How to recover QUICKLY from a race

One race down, two to go. 
We just completed the Whitewater Triathlon and one week later, we will participate in Gulf Coast 70.3. Six days later, we will race Xterra Oak Mountain. 

Today we slept in and around 9am, we went for an easy ride. We left the house on our road bikes without a specific route in mind. We explored some different roads and made our way back to the house after around 2.5 hours. I ran an easy 38 minutes off the bike, listening to a podcast. 

Although there is no one specific guideline, rule or method to speed the recovery after an endurance event, I feel it's important to walk you through some of the factors that contribute to your recovery time after an endurance event, some of the mistakes that athletes make when recovering from an endurance event and a few strategies to help you get back to good health after an endurance event.

Why is race recovery important? 

When training for an event, you welcome (and need) intentional and residual training stress for proper peaking and then you need to provide the body with a taper, in order to reduce the psychological and physiological stressors of consistent training in order to optimize performance and enhance previous training adaptations. After a race, recovery is the time when the body returns to a normal state of health (physically and mentally), so that you can once again, consistently do high-quality training sessions with no residual fatigue from the last event.

Your body and mind go through a lot - physically, mentally, emotionally - to help you get to a race. Knowing how to properly recover from a race is a way of rewarding your body for all that hard work. But race recovery doesn't mean doing nothing and eating anything.

Many athletes make the mistake of training for one race at a time and not seeing the season as a progression of fitness from race to race. In other words, you can actually gain fitness from race to race, so long as you properly recover and continue with well-planned, structured training. Additionally, you may find that the more you race, the more experience you bring to the next race, allowing you to take smarter risks and dig a little deeper. Taking too long of a break between races may cause you to lose what you gained in previous training/racing. But if you rush back into structured training too soon, you may be at risk injury, sickness or becoming stale, tired and fatigued.

Factors affecting your race recovery

How fast or effectively you recover from an event depends on many factors. While it's good to have a plan for recovery after your race, listening to your body is key. Even within one season, your recovery may differ race to race - some races require a longer recovery time than others (physically and/or mentally).

• Distance of the event
• Athlete experience/fitness level/resiliency 
• Finishing time (time on the course)
• Racing intensity relative to distance
• Racing intensity relative to race priority/season planning
• Race preparation and ability (or lack thereof) to remain consistent to training
• Life stressors (family, travel, personal, work)
• Age
• Athletic ability/resilience
• Length of taper
• Health status leading up to the race
• Nerves/anxiety before the race
• Nutritional status leading up to the race
• Fueling/hydration execution during the race
• Pacing during the race
• Difficulty/ease of race course
• Environmental conditions on race day
• Terrain management on race day
• Type of course layout 
• Setbacks on race day (ex. dehydration, cramping, bonking, nausea/fatigue)
• Post race nutrition, including refueling and rehydration
• Post race sleep habits
• Post race stress
• Post race travel
• Timing of next race
• Mental state post race

Be mindful of the muscle, tendon, bone, joint, heart, organ and brain stress that occurs during an endurance event. Regardless of how your race went, respect your individual recovery process. 

Common mistakes made by athletes in the 72 hours post race
The 72 hours after an endurance event are crucial optimizing recovery. Poor sleep, dehydration, muscle and liver glycogen depletion, mental exhaustion and extreme muscle soreness/tissue damage along with any travel stressors will all affect recovery. Bouncing back too soon may negatively affect metabolic and hormonal health, central nervous system functioning and mood, not to mention lingering fatigue. In other words, if you rush the recovery, you may dig yourself into a hole that you can't get out of for several weeks, if not months - or the rest of the season. However, doing nothing may be just as bad as doing too much for active recovery can help speed up the recovery process. 

Avoid the following post race: 

• Using anti-inflammatories to reduce inflammation 
• Not executing a rehydration and refueling strategy in the 48 hours post race
• Not eating in the 12 hours post race
• Resuming "normal" training, despite being sleep deprived 
• Being too sedentary in the week after your race. 
• Rushinng back into intense training because a race didn't go as planned (ex. didn't PR, podium, etc.)
• Rushing back into intense training because you feel you need to prove something at your next race.
• Rushing back into training because you are worried about gaining weight.
• Rushing back to training because you don't know how to function in life without training
• You hate resting/recovery
• Training because your plan says so and ignoring signs that your body is too fragile/tired/weak/exhausted/sore to follow the structured workouts

Recovery tips
Here are a few suggestions to help you recover from a long distance event.

1. Give yourself two full days to fully rehydrate and refuel after the race. Understanding that it may take time for your appetite to return to normal, it's OK to eat what you crave but just be sure to eat and drink with a purpose to promote recovery. Not eating/drinking for 12 hours after a race is not good!
2. Avoid driving or flying in 4-8 hours after a race. Ideally, give yourself one extra night of rest before you are forced to sit for an extended period of time.
3. Avoid getting a massage in the 24 hours post race. Focus on daily mobility for the next 48-72 hours. Schedule a flushing massage at least 3+ days post race.
4. Skip the pills and focus on wholesome anti-inflammatory and gut-friendly foods like pineapple, fish, ginger and yogurt.
5. Wear compression post race. Graduated compression socks (and not calf sleeves) will help with blood flow, especially when driving/flying.
6. Use a safe,muscle relaxing cream (ex. we use Mg12) or Epson salt baths for tight/sore muscles after a race.
7. Avoid alcoholic beverages in the 48 hours post race.
8. Try to get yourself into a good sleep routine as soon as possible. It's suggested not to return back into structured training (or setting an alarm for an earl morning workout) until you can get a consistent 8 hours of good sleep.
9. Give yourself 2-3 days of no structured training and have fun moving your body with low-impact, non-weight bearing activity when it feels right. Avoid setting an early alarm for workouts or returning back to your structured training regime too quickly. There's plenty of time for that after you recover.
10. Since running is very corrosive on the body, it's advised to keep your runs short (ex. 15-40 minutes) and to lower the intensity when you return back to running. Every athlete is different so I will not make a recommendation when to begin running again post race so be mindful that most athletes can't heal damage tissues/muscles through running.
11. Understand that some body parts will recover faster than others but there could be deep damage inside you that you can't feel. Be careful with intensity in the 3-7 days post race.
12. If you can't keep good form during a workout, stop immediately. Poor/inefficient form is a sign that your body is not yet recovered and you could risk sickness or injury.
13. Have fun in the days after your race. While you may not need a complete break from training,  enjoy non-structured, lower intensity workouts and having a bit more free time in your day, as you slowly ease back into structured training before your next race. 

Racing under pressure

After the culmination of many months (or years) of training, your race day is almost here! But now that the “fun” training is behind you, you now feel an enormous amount of pressure to perform. 

If you find yourself experiencing a flux of positive and negative emotions before an important race, these pre-race jitters are simply a mix of irrational and rational thoughts relating to your goals and expectations for race day. And when racing anticipations are at their highest, there is a subjective fear of failure that stems from by many uncertainties, doubts and worries.

For some athletes, pressure enhances motivation, enjoyment for the sport and focus. These athletes thrive off pressure and turn it into positive energy to boost performance.

But for many, the pressure to succeed is so intense that performance is negatively affected.

Although pre-race jitters are normal, they are commonly associated with disturbing symptoms like GI issues, mood swings, trouble sleeping, elevated heart rate, lack of appetite (or emotional eating) and nausea. None of which you want to experience before a race.  

Here are a few tips to help you better race under pressure: 

Gut-brain connection

Got butterflies in your stomach? The GI system is very sensitive to emotion so any extreme change in emotion or feelings can trigger abnormal symptoms in the gut. This is because the brain has a direct effect on the stomach.

Because the gut and brain send signals to one another, it is extremely important to minimize psychological factors, like stress, anxiety or worries before a race to reduce the risk for gut distress, including nausea, loose stools/diarrhea and headache.

• Train your mind and work on focusing on the present moment and not on the outcome. 
• Direct your energy to what is within your control. 
• Get off social media to avoid comparison. 
• Practice relaxation techniques (“me” time). 
• Remove yourself from energy suckers. Surround yourself with people who shower you with positive energy.
• Do not strive for perfection, aim for excellence.
• Identify your strongest skills and assets as an endurance athlete. Bring this confidence with you to race day.

Sleep and performance

Sleep is crucial for athletic performance. Poor sleep can negatively affect your performance, appetite, food choices and mood. 

• Don't be a rushed traveler. Give yourself plenty of (extra) time to get to your race environment and adjust to your new environment. 
• Travel with your favorite pillow case, sheet or blanket for a more comfortable sleeping environment at your home away from home. 
• As soon as you arrive to your race destination, start a routine that will help you perform well on race day. Set a bed time ritual like reading a book (non-electronic) or listen to soothing music with dimmed light to help with sleeping. 
• Keep napping to less than one-hour/day, minimize caffeine in the afternoon and be consistent with your sleep schedule on race week.
• If you have too much on your mind before bed, write down your thoughts on a piece of paper to give your brain a well-needed, 8-hour thinking break.

Eat smart

Despite meticulous food planning and hand-washing, an upset stomach (or worse) is common on race week - especially when you are racing under pressure. Unfamiliar foods, as well as unknown food handling/cooking, can have unwanted consequences on your gut. Additionally, it’s important to recognize what foods digest the easiest in your gut in the 48 hours before the race. 

• If eating out, communicate to your server about special dietary requests.  If possible, shop local (or bring your own food) and prepare your own meals.
• Reduce the risk of traveling constipation/bloating by drinking plenty of water, consuming your normal diet (within reason) and moving your body as much as possible. Warm water, tea or coffee can simulate the bowels but don't overdo it on caffeine. 
• Taper your “healthy” high-fiber diet on the 48 hours before race day. Reduce the quantity of foods that create frequent bowel movements (ex. fiber), minimize foods that may irritate your gut on race day (ex. dairy, fructose, sweeteners like xylitol and sorbitol, artificial flavorings) and control portions of foods that require a lengthy digestion (high fat).
• Resist buying and eating food on a whim. Identify the foods that have worked well in your diet around your “key” workouts/races and continue to enjoy those foods on race week.
• Research the cuisine/grocery options at your final destination and plan in advance for your grocery list as well as any restaurants that will cater to your dietary pre-race needs. Enjoy an unfamiliar new meal/food after your race. 
• Stay well-hydrated to help with dehydration and the digestion of food. 

Early season racing mindset

In just a few weeks, we will be heading down south to Haines City for our first triathlon of 2018.

It's been seven looooong months since we raced in a triathlon and I can't help but think about that early season racing mindset. I forgot what it feels like to push through the low moments, to make the mind work with the body, to be very uncomfortable, to embrace the unknown and to put a lot of mental energy into everything that is needed to have a great swimbikerun in a competitive setting.

Racing is a skill. It requires practice and time to perfect.

The best part of an early season race is to get back into the racing environment, dust off the rust and to test yourself.......without pressure to be at your best. Because racing is something that you get better at the more you do it, early season races provide a great opportunity to figure out what works best for you without any pressure on the outcome/final results.

As an athlete, it's easy to feel pressure to perform at every race or to achieve a goal time/place, but it's much better to make mistakes, welcome the unknown and to learn about yourself in a race setting in an early season race so that come later on in the season, when you have more accumulated experience and fitness, you can really showcase your abilities.

An early season race is great for the following: 

• Gain experience/feedback/data for yourself and for your coach. 
• Try something that you may not be comfortable with in a more important race. 
• Practice your pre-race rituals and warm-up strategies.
• Work on your mental skills, especially as it relates to pre-race anxiety, nerves and stress. 
• Practice your race week and race day nutrition and hydration (if it doesn't go well, reach out to a Board Certified Sport RD for help). 
• Try out clothing and gear to see what works (or doesn't work) for you. 
• Remind yourself what it takes to suffer/dig deep/overcome low moments. 
• Remind yourself how much you love racing (and the training that is needed to feel prepared come race day). 
• Play with different efforts and racing/pacing strategies. 
• Celebrate being outside, especially if you have been training indoors all winter.  
• Gain motivation for future workouts/races.
• Learn lots about yourself in a race setting. 

Because nothing will simulate a race environment like being in the race environment, remove the stress to be at your best at your early season race. Rather than going into an early season race with high or low expectations, remove immense pressures to be fast and instead, arrive to your race with the freedom to race without expectations.

The first race of the season is generally a test of your current fitness without any should have, would have, could have thoughts. Let the race give you feedback about your current strengths and limiters as it's absolutely not a predictor how the rest of the season will go or a test of your athletic worthiness. 

Excel at the half ironman distance with these tips

On Saturday, I will be racing my 3rd half Ironman distance triathlon of 2017. And 5 weeks later, I'll be wrapping up my triathlon racing season with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, TN.

Although the distance has remained unchanged, athletes are covering the half ironman distance much faster/quicker than ever before. While the distance is not as long as that of an Ironman, I still respect the distance as covering 70.3 miles with the human body is no easy feat.

The half Ironman distance requires a lot of preparation. You must be committed to the training for there is no fake it until you make it or wing-it on race day. The training prepares you physically, mentally, emotionally and nutritionally as race day requires great skill, self-management and confidence.

Seeing that many athletes define athletic success as 1) A finish 2) Improvement in time, the true success in a half Ironman event comes from being great at not slowing down. Understanding that every race will be different, it is important to not go into the race with expectations or outcome goals but instead, embrace the challenge of overcoming obstacles, staying present and doing things well for 70.3 miles. 

As it relates to the race itself, here are a few of our suggestions as to how you can respect the half Ironman distance and excel on race day.

RACE WEEK

• Training - sharpen, don't rest. While too much intensity can keep you from saving your best effort for race day, doing too little will leave you flat, stale and lethargic come race day. 
• Making the week about your race - minimize stressors as much as possible
• Mental focus/visualization - rehearse all scenarios
• Sleep - with reduced training, don't compromise your sleep
• Travel - arrive early so you are not rushed
• Review course – don’t just focus on the weather, or one section of the course, or your competition

RACE MORNING

• Pre-race meal – must be well-practiced. Don't just focus on the calories consumed but your food choices must work (ex. control blood sugar, keep you satisfied, digest easily, give you energy, etc.)
• Arrive early to the race venue so you aren't rushed (suggest 90 min - 2 hours prior to your race start)
• Routine - reduce nerves and anxieties by having a routine for yourself at the race venue
• Warm-up - never ever neglect/skip your warm-up (on land and in the water)
• Confidence - don't compare yourself to other athletes or think back to what you should have done better/more of. Believe in yourself. 
• Trust yourself - no matter how you felt on race week, trust that your body will know what to do once you start the race

SWIM

• 80% - don't go out too hard. If you focus on swimming 75-80% effort for the entire swim, you will swim your "fastest" effort with good mechanics, without slowing down to fatigue
• Sight often - don't trust the feet of another athlete to keep you on course. Sight every 5-7 strokes (practice this in training so that it is familiar on race day)
• Stay on course - focus on the turn buoys to help you complete the shortest distance possible. 

TRANSITION 1

• Rehearse  - have a routine as to how you will transition from swim to bike, prior to exiting the swim
• Stay calm - your highest heart rate of the race will likely be in T1. Try to lower the HR in transition and during the first 5-10 minutes on your bike
• Make it quick and efficient - this is free speed. You don't have to be an elite athlete to have a fast transition. 
• Understand your transition area - to avoid the chaos, anxiety and stress that occurs in transition, understand all of the specifics of your transition area so you can get in and out as quick as possible. Nothing good happens in the transition area 😏

BIKE

While pacing is important throughout your entire race, pacing on the bike is more important than you may think. There is great cost from going anaerobic or pushing too hard for even just a few minutes. While it's easy to have the mindset of "going hard" on the bike in order to gain time after a slow swim or to produce a faster bike split (or faster overall time), going too hard on the bike will fatigue your legs and will not give you the strength that you need to run as fast/well as you are capable of. Seeing that you will feel super strong and fast when you start the bike (thanks to taper), don't crush your personal best 20-minute time in the first 20 miles of the bike. The most important thing to remember is that you need to pace and fuel/hydration on the bike, in an effort to deliver yourself to the run, where you can then run well.

• Understand your course - proper execution comes down to terrain management and understanding the details of your course.
• Ride your bike well - being aero, sitting up and getting out of the saddle, along with varying your cadence are effective strategies to efficiently strong biking, which will also help you run well off the bike. 
• Ride sustainably strong - ride as fast as possible with the least amount of work. There's no prize to crushing the bike and then suffering on the run. 
• Fueling and hydration – this is a non-negotiable. If you can't fuel/hydrate for a given effort on the bike, don't expect to run well off the bike. Practice your nutrition in training so you have confidence with an easy-to-execute plan that will work on race day.
• Race your own race - don't get caught-up in the pacing/racing plan of another athlete. Focus on yourself.
• Stay in the moment - you will have highs and lows. Focus on the present moment and take care of yourself. 
• Don’t chase metrics - racing is dynamic. You will perform your best if you listen to your body and adjust as you go. 

TRANSITION 2

• Make it quick and efficient - ease up in the last few minutes of the bike and rehearse your transition prior to dismounting the bike. 
• Walk and move out of transition - your run time does not start until you hit the timing mat outside of the transition area. Walk as you put on your hat, sunglasses, race belt, hydration belt, etc. 

RUN

This is where most triathletes validate how well or not well the race went. This is also the most dreaded, fearful and unknown part of the triathlon for many triathletes. Break the habit of always fearing the run. You must be confident going into your upcoming half Ironman. Hopefully your training has prepared you for the mechanical fatigue that you will experience on the run and you are familiar with not feeling good for a few miles when running off the bike, but eventually, that feeling does go away and you should be able to find your rhythm.

• Forget the metrics - When you run well, you will not only enjoy the run but you will be able to do more with your body throughout all 13.1 miles. Don't chase a pace! 
• Good form under fatigue - when you start to get really mentally and physically tired (around miles 7-13), focus on keeping good form and running with ease. 
• Understand the layout of your course - not only will this help with pacing/execution but it will help with recognizing where the high and low moments may occur. 
• Always listen to your body - take care of problems immediately when they happen. The goal is always to be able to restart running again so when there is a problem, address it quickly in order to get back to running. 
• Stay up on nutrition/hydration – this is a non-negotionable and why you MUST practice nutrition in training, over and over and over and over again. 
• Dig deep at the end – there's no benefit of digging deep and being mentally tough in the first 3 miles, if you resort to walking the last 10. Pace your own race and when you get to mile 10-12, you can then start pulling out your mental skills to help you dig deep until the finish. 
• Walking is ok! - walk with a purpose. Walking is not failing, it is designed to help you run better between walking. No need to have a walk/run plan but walk before you really need to walk in order to reset form and to control breathing or to take in nutrition. 

While there are many tips to help you excel in the half Ironman distance, make sure you trust your training, stay in the moment, believe in yourself and be sure to thank your body. 

4 race travel tips

Traveling to a race is almost a necessity for athletes these days. With so many race options and so many beautiful and bucket-list venues, it's likely that you will travel more than 2 hours to a race course at least once in your racing season. For some athletes, all you know is traveling to races as you have limited options for racing in your city/town. 

Race-cations (as we call them) provide a special opportunity to travel to a destination, race somewhere new and (hopefully) enjoy a little sight-seeing and R&R after the race. Although traveling to a race can be exciting, racing is stressful and combining that fact with the many unknowns and potential logistical nightmares of racing in an unfamiliar venue, outside of your home environment, this can bring anxiety, worries and fears - especially if you are racing a new distance for the first time or you have specific goals and expectations for your race. 

I encourage you to not push away the thought of traveling to a race. Most of my most memorable racing experiences happened when I traveled to a race because traveling makes for great memories.
Focus on these 5 race travel tips to keep your mind at ease before and during your travel. 

1) Plan ahead - Although you can't control everything, you can still put your mind at ease by having plans for your trip. Although you don't have to have a plan for every minute of every day, you'll find that less unknowns will stress you out if you create an itinerary detailing what may or will happen between x-date and race day during your travel. Research the best places to eat, park, sleep, explore, etc. so that you know your race location as if it was your local hometown. Remind yourself that part of traveling is knowing that things will not always go as planned so be sure to bring a positive attitude and always have a plan B.
Keep in mind that even though your plan(s) may change or something comes up that disrupts your plan, this doesn't mean that you are doomed to have a bad race. I'm sure many athletes can share stories where something did not go well before or during the race and they still did amazingly well. I can share a few stories about bike mechanical issues pre race which had me stressing before race day! 

2) Stay relaxed - Every athlete has his/her own definition of being relaxed. For some athletes it may mean surrounding yourself with friends, family and other athletes and staying busy with activities, whereas for others, it may mean isolating yourself from others so you can stay in your zone. Whatever works best for you is just fine but always communicate this with your ravel companions so they don't expect you to be someone who you are not in the 48 hours before your race. Just like on race day morning, avoid being rushed with travel so plan extra time for everything. It's important to feel comfortable in your lodging arrangements so make sure you do your research before booking (ex. does your condo have AC, do you have a queen bed or twin bed to share with your spouse, how far is the race location from your housing, etc.). Be sure to schedule downtown fro yourself to relax and put your feet up when you can (or shut your eyes for a 15-20 min power nap) and of course, focus on yourself and what makes you feel the best. If something stresses you out at home (ex. traffic, waiting in line, etc.) try your best to avoid those situations at your race. Many times, you can but if not, bring coping skills for these uncomfortable situations. 

3) Do your race research - Regardless where you race (hometown or in another country), when you plan for something and it changes, this can throw you off your game. It's important to keep up with your race website/emails for any last minute changes so you are prepared. 

Review course maps, race day itinerary/schedule, packet pick-up information, transition area layout, read forums to better understand logistics/timing of race week to-do's, review parking, things for your family to do on race day or where they can see you and any other details.
If something is out of your control (ex. race course changes, weather, etc.) just remember that every athlete is dealing with the same uncomfortable situation as you - feel at ease that you and your competitors are all in the same situations. 

4) Check, re-check and double check - Review all travel arrangements in the months and weeks leading up the race, review race website and pack and re-pack. I find that most athletes who travel for a race make plans either way far in advance or very last minute. Regardless of when you make your plans or pack for a race, recheck to make sure that you have everything that you need. You prepared your body physically for your event so it's in your best interest to prepare yourself mentally so that you have everything you need to feel "at home" at your race venue.

And Bonus #5: Make memories
It's a very special experience to travel to a new destination and this is often why athletes choose race-cations. Regardless of the outcome of your race performance, you are bringing home a new experience, with new memories. Don't take your race-cation for granted - you are lucky that you have the time, income, support from others and ability to take your hobby (or profession) to another part of the world (or another state/city) in order to participate in a race. 

Beat pre-race anxiety with these 8 tips

I consider myself extremely lucky. 

I just happen to have a sport psychologist/mental skills coach as my best friend.
Gloria and I may live on opposite coasts but our friendship continues to grow year after year. 

Gloria emailed me before my 2nd Ironman World Championship in 2011 and I could feel her positive energy through the internet. From one email she was a stranger who instantly became a close friend. From a simple email, our friendship began.. I knew she had a gift of knowing how to say the right thing at the right time and she has helped me season after season, year after year, in every one of my races. Her mental skills tricks and ability to verbalize what "we" as athletes think when we train and race is incredible.
Ultimately, Gloria knows how to unleash great performances and it all starts with having a stronger, better, healthier mindset when it comes to training. 

Karel and I have coached Gloria and her hubby on and off over the past few years for various races and Gloria even joined me in Kona for the 2013 IM World Championship. 

Gloria and her hubby Ken have a furry child named Frida who looks just like Campy. 

Miss Frida!
Hopefully one day she will be able to meet her boyfriend Campy. 

You can find out more about Gloria on her website but you can also check her out in her recent contribution to Men's Fitness Magazine. 

8 ways to beat pre-race anxiety

In this article, the following topics/tips are discussed:
Just Breathe
Talk to yourself
Trust your training
Own your personal strengths
Embrace your nerves
Know your goal

Focus on what's in front of you
Be realistic 

Don't let your body image ruin your race

Race week is an exciting time.
It's a time to reflect on the hard work that allowed you to be physically prepared for race day.
Race week is also a time to bottle up energy to use for race day. We always tell our athletes to save their  best performance for race day and race week is no exception. Patience is a virtue.
Race week is extremely special because it signifies the end of a journey. There was once a time when you couldn't do the things that you can do now and that's because you had a timeline when you started training and you worked hard to get to where you are now. The deadline has come and you are ready. 

You are ready to perform with your healthy, fit and amazing body. 

There are many negative thoughts that can fill an athlete's head during training and race week magnifies those thoughts to the extreme. Every thought becomes bigger, scarier and more nerve-wracking. Some athletes do a great job of managing those thoughts whereas other athletes tend to experience a snowball of thoughts that builds up to cause an enormous amount of pressure. 

Whereas weather, cramping, digestive issues, mechanical/gear issues, pacing, the distance and the terrain all seem logical in terms of thinking "what will happen on race day", there are some things out of our control and there's no sense wasting energy on those issues. Ultimately we want to feel confident that we can manage anything that comes our way on race day thanks to months of preparation and practice. 

As the brain begins to flood with a river of emotions, many athletes struggle with a negative body image on race week. If this applies to you, it's important to accept why your body image will cross your mind on race day as it can stem from a variety of reasons. Although you may not say certain thoughts out loud, there is a chance that negative body image thoughts have come across your mind during the extremely emotional time on the 1-5 days before your race and the actions that follow these thoughts may not be advantageous for your race day performance. 

Although you should certainly keep your thoughts as positive as possible on race week, this is not easy for every athlete and that is ok. The ultimate goal is to make sure that you do not let your body image ruin your race day performance as I have seen many athletes adjust their race week methods (like training/eating) because of not feeling good in their own skin (despite what lies under the skin being healthy, fit and prepared for race day).
 Just like you wouldn't try to get in one last long workout on race week to boost fitness, it wouldn't be practical or healthy to manipulate the diet in order to change body composition on race week. But even if that mentality doesn't apply, wasting a lot of your race day energy on how you perceive you look (especially compared to others) is not beneficial to your race day performance and can potentially affect how you fuel and taper your body on race week (and perhaps even on race day). 

It's important that you always have integrity for your body. As an athlete, you have a very unique and special connection with your body. This relationship is something that only you, the athlete, can experience as it is your body that you are training. Although all athletes want to improve fitness in order to perform well on race day, we must not constantly put this tremendous amount of pressure that  weight or body composition is the main booster or limiter to performance gains. Although the topic of changing body composition through exercise/training deserves it's own blog post, the most common denominator with body composition in peak season training and on race day is that nothing done should be extreme but instead everything is done with performance and health in mind. 

For many athletes, comparing your body to other, lowers self-esteem. If you doubt your body, you doubt your performance and all that training was a waste of time, money and energy.

And this is not just limited to female athletes. 

How is it that you can have awesome workouts by yourself but when you look at someone else, you feel as if you aren't ready or you aren't good enough? By thinking that the athlete's body who is being compared to your own body, is faster, fitter and more powerful, this causes irrational doubts and fears. There is no rule that body image/composition determines your finishing time. So instead of thinking that the more defined the athlete is the better athlete, tell yourself that at the end of the day, it's the athlete who trained the smartest and slowed down the least on race day, and he/she is the most successful athlete.

As far as I know, you don't get a finishing medal based on how many abs you can see on your stomach or the size of your thighs.  

What can you do with your amazing body?

Athletes who compete at a high level of their sport often feel pressure to look a way as there is this ongoing feeling that others are watching. Oddly, this pressure may be felt from the standards that society places on the ideal "look" of a male/female body. So then, athletes feel this pressure to "look" like an athlete. But when it comes to looking like an athlete, I would hope that most professional, experienced coaches are not placing this pressure on athletes to look a certain way but instead, to perform optimally on race day.  If anything, I hope that it is the coach who is offering nutrition advice is trying to keep the athlete from not adhering to the dietary "rules" and body standards that are often spoken to the masses but instead, ensuring that the athlete stays healthy in order to train consistently and to perform optimally on race day. 

Race week is a critical time for athletes who struggle with body image. When it comes to your body, the only thing you can change on race week is how you think about your body. If you are healthy and physically ready for your upcoming race (and your training reflects that), your physical appearance has absolutely nothing to do with how your race will go. Believe me when I say that it is just not healthy to underfuel on race day and to obsess about your body composition. This approach gets you no where positive.

Love your body as it has gotten you to this amazing place called race week and in a matter of days, you get to perform with your amazing body. 

Race week is the time to love, thank and appreciate your body for what it has allowed you to do over the past 3,6,9,12 months.
You have prepared the best possible for your race and before you know it, you get to experience racing in your event, with your current level of fitness, with your one and only, awesome body. 

Have a great race and don't forget to thank your body!

2015 Team Sumbal Race Schedule

What a great feeling to have our A+++ race planned for 2015!!!
Is it too early to start the Kona countdown?

So the question is....How much fitness can we gain over the next year as we save our best performance for the
2015 Ironman World Championship?

Just to clarify, we will never race injured or sick so this schedule is always subject to change.
Also, no race on this schedule is as important as Kona so we will never put our bodies in a situation that we may sabotage our Kona race day performance in a less important race.
Because we do not incorporate a lot of high volume training into our Ironman training plans, we will use most of our season focusing on skills/form, strength and speed prior to increasing volume.
Our typical IM prep is around 12 consecutive weeks.
Also, we know that life "happens" all the time and we always strive to find balance in life as age group triathletes so rarely does a planned schedule go 100% as planned. 

I will dedicate a blog here shortly to my tips on season planning. This schedule was not created overnight and was planned with much discussion with our season goals, strengths/weaknesses in mind.

Marni and Karel 2015 Racing Schedule
Open water swim events and any other events are not included in this schedule

March 22nd: 
Clermont Olympic Distance Triathlon, Clermont, FL - B priority race*
Marni and Karel will be racing

(This will conclude our 4-day Trimarni training camp at the NTC in Clermont, FL. All Trimarni camp athletes will receive a 20% discount to the race and will be racing - fun times!)

April (Date TBD):
White Lake Half IM distance triathlon, NC - B priority raceKarel will be racing

May 17th:
 Challenge Knoxville Half IM, TN - A priority race

Marni and Karel will be racing

June 14th:
 Challenge Williamsburg Half IM, VA - B priority race

Marni and Karel will be racing

July 26th:
Ironman Lake Placid  - A- priority raceKarel will be racing
(Team Trimarni house booked for July 22-29th)

August 17-23:

US Pro cycling challenge - Colorado (not racing!)

Marni and Karel and our friends with Team Gearlink - spectating and training 

October 10th:
Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii - A+++ race

Marni and Karel will be racing(Kona Plaza condo booked for September 29-October 14th) 

TRIMARNI ATHLETE KEY RACES

We are excited to announce that we will have a large turn-out of Trimarni coaching athletes at the following races:

Clermont Olympic distance triathlon (finishing off our 4-day Trimarni March camp at NTC)

Haines City 70.3

Challenge Knoxville (recently Rev3)

Raleigh 70.3

Ironman Lake Placid 

Augusta 70.3

Ironman Kentucky
Ironman Florida

If you are registered in any of the following races or are interested in spectating/volunteering, stay tuned for get-together Trimarni events before/during/after these races. We hope to see you there!

*Our definitions of priority of races:

HIGH PRIORITY EVENTS (A RACES)
These are the most important events of the racing season. There should be only 2 or 3 A-races because  the training schedule should be designed in a way that you will properly prepare, peak and taper the body only a few times during the season.  You can not be on your A-game all the time if you are an endurance athlete.

MEDIUM PRIORITY EVENTS (B RACES) These are the events you want to do well in for a variety of reasons (to practice pacing, nutrition, to build confidence, etc.) but are not the main focus of your season plan. These races are built into your plan.  You should not treat these as “training” races but they are not top priority races in your season plan so the taper for each race may vary  (you should never go into a race "tired" but you should be able to recover quickly from B races to resume training without residual fatigue).

LOW PRIORITY EVENTS (C RACES) These are the events of least importance to you. They are fun events or include prior commitments with training friends, groups, etc. These races are often subject to change or removal because for many athletes, if there are too many races, they will not all fit into the season plan and can take away from structured training and can increase the risk for burnout, injury and illness. 

Successful triathletes race smart with these tips

Over the past few weeks we have had the opportunity to watch a few of our local Trimarni athletes race in Florida at the Clermont Olympic Distance Triathlon and the Haines City 70.3

This is, by far, my absolute FAVORITE thing about being a coach. It's so motivating and inspiring to see our athletes use their bodies on race day and to put weeks/months of training to the ultimate test. 

(Thanks Taylor B for the pic!)

(Thanks Taylor B for the pic!)

Because there are many ways to define a successful race day performance, it's important that athletes always consider having a race day plan and thinking about anything and everything within their control before and during a race. Because it feels great to finish a race knowing that you gave your best effort possible, it's very important that you consider a few very important tips to ensure that you set yourself up for success at every race you participate in on your schedule. 

PRE RACE:

-Be sure to test your race day gear prior to race day. Wear your helmet, race clothes and gadgets as well as any other equipment/gear like race wheels, new bottle cages (especially on a bumpy road to test how they hold a bottle), bike cassette, wetsuit/speedsuit, sunglasses, shoes, etc. 

-Get a bike-tune up at least 10 days out from your race day and be sure to keep your bike in top condition within the 10 days before the race. Karel can easily spend over 2 hours tuning-up a bike as he removes almost every part and bolt to ensure every moving part will work smoothly (just like brand new). 

-Be sure to do a few "race pace" sessions in the last 4 weeks before your race day to master your race day fueling plan. Don't underestimate the importance of liquid calories on your bike. Be sure to finish 1 bottle PER HOUR (20-28 ounces) of your electrolyte-rich, carbohydrate beverage. To make this easier - be sure to take 3-4 gulps EACH time you grab your bottle (every 12-18 min or so). 

-Be sure to eat similar foods on the night before and morning of race day, in training in the 8-10 weeks leading up to your race. Consider your logistics of traveling when planning your "perfect" pre race meals. Make it simple to find, easy to prepare and easy to digest. 

-Review ALL course maps, athlete guide and attend the athlete briefing. 

-Be prepared for the course that you are training for, specifically any terrain/elevation changes and weather. Review weather the days before and night before the race as weather may not be within your control but how you dress and how you pace yourself (ex. effort on the bike) is within your control. Be sure to get the appropriate cassette for your bike on a hilly course vs a flat course. 

-Do not waste your energy on what other athletes are doing, complaining about or stressing about. Focus only on yourself and everything that is within your control. Stick to your own schedule and surround yourself with people who give you energy and don't steal it away from you. 

-Review athlete guide and plan extra time on race day morning so you are not rushed. Allow time transition set-up, body marking, getting your chip, warming up and endless potty stops (and long lines). Be aware of when transition closes and your wave start. 

SWIM
-Be prepared for wetsuit legal OR not legal by having the appropriate swim attire. 

-Bring two pairs of goggles and depending on your preference, you may want one with darker lens and one with a clear lens. 

-Do not start out to fast. Consider that your perceived effort will be much lower in the start of the race when you are fresh and it's a lot easier to swim "fast" but it will feel easy. To reduce any anxiety in the swim, it's recommended to warm-up in the water if allowed OR do a short jog (with another good pair of shoes) for 10-15 minutes around 20-30 min before the race start. 

-Focus on a smooth but quick transition. This is time that you can deduct from your race time without having to train harder - just practice!

BIKE
-Respect your bike distance and the entire distance of your race. 

-Be sure you have your bike set-up for easy fueling (can you reach your bottles, are you comfortable with your hydration system) so that you do not have to rely on the aid stations. However, USE the aid stations if you have to fuel and can tolerate on-the-course nutrition. 

-Be sure you can change a flat tire and you have tested out your  race wheels (if using them) a few rides before race day. 

-Use your gears, pace your own race and do not start out too fast. Remember that your race is all about how you pace yourself. Reduce risk for fatigue, cramping and dehydration by holding back on the bike in order to set yourself up for a stronger run. This doesn't mean you have to go slow but a triathlon is not about having the most epic bike possible if you can't run strong off the bike. 

-Pay attention on the road especially if you are removing clothing or unwrapping food.   Liquid hydration is the most effective, easy to digest and safest way to consume nutrition on the bike. The more time you have your eyes off the road and hand off your bars, the easier it is to have an accident on your bike. Be safe!

-Ride (or drive) key parts of your bike course or at least, the first/last 5-10 miles so you know what to expect. Don't freak out, do this to be prepared. 

-Review weather the day before the race to help your mind accept the windy sections of the course and to help with pacing throughout the race. A power meter will ensure the most steady effort on the bike (reflective of key workouts in training) but RPE is also an effective tool on the bike. 

-You do not have to be in aero position during your entire bike ride in a race. Stand up, sit up or adjust your position as needed based on the terrain. Break down your course into sections for easier pacing. 

-If you experience  bloating, heart burn or burping on the bike, be sure you are sitting up (which I recommend for everyone) when you drink from your bottles. 

-Focus on a steady cadence throughout your race - you can't beat the wind or attack the climbs and run fresh off the bike so don't try. 

-Drink early and drink often. Use cold water at aid stations (be careful/slow down when grabbing a bottle) to cool your body to reduce core temperature.

RUN
-If you are experiencing GI distress on the run and can not tolerate any more carbs or fluids, just slow down or stop. Give your body a moment when it happens to settle down before you try to push through and then experience the point of no return. Research shows that swishing (and spitting) a carb-rich drink in your mouth, without swallowing, an be a positive tactic to help maintain performance but be aware that this doesn't always relate to postponing fatigue at the end of the race. 

-Pace your run. Use walk breaks at aid stations as "intervals" for the body and mind. Keep your breaks short so that you do not increase GI distress as walking for too long in between running can return blood from the muscles to the intestines (along with water) which can contribute to the urgency to defectate (this is also important in the transition area of an IM if you find yourself taking a long time in transition area - more than 10 minutes and then experiencing GI distress in the first 1-2 miles of the run). Also, practice walk breaks in training (10-15 sec) and always hold back in the first few miles (depending on distance) of your race for the goal in racing is to postpone fatigue and to stay hydrated and to avoid glycogen depletion. 

-Use cold water and ice to cool the body. Hold ice in your hands in hot races and pour a few cubes down your shorts and on your neck. Just be careful to not drench your shoes while you are cooling your body (if possible). 

-It's recommended to practice with nutrition that boosts your performance and is easy to digest/be absorbed (after biking at "race pace") and to have a strategy with you on the run, especially in longer races, on how you will fuel on race day. Practice this in training!! Always be aware of where the aid stations are planned on your course and what is being served if you need additional fuel. Use aid stations for water stops to cool your body and rinse your mouth. Be sure you focus on electrolytes AND carbohydrates as primary fuel requirements. 

-Accept the race day conditions and terrain. Don't get into a hot and challenging race telling yourself that you suck in hot weather and on hilly courses. Although it is encouraged to register for races that are planned well in advance and that will help you meet your race day goals and execute on race day, don't be afraid to adjust your plan to ensure a steady and strong performance ON THAT DAY, ON THAT COURSE. 

-Always race with a plan - throughout the entire race. Consider your race day goals, your focus on chasing competition (if qualifying for a future race) or racing with your current level of fitness, your race schedule/upcoming races, the weather (which can affect your performance, regardless of your current level of fitness) and current life stressors. Always have a plan B...C, D and E and remember that YOUR race is not over until you cross that finish line. The only pressure you have on race day is the pressure you put on yourself so don't worry about things that you can not control and direct your positive energy to things within your control.

Training and racing for triathlons is not a requirement to "be healthy." 

Training for and participating in a race is a gift that your body has given you and arriving to a race, hungry and healthy to race, is one of the best presents you can give yourself by training smart.  

To ensure the best performance possible, be smart with your race day plan. 

Remember that even if things do not go as planned on race day, you did not fail. 

Every race has a learning lesson so be sure that you do not let one race keep you from reaching your fullest potential. Every expert was once an amateur....and one that made many, many mistakes in order to master his/her skills.