Tri Zones Training

Tri Hard, Live Easy Newsletter -- April 10

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. Senior K Walk, April 12
2. StreetCycling Traffic Safety Training
3. Bicycle Rules of the Road
4. Ranger Triathlon, April 27
5. Question of the Week - "I’m doing Danskin – should I register in mixed-age-group or my own age group?"
6. Upcoming training events and workshops
7. Training Tip of the Week – the SWIM

1. Senior K Walk, April 12
So you’re doing a great job of working out and improving your fitness… Do you have an elderly relative or friend who admires your drive and would like to get fit too? Research proves that people can stay strong as they grow older if they exercise!

Announcing the first annual Senior K Walk!  On April 12, Seniors can enter one of three divisions:  using your walker, using your cane, or using just your shoes.  Walk, sit and rest, and walk som more for up to an hour (0.1K to 5K). Music, food, prizes, and goodie bags provided. NO REGISTRATION FEE -- FREE FOR SENIORS.  South Congress Athletic Club, 10:00 – 11:00 on April 12.  More information is available at www.strengthmobile.com or send email to seniorkwalk@gmail.com.

2. StreetCycling Traffic Safety Training
Every cyclist who takes to the road has the same rights and duties as a motor-vehicle operator. As such, it is imperative that learning to ride involves more than just learning to balance. Our training includes your legal rights and the five layers of prevention:,

   1. Bike Control: Avoid falls or collisions with others
   2. Observe Rules: Make safe driving decisions
   3. Lane Positioning: Encourage other drivers' safe decisions
   4. Evasive Maneuvers: Evade other drivers' unsafe decisions
   5. Injury Reduction: Protect your body

The training in these areas will help avoid 95% of the typical crashes experienced by cyclists. The basic course (Road I) is recommended and designed for cyclists who desire to ride safely in traffic and also for professional civil engineers and planners working with bicycle infrastructure projects.

StreetCycling instructors are certified by the League of American Bicyclists to teach traffic cycling to children and adults (both cyclists and motorists); in groups or individuals; on road or mountain bikes. Our team includes the Chair of the League of American Bicyclists' education committee, author of numerous papers and curricula on bicycle safety education and recipient of the "National Education Award 2002" from the League of American Bicyclists.

The next class is being offered April 25th & 26th. The Friday night classroom portion is a prerequisite for the Saturday on-road session but they do not have to be completed in the same weekend.

More information is available at www.streetcycling.org.

3. Bicycle Rules of the Road
Can’t get to the StreetCycling class this month?  At the very least, take a few moments to view the rules of the road for cyclists.  Remember, bicycles are vehicles and must obey the same laws that drivers of cars must obey!  These videos will help you navigate some tricky riding situations while cycling on the streets of Austin: http://www.trizones.com/node/2149

4. Ranger Triathlon, April 27
The Ranger Triathlon is a USAT sanctioned event that is being hosted to benefit the Texas School for the Deaf Physical Education Programs. The purpose of the Ranger Triathlon will be to offer kids ages 7 years and older and "first time adults" the opportunity to experience a multi-sport event in a safe and positive environment. While competition is always part of any race, it is not the primary focus of this race. The main focus for the participants their families and the community is to have FUN!

Distances:
Juniors (7-10) 100m Swim/3 mile Bike/. 5 mile Run
Seniors (11-14) 200m Swim/6 mile Bike/1 mile Run
Adults (15 and up) 200m Swim/6 mile Bike/2 mile Run

For more details, go to www.rangertri.com

5. Question of the Week - "I’m doing Danskin – should I register in mixed-age-group or my own age group?"
The mixed age group category is for women who wish to participate in the race with a friend who is not in the same age group (since the wave starts are sorted by age group).  This is fun if you’ve trained together and want to stay close to each other during the race.  Several caveats to think about, however:
- You cannot ride your bikes next to each other – you must ride single file
- If you don’t swim, bike, and run at the same pace, you’d have to agree that one person will be waiting for the other.
- The mixed-age-group category starts very last, which makes the race very very hot.
If you’re well-trained and prepared to perform well at the race, you may regret going in the mixed-age-group category (it’s our experience that those women who are well-prepared but go in the mixed-age-group category really wish they had registered in their age group.)

If you’ve registered in the mixed-age-group category and decide you’d like to switch out of it, Danskin will allow the switch for a $15 change fee, as long as you submit the form plus payment prior to May 23.  For more details, look for the entry that says, ”May I make a change to my entry category?” in the Danskin FAQ.

6. Upcoming training events and workshops
Senior K Walk
April 12, 10:00am, South Congress Athletic Club, FREE!
Use a walker? Need a cane? Or just your walking shoes? No matter. If you're a senior, come see how far you can walk. Walk, sit and rest, and walk some more for up to an hour. Music, food, prizes, and goodie bags provided. NO REGISTRATION FEE -- FREE FOR SENIORS. www.strengthmobile.com

Schlotsky’s Bun Run
April 13, 8:00am, Auditorium Shores
The Schlotzsky's 5K Bun Run race is an annual Austin tradition started in 1982 to give the community a chance to run in support of the Austin Sunshine Camps. www.bunrun.com

Yoga for Runners and Cyclists Workshop
April 19, 2:00pm, Austin Kula Yoga, $30
If you often feel stiff after workouts, you know you need to work on flexibility but don't make the time, or just want to avoid getting injured, this is the workshop for you! We will work on breath control, body awareness, and yoga postures to stretch the body and mind and bring more clarity and focus to your workouts. You will walk away with a yoga routine you can use for life! www.austinkulayoga.com

Pre-Season Triathlon Clinic
April 19, 1:00 or 3:00, Jack and Adam’s
Join fellow triathletes for a seminar that discusses the basics of triathlon training and racing for both beginner and advanced athletes.  You will learn tips from USAT Certified Triathlon Coaches and local pros for how to enhance your training and improve your performance over the 2008 Tri Season.  Short distance:  1:00 – 2:30.  Long distance:  3:00 – 4:30.  Topics will include:  equipment, tri distances, transitions, training options, nutrition, injury prevention, and setting up your season. http://www.austint3.com/t3/jaclinics.htm

7. Training Tip of the Week – the SWIM
The first step towards getting ready for the swim is to get into the water. Sounds simple enough, right? The more you can get into the water, even if you're just splashing around, the more comfortable you'll feel during the swim portion of the race. The great thing about beginner-friendly triathlons is that you don't have to do the freestyle the entire way - it's all right to do the breaststroke (or the backstroke. or the sidestroke. or the doggie paddle!). All triathlons have lifeguards and safety kayaks.  And Danskin will feature dozens of kayaks, canoes, and swim angels (volunteers with noodles) along the entire swim course. If at any time you feel anxious, short of breath, or run down, just wave your hand and let a volunteer know you need a rest.  At this point, you may rest on a noodle until you have caught your breath (remember, no forward progress with the noodles!)  You should be able to swim the entire distance without the use of any swim aids whatsoever. The time you spend preparing for this leg of the race is well spent, and there are many swim clinics and masters swim programs around town to help improve your swimming and prepare you for the first leg of a triathlon.

While training for the swim, if you're practicing freestyle, try to keep your body level - you don't want your body to be slanted, where your feet are lower than your head. Work on keeping your head down and your chest pressed towards the bottom of the pool. Practice breathing so that your head comes out of the water to the side, not straight up and forward. It's easiest to train in intervals, meaning that you swim for 25 or 50 yards at a time, then rest, and do several sets of those. You will get a lot more tired (and bored) if you just try to swim a half-mile straight without stopping during training. It's important to keep good form while you swim, so if you realize your form is suffering because you're getting tired, just stop on the side of the pool and rest until your heart rate goes down and you're ready to start again.

Once it warms up a bit, try to practice at least once or twice in open water (3 or 4 open water practices would be great if you can get them in). Open water swimming is different in that the water isn't very clear, there are no lane lines to follow, the water is wavier, and there is no side to rest on. By practicing in a lake before the race, you'll have an idea of what to expect on race day.

On race day, you will start in a wave of about 75 - 125 people in your age group. It's required that you wear the swim cap you were given in your race packet - everybody in your wave will have the same color cap. Waves will leave from the start line in 4- to 5-minute intervals; plan to line up with your wave at least 15 - 20 minutes before your wave is scheduled to start (you'll find out what time your wave starts at packet pickup).  With all the waves having different colored swim caps, it's fun to see the rainbow of caps staged and ready to go at the start area!

Once the gun goes off for your wave, if you're uncomfortable with all the people around you starting at once, just tread water and count to 10...or 20… or even 30, and let the majority of the swimmers get started ahead of you. While you're swimming, you'll be excited and maybe a little nervous, so don't forget to breathe! Take nice, slow, easy breaths. Make sure you breathe all the way out while your face is in the water (no need to hyperventilate every time you come up for air!). It's important to swim as straight as possible so you don't veer off course (there are canoes and kayaks to stop you if you do), but you can also waste a lot of energy if you are looking up too often to see where you are going. One tip is to count out 10 - 15 strokes before you look up - you can't get too far off course 10 - 15 strokes, and that is long enough to establish a rhythm and make good progress. Once you get close to the end of the swim course, you'll see spectators and volunteers cheering along the shore. Try to swim as far as you possibly can, until your hands are touching the bottom as you take a stroke - it's actually easier to swim those last 10 yards than it is to trudge through the water. Once you are out of the water, take off your swim cap and goggles as you run (walk… teeter...) to T1 - your first transition of the race. Congratulations! You just completed the swim!

 

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