jzsouthern

Random training produces random results. You may get faster, you may get slower, or you may make no progress at all. In order to increase your fitness level a few basic and key elements need to be in place. These elements are crucial to your athletic success and should be considered in designing your plan.

The first element is progression. Your body reacts to a stressor (work out), recovers and adapts to that stressor in the form of increased strength, speed, endurance, or power. If you apply the same stress load week after week you will not progress. This is intuitive in regards to endurance; you have to increase mileage or duration each week in order to get to your race goal. Strength, power, and speed work require a similar progression. You must add greater stress loads each week, and recover, in order to move forward.

If you add too much stress too quickly, or with inadequate recovery, you will overload your system and degrade your performance rather than increase it. A gradual progression in stress load is the next key element. In considering weekly increase of total stress load or volume, try not to increase more than 10% with a goal of roughly 6-8%. Weekly volume includes intensity and duration. It is also important to note that an increase in intensity will require greater recovery time even if duration stays the same. As intensity comes up, volume should come down. This progression may seem slow, but even a 1% increase in fitness per week is enormous progress through a season.

Lastly, quantify your training and progress. If your goal is simply to complete a race you need only to be concerned with endurance. A steady increase in duration or mileage will get you to your goal. Strength, speed, or power intervals should be similarly quantified. Each week gradually increase the number, duration, or intensity of your intervals. A coach can help you determine what workouts are best performed at what point in your season. Quantifiable results will motivate. Often athletes are unaware if they are making any progress at all. Make sure you write your plan down so you can see your progression.

Rest and recovery should be quantified as well. Make sure you reduce your volume every 4th week to ensure complete recovery both physically and mentally. Generally I do not train my athletes hard for more than 3 days in a row without a rest or recovery day. With multi-sport athletes the various demands of each sport can be used to balance your plan. An example would be swimming the day after a hard run to give your body a rest from impact. It is important to note that your body is weaker after a workout and only gets stronger if it recovers properly.

Keep a training log of your sleep, resting heart rate, and stress levels to indicate signs of overreaching or overtraining. Overloading is the normal training process. It simply means increasing the stress on your body to cause adaptation to the stress. It is typical to feel short term fatigue with overload. Overreaching occurs when you continue to train at abnormally high loads, or increase them for about 2 weeks. Performance now noticeably decreases and fatigue becomes longer lasting, but with a few days rest it is quickly reversible. If you ignore overreaching, you enter the third stage; overtraining which can take months to recover from.

By incorporating these elements into your training plan you will not only get faster, you will reduce your risk of injury. I am often able to decrease athletes overall volume and produce greater results through more focused training and increased recovery. Remember to place a greater emphasis on quality of training versus quantity.

Bill Ludington

BigDog Coaching

Bill Ludington is the coach and founder of BigDog Coaching with almost 20 years’ experience racing half Ironman and Ironman. He’s been a member of RMTC since 2005 and is an Ironman U certified triathlon coach ACE certified personal trainer. See Bill’s full profile here, and if you’re interested in learning more about Bill’s coaching or personal training, head to his website: bigdogcoaching.com or reach out to him directly at bill.ludington@gmail.com.

How to Keep Your Fascia Healthy for Better Mobility

When we think about muscles, we often think of the biceps, quads, or abs. But did you know that your muscles wouldn’t work properly without fascia? Ever feel stiff, sore, or just not as flexible as you’d like? That’s the fascia. It’s like a stretchy web that holds everything together and helps your muscles move smoothly. It surrounds your muscles, bones, and organs. When it’s healthy, we move like a ninja. But if it gets tight or dehydrated, we feel sluggish and stiff. As an aging athlete, I have noticed I need to pay extra attention to my fascia. So, how do we keep it happy?

Here’s some Simple Tips:

 Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! Fascia loves water! Drink plenty to keep it smooth and flexible.

 Move Your Body, sitting too long makes fascia stiff. Dynamic movements, Stretch, walk, or do some yoga to keep it loose. Jump Rope, and trampoline is a great way to loosen up the fascia.

 Roll It Out. Foam rolling is like a massage for your fascia. Roll slowly and breathe deeply. This helps release tight spots.

 Get Strong & Stretch, Strength training plus stretching keeps fascia balanced and happy.

 Eat Smart! Collagen-rich foods, like bone broth, lean protein, and leafy greens, help fascia stay strong. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, seaweed and flaxseeds also help reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair.

 Breathe & De-Stress. Stress tightens fascia! Deep breaths, meditation, or even a good laugh can help loosen things up.

 Get a Massage, Myofascial release or regular massages break up tight spots and improve circulation.

Take care of your fascia. Stay hydrated, stretch regularly, foam roll, and eat nutrient-rich foods. You can keep your fascia healthy with these practices. Your muscles will thank you with better mobility, less pain, and improved athletic performance!

Do you like these tips? Start incorporating them today and feel the difference!

Jeannete Sorensen Hickok

You Can Multisport

A devoted member of RMTC since 2005, Jeannete brings a unique coaching approach, seamlessly integrating structured training, a positive mindset, and focus on healthy whole food nutrition to propel athletes towards their fitness aspirations.

Certified as a USAT triathlon coach and NASM Personal Trainer in 2007, Jeannete has earned many certifications, including ACE Health Coach, USMS Swim Instructor, fitness Instructor, certified ACE Sport Nutritionist and PQ Mindset Coach. Her diverse skill set is a reflection of her commitment to coaching.

Contact Jeannete to start a transformative journey, where each session is an opportunity for growth, empowerment, and a celebration of your unique athletic abilities: jeanneteh@gmail.com.

Let’s not sugar coat it, training really sucks sometimes. Even on easy days, you may feel like you are swimming through Jell-O or running on quicksand. So, when should you start to be concerned about the frequency of feeling like crap? That’s where the rule of thirds comes into play.

The rule of thirds is that 1⁄3 of our training will feel amazing; 1⁄3 of our training will be just “meh,” and nothing special; and 1⁄3 of our training will be utterly miserable. I know that isn’t very fun to think about, but it is generally how our workouts break down when training 10+ hours each week. So, let’s talk about how to deal with the 1⁄3 of workouts that feel terrible and how to embrace the fantastic workouts when we need it most.

Bad news first, you will inevitably have 1⁄3 of your workouts feel miserable. There will be plenty of days when you will be sore, work stress is getting the best of you, you didn’t eat enough, or something else out of your control is putting you in a bad mood. When this happens, athletes should adopt a strategy called “chunking.” No, it has nothing to do with throwing up or pooping; instead, it is a strategy to approach your most difficult workouts. Chunking means breaking up a workout into bite-sized manageable “chunks” that allow you to focus on the interval in front of you. In a swim workout for example, if you have a set of 12 x 100’s, maybe you break this up in your mind into three sets of four, and you don’t allow yourself to think about anything besides the set you are currently swimming. After you finish each 100 you have finished 25% of the first chunk. Similarly, if you’re on a 3-hour bike ride, maybe you break it into 6, 30-minute segments and time your nutrition around interval changes to make the time go by much quicker.

I won’t sugar coat it; this is nothing more than playing tricks on yourself, but it really works well! Some sport psychology studies¹ have shown increased performance by athletes that are given the verbal cue to “chunk” the workout as compared to athletes who are given no verbal or mental cue. So, when you’re having a bad day, a really tough workout, or are just intimidated by a set, take it in chunks and speak it into existence. I’m willing to bet that allowing yourself to accomplish these bite-sized chunks will not only build confidence, but more importantly, keep you present during the workout. Staying present reduces the likelihood of quitting and will allow you to focus on the goal right in front of you!

Second, the mediocre and feel good 2/3’s of our workouts are generally easier to get through. These workouts may be easy or at threshold, and you may be crushing them! Regardless of the workout’s intensity, it’s incredibly important to take a minute or two after these workouts and reflect on the accomplishment. The workout may have been an easy 35-minute run that barely got your heart rate to zone 2; but have some serious gratitude for your body. Actively practicing gratitude after these feel-good workouts make long-horizon training so much more palatable.

So how do we know which workouts are going to feel bad, middle of the road, or great? It depends. Some days you will roll out of bed and feel like a world champion, but then your workout feels like do- do. Other days it will take every ounce of your willpower just to start the workout; you’ll bargain and procrastinate with yourself, but you’ll eventually get going, and after the first 10 minutes you may start to feel so much better. We can sometimes predict the outcome based on sleep quality, hydration, nutrition, work stress, or life stress, but other times we just won’t know until we get started. That’s why taking the first step and giving it a try is so important. The bottom-line is: don’t let your soreness or fear of a tough workout prevent you from starting in the first place and having a good attitude. You never know what may happen after you start. It is true that it may be just as bad as you imagined, but more often than not, it will go better, and I promise that you’ll be thankful for giving yourself the opportunity to succeed.

So, embrace the bad workouts with a bite-sized approach that keeps you present in the moment, know that the bad days are limited even though they seem to drag on forever, and always believe in yourself, because every day is an opportunity!

¹ https://www.nsca.com/contentassets/149a04fefb5340d4914290480580b1d6/coaching-instructions-and-cues-for-enhancing-sprint-performance.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOoqzSDcSaI57Flwa5v4upbXPooVSQnVWE4dTg0QcTNC2etz2oGJk

Matt Nadel

Unleash Your Athlete

Matt loves the process and lifestyle of being an endurance athlete. He has been coaching swimmers for over 15 years, triathletes for 7 years, and is an Ironman U certified coach. Matt was a swimmer at Colorado College where he was an NCAA All-American and held multiple team records in the distance freestyle events. He quickly jumped into triathlon after college and fell in love with the endurance community while racking up multiple AG wins in local races. As an environmental lawyer by day, Matt understands the constraints of working professionals and he personalizes training for his athletes to find how triathlon fits into their lives and how they can make endurance sports a lifelong, joy-filled process.

Contact Matt to start your endurance journey with Unleash Your Athlete: matthewcnadel@gmail.com or 303-908-0510.

What you should be doing in Q1: Setting foundational habits

The first quarter of the year (Q1) is an interesting time of year for us triathletes. The stress, travel, and excesses of the holidays are over. But the really hard, specific training for our summer target events is still several months away. It’s easy to do one of two things:

1. Slack off. We’ve taken a break, and because we’ve de-trained a bit, it can feel hard to get back into it. We’re not fit or fast, and it can be discouraging. Plus, we still have time. After all, the “real” training doesn’t start for several months, right? What’s another month or two of slacking off really going to hurt? However, the consequence of slacking off this time of year is that our bodies and minds won’t be properly prepared for the hard training and racing that’s coming. We might end up injured, or we’ll have to back off the hard training and will ultimately underperform in our target events.
2. Jump into hard training far too early. On the flip side, it can be tempting to start hammering now. You might feel good. Fresh. Rejuvenated. You’ve had a nice break, and you’re excited to get back at it. But beware: the risk of hammering too early is building a deep well of fatigue that won’t allow you to really nail the hard training that’s necessary in Spring and early Summer months. No one can hammer all year long. Your body simply won’t keep responding positively.

There is another path.

We can take advantage of a reduced training load during Q1 to set foundational supporting habits for our lives and overall health, which will help us effectively absorb the hard training that’s coming, and ultimately perform our best at target races.

Consider these questions:

How’s your sleep? Are you getting at least 7-8 hours per night? Are you maintaining a consistent schedule that allows you to wake up refreshed and rejuvenated? Recovery, and especially sleep, is absolutely essential to our training. Our bodies simply won’t adapt if we don’t let them recover.

How’s your nutrition? Are you fueling your training appropriately? Getting enough protein? Eating lots of fruits and vegetables? Are you taking in carbs and protein for recovery after every workout? It’s easier to cook and do meal prep now, when you have more mental and emotional energy due to the reduced training load. If you’re not properly fueling your training now, and these habits aren’t set in stone, you’re going to have problems as you ramp it up.

How’s your strength and mobility? Are you strong enough to accomplish what you want to do this year? Do you have limiters in these areas that you should address before you start really hammering in a few months? Do you need to really commit to PT or pre-hab? You can reduce the risk of injury, and amplify the returns of your future training, by really investing in strength and mobility now.

How’s your training schedule? Do you know when you can train? When it’s best for you to schedule your key workouts? Are you able to be consistent with your training schedule? Is training well integrated into the flow of your life? It’s a lot easier to set your training habits now, when the training is easier, and maybe the sessions aren’t quite as long. Later, when the sessions are harder and fatigue becomes a major factor, you’ll want the schedule and flow to be as automatic as possible.

Now is the perfect time to work on setting good habits, while you have the extra physical, mental, and emotional capacity to really focus on them. If you put in a little work now, these supporting habits can yield huge gains as you ramp it up later in the year. Make this year a breakout year! Shore up your daily habits to maximize the effectiveness of your training.

Josh Southern

Josh is a USAT Level I Certified Coach. He has been a member of RMTC for 7 years, and an Officer for 5. He loves the lifestyle of being a multi-sport athlete, and the process of training for big goals and dreams. He’s a true student of the sport, and has learned a tremendous amount throughout his athletic journey. Josh has a growth mindset, and believes that we are always capable of more than we think. He is passionate about helping others pursue their dreams, get (and stay) active and healthy, and find joy and fulfillment via the multi-sport lifestyle.

Contact Josh to set up a meeting to discuss your goals and dreams, and explore how you can work together to achieve them: jzsouthern@gmail.com or 720-394-0886.

To beat the heat and keep your training consistent, here are a few tips for training in hot weather:

• Drink water with electrolytes. Drinking too much water by itself can lead to hyponatremia.
• Choose a cooler part of the day for your training runs. Unless you are training for Kona, avoid those mid-day long runs.
• Select a shady and preferably non-asphalt route. If you can, run near waterways.
• Keep your hot runs in locations where you can easily get help if you need it. Avoid remote and/or exposed trails. An ideal hot run has access to fluids, water fountains or even air conditioned buildings if needed.
• Plan for short out and back repeats or short loops that allow you to get back to your car or home for refueling.
• Avoid running in cotton shirts. Cotton is slow to dry and can cause chafing and/or blistering. Breathable tech tee shirts are much better to wick moisture away from your body.
• Wear a hat or visor along with sunglasses.
• If you are trying to acclimatize to the heat, it takes about 10 days to get accustomed to extreme heat. So, be prepared that the first few days are going to be really tough on you.

Charley Perez

Charley Perez founded the Rocky Mountain Triathlon Club in 2003 and continues to be the driving force behind the ongoing operations of the club. As one of the active coaches for RMTC, he prepares and leads many weekly group workouts. Charley has been competing in multisport since the early 1990s.  He started training triathletes in 2001 and while in graduate school at Wichita State University, he was an assistant track and cross-country coach with the middle- and long-distance runners.

Although Charley no longer provides individual coaching and training plans, he is available for consultation. charley@cperezcoaching.com, 303-961-1656

Fitness and proper nutrition plays the most important part in performing well in a race. What most of us forget is that mental fitness also is important to overcome challenges and perform at your best. Mental fitness helps you stay present and fully engaged in the moment. In a triathlon, this helps manage your stress to stay focused. Controlled breathing and focusing on your movements can calm nerves, helping you with more concentration during the race.

Using positive affirmations and breathing techniques in training and race preparation can have a huge impact on your mental state. Repeating statements like “I am strong,” “I am resilient,” or “I will overcome challenges,” builds confidence and mental toughness in your subconscious mind.

Visualization is one way to prepare. Picture each segment of the triathlon race – the swim, T1, bike, T2 and run and finish. By doing this creates a positive mental image of success and can help you boost confidence and reduce your anxiety. Pre-race butterflies are normal, but getting over anxiety is tough. This is where mental fitness techniques help change nervous energy positively.

Start weeks before a race and write down your expectation of how you want your race to look like. Visualize it every day and night. Picture yourself at the finish line. Think of affirmations you can use during the race. write them down. Repeat them every day.

Athletes with strong mental resilience can handle discomfort, setbacks, and fatigueness, and stay focused with a determination to push through. Preparing for a race being mentally strong helps you adapt to changes and stay focused on your race, even when you’re faced with unexpected challenges. A calm and focused mindset can help enhance your performance and make the race go more smoothly.

Interested in learning more about mental fitness and how you can overcome your fears and build more confidence in your performance and in life? Contact me using the info below!

Jeannete Sorensen Hickok

You Can Multisport

A devoted member of RMTC since 2005, Jeannete brings a unique coaching approach, seamlessly integrating structured training, a positive mindset, and focus on healthy whole food nutrition to propel athletes towards their fitness aspirations.

Certified as a USAT triathlon coach and NASM Personal Trainer in 2007, Jeannete has earned many certifications, including ACE Health Coach, USMS Swim Instructor, fitness Instructor, certified ACE Sport Nutritionist and PQ Mindset Coach. Her diverse skill set is a reflection of her commitment to coaching.

Contact Jeannete to start a transformative journey, where each session is an opportunity for growth, empowerment, and a celebration of your unique athletic abilities: wellness@youcanmultisport.com.

Want to get stronger and faster? Include recovery in your training plan.

The cycle of training and adaptation is how fitness improvements happen in your body. Training causes glycogen depletion, micro-tears in muscle fibers (it’s a good thing!), and cellular breakdown that can only be repaired and built back stronger with strategically placed recovery periods.

Triathletes face a daily challenge finding the time to do workouts (swim, bike, run, strength), while working a full-time job, spending time with family and still getting 8 hours of sleep every night. One of the most common obstacles to improvement in sport is over-training and not prioritizing recovery in your training plan. Recovery should be built in from the start at both micro and macro levels. Inadequate recovery during training can result in injury, illness, burnout, and decreased performance.

When to incorporate recovery into your training plan:

1. Between hard workouts: Avoid consecutive hard workouts in a single discipline.
2. Every 7-10 days: Build a recovery day into your plan.
3. Every 3-4 weeks: Plan a 2-3 week build progression followed by 1 recovery week (lower volume, reduced intensity, and days off when needed).
4. Pre-race taper: Cut back training volume for 1-2 weeks prior to priority races.
5. Post-race recovery: Plan recovery week(s) after priority races.
6. Post-season recovery: Take an off-season recovery period between seasons.

What activities are permitted or discouraged on recovery days?

Avoid swim, bike, and run workouts as well as anything that raises your heart rate above Zone 1. Gentle movement is encouraged (ie. walking, yoga, stretching). Release tight muscles using your favorite recovery modality: massage, foam rolling, percussion gun, compression boots, etc. Recovery is different for every individual but should be focused on activities that bring joy and reduce physical (and mental) stress. Read a good book, take a bubble bath, listen to relaxing music. Whatever it is that makes you feel more relaxed is the right thing for you!

If you would like more detailed advice on how to incorporate recovery into your training plan, feel free to contact me at jmdaylu@gmail.com.

J’ne Day-Lucore

JDL Coaching

When J’ne retired from her 33-year engineering career in 2017, she joined RMTC and has been a board member and volunteer RMTC coach since 2018. She was a competitive runner in her early years with a 2:40 marathon PR and held course records for the Pikes Peak Ascent, Mount Evans and Mount Washington road races. She was inducted into the Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Colorado Running Hall of Fame in 2019. She has been a part-time running coach for 30 years and became a full-time certified USAT triathlon coach when she retired in 2017. She is also a certified yoga teacher and cycle instructor. Coaching allows her to pursue her life-long passion for training/racing while growing the future community of athletes.

For more details, please contact J’ne at jmdaylu@gmail.com or text 303-396-7485.

There are a number of ways that you can increase the aerodynamics to reduce drag which allows for less effort to be used and hold the same speed. From the tip of your fingers to the very back of your bike presents a number of opportunities that can be considered. At my Level 2 USA Tri Coach Certification in Florida I had the opportunity to discuss aerodynamic optimization with one of my classmates, John DiPalo. I asked him if he’d be interested in leading one of the Wolfpack Virtual Presentations — Things that Make you Go Zoom (Where Can I get Some Watts). The presentation goes beyond positioning to discuss specific wattage savings. After you watch, if you’d like more information, you can reach John DiPalo (No Limits Endurance Coaching) at dipalo.john@gmail.com to discuss what he shared and/or I am happy to take time to do an aero assessment and discuss enhancement strategies: hijohnbye@gmail.com. Colorado provides endless Time Trialing racing opportunities (like the Karen Hornbostel Memorial TT Series) to hone your aero position and this presentation is a good start to get an understanding of what you can work towards.

Watch the Webinar Replay

John Bye

Bring Your Everyday Beast Coaching

John Bye is a USA Triathlon Certified Level 2 Coach, based out of Golden, CO, who helps highly motivated athletes become competitive triathletes. “The Wolfpack” has athletes all around the country and includes competitive age-groupers to first-time triathletes ranging in age from the low 20’s to the mid-60’s. Based upon the individual needs of the athlete, coaching can be done virtually or in the Denver area with the “Rocky Mountain Wolfpack”.

He is the Founder of Bring Your Everyday Beast Coaching (B.Y.E.-BEAST LLC) — www.bye-beastcoaching.com — hijohnbye@gmail.com.

Relentless Forward Motion

Enhance your triathlon training with early brick workout.

Even though bricks are traditionally reserved for the build period and these workouts are often introduced later in the training schedule. Here’s a valuable tip I use myself, that could better your approach to triathlon training: kickstart your season by integrating a short 10-15 minute aerobic run immediately after your longer weekly bike workout.

This practice benefits you in several ways.

It helps your muscles adapt to different movements after cycling, making it particularly valuable if you are new to triathlon and not used to this transition. The Transition (T2), the shift between biking and running in a triathlon, becomes more manageable with early incorporation of short T2 runs. It allows your muscles to adapt gradually, reducing the shock of transitioning between these disciplines during the actual race. It also helps you prepare for the mental aspect and focus during periods of fatigue. Preparing for the mental challenges of a triathlon, especially during transitions, becomes more manageable as your mind learns to maintain focus even in a fatigued state.

Begin with shorter runs, gradually increasing the duration as your body adapts.

Focus on your Form:
Emphasize proper running form during these short sessions to enhance efficiency and reduce the risk of injuries.

Mindful Fatigue Management:
Use these early brick workouts to develop mental strategies for managing fatigue during transitions.

By integrating early brick workouts into your triathlon training regimen, you’re not just preparing your body; you’re building a mental resilience that will prove invaluable on race day. Start the transition early, and watch as you develop triathlon success and a confidence that will prepare you for your race.

Jeannete Sorensen Hickok

You Can Multisport

A devoted member of RMTC since 2005, Jeannete brings a unique coaching approach, seamlessly integrating structured training, a positive mindset, and focus on healthy whole food nutrition to propel athletes towards their fitness aspirations.

Certified as a USAT triathlon coach and NASM Personal Trainer in 2007, Jeannete has earned many certifications, including ACE Health Coach, USMS Swim Instructor, fitness Instructor, certified ACE Sport Nutritionist and PQ Mindset Coach. Her diverse skill set is a reflection of her commitment to coaching.

Contact Jeannete to start a transformative journey, where each session is an opportunity for growth, empowerment, and a celebration of your unique athletic abilities: jeanneteh@gmail.com.