the ability to excel in workouts that demand maximal effort. Consequently, all workouts end up being performed at a moderate intensity, depriving athletes of the opportunity to achieve breakthrough training sessions.

Here are my five tips to help you maintain an appropriate effort level on your active recovery days as prescribed by your coach:

1. **Solo Sessions:** Perform easy workouts alone to maintain control over your pace. Group workouts often breed competition, which is beneficial for pushing hard but counterproductive for recovery. Renowned triathlete Mark Allen attributed part of his success to executing easy days solo.

2. **Monitor Metrics:** Utilize tools such as heart rate monitors, GPS devices, and power meters to gauge intensity. Set an upper limit for your effort and ensure you stay within that range throughout the workout.

3. **Ego Check:** Leave your ego at home and embrace the purpose of your easy day. Your coach may prescribe these sessions with the directive, "Old women should pass you," to emphasize the need for a relaxed effort level.

4. **Focus on Purpose:** Recognize the significance of rest in your training regimen. Consider easy days as opportunities to recharge and prepare your body for more demanding workouts. Trust in the process and the wisdom of your coach's programming.

5. **Trust Your Coach:** Remember that your coach includes easy sessions in your schedule for a reason. Trust their expertise and adhere to their guidance regarding effort levels on recovery days.

While it may be challenging to dial back your intensity, fully committing to easy days demonstrates the effectiveness of the hard/easy training approach. Embracing these sessions with the right mindset will contribute to your growth and development as an athlete.

As a coach, I relish the opportunity to work with individuals, each presenting a unique puzzle of abilities, motivations, lifestyles, and potential. Guiding athletes to integrate these pieces and achieve their desired results is immensely fulfilling because when everything aligns, the outcomes are truly remarkable!

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The triathlon season seems to get longer every year, which means that burnout can be a major issue. As a coach I see athletes starting to struggle with motivation around this time. Stepping back, taking some time off and recharging is a necessary part of training. The fall is a great time to do that.

If you feel yourself slowing down, not wanting to get out the door for that long ride or simply wiped out, the best thing to do is to recognize it and act on it. Pushing through the fatigue is a part of training, but after several training cycles a full break is often needed.

I suggest taking some full days off, then get into some other activities like hiking, yoga, walking and even fishing. Give your body time to recover, then get moving again with something other than swimming, biking and running. Don’t worry about losing fitness either, gains are made when the body is ready to handle a new training stimulus.

In addition to a physical break, give your mind a break too. If you spend time online looking at triathlon gear or reading all the triathlon magazines, take a break from them. Get your mind completely off triathlon and maybe take up that project in the garage or basement you’ve put off for the past four months. You may find that after a few days you don’t really miss triathlon, and that’s a good thing.

I read a quote from pro surfer Kelly Slater once, he said that motivation comes and goes, but inspiration is forever. Your motivation will wane but if you give your mind and body time to recharge you will be faster than ever when you are inspired to get back out there.

Train Hard, Train Smart, Train Safe,

AJ