TRI Tampa Bay Triathlon Training

Never Take ‘IT’ For Granted…

CoachJon — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 01:09:56 +0000

What is ‘it’ to me? In relation to triathlon, my ‘it’ has been being a runner. Running is the background sport that helped me to find triathlon. We all have one, that one sport that we used to do exclusively before we dove into the multi-sport arena. Running has always been my fallback, my strength, my time to make up ground and to shine – until last weekend that is. Racing the Ironman San Juan 70.3, I made the mistake of taking my ‘it’ for granted. Oh I had been running plenty leading up to the race. I had even PR’d both a 10K and 13.1 in the month before the 70.3, but it was not enough. In fact, having a few great road races led me into a false sense of confidence with regards to my running ability in San Juan. I knew the course was hilly, I knew it would be hot – but I am a runner, so it would be no problem. Being from Florida, I train in the heat all of the time. But this early on in the year we have not had much warm weather and certainly no long periods of hot weather. And as for hills, if you live in Florida I needn’t say more than – there are none! So I prepped the best I could, or so I thought. I got in my long bricks, a few hill repeats and treadmill hill sessions and again I took my ‘it’ for granted. It became very clear about 4 miles into the run leg of the race that this was going to be a serious battle; and one I was not prepared for. My pace steadily declined, the hills and the heat were getting the best of me – and then it happened around mile 9. I stopped to walk. Three weeks before this day I had run the fastest 13.1 miles of my life and now I am walking! This cannot be happening. What is going on? I took my ‘it’ for granted and it cost me. The next 4 miles were a mental and physical back and forth battle as I wrestled with my disappointment and my physical exhaustion. I finished, but much slower than I had expected to and in much worse shape than I had planned as well. But I will not let this get me down, I will take from it the positives and learn from my mistakes. I will train smarter and harder and will not take my ‘it’ for granted again. I am sure that we have all had a similar situation occur, in our sporting life or another area. The question is how do you respond to it? Accept it, get over it, learn from it and get better from it – that is the only way. The other option will eat you alive…

Coach Jon

The Time Is Now…

CoachJon — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 14:13:53 +0000

What better place than here? What better time than now? If you are like me, you are right in the middle of the holiday hoopla. This wonderful time of year that brings family and friends together from afar. The time when we really remember what matters most in our lives. A time to give, a time to share – and a time to start getting race ready again! My 2011 season is planned, the ‘A’ races selected, the training plans developed (mostly anyway!), now it’s time to get serious. The brief but enjoyable ‘off-season’ (yeah right!) is over and now it’s back to business. The season seems to keep getting longer now with big races in our area(s) coming even earlier this year. I used to wait until the end of April for my first, now it comes in mid-March with the inaugural San Juan 70.3 IM. As the season gets longer we need to be smarter. We need to pay even closer attention to our overall health and fitness levels. With up to 8 months of racing ahead we need to ensure that we are ready. Do you have a plan? Is it a good plan? And most importantly, will you follow that plan? As triathletes we need to stop thinking just about the next race and start thinking and planning for the next 50 or 100 races. As the saying goes – ‘fail to plan, plan to fail’ – those words could not be more appropriate. So while it is ‘go’ time, it is also ‘go smarter’ time. Time to train hard and train fast, but only within the confines of our plans. Extra, empty or garbage mileage or training time is just that – garbage. Avoid it like the plague and make every minute of every session count. No more going through the motions just for the sake of fitting it in. Approach every session, every day, every lap and every mile with purpose and intensity. The time is now… Are you ready?

Keep Charging,

Coach Jon

Season Over? Now What…

CoachJon — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 12:30:52 +0000

A lot of us in the Tampa Bay area raced for the last time this weekend at the Suncoast Triathlon at Ft. DeSoto. While there are a few more races left if you are up for a bit of travel, this race has marked the end of the season for me over the past few years. Always a bitter sweet time as we stand at the waters edge waiting for the horn to sound and start the last dance. I try and take a few moments and reflect back on all of the hard work, all of the success, all of the friends and family that have been so supportive and then it hits me – what do I do now? So much of our lives revolves around triathlon that the off season can be a tough time for some. We thrive on the structure that training and racing brings to our lives, we need that feeling of lactic acid building in our bodies and the sheer exhaustion that comes only after a long, hard brick session! Hold on a minute! Not quite done yet, still have one more race to finish – focus now, HAMMER DOWN! Alright, NOW my season is done! Time for a few weeks of well deserved rest and recovery, time for family, time for friends, time for all of the things in life I may have neglected over the past six months. But before long, I will be planning my race schedule for next season and building my training plans to make sure I am ready. I will be back in the pool, back on the bike, back on the road and back in the gym. I will make next season my best ever (I say that every year and you should too!). So my question to you is this – What will you do now? Will you wait until March to decide to start training? Will you go through another season of choosing races at the last minute and never really reaching your potential? I hope not, and if you plan on making next season better, I would love to help!

Keep Charging!

Coach Jon

Who Needs A Coach?

CoachJon — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 23:25:08 +0000

Who needs a coach? I need a coach. That’s right, even coaches need and use coaches to get better, to be held accountable, to monitor progress; all of the reasons you may need or use a coach apply to someone who already is a coach. Athletes at all levels of sport have coaches to help them get better. The best of the best in every sport imaginable, know that there is always more to learn, always ways to improve their game, their stroke, their performance. The person that thinks they know it all is the same person that will never reach their true potential. In the sport of triathlon, the learning curve is great and is always being pushed farther. The constant flow of new information, new equipment, new modalities of training, etc. – make the role of the coach all the more vital to an athletes success. Coaches are not only there to prescribe training plans, they should be the one to answer questions and offer assitance in multiple areas of the athletes life, even outside of the arena of triathlon; much like a mentor, counselor and friend does. Trying to be your best all by yourself can be very hard and lonely; so ask yourself this – who needs a coach? And the answer all serious triathletes should have is – I do!

Keep Charging,

Coach Jon

Know Your Role…

CoachJon — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 16:44:46 +0000

Today was my first DQ from a race, and now the pity party begins! I was having an awesome day, great swim, fastest T1 of the day, fastest bike split on the course, fluid T2 and feeling strong on the run. I was over 4 minutes ahead of second place coming off the bike and new the race was mine to win (or lose). I had run about 2 miles of the scheduled 5K when out of nowhere I see the finish chute. I new I had not run fa enough so I began to yell to race personnel and find out what was going on. Turns out I was misdirected coming out of T2 and was sent in the complete wrong direction, missing the first mile of the run. Problem was that they were not set up or ready for me as I came off of the bike. Several volunteers and spectators saw me being led in the wrong direction but at that time they had no idea, since I was so far in front. Needless to say I was (am) very disappointed at not claiming the title, but that is besides the point. My point is that it is each persons responsibility to know their role, whatever it may be. As an athlete, it is your job to study all aspects of an unfamiliar course before the race begins. Where will I enter T1? Where will I will I exit T2? Where are the water stations? What will the terrain be like on the run? These and many more items must be clear to the athlete to ensure that no mistakes occur. For the coach, they must make sure that their athletes are checking these things and that they are clear on not only race logistics, but rules as well. For the race director, they must ensure that all volunteers know their jobs and execute them accordingly. They must make sure that there is good communication and that each section of the course is well marked (in advance) to avoid and misdirection of athletes. While it is very difficult to swallow, I know that I share the blame for what happened to me today. I cannot blame the volunteers, as they were just trying to help and without their efforts, none of us would ever be able to race! I also know that the race directors do their best to avoid this type of situation, so I am not bitter. Just please take the time to do your research before each race and to make sure that whatever part you play in your next race – KNOW YOUR ROLE!

Keep Charging!

Coach Jon

Quantifying Results

CoachJon — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:52:10 +0000

The sport of triathlon is full of variables – so how do you tell if you are getting better? While not every triahtlete races competitively, most of us chose to apply all of the hours and miles of training time to the race course at least a few times per season. So when it’s over, how do we tell if we performed to our expectations, or if we are faster this race than the last? You will always be able to compare yourself to the rest of the field on that day; but you want to know about YOUR performance. With race distances and conditions varying from venue to venue, one races 10K trail run run may be vastly different from anothers concrete hill climb. True open water swims are completely different from lakes and are constantly changing due to tides, rips, currents and innacurately measured courses. And of course 40Kbike courses can be as different as night and day. Weather, terrain, distance in transition, amount of competitors, when your wave starts, etc. – all can and will make it difficult to quantify your individual performance. So what do we do? My suggestion is to take the big picture and break it down. If comparing apples to oranges isn’t specific enough for you – try and turn the oranges into apples! For a long time I have broken down my race results into smaller bits (distances) as a method of trying to really compare the gains I am making as an athlete. Instead of just looking at each split time as a whole, break it into smaller segments that help level the playing field and even out all of the variables that make our sport so unique. I measure my swim performance in 100M (or yard) segments, my bike in 1K (or mile) segments and my run in 1k (or mile) segments. I even track my T1 and T2 times from race to race. I use a simple Excel spreadsheet and it gives me my average times over these distances for each race. It will also give me my total average times for the entire season, and even my whole racing career. This way I can truly see how much faster (or slower on some days!) I have become. Hope this tip helps you to quantify your triathlon results and gives you more information to help you focus your training. Best of luck to everyone as we head towards the end of another season…

Keep Charging!

Coach Jon

Tampa is HOT! HOT! HOT!

CoachJon — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:15:57 +0000

Living in Florida certainly has its advantages – beautiful beaches and water, scenic parks and trails, great college and pro sports teams to support; and of course the best conditions possible for the multi-sport enthusiast! Not too many places allow for year round training and racing so be thankful that we are some of the very few that live in one of them. That being said, WOW is it hot outside lately! Living in Florida we expect the heat (and really love it when it’s 80 degrees in January!), but the heat can force many of us to head for the indoors to train. While the occasional treadmill run or spin class is certainly acceptable, completing abandoning the outdoors to avoid the heat is not the right choice. By avoiding the heat and not allowing your body to acclimate to it, you are setting yourself up for a bad (and potentially dangerous) race day. The bulk of our season is from April through November and within that time frame falls the dog days of summer. You can’t control the weather on race day so you might as well be prepared for whatever Mother Nature wants to throw your way. Heat, wind, waves, rain or even cold weather (anyone race Longleaf last year? Brrrr!) – one of the uncontrollable variable of the sport is the weather. If you do not train it, you cannot race well in it! You have to view what others perceive as an obstacle as one of your strengths if you want to reach your peak. Too hot? Bike at 3pm. Too cold? Run at 5am. Too windy? You get the idea. Don’t use the weather as an excuse to change your training and you will be rewarded. Yes the workouts may not be your favorite, but in the long run you will be thankful that you pulled through. All you need to do is properly acclimate yourself to the conditions and gradually up the intensity and duration until you find your comfort zone. Pay close attention to your hydration and nutrition so you don’t become depleted and you will be fine. Being able to excel in adverse weather conditions can be a huge advantage if you prepare for it. So the next time you step outside in the 92 degree summer for a run, think positively, drink and extra glass of water and know that this workout will make you stronger in the long run!

Train Hard!

Aging RACEfully!

CoachJon — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:15:05 +0000

Yes, another year has passed and I turned 36 on Friday, July 16th. Another year older, another year closer to the grave, another notch on the wall – hold on, I’m depressing myself. The aging process is not something to dread or fear, embrace the years as they pass and all of the wisdom that comes with them. Rather than looking back and longing for the years gone by, or wishing for another chance to do it all over; take what you have done, have learned, have LIVED and use it to make the next year your best year! In the sport of triathlon, age is a funny thing. When you look at most of the Olympic athletes, they are in their twenties (funny but that is old by most Olympic sport standards!); but not our current Ironman champs, they still thrive well into their thirties. How do they do it? How do they avoid the toll that the advancing years takes on their mind, body and spirit? Learning from their past is one way, training smarter instead of harder is another. Triathlon is a mental sport as much as it is a physical one – being mentally tough and understanding the sport will pay huge dividends and it takes time to develop that skill. Youth and enthusiasm will serve you well, but experience and wisdom aren’t bad either. So the next time you feel too old or too tired, don’t give in; you still have plenty of gas in the tank. Back to me and my birthday – I celebrated by placing 3rd Overall at the Moss Park Olympic Distance Triathlon – not bad for a 36 year old geezer!

Keep Charging!!!

Coach Jon

The Juggling Act

CoachJon — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:37:10 +0000

For many of us, finding the time to balance all that life demands can be a serious juggling act. Family, friends and work are all top priorities and consume the majority of our days and time. So how and where do I find the time to train for my sport? There is no simple, one size fits all answer but it certainly can be done. Most people simply do not have the time (or energy) to commit 20 plus hours of training per week to an already full schedule; good thing is you don’t have to! There is no reason why you cannot improve your training and your racing by investing QUALITY time versus and abundance of mediocre miles. I truly believe that quality will win over quantity every time. By properly planning and periodizing your training and racing schedule you will see gains without overloading your plate or your body. Yes, it will take the occasional early morning, later evening session or long weekend ride, but being a triathlete does not mean that you have to always fly solo and neglect your family and friends! My advice, take a step back and evaluate your current plan; look at where, when and how you train and see if it makes sense for what your seasons goals are. If not, it’s time for a change, and maybe I can help. Drop me an email or give me a call, I would be more than happy to give you a few hints that may just be what you need to make this season your best ever – and still have time to put the kids to bed each night! Keep charging my friends!

- Coach Jon

TRI season in Full Swing!

CoachJon — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:32:58 +0000

April through November is what I consider ‘triathlon season’ in the Tampa Bay area, and we are smack in the middle of it. With so many races to choose from – you can literally race almost every weekend without traveling more than 50 miles – planning your season is something you should have done long ago. To reach your best you must plan your season and train around your designated ‘A’ races. Most Age Groupers (amateurs) only perform at 85% of their maximum due to poorly conceived and executed training plans. By properly periodizing your training (and nutrition) around those ‘A’ races; you have a much better chance at performing to your true potential. But don’t’ worry, it’s not too late to peak this year! With plenty of great races left, there is plenty of time to put all of the pieces together and have a great season. Easier said than done right? Yes it will take hard work and dedication, but you can do it and we can help. Let TRI Tampa Bay put you on the right track for that ‘A’ race and help you get that podium finish or complete that inaugural sprint!