Things on my Xmas Tri wish list - Bike Fitting at Plan B

I've ridden my bike in almost the same position for 2 years. It's a road bike, but I wonder if I have it setup in the best triathlon position.

Getting your bike properly fitted is one of the top 10 things you can do to add speed for very little.

I took my wife to Plan B Cycling for her birthday to get fitted on a bike we got her six months earlier for Christmas. She went from pain in her back to wanting to ride every day.

I don't have any pain (Except for my cramping), but I feel like I could be a little more aerodynamic.

Steve will look at everything and make little adjustments to see the power increase or decrease. This is one gift I will probably get for myself if someone else doesn't get it first.

Next years goals - Swim faster!

SWIM FASTER!

Of course I can get faster at everything, but it doesn't hurt to focus on this one.

There are a few things I can do to make this happen.

* Go to the masters swim program more (Or get masters level swimmers to train closer to DeLand with me)

* Actually develop a training schedule instead of just hammering with the masters group

* Have my stroke technique videotaped in Port Orange. They do this great program where they videotape you and analyze what you are doing

* Swim straight in open water

Another great deal. From my sponsor Rudy Project

If you are looking for a new pair of glasses, NOW IS THE TIME! For $200 you can get a pair of glasses and $290 of other gear. Including a helmet, shirt, bag, etc. Check it out!

http://www.e-rudy.com/

Honeystinger Protein Bar Offer

One of my sponsors is having a really good special on their protein
bars. I have not had a chance to try the Peanut Butta Pro, but the
dark chocolate ones are rich and awesome! They are great for recovery
after a long workout, a light meal when you are busy, or a heavy
snack. I attached the ad below....

"In appreciation of our valued customers, the crew at Honey Stinger
would like to extend a special offer. Our three awesome power-packed
protein bars, perfect for workout recovery or a light meal replacement
are on special for 25% off - that's just $21.29 for a box of 12 bars.
Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond, Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond, and
Peanut Butta Pro are all available for the special. And - if you
purchase for or more boxes, the shipping will also be free. Place
your order today at
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?HoneyStinger/d83147ed27/36f69af223/2d38c554be,
or call toll-free: 866.GO.HONEY.

Have a great day,
The Crew at Honey Stinger"

Next years goals - Not cramp up in the Olympic

I need to get through my cramping in the run. 3 Olympic distance races, 3 times that I cramped up during the run.

I have a few suspicions about what it might be.

* Not getting enough nutrition on the bike. Not downing enough HoneyStinger gels

* Pushing myself too hard on the bike

* Not being at the top fitness level I could be at.

What I have tried -

* Drinking more fluids

* High cadence at the end of the bike

Next years goals - Place in an Olympic Distance

I am going to place in an Olympic distance. I have yet to place in my age group at one of these.

I was only a few seconds from medaling at the AFACTri (They had 5 places in the AG), I'm assuming this just wasn't my season.

I really need to work on the endurance of my run and holding onto a faster pace.

Next years goals - Get an overall

I am going to get my first overall!!!

I have been in the top 10 long enough. I was in the top 4 at one race this year, although it was so small there was only one overall place.

I am going to get a top 3 in one of my races next year. I don't know which one, but I feel it coming.

FINALLY! A Masters Swim Program in DeLand!!!

I just received this awesome news from Kathy! (kathytris@bellsouth.net)

I am looking forward to joining the Master's Class!

And if Kathy needs it, helping out with the Tri-Training!

Master's Swim Class

Nadine, DeLand YMCA Aquatics Coordinator, has set up a Master's swim class beginning in December. The monthly cost is $55 for members. There will be a morning and evening session available to you. The morning session is on Tuesday & Thursday from 7:45 - 8:45 a.m., and the evening session is on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Triathlon Training

I will be starting my triathlon clinic at the beginning of the year. There is a possibility of having an evening session as well as the usual morning session. The evening session would begin somewhere between 5:00-5:30 p.m. (M,W, or Th) and the start time for the morning session between 8:00-9:00 a.m. (Tu or W) If you are interested, please let me know what day & time would be best for you. At this time, I do not know the day or time for tri swim training, but I will keep you posted.

Please give me feedback as to your level of interest in these programs and any other suggestions that you feel would make the programs beneficial to you.

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to those you know may be interested in finding out more about these programs. Thank you for your time.

Kathy Schwerdfeger

Next Years Goals - Become a certified spin instructor

After just falling short of quite of a few of my goals, I hope to achieve them next year. I also am setting some new goals.

I am looking heavily into getting certified as a Spinning instructor. This will also put me in position to become a fully certified trainer. I also am interested in becoming a USAT 1 coach.

There are very few coaches in the area and triathlon seems to be springing up left and right. I love to see new people trying this sport out and I enjoy giving back.

ACT Run for the Runaways 5k

My wife, Liz, raced her first 5k. I wasn't sure if I was going to be a fan
or join her, but since it was for a good cause I decided to join in.
Outside of the gift of giving to a good cause, we were well rewarded with some nice door prizes at the end of the race.

As for the race, the tide was high and it was difficult to find hard sand for this
beach run. There was also a 5-15mph crosswind from the west.

Running 1-2 times a week is not the way to train if you want to set a new PR, so I wasn't expecting it of myself. There were only about 50 people in the race and a couple regulars. I was happy with a 22:39, 7th overall and first in my age group (Of only 3 people in my age group). This was a 7:17 min/mile pace.

The difference between me and first (An amazingly fast 10 year old!), was 1:31.

Liz did awesome for her first race, she was 24th overall and first in
her age group. She's doing awesome for someone who had given up on running at the beginning of the year. She has only given it a second chance and started training in it over the past few months.

Our next 5k is the Thanksgiving 10miler and 5k put on by AltaVista here
in DeLand. I know there will be a lot more people for that, but I
also hope to do a bit more training over the next couple weeks.

Things on my XMas Tri Wish List - New Garmin Forerunner

As I said before, my Garmin Forerunner has been indispensable. The
new ones (305 and 405) have only become smaller. The 305 is only a
little more expensive than a new 301 right now and there is an
upcoming sale on it at Costco. This will make it almost the same
price.

The biggest advantage that I see to upgrading is the size (and having a working heart rate monitor again). These new ones are small enough that I don't see them getting in the way during the swim. The 301 is large enough that I had attempted to swim with it, but found it cumbersome. All of these Forerunner's are water resistant.I have not had a chance to play with the 305 or the 405, but in looking at the specs here are the biggest differences that I have seen.

The 405 is smaller and newer.

The 305 allows you to do multi-sport with the press of a button. This means that each time you switch to a different sport you can do so by pressing a button. This is great during races because there is no break in your timing. If you press the button at the right times you can even have your transitions. I use this feature whenever I race with my 301 and I love it. I would hope that the 405 has some way to do multi-sport and I'm very weary to buying one until I find this out. This would definitely send me back to the 305 or waiting for a newer model.

The 405 allows you to send your data to your computer via wireless.

The 405 is not compatible with the mac. This was a problem with the 301, so I can live with it, but actually having a compatible Forerunner would be nice, especially with so few other differences.

I am going to need a heart rate monitor for the new season, so I'm probably not looking at waiting for the next model. And with the great price on the 305, there very well may be one under my tree this year.

Things that worked - Garmin Forerunner 301

I've used the Garmin Forerunner 301 GPS almost every time I run or bike
for two years now. It tells me accurately how fast I'm going, how far
I've gone, how to get back home if I get lost, it let's you set-up
training programs like intervals, and soooo much more.

I even race with it. It's great to know your pace on the run, so you don't burn yourself out.

This wasn't my first Garmin. I used a Garmin Ique for my car a few
years before I got this one. I was so impressed that I knew I
couldn't go wrong with GPS.

Combined with the FIRST program, this little device gave me a lot of
motivation. Seeing instant results of how you are doing, without
having to do do the math of minutes per mile, is a huge inspiration.

My biggest complaint is that I have had to send it back to the
company because the heart rate monitor stopped working. I bought a
second one to hold me over until the first one came back. The second
one got lost, and now the first one's heart rate monitor has stopped
working again.

Even without a heart rate monitor, it is one of the best purchases I
have ever made and I definitely plan to continue upgrading.

Things I learned - FIRST run Training

This isn't exactly new. I used this last season, but it helped me drop my first year run time down from a 8:30/mile in my first sprint triathlon to a 7:06/mile for a 5k at the end of the season.

The Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training has training programs for a 5k through a full marathon. First you find your tempo pace, and then you plug that into each program. You then have a 12-16 week run training program, with run training only 3 days a week. That's right 3 days a week.

http://www.furman.edu/first/

Things I Learned - Goggles don't last forever, ways to make them last

* New goggles make the fog go away

Your swim goggles won't last forever. They start to loose their coating and fog up easier. They also get scratched up.

A way to keep them from scratching though is to keep the case that they came in (My Speedo goggles came in a plastic case) and always put them back in the case when you are done. This will keep them from moving around your bag and getting scratched.

12.2.08 @Triatheletemag: Put a few drops of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo in each goggle lens. Rinse them until there is just a slight film left. No fog = "No More Fears."

How to be frugal with your triathlon training

Active posted this nice article on how to save some money with your training. I know I put it on twitter, but I thought it was worth a blog entry.

http://www.triathletemag.com/Departments/Training/2007/The_frugal_triathlete__Success_for_less.htm

I would like to add. You can check out books and DVDs at your local library for free.

Also you can usually find cycling clubs for free. A great resource for the Orlando cycling community is blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_thechaingang/

Things I learned - Duck dive when you start

When I was really young and living in California we went to the
Hawaiian Islands often. The waves were big there. The only way to
get out in the ocean to body surf the waves back in, or body board on them, was to dive
under them right before they crash down.

In a lake swim there may not be waves, but diving into the water can
give you an advantage. If you try to run through the water, you are
going to meet a ton of resistance. If you try to swim through the
water, you are going to find a pack of people ahead of you.

The best method is one that I learned by watching the pros in a few
races (And had learned long ago from a surfer heading out to the waves in the ocean). You dive, stand-up, then dive again and repeat until you can't
stand. This is where it's really important that your goggles are on
tight.

When I started this late in the season, I would find myself in a good
position. Now only if I could swim straight to keep that position!

Things I learned - Tighten your goggles before a race

* tighten your goggles before a race!

Early in the season I was running into a problem that I didn't remember having the previous year, my goggles would slide off early into the swim. I had bought a new pair of goggles of the 2008 season. They felt just right when I trained in the pool and if I tightened them any it started to become painful.

I started asking around for solutions, and Karen McLarty gave me the answer (Thanks!). She said to just tighten my goggles before a race. She also showed me the proper way to wear them (although I'm still bad about this) You wear them on the top back of your head and not over your ears like glasses.

The race is quick, unlike long days of training in the pool, so being tight isn't as much of an issue. This is also important to help with the next thing I learned....

Things I learned - Heat WILL slow you down, even if you train for it!

* Florida heat can REALLY affect your training, even if you are acclimated to it. This mainly applies to running.

The beginning of my season, early March and April, was great. In sprints I was PRing on my runs faster than a 5k that I ran in November. Then came the Florida summer. I just thought I had been overtraining when my run times started to drop drastically.

I thought it might be attributed to a poor training routine (And I'm sure this didn't help). Then I did some research and came across an article stating that your run can drop as much as 10% in the heat of the summer. This described me exactly. There is a similar article in the NY Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/health/nutrition/03Best.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Just to back up my theory. I was out in California, and I ran 10 miles easily. I was struggling to run 6 miles in Florida, even with hydrating well.

When I figured this out late in the season. I started training on the treadmill, which helped, but due to some life situations I didn't get to really expand on this.

After learning this I plan to do more training early in the mornings or head to the treadmill at the gym. If I do end up going out in the heat, I am going to stick to workouts I know I can finish while fatigued and not get on myself for not accomplishing goals in the heat.

There are also some pointers on training in the heat at http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/Keep_Your_Cool__10_Ways_to_Beat_the_Heat.htm

Things I learned - Watch out where you peak

* Plan your races accordingly and give yourself some rest in between major races.

I think that I peaked too soon and once I fell off my high I started to drag through the rest of the season. I tried hard to hold onto what I had left.

My first race was good. My two Olympic distance races in March were decent. My races after the Olympics were awesome! By early June I was starting to see my times falling, even after I gave myself rest. I was feeling burned out in my run (Which also had to do with the heat) and I found it hard to train when I wasn't reaching goals I set.

I also need to figure out a way to give myself more rest in the middle of the season and really plan out my season for a few peaks and breaks. I Also am going to start my main training a little bit later this next season.