Day 9 of my Birth Month = My Birthday Triathlon

I always tell others they should celebrate their birth month, not just there birthday. When Carla Thompson posted on March 1st, the first day of her birth month and was celebrating for 31 days, I decided since this was a monumental year, turning 40, that I would celebrate with her, for 31 days.

The first few days were uneventful, just posted a random thing that happened each day and chatted with others about doing something EPIC, training wise, on March 9th.

I made my annual hair cut appointment, 6 months early, on Friday March 8th. Tina cut about 4 inches and gave it some flair! Last time I curled my hair was for a singles auction in 2005.

I always like to plan an Epic training day on my Birthday. Last year I road 39 miles, ran 39 (39 second) hill repeats in Edora Park and swam 39X50s with my masters swim group. I always read other, mainly Ultra runner blogs, about how they run their year in miles on their Birthday. Begin the endurance junkie, triathlete, now 3rd year Ultra runner, last month, I decided I wanted to run 40 miles on my Birthday. I mentioned to my BFF Kirsten that I would maybe add a 40 mile ride and 40X100 meter swim.

Plan A was to start at my house, run to the top of Horsetooth Rock, then down though Lory State Park, over the dams of Centennial road then home. That would require my Nathan Pack with changing gear and plenty of water and nutrition. Plan B was to complete my miles on the Stepmill and Treadmill at the Fort Collins Club.

All week the weather forecast for an EPIC snowfall starting at 2am Saturday morning. Friday night I mentally was ready to implement plan B. I woke up to wet conditions, no snow. The temps were falling and the wind was picking up so I decided to stick to plan B and headed to the Fort Collins Club with my tablet, Iphone, energy bars, coconut water and headphones.

I started on the Stepmill which I enjoy. I started training on the stepmill 2-3 days week during the winter months. My team Timex Ultra Runner friend Merideth mentioned running stairs as part of my Ultra Training so I feel good, for now, about the benefits of Stepmill training. While stepping I enjoy reading and posting on facebook and cleaning out my inbox.

Stepping at 90-95 steps/minute (a good running cadence and very aerobic intensity for me) the 2 ish hours went by fast. I was thanking my Facebook friends  for the Birthday wishes and reading fitness and nutrition articles. Catching up with the news (I do not have TV at home) 16 miles done, time to take a bathroom brake, eat a bar, drink some coconut water. If you are interested heat acclimatization  get on the mill cause you will fill buckets with sweat.

The next 8 miles were completed on the treadmill.  The feeling in my legs running after stepping is very much like the feeling my legs have off the bike. It took my legs about 15 minutes to get into my stride. I  bumped up the pace to 8 minute miles.  Legs felt strong. I wanted to keep running but since the FCC was busy I needed to let others use the treadmill. Time for more water and back on to the Stepmill.

I took out my tablet while I stepped another for 8 miles. Now I started to get hungry so took a nutrition break for 10 minutes and ate a few handfuls of grapes and another bar before hopping back on the treadmill for another 6 miles, saving my final 2 miles of running with my dogs.

This entire time I was stepping and running I was debating whether or not I wanted to swim or go home and ride my trainer. I decided since I was at the club and needed to shower, then swimming for an hour would be  best. I jumped in and swam 40X100 meters nice and easy on the 1:40. While swimming I decided after I ran my dogs 2 miles I would nap instead of riding. Since it is my Birth month celebration, I would save my 40 mile bike ride till Sunday.  My triathlons, step/run, swim, nap

Now that I am officially 40, these next 22 days of birth month celebration will include a workout involving the number 40!

Birthday Dinner included La Crema Pinor Noir, Ginger, Coconut Tofu/Sweet Potato Curry, recipe here plus Coconut Cake from Zadie's Deli in Cherry Creek

March Madness Raffle

Enter for a chance to win the following prizes 

ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE THE TIMEX TRAINER

1 WINNER WILL RECEIVE A P90X2 

  

ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE TURBO FIRE

ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE HIP HOP ABS

ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE SLIM IN 6

ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE THEIR CHOICE OF FLAVOR

 

Vegan Strawberry, Vegan Chocolate, GreenBerry or Chocolate Shakeology.

ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A SWIM LESSON OR CONSULTATION

4 WINNERS WILL RECEIVE A $25 BEACHBODY GIFT CODE

To Enter follow the 3 steps below

1. Like t2coaching page on facebook. Click here
2. Sign up for a FREE Team BeachBody account with me. Click here
3. Sign up for t2coaching newsletter. Click here.

Send an email to wendy@t2coaching.com when all three steps are completed. Winners swill be notified April 30th

S.M.A.R.T Goals

Whether your goal is health oriented (to lose weight, gain muscle, lower blood pressure or cholesterol),  improve your fitness level (gain endurance, strength and speed) or sport (train for an event such as a  5k or triathlon) setting S.M.A.R.T. goals can help you achieve success by keeping you motivated and focused. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym used to describe the different attributes a goal should contain to allow you to succeed. The adjectives used in a S.M.A.R.T acronym can vary depending on who you ask, although we all mean the same thing

S – specific, significant
M – measurable, meaningful, motivational
A – achievable, action-oriented
R – realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding
T – time-based, timely, tangible

Here’s how to use S.M.A.R.T.:

1.    Set specific fitness goals: 
A common mistake people make is to set goals that are too vague. If your goal is to train for an event such as a 5k or triathlon, specify the end result, a predicted finish time goal. If you goal is to lower blood pressure find out what your current number is and establish a plan to lower it to a healthy number recommend by your doctor. Write down the significance of your goal, your reason, your why. Knowing why, when, how, and how much are important questions to ask before attempting to achieve your fitness goals.

2.    Make your fitness goals measurable: 
How are you going to measure the result of your goal to determine whether you achieved it or not? Too often athletes set a goal “to finish” and are disappointed by the outcome because they really wanted to finish in a certain time. If you are looking to gain strength and endurance, establish your baseline fitness, and determine how much you can gain. By setting goals that can be measured, you can perform fitness assessments during your training to assess how you have progressed. If you are not moving forward towards your measurable goal then you can change components (frequency, intensity, or duration) of your training plan to keep you motivated. Measuring both your successes and difficulties will also help you evaluate whether your current plan is the optimal way to achieve your fitness goals.

3.    Set achievable, action-oriented goals: 
Another common goal-setting mistake is setting expectations for ourselves that are too high, or simply out of reach. By creating achievable goals early, you will stay motivated and greatly increase your chances of success. Early achievements will often lead to greater success down the road.

4.    Keep your fitness goals realistic and reasonable: 
There’s no need to set unrealistic goals such as “I will finish and Ironman in 10 hours”  when your best half Ironman time is 6 hours and you only have 12 weeks to train. Or you will bench press 200 pounds in one week, when you can only currently bench press 50 pounds.  These unrealistic goals can often set you up for failure and create a loss of motivation. Remember that life, illness, work and family commitments can sometimes temporarily de-rail your training plans and scheduled workouts. Stay committed and consistent to your routine as much as possible, create lifelong habits, without losing motivation, and your goals can continue to progress from one to another.

5.    Set a deadline to achieve your measurable goal: 
Goals with no end date do not create a sense of urgency that helps maintain motivation.   You may find out you are always putting off your training till tomorrow, since you do not have a future goal in sight. A major roadblock to achieving your goal is excuses and procrastination.  Setting a date to achieve your goal can help deal with this common problem.

Following these S.M.A.R.T. guidelines will set you up for success and give you the tools needed to achieve your goals. Remember to be patient, and take great comfort and reward from the slow but steady achievements that will in turn provide you with the motivation needed to achieve your overall fitness goals and make positive lifelong habits.

Purpose, Prepare, PR !

We are one month into the New Year. How are you doing with your health, fitness and sport resolutions or goals? Some of you maybe preparing to complete your first 5k while others are anticipating their first Iron Distance Triathlon. Many of you are feeling empowered to make this your best year yet of training and competition.

Here are five steps you can take to create personal success for yourself in triathlons this year – steps to help you become strong, fit and fast while you embark on a lifetime of triathlon to enhance your wellness.

1.  Identify your reasons for racing triathlons.

Why are you doing this? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What do I most enjoy about triathlon training and racing?
2. What are the best feelings I get to experience in my triathlon training and racing?
3. When I first “fell in love” with triathlon, what was it that felt so great?

Your answers to these questions will help you get closer to your core personal reasons for participating in triathlons.  This process can help you discover or remind yourself why you like triathlons and why you are looking to have a great year.

2.  Create or assess your triathlon goals.

Based on your personal reasons for participating in triathlon, you need to create your goals for the season.  A simple summary of good goal setting advice would be to set specific, positive, challenging (but realistic), and personally meaningful goals.  A good coach can help you to clarify your goals or restructure them in ways that make them more appropriate and helpful; but the core of your goals must come from inside of you.  I encourage you to create your goals based on the reasons you have identified as why YOU like to participate in triathlon. Assess your goals to make sure they are in line with your personal reasons for training and racing. Doing so will help to ensure a year you can look back on with a sense of joy and satisfaction.

3.  Train with direction.

From your well-established goals, you need to train in a purposeful manner to help you to reach your them.  Simply “putting in the miles” or mindlessly following the workouts of your friends or local training groups may bring improvement in the short-term, but will lead to a plateau in your abilities rather quickly.  Instead, carefully assess your current abilities and what stands between them and the abilities you need to have to reach your goals.  From there, create a plan of action that will help you to develop as you need to.  If you need help with this, consider reading some of the great books available on triathlon and endurance sports training, or consider working with a triathlon coach who can help to provide this direction for you.

4.  Create health-enhancing lifestyle habits.

Health and performance are two qualities that go hand-in-hand.  The healthier you are, the better you perform. Two major areas that impact your health are your sleep and your nutrition habits.

While improving your nutrition habits, assign yourself a weekly nutrition plan just as you’d plan your training. Your role each week is to execute this task just as you execute your training.  This allows you to gradually create better eating habits.

With regards to sleep, many ambitious triathletes sacrifice sleep to train more, either early in the morning or late in the evening.  Obviously, you need to train to improve, but when the amount of training you are doing is limiting your ability to get enough sleep each night, you are fighting a losing battle.

5.  Rest as eagerly as you train.

If you train without resting adequately, you won’t make any progress. Most triathletes are aware of this, but many ignore it. If you really want to improve this year, I offer the following suggestions for better resting:

1. Every 3-6 weeks, take a Recovery Week where you train at 50% or less of your training load in your other weeks.
2. Every week, take at least one Rest Day where you perform no training.
3. When possible take a Total Rest Day where you perform no training, no work, and no chores. This is often most possible on a weekend day during a Recovery Week.
4. If you are racing quite a bit, consider a mid-season break somewhere in the summer after a heavy period of racing. Take a week or two away from structured training and triathlon in general. If possible, you can take this break at the same time you take a family vacation. This can recharge your batteries and allow you to continue racing strong in the later summer and fall.

I hope you follow your purposeful progressive training plan based on your experience and goals and continue enjoying the sport for years to come. If you have questions please contact wendy@t2coaching.com

"Luck in what happens with preparation meets opportunity" 

Are you confused about strength training for your endurance sport?

Do you strength train?

Why or why not?

How often?

Do you lift heavy or light weights?

Do you lift 12 months a year?

Are you confused about how frequently, how long and how intensely you should strength train?

Strength training is a positive element for triathletes to implement. The question is, what type of strength work is going to maximize triathlon fitness? From P90x to Crossfit to Yoga and Pilates to "functional" strength, we can get a bit confused about what specific program can best fit the needs of our sport.

We all want to be productive with our training to become more efficient, gain more endurance and strength, and ultimately become faster. I often hear athletes ask if strength training will maximize their performance. The phase “maximize performance” may mean something different to you than it means to me. I ask “what does it mean to you to maximize your performance? What performance do you want to maximize or improve?”

Studies regarding Strength Training vs Performance

I did some research on the topic to help clarify my thoughts. Below is some research done by Justin Levine, Joe Friel and Gale Bernhardt, three notable endurance coaches. They share my philosophies on strength training to enhance performance.

Justin Levine, justintrain.com, discusses how muscular strength starts with improving your soft tissue. “As a triathlete we put stress and impact on our body during training. Our muscles become tight and inflamed and it can limit our performance and increase our chances of injury. You will limit your triathlon performance if you do not improve our muscle tissue quality first.”

“With soft tissue and flexibility issues, strength gains will be limited if we don't solve the tissue problems first," says Lee Burton, president of The Functional Movement Systems. He published his article here

Triathletes should complete self-myofascial release using a foam rolle, massage stick or base ball to keep their structural integrity intact."Massaging overactive soft tissue will reduce any inflammation in your muscles and fascial system, or the sheath that surrounds your muscles" says Taylor. 

Spend 5 to 10 minutes before your workout, then 5 to 10 minutes after executing some soft tissue work using a foam roll, massage stick or a baseball as be part of your strength program. Click here to learn more about how to use a foam roller

As a triathlete we put stress and impact on our body during training. Our muscles become tight and inflamed and it can limit our performance and increase our chances of injury. You will limit your triathlon performance if you do not improve our muscle tissue quality first.
 
Quality Over Quantity

Gale Bernhardt outlines some studies that have been done to measure strength training and performance gains in male and female athletes. Studies on weight training and triathletes are few. One study used fifteen triathletes to determine what effect heavy weight training, in conjunction with endurance training, had on performance.Read results here .

Joe Friel states that when it comes to the strength training for performance, “both sides will toss out research and personal experience as evidence that is does or does not do the endurance athlete any good.” He tends to feel that strength training is beneficial, and I agree. Read more on Joe's studies here:

Despite personal experience or research regarding strength training to enhance performance, I will support the benefits of strength training that I outlined below. These basic benefits for me are reason enough to strength train. An increase in muscle mass and metabolism means a lower body fat percentage, gives me confidence and mental strength and enhances my performance.

Benefits of Strength Training

1. Your metabolism will increase

As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass. This causes our metabolism to slow, which means you could start building a spare tire by the time you reach your 30s. “When you do weight-bearing exercises, you start revving up your metabolism — and it keeps burning for many hours after your workout,” says Wayne Westcott, PhD, director of fitness research at Quincy College and Prevention advisory board member.

 

2. You’ll burn fat.

Muscle tissue is more "active" than fat tissue, with each pound burning about 30 calories a day just to sustain itself. So even if you’re just sitting on the couch or are stuck at your desk for eight hours a day, the extra muscle mass you develop will burn more calories

3. Your body will get tighter.

While cardio is important and will help melt fat, resistance training will help sculpt your body, creating muscle mass and definition.

4. You’ll fit into your skinny jeans.

“One pound of fat takes up much more space than one pound of muscle,” says CrossFit athlete and certified level-1 trainer Cheryl Brost, a 41-year-old mother of two. “So even though muscle weighs more, what do you want all over your body? Something that’s bulky, like body fat, or something that’s lean, and takes up less space, like muscle?”

5. You’ll reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

 "Muscle helps remove glucose and triglycerides from the bloodstream, which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as hardening of the arteries," says Timothy Church, MD, PhD, a preventive medicine expert at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

6. Your blood pressure could drop.

"Strength training lowers blood pressure for ten to twelve hours after each session, which gives your heart a break," says William Haskell, PhD, professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford University. "How strength training does this is not completely understood, but it probably has subtle effects on everything from hormones to nervous system regulation."

7. You can do it anytime, anywhere.

You don’t need a lot of space or a lot of special equipment to get a great strength workout. Simply using your own body weight to do pushups, planks, chair dips, squats, and pull-ups is enough to tone and strengthen your entire body.

8. You’ll blast loads of calories.

Plyometric strength moves (think squat jumps and burpees) and kettlebell workouts spike your heart rate, which boosts the calorie burn of regular strength training routines.  In addition to these types of movements, systems like P90X and Insanity give you cardio, strength, and sculpting all in one, which is a great timesaver.

9. It’s good for your bones.

Strength training builds your bones. “Lifting weights can help counteract age-related bone loss,” says Ethel Siris, MD, director of the Toni Stabile Center for Osteoporosis at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. “Strengthening your muscles also improves balance and keeps you as strong as possible, which lowers your chances of a fall-related fracture.

Whether you join a gym, purchase a home-based fitness DVD, or just do your own modified body weight exercise, the benefits of strength training for health and fitness are clear, increase in muscle mass increases your metabolism so you expend more calories for a leaner body and stronger athlete. 

Who needs the gym? Click here and here to learn more about body weight exercises.

New to the Gym? Click here, about equipment 101

Free weights or machines? Learn more here

SMART GOALS

Happy New Year! 
 
Time to plan ahead for the upcoming year. 

Make your New Year's Resolution to stop starting over!! Make eating right and exercising your new lifestyle. If you fall of track, you get back on track next meal or even next day. Don't let the snowball effect occur because it turns into an avalanche. Overcome the mind barriers!! :)

The new year is a great time to set (and reset) goals.

 Of course, the goal process is twofold:
 
Set the goal so you know where you are headed —Only one person is in control of your life. And no one will make your goals happen for you. After all, would you really want someone to do it for you?  Of course not. So set some big, hairy audacious goals for yourself.
 
Create massive action in the direction of your goals – Action is what gives you power in your life. Action creates confidence and raises your self-esteem. If you do not create change,  nothing will happen… in fact, you may even create negative factors in your life, pushing your goal further away.
 
After you do choose about 3 main goals, break them down to smaller goals and set some objectives. Objectives help create a process for attaining your goal.
 
If you don't know what your goals or actions are, then it is time to sit down & make some SMART goals. Specific, Measurable and with a Time frame in mind. If you follow those first three guidelines, that will make your goals Realistic and Attainable
 
One thing that I have found very useful is to sit down with a calendar and plan out and write down 10 goals.  It is very helpful not only to plan goals, but to put a time frame on when you will reach them. It is very easy to set goals, but by choosing when you will accomplish them will not only motivate you, it will help you hold yourself accountable.

I use this strategy, writing down SMART goals and objectives (actions) while planning out my triathlon race season for 2013. Doing something like this really helps put things in perspective and helps me stay focused throughout your journey. I have worked with many clients and consistency and accountability is usually the issue with getting off an exercise or eating routine. I have found that when my clients create SMART goals, that this helps keep them motivated and to stay on track.

I challenge you in the next week to sit down and think about what you want to accomplish this year and send me an email when you get that done. It may seem very hard and overwhelming at first. If you break down the goal into smaller realistic goals, that will help create the realistic and attainable measure.

The importance of putting your SMART goals down on paper is so whenever you are struggling on certain days, you can look at your goal sheet to keep you motivated and determined to stay the course. If anyone needs help setting goals, please contact me.

Have a great, successful day!

Need more accountability? 

1. Join me on facebook
2. Take the Beachbody challenge
3. Join my Ultimate Reset Support Group

I am excited to hear from you.

Coach Wendy

t2coaching.com 
GOTRIbal Expert Coach
Rocky Mountain High School Swim Coach
NoCo High School Tri Team Coach
Pelican Fest Tri Race Director
Team Timex/Newton/Powerbar athlete
970-308-4499

Tips to stay motivated for the second half of the year

We are half way into 2013. How are you doing with your New Year's Fitness and  nutrition resolutions?  What is one thing you want to change over the next 6 months to reach your goal . Or maybe you need to create more goals for 2013?

Below is a few tips to keep you motivated.

1. Make sure your exercise plan has a purpose (i.e., to run a 5k, train for a triathlon or hike an 8,000-foot peak). Once you have a detailed training plan to follow you'll be much more likely to follow through with a regular routine, and your fitness will improve much more rapidly. Need help creating a plan, just ask.

2. Verbalize your goals Telling friends, family and coworkers about your goal to follow through on a plan of action will hold you accountable to it.

3. Keep a training log. Either in a notebook, in your Iphone or computer, record your activity for the day as well as how you felt while doing it, how much sleep you had the night before, what you ate prior, etc. It will also help you to feel like you've really accomplished something that day

4. Make an monetary investment. Hire a coach or trainer, consult with a Registered Dietitian, mix it up, create muscle confusion and try out a BeachBody program, T25 is the newest Shaun T program.  Investing money in your health keeps you accountable.

5. Involve family members. Schedule time for your workout with your spouse, kids and or friends. Having others to train and exercise with will not only help hold you accountable to your plan, it will make following the plan much more fun.

6. Schedule your workouts as YOUR time. Stress relief time. Time away from co workers and kids.

7. Commit to learning.  Learn about metabolim, nutrition, read food labels and make healthy choices. Send me an email with your questions

8. Reward yourself! While fitness is a huge reward in itself, there’s nothing wrong with giving yourself an added incentive for finishing a program. A new pair article of clothing, a weekend away. You choose, it is YOUR reward

Have you heard about the  Beachbody Challenge. View this video to learn more. The transformation stories are incredible. Who wants to join my BeachBody support groups for on facebook? Send me a message and I will send you more details.

Finish what you started and reach those 2013 Fitness and Nutrition Goals!



Coach Wendy

t2coaching.com
GOTRIbal Expert Coach
Rocky Mountain High School Swim Coach
CSU Triathlon Team Coach
NoCo High School Tri Team Coach
Pelican Fest Tri Race Director
Team Timex/Newton/Powerbar athlete
970-308-4499