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It’s All On the Line

By Joel On June 18, 2013 · 12660Add CommentIt%E2%80%99s+All+On+the+Line2013-06-18+18%3A25%3A45Joel

Chances are, at some point or another you have crashed your bike. Virtually all of us fell off our bike when we were kids and first learning how to ride. I can’t even recall how many times my kids wiped out when I was teaching them to ride their bikes. Even now – as adults – there’s a really good possibility that you have crashed.

Your crash might have been pretty tame. For instance, one time I pulled up to an intersection in my neighborhood and had to stop because of a red light. Wouldn’t you know it, but at that very moment my clipless pedals stopped working, and I was unable to unclip in time to put my foot down on the ground. I toppled over on my right side, spilling all the liquid out of my aero bottle and landing on my back with my bike (still attached to my feet) sticking up in the air. Naturally, this happened when there were multiple cars at the light – with one of them being driven by a friend. That happened probably four years ago, and he still ribs me about it.

On the other hand, your crash might bave been pretty severe. I’ve had my fair share of these, too. Six years ago, I was out on a group training ride. There were about eight or ten of us, riding fairly close…drafting off of each other. We approached a hill (which in reality was just a slight rise in … Read the rest

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Doctor, the Patient is Ready…

By Meredith On June 18, 2013 · 12658Add CommentDoctor%2C+the+Patient+is+Ready%E2%80%A62013-06-18+16%3A53%3A49Meredith

Hi guys. Swim Bike Dad here.

Tomorrow the Swim Bike Family flies out to Coeur d’Alene. It’s the beginning of many “firsts” for our little family.

First “official” family vacation
First airplane ride for the babies
And oh ya, a first Ironman for someone

I pray the next seven days are full of joy, but I realize I can only control so much of that. Taking care of the kids and making sure they have a blast is simple. I mean come on….pool….candy…sleep…repeat. Easy!

Meredith’s experience on the other hand is totally out of my control —and that scares the hell out of me.

It’s almost like hugging someone before they go into surgery. The patient is basically naked (insert skintight spandex race gear here). Lot of medical staff around. This patient will go through immense suffering, and you can’t do jack squat about it. But hopefully, the Patient will survive and come out even better on the other end.

But you really don’t know the outcome. You just hug, watch, encourage and hope for the best.

So my plan for the waiting room for the Swim Bike Patient is simple. Just be present, cheer and encourage. Throw some kids and parents in the mix, and we should have a pretty good support squad. (Oh, and the 1,000,000 SBM friends in cyberspace! ).

In the end, this is less about the actual race. And more about the journey to the race.

I’m already so proud. Just getting to the starting … Read the rest

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The Last Post before Ironman Coeur d’Alene 2013

By Meredith On June 18, 2013 · 126571 Comment2013-06-18+16%3A00%3A33Meredith

Loved this post from Another Mother Runner, Dimity, today on her thoughts going into Ironman Coeur d’Alene. To those of you new to this blog, I am tackling my first (and only Ironman) on Sunday… and so is #BAMR Dimity. So anyway, Dimity posted a chart of her proposed times for the race, saying, “I feel like I’m showing you my stretch marks and vericose veins: these numbers feel that intimate to me…” She’s awesome.

So I liked her idea of making a chart. Not that I haven’t made it in my head or on my private paper scraps a million times, but for the benefit of just general point of reference for you guys. So when you track me, you can say, “Wow, she’s doing awesome!” or… “Ruh roh.” You know, that kind of thing.

[I am hoping for more of the latter.]

So with a thanks and credit to Dimity for the idea, here’s my chart:

IRONMAN CDA SWIM T1 BIKE T2 RUN TOTAL A Perfect Day 1:20:00 0:05:00 7:00:00 0:04:00 5:30:00 14:05:00 A Great Day 1:30:00 0:08:00 7:30:00 0:07:00 6:00:00 15:13:00 All Hell Breaks Loose 1:45:00 0:10:00 8:06:00 0:10:00 6:47:00 16:59:00

….but one lessson I have have learned in this sport is never to compare yourself to others. Maybe that’s why I am calm. Because I know that it’s just me and me and me out there. Not like I’m making the Kona rolldown, people.

You may note that Dimity and I are … Read the rest

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Ode to new shoes

By Cortney On June 18, 2013 · 12656Add CommentOde+to+new+shoes2013-06-18+10%3A30%3A00Cortney

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Summer = Smoothies

By Coach Eric Neilsen On June 17, 2013 · 12654Add CommentSummer+%3D+Smoothies2013-06-17+20%3A58%3A00Coach+Eric+Neilsen

With the weather getting warmer, that can make fueling up after workouts a bit more challenging because you need more hydration along with calories. A simple way to accomplish that is to mix up some of your favorite ingredients in the blender, then just sip away. Not only does the post workout smoothie taste good, but if your workout was a hot one, a cold beverage really hits the spot. Just watch out for the brain freeze if you drink it too fast!

Here are some smoothie recipes to try after your next workout, for breakfast or lunch or in between meal snack. Ingredient portions to your taste buds liking and how thick or thin you like your smoothie

"The Basic"

Strawberries

Banana's

Orange Juice

Ice

Protein Powder

"Hawaiian Style"

Unsweetened almond milk

Brown rice protein powder,

Dark cherries (frozen),

Frozen organic mango chunks

Apple banana.

"Banana Bliss"

Frozen Banana

Banana Cream pie yogurt

Almond butter

Milk or coconut water

"Taste bud frenzy"

¼ cup chia seeds

1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbs. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 Tbs. maple syrup (or ¼ tsp. stevia)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
½ an orange, peeled, segmented, and sliced
½ of a green d’Anjou pear, sliced thin
a handful of blueberries
a handful of macadamia nuts, chopped

"Albuquerque Smoothie"

8 -10oz. coconut water

1/2 apple

1/2 avocado

1 scoop Vanilla protein powder

6 - 8 frozen banana bits

1 cup kale/spinach or both

1 Tbsp chia seed

1 Tbsp

… Read the rest

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Ironswim!

By Cortney On June 17, 2013 · 12653Add CommentIronswim%212013-06-17+19%3A11%3A00Cortney

My friend Mark Lattanzi is an avid adventure racer who has been around the world doing some truly epic things on water, trail, road, and mountain, without benefit of the cushy aid stations, transition areas, wetsuit strippers, sunscreeners, SAG vehicles, etc that we pampered triathletes are afforded. This year Mark did the Carvin's Cove trail marathon and the Mountains of Misery century ride and thought he ought to add a 2.4 mile swim to the mix and call it his personal Ironman. Speedy Edie and I joined up with him along with three support friends - Rima, Steven, and Jen in a canoe and kayak. They were essential and much appreciated for keeping us safe among the light but present boat traffic.

Edie and I in our speed suits!

Mark had plotted out the out-and-back course and marked some way points with the odd cooler and found child's chair, and I had the Garmin 901XT to give us distance feedback. Edie and I opted for speed suits to get some practice in them.

Hmm, am I really going to do this?

… Read the rest

I've done a 4500y swim (2.55 mile) before, but that was in the pool. My longest continuous open water swim was 1.2 miles in the only half-iron I've done. I wasn't really worried. I just planned to dial into that go-forever pace and enjoy the experience...and enjoy I did for 2.54 miles and 1:28:51!

So what does a person think about and do for nearly 90 minutes in the

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Is Bike Safety > Swim Safety?

By Joel On June 17, 2013 · 12652Add CommentIs+Bike+Safety+%26gt%3B+Swim+Safety%3F2013-06-17+18%3A44%3A09Joel

Over the past several months, there has been quite a lot of activity in the world of triathlon relative to swim safety. Rev3 launched a Swim Safety Initiative earlier in 2013, announcing that they would be increasing training to their staff, doing heart health screenings at races, and employing more open-water professionals versus ordinary lifeguards for enhanced safety on the water. WTC announced that they would be making changes to the swim start of several of its Ironman race venues as well.

All of these changes are, without a doubt, great news. The swim leg of a triathlon is the one where a death is more likely to occur. USA Triathlon completed a study in 2012 reviewing race-related fatalities. Of the 43 deaths in USAT sanctioned races from 2003-2011, 30 occurred during the swim portion of the race. Recent news has highlighted swim deaths in triathlon venues. An athlete died during the swim at this year’s Escape from Alcatraz. A California man died just last week at the Redondo Beach Triathlon. It’s seemingly becoming more and more common.

Statistically, the probability that you will die during the swim leg of a triathlon is much higher than either the bike or the run – so it makes complete and absolute sense that race organizations place a bigger emphasis on safety during the swim leg. It’s in everyone’s best interest.

Whereas major incidences during the swim leg tend to have binary results (you either die, or you don’t), the long-term impacts don’t … Read the rest

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Training with Others

By Max Fennell On June 17, 2013 · 12651Add CommentTraining+with+Others2013-06-17+18%3A06%3A45Max+Fennell

This weekend I had the benefit of training with two amazing athletes, which is a blessing when the majority of your workouts are done alone. Often times it’s hard to be motivated for the workout, to push through the pain and challenge yourself so that you can continue to work towards your fitness goals. Having a little bit of company can make all the difference especially as we move into the hotter months.

On Saturday I met up with a fellow elite athlete, nick named “stick” that also happened to beat me in my previous race, The Escape the Cape Triathlon. We decided to meet up at this weekend’s race location, The Phly Tri, to do a little course reviewing as well get in an intense brick workout. Stick having been competing in triathlons much longer than I and a former D1 swimmer had a wealth of knowledge to share with me.

Sunday, I wanted to see if I could get in a solo 100 mile bike ride. Anticipating what was in store, Saturday night I loaded up on an amazing chicken alfredo dish and ate half a cherry pie! Talk about some serious carbo loading, this is not something I would recommend but I am pretty in tune with my body and believe I have effectively managed to adapt my body to be metabolic efficient when I train, meaning my body burns fat effectively before tapping into my carbohydrate stores, blog to come soon on this theory.

About three … Read the rest

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It’s All On the Line

Doctor, the Patient is Ready…

The Last Post before Ironman Coeur d’Alene 2013

Ode to new shoes

Summer = Smoothies

Ironswim!

Is Bike Safety > Swim Safety?

Training with Others

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