A New Olympic Dist. Triathlon PR!

September turned out to be a great month for me with triathlons. Along with the PR I set at the Big Kahuna Half-Ironman Triathlon on Sept. 9, I set a PR this past Saturday at the Bethel Island Olympic Distance Triathlon with a 2:15! The race also marked my first podium in an Olymp. dist. triathlon with a 2nd place in my age group! My swim felt average, and later found out we were fighting a current on the way back from the turnaround point which made me feel better. I was playing catch-up once on the bike, but I was confident knowing the bike is my strongest discipline and was able to move up in the field. The big surprise came on the run, in which I normally fade, but this time with the help of adjusting my race nutrition plan, I felt strong and actually passed a couple of runners! It feels great closing out the 2007 race season with two incredible races, all of it to honor God... without Him, none of this is possible!

5:11:29!!!

The Big Kahuna Triathlon on Sept. 9 was a huge success and is one of my best races ever. I smashed my previous Half Ironman PR by almost 24 minutes! I finished in the top 23% overall and top 26% in my age group. I came out of the 1.2 mile swim in 38:33 and felt fresh and ready for the bike. I tore up the fast bike course in 2:27 and was surprised how good my legs felt after the 56 miles. I wasn't sure how the run would go, but I did my nutrition great and suffered no cramping thus had a steady 2:00 half marathon. The weather was great; cool with a light breeze. The race finished on the beach with the tough last meters on the sand but it didn't bother me as I had the biggest smile on my face. I definitely felt God was with me and carried me through a perfect race, I couldn't do any of this if it weren't for Him.

First Place At Cougar Mountain Classic!

This past Sunday was the mountain bike cross-country race at the Cougar Mountain Classic. I wanted to have a little fun and have a break from triathlon training and racing so I thought this would be perfect to break up the routine. To keep the race fun and prevent me from taking it too seriously, I opted for the 14 mile category instead of the 21 mile. This turned out to be a great decision because I won my category! I beat out eleven others in my age group and took overall victory in the beginner category of 58 competitors! This win marked my first ever in mtb cross-country racing.

Week 5, Same as Week 4

Nothing new here... continue with last week's workouts for this week.

Week 4 of "10 Weeks to a Sprint Triathlon"

Week 4 is about staying consistent with your "Build" phase of your training. Continue with steady workouts at medium pace. Keep the momentum going and stick with your training schedule, week 6 is a "Rest" week so don't slack off now!

"Build" Phase of Training (Weeks 3-5)

Welcome to week 3 of your training. Now is the start of the "Build" phase of your training. This week your focus is "building" endurance. Workouts should be long and steady. Don't push too hard, it's about increasing your endurance capacity over the next three weeks. Don't forget to check out the "Workout of the Week" section at the top to get an idea of what to do.

My Brother is Faster Than Me on 2 Wheels

My brother (Eddie) and I share the love of two-wheels. My ride may win in the weight dept. at sub-20lbs.... his definitely beats me in the speed dept. at over 150mph!!! Last month he went to Thunderhill Raceway for a track day with his Yamaha R1 motorcycle (top photo) and tore up the racetrack with some blazing lap times! If you want to check out the best in the world compete on U.S. soil, check out the MotoGP U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca Raceway (bottom photo) in Monterey, CA on July 20-22.

Training - Week 2 (base)

Week #2 is the same as week #1. Just follow what I wrote in last week's blog. Focus on sticking with the same schedule and same pace as last week, but try different routes on your bike and run to keep things fresh.

As for me personally, this is race week so my training is light and focusing on rest. This Sunday I'll be racing at the San Jose Intl. Triathlon. It's one of my favorites and I try to race it every June. The distances are: 1.25k swim, 40k bike, & 10k run. My best time was set in '05 with a 2:25:21 which put me in the top 26%. I'm feeling great with my training, so here's hoping I can be near my '05 time! I'll have complete race re-cap next Monday.

Training - Week 1 (BASE)

Welcome to Week #1 of your ten weeks to triathlon fitness! The next two weeks will be the BASE period of your training. This period is for setting a fitness "base" and is usually done in the winter for 6 - 8 weeks. Since we're already at summer-time and our program is ten weeks long, our 2 week base period will focus on setting a consistent weekly training schedule.

As I stated in the previous blog, you can get triathlon fit in 3 hours a week! Here's how you do it: 1 x 30' swim, 2 x 45' bike, and 2 x 30' run. That's five workouts per week. Your goal this week is to fit these workouts into your schedule and STICK WITH IT. Try not to put the same training discipline in consecutive days, i.e. bike on Monday and Tuesday. Here's an example: Mon. - bike, Tues. - rest, Wed. - run, Thurs. - swim, Fri. - rest, Sat. - bike (did I mention I teach a Spin class on Saturdays at 10a... hint), & Sun. - run. Since bike rides are the longest, I suggest doing one on the weekend when you have more free time. Runs are the easiest to fit into your schedule since you can do it before work, during lunch, or after work. Swims can be more challenging to fit in since your availability must coincide with pool schedules.

Since this is the BASE period, your focus during your workouts is to go at an easy pace. Do not push hard! The idea is to get your body acclimated to the new work load. Getting fit takes time and won't happen over night. Going hard now can cause injuries and burnout... we want you to make it through the next ten weeks! Your pace during your workouts should permit you to hold a conversation and have controlled, steady breathing. If you have a heart rate monitor, you should be around 65-75% of your max.

Triathlon Ready in 10 Weeks!

Yes, you can be in triathlon shape in ten weeks with only 3 hours of training per week! All you have to do is decide now (not tomorrow) and commit to a healthier "you". There's nothing like an event to help you stay focused on your goal... so here's my plan:

Tri for Fun #3 will be held in Pleasanton on August 18, this triathlon consists of a 400 yard swim, 11 mile bike, & 3.1 mile run. It is non-competitive and doesn't score your time. Everyone is there to have "fun" and believe me, this was my first ever triathlon and it was great! Each week I will post a complete training schedule in the "Workout of the Week" section to help guide you to Race Day. It's that simple, 3 hours a week for 10 weeks to be in the best shape of your life!

You can get the Event details by clicking on the link on the right under "Event Websites". The triathlon costs $55 and is a deal considering other sprint triathlons can cost $85-$120. Plus, you don't need to invest in a wetsuit since the swim is in a warm lake. Don't stall, register soon 'cause this event sells out every year. Week #1 begins on June 11, hope to see you at the starting line on August 18.

Health and Fitness Components

1) Strength Training 2) Cardiovascular Training 3) Diet 4) Rest 5*)Flexibility.

Those are the components for proper health and fitness. I put an asterisk next to Flexibility because I incorporate stretching as a part of my strength and cardiovascular training, but you can make it a separate component with yoga or pilates. This seems like a lot, and it can be, but you have to ask yourself, "Is my body worth the time?" Hopefully you said "yes".

1) Strength (or Weight) training is important to build muscle tissue, strengthen joints, and increase metabolism to help burn those calories. Regarding our muscles: if you don't use it, you'll lose it.

2) Cardiovascular training burns the most calories by using fat and carbohydrates for fuel. Most importantly, cardio training strengthens our heart and lungs, cleans our arteries, thus lowering bad cholesterol levels. Think of your cardiovascular system as the foundation of your house... you want a strong foundation, right?

3) Unfortunately I'm not a certified nutritionist, but regarding Diet it can be very simple, "burn more calories than you consume."

4) People tend to neglect Rest as a key component, but our muscles repair itself and grow while we sleep. Without adequate rest & recovery, our muscles can't fully develop and overtraining can lead to injury and burnout.

5*)Stretching can be boring for some (like me) so as stated earlier, I stretch for a few minutes after my Strength and Cardio workouts. For those who love it, there's plenty of yoga and pilates classes out there to help keep your muscles limber. But remember not to overstretch and injure yourself with a "pulled" a muscle.

"The Best Shape of Your Life"

That's the title from an article by Marc Bloom from "Runner's World" magazine (May 2002). He writes, "You don't have to do a triathlon, but you should consider training like a triathlete. Because it will make you fitter than you've ever been before." I definitely agree with him! I competed in mountain biking for five years and thought I was in the best shape of my life, then I started racing in triathlons and saw my weight drop 10lbs., lowered my body fat %, increased muscle tone, and expand my endurance capabilities (stronger heart and lungs). Triathlon is a total body workout split into three disciplines: Swim Bike Run. The nature of the sport keeps you from getting bored with your workouts as you're doing something different each day, and the key with any fitness program to see results is to stay motivated and consistent. Triathlons are also great to set as a goal to help you stay on track with your training. The most popular triathlon is the Ironman, which consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, & 26.2 mile run, but triathlons come in many sizes. Sprint distances are 1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, & 3.1 mile run. Olympic distances are 1.5k (.93 mile) swim, 40k (24.8 mile) bike, & 10k (6.2 mile) run. Half Ironman is 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, & 13.1 mile run. With the proper training and time, anyone can complete a triathlon and be in the best shape of your life!