"The Summer Heat Lull"

Hey Team!

As happens each year whether you like it or not, our muggy months of July and August are here and the hot humid stretches are seemingly endless! Every year my TY Team of Runner's, Cyclists, and Triathletes all start to run a bit low in the motivation department due to what I refer to as the "Summer Heat Lull". In most parts of the country, especially here in the south, July and August seem to make or break athletes as they try to extend their fitness and racing goals through the end of the year. The body simply cannot perform up to par in extreme temperatures. Your hear rate rises prematurely and your body's cooling system goes into overdrive leaving zero blood flow for the working muscles.  Quality training becomes obsolete and therefore motivation sinks! As a coach you have two options. The first is to explain to athletes the physiology of what the body is doing or not doing and console them with encouraging words :). haha!  The second option, and the one I prefer, is to train them differently and take advantage of a crucial time where they can actually get ahead of their competition! I have 3 areas in which I coach differently to help my athletes stay motivated and away from the mental and physical fatigue!  If you can make a few changes in your routine, you'll be able to bridge your fitness level and set yourself up to excel through the end of the season.  When September rolls around and the air becomes brisk and cool, you'll be a step ahead and ready for a great late season surge of personal bests!

     The  first and most obvious way to survive the "Summer Heat Lull" is to adapt your training to before or after 7:00!  Getting used to training in the morning or evening, without the sun blaring down, will allow your core temperature to stay down and therefore keep your hear rate down and your pace up!  You also avoid damaging ozone levels which increase what's called "free radicals" in the body. Simply put, free radicals are what causes good hard working cells to turn bad!  This scary fact alone should encourage you to shift your training schedule to before sunup or after sundown!  If you are not able to shift your training schedule around, simply do your best to move midday workouts to treadmill runs, bike trainers sessions, and swimming of course!

     The second change I make for athletes is to shorten the duration of the workouts and then up the quality by increasing their sports specific strength training.  After early season weight training took a back seat in April and May, my athletes will typically show a dip in their strength after 2 months of racing and training. With racing comes tapering and recovering, therefore little time is available for crucial strength training.  I would suggest easing back into some of your strength training by incorporating light sessions after your sports specific workouts. Here's an example of one of the TY Run Team's 5 minute post run workouts that can help you gain back some of your run strength too!  I call these short workouts THE TY DiFFERENCE w/o's because in competition champions are doing the little extra things when their competition is not!

The TY DiFFERENCE Max 

·         1 Wall sit to fatigue, then 30 sec rest

·         30 sec of calf raises,  then 30 sec rest

·         Deep squats  (Match the time of your Wall sit)  then 30 sec rest

·         1 set of push ups to fatigue, then 30 sec rest

·         Walking Lunges (Match the time of your Wall sit) then 30 sec. rest

·         Plank in prone position  (Match the time of your Wall sit)

Note Your goal with this workout is to increase to duration of the wall sit every 1-2 weeks by 10-15 seconds. Therefore, the time of the remaining exercises, except the calf raises and push ups, will increase as well. Make sure you consult a local personal trainer to help with your form and technique with these exercises. Form is crucial, not only for injury prevention, but also for allowing the proper muscle groups to perform the exercise! 

The third and final change I make with athletes during the "Summer Heat Lull" is to suggest changes to their food selections at the training table! Antioxidants and electrolytes from the foods you eat are essential for combating the free radials we talked about and for hydration!  Yes, proper hydration does come from a combination of the foods you eat and the fluids you drink. Your body is desperate for the extra antioxidants and electrolytes in order to battle the twofold enemy before you!  Foods rich in antioxidants and electrolytes are typically the foods which will carry extra water as well, just another advantage to your choosing wisely! To clarify, electrolytes are those nutrients in certain foods and drinks that help your body stay "PROPERLY" hydrated. As we know, the fluid in your body is the one thing required above all for survival. However, it must also be stored and kept in the proper areas of the body.  Electrolytes will balance the fluids in your body and keep the blood, intracellular, and extracellular fluid levels where they need to be!  Keep it simple and just choose better "Hot foods" to get the extra electrolytes, antioxidants, and fluids you need to bridge over this "Hot Summer Lull"!   Here's 5 of my top 5 favorite heat boosters!

1 Berries! (All)

2 Other fruits ( plums, oranges, apricots, and grapes)

2 Colorful Veggies (tomatoes, red bell, spinach, sweet potato)

3 Whole Grains (quinoa, oats, and brown rice)

4 Nuts and Seeds (almonds, walnuts, chia seeds)

5 Salt and Seasoning :)!

Hopefully these tips can help you bridge your fitness to coolers temperatures ahead! 

Train Wise & Train Hard!

 Coach J   

           

"Racing on Effort not Expectations!"

Hey Runners, Cyclists, and Triathletes!

Spring has sprung and summer racing is now upon us!  Hope everyone has had a great base building early season and you are ready to roll out some peak performances this year!  Coach here decided to dibble in a 10k a couple weeks ago and relearned a fine lesson that I think all us could stand to hear before toeing the start line this season. My family and I headed down to Charleston SC for the Cooper River Bridge Run where many years ago I was able to set my personal best 10k time.  Now many years later and just a few year shy of the Grand Masters division,  Yikes!  I set my sights on a time goal after training fairly well for the last few weeks. Big Mistake :)

As an athlete most of us have a certain level of competitive spirit and will most likely look at past race results to see where we might fall in the ranks. It's a natural thing and we inevitably  predict our time and where we will finish. Immediately this gets branded on our brains and we never begin to think about the physical side of the race. Goals are important sure, but in attaining them we should show patience and let the right day present itself.

In my opinion, 99% of the time forcing your body(effort) to match your expectations will most certainly produce mental and physical exhaustion.  For me that day it was mile 4 of 6.2 :).  Seeing the mile splits fail to match up with my predicted time I continued to try harder. With heart rate soaring through the roof, mentally I was pushing harder but my body was saying ease back.

Each time you toe the line, the race will present you with a different scenario. Temperature, wind, hills, nutrition, hydration, stress; these are just a few variables that should help me convince you to "Race on Effort not Expectations."  Leave pressure by the waist side and just feel happy to run in the moment.  After all, aren't we all blessed just to be able to compete?  Sure we are and we must remind ourselves continuously to just do your best.  Besides, how much more can you ask than that?  I would take the results of that effort every time :)

Try this "4 R you Ready" thought process and before every race you'll be Race Ready!

# 1   Remove:  Remove any thoughts of a time goal from your head.

# 2   Relax:    Say to yourself, all I expect today is to perform my best.

# 3   Remind:   Remind yourself to be grateful for competing.

# 4  Race: Focus on your effort for the distance and do not focus on your competitor. Besides, they're focused on YOU so you NOW have the advantage :)!

       

No Opportunity Wasted!

Have a Great 1st Race!! 

Coach

" Running Free "

Hello Everyone! 

I  hope everyone's early season training is going well and you're getting fired up for some racing!  March is here and the temperatures will soon be warming up. It's time for some fresh air and more outdoor training, "Whew" you say!  Treadmill running, bike trainers, and gym work can all be fun and exciting as the Winter begins, but as the weeks add up you start to wear down and feel the need to travel.  There's something about actually going somewhere when you run, bike, or swim that offers motivation and reward to your training.  Too much time breathing hard in one spot, sooner than later, will begin to make you feel like a lab rat :)!  For some of us, there is also a need to leave the constant information feedback you get from treadmills, compu trainers, and lap pools behind!  The industry of training and fitness in the 21st century has become technology information overload.  We are losing the "Rocky" approach to our training!  Garmins, heart rate monitors, wattage meters are all very valuable tools for feedback and proper training, but if you're like me, sometimes you feel like just dropping the watch and "Running Free!" As my oldest daughter Josie puts it, "Daddy, when we're at Nana's and Papa's ( in country) I just feel free! There are no 'gates' like at our house."  She's 6 :)!   Her "Gates" to me are like the heart rate monitors and treadmills that sometimes damper your fire for training!  As you train in sport you begin to learn your body and can distinguish or perceive what's easy, comfortable, or hard efforts.  If you do need a break from the "information world" of training, learn how to "Run Free" to faster times, more enjoyment, and NO Gates!

Here's how and why!

The how is easy when you keep these three things in mind.  To improve as an athlete you need to do consistent work, hard work, and easy work.

Consistent work is  Aerobic work.  Aerobic means "in the presence of oxygen" which seems like a good thing right? :) For our Tech folks it's an effort level of  70-80% of your maximum heart rate. But if you're trying to "Run Free",  it's that comfortable to comfortbly hard effort of swimming, biking, or running.  A good checkpoint is that while working out, if you're able to talk in complete sentences but not prefer to carry on a long conversation, then you're at that aerobic effort. Word of caution, don't try the talking test while you're swimming :)!  At this effort level you are producing the most valuable results for building strength, endurance, and even speed. For athletes of all abilities and for all distances this area is your "Bread and Butter". You are building a V-8 engine versus a 4 cylinder!  You should spend the majority of your miles in this zone and I would suggest 75% of weekly mileage or time be spent at this effort level.

Next up is the Hard Work!  This effort moves into the category of uncomfortable plus!  It's anaerobic for the lab rate, meaning  oxygen is getting used up more quickly than the body can replenish it!   Ouch :)!  This zone is above the 80% max HR level and you move into a state of labored breathing.  Don't be afraid to go here as long as you're overall health is good.  Training at this level in the right amount will produce a more efficient heart muscle (VO2) , a better flushing of the leg burn (Lactate threshold), and a more efficient stride or stroke due to power and strength!  Notice that I mentioned the right amount, which should be in the range of 10-20% of weekly mileage depending on the athlete and time of the year.  This 10%-20% range can be a tricky balance, so if in question, lean towards the 10%!   An under trained and healthy athlete will out perform an over trained and injured athlete 100 % of the time. This may not seem like much but once you've done a few hard workouts the week will fly by and you'll be facing mile repeats once again! :)  Make sure before attempting hard workouts that you precede them with a 10-15 minute warm up and 5-10 minute cool down and stretch session.  This is very important as hard working muscles need extra attention in the stretching department.

Last up is the Easy Work and certainly not the least important!  Easy work is active recovery of below that 70% Max heart rate range. I call this perceived effort Easy to Comfortable!  Now you can go out and enjoy that long conversation with a friend and enjoy the scenery. :)   These workouts should make up 10-20% of your weekly mileage as well and best fall after your hard workout sessions.  They will aid your muscles by getting nourishing blood flow to the damaged tissue (muscles) and help flush any build up of that mean ole lactic acid.  These workouts are trifold, as they also help with endurance for longer events and provide a much needed mental recharge!

If you guys are like me and have a family, a day job, and training to balance, take the time you have and break down your week with these three perceived workout levels.  You'll  "Run Free" of science and put a little "Rocky" back in your step!

Isn't it nice to have both options!  In all, find what makes You tick and use whatever it takes to get the job done! :)

Coach J

TRiYon Performance

IRONMAN "Know How"

Triathlon is the sport of swimming, biking, and running, and it can't get much better than this for testing athlete against athlete in a competition of strength, speed, and endurance! The sport was invented by a group of guys sitting around chatting about who was the better athlete. Was it the runner, the cyclist, or the swimmer? They discussed some distances, threw them together into a one day race and triathlon (Ironman) was born. Millions of people around the world now call themselves triathletes as races of all distances attract people of all ages and abilities. But the real attraction is I R O N M A N.  So many people are desiring to be an 140.6 Ironman Finisher!  How could you not with all the awesome inspiring TV programs showing average people doing the seemingly impossible.  People are spending thousands of dollars buying the best bikes & equipment, hiring coaches to schedule workouts, and traveling all around the world to compete in destination races.  In my 25 years in the sport I have seen a growing trend of  people entering Ironman as their first triathlon event!  Wow, now this is a big undertaking, and a very challenging one at that!  As a coach I find myself in this situation more times than many and having to design training programs that will help athletes reach their IM goals quickly and stay injury free in the process.  The very 1st thing to remember if THIS IS YOU, is that endurance sports such as IM require big time Physical Strength!  And in my humble opinion the best way to develop this kind of strength is through the perfect combination of aerobic and anaerobic training.  Many first time triathletes find them themselves concerned with the distance and therefore get caught in the trap of long slow distance aerobic training 100 % of their time. This kind of training is commonly called LSD  and is a low heart rate / easy effort training that great for base building and active recovery.   But for the 140.6 miles of an IM, which does seem a bit daunting, quality over quantity has won out every time! Your main objective is to have a slow continual improvement in Strength which will come by adding variety in your training. You will  stay mentally inspired and get to that finish line faster than you ever thought possible!

Adding Anaerobic training to your weekly routine is very simple.  After an 8-12 week period of  aerobic development (easy base workouts),  a new triathlete is ready to start incorporating small amounts of high intensity efforts in their routine.  The term anaerobic means "without oxygen" which can seem a little bit scary or confusing to the new triathlete. For the most part anaerobic just means putting forth an effort that causes an uncomfortable increase in breathing rate caused by an elevated heart rate.   There are scientific ways to measure these efforts through heartrate monitors and testing but for the average person a good rule of thumb is that if your breathing rate elevates and the effort seems uncomfortable, you are entering the anaerobic zone!  This challenging workout is training your body to "deal" with the stress of moving faster and will therefore adapt to it for a future episode. Your body is saying "Hey, what is this new stress? I better build a stronger heart for this increased breathing and stronger muscles for this faster running!"     Think of this... What happens to your skin after repeated friction or irritation?  Well, after the difficult part & discomfort of a blister a Callous is produced! Your body has adapted to the stress and strengthened itself.  Your body in all aspects is a miracle maker!  God's design of this human body in incredible if you just pause to imagine what goes on beneath skin level.  Capillaries, nerves, cells, veins, arteries, latic acid, organs, etc. etc... There are so many fascinating things, that as a normal athlete training to run faster, we don't think of. Stressing the body through anaerobic work will cause a strengthening of your heart muscle and your sports specific muscles.  This new hard/easy approach is going to contnue to build your body into a strong resilient machine :)

As a rule of thumb, change 10% of your weekly training mileage to anaerobic work. So if for example you are running a comfortable 30 miles a week then switch out 3 of those miles for high intensity running.. This may not seem like a lot but once you perform these hard efforts you'll welcome your aerobic workouts 90% of the time. :)  Do keep in mind that this is 10 % in all three disciplines so the stress on your heart will be more than the sport's specific muscle groups.  This is a good thing as your heart is your most valued possession and can grow and adapt just like your bicep. It will start pumping more oxygen rich blood to those working muscles when you most need it and make your life a lot easier!

* Here are a few examples of  some anaerobic workouts for your 1st week getting to know and feel Mr. Anaerobic!

Swim: Broken 1650: Warm up an easy 5-10 minutes before swimming 4 x 200, 6 x 100, and  5 x 50 (Swim each of the 15 intervals at an 85% effort level or Max HR) (Rest 15 seconds after each one)

Bike: Broken 10 mile Time Trial: Warm up 10-15 minutes easy spinning, Ride 4 miles at an 80% effort level or Max HR, 3 minute easy spin recovery, then 3 miles at 80-85% effort or Max HR, 3 min. rec., then 2 miles at 85% effort or Max HR, 3 min. rec., then 1 mile at 90% effort or Max HR!

Run: Broken 3 miler : Warm Up 10-15 minutes, Run 1.0(1600) miles at 80-85% effort or Max HR, 2 min. easy jog recovery, Run 2 x .5(800) miles at 85% (pace should slightly increase), 2 min. rec.,  Run 4 x .25(400) miles at 85%-90%(pace should slightly increase again)!

As you can imagine, training for triathlon can get VERY scientific and become Information Overload with the increase in technology (Heart rate monitors, wattage meters, garmins, etc.)  If your interest or wallet does not lend to gadgets don't fret!   Simplicity can sometimes be your best approach when trying to balance training and normal life!  Let's face it, how many of you are getting paid to compete in a triathlon?  So if you're like the 99% of us who want to set goals, train, compete, and improve overall wellness, enjoy a simple substitution of the 10% anaerobic rule and see the improvements. All while enjoying the process with family and friends!

Have a great Day and puts some Life in your training!

Coach Yon

www.triyonperformance.com 

www.facebook.com/triyonperformance

Burning The Fat Flame!

NOW that the the New Year is in full swing and your training is following suit, you might be feeling a bit full in the boots! The Holiday season was a great time to kick back, enjoy family, and put training on the side burner. For some of us anyway :)   Now, with goals in mind and a record year planned ahead, you need to start melting the extra pounds and gaining lean muscle once again! So what's the best way to get back into race shape and become leaner and faster than ever before?  Well, the first is obvious... a well thought out training program, of course!  Another way, and the one I'd like to help you with today is how to develop a better lean muscle to fat ratio.  Gaining lean muscle while shedding extra body fat. I think of it as becoming the "body builder" of endurance sports if you will.  Everyone likes to look and feel strong, but the most important thing is to help you move your body forward faster by fighting gravity more efficiently. That's what it's all about isn't it? How to cover a race distance as fast as can while maintaining the exertion level you're capable of mentally and physically.  For the most part your exertion level is always going to be the same, your "Best Effort" for the prescribed distance.  Therefore, we look for other factors you can control like body weight in the form of fat.  A coach once told me,  "1 less lb of body weight equals 3-5 secs of faster running per mile." We'll if that's true, which I believe is, there's a Personal Record  just waiting to happen!  Keep in mind, I'm speaking of  1 lb less weight in fat, not muscle!

So how do we start? First, we need to make sure you accomplish two things when beginning an approach to eating for athletic performance. They are to sustain your energy for training & racing and at the same time, burn excess stored body fat.  As most of us already know, total calories is what you consider for weight lose or gain.  It's pretty much cut and dry when it comes to gaining weight versus losing weight.  Eat more calories than you burn and you will gain weight.  Eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight.  However it's not that simple and it can get very complicated because calories come in three different forms; protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  Hmmmm.... now what?? Well the truth is, if you eat too many calories in one form or too little of another you may hinder muscle gain and actually gain body fat.  What!?  In the last 30 years there have been hundreds of books written on the subject.  The author of every book you read is going to tell you a different opinion of the percentages of Protein, Carbs, and Fat you need to eat to lose weight and/or maximize performance.   In the 1980's it was low fat/ high carb diets and in the 90's it became Low carb/high fat diets!  So how do you figure all this out?  We find ourselves questioning what to do or where to start.  I personally have survived each decade's approach and have found an easy way to help you get strong and lean and then prepare yourself for race day.  In January, I do find that a training diet hovering around the percentages of 25 % protein, 25 % fat and 50% carbohydrates is a great early season approach.  You're able to build lean muscle tissue, melt away excess body fat, and still have enough carbohydrates to sustain your energy for training.  You're also teaching your body to recruit fat for energy and therefore start tapping into your fat stores.  Anytime you can use fat storage for energy and spare the carbohydrates you're going to become a faster endurance athlete.  Why is that?  Because you're able to go farther with your carbo load and not have to ingest as many carbs in your race as your competitor. By not having to ingest extra carbs for fuel in a race situation, you're allowing your blood volume to remain in the working muscles where it is needed, instead of moving to your stomach to help with digestion. Blood is your oxygen carrier and your muscles require it to go fast,especially at higher heart rates!

So if you're a calorie counter and know how to figure calorie percentages do a 3 day food log and see where you stand. If you're Not a calorie counting expert and don't know how to interpret a nutritional label here are some key tips to get you moving in the right direction and burn some body fat.

#1 Train in the morning on an empty stomach. Helps promote the burning of fat stores. If training session is over an hour but less than two, add a Fluid replacement drink.

#2 Eat only when you're hungry!  Eat smaller meals and snack 2-3 times per day to keep your metabolism cranking. Note: Don't let yourself go past the hunger pain during the day b/c your metabolic rate will decrease.

#3 Eliminate wheat and flour products as much as possible. In other words eat meals rich in lean meats and vegetables as much as possible. Products that contain Gluten are being proven to hinder performance.  Save high carbohydrate meals for 2-3 days out from a race.

# Avoid sugar as much as possible! It's an empty calorie, promotes fat storage, and contributes to numerous health problems.

# 5 Make sure you're eating healthy fats daily, unsaturated fat (Almonds, seeds, olive oil, etc). They provide sustainable energy, help ward off hunger, and fight heart disease!

These tips should help you get you started down the right path and as you learn to figure out calories percentages, test out your plan and see if you're close to the 25%, 25%, 50%TRiYON Performance approach!

Here's an example of how to calculate a nutrition label!

Your key is:

1 g of Protein counts for 4 calories

1 g of Carbohydrates counts for 4 calories.

1 g of Fat counts for 9 calories.

Example: A NOW Energy bar is 284 calories.

11 g of protein

42 g of carbs

8 g of fat

Therefore do the math: ( 11 x 4 = 44  + 42 x 4 = 164, 8 x 9 = 72)

44 + 164 + 72 = 284

Good luck with training and make sure to Training Smart and Eat Healthy!

Coach Yon

"Fending Off the Fever" Part 3: The Spirit Filled Athlete

Happy New Year Everyone! 

Welcome back to "Fending Off the Fever" Part 3!  In the last couple weeks we've discussed getting stronger in two different areas, physical and mental. We now have a strength program in place and a tight hold of a stronghold!  (Read last weeks blog if you need to know what a stronghold is :))  Our minds and body are in a good place and we're ready to tackle the last key ingredient to a successful upcoming season. This one I call being a "spirit filled athlete."  Let me begin by saying that being spirit filled is not something you try to do. It's an action or reaction that comes from within that other's will see in you as one who is different and special.  Someone that others look to for leadership and direction. A person who attracts others to themselves because they have something that others are missing.  That's it in a nut shell.  I want to be around this person or athlete because I need what they've got!  So how do you get there? How do you become spirit filled? 

Personally, I battled this one for a long time! Always assuming that it must be attained by your own efforts, by trying harder. I'd observe those athletes that seemed to have it all and I wanted to be like them. Each year trying to better myself through getting stronger and faster.  Trying to train harder than anyone else and by doing all the extra things that I knew others weren't.  Well from years of experience, I can tell you this will only get you so far.  Pulling yourself up by the boot straps day in and day out will wear you down to the core.  Your energy tank will be on empty and your achievements will seem oh so so. 

Where does this leave you? Standing at a cross road.  Turn left and follow the wide road or turn right and follow the narrow road?  The wide road leads you the way of the world and the path everyone takes because it's easy, comfortable, and proven to provide commonality. To be like the rest, travel down this fast and wide straight road! On the other hand, NOW try the straight and narrow road as the way. >>>>>  Here's the hardest and best choice you'll make! Choose it and you will find a road full of challenges, ups and downs, and lessons beyond compare!  If you didn't already know, God's Word says, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there will go. But because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth into life, few will find it.  My advice is be one of the few!  Trust God and release all control and follow Him.  Your life in this world and in athletics will be "Spirit Filled", always sharing in the battles and leading others to glory!  From the words of Robert Frost in "A Road Not Taken" 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverge in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference. 

Hope everyone has an awesome start to the New Year & I'll see you next week!!!!! 

Coach Yon

Hey Gang!

Hope everybody had a great week and started to seek out how to get their strength training program started! 

Remembering last week, I had us start thinking about how to make it through this off season physically stronger and mentally charged up for your best season ever! 

This week our topic is how to Energizing your Mind! 

One way and maybe the best way I've found to energize your mind is to conquer astronghold! A stronghold is basically an addiction :(   It's something that's tying you down and limiting your potential!  What is it that you struggle to overcome and  maybe not willing to give up because you think that it's not important?   Is it too much coffee or soda,  too much social media, too compulsive about training/exercise?  Be honest with yourself, what is holding you back?  What is it that gets in the way of you being constructive in everything that you want to accomplish? Here's a 4 step process that I've used that might help you  "Kick that Habit!" 

Step One:  Most important!  Find an Accountability Partner!  To do this takes strength in itself because you are admitting your weakness!  This takes guts!  Most athletes will disguise their weaknesses because they are generally perfectionists to the core and don't feel comfortable exposing their glitches! 

Step Two: Once you have your partner, set a plan of action.  Set daily goals for yourself and make it through small time hurdles before planning a whole week of cold turkey!  Once you make it through one day, share your success with your accountability partner and get some much needed words of affirmation.  Then move to day two!  In other words, one day at a time. Stay in the moment and don't get ahead of yourself! 

Step three:  This is not really a step but just a check note instead.  Be careful not to substitute ANOTHER Stronghold in the place of this one! This is the most common occurrence and will only lead to a similar or worse situation! 

Step Four: Once you've made it a week moving day to day, use the time or mental energy gained to engage in an interest not related to athletics. Something that stimulates your brain and builds heart at the same time.  What I mean is be creative, take a talent that you've been gifted with to influence a situation or person in a positive way. Maybe you're great with kids then take a moment to teach what you know. All of us were created by God with certain talents that we should use in a way that would be pleasing to Him. 

Step Five: If you made it to his step then nice work!  However, stay on your toes!  It's tuff to stay tuff!  You can now take your new interest and hold it into and through your race season. You've increased your motivation, opened yourself to new and exciting opportunities, and protected yourself from burn out!

 Everyone have a Merry Christmas & we'll finish up "Fending off the Fever" next week before the New Year!

 Talk to you soon!

 Coach

TRiYON Performance

Fending Off the Fever!

As triathletes we are in the middle of our off season. The Holidays are upon us and our minds are already gazing into next year's racing. From my experience, it takes only 3-4 weeks after a season ending "A" Race before you are chomping at the bit to start training again! Your mind feels lazy, your mid section feels soft, and the house projects have gotten old. What should you do? Well, in my opinion there are three ways to "Fend off the Fever!"   Three ways to make it through the cold winter months physically stronger, mentally energized, and healthier in spirit!   

                 # 1 Get Stronger!  Most importantly, if you want to grow stronger as a triathlete you must add resistance training to your routine.  Continual aerobic exercise, 12 months out of the year, without resistance training will eventually stagnate your lean muscle growth. Therefore you limit your potential to get faster and stronger each upcoming year! If you don't have access to a gym, no worries, your body weight can act as your resistance weight in sports specific strength movements.  Consult your local Personal Trainer and stress to him or her that the key areas you want to strengthen are the Core, Glutes, Hip flexors, and lower back.  All these areas are typically weakened throughout the triathlon race season and need 90% of your focus Dec- Feb!  My favorite exercises for Triathletes are Squats, leg press, Planks, Lat Pull Down, Spin Class (high cadence, 110 plus), and Deep water Running.  Each week add 2 weight room sessions and at least 1 Spin Class and 1 30 minute Deep water run.  You'll be glad you did!  Give it a month and you'll feel the difference. 3 months and you'll clean up your competition next year! 

Remember!   Form is the single most important factor in Strength Training!  Make sure to consult the personal trainer at your local gym, and in EVERY Movement yourCore must be contracted and protecting your lower back!  Now get Started and become the best triathlete you can be! And Until next week...... 

Train Smart then Train Hard! 

 Here's a sneak peek at next week!  It's Mental!  :)  

                     #2 Energize your mind!  The best way to energize your mind is to conquer a stronghold! What is it that you struggle to give up or overcome?  Is it too much caffeine, not enough sleep/too much TV.......................See you next Week! 

Coach Yon

www.triyonperformance.com

                

What's Your Reason for TRiing?

What's your Reason for TRi...ing?

 

• To Get Healthy?
• To Accomplish the Impossible?
• To Face a Fear?
• To Be your Best?
• To Lose Weight?
• To Celebrate the gift of health?
• To become a stronger runner?
• To release stress?
• What is your reason????????

    As a coach, the first thing I ask a person is why do you train to compete?  Why do you run a race or compete in a triathlon?  Why do we all choose goals and then never think of the reason why?  First and foremost, I challenge you to find the purpose in your goals that you have set. At this point, there is no question you will find the strength and motivation to accomplish them.  Failure will not be an option!  What is completing a challenge without a purpose?  I think the answer is a completion of time wasted.  Today's Training Tip is for you to first find your purpose and then choose the road to get there. Take one day at a time and then look to those in your life that want to help and most importantly, allow them to. A Champion doesn't get the top by flying solo or without a purpose! He or She relies upon a mission and on the everyday heroes in their life to support and carry them through the ruts in the road.  So remember, Choose your Challenge, Choose your Purpose, Choose your Path, and then Choose to Succeed!  NOW Energy Bar would say, No Opportunity Wasted!

 

Have a great week and I'll talk to you soon!

 

Coach Yon

http://www.triyonperformance.com/ 

"Love for Sport"

Well as we enter the Holidays, I can feel my athletes starting to stir about next years race schedule. Each year sign ups get further and further away from race day! Before you know it we'll be signing up for races for our future age group! AND they'll sell out! Crazy... "I want to be a triathlete", what a common thing these days. Just as much as "I want to do an IM!" Wow. What ever happened to flying by the seat of your pants?  In the 80's and 90's it was last minute raceday sign up, no race limit caps, and everyone borrowed a bike from the friendly neighbor!  Got my first Panasonic 2000 in 1986, what a beauty. Sunshine cycles in Clemson, SC... Can remember the excitement and joy of riding fast on a skinny wheel bike! Decided to ride toward Anderson (on the Highway of Course) and felt great the whole way, 20 miles! Thought I was a stud. Turned around to head back to Clem and discovered what a tailwind was.. it took me 2 hours to get home :)... Learned to swim at Fike Gym, would swim 20-25 mins straight every time...same hard effort :)  This strange fella always swum beside me and would hang on the wall every couple minutes! Can't he swim I thought?? Hence, a year later, I learned what an interval training was :)... That summer I decided to follow my older brother's lead and enter a TRIATHLON... had to drive 6 hours to get there, Chattanooga Tenn.,  what a blast! Wish I had a picture of my outfit. Brother's friend forgot his bike helmet so he wore a motorcycle helmet for the 40K!  Wish I had a picture of that one too :).  Back then Flotation devices were allowed!...I do have a picture of my brother coming out of the water beside a guy wearing an Orange Neck Life jacket! Remember those? This picture was a keeper! We accomplished two triathlons the summer of 86'.  Ate our share of Jackson Brother's Potato salad that summer!  Needless to say we had gotten the tri bug. It was back to school for me, but brother road to the beach that next spring with friends while I was away.. soooo... I wanted to do what brother did!  We decided to ride to North Myrtle on Nov. 12th, same day as a tropical storm was stirring strong westerly winds. I had forgotten my previous wind lesson obviously, and it was just the 2 of us, not 14 like the spring ride. Result: figured out that drafting is not a Nascar term only... Another hard lesson..  We made it past Darlington race track, only to stop at Burger King for reevaluation and fuel...what did I eat?  All the potato salad off that salad bar...(BTW, I had read the book, Eat To Win by Dr. Hauss if you're wondering about the Pot.Salad).... I felt a little off after that needless to say. Somehow we returned... to the highway, of course. Potatoes kick in through McBee, but Mike wasn't speaking. I Got in a carb zone over the straight hills of the sandhills and rode for a good hour with my head down... ASSUMING by brother was with me?? Nope. Stopped  and looked over the miles of straight hills and waited with no sign of him. Worried, I reluctantly headed BACKWARDS (away from our destination) and found him 5 miles back... Laying up on an old peach stand eyes closed about to fall asleep. Oh yeah, cell phones weren't around in the late 80's BTW.  Can't remember my motivational speech but somehow we got him up... Vaguely remember something about trail mix.. Anyway. somehow we made it through Florence via Quinby and came out on 503? Whatever that major Highway is with no shoulder ... We made the smartest decision of the day and thumbed our way in to the back of a pickup for the next 20 miles. Unfortunately we got dropped in Mullins with about 30 miles to go!  To conclude we made it at sunset, surprised our folks who were down there and at least impressed someone with our bright idea of 180-20=160 ride for the day... To finish it off we had no clothes for the weekend so my mom let me borrow her aqua shirt  & shorts outfit to get me thru the weekend's festivities!
       So to sum all this up, this blog certainly came out of nowhere as I'm sitting here at 1:00am laying out carefully planned training schedules for my TRi-Yon Team!  I am grateful that I learned through experimenting on myself so that others (those who have power meters, garmins, and aero helmets :)) can efficiently...  "Become that triathlete and/or Ironman!" .

But Remember! IT CAN BE DONE...by the seat of your pants and with sheer love for your brother!


My kids always ask for a true story from Daddy at the breakfast table!  I think I now have tomorrow's story! Can't wait...  All The Best!  Coach  www.triyonperformance.com

Ironman Hawaii! What to expect and do!

It's IM week on the Big Island!  What an awesome feeling to just be there and being part of the Original Ironman!. You certainly deserved your spot there so take pride in your hard work and accomplishment.  You don't remember the pain and sacrifice it took to get there, it's all faded. But!  Your supporters haven't so INCLUDE them in this experience and let them celebrate with you. Don't go into IM isolation mentally.  Enjoy, Relax, and be thankful for making it here alive and healthy with the help of your friends and family!


Prerace Week
Expect the expected!  Athletes running, riding around all week strutting their stuff :)  Entering Race day "Race Ready" in Kona took careful planning, a day to day wit, and a willingness to stick to "Your Plan."  Now that you're here stick to it!  Nothing changes!  It will be hard to sit still and take your days off but keep in mind Sat. is the only day that matters.  My athletes stick to one midweek easy 45 min Ride on the Queen K, 1 Midweek 30 min. run, and light swims every morning to soak up the IM energy and to get the metabolism ready for a pancake breakfast... a little ham on the side for the Sodium... Lightly salt your food all week.  Eat 2-3 Oranges, grapefruit, or bananas every day to load the Potassium. Stick to the Natural Way to get your nutrients loaded for Sat.  Hot Sun and 140.6 miles will require your levels to be topped off to Survive!  Remember to hydrate from Tues on, but be very cautious of Over Hydrating with water.  Too much H2O will deplete your system of electrolytes that you just attempted to load!! :)  Stick to 1/2 Water, 1/2 Fluid Replacement all week and that will keep you safe... Sleep!!  Coming from the US you have the advantage of adapting to the time change.. Returning, with sore legs, my need another Blog :)   Arise 6ish everyday and try to get morning swims in around 7-8.  You NEED to get to breakfast!  Don't wait in a Restaurant line without a snack.  Friday will get here too soon but in perfect timing for one last day to sit around and be anxious.  Reading a non triathlon book is the perfect remedy for Friday!  Have your race gear, nutrition, morning plan figured out no later than Thursday!  In Racking your bike Friday, check for loose nuts and bolts on your machine, pump tires up to 85-90% and top off in am. Don't worry, heat won't pop them and besides they need to sit there overnight to make sure there's no slow leaks or weak spots.  Stay out of the heat all day Friday, Reading :), eat pasta rich dinner around 6-7 o'clock and don't be afraid to eat an extra bowl or roll.  Better safe than sorry... Your body can store up to 2000 calories and of ready source energy so filler up!  Bedtime 9. Read, relax, and close the book.  A new Chapter will open tomorrow!  In a Big Island Way!


Raceday 
Good Morning! Wake time 4:30-5.  Breakfast 650-800 Calories ( 70% carbs, 15% protein, 15% fat)
Stick with what works for you. Your body does use calories while you're sleeping so topping off  the tank in the morning is a must! 1/2 Water 1/2 Fluid Replacement.  #2 most important thing, put on sunscreen everywhere before the sun comes up.  Yes some will wear off in Swim but not all!  Neck, ears, and lower back if Tri Shirt rides up in Aero position... Now, you're already packed so hit the trail... oh yeah, have your transport figured out, 1/2 mile walk maximum!  Drop Special Needs bag first, that's just extra weight to carry around.  Body Marking in Hawaii is organized!  The Tension and Uncertainty is building!  Solution:  Smile and talk to  people non stop in the waiting line!!!  Be the cheerful one, not the serious one... It's a disguise :)
Drink last of Fluid Replacement 20 minutes before 7:00

Swim/Bike
Get out in the water 15 minutes before 7:00... entrance gets crowded and it's easier to stand down on Dig me beach. In water swim out to left side at 10 minutes until 7.  Water is buoyant so treading water is not an issue, You Float!  You want to stay away from the buoys on the way out so your siting will be on the horizon where the Island meets the Water.  You'll see what I mean when you get there. You'll swim a straight line from the Swim start to the last buoy. Coming back it will be buoy to buoy and not as bottle necked. Take advantage of the Hawaii buoyancy.  This water is very salty therefore almost like you have a wetsuit on! Take advantage of this and swim long stroke for the whole 2.4... using your lats and core to accomplish the swim. No shoulders needed!  It's going to be along day so 70% perceived effort for the swim.  Exit the water and utilize the showers!  Get that salt off. Comfort is key for 112 in the lava fields...  Smooth patient transition and off on a "Who knows what race conditions the island has today"  Regardless, wind will be there good or bad. Heads  or Tails, anybodies guess.  Take it ALL in stride!  Sometimes windier is better b/c it makes for better "War Stories." :)   Keep effort on bike at 70-75% effort.  You'll be surprised at your fast pace given your training and Awesome Taper Plan!  Be prepared for a long steady climb to Hawi with Cross winds to boot.  Not quite steep enough for climbing out of the saddle but use it to stretch out of the saddle every 10 minutes for 10-15 secs...  You can use this stretching for the Fast Aero descent out of Hawi.  Do Not Get discouraged when you see the leaders flying back by at 45 mph when you're going 13.  You'll keep expecting the turn around soon, but Be patient.  Those guys are WAY ahead :)! Enjoy the ride back and take in the majestic scale of the island and the ocean! Hey! Just for a second :) Don't forget to keep drinking!  Steady and consistent... 3-4 sips every 10 minutes adds up to 32 oz/hr., which is an average sweat rate.  Mile 105 is here,start sitting up in the saddle.  Stand and stretch calves. Down shift 1 gear to get rpms up a notch.  Mile 112 hallelujah!  Enjoy this 3-4 minutes.  Dowse your head with cold water, Make sure to dress properly, let them sunscreen you!  Put those socks on properly.  Drink a cold cup of Fluid replacement and shuffle out of T2... 

Run
The most important  part of the run is the first 6 miles!  DO NOT get carried away with the adrenaline from crowds and cheering. You must run the first 5-6 miles at 60 % effort and be able to get your internal body fluids in place.  Give you body a lower HR to absorb the calories and fluids you've tanked on the bike. My strength is the run and this advice was VERY difficult for me... but by far the most beneficial to learn! And trust me it was some hard lessons.  After 6 miles find your rhythm at 70% effort or HR. Not until you hit the turn around in he Research lab do you start building intensity.  Let's call it 1% -2% gain in intensity every 1 mile upon your return to the Finish!  Hit every aid station the last 6 miles for ice, coke, and water.  Do not skip one and fall over at the finish like Paula 200 yds from the finish....  Keep tabs on your mental state by asking yourself the question, "What is my Coach's name?" If you answer TRi Yon Performance?  Sprint!

www.facebook.com/triyonperfomance

Congrats on making it to the "The Big Island"!

      Congratulations to several of our local Charlotteans for making it to The Hawaii World Championships this year!  What a great privilege and reward for hard work! When you make it to the Big Dance something comes alive in you. The excitement, the nervousness, the planning, the tapering... where do you begin and where does it stop?? Entering Kona perfectly prepared requires careful planning, a calm day to day wit, and a willingness to stick to "YOUR" plan. Truth of the matter is, there are 100 ways to peak for Hawaii, just ask 100 different people :)!  Pre Race week is filled with athletes flexing their shaved legs, comparing training logs, and filling your ear with how many long rides they put in.... ho hum...  Attention Athletes! Best approach is a humble attitude about what will happen for you on race day. That means throwing time predictions out the window.  Trust me, The Big Island has a way of deciding what's best for you!  Whether that means a 30 mph headwind or welcomed cloud cover during the marathon, take it All in stride! Every Racer will experience the same, but You will handle it better by not having expectations. (in a finish time) . Keep that quiet confidence in how you prepared yourself and take that and only that to the start line! 
       All this being said, preparation/training is your best chance to success in finishing Hawaii in front of your competitior!  how then??  Well, that depends on who you are. Are you a Weekend Warrior, 20 yrs old, 60 yrs old, Single, Married, Unemployed,  a Workaholic???  If your answer is yes, then the answer is "Use your time wisely!"  That means, long rides, long runs, strength work (my favorite), rest, and nutrition... maybe a little swimming too would be good!  The Mileage for each person will differ but max it out 4 weeks from Race day! This particular week should become your peak week, 100 % of what you were able to put in, with 28 days to go.... 3 weeks out 75 % of mileage, 2 weeks 50% of mileage, and Race week.. close to 25%.  However keep in mind, these last 4 weeks don't get any easier in my book!  Depends on what's easy to you, because Intensity (not easy to me) does climb as you put the icing on the cake. You'll move yourself to the front of the pack!  These last 4 weeks used properly either "Breaks your Race" or "Makes your Race".... and that finish time you're not thinking about :)   Be Wise!  Don't push the mileage envelop too close to Oct 8th!  Strength and Speed in the final weeks will make giant steps in the economy of your swim stroke, pedal stroke, and stride!  All the best!  Later, I'll try to share my thoughts on Race Day and some things to keep in mind... hopefully it will help for what it's worth....   Jamey

Be a Weight Lifter??

Sports Specific training, Cross training, resistance training, nutrition, mental preparation, massage, stretching.... where does the list end with trying to improve performance??  #1 rule is Sports Specific Training. Want to be a great Runner... then run farther and faster each week... Never add more than 10% to weekly mileage and keep speed work to a maximun of 15% of weekly mileage... If you've been injury free for more than 6 months, then you can push that to 30% of weekly mileage... holding it there for no more than 1 month and typically before your Summer "A" race!  Swimming and Cycling, same concept!  Riding 100 miles per week? Then 15 will be speed/hard/anaerobic work. Again, no need to push beyond 15% as Aerobic work(other 85%) will build the size of the engine! (You'll be a V8 instead of a 4 cylinder).  Next Step!  Resistance Training for Power(Speed) and Endurance(sustainable Speed).  Lives are busy... work/family/kids.... Get the most bang for your buck(TIME) in the weight room!  SQUATS!  Athletes can live by Squats alone :)  Feet Wide, Toes flared out, Go all the way to catchers position!  All the weight and power is generated through the heels... Get off the toes!  Core/ Hip flexors/Glutes... there's your hidden speed.. Triathletes! Take that aggressive TRi Bike and Lower that seat an 1/8 inch and raise the nose the same... you'll slide back a hair and find your power. Squats will develop your inner thighs, hamstrings and Glutes and you'll feel your knees get closer to the Top Tube and your inner Thighs will Turn over a 53/14ish at 90 RPM's, with a comfortable HR... Big factor when racing 1/2 IM's or IM!  Second most beneficial exercise... LEG PRESS... Again and most important... push through the heels!  Give these two weight training exercises a go, twice a week for 1 month!  See what happens. Beware... First go round do 1/2 the # of reps you think you can do!  Reason, you'll be very sore and won't be able to get your second lift in later in the week.  Go a little heavier by the fourth session when your muscles and tendons have had two weeks to adapt!  Adaptation , that's what training is... stressing the muscles beyond their comfort zone then resting and recoverying before stressing them to a new level!  Slow progression :)  Next Blog, How do you recover??  Hmmm. good question!  Happy training!  www.facebook.com/triyonperformance

1st Time Blogger!

First it was cell phones.. "I'll never get one of those"  then it was emailing... I was in the hot sun paving parking lots all day and my friends we're emailing back and forth from their desk all day.. I said "Email Smeemail"  What's wrong with a phone!  Then the lastest for me was "Are you on Facebook?"  Facebook, crazy people talking about themselves all day!  Not for this guy... well, now here I am sitting on my couch BLOGGING! I have a Blackberry, on Twitter, on FB, and now blogging. Man what you have to do be competitive in business these days.. Maybe this bolg could be my journaling to God!  No, I don't think so... that's between God and me :)  Here's the real plan for this Blogging, I hope... Now that I'm leading/coaching athletes to accomplish their goals and coaching high school runners as they figure out life, I plan to write something only when I feel that I have something valuable to share.  Thanks!  Coach Yon