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Cliff the "IRONGEEZER" and Tatjana the "Irongeezelle" at the 70.3 Ironman World Championships,
Clearwater, Florida, November 2009.
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. YOUR "FIRST TRIATHLON" TRAINING PLAN For More Information About Ironman Triathlon etc.
Go To > www.irongeezer.org <
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Cliff "Irongeezer" Eggink, age 73, walking on beach the day after competing in an Ironman triathlon.
"If I can compete in multi-sport events, so can YOU!" 12 week plan to your 1st sprint triathlon.
Swim - Bike - Run This program is for beginners of ALL AGES! It is not based on speed, but on endurance. You can go as slow, or fast as you want. The training schedule is in minutes, not yards or miles. Since this is your FIRST triathlon, the goal is to finish and to have fun! Before starting this program, you should have been walking, biking, or running consistently. If not, work on being able to swim for 20 minutes, bike 30 minutes and run/walk 20-30 minutes.
This plan is a record of what we did. We are not recommending that you follow this plan. Your plan is up to you, your doctor, and your coach.
If you can't do all the minutes in the program below, don't worry. 45 min. of running or 35 min. of swimming does sound like a lot. Just do the best you can. On race day, you will get an extra boost from race day adrenaline. However, make sure that you have done at least one 800 yard swim before your event, especially if your first tri is in a lake or the ocean and not in a pool. Biking will be easy at the sprint tri distance. During the run, you can stop and walk as much as is needed, it's allowed in an event.
This plan will be posted here thru 2011. no sign in - free - no ads - no spam - tell a friend!
Put his page in your favorites, and refer to it as often as you need to when you start your training plan. A typical sprint triathlon is a 500 yard swim, 12 mile bike ride, and a 3 mile run. These distances are often expressed metrically: 400m swim, 20k bike and a 5k run. This training plan is in minutes, not miles or yards. Naturally, you can change the days of the week to suit your schedule.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun | | 1 | Swim 15 Run 20 | off | Bike 35 | Run 20 | Swim 30 | off | Bike 40 | | 2 | Swim 20 Run 25 | off | Bike 35 | Run 20 | Swim 30 | off | Bike 45 | | 3 | Swim 20 Run 25 | off | Bike 30 | Run 25 | Swim 35 | off | Bike 45 | | 4 | Swim 20 Bike 30 | off | Run 25 | Swim 25 | Bike 45 | off | Run 30 | | 5 | Swim 25 Run 30 | off | Run 25 | Run 30 | Swim 30 | off | Bike 45 | 6 EZ | Run 15 | off | Bike 25 | Run 15 | Bike 25 | off | Swim 20 | | 7 | Run 20 | off | Bike 30 | Bike 25 | Run 20 | off | Swim 25 | | 8 | Swim 25 Bike 35 | off | Run 35 | Bike 50 | Swim 30 | off | Run 35 | | 9 | Swim 25 Bike 35 | off | Run 25 | Swim 30 | Bike 35 Run 20 | off | Run 35 | | 10 | Swim 30 Run 30 | off | Bike 45 | Run 45 | Swim 35 | off | Bike 60 | | 11 | Swim 20 Bike 30 | off | Run 25 | Bike 35 | Swim 20 | off | Bike 55 Run 30 | | 12 | Swim 20 | off | off | Run 30 | Bike 45 | off | Swim20 | | Race | off | Bike 15 | off | Swim 10 | Run 10 | off | Race |
START -SWIM - TRANSITION #1 - BIKE - TRANSITOIN #2 - RUN - FINISH
The Start: Your race may start on dry land, or in the water. This information will be available when you sign up for the event. Find out about the start, and practice that type of start. Transition #1: Known as T1, swim to bike. After leaving the water, you will proceed to a transition area. You will need to don and fasten your bike helmet, shoes, glasses, race number, and whatever you need before mounting your bike. Your race web site and race packet will explain where the transition area will be located, and how to enter and exit. If not, check this out first thing race morning. Be sure to practice the swim to bike transition during your training. Transition #2: Known as T2, bike to run. You will return to the area that you left on your bike. You will remove your bike helmet, after racking your bike etc. Put on your running shoes, cap and any other special equipment (no personal audio equipment) that you prefer to have while you run. Practice the bike to run transition in your training. Tip 1: If at all possible, we recommend that you watch a triathlon in person, before you participate in your first one. It will make your first triathlon a little easier. Tip 2: Know the course. If the course is near your home, and it is safe to do so, practice on that course, at least once. Tip 3: Know the rules of triathlon. A sanctioned race - sanctioned by the governing body USAT - will adhere to the competitive rules of that organization. You should review these rules, especially the drafting rules. www.usatriathlon.org
Tip 4: You will here the word "brick" from triathletes during your training. A brick is when, in your training, you swim/bike, or bike/run, or swim/bike/run quickly in that order. It is what you will do in a triathlon, so it is a good idea to practice bricks. It will help your muscles adapt to the demands.
Always check with your doctor before starting a new training plan.
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Kathryn Bertine Lessons From the Smartest Triathlete Alive How one rookie's mistakes helped transform her into a better athlete.
Sent to us by Kathryn Bertine When a fellow triathlete once asked me what my background was, I told him that I was from New York. By the time I got around to my French Huguenot ancestry, the man clarified himself. “What I meant was, are you a swimmer, biker, or runner?” Oooooooh. That background. I mumbled something about running in high school, and then quickly slunk away. I had a lot to learn about triathlon, including how to spell the damn word so that it has only three syllables. Three years have passed since I did my first tri-ath-a-lon. Although I have a lot more to discover, my understanding of the sport has grown considerably. I have learned that with flip turns you will get superior momentum if you push off the wall with your feet instead of your head. Hence, the flip turn should be performed before you hit the wall, not as you do so. Goggles do not need to be asphyxiate-the-eyeball tight, and goggle marks should disappear after a few hours, not a few months. Learn the metric system: one lap of a long course pool is not 100 kilometres – it is best to find this out before you swim with others. Bathing suits do in fact have a life span, and if you try to convince anyone otherwise, they will quite literally see right through you. When racing, if you are on a first-name basis with the man in the kayak, you need to practice swimming a little straighter. I have also learned a thing or two about bikes. It is possible to fall off your trainer and have a near-death encounter with the coffee table. Helmets with big vents let in lots of nice, cool air. And small, mean bees. Spare tubes work best when taken with you on a ride. That spongy thing that comes with an aerobar water bottle is there to keep the water from splashing out over your bike and body. Do not throw it away thinking it is part of the packaging. The Big Chain Ring and the Little Chain Ring like to leave constellations of grease marks on your calves, which can later be observed on the southern hemisphere of your white couch. A derailleur is not a French dessert. Every bicycle component has an actual name, but the best bike mechanics are fluent in “thingy.” Odd entities appear in bike lanes, and the discarded Happy Meal toy can be just as deadly as the bulky two-by-four, although more fun to collect and trade. I have learned that for best results while doing a brick workout, you should change out of your cycling shoes before the run. Drinking or chowing down too much before going on a run is not advisable, but you have to do it once or twice to fully understand the repercussions. Eating or drinking too little will trigger an energy-depleted, ego-sapping condition known as “bonking,” the athletic synonym for “duh.” Running is most enjoyable with thin socks, cool weather, a hydrated body, and a well-fitting sports bra, of which only the first three exist. If it is true that we learn best from our mistakes, then I just may be the smartest triathlete alive. The best advice I can offer fellow rookie tri-geeks is to laugh at these moments of absurdity, because if you stick with triathlon for a while, you’ll have some good material for the self-deprecating comedian in you. Laugh at the goofy mistakes now, and you may be smiling at some pretty savoury successes in the future. After all, if you are tough enough to collide with a cactus in practice, do you really think that a sweaty, thornless human competitor is going to be as difficult to pass during a race? Every beginner’s mishap is destined to be a positive deposit in the experience bank. Except road rash. That’s just plain awful. IrongeezerSays: “Work Up A Sweat.”
According to the Council on Fitness, vigorous work-outs - when you're breathing hard and sweating - help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.
CYCLING workouts: www.irongeezer.org
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The Irongeezer just coming out of a transition area.
"If I can be this active, you can too!"
Triathlon Transition Tips
Tips for getting in and out of the triathlon transition zones quickly
By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com Guide
Most triathletes spend the bulk of their training time focused on the three events: swimming, cycling, and running. But the transition between each event also requires training. Each triathlon has two transitions: a swim-to-bike and a bike-to-run. Although they seem simple a poor transition can add precious time and waste energy during a race. A good transition can improve your position and spirits while a bad one can leave you struggling to make up lost time. Here are some tips to help you prefect your transitions. 1. Simplify
Keep your transitions clean and simple. By this, I mean don’t try to do too many things during a transition. Keep the number of tasks to the bare minimum. In a transition, the more you have to do, the more time it takes and the more that can go wrong. During the swim-to-bike transition, the fastest athletes may only put on a helmet and grab their bike to run out. Wear a one-piece racing suit to avoid clothing changes if possible. Some racers leave their shoes attached to the pedals and they put them on while riding. A trick they use is to rubber band the heel loops of the cycling shoes to the bike so that they are right side up. Sunglasses can be looped over the handlebars and put on down the road. Food and drink are already attached to the bike so you can fuel on the road as well. 2. Multi-task
If you want to be efficient in the transition, you need to learn how to do a few things at once and keep moving in a seamless, fluid motion. Know what things you can do while running or riding or on the run-up to the transition zone and what you have to do before leaving. Something as small as taking off your cap and goggles, or unzipping your wetsuit on the run-up to the bike can save seconds, putting on you cap and sunglasses as you run is equally efficient. It may seem like these things take little or no time, but this will help keep your momentum for the next event. 3. Train for Transitions
It is clear that if you want to get better at transitions, you need to practice them. But many athletes don't practice this part of the race. A good time to practice is during your regular event training, but a mental walk-through of a transition is also important. Practicing transitions during your regular training will help you feel very comfortable on race days. This sort of practice is also a good time to try new techniques and to see what you can do without. Never try something new on race day. 4. Race Day Set-up
On race day, you should arrive with enough time to survey the transition area before the race and actually do your run-ups and exits so you know exactly where to go. Lay out your gear and do a test run to make sure everything is where you need it and ready to go. Make sure you can find your bike and know your path in and out. This pre-race check is also a good time to do a mental rehearsal as well. Visualizing your transition will help you deal with any challenges that are not a part of your practiced walk-through.
As you do more and more events, you will find what works best for you, but these tips will help you develop transitions that are efficient so you can save your energy for biking and running.
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Wet suit rule - USAT
Each age group participant shall be permitted to wear a wet suit without penalty in any event sanctioned by USA Triathlon up to and including a water temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the water temperature is greater than 78 degrees, but less than 84 degrees Fahrenheit, age group participants may wear a wet suit at their own discretion, provided however that participants who wear a wet suit within this temperature range shall not be eligible for prizes or awards. Age group participants shall not wear wet suits in water temperatures equal to or greater than 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
The wetsuit policy for elite athletes shall be determined by the USAT Athletes Advisory Council.
What causes an overuse injury in a runner?
Overuse injury in a runner most often occurs because of a training error (running too far, too fast, too soon). With every mile that is run, the feet must absorb 110 tons of energy. Therefore, it is not surprising that up to 70% of runners develop injuries every year.
How can overuse injury be prevented? You can decrease your risk of injury by following these recommendations: Do not increase running mileage by more than 10% per week. Do not run more than 45 miles per week. There is little evidence that running more than 45 miles per week improves your performance, but a great deal of evidence shows that running more than 45 miles per week increases your risk for an overuse injury. Do not run on slanted or uneven surfaces. The best running surface is soft, flat terrain. Do not "run through pain." Pain is a sign that should not be ignored, because it indicates that something is wrong. If you do have pain when you run, place ice on the area and rest for 2 or 3 days. If the pain continues for 1 week, see your doctor.
Follow hard training or running days with easy days. Change your running shoes every 500 miles. After this distance shoes lose their ability to absorb the shock of running. Source: familydoctor.com
IrongeezerSays: "Fix it Now"
Pebble in your shoe, shoelace untied, starting to chafe? Whether in a race or a training run, or a walk, stop and fix the problem, whatever it is, as soon as you are aware of it.
It's not going to go away on its own, and will most likely get worse and be more of a bother and distraction as your run continues.
Chafing, pebbles, sunburn, and various other problems will not only interfere with your run, but can cause lasting adverse conditions, if not corrected immediately. Remember, fix it now!
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The "Irongeezer" and "Irongeezelle". - Going for an open water swim.
Triathlon: Overtraining: Why You Should Think About it Now
Sent to us by Marc Strickland, Psy.D
For the purposes of this article you need to be familiar with three terms, overreaching, overtraining, and burnout. Overreaching is short-term overtraining that can be compensated for by adequate recovery, overtraining is an imbalance between stress and recovery, and burnout is a psychological and physical withdrawal from sport as a result of chronic stress. You may be asking yourself, why is he talking about this when my season has just started? Simple, they are cumulative and the behaviors you are engaging in now may have serious physical and psychological repercussions during this or next season. How then does an athlete avoid engaging in behaviors that might lead to burnout? The first step is to realize that overtraining and burnout are not just physical mechanisms. Burnout can be caused by the psychological stress and as an athlete you need to factor in life stress during the recovery portions of your training. Secondly, recovery is part of the training program. As you approach your A-race recognize that being under-recovered can be just as detrimental to your performance as being over-trained. Third, while most coaches talk about rest it is important to actually include rest in your training plans. Rest and recovery are the only times your body has to heal physically and psychologically. Lastly, use your support system (i.e. spouse, family, coach) to help you understand when you are possibly overtraining. They may be better predictors of your mood and ultimately better at helping you avoid injury and/or burnout. Overreaching, overtraining, and burnout are all avoidable if you structure your training and racing to allow for physical and psychological recovery. Do not fall prey to the “more is better” theory, because many times that is not true. Give yourself permission do only what is necessary to be a well-trained athlete. Marc Strickland is a Licensed Psychologist in Phoenix, AZ specializing in Sport Psychology. He focuses on helping endurance sport athletes improve their performance through mental preparation.
How to measure your exercise intensity!
Exercise intensity is a measure of how hard you're exercising. Here's why it matters — and how to measure it. You may have heard people talk about exercise intensity. But what does it mean? And more importantly, how do you measure it? Consider these simple strategies for monitoring how hard you're exercising. Exercise intensity defined The intensity at which you exercise reflects the amount of oxygen your body uses to do an exercise and the number of calories you burn while doing it. In aerobic exercise — such as walking, swimming or cycling — intensity translates into how hard the exercise feels to you. As a general rule, moderate-intensity exercise is best. If you exercise too lightly, you may not meet your fitness or weight-loss goals. If you push yourself too hard, you may increase your risk of soreness, injury and burnout. Moderate-intensity activity decreases these risks and may even increase your odds of continuing your exercise program in the long run. Measure your exercise intensity Moderate-intensity exercise should feel somewhat hard for you. Watch for these telltale signs: You're breathing faster. You're developing a light sweat. You're feeling some strain in your muscles. You can also use the talk test. If you can carry on a conversation of brief sentences but you can't sing a song, you're probably exercising in the recommended moderate-intensity range. Do the math If you'd rather get more specific, use your heart rate to measure your exercise intensity. When you exercise as hard as you can, your heart beats at its maximum rate. If you're a healthy adult, strive to exercise at your target heart rate — between 60 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. If you have an irregular heart rhythm or you're taking medication that affects your heart rate, ask your doctor about the best way to measure your exercise intensity. Here's how to calculate your target heart rate: Subtract your age from 220. This is your maximum heart rate. Determine the low end of your target heart rate by multiplying your maximum heart rate by 0.6. Determine the upper end of your target heart rate by multiplying your maximum heart rate by 0.85. So how do you use this information? While exercising, check your pulse. To check your pulse over your carotid artery, place your index and third fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. When you feel your pulse, look at your watch and count the number of beats in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by 4 to get your heart rate per minute. To check your pulse at your wrist, place two fingers between the bone and the tendon over your radial artery, which is located on the thumb side of your wrist. When you feel your pulse, look at your watch and count the number of beats in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by 4 to get your heart rate per minute. Reap the rewards
If your heart rate is within the range you calculated above, you're exercising at about the right level. If your heart rate is too low, pick up the pace. If your heart rate is too high, back off a bit.
You'll get the most from your workouts if you're exercising at the proper intensity. Whether you gauge your intensity by how you're feeling or how hard your heart is beating, know that you're doing what it takes to maximize your workout.
Source: Mayo Clinic
IrongeezerSays:
On the pages of this site, you will find lots of advice, tips, how-to’s, ideas and thoughts to enhance your lifestyle. Our tip is to pick only one to implement in the next 30 days.
Then, if you have made this a new healthy habit, pick another one. If you have not quite made it happen, then in the following month work on making it a habit again. Do not add any new habit until you have accomplished the first. Then, choose another, and so on.
You get the point: Pick a tip, implement, and, if all goes according to plan by the end of the year, you’ll have added twelve new healthy habits to your LIFESTYLE. IrongeezerSays™: “Do it the easy way!”
Are you new to triathlon? Get a “number belt.” What is it? It is an elastic belt that snaps around the waist, with the official race number fastened to it. After exiting the swim, put it on in T1 with the number facing to the rear for the bike portion of the triathlon. In T2, simply spin the belt around so the number is facing forward for the run to the finish line. Do it the easy way, don’t pin the race number to the race uniform.
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