Tri Zones Training

Tri Hard, Live Easy Newsletter -- March 27

Tri Zones Training would like to welcome you to the Tri Hard, Live Easy Newsletter! You will receive this newsletter every week during the spring triathlon season, between now and Danskin (June 8). Here you will find news and information about training, details about upcoming events and workshops, and a Training Tip of the Week. Through this newsletter, we hope to inform you of the many resources available to you while you train for spring triathlons including Danskin, Skeese Greets Women’s Tri, The Rookie, and CapTexTri. For more information about training resources, visit our web site at www.trizones.com. And feel free to forward this newsletter to any of your friends who are training for triathlons this spring!

This Week:
1. Ladies: two more Tri Zones seminars on how to prepare for Danskin!
2. Tri Night for women
3. Bicycle Sport Shop annual spring sale, March 28 - 31
4. Free Bike Wash, Flat Tire, & Transition Clinic
5. Tri Zones spring training starts next week!
6. Poll: Which race will be your first triathlon this spring?
7. Question of the Week - "Can I do the triathlon with a mountain bike?"
8. Upcoming training events and workshops
9. Training Tip of the Week – How to begin training

1. Ladies: two more Tri Zones seminars on how to prepare for Danskin!
Tri Zones is presenting its final topic in the free You Can TRI seminar series, entitled “Women:  You’ll never know until you TRI!”  Learn what to expect while training for an all women’s race, whether it be Danskin or Skeese Greets Women’s Tri. Danskin is a very special event, and women of all walks of life will be there to experience a tremendous sense of empowerment and accomplishment as they cross the finish line!  At our seminar, we’ll talk about how to prepare and train between now and race day. We’ll also tell you what to expect at your first triathlon!  We hope to see you there!
Saturday, March 28, at 9:30am at Jack and Adam’s
Monday, April 7, at 7:00pm at REI Gateway

2. Tri Night for women
Pro trigal Kelly Handel at Source Endurance will be offering a free Tri Night for women on April 2nd from 6-8 p.m at the Source offices (3006 Bee Caves Road). In addition to Kelly, Amy Marsh and Jen Perez will be speaking on such topics as open-water swimming, nutrition for the tri and structuring a training program. For more info, email Kelly at khandel@source-e.net.

3. Bicycle Sport Shop annual spring sale, March 28 - 31
If you need to stock up on cycling gear, Bicycle Sport Shop is holding its annual spring sale from March 28 through 31.  Each year this is a terrific sale and great deals can be found!  www.bicyclesportshop.com

4. Free Bike Wash, Flat Tire, & Transition Clinic
The Webb Middle School Band is hosting a bike wash at Jack & Adam's on Saturday, April 5th from 11 AM to 3 PM.  These kids are the same kids who play at The Rookie Triathlon each year.  The bike wash is free, but donations are gladly accepted.  There will be snacks and live music from the kids and other local musicians.  Also, members of the Jack & Adam's triathlon team will be on hand to give some free advice on transitions and flat tire repair.  Here's the full lineup for the day:
11 AM Bike Washing Begins
11:30 AM Flat tire repair clinic
1 PM Transition clinic
2 PM Flat tire repair clinic
3 PM Bike Wash Ends

5. Tri Zones spring training starts next week!
On April 1 (no foolin'!) and April 2, Tri Zones will begin its 10-week spring training programs.   That’s next week!!  We hope you can join us!

We will be offering four teams this spring:

Women’s teams – We’ll have 3 teams:  North, South, and NXNW (Round Rock/Cedar Park). Perfect for those women who want to make Danskin or Skeese Greets Women’s Tri their first triathlon, OR for those who want to improve their triathlon performance through a supportive women-only environment.  (We will offer two levels – First Tri and Tri, Tri Again)

Intermediates Co-Ed team – Great for those of you who have some triathlon experience under your belt, and also for men who are training for triathlons.

And we're offering a Bring-A-Buddy discount -- if you bring a new member to Tri Zones, you'll receive a $10 refund on your registration fee!!!

For more details about our training options this spring, visit our site at www.trizones.com

6. Poll:  Which race will be your first triathlon this spring?
Will it be The Rookie?  Danskin?  Skeese Greets?  Go to www.trizones.com, and take part in our poll.

7. Question of the Week - "Can I do the triathlon with a mountain bike?"
Yes! You will find a lot of folks at beginner triathlons on mountain bikes or hybrids.  In fact, at Danskin that is what the majority of women will be riding!  If you'd like to have a faster bike segment but don't wish to invest in a road bike, one way to add speed is to put "slicks" on your mountain bike.  Slicks are slick tires that roll faster on the road, as opposed to the knobby tires that come on your mountain bike.

8. Upcoming training events and workshops
Women: You'll never know until you TRI!
March 29, 9:30 – 10:30am, Jack and Adam’s, FREE!
Is that a triathlete you see in the mirror? Have you heard that the Danskin Women's Triathlon is a life-changing experience and you wonder if you can do it? Learn about what it's like to train for a tri and what to expect at your first all-women's triathlon. Gain the confidence that YOU CAN DO IT whether your goal is the Danskin Women's Triathlon or the Skeese Greets Women's Tri!  www.trizones.com

Rosedale Ride
March 29, 8:30am, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, $25
The 14th annual Rosedale Ride is on March 29 is always a great ride on beautiful country roads.  The ride benefits the Rosedale School, the AISD’s only school for children with multiple disabilities.  Open to cyclists of all abilities, the ride offers different courses to suit anyone. This year the Rosedale Ride has four courses to choose from: a Kid’s Fun Ride; or courses of 20+, 42+ or 62+ miles. The ride begins and ends at Samsung, winding through the gently rolling countryside east of Austin. http://www.rosedaleride.org

Capitol 10,000
March 30, 8:45am, Austin American Statesman, $30 or $32 (youth discount available)
The Statesman Capitol 10,000 is the largest 10K in Texas and an annual rite of spring in Austin, Texas.  In its 31st year, the Capitol 10,000 attracts the silly to the serious and has become a fun, festive tradition for the whole family!  http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/cap10k/index.html

Tri Zones Training Intermediate and Co-Ed spring training session begins
April 1, 6:30pm
Our 10-week training program will help you get ready for The Rookie, Skeese Greets, CapTex, or start the foundation for summer tri’s.  In this co-ed team, we welcome intermediates and men of all abilities.  www.trizones.com

Tri Zones Training women’s spring training session begins
April 2, 6:30pm
Our 10-week all-women’s training program will empower you and prepare you well for Danskin or Skeese Greets Tri.  We offer three teams (North, South, NXNW), and each team features tracks for beginners as well as those who have a few tri’s under their belts.   www.trizones.com

Danskin Pre-Race Seminar
April 2, 6:30pm, REI Downtown, Free – RSVP required
MassMutual Financial Group will present a FREE Training Seminar, conducted by Sally Edwards, Danskin Women's Triathlon Series Spokeswoman, at REI downtown on Wednesday, April 2.  For more details, visit the Danskin web site. http://www.danskin.com/seminardates.html

Tri Night for women
April 2, 6:00pm, Source Endurance, 3006 Bee Caves Rd.
Kelly Handel, Amy Marsh, and Jen Perez will be speaking on such topics as open-water swimming, nutrition for the tri and structuring a training program. For more info, email Kelly at khandel@source-e.net.

Free Bike Wash, Flat Tire, & Transition Clinic
April 5, 11:00 – 3:00, Jack and Adam’s
The Webb Middle School Band is hosting a bike wash at Jack & Adam's on Saturday, April 5th from 11 AM to 3 PM. The bike wash is free, but donations are gladly accepted.  There will be snacks and live music from the kids and other local musicians.  Also, members of the Jack & Adam's triathlon team will be on hand to give some free advice on transitions and flat tire repair. 

Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk and Kids’ Half Mile Fun Run
April 6, 8:30am, Austin Endoscopy Center
It has a funny name, but it benefits a great cause.  Funds go towards the Colon Cancer Coalition;  colorectal cancer is the 2nd-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US. Participants will receive a technical shirt, goody bag, and lots of food and fun for the whole family.  http://www.getyourrearingear.com/events/gyrig_austin_2008.htm

9. Training Tip of the Week – How to begin training 
The most important thing to remember as you start your training is to start out easy. Whether you are brand new to the sport of triathlon or coming back from last year's tri season, it is important to ease your way into a training program.

For the swim, don't be surprised at how difficult it might be to swim one length of the pool. In these early days, you might find yourself swimming one length and then hanging on to the side of the pool to catch your breath, which is fine.  For the first week or two, just plan to spend about 20 minutes at the pool, stopping as often as you need to catch your breath.

For the bike, in these early weeks, it will be good to just get some "saddle time".  Hop on your bike and tool around your neighborhood for 20 or 30 minutes.  Practice shifting gears, cornering, braking.  Get comfortable with your bike.

For the run, start with a run/walk program.  Try to run for 2 or 3 minutes, and then walk for 2 minutes.  Keep repeating this until you've been out for about 20 minutes.  After a week, add another minute to your run time.  Eventually you'll be able to build up to where you're running the entire route.

In these first few weeks, it is very important that you keep all of your efforts at a conversational pace.  This means that if you had a buddy with you, the two of you would be able to talk to each other the entire time (without gasping or wheezing!).  It doesn't matter how slowly you go -- just keep it at a conversational pace and be proud of yourself that you're out there!  You'll be building a great base for the rest of your training, and within a couple of weeks, you'll notice some big differences in your fitness level.

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If you have questions about triathlons, submit them on the discussion forum at www.trizones.com. Happy training!