What should a triathlete do in the winter?
With the coming of shorter days, colder weather and the winter holidays, the triathlon season is officially over (i.e. the “off season” or “transition season” as I like to call it)…well, at least for most of us. As a triathlon coach, the number one question I get from the athletes I coach is, “What do I do now?” There are a number of things to do this winter in order the balance the need for: Downtime from the current racing season to avoid burnout, refresh mentally and recover from any lingering injuries and Carrying over and further developing an...
Read MoreJay Lehr inspires by sky diving, unicycling and Ironman triathlons…at 75
“I just keep moving, no talent at all.” - Dr. Jay Lehr, professional speaker, author and athlete As a long-time endurance athlete, I’m always fascinated by what the human body is capable of: Will Laughlin and his friend Ray Zahab recently ran a record setting 150 mile across Death Valley from north to south in 120+ F ambient temperatures with scorpions, constant 30 mph headwinds and the worry of stepping on unexploded ordinance. JC Chamberlain at age 54 will attempt to the break the one hour cycling world record on September 27th in Los Angeles. Stroke survivor Karin Linnér...
Read MoreChoosing an Ironman Race – which one?
“Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!” — Commander John Collins, USN (1978) A client asked me recently about choosing which Ironman distance race (2.4-mile swim / 112-mile bike / 26.2-mile run) to compete in: “Just thought I’d reach out and get your input for choosing your first Ironman and how to go about registering. I’ve decided I’m going to try to tackle an Ironman next year. I’ve heard of the great difficulty in registering for Ironman events because registration is mostly open to the athletes...
Read MoreFrom coach to athletes: what to bring and how to use it on Ironman race day
Three of my triathlon coaching clients are racing in Ironman triathlons this coming weekend (Ironman Canada, Ironman Louisville) for this first time so I put together a list of “what to bring” to Ironman along with a “how to use it” during an Ironman race. These 140.6 mile triathlons are a little different than shorter triathlons for the following reasons: Mass swim start with more than 2,000 people. It’s a long day – 8 hours for the winners and up to 17 hours for the final finishers. Temperatures and weather can vary from the early morning to mid day to...
Read MoreRace prep: Coach Debi Bernardes shares her pre-race plan for Ironman France
How do you prepare for a triathlon and especially an Ironman? I asked fellow triathlon coach, Debi Bernardes of UCANDOIT Coaching, who competed in Ironman France yesterday, for her pre-race plan, which is her write up of what she wanted her race day to be like. Interestingly, she almost every goal on her way to a 12 hour finish and 2nd place in her age group. Writing a pre-race plan – with a positive outlook – is a powerful tool that will result in better results. Before the race, she met Mark Rensaw from Team HTC (pro cycling racing team) who commented when Debi told him she...
Read MoreFrom athlete dropout to triathlon pro: Achieving an impossible dream
Yes, it’s true you can be anything in life if you want it badly enough and are willing to work for it. I’m actually a great example because I was an unimpressive athlete growing up. In fact, in most cases I was a “drop out” in just about every sport I attempted. I only went to one swim practice in first grade then quit because I was too intimidated by the older kids. I played hockey then softball then soccer in grade school because my mom signed me up, and truthfully I sucked at all three but everyone received playing time at that age. In high school in California, I...
Read MoreSubscribe to My Blog
Recent comments