And Happy Mother’s Day to all our wonderful Moms!

Well, the answer is “nutritional and hydration training”.  It is something we all think about but easily can get sidetracked or overlooked when we are training for that special event during the triathlon season.

This article, the second in a 4 part series, will focus on some basics that can assist you with your nutritional training.

PRE-RACE DAY NUTRITION

Race day is here and it is finally time to race!

Now the question is how do you prepare for your pre-race nutrition?   You have been training hard in preparation for this event and working on your training nutrition and hydration.  Now what do you do those hours before the race?

They key is to consume enough calories in advance of the start of the race and to not try something new race morning!   For events lasting 2-3 hours in length your focus should be eating enough calories to get you through the start of the race and also in time for your body to digest the food consumed.    Your last large meal should have been consumed at least 12 hours prior to the race start so if your race is 6:30am on Saturday your last large meal should have been Friday at 6:30pm.    For race morning, your pre-race meal should be finished by 4:30 am (2 hours prior to the race start).   In the 2 hours leading up to the start of the race keep up on your hydration with access to your water bottle or hydration preferences.   In addition, for a lot of athletes an energy gel 30 minutes prior to the race start works for the final “top off” of nutrition.

Some guidelines for you to consider for your “nutritional and hydration” for your pre-race strategy.

• Experiment with what works for you PRIOR to race morning during training workout mornings.   Try different products and nutritional needs prior to a training workout and see what works best for you and adjust based on how you feel during that training workout.
• Decide on your pre-race nutrition prior to race day.
• Prepare the night before and get all of your nutritional needs ready for an early start.   Remember to factor in how you will be arriving at the event and how to accommodate eating your last meal 2 hours before the start.  Will you be in a hotel?  Will you be driving?  Will you be at the race start and in transition?  Visualize how you see your pre-race activities will go and how you will execute your nutrition plan.
• Stick with your plan on race morning!
• Remember to have access to your hydration during the final two hours prior to the race via a water bottle or other hydration tools.
• How about your hydration in transition?  Do you like to wash your mouth out with water if the swim is in in salt water?  Have access to your water bottle during your transition set up just in case.
• Stick with your plan and note what worked for you and what did not and adjust for the next race day.

Our next topic will focus on race day nutritional considerations.  Happy Training!

Cheryl

Ordering will be different this year. All orders will be done through this link with Voler. Uniforms will be shipped to Raise the Bar and then be available for pick up when they arrive. Ship date is May 18, so they should arrive by May 23 (provided there are no production delays). At the end of this email are the steps to using the ordering system.

We ask that you purchase a race top (triathlon top, sleeveless jersey, bike jersey all work). The uniform will have color changes and logo changes from 2011 and you are welcome to purchase tri/bike shorts but last years should still match if you would prefer to stay with those. And then there are lots of extras to choose from.

I have been told by Voler, that with the design and material changes, it will be important to try things on. Remember there are no returns or exchanges. So make sure you are ordering the correct item. Some of the changes include women specific jackets/vests, changes in arms, wrist and waist openings on all jackets, complete new line of tri clothing and new fabrics.

Please take paper and a pen with you, there are race cut and club cut on tops, materials can be different, even for the same item. Write the bag label down and size, so when you get home, you know what you are purchasing.

Also your credit card will not be billed until the order is closed on March 26.  Email me if you have questions.
Welcome to the Voler Online Ordering System

Your team has decided to use the Voler Custom Online Order System for collecting and processing your cycling apparel order. Please follow the steps below to place your individual order for inclusion in the overall team order.

1.      Click on this link to access your team order site: http://www.voler.com/custom/ordering/li/2076

2.      Select “Create New Account” to enter your Login/Billing Info. Click on “Create Login” to save the information and to create your new User ID and Password. You will automatically be directed to the home page for your team order.

3.      Click on “Add Items to Your Order” to gain access to the orderable products page. To place items to your shopping cart, click on the item you want to order, then the options you want to select, then the “add to cart” button. You can choose to “View Your Cart” or “Continue Shopping” after adding each item. Repeat these steps for each item you want to order.

4.      After placing the last item you want to order in your shopping cart, click on “View Your Cart” to display the items. Carefully review the items and make any necessary modifications or deletions. Because each item is custom built, refunds and exchanges will not be accepted. After you have confirmed your order is correct, click on “Continue to Checkout” to complete the secure checkout process by entering your credit card payment information.

5.      After you have completed the secure checkout process, an Order Confirmation will automatically be displayed and e-mailed to you for your records.

6.      After the order deadline date has passed, you will no longer be able to access the order site. If you have not completed the checkout process for your order by this date, any items in your cart will be removed. The Order Deadline and the Order Ship Date are displayed on the order homepage. The Ship Date is the date that your order will be shipped directly to your Coordinator for distribution.

Thank you for your order. If you have any questions, please call 800-488-6537 and ask for assistance from a Voler Customer Service Representative, or send us an email at sales@voler.com.

RTB Coach Alissa Anderson has put the finishing touches on 18-week training plans for sprint and olympic distance races. These 18 week plans will begin on 3/19 for Seafair and Chelanman. And it just so happens that the Issaquah Triathlon fits very nicely into the plan if you start it on 3/19! RTB is also offering an 18 week group coaching session for Seafair and Chelanman, which will be using these plans. If you are interested in Group Coaching for Seafair or Chelanman, let us know.

The training plans are also certainly suitable for any triathlon of those distances, and if you’re headed to a different sprint or oly you should give them a look.

If you’re doing the Chelanman Half Ironman and would like to jump into a good solid plan, you can purchase Brian Guillen’s 16 week Half Ironman plan and begin it on 4/02.  Brian is a seasoned halfer and has written a plan that’s been making some early-season halfers faster already. Group coaching is also available for the Chelanman Half.

If you’d like to learn more about the plans, you can find them Here.  Please direct any questions to Alissa.

Well, the answer is “nutritional and hydration training”.  It is something we all think about but easily can get sidetracked or overlooked when we are training for that special event during the triathlon season.   This article, the first in a 4 part series, will focus on some basics that can assist you with your nutritional training.

For your daily basic training workouts while you are preparing for that summer triathlon event, it is commonly agreed that a workout up to two hours in length may not require additional nutrition given the workout is a moderate workout and not designed to be a high intensity training session.   It is also commonly agreed that hydration is more important priority then nutrition during those workouts.  You should not need to consume any additional calories during a training session that lasts less than one hour because you start with enough stored glycogen to get through the workout.    During these short workouts you may want some hydration available, but it may not be needed.

What about workouts lasting longer than 2 hours?   That gets a little more complicated.  Taking into consideration your fitness, what you ate before the workout, and what you hope to obtain from the workout, having additional calories can help you achieve the goals of the workout.

The key is to treat your nutrition as a training event much like you have a scheduled swim, bike, or run.  Think about what the workout goals are and how many calories have you consumed before the workout?  Do you have 2 scheduled workouts in one day?   If you do not experiment and “train” with your nutritional and hydration prior to race day, you also could risk how well you will do in that race you have been planning and spending some much time training for.

Some guidelines for you to consider for your “nutritional and hydration” training:

• Consider the goals of your workout along with the duration.  Less than one hour should not require additional calories but you may want access to hydration during or post the workout.
• As you review your training schedule for the week also plan your weekly nutritional and hydration needs.   Print out a calendar and plot your workouts each day and the projected time of the day your workout will occur.
  • Example – Is your swim workout on Tuesday at 6am and you are waking up and going to the workout without any nutrition?   Your body has been fasting all night while sleeping so you may want to consider some calories that include carbohydrates and small portion of protein to get you ready for that 2400 meter swim.
  • Experiment with what works for you and what your optimal nutritional and hydration needs are while you are leading up to those triathlon events this summer.   Try adding and subcontracting calories and create a training diary of what you ate, when, and how you felt during the workout.  This will help you develop a nutritional program that will work for you during training and ultimately determine what may work for you on race day.

Happy nutritional and hydration training!   Our next topic will focus on pre-race race day nutritional considerations.

Coach Cheryl

Eventually, after much searching, Goldie found a plan that seemed almost “just right.”  It was 20 weeks, just like she wanted, and in general, it was at an appropriate skill level for her.

However, Goldie was an experienced “roadie,” and she wished that some of the bike workouts were more challenging. Also, she was planning on doing STP in one day this season, and needed to fit in some extra-long rides.  And while Goldie was quite the roadie, she was most definitely not a fish, and had been hoping to spend an extra training day in the water to work on her swimming technique. Oh, and there was the little matter of working weekends—she would need to do her long bikes/runs during the week, rather than on the weekend as the plan prescribed. Goldie also wasn’t so sure that a rest week every fourth week was the way to go for her. In previous seasons she had noticed that she never felt quite recovered from her workouts, and wondered if a rest week every third week would be better.

As Goldie considered all the customizations she needed to make to the plan before her, she wished she had someone to help her. It was difficult to figure out where and  how to add more intensity to the bike, lengthen  rides, add in an extra swim, move the long workouts to the weekdays,  change the frequency of the rest weeks, and fit all the workouts together so that she didn’t have too many hard workouts back to back. She also had a number of questions about specific workouts and wished she could ask someone with experience in creating training plans.

As some people tell it, Goldie became frustrated and scared and ran all the way home, never to return to the forest of training plans again. But I know the true, fairytale ending:  An enthusiastic Raise the Bar member happened upon her at just the right moment and encouraged her to join Raise the Bar. Goldie joined the team and took advantage of the option to hire

an RTB coach to sit down with her and customize her almost-just-right plan into a plan that was just right for Goldie. And she raced happily ever after. The End.

Interested in seeing RTB’s Training Plan selection?  Click Here

Sunday, October 16 at 11 AM

ice cream run – 3 mi

ice cream run – 5 mi

ice cream run – 5 mi directions

ice cream run – 9 mi

Dave Scott and Mark Allen in an epic battle

By Dave Scott
Triathlete magazine

When I first began my career as a triathlete in 1976, quality coaching came from within. The sport of triathlon was still new, and hiring a triathlon coach was simply not an option.

There were many great coaches representing each individual sport, but none that could link the three disciplines together. Thus, it was in my interest to research and study the many variables involved in achieving results.

In the early days, I thought more was better, so I logged huge miles on the bike. For example, in preparation for the 1981 Ironman I took part in a local bike tour. I think I took one bottle of water and one banana on the 210k ride. And while there were many aid stations along the way, I made my first stop at the 150k mark. I may have eaten my banana there.

As I carried on in the tour I began to realize that I was having trouble remaining strong and alert. I remember seeing a number of road signs warning me of a steep decent with a sharp turn. The next thing I remember is being on the pavement with several people standing around me. Then I awoke nine hours later in the hospital with 109 stitches in my head. I never forgot that lesson: the importance of understanding exercise physiology, endurance nutrition and the make-or-break significance of pulling it all together.

Today, there’s no shortage of training information, tips and tricks circulating in every form of media. The challenge now isn’t finding the information, it’s filtering out the proven methodologies from the unproven or just plain foolhardy advice. A well-trained coach can help you filter out the nonsense and keep you focused on the task of reaching your personal athletic goals. But how do you choose a coach that’s right for you?

The Coach’s Role

To start, find a coach with a solid understanding of exercise physiology and the functions of workload. Preferably this individual has an education that includes in-depth study of exercise physiology, kinesiology, anatomy, nutrition and sports psychology.

This, coupled with real-life experience as an athlete, lays the foundation for a solid coach. In addition, a good coach must also possess a solid grasp of training fundamentals, such as cross-referencing key indicators including speed, heart rate, watts and perceived exertion.

Getting Started

Part of putting these fundamentals into practice involves the selection of marker sets to establish your baseline indicators and to assess your progress throughout the season. Only from this point can a truly customized coaching program be designed for you to ensure you reach your goals.

Then, taking into consideration the full calendar of activities you plan to participate in, your coach will design your program based on the principle of periodization: developing your fitness within a series of micro-cycles that target different training metrics such as strength, endurance and speed, interspersed with adequate periods of rest and recovery to ensure you keep building from cycle to cycle.

Once your program has been created, it’s important for your coach to monitor your training and recognize the symptoms of over-reaching and over-training. Each training cycle must have a clear purpose and must effectively prepare you for the subsequent phase. Building in recovery during each micro-cycle is critical, as all too often I see athletes arrive at race day over-trained, injured or doubting their abilities.

Here is my report on the 2^nd Annual Finish Strong Sprint Triathlon at Lake Tye Park, Monroe, WA, which was apparently not on the RTB radar this year—no one else there but me, as far as we could tell.  Got plenty of RTB love anyway from my support group, Kris.

The course consisted of a ¼ mile swim w/ beach start, a 14 mile mostly flat out-and-back bike course w/ a couple of small hills, and a 3.1 mile flat run on paved trail.  There was also an Olympic distance tri covering the same terrain twice.

Swim was uneventful.  Came into transition 55/160 overall and 3/6 age group.  Swim time of 10:47 seemed high until I considered my slow jog/slog up the beach to transition probably used up 2 minutes of that, so on target for actual swim pace.

I had not practiced, nor even thought a lot about transitions this year.  That showed as I struggled to………….put on socks.  Next race, I’ll take time to dry feet thoroughly, use thinner smoother socks, and powder them inside beforehand.  T1 time of 2:35.01 felt more like 10.

Bike was also uneventful.  I mostly concentrated on keeping a high cadence, hoping to preserve leg strength.  Finished with a 16.5 mph pace, not too far off target.

T2 of 41.6 seconds.  No more sock issues.

In 5 sprints last year, I never once completed the run w/o walking some of it.  Heading out from transition this day was again slow and painful, but this time I at least kept shuffling along until my legs began to slowly return to some semblance of life.  It helped that the course was absolutely flat, and also that my run training had improved a lot over last year.  Finishing this leg of the race w/o walking was a victory in itself for me.  Clocked a 10:31/mile pace, slower than target but plenty good enough for today.

Total time was 1:37.33.3, putting me at 99/160 overall, and 6/6 age group (less than a minute behind 5^th).

In conclusion, I would recommend this race next year to fellow RTBers for the following reasons.  The course itself is flat and fast (good for athletes of all levels of fitness, experience and ability), it’s also spectator friendly (open space, ample on-site parking, restrooms, kid’s play area, shelters), the race logistics were well-managed (http://finishstrongevents.com/) with professional timing services by BUDU, AND there was ice cream post-race.