23

March

0

Why Mindful Running?

Mindfulness is being attentive to and aware of the present moment. As westerners we may hear the word ‘mindfulness’ and conjure up images of candles or incense burning by chanting monks in maroon robes. Though mindfulness is the basis for the teaching of meditation in Buddhism it is not solely a religious concept but rather a means to a focused, aware and powerful mind in everything we do. Even the most learned Buddhist teacher will tell you that one need not study the dharma to realize the immense value gained from regular mindfulness practice. Research has shown that training mindfulness can offer a variety of outcomes toward well being on many levels. In fact many practitioners of western psychology use [...]

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Category: Events

13

December

0

Off-Season Options

After basking in your post-season confidence and doing a bit of playing in the off-season, what the heck are you supposed to do next? There are a myriad of ways to organize your off-season time through recovery, playtime, and building your next season. In looking ahead, you may decide to refine your skill and speed to master shorter distance races or take your racing off-road. You can up the ante in distance, or create a combination of the above. In the Northern Hemisphere, most endurance racing seasons run from March through October, with a few early- or late-season races sprinkled in. Most athletes in these areas will train for an early-spring start to their season and add races or events [...]

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Category: Training

19

August

0

Strength Training on the Run

In a continued era of ‘mechanization’ of fitness with more strength training gadgets than out of work Americans, I am a huge fan of taking strength work back to the basics. One way to do this is to implement some overall body exercises using plyometrics, push ups, and ab crunches, prior to, during, or after your endurance workout. These can be done…wherever you happen to end up and at no additional gym or personal training costs! In short, Plyometrics exercises can promote reflex power through a broader range of motion than that which most endurance athletes experience. They help maximize power in the stretching and shortening cycle of a muscle or muscle group. The balance/strength aspect of the movements allows [...]

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Category: Training

29

July

0

Pondering Going Longer?

A sprint-distance triathlon or a 10K road race are wonderfully concise distances to race. Why go longer? International-distance events or half marathons are plenty long enough to earn you that post-race stack of pancakes—why up the ante to half-Ironman or marathon—or even more obscure—a trail ultra? There are countless happy athletes who focus their time and money on shorter distance races, and if you are new to a sport, staying short to gain some experience or refine your speed makes sense. As a long-time client and short-course triathlon specialist, Sherri points out, “In a shorter triathlon, you can zip through, have fun without all the excessive wear and tear on life and limb, and still have a great sense of [...]

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Category: Training

22

July

0

A Track Workout for Ironman Training

In order to sustain your pace in a triathlon, you first need to know what pace you want to sustain! Track workouts are about learning pace as well as learning to run fast with efficient form. When you start the run of a triathlon, do you know what pace you are running? If not, you should work diligently on this process. Integrate pace into your mind as well as your body and remember what each pace feels like (don’t just rely on your HR monitor!). This was a benchmark workout for me prior to an Ironman race. When all of my other training was in place and I nailed this workout while feeling completely in control, I gained huge confidence [...]

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Category: Training

15

July

0

Finding the Virtual Black Line – in open water swimming

In order to swim in a straight line in open water, you need to sight off of objects in line with the direction you are moving. When you are in the water, your ability to see and your awareness of your surroundings is diminished, so it takes a concerted effort to gain vision. Many swimmers have an imbalance in their swim stroke, which may cause them to veer to one side when they don’t have a black line to reference. Some triathletes swim in circles due to pulling stronger with one side of their body. If you notice this in your open water experience, have a coach assess your swim stroke to work on balancing out your stroke. In addition, [...]

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Category: Training