Ask the Coach is Back

We're in the heart of race season in the Upper Midwest.  If you have any questions about your training as a race approaches, race strategy or course questions fire off an email to coachrich@triforit.com.   I'm happy to provide guidance where I can.

If I answer your question in a blog post I'll mail you a Tri For It! running cap.

Coaches are People Too

There's an unwritten rule for coaches that if anyone asks how your training is going the answer is always great. "How did that race go?"  Exactly according to plan.

Well, I'm here to tell you that it's not true.  At least not for this coach.  I face the same struggles you, as an age grouper triathlete, face.

After completing two Ironmans (or is that Ironmen?) in two years, I took the off in off-season seriously this year.  I'm still paying for it.  Combine that with the crazy wet cold spring we had and I'm behind where I would like to be.

I get it when an athlete writes me that they just didn't have "it" for the prescribed workout.  It happens.  Hopefully not too often.  When that happens we look at what's going on in their life and training and see what we can do to help them get "it" back.  Sometimes it's a change of scenery, change of pace, signing up for a race or just revisiting their goals and motivation for their multisport pursuits.

The way I look at it, I'd rather be honest with my athletes about my own training struggles.  As an athlete would I want a coach who's been in my shoes?   I would.  Would you?

I'll be racing New Bri this weekend.  Looking forward to seeing you out there!

I Saw the Signs . . . finally

Today, I finally saw signs that it really is spring up here in the Upper Midwest:

1. It didn't snow today (yay!)
2. Minneapolis has cleaned the streets in my neighborhood
3. Tulips opened
4. If it's warm it's windy, if it's cold it's windy

It was a long winter, and a dreadfully slow spring but it's here.  Now get that bike out of the trainer, clean it up and get out there!

Urban Tri Grand Opening!

Check out the Twin Cities newest multisport shop - Urban Tri.  Located in South Minneapolis, their grand opening is today through Sunday.


Urban Tri

Say "Hi" to Todd and tell him Coach Rich sent you.

Racing to Breakout of a Rut

I'd been struggling.  You may be thinking "whoah - you're a coach, how can you be struggling?"  It's true.  Coaches are people too.

I've been making some changes to my running stride - changes that will make me a better, injury free runner in the long run.  In the short term every run is a mental battle which becomes a physical battle.  If you've worked on changing your running stride you know what I mean.  If you haven't but have worked to change your swim stroke it's the same lost feeling only drier.

Thinking about an activity - mentally trying to engage your lower core and glutes actually raises your heartrate - with no increase in pace.  Thus each training run is more work than you think it should be.  That's where I've been for the past couple of weeks.

Last Saturday I ran in the Team Ortho Get Lucky 7k.  I was running it with TFI athlete HK.  She's generally a little faster than me and with the way I've been running lately she's much faster.  Great - an opportunity to embarrass myself in front of an athlete I'm coaching.

She (like all of us) tends to go out a little too fast.  We discussed running together for the first 2 miles so I could hold her back a bit (or a lot).  Then she could cut the strings and fly.

Nearing the end of the 7k (photo courtesy of Steve Stenzel)

At the start we seeded ourselves based upon our estimate pace and soon we were off.   Racing I didn't think about my stride, I just ran.  The first mile went by and we were ahead of the pace we discussed, but not by much.   I thought if I could hold that pace for the whole race I'd be happy.  The 2nd mile went by - same thing.  The 3rd mile was faster and at the 5k point, still running with HK, we cranked it up.  She outkicked me at the finish - "Go Girl!"

We built our pace through the whole race and passed over 2000 people (which is a fun way to run a race).

I ended up running 2 minutes faster than last year.  A time I thought I had no chance of repeating much less beating. 

All this work on my stride is paying off and it's refreshing to find that out.

The Benefits of A Training Partner

Coach Rich and Rob at Chisago Lakes 2010 - a MUCH warmer day!

Friday was the last day of my training week.  I was feeling pretty beat up from a new cross-training endeavor (racquetball).  It was C-O-L-D.  Around 3 degrees with a brisk 10-15 mile an hour wind out of the north.

Earlier that week Rob and I had set up our usual Friday morning, kids are on the bus, meet up and run.  I hadn't really paid attention to the weather until Friday.

No turning back now, I told Rob I'd meet him so that's what I did.  I grabbed extra layers, spread on some Warm Skin (a product I got some free samples of ), loaded up the dog and off we went.

The first mile absolutely sucked.  Into the wind.  Hands turned to blocks of ice.  Neither of us were talking much (that usually doesn't happen until the end of a run).  Finally we turned away from the wind.  Hands warmed up.  Conversation, well, it didn't exactly flow, we're still guys.  But there was some conversation.  The miles went by.  Challenges were made.  "Top of the hill before we turn around."

We finished the run, exhilarated by our time in the frigid air.

Would I have headed outside Friday morning and done that run on my own?  I like to think I'm a disciplined trainer, a 2x Ironman finisher blah, blah, blah.  I don't like running when the wind chill is in the negatives.  I probably would have grabbed my ipod and headed to the gym.

I probably would not have gone as far and I definitely wouldn't have enjoyed it so much.  Training partners (and coaches) can help us keep the commitments we've made to ourselves and make it fun along the way.

A Workout Ate My Marriage?

This morning on mytalk107.1 fm in the Twin Cities, Ian and Marjorie were talking about an article that had appeared in the Wall Street Journal entitled "A Workout Ate My Marriage" (You can torture me and I will swear up and down that that station was on only because my kids enjoy the Happy Boy joke segment)

Here's the full article:

A Workout Ate My Marriage

Basically the article offers some anecdotal evidence of extreme endurance training causing marital discord.  One counselor even referred to "divorce by triathlon"

The radio hosts talked up the addictive nature of working out and triathlon in particular.  Portraying the tri widow left behind with kids and the cleaning.  The one line of the article that got no mention was as follows:

The effect of extreme exercise on divorce rates isn't clear. Even if research showed a higher rate of discord in homes where just one spouse is an endurance athlete, exercise could be a consequence, rather than a cause.

Now I'm not going to argue that the time demands of triathlon and "extreme endurance" doesn't ever put stress on marriages.   I think it's probably even harder when only one spouse is engaging in an active lifestyle.

Balance is really the key.  Most of my athletes use triathlon and training as part of a healthy lifestyle.  They race to keep them motivated to stay in shape and because they enjoy it.  Like me, a lot of them choose to make it part of their family lifestyle.

I think you could plug hunting, fishing, golf, tennis, car racing, hockey, or even coin/stamp collecting into the article and find anecdotes where one spouse's hobby has created strain in the marriage.

Participation in endurance events in general and triathlon in particular is skyrocketing.  At the same time our nation is getting more and more obese.  It seems to me that rather than looking for problems associated with exercise we should be figuring out how to get the other spouse off the couch.

I contend that triathlon can strengthen a marriage.  I know I'm happier and a better husband than I was 40 pounds ago before I started exercising.  I certainly appreciate the support I've received from my wife and kids.

Has your need to train strained your marriage?  Have you struggled to balance work, family and hobby?  One solution might be to train more efficiently. (WARNING - self serving plug to follow)  At TFI we can help you get the most out of your training time, so you can get back to your loved ones.

Don't forget to thank the ones who allow you to pursue your passions!