Training Zones

              Triathletes in general are great at finding some sort of training plan or hiring a coach and following the prescribed sessions to a “T,” almost to a fault. However, how often do athletes sit back and consider why they are doing what they are doing? Any decent plan or knowledgeable coach will have a rhyme and reason for placing certain sessions at certain times and for the most part they will fall under the categories as either an aerobic, threshold, or anaerobic session.

                Training aerobically teaches your body to more effectively take up and use oxygen, improves your body’s ability to deliver blood to the working muscles, and improves your body’s overall economy leading to the ability to sustain higher paces at a lower effort level. Aerobic training can be targeted by performing shorter (3-5 min) intervals paired with a short recovery (1-2 min) or by performing low effort steady runs.

                At threshold effort, also known as tempo or lactate threshold,  your body cannot clear lactate as quickly as it is being produced and therefore it starts to accumulate in the blood. Generally this is an effort level that you can sustain for about an hour, typically closely correlated with 10k run or 40k bike time trial effort level. While you cannot train your body to clear lactate at a faster rate, you can train your body to delay the point where the accumulation begins. This is done through longer intervals (6-12 min) with 2-3 min rest or longer sustained “tempo” runs of 20-45 min.

                Anaerobic training consists of short (less than 2 minute) bursts followed by a long (3-4 min) recovery and is used to build leg strength and power and to improve your ability to buffer lactic acid. At this intensity, the body has to breakdown sugar without the use of oxygen which results in lactic acid quickly accumulating. This effort level should not be used in a race other than in a sprint to the finish because once that build up of lactate fatigue begins to set in, you have to dramatically slow your pace in order to recover if you can recover.

               As you can see, each type of training has its benefits and will all fit into a well-rounded training program at one time or another. The trick is figuring out how to place them into your training in order to optimize your training and improve your racing performance. 

 

Thanks to SRI Tri

   
     Just wanted to say a huge thanks to the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon (SRI Tri) board who has for the third year in a row chosen to generously sponsor me. Once again, they have blown my expectations out of the water in the support that they have given me. The SRI Tri is one of the best races in the Southeast if not in the nation and I'm blessed to have such a prestigious race in my own backyard. The SRI Tri board not only puts on a great race, but they also actively pursue promoting the sport and have been crucial in building the local triathlon community. I can't say thank you enough for the continued support that they have given me! The SRI Tri takes place at Pensacola Beach on the first Saturday in October and if you haven't yet, be sure to sign up soon because it will sell out. Click here to register

Chattanooga Waterfront Tri

     Matt and I left Penscola 11 days ago and drove up to visit my sister who recently moved to Pennsylvania. It was a long trip up, but so worth it. Matt spent a good part of the week we were up there working with Jon (my bro in-law) around the house, busting up concrete, replacing a floor, digging out stumps, and sanding their kitchen table and chairs while I got to spend most of my time playing with the kids, taking them to swim lessons, and doing some cooking and organizing around the house with Devon. We had an awesome visit, it just went by too fast!

     We left PA on Friday and drove to Kingsport, TN where we got to spend some time with our friends the Osteens. Allison was one of my coaches in high school and has a great family. We try to take advantage of any chance we get to see them. We left their place early Saturday morning and headed to Chattanooga where my parents were waiting for us. Thankfully it wasn't a long drive, just a little over 3 hours, which was much better than the 8.5 we had done the day before.
     After a quick spin on the bike and a short run along the river we went to grab lunch. Our hotel was right downtown and just a couple blocks from the race start so we were able to walk everywhere which was so nice. Good find mom :-). That afternoon we went up lookout mountain and did some exploring. It was such a beautiful place. By the time we made it down the mountain it was time for dinner and then back to the hotel to get ready for the morning. We put out tri tat race numbers on, filled up water bottles, and got all of our gear together and ready. It was a pretty packed hotel room with 4 people, 3 bikes, and all our luggage and gear.
     Race morning we got up and again, it was so nice not having to load the bikes on the car, fight traffic, or having to find a place to park. We just walked the few blocks down to transition and got everything setup and ready to go. Bikes racked, water bottles and nutrition in place, all our numbers attached, and shoes set out, we were ready to race.

As a friend once said, "like sheep being led to the slaughter" :-)

     We headed down to the start line ready to begin the first leg of the race...a 2 mile run...oh yeah I didn't mention it, but after the massive amount of rain the southeast has gotten over the last two weeks the water level of the river was at 300% and deemed unsafe for kayaks and swimmers not to mention the fact that the swim start area and the steps at the swim exit were completely underwater. We were notified the day before the race that we would be competing in a Duathlon. I have to admit, I was bummed, but thought that the race organizers did an excellent job of making the change.

Excited to get going

     We still started in time trial format, with athletes staring about every 2 seconds. I was number 310 so I had just enough time to watch the elites start up front and then find my place in line. The first run started up a hill and then was just a straight out and back. I was over pretty quickly and we were out on the bike course.
I've done this race several times and I'm never fully prepared for this course coming from flatland Florida. It is no joke and is rolling the entire way with some hard, long hills thrown in there too. I felt like I was able to pace myself well though and was able to steadily pass people throughout the first half. I was glad to hit the turnaround and not long after took in a little bit of food and was able to finish strong.

     Going out on the run, I really wasn't quite sure how my legs were going to feel with the initial run already in them and the hilly bike, but I was pleased to find out they didn't feel too bad. Don't get me wrong, they weren't fresh by any means, but better than I expected. The run course at this race is one of my favorites. The first mile is a little tough with a decently long, but not too steep hill right out of transition, a set of stairs that we have to climb not long after that, and then a pretty steep descent right after that but past that, the next 4 miles are along a flat, paved walkway along the river. In the final mile we had to climb the steep descent that we started with and climb the stairs again, but then got to fly downhill to the finish line. Overall I felt pretty good on the run and felt I was holding a good, solid pace, but I was ready to see that finish line!

     Once across, I found Matt and we went back to find a place where we could get some good pics of my parents finishing. They both did awesome and I was proud to see them finish strong! It's so fun to be able to share these adventures with them. We enjoyed the post race festivities, Team Magic always does a great job and then waited for the awards to begin. I was able to snag first place in my age group and was able to round out the top 10 overall women, coming in 10th.

Training and Traveling

    

It's mid-summer and travel season is in full swing. As a matter of a fact as I type this, I am sitting in Pennsylvania 1200 miles from home. I love traveling for races or taking trips to see family, but fitting training in when you're out of your normal routine can be difficult, but not impossible with a little planning and creativity. 

First of all, when your mapping out your season early on, try to get as much of your traveling plans on the calendar as possible so that you can schedule around them. For example, if you know you are going to be taking a family vacation and won't have a lot of time to train make that a recovery week and squeeze in what you can. Or if you know you are going to be gone for three days and won't be able to ride your bike go heavier on the bike earlier in the week before you leave. If you know that your training is going to be limited and for example you are only going to be able to swim twice during a week while you're gone try to spread those sessions out. Do one session on Monday and one on Thursday instead of doing them Monday and Tuesday and then not swimming for 5 days straight. 

Before leaving for your trip, try to research the area where you are going. Try to get an idea of what the roads are like and if they are safe for riding and running. That is easily done if you know someone in the area, but if not, you may need to resort to calling your hotel or asking on internet forums. You'll also want to try to find a convenient place to swim. The best places I've found have been a local high school or junior college since they don't usually require an annual membership. Lastly, while doing your research you might want to find a local training group that will allow you to tag along that way your route is already planned for you and you can find out from the locals where the best places to train are. 

Lastly, go into the trip with a willingness to be flexible and creative. Be happy when you are able to squeeze some training in rather than getting upset when you can't train exactly according to plan. In between family time or business meetings, you may have to get creative to get a session in. Keep stretch cords with you for a quick "swim session" when there is no pool available, use the hotel gym weights and go back and forth between lower body exercises and jumping on the treadmill to simulate bike run bricks, or find a local gym that offers a spin class that you can join.

Most importantly, enjoy your traveling, enjoy your family, and train when you can.