tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68247603558845881492024-03-13T09:44:55.848-07:00Jon Fecik Professional Triathlete and Coach JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-37890197776320756722019-03-23T09:58:00.002-07:002020-02-13T08:34:19.471-08:002020 Race Calendar <span style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I can't wait to challenge myself on every one of these races this year! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Oceanside 70.3</span><br />
<span style="color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">Chattanooga 70.3</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #5d5d5d; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">Ironman Tulsa </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Ironman Chattanooga</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5d5d5d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Ironman Arizona </span>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-73054938492366820362018-01-03T12:49:00.000-08:002018-01-03T12:49:20.632-08:00How to Read a Swim Workout <iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1JZ959fSivc" width="560"></iframe>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-87430615956612131202018-01-03T12:47:00.002-08:002018-01-03T12:47:48.773-08:00My Off Season <iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qrcm1EhQgUc" width="560"></iframe>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-37373066926126091732018-01-03T12:46:00.002-08:002018-01-03T12:46:14.651-08:00IMAZ 2017 Race Recap <iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5oOed7ugbHw" width="560"></iframe>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-2310019452881085202018-01-03T12:44:00.002-08:002018-01-03T12:44:35.510-08:00Biking in Cold Weather <iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xj3pgoEulsU" width="560"></iframe>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-51035769853096911872017-07-27T19:36:00.003-07:002017-07-27T19:36:40.607-07:00Ironman Lake Placid 2017 Debrief <div style="text-align: center;">
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JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-18880041675332250832017-07-27T10:58:00.001-07:002017-07-27T10:58:29.344-07:00Results! <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Congrats to Jon Fecik Coached athletes who race the last couple of weekends!</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">For IMLP...</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Kam Shahid 10:14 1 hour PR. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Ted Breault, 10:49. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Stephanie Mismas bat</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline;">tled a mechanical but finished anyway. Adriana Castillo got sick pre race but gave it her best shot.<br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline;">James Michael Harrington crushed the Nantucket sprint for a 6 minute PR.<br />Corey Heinz ran 45 miles at Spitfire. Wow!<br />Amy Margolis was just off PR pace in her marathon.<br />Gene Vaca dropped a 30 minute PR on the Olympic distance.<br />Michał Rawrot crushed his OD race. Well done crew! It's an honor to work for you!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline;"><br /></span></span>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-23174963860196392372017-07-27T09:49:00.002-07:002017-07-27T09:49:32.252-07:00Pre Ironman Lake Placid 2017 Q&A <div style="text-align: center;">
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JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-75249484039760088232017-05-25T17:48:00.000-07:002017-05-25T17:52:48.268-07:00Chattanooga 70.3 Race Report Sponsored by Complete Human Performance<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Lead Up:</i><br /><br />What I’ve discovered about myself in the last year working with Marilyn is that I’m a fast athlete, but not necessarily a strong and durable one. I can move pretty fast (although I always need to get faster), but I break down and slow down pretty easily. Ironman racing requires you to be very strong and it requires you to sustain your speed for a very long time. The main overarching goal has been to build strength across all three sports, but especially in my swimming and running. <br /><br />To address this issue with swimming, we decided that I just need to swim more. I’ve been swimming more weekly yardage than I ever have (I previously did roughly 15,000 yards or less a week, this year I’m swimming about 25,000-35,000 yards with some 40,000+ weeks). I’m also swimming with masters in addition to doing a lot of resistance work with tools like the band and drag suit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />To address this issue with biking, I’ve been doing more overgears than I have before (peddling between 50-60rpm, sometimes for 4 hours straight). We actually reduced the overall biking volume since I seem to be able to hold my bike fitness for a long period of time. <br /><br />To address the strength issue with running, I’ve been doing more long runs, more long bricks off the bike, more trail running, and more weekly volume (averaging roughly 35-40 miles a week compared to the 20 that I was averaging last year). <br /><br />I also lifted more than I ever have this winter, but the strength training volume drops a bit as the endurance—and namely the run—volume increases. In triathlon, there is only so much you can work on at one time and you have to choose how to load to produce the best outcome. Thus, my strength training is periodized. It decreases in the competition phase of training. I do a set of core and light weight exercises 1-2 times per week, but it’s mainly to maintain the strength that I have. <br /><br />There is always some risk involved as you increase training load or change what you’ve done in the past. We’ve built my training slowly and carefully, but sometimes the body breaks when pushing the limits. This time, my foot broke down about 4 weeks before the race. At this point, I did a 70 mile ride at IM race pace followed by a 17 mile hilly run at IM race pace. I felt tired, but not out of the ordinary. I followed this up with two days of active recovery and no running. On the second day, my foot felt a little tight but I didn’t think much of it. I had a short 3 mile run three days after the brick and a slightly longer run the day after that (about 8 miles with some intensity). After the 8 mile run, I felt some soreness in the top of my foot. It was enough that it warranted getting checked out. I rested it immediately and got it checked by my first go-to for any injury, Dr. AJ. AJ said he didn’t think it was a stress fracture, but noticed that a tendon near the cuboid bone was “pretty jacked up.” I rested it for another week and the pain came and went for what seemed to be no apparent reason. <br /><br />All the while, I did some pool running to keep in the best neuromuscular shape that I could. When the issue didn’t seem to get any better, I decided to see a podiatrist, Dr. Jeff Delott, to get an x-ray just to make sure I wasn’t harming myself with more running. The x-ray confirmed that I did not have a fracture and that I could continue to use pain as my guide as the race approached. I continued to alternate running on the road with pool running going into the race. I took one full week off of running, ran 10 miles broken up over the next week, ran 16 miles broken up over the following week, and ran 4 miles the week of the race. Almost all of this was at a low to moderate intensity which wasn’t optimal, but it was the best that I could do without risking further injury. <br /></span><br />
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<br /><i>The Race:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />I went in with my best swim fitness ever. My goal was to race the swim as hard as I could unless I found myself in the front pack. If I swam with the front pack, I would sit in. If not, I would swim hard on my own no matter if I was pulling other athletes or not. <br /><br />The race started off normally. I pushed hard at the beginning and got dropped by about 350 meters or so as we swam up river. Although getting dropped is never my goal, I was happy to see that I got further with the main group than I ever have before. I took that as a win and got to work pushing as hard as I could. <br /><br />At the end of the swim, I knew there was one guy was behind me because he touched my foot occasionally as we went along. When I got out, I realized I ended up pulling the whole second group along with me (about 6 other guys) including Matt Russel who would eventually go on to win the race. I came out of the water a minute and thirty seconds behind the main group which is a personal best for me. Usually I come out with a 3 minute gap in a wetsuit swim and a 3:30-4 minute gap in a non-wetsuit swim. This shows that the increase in volume is helping. I know I worked hard because after the race, my shoulders and latts have never felt so sore. <br /><br />I came out of the water with Russel and another athlete named Blake Becker. Russel and Becker ran slightly ahead of me into T1. I wasn’t 100% sure of running in bear feet, so I admittedly took the first part of the run on the conservative side. <br /><br /></span><br />
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<br />I had a fast transition and came out of T1 first. Russel came around me hard in the first mile. I lifted my pace to stay with him. At this point, I think there were 4-5 guys in the group plus a race official on a motor cycle. I was second. As I struggled with my shoe dials for a bit, Russel pushed forward and Becker came around me. I sat behind Becker and got myself together, getting my shoes adjusted. I looked down to see my power meter wasn’t working. After playing around with it for a minute or two without getting it to work, I just disregarded it and focused on the race. <br /><br />We dropped 1-2 riders behind us and Becker kept in close contact with Russel for about 15-20 miles. At that point, Becker started to slow a bit and Russel pushed on. This was about the first time where I looked at my HR and saw it was about 155 or so. The effort felt about right, not too hard, but not easy either. With this information, I made a conscious decision to let Russel go and stick with Becker. It was down to three of us plus the official. Although the effort felt easier and easier (and based on my HR info where my HR drops throughout the entire ride, the effort actually was getting easier…HR 165+ out of T1 dropping to 150 towards T2), I decided to hang behind Becker. This was a tactical move that I committed to for the rest of the ride with the idea that I would conserve energy and have a better run. At about mile 50, 2-3 guys came around us, but I chose to stick to my plan. <br /><br />With a little less than 2 miles from the finish, I went over a rail road track and got a flat in my front tubular. I decided to roll it in. Obviously, this slowed me down and I got gapped quickly. I did what I could to conserve time and ride into transition as safely as possible. As I got into transition, I was happy to see that the main group of runners weren’t too far up the road. I was about two minutes behind them. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />The run was a big question mark. I knew that I would be able to run, but I wasn’t sure if I lost speed or strength due to the premature lift of the running load a few weeks before the race. It turned out that I had a lot of strength, but not a whole lot of speed. I made sure the first mile wasn’t too fast and then ran by perceived effort for the rest of the race. I know I couldn’t have run much faster because my HR avg was roughly 179 with a max HR of 190 towards the end of the race. The heat wasn’t too awful in the high 70’s to low 80’s, but the humidity was very high which made for a tough run. <br /><br /><i>Concluding Thoughts:</i> <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />Overall, I was the 15th pro. Considering how I felt going in, I think this race was a descent reflection of my training. My swim was my best ever, my bike was solid, and my run was strong, but not fast. I chalk the slower run due to the humidity and lack of speed training in the final lead up. It’s also challenging to prepare for the heat of the south when I live in Connecticut (it was 50 degrees when I left), but I’m getting better at training for this. I am not discontent with how I raced, although I always want to be faster. I’m hoping I can carry this fitness over to my race in Raleigh on June 4th. Stay tuned for more updates! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A big thank you to the Rivers family for hosting Amber and I!<br /><br />Looking for a coach? Don't hesitate to contact coach Jon with any questions at jafecik@gmail.com. Also check out CompleteHumanPerformance.com for more information about coaching in all areas of performance. </span></div>
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JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-52252867337881957912017-05-04T06:09:00.003-07:002017-05-04T06:09:54.264-07:00Six-Week Brick Workout Progression <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i>Jon originally published this on USA Triathlon's Multisport lab... </i></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Brick workouts are a tool in your workout arsenal to help you become a better duathlete or triathlete. At a basic level, a brick is a workout where you ride your bike and follow it up with a run. It gets its name from the feeling you get in your legs as the muscles transition from one discipline to the next. Ideally, your legs feel awesome coming off the bike, but more often than not your legs will feel like bricks!</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Example: </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">A good starting point for a brick workout would be a short aerobic run off an aerobic bike. You can make it more challenging by upping the intensity or adding in a run prior to the ride and finishing off with another run.</span></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-56It, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Basic Brick Sample:</em><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> 45-minute aerobic ride + 15-minute aerobic run</span></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-56It, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Advanced Brick Sample: </em><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 10k race pace effort + 10-minute ride at 40k effort TT effort + 5-minute run at 10k race pace effort</span></div>
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What does it do?</h3>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Brick workouts have a variety of benefits. From a physiological perspective, you will benefit from the aerobic or anaerobic exercise that you do as you bike and run. This will increase your overall fitness. You also build sport specific muscular strength from running off the bike on tired legs. From a skill point of view, you can practice your mount, dismount, transition and pacing at the beginning of each discipline or close to race pace intensity. From a mental point of view, you can build your confidence in both your transition skills and your ability to transition and run well off the bike without stopping.</span></div>
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Who’s it for?</h3>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Brick workouts are somewhat controversial in the elite world. Some professional athletes do bricks often while others don’t do them at all. If you have never done a brick, it’s a good idea to do one before your first triathlon/duathlon to prepare for the “brick” feeling and practice for race day. If you have been doing triathlons/duathlons for a while and have had trouble with transitions or running well off the bike, it’s a good idea to do them in order to build more sport-specific preparation for race day. If you need a muscular endurance workout alternative to running hills, it’s also a good way to build muscular endurance. If you don’t have trouble with these things, you may choose to work on something else instead.</span></div>
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Key Points for Brick Workouts</h3>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1. Warm up well — you can always extend the warm up if needed.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">2. If possible, do this workout on the week day and time that your duathlon or triathlon will be held. This will allow for enough recovery time in between weeks. This will also help your confidence going into the race since you’ve done a number of dress rehearsals on same day of the week.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">3. Follow the same nutrition and hydration plan in training that you will follow on race day. That way you will know if your fueling plan works well. It will also give you time to change something if the fueling plan needs tweaked in the first couple of weeks.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">4. It’s better to be conservative in the first round. You want to see a steady improvement in power or speed as the workout progresses. If you find yourself failing at the end of the workout, you may have gone too hard.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5. Run and ride at or slower than the power/pace that you plan to run/ride on race day; you don’t need to go faster. Leave the true speed work for another day.</span></div>
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Turning the Brick Workout into a Six-Week Progression</h3>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Warm up (25 minutes total)</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute walk</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute jog</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute build to race pace effort by the final minute</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Jump on bike for 5-minute easy spin</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute build to 105 percent of race pace by the final minute</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5 minutes easy back to “transition” area</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Main Set</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">See week progression below.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Cooldown</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-10 minutes of easy walking, jogging or spinning</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Main Set Week 1: Get the Process (25 minutes)</span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 30 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at 85 percent of race pace effort + 5-minute run at 30 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Main Set Week 2: Build the Effort (50 minutes)</span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 30 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at 85 percent of race pace effort + 5-minute run at 30 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 15 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at 95 percent of goal race pace effort + 5-minute run at 15 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Main Set Week 3: Build the Effort and Volume (75 minutes)</span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 30 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at 85 percent of race pace effort + 5-minute run at 30 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 15 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at 95 percent of goal race pace effort + 5-minute run at 15 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at goal race effort + 5-minute run at seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Main Set Week 4: Build the Effort and Volume (75 minutes)</span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 15 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at 95 percent of goal race pace effort + 5-minute run at 15 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 15 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at 95 percent of goal race pace effort + 5-minute run at 15 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at goal race effort + 5-minute run at seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Main Set Week 5: Back Off, Maintain Confidence (50 minutes)</span></div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 30 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 10-minute ride at 85 percent of race pace effort + 5-minute run at 30 seconds slower than goal race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5-minute run at 10 seconds slower than race pace effort + 10-minute ride at goal race pace effort + 5-minute run at race pace effort + 5-minute easy walk or jog</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Week 6: Race Week</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">This brick progression is one great way to prepare both mentally and physically for race day. You can always modify the progression to meet your specific ability level and goals. Good luck and enjoy the process.</span></div>
JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-15514119057615051192017-04-03T10:16:00.000-07:002017-04-03T10:19:12.482-07:00Complete Human Performance Sponsored Training Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have had some ups and downs this month with my training. All
winter I piled up the swim and run miles, basically doubling,
and in some cases tripling, the volume that I’ve done before. Based on some workout
“tests," I made some really good aerobic and strength gains in
these areas and I’m happy with where I’m currently at prior to my first 70.3
race next month in Chattanooga.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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My winter block of training culminated in a really great training
camp with Endurance Corner. Although I was an assistant coach, I still clocked roughly
29 hours over the course of 7 days. Prior to camp, I found myself with a low
grade cold which most likely came from the flight down to AZ. I was able to
train through it, but wasn’t feeling 100%. When I returned to CT, I realized
that I needed a solid couple of weeks of rest. Usually I only take about one
week of a spring “break” but this year I was still feeling a little run down
and demotivated going into the second week post camp. I ended up taking about
two weeks training on the low end of my aerobic endurance which allowed me to overcome my cold. I am feeling
much better now and have had a real upswing in my training over the last 10
days. It helps that the weather has improved in the north east and I’m
finally getting to spend some more time building my speed! <o:p></o:p></div>
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I thought I would log some of the notable things I've done in the past month…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Hardest workout: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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6 mile TT up Mission Rd in Tucson. I have not put that sort
of effort up for a while and ended up misjudging the effort and coming up about
2-3 minutes short. I pushed my way through those last minutes anyway and ended up throwing up my breakfast!
But… I did not get passed by Ironman Champ Justin Daerr, he didn't know we were racing…but in
my mind we were racing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Heaviest Volume Week<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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29 hours<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Lightest Volume Week<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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13 hours <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Longest Ride<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Kitt Peak- 114 miles <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Longest Run</b></div>
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20 miles </div>
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<b>Longest Swim</b></div>
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6k</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Favorite Workout<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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5:30 Brick as…<o:p></o:p></div>
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4 hour ride including two rounds of (6x4 minutes (1:30) at
OD race pace + 5 minutes easy + 40 minutes at IM-HIM race pace effort + 10
minutes easy)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fast transition to 1:30 run as (20 minutes easy + 10x3 (1)
minutes at 10k race pace effort + 5 minutes easy + 15 minutes at HIM race pace
effort + 10 minutes easy cool down<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Most Calories Burned
In One Day<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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7,000 calories for workouts + 3,000 calories to live = 10,000 calories<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>This Month’s Netflix
Binges<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The People VS. OJ Simpson, Rectify, That 70’s Show <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Books Read/Am
reading<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>Holidays on Ice </i>by<i> </i>David Sedaris,<i> 1776</i> by David McCullough, <i>The Hybrid Athlete</i> by Alex Viada <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Favorite Beer this Month</b></div>
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Left Hand’s Milk Stout- need to get my last Stouts in before
the Spring Beer Season gets rolling!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2b8iidgf-o0/WOJs1deYX3I/AAAAAAAABcg/FvZq5DKEdwUVwOztTGqBS-PZxcXpV8cuwCLcB/s1600/16864472_10155087697955990_5892943269913539598_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2b8iidgf-o0/WOJs1deYX3I/AAAAAAAABcg/FvZq5DKEdwUVwOztTGqBS-PZxcXpV8cuwCLcB/s400/16864472_10155087697955990_5892943269913539598_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to the Linder Family for allowing me to stay at their house while in Pheonix! They went above and beyond and I felt part of the family! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e8Uf5kgG_rk/WOJtdZoU6rI/AAAAAAAABck/qgssCiX2QlQamH41lONGW1mLQddvhhgmACLcB/s1600/14657422_10211434779692182_7111877678314743638_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e8Uf5kgG_rk/WOJtdZoU6rI/AAAAAAAABck/qgssCiX2QlQamH41lONGW1mLQddvhhgmACLcB/s400/14657422_10211434779692182_7111877678314743638_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JJ, Nina, Luke, and Kara Linder. Each one has done a triathlon. Currently, Luke and Kara are World Class Junior Fencers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LJTRWlaQmto/WOJuzZwoo0I/AAAAAAAABco/ctQFwRlhL283GCgJN5nKVE099Zfhurc5gCLcB/s1600/13439036_1810694959152476_2542375247843967643_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LJTRWlaQmto/WOJuzZwoo0I/AAAAAAAABco/ctQFwRlhL283GCgJN5nKVE099Zfhurc5gCLcB/s400/13439036_1810694959152476_2542375247843967643_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kara Linder Kicking Ass! I didn't make it to a competition, but Luke and Kara helped me learn a few steps during my stay. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kGdTMneyQZE/WOJu0ZF5vMI/AAAAAAAABcs/nXPlZZo8N98BLfGAukR9oc0gtcbWHOxhwCLcB/s1600/17190977_1684597074902143_3025087081772652168_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kGdTMneyQZE/WOJu0ZF5vMI/AAAAAAAABcs/nXPlZZo8N98BLfGAukR9oc0gtcbWHOxhwCLcB/s400/17190977_1684597074902143_3025087081772652168_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love elite performance in all sports. I love watching other athletes crush it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ePElCGldHWI/WOJr-67L22I/AAAAAAAABbU/fuM6HI8Tsk4pfrIckICFSa1Q40w5jhpGgCLcB/s1600/16708241_10210603803925138_2746666761445056686_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ePElCGldHWI/WOJr-67L22I/AAAAAAAABbU/fuM6HI8Tsk4pfrIckICFSa1Q40w5jhpGgCLcB/s400/16708241_10210603803925138_2746666761445056686_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Run with Jon Fecik Coached Jennifer Landsdowne at camp.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WCOr_GpcI6g/WOJr-R_xpwI/AAAAAAAABbM/y4N7UJodQWMOCXjX0e8tG67ZDvh_uHj_ACLcB/s1600/16938535_10210613153678876_4483645182321599553_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WCOr_GpcI6g/WOJr-R_xpwI/AAAAAAAABbM/y4N7UJodQWMOCXjX0e8tG67ZDvh_uHj_ACLcB/s400/16938535_10210613153678876_4483645182321599553_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy after finishing a very steep climb. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h3VWgk68ZgU/WOJr-si6kFI/AAAAAAAABbQ/Iwj28WvQ1A8ulFmhbQhp4PD3viyfbFGDgCLcB/s1600/16938940_10210635454236376_8015313796320274338_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h3VWgk68ZgU/WOJr-si6kFI/AAAAAAAABbQ/Iwj28WvQ1A8ulFmhbQhp4PD3viyfbFGDgCLcB/s400/16938940_10210635454236376_8015313796320274338_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most important session of the day... Katy Perry's Music Video Review...Verdict...Good Form...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEwo6s61Zbc/WOJr-ya0KvI/AAAAAAAABbY/sFAiQYgM7eAyKLZP61RwRz34r3-vQj5XACLcB/s1600/16996273_10210605408445250_1022503862555328812_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEwo6s61Zbc/WOJr-ya0KvI/AAAAAAAABbY/sFAiQYgM7eAyKLZP61RwRz34r3-vQj5XACLcB/s400/16996273_10210605408445250_1022503862555328812_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved swimming in this pool!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wake up, smile, workout, eat, sleep, repeat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9MXNftw6hJ8/WOJr_W2UlQI/AAAAAAAABbk/jB_U2rQp0rQf5Jb7xM3LyKBBBBZhdWVRQCLcB/s1600/17021413_10210603739523528_6994181948438936825_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9MXNftw6hJ8/WOJr_W2UlQI/AAAAAAAABbk/jB_U2rQp0rQf5Jb7xM3LyKBBBBZhdWVRQCLcB/s400/17021413_10210603739523528_6994181948438936825_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Views in Tucson are extraordinary.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vp6jcKni2S8/WOJ4MFD5b8I/AAAAAAAABc8/AHlGuZEUGPYc5riF6XwOIvVmFuam9zstACEw/s320/16939293_10210618233365865_5802360341784371558_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="318" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ironman Pro Lisa Roberts, left, and my Coach Marilyn Chychota, right. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rHaKFnV3egw/WOJr_aLLbcI/AAAAAAAABbg/WBGeRnbdGBUo0gURf0cdwSearzoYEPOpwCLcB/s1600/17021454_10210618219965530_4330097232907904361_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rHaKFnV3egw/WOJr_aLLbcI/AAAAAAAABbg/WBGeRnbdGBUo0gURf0cdwSearzoYEPOpwCLcB/s400/17021454_10210618219965530_4330097232907904361_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for that next interval...and the next...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-czWIj-ERAbw/WOJr_paaMwI/AAAAAAAABbo/BObB1UCulHUC_Wy2TH59Xx741CZ0s7DWACLcB/s1600/17021559_10210635454076372_217600778842736042_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-czWIj-ERAbw/WOJr_paaMwI/AAAAAAAABbo/BObB1UCulHUC_Wy2TH59Xx741CZ0s7DWACLcB/s400/17021559_10210635454076372_217600778842736042_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best part of the swim sessions...chatting...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yx4VONgPZLw/WOJr_7ABobI/AAAAAAAABbs/OMaOyKXos3ILhf8MRc41WXbwAdI0gvKPQCLcB/s1600/17021579_10210616990814802_6226941268423453821_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yx4VONgPZLw/WOJr_7ABobI/AAAAAAAABbs/OMaOyKXos3ILhf8MRc41WXbwAdI0gvKPQCLcB/s400/17021579_10210616990814802_6226941268423453821_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Run up to a great view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lu5AokQMzDk/WOJsAGj0AEI/AAAAAAAABbw/qsaB4ojgddEM69dutCZjOq_FnmFFKt-LQCLcB/s1600/17021794_10210603739923538_5378234415766473037_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lu5AokQMzDk/WOJsAGj0AEI/AAAAAAAABbw/qsaB4ojgddEM69dutCZjOq_FnmFFKt-LQCLcB/s400/17021794_10210603739923538_5378234415766473037_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promising young pro Laura Mathews getting stronger.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-snZ8vfqOoX4/WOJsADrW6LI/AAAAAAAABb0/zWj03fPC3QggfGHY7HMcC9eJsSKItOxWwCLcB/s1600/17022175_10210630096222429_5426782604158127904_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-snZ8vfqOoX4/WOJsADrW6LI/AAAAAAAABb0/zWj03fPC3QggfGHY7HMcC9eJsSKItOxWwCLcB/s400/17022175_10210630096222429_5426782604158127904_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IM Winner Justin Daerr (laying in blue) is already tired...and we haven't done Lemon yet!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RbqMdNrHb4o/WOJsATKqDtI/AAAAAAAABb4/_ZtuFU2W6_QTeYOSDWZg9ANjGzDQTlBjACLcB/s1600/17022330_10210630104862645_7318543244624639231_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RbqMdNrHb4o/WOJsATKqDtI/AAAAAAAABb4/_ZtuFU2W6_QTeYOSDWZg9ANjGzDQTlBjACLcB/s400/17022330_10210630104862645_7318543244624639231_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun up Lemon. It took about 2 hours to ascend this time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUt5LmwgcjU/WOJsAnk-hqI/AAAAAAAABb8/h95LCMC35U4jP-uLJm7PdZBe4YtJBpfTACLcB/s1600/17098407_10210618219085508_5246899229837945365_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUt5LmwgcjU/WOJsAnk-hqI/AAAAAAAABb8/h95LCMC35U4jP-uLJm7PdZBe4YtJBpfTACLcB/s400/17098407_10210618219085508_5246899229837945365_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoor pool, under water action!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhgfcp02ttA/WOJsAkPkwhI/AAAAAAAABcA/NWtolIEO8uY0K_PbTCL9S3XOKy6FKlHwwCLcB/s1600/17098511_10155015007242645_7403723146079064164_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhgfcp02ttA/WOJsAkPkwhI/AAAAAAAABcA/NWtolIEO8uY0K_PbTCL9S3XOKy6FKlHwwCLcB/s400/17098511_10155015007242645_7403723146079064164_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bringing the Branford Road Race to AZ!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OUAv6KG3z3M/WOJsA0CVToI/AAAAAAAABcE/8ldwjj4Z7DE3h6QaCjgfHIVk_r9U7EWXQCLcB/s1600/17103535_10210647550258769_7962687064045033741_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OUAv6KG3z3M/WOJsA0CVToI/AAAAAAAABcE/8ldwjj4Z7DE3h6QaCjgfHIVk_r9U7EWXQCLcB/s400/17103535_10210647550258769_7962687064045033741_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another beautiful view captured by Jeff Fejfar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2I3oyEIFI4k/WOJsA8o0AEI/AAAAAAAABcI/gNbxMX_fwJE_QOIeKXeYtTsEq6nB8fMowCLcB/s1600/17103598_10210635451436306_500386050476914736_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2I3oyEIFI4k/WOJsA8o0AEI/AAAAAAAABcI/gNbxMX_fwJE_QOIeKXeYtTsEq6nB8fMowCLcB/s400/17103598_10210635451436306_500386050476914736_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dive start gunning for a 50PR!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dm-sG-cie2I/WOJz6ZT_9JI/AAAAAAAABc4/2BydB_V5zyMWQOphqepAKJ_qmsF2jgoswCEw/s1600/17103512_10209583205389553_5579143764994184383_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dm-sG-cie2I/WOJz6ZT_9JI/AAAAAAAABc4/2BydB_V5zyMWQOphqepAKJ_qmsF2jgoswCEw/s400/17103512_10209583205389553_5579143764994184383_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ironman Champ and Coach Marilyn reminiscing about the time she would allow herself to eat more than one donut hole. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4w0D7NVenhM/WOJsBeqTU-I/AAAAAAAABcU/d4YhCHxzOK8NNuRXWTVmr453etxFI1elQCLcB/s1600/17155486_10210647550338771_1092467598302639688_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4w0D7NVenhM/WOJsBeqTU-I/AAAAAAAABcU/d4YhCHxzOK8NNuRXWTVmr453etxFI1elQCLcB/s400/17155486_10210647550338771_1092467598302639688_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walter McCormack pulled me up Lemon like a Mack Truck! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final ride with some new friends.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling around the CT Salt Marshes and feeling better post camp!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost time to swim around the island!</td></tr>
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Thanks to Endurance Corner for having me on as an assistant coach. Thanks to Jeff Fejfer for so many great camp photo's. </div>
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Looking for a coach? Don't hesitate to reach out. Don't worry, I wouldn't prescribe you as much volume as I do! I coach each person as an individual and prescribe workouts in a way that will help you get the most out of yourself! E-mail me at jafecik@gmail.com for more info. You can also check out the Complete Human Performance Website at <a href="https://www.completehumanperformance.com/">https://www.completehumanperformance.com/</a>.</div>
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JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-34533581872199146182017-02-07T07:10:00.000-08:002017-02-07T07:10:06.323-08:00Results <span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Congrats to Amy Margolis</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> on a PR in her 50k this weekend. She's on her way to a 50 mile race and the big dance at Ironman Kona! How does she do it? She trains consistently, she is open to new training approaches, she lifts for strength, and she shows her mental toughness on every one of her workouts! Way to go Amy!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Congrats to Tom Burland who had a great 4 mile race in NYC! Despite some challenges in race week, he still squeezed out one of his best 4 milers yet! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Looking for a coach? Don't hesitate to reach out to Coach Jon at jafecik@gmail.com </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-47980247134050810212017-02-04T08:57:00.000-08:002017-02-04T08:57:07.870-08:00Training Update <div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
I always think it's cool to see what sort of training Pro athletes are doing. This is just to give you an idea of what a pro athlete's week might look like. My average weekly load is around 15-23 hours which is probably the average to the lower end for a Pro triathlete. My training is swim heavy right now because I'm trying to improve my muscular endurance in the water. Most of my training comes from Coach Marilyn Chychota, but some of the swim workouts are from Yale Masters. </div>
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Note: I would not ask just any athlete to handle this type of load. My training over the last 10 years has allowed me to do this. But... I think its cool to see what is possible.</div>
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<b>Saturday:</b><br />2:45 minute ride:<br />Warm-up: 20min easy ;<br />- 5min, build to HR of 150 bpm ;<br />- 2min easy ;<br />- 4 x [30sec fast / 1min easy] ;<br />- 2min easy ;<br />- 4 x 15min HR 150-155, 80-90rpm, 5min easy between.<br />Cool down: easy</div>
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Power was around 280-300 watts for the efforts, easy stuff is around 100-150 watts.</div>
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45 minute run off the bike<br />Build each 15min<br />Start out nice and easy and each 15min build pace and effort. Last 15min should feel like relaxed steady work.</div>
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Descended from 8-6:30 pace</div>
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<b>Sunday: </b><br />AM Run 1:30, HR 140, 8 minute pace</div>
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Mid-day Swim Set 1 hour<br />200warm up<br />8x 25 every 4th fast :30<br />6x 25 every 3rd fast :30<br />4 x 25 All fast :30<br />20x 50 paddles only :50<br />400 swim steady<br />4x 25 All fast :30<br />6x 25 every 3rd fast :30<br />8x 25 every 4th fast :30<br />400 pull steady</div>
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25's fast were around 13 and 50's I was coming in on :30</div>
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PM Run 30 minutes easy with 4x15 second pick ups<br />I descended from 12 minute pace to 8 minute pace over the course of the run.</div>
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<b>Monday: </b><br />40 minute run around 7 minute pace</div>
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25 minute circuit with weights</div>
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1:15 swim set by feel<br />12 x 25 Kick Dec 1-6 :45<br />1500m Buoy / Band/ Towel<br />1500m Snorkel, Fins, Paddles<br />1500 Swim Descending each 500m<br />12 x 25 kick fast with fins :30<br />100easy back</div>
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<b>Tuesday: </b><br />1:30 Ride including<br /> - 8 x 2min ;<br />- 60-65 rpm,<br />- Aero bars,<br />- HR 155-165<br />- 1min recovery.<br />- 5min easy ;<br />- 10x 1min power singles ;<br />- 53/11, stomp down and crank for each one.<br />- 1:30min recovery.</div>
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Power was 350 for the 2 minute efforts and 450 for the 1 minute efforts. All this felt pretty easy and my legs felt strong. 50-150 watts for the easy stuff.</div>
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Swim with Masters: 1:40 swim</div>
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8 x 100 Choice on 1:30- loose and easy<br />Kick 4 x 100 Choice on 2:10<br />Pull 400 Free - focus on technique, still head, good body roll to gain distance per stroke<br />Swim 8 x 25 Choice on 40 (odd 25s - Build; even 25s - Fast)</div>
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Swim 6 x 300 Free on 4:10 - Descend 1 to 5, Swim #6 loose & ez to recover</div>
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Swim 16 x 50 on 55, 1:05, 1:15<br />1-4 Choice not Free<br />5-8 Free<br />9-12 Choice<br />13-16 Free<br />On all reps, focus on strong underwater kick off walls</div>
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Finished with about 2000 pulling for a total of 6k</div>
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1 hour run<br />Jog to track (10min jog warm up)<br />Strides and drills- Butt kick, Side Side shuffle, High knees, Frankenstein walk.<br />Track: 10 x 200/200<br />Jog to cool down</div>
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200's done at 5-5:20 minute mile pace</div>
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<b>Wednesday: </b><br />3 hour aerobic ride, watt average about 190.</div>
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3 mile run off the bike</div>
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<b>Thursday: </b><br />1:15 treadmill set<br />including rounds of 2 minutes at 2%, 2 minutes at 4%, 1 minute at 6% all at 7:15 mile pace.</div>
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Swim with Masters: 1:40 swim</div>
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Swim 600 Free<br />Swim 8 x 50 (2 x around the IM) on 50<br />Swim 6 x 25 Free on 30 building each 25</div>
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(100 Free on 2:00 - focus on great technique first time thru, descend to 95% on 4th time through<br />4 x (200 Kick on 4:10 - strong effort<br />(300 Pull on 4:50 - focus on technique each time, allowing legs to recover from kick and preparing for next 100 Free<br />Swim 1 x 100 Free all out [following 4th 300 pull] on 2:00</div>
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Swim EZ 100 Recovery on 3:00</div>
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Swim 12 x 25 Choice on 30 - odds: technique, evens: FAST</div>
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Swim EZ 150 Recovery</div>
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Swim EZ 150 Recovery</div>
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1500 paddle pull descend set from 1:15-1:10 pace at the end for a total of 6k</div>
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25 minute lift circuit</div>
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<b>Friday:</b></div>
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Easy swim with Masters, 1:20, legs day off</div>
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Swim 15 minutes loose and ez<br />Kick 5 x 150 Choice on 3:10<br />8 x 100 Choice on 1:30 - Go 50 Choice Drill/50 Swim focused on technique</div>
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3 x (4 x 50 Free on 40 then EZ 150 Swim on 3:00) </div>
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3 x (4 x 25 Choice on 30 (40) then EZ 150 Swim on 3:00</div>
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Swim down</div>
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4.5k total</div>
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Looking for a coach? I have some openings on my roster. Don't hesitate to reach out to Coach Jon at jafecik@gmail.com </div>
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JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-25434672413392785502017-01-18T12:01:00.002-08:002017-01-18T12:28:53.404-08:00Reaction to Poor S&C Coaching at Oregon<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Reaction to poor S&C coaching at Oregon: http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2017/01/oregon_ducks_workouts_hospital.html</div>
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1.) When you are screaming, it's hard to listen. When you aren't listening, you are missing something important. When you are missing something this important, you send athletes to the hospital. When they are in the hospital, they can't practice and get better.</div>
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2.) Mastering sport demands consistency. No one workout makes you that much better. The structure and timing of many workouts over the course of months and years does make you better. When one workout wrecks you for th<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">e rest of the week (or longer), then it just got in the way of the process which makes you better.</span></div>
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3.) Cultivating internal motivation within athletes is challenging for coaches, especially when working with team sports, but it will last longer than a single practice full of yelling. Yelling to motivate is just a band-aid that doesn't resolve a deeper issue.</div>
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4.) Yelling leads to a sense of dependency on a coach.It tells athletes that they need a coach in order to yell at them to motivate them to practice. This does not create robust athletes. Great athletes should want to get better-- master skills, eat healthy food, practice good sleep habits-- if the coach is present or not. Coaches should not be dictators that tell athletes when they are allowed to breath. Coaches should be supportive figures that help athletes learn to listen to their bodies and make better decisions that lead to positive performances.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
5.) On being Tough: "People have a misconception on what toughness is. It isn’t about gritting your teeth and powering through an obstacle. It’s not about mud runs and silly things that look difficult but aren’t. Toughness is about making the right decisions under stress and fatigue. It’s about having the ability and wherewithal to slow the world down, make the right decisions or choose the correct coping strategy."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
6.) Read this article: http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2017/01/football-is-holding-back-the-strength-and-conditioning-profession-a-reaction-to-the-oregon-fiasco.html</div>
</div>
JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-79468008211431904472017-01-18T09:30:00.001-08:002017-01-18T10:06:42.820-08:00Three Health Benefits of Triathlon Training<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I wrote this piece for the USA Triathlon Multisport Lab: </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/News/Blogs/Multisport-Lab/2017/January/13/Three-Health-Benefits-of-Triathlon-Training">https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/News/Blogs/Multisport-Lab/2017/January/13/Three-Health-Benefits-of-Triathlon-Training</a></span></span></i></div>
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<img alt="running" height="250" src="https://www.teamusa.org/~/media/USA_Triathlon/Images/About-Multisport/Multisport-Lab/2017/01/011317-health-benefits-800500.jpg?la=en" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Oh no, are we out?” I
asked my wife after I got home from a run. “Yes,” she said. “OK. I will be
back.” I sprinted out again, this time to my car to speed to the grocery store
and buy three packs of Hershey’s Chocolate Bars. Why? Because I like them.
Like, REALLY like them. As I stood in the checkout line waiting for what seemed
like forever, I found my attention zeroing in on a copy of <i>Men’s Health</i> magazine.
There is nothing like a picture of a ripped, healthy looking dude next to the
words “27 ways to get healthier” to make you feel a little guilty about going
to the store to buy three packs of chocolate bars.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">Shoot</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">, I thought. <i>Am I unhealthy?</i> I
generally think of myself as a healthy person. I do eat, on average, one
chocolate bar a day, but other than that I eat my vegetables, I rarely get
sick, I have the energy to do the things I want, I train daily, and I race
triathlons at a professional level. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I savored the milky
richness of my chocolate bar on the way home, I pondered over the question some
more. <i>If I am healthy, what makes me healthy? I always assumed that
triathlon made me healthy, but does it?</i> I came to the realization that
health is made up of a whole lot of things that are constantly spinning through
time; things like genetics, nutrition, physical fitness background, physical
fitness ability, lifestyle choices, environment and even relationships. The one
way triathlon primarily impacts my health, however, is through physical
exercise. Exercise is fundamental to our success as triathletes. We exercise
and we exercise a lot compared to the average American. We need to exercise in
order to go as far and hard as we do on race day. When we exercise in an
intelligent way (i.e. train), our bodies adapt to the stress. They become
stronger and more resilient. In turn, we get healthy side effects such as a
stronger heart or more efficient lungs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, I am certainly
not oblivious to the fact that triathlon training and racing can negatively
impact your health due to things like overtraining, overuse of specific tissues
or simply pushing the body too hard in hostile conditions. Athletes hire me as
a coach, in part, to help them avoid these things. With that said, triathlon is
a healthy sport to participate in due to its positive impact on our
cardiovascular health, brain health and bone health. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #152c53; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Triathlon Training
Promotes Cardiovascular Health<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A good working
cardiovascular system is essential to our health. Our arteries are the blood
vessels that take blood away from the heart and toward the muscles. It is very
important for the arteries to work properly so they can bring nutrient-rich
blood to our organs. When we are young, our arteries are elastic, flexible and
open. As we age, however, our arteries become thick and stiff. Through a
process called atherosclerosis, the arteries become blocked up with a substance
called plaque. This plaque is the buildup of fats such as cholesterol, triglycerides
and phospholipids. Plaque restricts blood flow to organs in the body,
contributing to heart disease, which, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, is the leading cause of death in the United States
(National Center for Health Statistics, 2016).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In triathlon, we do a
substantial amount of training to support our racing. One major benefit of this
training is that it staves off atherosclerosis by preventing and, in some
cases, reversing plaque buildup. This works because of how exercise impacts the
number of little carriers that deposit fat and remove it from our cells. These
carriers are called lipoproteins. There are the low density lipoproteins (LDL),
also known as “bad cholesterol,” which deposit fat into our cells. There are
also the high density lipoproteins (HDL), known as “good cholesterol,” which
remove fat from our cells. LDL can attach and deposit fat into the arterial
walls creating plaque while HDL can remove the plaque from arterial walls. When
we exercise as much as we do to prepare for triathlon, LDL levels decrease and
HDL levels increase. The fat carried by the HDL is taken to the liver and
repurposed. Ultimately, this process helps us maintain our arteries. Although
our triathlon training does not necessarily make us immune to atherosclerosis,
it helps to slow the process and sustain normal blood flow to organs like the
heart and brain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #152c53; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Triathlon Promotes Brain
Health<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The same exercise that
helps us maintain good arterial health also supports our brain. When we exercise,
studies show that the body increases blood flow to the brain, which contributes
to positive structural and functional changes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A study in <i>Physiology </i>looked
into the impact of physical activity on adult rat hippocampal neurogenesis
(AHN) or, more simply, the creation of brain cells in the area of the brain
associated with memory and higher thinking skills. Researchers tested three
groups of rats, modifying their exercise program. The researchers compared a
control group of sedentary rats to a group that did high intensity intervals
and another group that did aerobic training. The scientists found that where
there was no significant change of ANH in the sedentary rats, the high
intensity trained rats showed a modest increase, and the aerobically trained rats
showed the most significant increase. This suggests that the aerobic training
we do as triathletes could possibly increase brain cell numbers and improve our
ability to think.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two other studies, both using human subjects,
found that physical exercise is associated with improved white matter
integrity. White matter is responsible for the speed, coordination and
connections between parts of the brain and the rest of the body. Breakdown of
white matter has been shown to be associated with diseases such as multiple
sclerosis and Alzheimer’s (Bergland, 2014). Another study found that aerobic
activity improved white matter integrity in active children between the ages of
9-10 (Chaddock-Heyman et al., 2014), while Zu et al (2014) found that aerobic
activity improved integrity in “low fit” participants ages 60-78. Regardless of
the age we begin training, the aerobic training we do to prepare for triathlon
can help improve the structure of our brains.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another study looked
at changes in brain function by using the long-term data of a human study
called Coronary Risk Development in Young Adults (<i>Neurology</i>, Burzynska
et al., 2014). In the 1980s, participants did a treadmill test to exhaustion.
The same participants repeated the test roughly 30 years later and followed it
up with cognitive testing. This cognitive testing required them to remember
lists of words and distinguish colors from text. The results showed that those
who were fitter at a young age performed better on the cognitive tests later
compared to those who were less fit at an early age. This is, perhaps, the most
convincing study that suggests that the fitness that we build through
triathlon, especially if we start early, can actually improve our memory when
we are older.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #152c53; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Triathlon Promotes Bone
Health<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A third way that
triathlon supports our physical health is by helping us build strong bones. Our
bones are constantly remodeling themselves, which means they are continuously
breaking down and building back up. When we are young, the body builds bone quickly,
which leads us to have strong, dense bones. As we age, bone replacement slows
and osteoporosis, the process where bone replacement is slower than bone
removal, can occur. In fact, one in two women and one in four men over the age
of 50 will end up getting osteoporosis fractures (Lawrence, 2011).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One way to prevent low bone density is by
doing load bearing exercises like the strength training and running that we do
to prepare for our triathlons. In their review, Layne and Nelson (1999) show
that the majority of studies on load bearing exercises and bone health create
denser bones and prevent fractures. Lifting weights is likely the best exercise
for building bones and we can add this into our training once or twice a week.
Just as exercise does not necessarily prevent the occurrence of
atherosclerosis, weight bearing exercise does not necessarily prevent
osteoporosis; however, if we eat nutrient-rich foods and do weight bearing
exercises, we can help lower our risk of disease.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One thing that sets triathlon apart from other
sports is that it has both weight bearing and non-weight bearing components.
While other sports such as running or basketball require you to put force on
your bones almost all the time, triathlon does not put as much stress on the
bones since the training is divided between swimming (non-weight bearing),
biking (non-weight bearing) and running (weight bearing). On the other side of
things, triathlon training improves bone density unlike sports that are
primarily non-weight bearing such as swimming or cycling. On top of this, if an
injury that could lead to a stress fracture occurs, triathletes can modify
their training by decreasing the volume of running and increasing the volume of
swimming and/or biking. This keeps the athlete engaged and contrasts to other
primarily weight bearing sports that might require the athlete to take time off
from their sport.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #152c53; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Final Note<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Too often, I see people in the gym trying to
get healthy and waging a war against their body to do it. I see them pounding
out miles on the treadmill and limiting their calorie intake. They clearly hate
every minute of it. One great thing about sport is that it can refocus your
mindset. You come to your workouts with a purpose that goes well beyond
improving your health. You work out in order to master a set of skills like
ascending a hill or improving your catch to help you reach your goals. The
focus toward mastering skills and improving performance holds our attention
much longer and is more fun than working out for the sake of being healthy.
Further, when you train as an athlete you begin to look at your body not as an
enemy but as a tool. You listen to it and it teaches you what is healthy. You
start to understand that it needs fuel, sometimes even Hershey’s Chocolate, in
order to energize your workouts. You learn that it needs a certain amount of
rest so that you can continue to improve. And when you don’t fuel your body
well or give it enough rest, your body lets you know.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6824760355884588149" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When we focus our eyes on sport, good health
becomes a byproduct. This does not give you a pass to disregard your yearly
checkup with your doctor or to avoid all fruits and vegetables because you can
get by on just white bread; however, the great thing about triathlon is that,
when you train consistently, you will improve your cardiovascular health, your
brain health, your bone health and many other aspects of your health without
really thinking about it.</span></span><br />
<i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">Looking for a coach? <i>Jon Fecik races as a professional triathlete,
is a USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach, and works for Complete Human
Performance. He guides a vast spectrum of age-groupers, from those who finished
their first sprint triathlon to those who qualified for and competed at
Nationals, Worlds, 70.3 Worlds and the IRONMAN World Championship. Follow Jon
on </i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.fecik" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #004c97; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</span></a><i>, </i><a href="https://twitter.com/jonfecik" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #004c97; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</span></a><i> and </i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jafecik/" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #004c97; text-decoration: none;">Instagram</span></a><i>. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt;">References</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">Bergland, Christopher
(2014). Why is physical activity so good for your brain? Psychology Today.
Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201409/why-is-physical-activity-so-good-your-brain</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">Burzynska, AZ,
Chaddock-Heyman L, Voss MW, Wong CN, Gothe NP, Olson EA, et al. (2014) Physical
Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Are Beneficial for White Matter in
Low-Fit Older Adults. PLOS ONE 9(9): e107413. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107413</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">Chaddock-Heyman, L.,
Erickson, K. I., Holtrop, J. L., Voss, M. W., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B.,
Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2014). Aerobic fitness is associated with
greater white matter integrity in children. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8,
1-7. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00584/full</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">Lawrence, Jean (2011).
Building stronger bones. Web MD. Retrieved from
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/building-stronger-bones#1</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">Layne, J.E., Nelson,
M.E. (1999). The effects of progressive resistance training on bone density: a
review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 31(1), 25-30.
http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/9927006</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">National Center for
Health Statistics. (2016). Health, United States, 2015: With Special Feature on
Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus15.pdf#019</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">Nokia, M. S., Lensu,
S., Ahtiainen, J. P., Johansson, P. P., Koch, L. G., Britton, S. L. and
Kainulainen, H. (2016). Physical exercise increases adult hippocampal
neurogenesis in male rats provided it is aerobic and sustained. Physiology,
594, 1855–1873. doi:10.1113/JP271552 </span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Zhu, Na, Jacobs, David
R. Jr., Schreiner, Pamela J., Yaffe, Kristine, Byran, Nick, Launer, Lenore
J….Sternfeld, Barbara (2014). Cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive function
in middle age. Neurology, 82(15), 1339-1346. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0107413</span>
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JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-83992584016798831382016-12-16T09:35:00.000-08:002017-01-18T10:02:42.665-08:00Four Huge Triathlon Mistakes that Will Keep You Slow<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I wrote
this piece for the Complete Human Performance Blog: </span></i><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.completehumanperformance.com/four-huge-triathlon-mistakes-will-keep-slow/"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.completehumanperformance.com/four-huge-triathlon-mistakes-will-keep-slow/</span></a></span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By: Jon Fecik</span></i></b><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Photo Credit: Wesley Xie</span></i></b><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even </span>though I race as a
Professional Triathlete and have coached for 9 years, it is not hard to
remember the mistakes I made when I was first starting out as a
triathlete. I came from a wrestling background where the mentality was
that very hard, all-out work paid off. I treated those first triathlon
workouts as if I were on the wrestling mat. I attacked the water and road,
pushing as hard as I could for as long as I could.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I only kept up that
intensity for a few weeks before my body started to break down. Eventually, I
got injured. At that point, I started to look into basic triathlon training
principles and eventually hired a coach. In hindsight, my mistakes are
very clear. Here are four mistakes that I made which you can avoid.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mistake #1: Going Too
Hard Too Soon</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first mistake I made
was that I went too hard, too soon.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While training for a
sprint distance triathlon, I would go out for a 3 mile run or 750 meter swim
and do it all at race pace. This tired me out and inevitably left me with a
calf injury because I overloaded my body too quickly.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As an experienced athlete
and coach, I have come to understand that we must build the body up slowly and
steadily to get the best results on race day. This usually means beginning with
very easy and short aerobic work (think 20-40 minute runs, 45 minutes swims and
bikes) at a perceived effort of 5 out of 10. After the body settles into the
program and gets stronger, I use the 10% rule to add mileage or intensity.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is important to
remember that no one workout makes you a better triathlete, it is the
cumulative load that builds over time and supports great performances. My
advice is to build slowly and conservatively. You can always do more at a later
time, but if you do too much too soon, you are going to find yourself burnt out
and injured.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mistake #2: Expecting
Daily Workout Gains</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A second mistake I made
early on had to do with my expectations. I expected to see better results
during every workout.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, if I ran an 8 minute
mile pace for 3 miles on Monday, I expected to run 7:55 pace for my next 3 mile
run on Wednesday. I thought that I would just continue to improve if I stuck to
this type of training. I kept building and building until my body
broke. As an experienced athlete and coach, I have come to understand that
the body doesn’t work in this way. If we keep forcing PR’s during every
workout, we will overload our muscle tissue and bone structure too quickly,
which often leads to injury.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is also possible to
compromise the immune system which can lead to sickness. I learned that to
train effectively, we need to look at the body from a biological
standpoint. We don’t need to get overly complicated, but athletes need to
understand that the body has three main energy systems (phosphocreatine system,
the aerobic system, and the anaerobic system). We can use this knowledge to
target each system at the right times to produce great results.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L0F_LccD2yY/WH-s6uDxXqI/AAAAAAAABXM/34kjXcTfuzgHx-b77uXA8KojoXYDBu9AACEw/s1600/15064925_1019337444860180_1501625551_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L0F_LccD2yY/WH-s6uDxXqI/AAAAAAAABXM/34kjXcTfuzgHx-b77uXA8KojoXYDBu9AACEw/s320/15064925_1019337444860180_1501625551_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In endurance sports, we
need a strong aerobic system in order to build the foundation by which fast
racing is supported. This means that we need to spend a lot of time doing long
slow distance miles to get the physical adaptions (increased mitochondria, increased
oxygen affinity for example) that allow us to go long and fast on race day.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My advice is to treat
workouts as the building blocks for race day success. Expect most of your
training to feel and be mediocre compared to your workout PR’s. If a PR comes,
enjoy it, but don’t force it. Trust in the process and you will continue to get
better in the long term.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mistake #3: Never
Changing the Intensity</span></b><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A year or two after I got
into triathlon, I started to use a HR monitor. I then focused all my attention
on aerobic training. If I was riding my bike, I averaged 154. If I ran, I
averaged 164. I didn’t do any speed work on the track and I didn’t do
very much recovery work either. I did this for about 2 years straight.
This style of training helped me develop a very powerful aerobic engine, but it
did not maximize my ability to perform on race day.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPHtNJ-XMU0/WH-tAJkXP7I/AAAAAAAABXQ/yjyzY-JMNrgqAOqNu93-ucq4a5Nf70CnACEw/s1600/15133674_1019337551526836_1565540377_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPHtNJ-XMU0/WH-tAJkXP7I/AAAAAAAABXQ/yjyzY-JMNrgqAOqNu93-ucq4a5Nf70CnACEw/s320/15133674_1019337551526836_1565540377_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As an experienced athlete
and coach, I now understand the power of variation. Once I began to change my
effort and speed and worked on developing my neuromuscular ability and
anaerobic engine, I saw huge improvements in performance.</span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #555555; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Experienced athletes know
how important it is to work all systems all of the time. They may spend more
time on one system during particular periods, like a lot of aerobic training in
the “base” period, but these athletes will still do short pick-ups, tempo runs,
and hill workouts that enhance the bodies’ ability to perform on race day.</span></span><span style="color: #555555; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-38639440333501252162016-11-28T14:04:00.000-08:002016-11-28T14:16:54.852-08:00Dynamic Run Drills <div style="text-align: left;">
Here are a few dynamic drills that I encourage athletes that I coach to do. I suggest doing these before, during, or after long travel days and before, during, or after a workout. I find that they have a whole slue of benefits which include...</div>
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#1 Warming-up the mind</div>
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#2 Warming-up the body</div>
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#3 Increasing proprioceptive awareness (your place in space)</div>
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#4 Improving coordination skills </div>
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#5 Stretching out the body</div>
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Key points:</div>
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#1 Loosen up</div>
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#2 Stay light on the balls of your feet</div>
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#3 Relax your upper body</div>
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#4 Keep everything in control</div>
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#5 Don't force anything</div>
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#6 Start slow and build your speed as you warm up</div>
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#6 Don't judge yourself or your form, just do what you can do, you will improve over time</div>
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You can always add different drills or do variations of these drills. I usually do these for roughly 5 minutes depending on how my body feels, what type of work I'm preparing for, or what type of work I'm recovering from.<br />
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Looking for an endurance coach for next season? Don't hesitate to reach out to me at jonfecik@gmail.com. If you are looking for a different type of coach for strength training, crossfit, obstacle courses, mental skills, etc, check out CompleteHumanPerformance.com. </div>
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JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-61432609073418711932016-11-15T09:26:00.000-08:002017-01-18T09:44:28.089-08:00Three Skills You Need Outside of Fitness<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;"><i>This piece was originally written for USA Triathlon Multisport Lab: <a href="https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/News/Blogs/Multisport-Lab/2016/October/31/3-Skills-You-Need-Outside-of-Fitness">https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/News/Blogs/Multisport-Lab/2016/October/31/3-Skills-You-Need-Outside-of-Fitness</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;"><img alt="balance" height="250" src="https://www.teamusa.org/~/media/USA_Triathlon/Images/About-Multisport/Multisport-Lab/2016/10/103116-balance-800500.jpg?la=en" width="400" /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">The offseason is a
great time to reflect on the things that went well and not so well over the
course of the season. As you do, it is natural to find yourself focusing on
your results such as your 5k sprint-distance run time or your half-IRONMAN bike
speed. When you focus on results, you tend to set fitness-related goals. While
fitness goals should be on the front of your mind at the start of a new season,
remember that triathlon requires you to be more than just fit. Triathlon
requires you to master physical skills such as handling your bike around a
tough course or nailing your transition. It requires you to master mental
skills like executing a race plan under pressure or continuing along the run
course despite a nagging cramp. In addition, triathlon requires you to master
general life skills like modifying your schedule, planning ahead and getting
organized. Because these general skills are not easily measured, we often
forget to reflect on how we did in these areas and set new goals to become
better in the season to come. If you reflect on and set goals in this area, you
will reduce stress and indirectly improve your ability to perform on race day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Here are three
specific examples of how the athletes I coach struggle with these general
skills on a regular basis and some questions to help you reflect on your own
struggles and set new goals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #152c53; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18.0pt;">Planning Ahead <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Meal planning is one
specific area that challenges the athletes I coach when it comes to the general
skill of planning ahead. When life gets busy, we tend not to plan. This leads
us to; (1) make decisions about what to eat every day and what we need to
prepare that food (as opposed to making all the decisions at one time in the
beginning of the week), which contributes to decision fatigue and decision
paralysis; (2) eat out, which can be expensive and unhealthy; (3) go to the
grocery store for only one meal at a time, which wastes time; (4) eat the same
thing each week, which does not always provide the variety of foods we need to
remain healthy; (5) and, tempts us to buy unhealthy fast food alternatives like
freezer meals at the grocery store, which do not fuel our workouts as well as
homemade food.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">A solution could be to
sit down for 20 minutes at the beginning of the week to plan your menu. Be sure
to include one or two easy recipes in the case that you find yourself in a time
crunch. Type up your menu, the recipes and a grocery list organized by food
category (vegetables, meat, cheese, etc). Save the list to your computer. As
this becomes a part of your routine in the offseason, you will build up a stock
of weekly menus of meals that you like. When your schedule gets crazy during
the season, you will not have to create a new list every week. You can look
back to your saved menus, print out your grocery list, and head to the store
right away. Those who master the skill of planning ahead save time and energy,
like that which goes into creating new menus each week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Reflect back on the
times you did not plan ahead this year. What will you do differently in the
coming season to be more proactive in your planning?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #152c53; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18.0pt;">Modifying the Plan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Many of the athletes I
work with struggle to modify their training plan when it comes to the general
skill of modifying the plan. I also see this with non-coached triathletes who follow
a general stock training plan. When athletes first start out, they talk with
their coach or find a solid plan that fits their life schedule well. As the
season progresses, however, an inevitable family or work commitment comes up
and consistently prevents them from getting in, say, a Monday night swim. The
athletes continue to try to make the swim work on Mondays, but, more often than
not, they miss that session. This stresses them out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Obviously, there is a
simple solution: Modify the plan. Swap the Monday swim with the day off,
attempt to find a different time to swim on Monday, or place the swim before a
bike or run on a different day. There are typically two reasons why athletes do
not modify the training plan. First, athletes are so busy that they are unaware
of consistently missing their swim. A solution for this scenario might be to
log the workouts on TrainingPeaks and reflect back once a month to decide if
the current training plan aligns with their life schedule. From there, the
athletes can make changes. Second, athletes realize that they constantly miss
the swim, but are not confident in modifying the plan. For most age-group
athletes who are training at a low volume (8 hours or less), it is OK to move
the workout so you can get it in. If you need to double up workouts and have
never done this before, ease into that second workout and cut it short if you
are not feeling good. See how the adjustment in the plan feels on the body
after a week or two and reassess. Those who master the life skill of modifying
the plan and find creative scheduling solutions will train more consistently
and perform better on race day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Reflect back on the
times you did and did not modify your plan this year. Was there a time where
modifying your plan may have helped you reap better results? What will you do
in the coming season to ensure that you modify your plan when necessary?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #152c53; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18.0pt;">Organizing Your Stuff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Many of the athletes I
work with struggle when it comes to organizing their stuff, particularly when
it comes to organizing their triathlon gear. We waste time running around
before a workout looking for our misplaced HR monitor, water bottles, helmet,
socks, etc., because our gear is not organized in one place or did not make it
back to its rightful place. As we get more fatigued from training, this problem
tends to get worse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Spend some time in the
offseason creating bins so all your gear has its place. Commit to returning
your gear to its place immediately after the workout. Send yourself a weekly
email reminder to organize your gear if it is out of order. If you get into the
habit of doing this in the offseason, you will be more likely to keep your
stuff organized during the season. Those who can master the skill of
organization will limit their stress, decrease the time it takes to prepare for
a workout and increase the time they have to work out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Reflect back on the
time you were disorganized this year. How did it effect you emotionally? What
will you do to be more organized next season? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">As I said, triathlon
is not all about fitness. There are a lot of skills that go into a great
performance and some of these, like planning ahead, modifying the plan and
getting organized are very general life skills. Take some time to reflect and
set goals to improve in each of these areas. If you do, you will set yourself
up for your best performance on race day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Jon Fecik races as a
professional triathlete, is a USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach and owns
Power On Coaching. He guides a vast spectrum of age-groupers, from those who
finished their first sprint triathlon to those who qualified for and competed
at Nationals, Worlds, 70.3 Worlds and the IRONMAN World Championship. Follow
Jon on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.fecik" target="_blank"><span style="color: #004c97;">Facebook</span></a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jonfecik" target="_blank"><span style="color: #004c97;">Twitter</span></a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jafecik/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #004c97;">Instagram</span></a>. Read more of his work and find out
about his coaching services at <a href="http://jonfecik.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #004c97;">jonfecik.com</span></a>.</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-51451506215162584752016-10-31T21:57:00.006-07:002016-11-02T09:42:48.366-07:00Hefei 70.3 Race Report <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Racing at 70.3 Hefei in China was one of the coolest experiences
of my life and I want to take some time to share a little of my journey with
you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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First off, I chose to race in China this year because I
wanted to have a different experience. At points in your triathlon career, you
want something a little different to help put that extra fire in your belly,
something that makes you want to train and race harder. Having the opportunity to
race in Asia, promote triathlon in a new place, and promote triathlon in a new
culture definitely provided me with this extra motivation. I put up some of my
best numbers on the swim and the bike as I trained for this race.</div>
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This particular race was in mid-eastern China (see Hefei on
the map below). Amber and I flew out of New York, up Canada, over the North Pole,
down Russia, all the way down to Guangzhou in Southern China and back up to
Hefei. Total travel time was about 24 hours. Luckily, Amber and I were tired
when we got on the plane. I slept about 12-13 hours total, so the first of two
flights only seemed to take about an hour. We had a three hour layover in Guangzhou
which was ok since the airport was huge. It was so big that we had to take a
shuttle for 20 minutes on the tarmac before we could get on the second plane. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rl1X_mG1Pwg/WBgP4_-M6XI/AAAAAAAABQY/FlwSIipWaGMOw-E0n0EtvvMiaA3hOiLrgCLcB/s1600/Hefei%2BLocation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rl1X_mG1Pwg/WBgP4_-M6XI/AAAAAAAABQY/FlwSIipWaGMOw-E0n0EtvvMiaA3hOiLrgCLcB/s400/Hefei%2BLocation.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One
thing that stood out was that the Chinese were very eager to get where they were going. Even though we had assigned seats, everyone was very pushy as they got
on the plane. I do not believe that anyone meant to be rude, I think this is just part of Chinese culture. Amber and I are a little easier going, so we allowed some people
to pass ahead of us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once in Hefei, we felt very welcomed into the country. In
fact, every other billboard out of the airport (there were about 60 billboards
on the way out) had Ironman advertised on it. It felt a little overboard, but
it’s much better to feel welcome than not welcome at all.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v9JSl1nzvaU/WBgQFfo-SnI/AAAAAAAABQc/wnMmE0badmYtx2e3aRDShl61rZWbDCk8gCLcB/s1600/IMG_5532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v9JSl1nzvaU/WBgQFfo-SnI/AAAAAAAABQc/wnMmE0badmYtx2e3aRDShl61rZWbDCk8gCLcB/s400/IMG_5532.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
airport was roughly 50 minutes from our hotel which gave us a good look at the
surroundings. Near the airport, there were mostly fields and a few shacks. As
we got closer to the city, however, brand new apartment buildings began to
appear. At first it was just two clusters of roughly 10 brand new apartment
buildings each. We didn’t think much of it until we kept going and there was
another and another. The buildings were all built within the last year and it was clear that no one lived in them. Because of the fog, it felt kind of
eerie, like a pop-up city. We learned later that the Chinese like new places
and that all these buildings were going to be filled up within a year. It’s
hard to believe. I will have to take their word for it.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out our hotel window</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hotel </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More new apartment buildings<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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As we pulled up to the hotel, we could see that it was brand new as well. It had opened only one month before. It was huge and elegant. You could tell that someone spent a lot of time on each and every detail. </div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite the language barrier, everyone was very nice and accommodating.
The concierge would hook us up with plenty of free water bottles, the front
desk was very attentive, and the Ironman staff helped us out with any
other information we needed regarding the race. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The one thing that I was most worried about before I left was the Chinese food and water. I did not want to get sick before the race. In Hefei, it did not turn out to be a concern. There was plenty of bottled water available for purchase and the hotel had good quality food. We ate at the hotel morning </span>buffet <span style="font-family: inherit;">breakfast which was an
absolute feast. They had french toast, danishes, eggs, rice, noodles, very
crispy-delicious bacon and fruit. For dinner we hopped around, but mostly
ate at the hotels evening buffets. At first, it was hard to get used to how they
leave the heads on duck, chicken, shrimp, and fish, but we eventually got over it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We did have a few language barrier issues. One
was when Amber and I went out for lunch at a sushi restaurant. The seating was
positioned around the sushi chef. He would put fresh sushi on a revolving conveyor
belt and you could take it off if you wanted to eat it. Although we didn’t ask
for one, the chef made us a special avocado and spicy tuna roll. I wanted
another one, but the chef didn’t understand when I asked. He got the store
manager, a waiter, and another waiter involved. It took 20 minutes and a phone voice
translator to get my second roll. Everyone laughed about it.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving the sushi</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;">Another issue came up when we went to lunch a different restaurant. Amber wanted to order some coffee with milk in it. The waiter did not understand
the “with milk” so I made the universal sign of milking a cow (you know, squeezing
utters in mid air…). The waiter thought she understood and brought Amber out a
glass of milk. Amber and I took a sip and were immediately sure that it was not
cow’s milk. On the bright side, the milk came with a straw shaped like a heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;">Another language barrier issue, that was more of just a
thing we noticed, were these signs set around the lake outside our hotel….Amber
and I weren’t sure what to make of the English translations.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strange placement... </td></tr>
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As for the race, it was one of the best organized, most
attended I</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">ronman sanctioned events that I’ve ever raced. It was a closed
course, point-to-point race which started about 11 miles from our hotel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The race began in a highly populated part of the city where people actually lived and worked. It reminded me of New York City a little bit with the beautiful sky scrapers.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span>One of the things that Ironman was a little bit nervous
about was the crowd, car, and moped control. In this part of China, the cars
and mopeds seem to follow guidelines of the road, but those guidelines are not
hard and fast rules. It was not uncommon for cars to go through stop lights or
drive down the wrong side of the road. To prevent anything bad from happening,
Wanda- the guy who owns WTC- provided 15,000 security guards who lined up about
10 meters apart over the entire 70.3 mile course. That was a bit overkill, even extravagant, but very cool at the same time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the security guards on the course</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful wife...and T1</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The conditions were decent. The water was a little green,
the air quality was foggy, and the temperature was about 68-73 through the entire
race. I can’t say that any one of these things negatively impacted my
performance on race day. The one thing that stood out, though, was the road surface. Those brand new glassy roads made the race
very enjoyable. On top of that, we got all 4 lanes of road to ourselves! This really made the race stand out compared to other US races. Closed courses with wide smooth roads made this racing experience that much more exceptional.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A small aside.... One major difference between racing in the US and racing in China are the Porta Potties. In the US, there is a seat. In China, there is just a hole and a handle hold. Frankly, I was a little nervous about this experience, but it was actually not that bad. One Pro actually came out and described the experience as "life changing." I'll leave it up to you to interpret that one. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As far as my race performance went, it was similar to most of the other races that I’ve done. The only thing that was a little different was the lower number of pro's. I’m use to racing with 40-60 pro’s which makes for a very tactical race. There were 15-20 pro’s racing which lead me, and everyone else, to race their own race. I enjoy both styles, but it was nice to change it up. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With swimmers like Olympians Stewart Hayes and Brad
Kahlefeldt in the front group, I knew that I would be swimming primarily on my
own or with only one or two guys around me. I ended up swimming quite a bit
with Brad Williams (that is, when he decided to swim straight). He came out of the water
just ahead of me and we both were about 3 minutes behind the front group. This
swim performance was pretty consistent or a little better than usual for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The transitions were set up like a full distance event where you had to get your transition bag. If there was one thing that was not quite right during this race, it was that the male pro bags were set up right in front of the women's change tent. This would be fine if there was not a fountain between the basgs and the men's change tent. We either had to backtrack or jump over a fountain. I ended up jumping over the fountain and falling off the other side, on top of my helmet. Both my helmet and I survived and it only cost me a second or two. I heard that other male Pr's actually went into the women's change tend by accident. Good thing we were the first one's off!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The bike was pretty consistent with my results from this
year. I really enjoyed riding fast on the wide open road with all the security
guards lining my way and fireworks going off at the half way mark. I road conservatively and evenly with a VI of
1.04. I caught 1 or two guys including AJ Baucco who was having a rough day. AJ
and I worked together for about 5-10 minutes, but he ran out of gas and I chose
to keep on going. I ended up riding down Chinese Pro Hao Miao in the final three
miles and ran into T2 just ahead of him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Out of T2, Miao floored it and I took it more
conservatively. My run was a bit of a question mark going into this race. I had
a knee/IT band injury that popped up right after Timberman 70.3 in August and I
ended up taking two weeks off of running. After that, I had a rocky build up
with low mileage and low intensity. Luckily, my knee had
not bothered me since I got off the plane in Hefei. Despite being more conservative than Miao, I
ended up running a little too fast at the beginning and slowed a bit in the
final 4-5 miles. That said, I kept moving strong, reminded myself that I wanted
to come to China to perform well, and never gave up. I ended up with my best
run so far this year. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The finish line was outstanding. It definitely rivaled Kona
and 70.3 worlds. I’m not sure if the Chinese were excited that I was a pro,
that I am a tall Caucasian, or simply that this was the first time these people saw a
triathlon, but the crowd went wild as I went down the finish shoot. It is
always an amazing experience crossing the line at an Ironman event, but this
one felt special because of how hard I worked for it. I ended the race with my race best time for this season.</span></div>
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Everyone seemed to want a picture or selfie with an American post race. There were literally 40 Chinese people who lined up. I’m not going to lie, the attention felt really good.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ted Breault, qualified for 70.3 Worlds!</td></tr>
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One of the Power On athlete's I've coached for a long time, Ted Breault, traveled over to Hefei as well. He came within seconds of his PR time and ended up qualifying for 70.3 Worlds. It was great to see him finish up his race.<br />
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Overall, my experience at Hefei was very good and I’m
looking forward to going back to China on November 5th to race Xiamen 70.3. I
expect that the experience will be different since the city of Xiamen is in Southern China and seems to
be more established.</div>
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<b>On a side note, if you are looking for a coach, reach out! I have some openings for the 2017 season! E-mail me at <a href="mailto:jafecik@gmail.com">jafecik@gmail.com</a></b>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="mailto:jafecik@gmail.com"><br /></a>
As always, special thanks to Jon Fecik Racing sponsors Zane's Cycles, Southern CT Muscle and Joint Chrio, Low Cost Oil LLC, CT Cycle Center, and Diabetes Training Camp! Use these great organizations that help support me and so many other things in our community! </div>
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JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-39763663018047622512016-09-08T15:05:00.000-07:002016-09-08T15:05:17.052-07:00Madison Sprint Tri Tips<div class="MsoNormal">
Regrettably, I am unable to attend the Madison Sprint
Triathlon this year due to the wedding of a good friend. All your physical
fitness training is done, but I wanted to offer up three things that helped me
win last year and three things you can use to get
the most out of yourself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->In the Water, Check the Currents <o:p></o:p></div>
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After you warm up in the water (you
better warm up in the water!!!) stop for a second. Watch something stable on
land and notice if you feel yourself drifting one way or the other. Visualize
the race quickly and take note of where you think you might be affected by that
current. Then, take the current into account when you are swimming during the
race. You may need to aim slightly left or slightly right of a buoy so that you
swim a straight line. Last year, a competitor in front of me didn’t notice the
current (and didn’t sight enough). He ended up swimming wide of the second
buoy. I noticed and quickly took advantage of the situation by correcting my
direction. I ended up swimming straight while he swam a lot longer course.
I came out of the water ahead of him. It pays off to pay attention!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M77X4tndTPI/V9HYXx3_ILI/AAAAAAAABNs/uMYaSfnpsHwkxKwKB57NwkZMlxjJMIvCQCLcB/s1600/Swim%2BOut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M77X4tndTPI/V9HYXx3_ILI/AAAAAAAABNs/uMYaSfnpsHwkxKwKB57NwkZMlxjJMIvCQCLcB/s400/Swim%2BOut.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy to be first out of the water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->On the Bike, Stay Low on the Downhills<o:p></o:p></div>
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Body position is a huge factor
when it comes to drag. If your body is upright while you are on a downhill, you
will ride a lot slower than if you were in a more aggressive position (even if
you are just one inch lower by bending your elbows). After you turn left on Opening Hill Rd, most of the course is down hill to the finish. If you aren’t peddling, stay as low as
you can, but only to the point where you can still ride safely. This will help
you maximize your speed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o-BayDyRUvA/V9HZu6rjtbI/AAAAAAAABOA/zRyjFcMjvGc1CXdiReXX_0UB6_U9PxiWQCLcB/s1600/real-control_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o-BayDyRUvA/V9HZu6rjtbI/AAAAAAAABOA/zRyjFcMjvGc1CXdiReXX_0UB6_U9PxiWQCLcB/s400/real-control_04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descend like this guy!<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xp3qYPLezak/V9HZy-cK_yI/AAAAAAAABOE/KlDxqot1Cug-8Z_yLLbxo-sqJi0cFq-3wCLcB/s1600/93c19d470dd57a226e3663d1fed34288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xp3qYPLezak/V9HZy-cK_yI/AAAAAAAABOE/KlDxqot1Cug-8Z_yLLbxo-sqJi0cFq-3wCLcB/s400/93c19d470dd57a226e3663d1fed34288.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or this guy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ht6YSxzsnnA/V9HYahtSulI/AAAAAAAABNw/ETxNWPx_NdA4Qqm0XX2cHPF5Y_rWSlUyQCLcB/s1600/11986476_10153159362482081_2974182511572778511_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ht6YSxzsnnA/V9HYahtSulI/AAAAAAAABNw/ETxNWPx_NdA4Qqm0XX2cHPF5Y_rWSlUyQCLcB/s400/11986476_10153159362482081_2974182511572778511_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But not like this guy! He doesn't even have his shoes on!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->On the Run, Set Reminders to Go Fast<o:p></o:p></div>
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Any time I race, I always make a
mental map of the run course in my head. I visualize mile markers or landmarks where
I think I can squeeze out a little extra speed and still finish strong at the
end. I connect those spots with a thought like “go harder” or “you are fast” or
“you are strong” and plan to say them to myself during the race. Prior to the race last year, I planned to say to myself "you are fast" and push
the pace by 10-15 seconds per mile as I came out of the turnaround area. When I
hit that spot in the actual race, my thoughts were more like 'oh this is tough' rather than 'i can go faster.' Having a planed spot to say "you are fast" helped me redirect my thoughts and helped me commit to the faster speed. Low and behold, I surprised myself and was able to hold that faster
pace all the way to the end. You have more speed than you think, you might just
have to remind yourself to push harder.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5rCN6IlETkU/V9HYa0l9IHI/AAAAAAAABN4/__hQ7MprTrQ8_KALjnGcRAnoq9VddQjbwCLcB/s1600/run%2Bin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5rCN6IlETkU/V9HYa0l9IHI/AAAAAAAABN4/__hQ7MprTrQ8_KALjnGcRAnoq9VddQjbwCLcB/s400/run%2Bin.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Finishing for the win!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Lastly, make sure you have your gear in order. You can always
pick up some last minute gu, water bottles, hydration systems, etc. at Zane’s
Cycles if you need to before the race. Good luck and have fun!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Looking for a coach for your 2017 season? Don’t hesitate to reach out!
My e-mail is <a href="mailto:jafecik@gmail.com">jafecik@gmail.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-86274928112831797692016-09-08T07:39:00.003-07:002016-09-08T07:43:12.238-07:00Psychological Stress has a Huge Impact on Performance <span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Psychological stress has a huge impact on the body. The researchers in this study found that players were 3.19 times more likely to have an injury restriction during weeks of high academic stress. If you know a stressful week is coming up, or you have an acute stress like a death in the family, the loss of a job, a mental breakdown, etc, be sure to communicate with your coach. A good coach can help prevent injury by adapting the plan and helping you through it.</span><br />
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Looking for a coach for your 2017 season? Don't hesitate to reach out! E-mail Jon at jafecik@gmail.com.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-23160936658509650142016-09-01T11:52:00.002-07:002016-09-01T11:52:44.183-07:00Coaching at the Diabetes Training Camp<div class="MsoNormal">
I have had the honor of working at my 5<sup>th</sup>
Diabetes Training Camp (DTC) this August and I absolutely loved it. Working with Type 1 diabetics is extremely fulfilling and watching the DTC philosophy at work in the camp environment is a powerful experience.</div>
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For those of you who don’t know, Type 1 diabetes is an
autoimmune disease where a person’s pancreas stops working. Normally, a properly working pancreas secretes insulin which helps us regulate our blood sugar. Since
a diabetic’s pancreas does not work properly, the diabetics must consciously regulate
their own blood sugar by injecting insulin at the right times throughout the
day. It’s a 24 hour, 7 days a week job and there is no cure (you can’t simply eat
or exercise your way out of it). If diabetics do not regulate their blood
sugars well, there can be short term consequences (like feeling lethargic or passing
out) and long term consequences such as permanent nerve damage, loss of eye
sight, and shorter life expectancy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Generally, diabetics get a 20-30 minute consult with their
doctor a few times a year. Dr. Matt Corcoran, an MD, CDE, and Exercise
Specialist with the American Association of Sports Medicine quickly recognized
that this was not enough time to help his patients. In response, he developed a
camp to address the needs of diabetics in a fundamental way. This is how DTC
was born. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3fih4HztTxE/V8hkBD26KFI/AAAAAAAABMQ/i-6GmjvI8hIKq9MSsw9od-gM52qvdrJhwCLcB/s1600/14088554_10153965559509423_4517652092102138966_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3fih4HztTxE/V8hkBD26KFI/AAAAAAAABMQ/i-6GmjvI8hIKq9MSsw9od-gM52qvdrJhwCLcB/s400/14088554_10153965559509423_4517652092102138966_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Matt Corcoran with Camper Margalynne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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At the most basic level, DTC is a week long educational camp
that helps diabetics improve their diabetes management through nutrition and exercise. The camp brings
together all the necessary team members including a medical team, a mental
skills team, a coaching team, and a fitness team to address all aspects of living
well with diabetes. The campers listen to lectures given by experts, engage in one-on-ones
to develop individualized diabetes and exercise/training plans, have coach
directed group discussions, and then go out to the fields (and pools) of Lancaster
County PA to apply what they learned. The camp does a fantastic job of addressing
everyone’s individual goals, from those who want to be able to walk a mile or
swim one length of a pool to those want to run a marathon or complete an
ironman. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
Naturally, my job at DTC is to be part of the coaching
staff. I help out with the swim, bike, and run/walk programs on an as needed
bases: working with other coaches to develop the week’s program; discussing swim,
bike, run techniques with campers; observing group training sessions; coaching
on deck; and providing individuals with good old fashion workouts. I am also around to address individual
questions and take part in the coach directed discussion groups. This year, I
even helped some campers/staff work on their butterfly kick in the pool (which
seconds as a cool dance move and thirds as…well…we won’t go there…). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
From my perspective, one of the most powerful things about
DTC is the low risk environment it creates. At camp, it becomes markedly
evident that there is not a “one plan that fits all” formula. There is not one
plan that will resolve everyone’s diabetes needs and/or fitness goals. There
are 25 different diabetics in the room with 25 different body’s that all
respond to stress, insulin, sugar, and training differently. The lectures
provide some very general principles and then everyone must go out, test their
knowledge, and find out what works for them. Inevitably, a camper calculates incorrectly,
or the body responds in a way he or she didn’t expect, or the meter wasn’t
reading accurately, and he or she goes super high or low during a workout. The
thing is, it’s ok. The campers are not alone in the DTC environment and can
test out their new knowledge in a safe way. Not only is there a medical team
ready to intervene when necessary, all the other campers can identify with the one who is having a tough time. They can empathize with each other, share
their experiences, and build each other back up during the tough times.
Needless to say, campers learn from each other just as much as they learn from the
experts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OWNchkDltoY/V8hkKPOloHI/AAAAAAAABMU/CuxAon7odnIQDIB8uYqVBT6S_lVdsKuxgCLcB/s1600/14054113_10153961190559423_8012521414895905868_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OWNchkDltoY/V8hkKPOloHI/AAAAAAAABMU/CuxAon7odnIQDIB8uYqVBT6S_lVdsKuxgCLcB/s400/14054113_10153961190559423_8012521414895905868_n.jpg" width="372" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting Fit! Having Fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I have often wondered why I am so drawn to DTC beyond the
fact that I’m a Professional Coach/Triathlete and can fill a coaching role.
Although type 1 diabetes runs in my family, I do not have it. It’s taken me a
few camps to figure this out, but I think it has to do with how the essence of DTC aligns with my philosophy of living as an athlete. For me, being an athlete
is a life approach. It requires a relentless awareness of your own body, mind and
environment. It requires an unwavering desire to live and adapt, rest and grow.
DTC teaches these principles in a concrete way. It presents campers with
good evidence-based information about the body, mind, and environment through a
variety of different angles (medicine, psychology, nutrition, fitness). DTC goes
beyond this by creating an individualize plan to support each individual’s
body, needs, and goals. Then, it creates a low risk environment that allows
campers to go out and live, to learn from their experiences, to trust their experiences,
to share those experiences with others, to tweak their plan, to keep growing, and
to never give up. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XRxzbxf9wNg/V8hkiJ0f4rI/AAAAAAAABMY/ayxYb8g66i8vIvLiPrD_S7j6bCziHa2WACLcB/s1600/13466149_10153795888174423_520439892713883204_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XRxzbxf9wNg/V8hkiJ0f4rI/AAAAAAAABMY/ayxYb8g66i8vIvLiPrD_S7j6bCziHa2WACLcB/s320/13466149_10153795888174423_520439892713883204_n.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Technique Focus </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Campers who leave DTC tend to be very successful with their
goals. Countless campers have gone on to achieve extraordinary feats that doctors
never thought possible for a diabetic. These feats range from getting
off the couch and running a 5k just 8 weeks later, to completing the grueling 140.6
miles of an ironman, to riding a bike for 400 miles over 40 days over 40,000
feet of elevation while raising $40,000 for to DTC foundation after living with
diabetes for 40 years (<a href="http://www.ride40.com/" target="_blank">GO RIDE 40!</a>). This is because DTC not only sets campers
up to successfully manage their diabetes, it teaches people how to address their
limitations and be successful in life. The camp essentially parallels a high
performance environment, the same environment that great coaches like Brett Sutton,
Joel Filliol, Greg Mueller, Cliff English, Marilyn Chychota, and Paulo Sousa
(among countless others) create for their high performing triathletes. I would
be lying if I said I do not try to create this same type of experience for the
athletes I coach individually. Despite the fact that many Power On athletes live far away, I
attempt to disperse evidence-based information through my closed Power On
Coaching Facebook Page. I connect athletes within my coaching group and with nearby
clubs such as the YMCA-C3 Triathlon Club, Pittsburgh Triathlon Club, and Masters
Swimming so they can train with other athletes and learn from other’s
experiences. I develop individualized training plans to help guide each
athlete. I help each athlete reflect on their experiences via data analysis, goal
sheets, post-race reviews, and end of the season reflections so they can learn
to tweak their plan and find a way to be more successful in the future. I also take
part in these things myself to develop my own professional career because I
want to be a better coach and pro triathlete. To sum it up, the types of things
that campers learn and work on at DTC are the same things that top performers are
doing all over the world. The only difference is that campers at DTC all have
a specific set of limitations which the camp sets out to address. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pKQnIiCOHbI/V8hkpCR_iGI/AAAAAAAABMc/NwwRE7b6Ieg1Xd0rP5pG4R4uZezARSbpACLcB/s1600/IMG_5223_GrantCurry_Ride40_1000x750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pKQnIiCOHbI/V8hkpCR_iGI/AAAAAAAABMc/NwwRE7b6Ieg1Xd0rP5pG4R4uZezARSbpACLcB/s400/IMG_5223_GrantCurry_Ride40_1000x750.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ride 40's Grant Curry, a HUGE Success</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you have type 1 diabetes, you must go to DTC. Regardless
of where you are at in your journey of living with the disease, and regardless
of your current fitness level, your experience will be life changing. I’ve seen
countless cases of “oh, I didn’t know I could do that” or “wow, I’ve had
diabetes for 30 years and I’ve never had so much control over my blood sugar
until this week.” Not only that, you will inspire other diabetics by sharing
your story. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8U-16FfDvc/V8hlmsRETuI/AAAAAAAABMk/VlMt_g-Q5s08p2P4p4ccF5xMCmcpg14lwCLcB/s1600/14141814_10153964073999423_8735491510425127227_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8U-16FfDvc/V8hlmsRETuI/AAAAAAAABMk/VlMt_g-Q5s08p2P4p4ccF5xMCmcpg14lwCLcB/s400/14141814_10153964073999423_8735491510425127227_n.jpg" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Julie</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> and </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lyndsay</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">, both are Diabetics, both are Ironman finishers, <br />and both are Exceptional Women</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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If you do not have diabetes, you can still embody the idea of living as an athlete. No matter where you are starting from, find a good group of training partners and/or
a good coach to help you achieve your goals. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could not thank DTC enough for having me back again and
again. With each camp, I become a better coach, a better athlete, and a better
person. Thank you DTC!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D-b-4ZfR1Pc/V8hlyZMG8vI/AAAAAAAABMo/R6IvXKGwQ0cF_doVVcRKKC64Zm9i0t0CQCLcB/s1600/14192178_10153973738064423_6000831836052188706_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D-b-4ZfR1Pc/V8hlyZMG8vI/AAAAAAAABMo/R6IvXKGwQ0cF_doVVcRKKC64Zm9i0t0CQCLcB/s400/14192178_10153973738064423_6000831836052188706_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The August 2016 DTC Crew!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Runners Run...and then Pose</td></tr>
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For more info on the Diabetes Training Camp, give a
life changing gift to the DTC foundation, or find out how you can get funding for the next DTC camp, go here: <a href="http://diabetestrainingcamp.com/" target="_blank">http://diabetestrainingcamp.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-36300015887855937392016-08-30T14:52:00.000-07:002016-09-01T11:53:53.976-07:00Putting in the Work<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">One of the top triathlon coaches in the world, Paulo Sousa, is always saying that in training you must "chop wood, carry water." In other words, everyone has to put in the work in order to succeed. It can be hard, boring, and seem never ending sometimes, but it's necessary if you want to achieve your goals. Keep at it.</span><br />
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JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-36318519946146875192016-08-08T11:12:00.000-07:002016-08-08T11:36:13.510-07:00My Talk with Race4Chase Youth Triathlon Programs!<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my favorite jobs as a professional triathlete and coach is to promote the sport of triathlon. It has given me so much and I love to give back in any way I can. I had the wonderful opportunity to do so by talking with the kids from two Race4Chase YMCA programs this year. Race4Chase is a program that was developed in memory of Chase Kowalski who loved triathlon and was killed at the Sandy Hook Tragedy. According to its mission: <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Race4Chase Kid’s Triathlon program is a youth triathlon program aimed to provide kids aged 6 to 12 with a safe, healthy non-competitive environment to discover the sport of triathlon. It brings together kids from all different backgrounds and educates them on how to adopt a healthy lifestyle, coaches them to develop a foundation of athletic skills, and inspires them to aim high in sports and in life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Designed as a six week goal oriented summer program, the program provides kids with expert instruction in swimming, cycling, running, strength training and flexibility, and also teaches them the fundamentals of good nutrition, under the supportive guidance of coaches, lifeguards and instructors. Implementing a custom-designed training program, the coaches provide the youth athletes with all the equipment, knowledge, and one-on-one support they need to become tri-athletes. At the culmination of the training camp, all the youth athletes come together to compete in a USAT-sanctioned triathlon race.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition, this year the kids got a free entry to camp and a free bike if they needed one.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Here is a video on the CMAK foundation which supports the Race4Chase Triathlon Program.</div>
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One thing I really love about the camp is that it exposes kids to triathlon at an early age which is so important to the growth of our sport. If kids know about triathlon, learn how to train, and enjoy their experience, they will want to continue to do it. This will only help the future of triathlon!<o:p></o:p><br />
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For my part, I sat them down and talked about the typical day of a professional triathlete including how much I sleep (9-12 hours a day), how much I eat (lots), what I eat (healthy food like pasta, fruits, and vegetables), and my daily workout routine (swim, bike, run, strength, rest). At the end of my talk, I really emphasized the importance of consistency. If there is one thing I know about triathlon, it’s that the more you train and race, the better you get. There are going to be tough races and training days where you just don’t want to swim, bike, or run, but if you keep showing up, you will be rewarded for your hard work. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Training Day! Everyone wanted to touch my bike...</td></tr>
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To finish up, I ran them through my typical warm-up and drills. We concluded with some fun relays which really fired up the kids. The best relay was when they had to run backwards. It was hard enough for them just to keep going, let alone race each other while doing so! The kids absolutely loved it and I can’t wait to help out again next year!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Race Day!</td></tr>
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Thanks to the Soundview YMCA and Valley Shore YMCA for having me be a part of this great program!<br />
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For more information on Race4Chase and how you might contribute to the CMAK foundation, check out <a href="http://www.cmakfoundation.org/">http://www.cmakfoundation.org/</a>.</div>
JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824760355884588149.post-71936021239848810042016-07-18T07:43:00.001-07:002016-07-18T07:43:26.801-07:00Pro Tip<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">George Leonard once wrote: “Mastery is not about reaching perfection, but rather comes from maintaining a particular mindset as you move along the path of improvement in building your skills or overcoming challenges in any endeavor.” In other words, mastery is not simply achieving something great. Instead, mastery is relentlessly perusing the question "how can I get better" when you are already pretty darn good. If you do this, greatness will be the byproduct.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18423714322158387488noreply@blogger.com