Triathlon Made Simple

SweatVac Team Shirt Order Form

2012-01-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Athlete Update: Sandman Results 2011, Vineman 70.3 and More.

2011-08-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Steve Yatson 3rd over the line at Sandman Triathlon

Steve H at Vineman 70.3

Heather at Santa Cruz Dip and Dash

Lots of great results for TriCoachMartin athletes as summer heats up. Steve Yatson finished 3rd overall (pending official results) in the Sandman Triathlon in Aptos on the weekend. A great tune up before his main goal the USAT Sprint Nationals coming up in Vermont. Fierce rivals Heather Rozario and Heidi Boynton raced in the Dip and Dash aquathlon (results) finishing 2nd and 4th in their age groups. Steve Hoofring scored a 20 min PR at the Vineman 70.3 and followed up the next weekend with a PR for 5K. Heather and Steve H are preparing for Ironman Arizona in November. Find out more about becoming a TriCoachMartin athlete here.

ASEA - How To Identify A Nutritional Scam

2011-07-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

I received an email yesterday on the latest wonder product which will increase my endurance by 10-12% and help me recover in half the time!

Here's my one minute bullsh*t test for any nutritional product you might hear about so you can get on with your day and concentrate your time and money on what will really help you go faster. Hiring me as your coach. LOL.

1. Was the research on the product sourced from a Scientific Journal? You should be able to scroll to the bottom of the article and see numbered references to publications supporting the claims. Names like Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, The American Journal of Sports Medicine etc.

2. Testimonials are worthless. Endurance athletes are poorly paid and who can blame them for putting their name to anything if it's worth a few bucks. It's an extra warning sign if you've never heard of any of them (see video). Shame on the coaches who appeared in this.

3. With the rate at which information is shared in this day and age don't you think you would've heard about it already? If the first I'm hearing about it is from a personal email farmed off my website there's something fishy going on. Subscribe to a couple of reputable websites and blogs like the Sports Scientists and The New York Times Well Blog and I promise you won't miss out on the latest silver bullet (if it ever materializes)

In the meantime. Go out and get some exercise. It may increase your endurance by 10-12%...

The 90s Diet - Cottage Cheese

2011-07-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

The 90s Diet is an anti-revolutionary new diet developed by Australian triathlon coach, Martin Spierings and Canadian professor and former Olympic hopeful, Matt Taddy. It is based on the assumption that ALL current diets are fads and pretty soon we'll be back to eating what was cool in the 90s. This blog will release some of the diet's foundations as a teaser for the book, which will be available on amazon.com and as an e-book in early 2012.

Cheese was largely demonized in the 90s due to its high fat content with one exception. Cottage cheese. Which, let's face it, doesn't much taste like cheese anyways. Cottage cheese does, however, taste lovely with fresh fruit. It was also consumed on crackers, particularly the brand Ryvita, which was known as a particularly healthy type of cracker you didn't need to feel to guilty about eating. Dave Scott, 8-time Ironman champion, reportedly rinsed his cottage cheese to remove the excess fat.

Cottage Cheese. Popular with elite athletes in the 90s.

What do you think of cottage cheese? Do you have any other foods that helped you dominate in the 90s before you got slow, fat, old and injured?

Review of Strava Application for Android

2011-06-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Long gone are the days I used a cyclo computer to track my miles on the bike. Now I turn my phone on, tap start, throw it in the back of my cycling jersey and download the distance and map when I get home. Previously, I've tried the Google Tracks and MapMyRide.com Apps. Both work fine but I found both a little clumsy to download, access and view after the ride. Google Tracks requires you to go into a Google Docs spreadsheet and click a link. MapMyRide.com is O.K. but the website riddled with ads and sometimes hard to load and scroll around.

Android Strava interface

So, I recently tried the new free Strava App for Android on suggestion from a friend. He'd being bugging me about the site for a while but until now it hadn't been available on my phone. I went for a ride on a busy Lakefront Bike Path in Chicago and it seemed to work fine. As good as the other apps I'd tried. The interface was clean and it tracked my ride continuously.

Social Racing - ranking for a Strava "segment"

The real surprise was when I examined the ride online when I got home. I had unwittingly been involved in a competitive social time trial. When I clicked on the “Climb” tab (a misnomer in Chicago) it showed that I'd got the 8^th best time for an eight mile stretch I'd ridden between Grant Park and Jackson Park - what the app calls a segment. Very cool. Strava gives cyclists jsut opportunity to map out a popular section of road and anyone logging into Strava can ride over it and compete for the fastest time. You can bet I'll be out there on a quieter day to see if I can climb up the rankings. If you have an Android phone go to Marketplace, download Strava and try it out for yourself. More info at their website.

Cycling in Chicago - Lake Shore Drive Review

2011-06-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

Took my first Windy City expedition on the 20 mile stretch of bike path along the lake known as the Lake Shore Drive bike path. I anticipated it would be a casual ride, as most bike path rides are forced to be, and I made sure I got out nice and early at 7:00am. I was surprised that there are actually a few sections that you can put some effort out, especially if you have the wind in your face, which I did going in the northerly direction. Mostly runners are pretty good at staying to the right at that time of morning but is definitely already busy especially the Northern section. So it seems like it’s best to hit that section first and leave the South for the last half. I saw a dozen or so, presumably triathletes, who were brave enough to get on their aero bars. Anyways, it was a fun ride for someone who hadn’t ridden much and there weren’t as many major road crossing as I’d expected. If you can get out early it looks a good option for an early morning recovery ride or a change of pace from the road madness. Be interested to know how the local triathletes use this stretch.

<p>&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/37377188"&amp;gt;Lake Shore Drive Chicago&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Chicago, IL"&amp;gt;Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Chicago, IL&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt; </p>

Chip Time or Clock Time?

2011-03-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

One of my pet peeves is final placings in races being determined from what is known as chip time. With the majority of running races using electronic timing now it is possible for organizers to provide you with the time from when you cross the start line to when you cross the finish line. Nothing wrong with that. Nice to know. What gets up my goat is when it is used to determine your final position in the race. A race should be, by definition, to the finish line (aka clock time). Who can get to the finish line first after the gun goes off, right? Take the following example from the Oakland Half Marathon.

Gaylia, who happens to be one of my athletes (adding further fuel to my fire!) finishes 14th but crosses the line in front of both ladies who finished 11th and 12th. Imagine the possible scenario where she ran with these ladies for last 8 miles only to put in a massive effort in the last mile to kick past them and climb up the overall standings only to go home to her computer and find she'd been placed behind them. Disappointing, no?

How far can you take this? Can you start the race a half an hour after the race starts and run it by yourself away from the stresses of competition? I'm not asserting that chip time shouldn't be published or even claimed as your personal record but it shouldn't be used to rank athletes. When I bought this up with the race organizers of Oakland I was told it was "industry standard". Presumably standards can be changed if they don't make sense.

If there are congestion problems at the big races it's the event directors responsibility to organize corrals with seeded runners up the front. It would be a small extra cost to collect PRs off athletes wishing to start up near the front. This would improve congestion for everyone, not just up front. No beginner wants someone blasting past them at the start.

Protect the sanctity of the finish line!

My Oakland Marathon 2011

2011-03-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

While not really anything to do with coaching I thought it'd be interesting to write a post on my Oakland marathon results today. My preparation was not exactly what I'd wanted what with career changes and a couple of minor injuries interrupting things but I felt I couldn't have managed the race much better on the day.

My "lite" version marathon training had me do only four 2 hour plus long runs (my longest 2:40) since the New Year and I only did 80K (50 miles) total in the last 3 weeks because of the foot problems. I first had a dodgy right ankle and then something going on with my left toe. I did one 10K race in February but was fairly consistent going to the track on Thursdays.

I woke up at 2:30am thanks to a noisy neighbor and couldn't get back to sleep so ended up getting out of bed at 4am and having two slices of toast with Vegemite and a cup of coffee. I arrived in Oakland about 5:45am and ate a banana. I picked my bib up from a hotel foyer, thanks to a team mate who had registered for me the day before and basically did not very much, a bit of leg swinging and ankle twirling, before the start. I didn't run at all until the race started. I was concerned about my injuries although didn't feel the ankle after a while but my left toe was bugging me. I ran 7 min miles until the hill started at about mile 5. Then I let it blow out a bit. I stopped three times to untie and retie my shoes quickly in the first 10 miles because I was worried I might have had them too tight but I decided that it was just my left foot injury bugging me. I hit 10 miles in just under 1:13 which was basically the top of the hill. I enjoyed, as I do, the downhill but was feeling fairly crappola for my 1:33 half. But then there was a nice flat straight section and I just went on autopilot and found myself comfortably back on 7 min miles. My focus was buggered up when I hit the half marathon traffic which joined the course around 16 miles but I kept on pace. I realized I hadn't slowed down when I hit 20 miles in 2:21 so I decided to have a crack and started running faster. I ran the next mile in 6:30 and I had a couple of team mates on the half to catch and the crowd had thinned out. I started getting a little ragged at mile 24 but kept it pretty well together and must've run the last 10K in 43 something as I finished in 3:04:34.

I had a Gu at 0:45, 1:15, 1:45 and 2:15 and stopped each time to get two good cups of water to wash them down. I probably had 4-5 half cups of gatorade as well along the way. It all went down fine but I did get one too strong gatorade which is always a danger because it's too late to get water by the time you realize. I wore a singlet and shorts and a cap which I ended up ditching. I wore Size 14 Asics DS trainers ($70) and a pair of fairly thick bamboo socks.

A diet made for the caveman, or cavewoman, in you

2011-03-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruzans have been early and enthusiastic adopters of the push for good, clean local produce. The popularity of farmers markets and a resistance to fast food chains are testament to the community’s appreciation of real food.

So how has the movement influenced endurance athletes who are consistently at the mercy of energy bars, drinks and protein shakes?

Flickr.com - Lollyknit

The Paleo Diet - a diet based simply on what your ancestors, Paleolithic man, had available to eat - is gaining popularity. No dairy, processed foods or grains, but lots of vegetables, fruit and lean animal protein. The diet, with some adaptions, was popularized among endurance athletes through the book “The Paleo Diet for Athletes” authored by Loren Courdain and Joel Friel. For the long-distance athlete, the book espouses benefits of the diet, such as reduced gastric discomfort and teaching the body to burn fats preferentially, which increases endurance.

While I am not brave, or organized, enough to put the diet to the test myself, I did track down some locals who started it for the New Year.

Training for an Ironman triathlon in Arizona this November, Heather Rozario was initially interested in the diet as a way of cutting down her sugar intake after the festive season. After following the diet strictly for 30 days she added a few non-Paleo foods back in her diet but says she eats more vegetables than before and no processed foods.

The first two weeks were hard while her body adjusted but she noticed her skin cleared up and she had as much energy during her workouts as before. She even made her own energy bars made of dates, unsweetened coconut and honey to take on long rides.

Jessica Delgado, a Team Mermaid triathlete, started the diet to address nutritional deficiencies that turned up in her blood work. She noticed immediate benefits like better sleep, cleaner skin and more energy. She did however have trouble incorporating her training with the diet, feeling like she needed more carbohydrate to fuel her workouts, so she eventually returned to gluten and dairy products.

She did quit coffee in the process and says she will never eat non-organic meat again, now she’s tasted organic grass-fed beef, it’s hard to go back.”

While the impact on endurance performance is hard to assess, the diet seems to have had some lasting improvements on the nutritional habits of the athletes I talked to, including a renewed appreciation for unprocessed foods.

So if your hunting and gathering has been lacklustre lately, perhaps the Paleo Diet is worth a try.

Spierings, M. (2011 March 24). In the Long Run: A diet made for the caveman, or cavewoman, in you. Santa Cruz Sentinel.

TriLog 2011 now available on Google Templates

2011-03-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

Click link below to download the Training Log to record all your swimming, biking and running. I share this spreadsheet with my athletes to communicate their weekly training plans,

Below is a video tutorial on how to use the spreadsheet.

TriLog_Tutorial from Martin Spierings on Vimeo.

Mapping out Your Season

2010-12-31T06:09:00.000-08:00

The New Year is all about setting goals, and runners and triathletes are planning where and how much they want to race in 2011. Not every race of the entire season needs to be set in stone, but it's a good idea to give yourself -- or your coach -- an indication of what your main goals are so that a training plan can be mapped out.

Most athletes enter races with the hopes of getting the best possible performance out of their bodies. One of the most common mistakes I have observed, especially by those new to racing, is competing too often and not allowing enough recovery between the longer races.

This overzealous approach often results in performances that are below expectations -- or worse, in injury and time away from the sport.

Despite the incentives and prize money available to professional marathoners for competing, it might be surprising to hear most only race two or three marathons in a given year. This is because they know that to perform at their peak, there needs to be a build-up phase in their training, a period of diminished volume and intensity before the race and a recovery phase after the race to repair the muscle damage that such an event incurs.

There is a lot of individual variation, but, as a guide, I would suggest targeting three or four half-marathons, or one or two marathons for runners. For triathletes, I would think two or three half-Ironman, or one or two Ironman-distance races, over the course of a year.

These races should be spaced well apart to ensure adequate regeneration. Shorter races require shorter recovery times.

Five- to 10-kilometer runs and sprint-distance triathlons can be raced on consecutive weekends at a level close to an athlete's potential best. This might be the scenario for a cross country running series, or the peak of a summer triathlon season.

With careful preparation, five or six of these shorter races could be raced over a two-month period before taking some time off from competition to build up the training base again.

Spierings, M. (2010, December 31). In the Long Run: Mapping out an athletic year. Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved from http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/sports/ci_16980177

Just a Few Of My Favorite Swim Technique Videos

2010-12-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

Real Swimmers
Thorpey. From the side and front on. Notice the acute elbow bend under the body.

Grant Hackett. Powerful but so much purchase under the water

Scott Neyedli. 44 min swim Ironman split.

For an interesting video for a conventionally ugly (high frequency) but effective swimming stroke of World Triathlon Champion Jodie Swallow click here.

Virtual Swimmers

Mr. Smooth! Their take on the "ideal stroke". Notice the exaggerated cocked wrist during the first part of the catch phase. Sign up on their webpage for a great blog, one of the few email lists I'm subscribed to.

Virtual-Swim.com. This is getting old now but still interesting to watch. Virtualizes the strokes of world record holders. Take a bit of playing around but you can observe from a variety of angles. Click here.

I offer swim stroke analysis, both online and in person. More details on my coaching website here.

Hire a Pace Bunny

2010-11-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

You've heard of pacers for marathons. The runners enlisted by race directors to run a consistent pace to a pre-determined finishing time (3:10, 3:20, 3:30 etc). All you have to do is stick with them to achieve your finishing goal. How about hiring a personal pacer for your next 5K, 10K of Half Marathon to help you hit that PR? A pacer can provide a steady pace (the surest way to a PR), encouragement and course knowledge. All that's left for you to do is run.

Pacing an athlete at the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot

I have been running competitively for 20 years over all kinds of distances, countries and conditions and can help focus you for the race of your life. Contact me at tricoachmartin(at)gmail.com for a quote to compete with you side-by-side at your next race.

Nike Women's Marathon Race Results 2010 Conspiracy

2010-10-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

I wonder whether they do it on purpose? Nowhere on the official website does it show where or when the results for the 2010 Women's marathon would appear. Most event websites have a results tab. Here, nothing. Just a series of blogs with information about the event.

Maybe by looking for the results you do a whole lot of clicking before you give up and start looking at their ads? Who knows...

The 2009 results are also nowhere to be found either on the main site although I did find them on the eternal timing site. Maybe they'll turn up there eventually...

I was able to find this article on the San Francisco Chronicle website that the winner, Leah Thorvilson, ran 2:46. At least the finishing time was decent this year.

Update (8:30pm): here is a direct link to the timing companies results for the event. Not live as yet.

TriCoachMartin Wildflower Triathlon Training Camp

2010-02-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

March 26th to March 28th

Come join triathlon coach Martin Spierings, USAT Level 1 coach, for a big weekend of training designed for those preparing Wildflower Olympic or Long Distance Triathlons. After this race day will be a breeze! You will feel (more) comfortable with the course and prepared (as you can be) with expert advice. If you are not doing Wildflower, this is still great preparation for early season triathlons.

The camp costs $50 and a 20% discount is offered to Santa Cruz Endurance members - www.scendurance.com

To secure your spot at the camp go to this link (or contact me for check payment):

You will need to pay camp entrance fees - http://000sweb.co.monterey.ca.us/parks/sanantonio.html - and bring your own food for the weekend.

Schedule

Friday PM - Arrival and camp set-up
_______________

Saturday AM - 40-60 mile ride
Saturday 1PM - Open Water Clinic. Wetsuit use, sighting, navigation tricks.
Saturday 5PM - 3 mile run.

Saturday Evening - Fireside clinic - Review of the course - Q&A on nutrition/training/ preparation/taper.
_______________

Sunday AM - Swim
Sunday 11AM - 8-13 mile run
Sunday 3PM (optional) - 20 miles ride - hill repeats on first hill.

Measuring Your Improvement in Triathlon Racing

2009-11-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

Unlike running, triathlon is a difficult sport to determine improvement in race performance using splits and times. While distances advertised for the events are generally standard – Sprint, Olympic, Half-Ironman etc. – conditions vary wildly not only between events but from year to year at the same event. Race Directors have many priorities and accurately measuring the course is often way down the list. You really think your local race director swims out there every year with his or her GPS to measure that .5 mile swim you just did? Doubtful.

But, obviously, you want to measure if you’re improving or not as you continue your triathlon journey. So you can make adjustments to your training schedule and concentrate on your strengths or weaknesses. The best way to do this is use your fellow competitors. USA Triathlon has developed a rather elaborate ranking system which I find, anecdotally at least, works quite well.

The best way to use it is to go to the Search tab, type your name in and check the two boxes down the bottom to get the details.

The math is beyond me but if you’re interested the details of the calculations can be found here

Below is an example of an athletes results for the season. It enables athletes and coaches to get an idea strengths and weaknesses and whether an athlete peaked for their "A" races (see my Planning Your Triathlon Season post)

Another useful site for Bay Area triathletes is Dave Leroy's database Bay Area Triathlon - Race Results and Statistics.

Simply type in your name and a range of interesting graphs and stats on your time and place from the race come up. It also gives stats on each individual race.

One of my favorites is the graph showing your progression through the race which is not always easy to figure out during the race or by looking at the results afterwards.

Lots of triathlon geek stuff to get into on your off-season.

A time and a place for 'sports' drinks

2009-11-20T05:49:00.000-08:00

Article from my monthly column in the Santa Cruz Sentinel...

There are so many "sports" and "energy" products out there that I don't blame athletes for getting confused sometimes.

It seems preying on this confusion is the very intent of marketers desperate to find a point of difference for their product.

A wealth of independent scientific research and knowledge is available on sports nutrition and physiology, but it too often gets buried and muddled under the weight of money, marketing and promotions.

At the California International Marathon in two weeks, Ultima Replenisher will be available on the course as the official sports drink of the event.

On the company Web site, a professional triathlete admonishes other sports drinks for using sugar and salt and flaunts Ultima as being packed full of electrolytes.

While excess consumption of sugar -- a carbohydrate -- in your day-to-day diet is bad for your health, it is widely accepted that carbohydrate supplementation during prolonged exercise delays the onset of fatigue.

Kind of a useful thing during a marathon, don't you think?

Just as bizarre is the demonizing of salt -- or sodium chloride -- which is also an electrolyte. Most of you know during exercise you lose sodium chloride in the form of sweat. Replacing this sodium is recommended by scientists to avoid muscle cramps and hyponatremia [a condition of low sodium which has in some cases led to death in marathons].

Otherwise, low concentrations of other electrolytes are found in sweat, so it follows that sodium may be the one electrolyte of some use in a drink designed for endurance sports. I agree sports/energy drinks are over consumed in America by the general population but let's not forget why and for what they were developed for in the first place.

While I understand money margins are tight for race directors, professional athletes and coaches, they have a responsibility not to mislead the athletes they serve by promoting products that make unscrupulous claims.

Spierings, M. (2009, November 20). In the Long Run: A time and place for 'sports' Drinks. Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved fromhttp://www.santacruzsentinel.com/sports/ci_13830540

Swim Technique Session for Working the Catch Phase

2009-07-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

400 warm up

6 x 50 (25 scoop drill, 25 normal), 20 seconds rest

4 x 100 ( 25 RA / 25 LA / 50 catch up), 30 seconds rest

2 x 200 (25 fists, 25 free), 30 seconds rest

500 (75 pull/25 sculling w/pull buoy)

Total: 2000

RA = right-arm drill, LA = left-arm drill.

The "scoop" drill is swimming on your front and just doing the catch and pull phase to your chest and then pushing your hand forward again. Looks like doggie paddle with your head in the water.

This workout is all about that catch phase. It’s all about getting on top of your stroke, over the barrel, scooping sand, however you want to think about it. It’s going to take a bit of mental energy but it’ll be worth it.

Loopy: Keeping Your Head in the Heat of Competition

2009-06-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how on race day how intelligent, rational athletes can do the dumbest things. The strong internal focus to get the best out of your body can sometimes pull mental resources away from being able to perform the simplest task - like seeing an arrow to keep you on course, remembering what lap you're on, taking your helmet off before heading off on the run. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to count swimming laps in an all out time trial situation?

There are a couple of strategies you can use to prepare yourself to avoid silly mistakes on race day.

1. Visualization: Of course you've thought about the big race in the general sense but have you sat down and run through the entire thing through your head? Print out a course map and take 15 minutes to talk yourself, or your coach, through the race start to finish. What equipment will I need when, landmarks to look for on the course, what end you'll exit the transition area etc.

2. Use a watch: If you have a 6 lap bike course to complete - hit your watch at the start and time the first lap. If you're well trained you will hold a pretty consistent pace. Just multiply the time of the first lap by the number of total laps to get an estimated finish time. This way you won't even need to count. Just pull into transition when you're done.

The Mid-Season Swim Stroke Fixer

2009-06-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Drills to get your catch right, your elbows high and your body rotating...

2 x (100 free, 50 back)

100 kick with board

4 x 100 of one arm (25 4 strokes right side/4 strokes left side, 25 3 strokes R, 3 strokes L, 25 2 strokes R, 2 strokes L, 25 normal free). 15 seconds rest. Last 25 should feel super smooth.

8 x 50 - odds 25 fist/25 free SLOW, evens 25 fist/25 free FAST

300 kick (25 L side/25 R side/25 front/25 back)

400 pull - (75 free/25 sculling)

400 with fins (50 touch head / 50 switch / 100 free)

200 easy cool down

total: 2500.

Open Water Swimming Video

2009-05-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

This is a video I made with my new digital camera swimming mask. This one was taken at Seabright Beach near where I live. I have started using it for swim stroke analysis. They are surprisingly affordable at $100USD. Takes great quality video both above and below the water.

Where are the Kenyans?

2009-05-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

I wrote this article for the local rag about a bee in my bonnet I have about the growing anti-elitism in triathlon and running events using the example of the Big Sur Marathon.

Surviving Your Destination Race

2009-05-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

I had some last minute advice for my athletes on this Wildflower Triathlon Eve. Wildflower is exceptional as everyone is more or less forced to camp together before the race. However many times in my career I have done destination races and camped out, or in, with fellow triathletes. It can be a ton of fun but no one can deny triathletes are a strange breed and concentrating them in a small space can sometimes create a feeding frenzy. Here is my survival guide:

Remove Yourself From Stress
Camping and going away with a bunch of like minded peeps is great fun. But, some people (including yourselves probably), can be friggin ridiculous a day or two before the event because of nerves and excitement. Someone will undoubtably start to drive you crazy and some stage of race weekend so have an escape plan. If you can't get to a cinema have an iPod and/or a non-triathlon related book and go hide in a tent and chill for an hour or two.

You Haven't or Didn't ________? Really?

Someone has some thing or did some sort of preparation that you've never heard of and you start to freak out that you haven't got it or done it. Don't. Let them think that they have the answer and if you are really concerned give me a call or send me an email and we can sort out the rubbish from the facts. In my experience what makes the biggest difference is the training you've already done.

Be Normal

You are probably feeling a little strange from your taper. Don't worry, this is normal, once you get going on race day you will feel great. Don't do anything to unusual to your body just because you have a race. Your body doesn't like that. Drink when you're thirsty - don't drown yourself. Choose the pasta dish instead of the egg scramble but don't eat pasta breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just be normal! Remember those training sessions where you felt absolutely great? Did you eat large volumes of pasta or do special limbering up exercises? No, you were just being normal....

Sleep

Accept now that you are not going to sleep well the night before the race. And you know what? It doesn't matter. Research shows that one lost night's sleep has little effect on performance. This should help you sleep easier....

Fuelling for the Half Marathon

2009-04-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

This is my advice for a half marathon nutrition strategy. Eat a normal breakfast at least two hours before the event. Don't go crazy on the hydrating if it's not a hot day - have a bottle around so you can drink if you're thirsty. Take a coffee if that's what you are used to. Research continues to show that caffeine is very effective in all sorts of ways. Should probably be banned as a performance enhancing stimulant...

I would probably rely on liquid carb intake (e.g. Gatorade) during a half because generally they digest better IF I could trust a) the person mixing it or b) the person handing it to me. Neither of which I generally can. So I usually carry a gel. I suggest if think you will be out there for longer than 1:50, you carry one and less than that, just take one. Unless you are training for a longer distance event and want to practice you may want to try and take an extra.

Make sure you take a good 2 cups of water to wash those gels down. And plan ahead so you're not surprised by the aid station, you have your gel out and ready to dump.

Let's take the example of the Santa Cruz Half Marathon to plan a nutrition stategy in advance.Click here for the course map where the aid stations are marked with a bottle.

So for > 1:50 goal time I would take a gel at 5.5 miles (Station 3) and 9.5 miles (Station 5).

For less than 1:50 goal time I would take a gel at 8 miles (Station 4).

This race a couple of years back was a bit of a mess. They started half an hour late and they tend to use dopey kids as volunteers so if you're super stressed about your nutrition you might consider bringing your own water and be prepared to have to grab water directly off the table. But you should be OK.

In the long run - Hit the trails to beat the recession

2009-04-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruz Sentinel, April 10th, 2009. Original article here

So you’re laid off or worried you’re about to be. That new triathlon bike you’ve been eyeing in the window at the Spokesman, or that multi-stage adventure race in Alaska have suddenly become unrealistic. But does that mean you have to throw in all your athletic ambitions?
Hell no. After all, you’re going to need to stay fit after losing your health benefits.
So, you might think about taking up trail running.
Trail running has experienced a boom in recent years. More events have sold out faster and trail shoes are flying off the shelves.
Some of the appeal may be traced back to the grass roots, back-to-nature feel of the events. Trail running flaunts its minimalist approach. Its cult hero is two-time Leadville 100-mile champion Anton Krupicka. He runs shirtless, doesn’t appear to have a barber and sleeps on friend’s floors to support his addiction to the Colorado outdoors.
Santa Cruz boasts an endless credit line of interesting trails to train on and an upswing of low cost races to fuel your competitive fire. Pogonip and Wilder Ranch and Nisene Marks state parks are well known for their great single track, but there are also hidden pockets of dirt you may be able to reach from your front door. Some possibilities: Arana Gulch, DeLaveaga and Schwans Lagoon.
When it comes to races, trail runs can also be dirt cheap. Entry fees are generally less expensive compared to their road equivalents due to the fact race directors don’t have to pay for pricey road closures.Compare the entry fee for the Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Run 21-kilometer race [Sept. 27] at $35 with this weekend’s Santa Cruz Half Marathon at $55. Other races not requiring a hotel stay nor a tank of gas include the Skyline to the Sea 50k [April 26] and the Big Basin Redwoods Trail Runs [May 17, from 9k to 50k]. The new Dirt Inspires Half Marathon to be held in Nisene Marks even boasts prize money to top finishers as a “stimulus” plan.
So, no need to give up those exercise induced beta endorphins in down times. Boost the economy with a new pair of shoes and go explore one of the best trail running towns in the world.

Martin Spierings was the top local finisher at the Sentinel Triathlon last year and coaches endurance athletes.
His column on running and triathlon will appear monthly in Outside. Contact him at www.tricoachmartin.com.

Vineman Showdown Triathlon Race Preview

2009-04-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd put down a couple of thoughts for this week's Vineman Showdown event. It's an event I've done twice placing 3rd in 2007 and 2nd in 2008. In such a short race you can gain an edge on your competition with a few simple pre-race preparations.

Preview the Bike Course

It's a good idea if you haven't done the course before to ride all or some the course before the event. Seeing this course from your bike before the race is a great advantage. To know where the top of the short hills are and to practice some of the slightly technical descents will allow you to take the course on aggressively. If you're reasonably fit you could easily roll over the 9-mile course at say 10:30am and have time to recover, go get lunch and be back at the race site at 1:30pm ready to race at 2:30pm. Being an afternoon race I suggest getting away from the place at lunch time so as not to build up too many nerves before the race.

The Swim

A good start is essential at this race because the first turning buoy is fairly close to shore and you don't want to be caught in the churn. Line up in the front row if you're a confident swimmer and to the side and up front if you are less confident. The swim start is on the far side of the beach. The water is usually pretty warm although the event is on a bit earlier this year. Jump in near the transition area and swim to the start to get warm in your wetsuit and loose for the start. Nothing calms the nerves like a swim. Then practice running in and out of the water a couple of times to get used to the beach start.

Tricky transition

There is a very steep hill to get up right out of the first transition. Here is my take on it:

I don't usually say this but put your bike shoes on in the transition area, not with them already on the pedals of the bike. Run out of the grass transition area with your bike shoes on. Clip in straight away with your bike in the 3rd or 4th gear, then gear down to your lowest gear and ride up the hill.

Coming back to transition 2 you are required to dismount your bike at the top of the hill. The best option is to slip out of your cycling shoes up the top, leaving them on your bike and running down the hill barefoot. The next best is to get off and take your shoes off after you stop (which means you'll have to carry them down with the bike). But again, don't run down the hill in your cycling shoes.

The Run

The run is pretty straight forward. There are some stairs to run up at the start which you don't want to rush and blow yourself up on. You can then get into a nice rhythm for the rest of the race. Just keep concentrating after the turn around to keep your pace up and you'll be rewarded with a very nice finish by the lake!

Good luck and enjoy the sleep-in...

San Luis Mountain Run Report

2009-04-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

San Luis Obispo, 1st March 09. Better late than never!

First race on the calendar of the TrailRunner Trophy Series. Of which I hope to do a few races this year.

Dire predictions for the weather happily turned out to be a false alarm for this beautifully scenic 10K event. A clear, if not warm day, greeted competitors at the start near the tranquil Laguna Lake. Funnily enough it poured rain the entire morning on runners at the Napa Valley Marathon not too far to the north.

While short, the San Luis Mountain Run is a true and challenging trail run. After a flat mile we hopped over a fence and climbed over 500'. But that wasn't all. Two more peaks awaited before a tricky descent over hard, uneven terrain (course map).

Pacing appeared tricky even for the more experienced runners with lots of chopping and changing in positions. In the end it was 23 year old triathlete Alex Padilla the winner of the men's event and Kristin Zaitz for the women. The event was staged by the young team at All Out Events and included great prizes, a fun atmosphere, some creative swag (a beer glass for each competitor) and a real effort to put on a green event. I finished 5th overall but unluckily that only placed me 3rd in my age group which robbed me of some valuable Trophy Series points. Nonetheless, a good start to the Trophy Series and a great event.

The Upside to Downtime

2009-03-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

Being sick - a cold, flu or sore throat - is never planned or welcome in a triathletes life. The general rule is if the symptoms are above the neck you can train through it with low intensity exercise and below the neck (sore throat etc.) complete rest is best. In any case, not being able to train as planned will drive almost any triathlete mad.

Let's look at the positives. Sometimes it's just unavoidable luck that you've picked up an infection but you might find that your body is giving you a hint. Often, looking back, you'll see that you've weakened your immunity by skipping sleep or over training or eating rubbish. So, you can learn something from being sick.

Think also about the much needed rest your muscles are getting. On training "rest days" most triathletes are working, doing the groceries and running around after the kids but when you're sick in bed and horizontal your muscles are REALLY recovering.

It's also a chance to surf the web reassess your training, check out race websites and get excited about the season. Just don't rev yourself so much you try and go back before you're ready. Enjoy the rest and I usually wait 12-24 hrs after I feel I COULD train before I do.

Santa Cruz Bike Rides #3

2009-03-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Short but hilly ride. Good ride on weekdays or weekends. Take note of the route across Scotts Valley drive. It's a little tricky to remember but it avoids traffic signals and turns on the busy main roads of Mt. Hermon Rd. and Scotts Valley Drive.

Bean Creek Road vis Granite Creek Road
Find more Bike Rides in Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz Rides #2

2009-03-17T08:30:00.001-07:00

This is a great Sunday afternoon ride to get those last miles in for the weekend or, if you turn left at Hagar Ct. in UCSC, you can turn that loop into a great hill interval or strength session.

UCSC and back via West Cliff Drive
Find more Bike Rides in Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz Bike Rides #1

2009-03-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

Over the next week or so I will be posting my favorite rides over a range of distances starting and finishing in Santa Cruz. Hope they can provide you with some inspiration.

Cox Road via Soquel back via Beach
Find more Bike Rides in Santa Cruz, California

This is a nice middle distance ride. Ideally to be done on a weekend morning so you can get the Soquel section out of the way while there's not much traffic. Once you get through Aptos you can start cranking it up with a nice long climb up to the top of Cox Road. But it's not finished there. Several shorter but steeper climbs await on San Andreas and up from Seacliff Beach. A nice section on the aerobars on the service road that runs parallel Hwy 1 and you've earned the right to cruise through Capitola and sit up and enjoy the surf on the way home.

Planning Your Triathlon Racing Season

2009-03-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

At about this time of the year it's time to start thinking about how many, what and when you want to race. You don't need to plan out every race of the entire season. However, as training becomes more race specific, it's a good idea to give your coach an indication on where you're headed in terms of what races you are targeting. And it's a good idea for you to have some specific races and future glories in mind to help pull yourself through those hard training sessions! How often you race is largely up to the individual. Some triathletes like to race lots, some like to focus on one important event. Finances and family factor into the decision making as well.

There are a couple of guidelines that can help to construct a successful season and keep you motivated. Rate the importance of your races as "A", "B" or "C". I like to think 1 to 3 "A" races are optimal in a season. In the Northern Hemisphere there tends to be a glut of races around May and June and then again around September. Picking an "A" race for each mini-season can work really well from a training perspective. It allows you a long build up period using targeted preparation races ("B" races), then you can take a mid-season break before building up to the next "A" race. "C" races can be single sport races to keep you motivated in the off-season or triathlons purely for fun during the season. For more ideas on race season planning click here. One of the most comprehensive U.S. triathlon calendars is www.trifind.com but you can Google triathlon and running calendars for more. Go inspire yourself!

Best and Worst Value Nor Cal Triathlons - Sprint Distance (Early Season)

2009-01-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

Click here for full calendar and rankings.

Born from a frustration from exorbitant entry fees and a lack of information on what you really get for your buck at these triathlons, I am compiling a guide to triathlons in the Northern California region. Using race websites, some of my own personal experience, as well as future feedback from triathletes and aim to compile a guide to the best and worst value triathlons in the Nor Cal region. My first guide is to the early season (before June 30th) Sprint Distance triathlons. Hopefully this blog will help hold race directors (RDs) more accountable for the value they offer as well as how they communicate that value so triathletes can make more informed decisions.

Another thing that annoys the bejezus out of me is awards. Or should I say lack of them. Many of the athletes I coach work hard all year to try and place in their age group and all they can look forward to at these races is a crappy medal (to add to the "finishers" medal). Or else the website will state something vague about "prizes" which could be valuable but could also be whatever sponsor sample is lying around. Of course, no amateur competes for material rewards but I wish RDs would give hard working athletes something to aim for and get excited about by offering some fun prizes and getting specific about it on their websites.

So, here they are...

Best

Winner: Stanford Treeathlon

Luckily for them water temperature wasn't factored in to the equation because you'll need your neoprene hood and booties to swim in the frigid bay in March. Forget that and you've got a fantastic value sprint triathlon. Post-race food, prizes to age group winners and a raffle. I competed in this race a couple of years ago and remember picking up some decent swag for an age group podium. All this for, wait for it, $65-$75. Don't have the details yet but UC Davis Sprint Tri is another good value event.

Runner-Up: Mermaid Triathlon Fremont

Despite selling out in previous years Mermaid has kept their entry fee reasonable at $80-$85 with a very generous club discount. Details on awards are vague on the website but they will provide you with a t-shirt you can actually be seen out in and goodie bag. Sorry guys but you miss out on a good value triathlon.

Worst

Loser: Wildflower Mountain Bike Triathlon

What a weekend, what an experience, what a rip-off. Wildflower may have humble beginnings but they sure have forgotten them now. The $110-$120 entry fee doesn't even count the mysterious "festival fee" and what must be the most expensive night camping in the world ($60). And congratulations on your finish - now you can walk up the hill and buy some food for yourself. If you have any money left...

Runner-Up: AnchorMan San Francisco

Nothing about the website of this new series fills me with any confidence. None of the buzz they seem to be trying to create has much substance behind it. Sure, the course seems spectacular, but offering slots to go to San Diego to lug your bike to another equally expensive ($95-$125) race with no prizes or history? Good luck with that...

Go here for a calendar and ranking of all the events I looked at. Let me know if I've missed a triathlon and I'll include it.

My recommendations are nothing too scientific but I use weight factors I think makes a race good value to give them a rank. Obviously entry fee is a big one. I purposefully leave out a couple of important criteria you would normally factor in when comparing triathlons. The first is event organization which is hard to measure from a website and sometimes hard even if you're actually at the event. A moment lapse by a volunteer can send a competitor off in the wrong direction and cause them to have a horrible experience but another competitor might find the whole event went smoothly despite being on the same course on the same day. The second is the course itself because it's so subjective ie. some people love hills on the bike, some don't. Although I do give extra marks to courses closed to traffic as I don't know anyone that prefers to share a road with cars. However, I would love people to post their comments on how these triathlons fared on these variables. I am also prepared to adjust my ratings based on competitor feedback on previous years.

Subscribe to this blog for guides on Olympic and Long Races in Nor Cal to both early season and late season editions.

Note: I'm not on the payroll of any of these RDs but I do know personally the organizers of Mermaid Triathlons so I'll leave it to you to decide whether this has created a bias or not.

New York Starbucks keeping you lean

2009-01-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

In a recent trip to New York I was surprised to see the calories of each item written up against the prices in the stores. I learned later that it was something recently mandated by the mayor that all chain stores must disclose the calories contained on each of the items on their menus. A brilliant resource for busy snacking athletes. I'm sure it will have a two pronged positive effect of both making the individual aware of the energy content of the foods they eat as well as forcing companies to provide healthier options as demand for the high energy / low nutrition product drops. Check this article in the New York Times about some of the confusion it's caused

As we all know from watching Biggest Loser, dropping weight is hard, tear shedding work. Even with a regular exercise routine, this age of abundance, cheap food and convenience can make it easy to gain weight. And despite what the food/pill industry might sometimes want us to believe there is very little evidence to suggest that anything other than a positive energy balance (that means consuming more calories than you expend) has any effect on weight gain. So being knowledgeable on calorie intake is an important step to weight control and I only see positives for implementing calorie disclosure nationwide.

So if you are over your optimal weight after the holidays, New York Starbucks will help make the choice between the croissant and the oatmeal very easy! Damn them...

New Suite of Swim Technique Videos FREE on YouTube

2008-11-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

I have posted a selection of swim techniques I use with my athletes on my YouTube channel . I use these to demonstrate drills I proscribe as part of my new Swim Stroke Analysis service. Thanks to my friend Michelle for the video work.

Demonstration of the "switch" drill to increase stroke length and promote body roll.

New Swim Stroke Analysis

2008-10-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

Correcting swimming technique can be one of the best ways of improving your triathlon results and enjoying your sport more. You can swim faster with less effort and get out of the water fresher for the long part of the day. The best part is that swimming more efficiently doesn't require hours of pain; just some concentration, persistence and the right knowledge.

I will analyze your swimming stroke from video you upload or send me and proscribe drills specific to your weaknesses. Everyone has different challenges and I can identify them and provide you the specific tools to correct them yourself.

The Swim Stroke Analysis provides:

- A detailed report on your video with analysis on where you could make improvements
- A selection of drills that you can do that will help correct the problems associated with your stroke
- Access to my demonstration video clips that will show you how to do the drills

- Three personalized swimming technique sessions that will incorporate the drills and other methods I use to improve swim stroke. These workouts will not be designed to be physically challenging but rather focused on maximizing the efficiency of your stroke.
- Free analysis of a second video you provide after 4-8 weeks of practicing the drills to make sure you're on the right track.

Guidelines for making your video:

- Warm up for 10 minutes or so before taking the video
- Swim at the same speed you intend to race for your goal event.
- Have a friend film from various angles; front on, side on and, if you have access to a waterproof underwater camera, from underwater.
- Try and fill the swimmer with the entire frame of the video as much as possible.
- Include footage of an entire lap of swimming so I can asses your stroke count.
- Keep the video to under 2 minutes in length. You can use simple editing software such as Microsoft Windows Movie Maker or iMovie for Mac.

After preparing the video you can either upload it to a video sharing site such as youtube or send me the video as an attachment to an email. For detailed instructions of how to upload a digital video to youtube click here.

For additional info contact me at tricoachmartin@gmail.com

Cost:

$40.00 USD - click the paypal link below to view the cost in other currencies.

* The Swim Stroke Analysis is FREE to users of my on-line Triathlon Coaching service.

1 x Swim Stroke Analysis

www.tricoachmartin.com

Tricoachmartin athletes dominate at the Santa Cruz Mermaid Triathlon

2008-10-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Great results at the all-womens Santa Cruz Mermaid Triathlon on the 28th of September at beautiful Seacliff Beach in Aptos, California. Heather Rozario (on the right in the photo) came in 12th overall and 2nd in her age group in her first full season in the sport. Aimee Escalante (left) won the 30+ age group and finished 2nd overall in the inaugural Mighty Mermaid event. Her win at the double distance event was set up by a killer bike split. Great job ladies!

Improvements all around at Sentinel Triathlon for tricoachmartin athletes

2008-09-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

Johan (pictured here in SCTA gear) made the Sentinel his "A" race for the season and was rewarded with a 4.5 min improvement on last years result. Rohanna competed in her first ever Olympic distance to finish 15th woman overall and 6th in her age group. Kristen courageously partook after a bike fall two days before to slice 4 minutes off last years time. Aimee raced to her Olympic PR in the middle of marathon training to place 8th in her age group and Mike went a minute and a half faster than last Sentinel fighting through some nasty cramps on the run. Congrats all on the pay off for a lot of hard work!

I had a better than expected race after a very busy September. A perfect sit for nearly the entire swim (after a good start, see me on the pic left!) on the feet of a faster swimmer and a stronger bike helped me to 4th place overall and a 2:02:13. Check out the Santa Cruz Sentinel article for the full report and results.

Big Kahuna Half Ironman Race Report

2008-09-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

Finally put together a half Ironman I was happy with given my level of training. Started in the second wave start. The buoys were few and far between so was glad to have some local knowledge to guide me. I think I was second in my age group out of the water and paced myself well on the bike. Drank probably 3 bottles of sports drink and washed down a half a Powerbar at 15 and 35 miles. Perhaps a little too hydrated as there was a couple moments of freewheeling during the 56 miles. I started pretty cautiously and got through the difficult, hot part on the Wilder bike path before really starting to push the last 4 miles once I got back near the coast. Took 2 Espresso GU gels, one at 3 and one at 7 miles. Along with the supplied energy drink at the aid stations seemed to get me to the end and not far off a negative split. I was able to walk around after the event and not spend an hour coughing in the fetal position which is frequently how I've ended up after a long distance tri. So that was nice. 20th Overall. Results here and local press article here.

TriCoachMartin triathletes dominate S.C. Sprint Triathlon

2008-08-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

Rohanna and Benoit appear in local press as top performers...

All The Better For Recent Racing

2008-08-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

Out of the swim at the Sandman Triathlon

I ran the 36th annual Wharf to Wharf on the 26th of July. I managed to PR the course running 33:26 for the 6 miles (splits 5:36, 5:39, 5:45, 5:30, 5:38, 5:18). Probably more due to the good, cool conditions and better pacing than any great increases in fitness from the previous year. It seems nailing your pace in the first mile is critical in these mass participation races (15,000 in the case of the Wharf to Wharf). If you go out too fast you can fall into the trap of getting carried along with runners too fast for you until you realize you have nothing left for the back half of the race. I found running a preparation race, the Firecracker 10k, a few weeks before and doing some pace running over the first part of the course prior to the event really helped.

Tricoachmartin athlete Rohanna ran a 3 minute PR but was unable to crack the Top 100 (who win a special edition wind breaker). Goal for next year.

The following Friday was The Core Run Swim Run, one of the funnest races I've done. Basically you run along the beach at low tide from Santa Cruz Wharf to Capitola Wharf (Map) until you reach a cliff or a harbour and have to swim. It was even better this year because of some gnarly surf conditions. Although, I wasn't quite paying attention on the first swim and was a little late getting under a wave and got thrown back with such force I lost my swim cap but somehow kept my googles. I was pacing with Reto Waeffler, former pro triathlete, luckily for me recovering from illness. We stayed together until I showed his some Aussie surf skills pulling a wave to shore on the 2nd swim. But we were both smacked by a couple of young swimmers leaving me with 3rd place. The race was great value: well supported out on the water, free burrito breakfast and I won a pair of garish sunglasses that I knew my wife wouldn't let me keep and are now selling on Ebay!

After a day recovery it was time for my 3rd attempt at the Sandman Triathlon that I won in 2006 and came 3rd last year after puncturing. Chris Partin who had beat me on Friday put a big lead into me during a long choppy swim. After passing female pro, Linda Gallo, shortly into the bike I was on my own, riding solo, through the 15 mile bike. Once on the sand I saw Chris again for the first time since the swim. He had about 40 seconds on me. I was able to erase all but 8 of them to finish second and dropped to the sand on my face. The race wasn't without contraversy and it is one of those races that needs to move with the times a bit. ie. get chip timing so splits can be taken and get some decent prizes (see my plastic lobster trophy) are a couple of things that spring to mind. It's all very well to run races as fund raisers but you still have to get the people in or you don't have a race. Which would be a shame because the course is a great one.

Lobster trophy

training at altitude

2008-07-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

I recently got a question about training at altitude from one of my athletes. I hit up Google Scholar for the latest scientific thinking on the subject and found little support for any type of altitude training having benefits when returning to sea level. The doctrine of "living high and training low", for example living and resting at 2500m (~8000ft) and training at 1250m (~4000ft), has only limited support. Not forgetting the fact that it is highly impractical for your average age-grouper vacationing in the Sierras to be driving down the mountain each day to go train.

If you want to read more the well regarded British Journal of Sports Medicine presents a particularly scathing review of the research for ignoring the possible negative effects of altitude training. Also a fun article about training at altitude having more to do with the power of association that any physical benefits.

Keeping hydrated (low humidity and increased breathing rate) and being prepared to train at a lower intensity (low availability of oxygen) as at sea level are considerations when going on high altitude vacations. A final very important consideration is that training at altitude in the summer time more often than not means cycling through mountains, swimming in warm lakes and running through forest trails. A very motivating training environment that fuel a love for your sport which is far more important than small percentage increases to VO2.

The above picture and map from a great little ride I recently took in the Lake Tahoe region in California, U.S.A.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/south-lake-tahoe/1122473908"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;South Tahoe to Meeks Bay return&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/ca/south-lake-tahoe"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in South Lake Tahoe, California&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

tricoachmartin athletes racing around the world

2008-07-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Sarah recently completed the Sri Chinmoy Como Landing Run in Melbourne, Australia. A 14k run in preparation for the Melbourne Marathon in October. She self-transcended in true Sri Chinmoy style to run a faster pace than a 10k she'd done 2 weeks previously. Well done Sarah.

Rohanna ran a 10k personal best time on a very tough course at the Santa Cruz Firecracker 10k event on Independence Day in Santa Cruz, California claiming 2nd place in her age group. The next goal is a Top 100 finish at the Wharf to Wharf 6 mile race.

Kevin is a French rugby player living and working in Japan who wanted a swimming plan to complement his fitness. After sticking consistently to 8-weeks of training sessions he has already dropped 23 seconds on his 400m freestyle time trial time. No word on whether it has improved his rugby!...

Ironman Goes Ultra

2008-07-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

Check out my article featured in July/August edition of Adventure Sports Journal.

Thanks to my photographers Kristen, Becky and Al and Tim Shisler for his professional advice to get it published.

athlete news - mermaid and showdown

2008-06-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

tricoachmartin athlete Rohanna finished 7th out of 300 ladies at the Mermaid Fremont Triathlon held on June 14th in California. Congrats! Rohanna is an amazingly determined athlete. The mum of two often trains with her kids in the stroller or bike trailer to get here weekly mileage in and I've never heard her whine about it. She was disappointed about her swim having "freaked out" in the open water. It's hard to simulate the group start of a triathlon apart from actually competing in them but we will plan a few more open water swims before the next race. Nothing beats race experience especially in the swim.

The weekend before Kristen knocked 5 minutes off her time from last year at the Showdown at Sundown Sprint triathlon in San Rafael, California on June 7th. She had a great swim getting out of the water 2nd woman overall. It was a good study of the time lag for potential in the pool converting to a good open water swim. With race experience she had the confidence seed herself better at the start, push herself without fear of being exhausted on the bike and navigate in the bunch and around the buoys.

I finished the race 2nd overall and was pretty happy despite not going close to the time I did last year but I think it was a harder race with more current on the swim and warmer conditions.

Blackberry Curve Challenge

2008-06-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting at my cube at work on Friday mid-morning doing my usual days work (flipping between facebook and 3 different email accounts) when I get an email from the USARA. Which is the national adventure racing federation of the U.S. that I'd joined by chance at a race last year some time. It was an invitation to an urban challenge that was free (which was weird) in San Francisco the next day, Saturday. I quickly sent out an email and my friend Benoit rang me from Oakland and 5 mins later I had entered us in as a team of two. It was limited to 50 teams and the prizes are what really caught my eye. the Top 15 were to win Blackberrys and 3rd $2000 each, 2nd $3000 each and 1st an all expenses paid trip to Paris or Rome or some islands somewhere. Not bad for an amateur race.

So we get there the next morning with a camel back between us and some maps I found at home of San Francisco. We got given a Blackberry at 8:30am and Benoit was not interested so I sat down and played with it for the next hour because we were told we'd need to know how to use it. At 10:00am we lined up at the start at Union Square and were handed a passport with 10 clues to 10 challenges we had to complete over the course of the race. A lot of the racers speed off in some direction but Benoit and I decided to sit down and plot out where we were going (I'd had a bad experience at my only other adventure race blowing off without checking where I was going). We got a bit lost to our first challenge, a Verizon store on Mission St. and when we got there we were told we were pretty far behind. The first challenge required us to do something on Facebook. Ironically (considering how much time I spend on Facebook) I struggled. The blackberry can't do all the same things I can do on the computer on Facebook AND the unit was slow and failed. They had to order us another to the next challenge.

By the time I had finished messing around we had a fairly long run to Fishermans Wharf where we did some plank on logs challenge, fairly successfully and this leaning on each challenge while walking on parrallel planks which took us a while. It was already 11:05 and we had to catch a ferry at 11:00, 11:30 or 12:00. We got to the ferry and bought tix at 11:15am then took a risk and went off to find another challenge. Luckily it was a fairly easy. Riding recumbent bikes around a go cart type circuit. We got back to the ferry at 11:30 just in time to file onto the ferry to Alcatraz.

We had a hard time on Alcatraz, firstly finding the Museum to answer some questions and then walking up to the prison to be chained at the ankles and handcuffed to free ourselves with a combination lock and one of a set of 50 keys. But, we were lucky to get on the 12:30 ferry back because they only went every half hour so that was key. We had time on the ferry back to plot the last three challenges we had remaining the first was a run up to Coit Tower. I was happy they included Coit Tower because there is a crap load of stairs to run up and I was pretty sure we were one of the more athletic teams.

There were a few teams on that ferry and a lot heading towards the tower. We accounted for most of them headed in our direction accept a girl/boy team. This little blond chick was absolutely gunning it (I later found out a 2.52 marathoner from Oakland). She was killing me up the stairs but luckily she was killing her husband more who she regularly had to stop for while he caught up. We got up the stair, bought a souvenir with money we were given and I helped a kneeling blinded Benoit complete a puzzle on the grass giving him verbal instructions. Next, we ran down to the wharf were Benoit ran through a submarine (he was smaller we figured). Then, was the wax museum where we had to find what Keanu Reeves was. Benoit asked patrons "whereisitkeeanurifs?" I translated and we were directed to the waxed Neo. We had solved a clue using Google on the blackberry which led us past 2.52 chick and her lagging hubby again to Ghiradelli Square. We took off up an escalator to our last stamp. We navigated to the top of Columbus St. perfectly and got the the no. 30 bus stop which we knew would take us straight to Union Square and the finish. The digital display on the bus stop told us we had only 1 min to wait. 4 mins later or so the bus came. Traffic looked light and we were pretty confident of passing 2.52 girl who had ran straight past us while we waited for the bus. We had no idea where anyone else was or how we were doing the entire race. The bus stalled at China town and we realized we had to jump off the bus. We got off and ran straight up the street in the middle of China town (the foot paths were jammed) and crossed the line in what we thought was 5th place.

It turned out one of the teams in front of us was DQed for skipping the puzzle and the blond chick team finished 2nd. Our late bus had cost us $6000 (+ a $5 bus fare)! If we'd run we would've finished in front of them. Of course at the time we were just taking what we thought was the quickest option. We had no idea that finishing in front of them by simply out running them (which we'd been doing) would net us 2nd place. But I was stoked to win a Blackberry and $250 for 4th and a fun day out in San Francisco. It was super well organized and I guess with all the questions we got around town that it was a good marketing ploy for Blackberry, Verizon and Facebook. I'd actually been looking last week to buy a smartphone so it was good timing. It was very original concept opening up registration just a few days before the event and I'll be interested to see if they do it again. They'll have a harder time keeping it underground this time with free entries and prize money better than most big triathlons or running races.
Blackberry Curve Challenge
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Quicksilver 50k Trail Run Race Report

2008-05-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

After feeling pretty good after a weeks rest following Ironman Arizona I signed up for the Quicksilver 50k trail run on the other side of the Santa Cruz mountains near San Jose, CA. I was feeling fit and wanted to cash in on my endurance one more time this season before concentrating on the shorter stuff. The coach side of me wasn't completely comfortable with racing long that close to Ironman but the athlete in me was feeling great and wasn't listening.

I nearly missed the race altogether. I set my alarm for 4.15am on my phone for the 6am race start at Almaden Quicksilver Park over the other side of the hill. I turned over in the night and checked my phone - 5.05am. The alarm I'd set was for Mon - Fri. Don't you love those nifty functions? I packed the night before and Kristen and I were in the car by 5.10am. Google Maps had given us 50 mins but we there in 40 and the parking attendant acted like he couldn't understand my fluster, "It's OK, you still have 10 minutes." I sure wasn't at a triathlon. By 5:55am I had my number, dropped my plastic bag for the drop bag zone and was standing around with nothing to do. Who's gonna warm up for a 50k, right?

The first few miles were some very steep up and downs. Fair bit of walking right from the get go. So it took a while to get warm and I think I was still half asleep. The night before I had scribbled some times down on what I'd have to be splitting at the aid stations to go under 5 hours. At the first one at 6.4 miles we were on single track and I started to feel normal and catch a rythym and I hit my split right on. I started running with some others. There was a Chatty Cathy called Scott in the group who was training for the Western States 100 miler and who had done a road marathon the weekend before and was doing the 50 miler "for training". It kind of sucked having a 50 miler on at the same time. It felt like going on a run for 50k that you should be the most hardcore out there, but no, there were half the field out there doing 50% more. Anyway, Scott turned out to be full of it because he stopped at 50k. Soft.

At about this time I realised I had forgotten an important preparation in the rush to get to the start. I asked Scott, who had done the race before, if he remembered if there were any toilets at the next aid station. He didn't and there wasn't. After fuelling up at 9 miles I let my merry band go and looked for a spot an appropriate distance for the trail to lighten my load before the first major climb.

Had a great time for the next 10 miles getting ahead of my time schedule before things started feeling a little rough at 19 miles. I had started chaffing (which I never do, but I guess I never run this long either) and my calves were feeling real tight and sore and it was heating up. I ran a distracted next 5 miles to the 23 mile aid station where I picked up some vaseline, which helped tremendously, and prepared for the next major climb. I had slowed down but was still running mostly, felt well fuelled and was back concentrating on my effort. I was surprised by the 27 mile mark, which meant only 4.5 miles to go and the clock was at 4.05. Everything was hurting but I knew the finish line was below me somewhere. I kept jogging down a gentle slope for about 1.5 miles before the real hell of the day began. Those steep hills were back. It wasn't the two ascents which were almost hand and knees affairs but the other side of them which were, to me, unrunable with the state of my legs. Each foot plant was a whack to the legs and the knees and I'd have the occasional foot slide on the loose gravel as well as being passed by a few competitors right at the end which was frustrating. But I somehow kept upright and ran (of sorts) through the finish under 5 hours in 4:55 and 10 th overall very pleased to hit both my goals in my first ultra!

Thanks to my professional photographers, Becky and Al, for the pics, Adam from Central Coast Running for sponsoring and Kristen for just about everything else including some gnarly driving over the 17 to get me there on time.