Congrats on the Triangle Triathlon

Congratulations to all who participated in the Triangle Triathlon two weekends ago. Sounds like it was a success overall. Good job everyone! Now is anyone up for the one in Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, or Beaufort later this summer/fall?

Mini-triathlon 9am Sat!

We'll be doing a mini triathlon with X m swim, 10 mi bike, then 2 mi run based around a lake on Arielle's contact's land. It should be awesome. Email me for the address. Be sure to bring sunscreen, goggles, water, and anything else appropriate.

See you at 9 AM on Saturday!

Swimming, Andy, Wed, 6/20, 10am,

Swim clinic with Andy:

Wednesday, 6/20
10am
Wilson Pool

Track Workout, Sunday 10am

Sun, 10am, 6/17
Wallace Wade Stadium

Meet on the track inside Wallace Wade Stadium (behind Wilson Gym). Let's meet at the North end of the track.

upcoming events -- feedback needed!

I need some schedule feedback from everyone on 3 things. Please respond.

1) Track Workout this weekend.
Let's do some intervals and speed work this weekend. Which of these two times do you prefer?

• Sat 6/16 10am
• Sun 6/17 10am

2) Swimming lesson next week.
Andy's free Wed morning. Please reply with which of these times works for you:

• Wed 6/20 8am
• Wed 6/20 9am
• Wed 6/20 10am
• Wed 6/20 11am

3) Practice Triathlon following weekend.
Arielle's friend has kindly offered the use of her lake. Let's do a practice triathlon (2 weeks prior to real thing). Which of these times do you prefer?

• Sat 6/23 9am
• Sat 6/23 10am
• Sun 6/24 9am
• Sun 6/24 10am

Details for Race for the Cure

We're counting down to the Race for the Cure this Saturday! Hopefully, you've already registered (but you still can online til Thursday!).

Alex and I are going to Streets at Southpoint tonight to pick up our race packets. We are happy to pick up anyone else's packet too. So register RIGHT NOW, and let us know to grab your packet. Otherwise, you'll have to pick up your packet yourself in Cary or Raleigh or early (6am) race day.

Our run starts at 9:15am, but let's meet up at 8:45am. Let's meet up at the traffic circle of Meredith College St and Meredith College St which is nearish to the starting line (see map of course).

If you want to carpool, let me know so we know to expect you, and let's meet at my house at 7:30am. Yes, 7:30am. We have to park at the RBC center, then catch a shuttle over, and they are saying to allow at least an hour for all that.

Things to look forward to: A fairly flat course! Making a difference! Supporting breast cancer research! Running a great race! And all before you'd usually get up on a Saturday... We're counting down to the Race for the Cure this Saturday!

Can't make it Saturday? Sponsor us instead!

All events cancelled on Sunday

It's raining, and the swimming lesson in the evening didn't work out. We'll pick up next week at Race for the Cure.

Swimming in the quarry, Sun, 6/3, 10am

We are all set for an open water swim Sunday at the quarry. Meet in the parking lot at 10am. Though hopefully it doesn't rain!

There may also be a swimming lesson that night with Andy (5pm, Wilson Gym), but I haven't gotten a confirmation yet.

Things to look forward to

June 9: Race for the Cure, 5K; sign up already!

June 23 or 24: Our own practice triathlon. Through Arielle's friend, we have access to a lake in Pittsboro. Yay! We're planning on a leisurely, get-our-confidence-up, triathlon experience that's two weeks prior to the Triangle Triathlon. Suggestions on how this will work are welcome.

Sun bike, 10am, Lake Crabtree Park

Sorry the swim clinic with Andy fell through for this weekend. I'll try to schedule one for next weekend. In its place, let's do the bike course of the Triangle Triathlon (15mi). I'm up for jogging part of the run course afterwards too. This is a *great* opportunity to familiarize yourself with the bike route. Let's try to beat the heat, and meet at the parking lot near the Old Beech Nature Trailhead in Lake Crabtree County Park (see the map on pg. 4).

Here's the bike route in gmaps pedometer. Big hills!

Fun run times posted -- Great Job!

Great job everyone. They posted our results online.

Don't forget: Duke Family Fun Run TOMORROW, 8:20am

Let's meet at the check in area around 8:20am tomorrow morning. It looks like they have parking set up on the West side of Science Drive. Park there (be sure to follow signs for the Duke Children's Classic, I think there may be some other event happening near Wallace Wade tomorrow too, so don't get confused). Cost is $2. You can sign up race day as well.

Race for the Cure -- open run

So I've heard back from a few folks, and it sounds like we mostly want to do the co-ed open recreational run that starts at 9:15. So that's the plan! Go ahead and sign up already!

Race for the Cure

So it didn't sound like there were enough of us to form a team for Race for the Cure, so I thought we'd just go ahead and sign up as individuals. Now the question is what category do people want to participate in. We could do "competitive" or "open recreational". The difference is that in the competitive section you get a timing chip, pay an extra $5, and the race starts earlier (7:15am vs 9:15am). So it all depends on if you want to be timed or not. Let me know your vote (but of course we can all run separately too).

Race this week! Sat, 5/19, 8:20am, Duke, 5K

Don't forget to register for this Saturday's 5K Duke Family Fun Run/Walk. Cost is $2.

Let's meet near the check in area at 8:20am to give us plenty of time to check in, warm up, stretch, etc. (and be late, ahem). Start time for the run is 9am, but registration closes at 8:45. It's along the Al Buehler trail. When you park, tell them it's for the "Children's Classic".

SUN bike, date change

Yeah, so the weather looks ominous for a long bike ride tomorrow. So we'll postpone til Sunday. I'm not sure if anyone else is able to come. But you can count on Jack and I to be there.

Sunday, 5/13, 10:30am
Eno River State Park, Cole Mill Parking Lot
Biking, 24mi.

See route.

biking Sat -- or Sun??

With it storming outside, it seems prudent to check the weather forecast. Looks like it may rain on Saturday, but the forecast for now is clear for Sunday. I'll change the time if necessary Friday...

Maybe Sat??, 10:30am, biking, Eno River

Let's have a reprise of the Eno River bike ride. We didn't get to do the whole thing last time, so let's try it again. See the old post for details on the route.

Meet at the Eno River Cole Mill parking lot.
Saturday, 5/12, 10:30am
Stay tuned for changes due to weather possibly...

Upcoming Training Sessions

So here's my rough plan from now til the Triangle Triathlon (7/8) (about 8 weeks). Everything except for the races hasn't been scheduled in stone yet; I was thinking of just staging the events some time during the weekend. Let me know if a particular weekly time works better for you (e.g. Sun mornings), or if you prefer weekday evenings. It looks like we've only got 3 swim clinics (including tonight's). If you want more, let me know.
Tue, 5/8, 6pm, swimming w/ Andy
Sat, 5/12, 10am, biking near the eno
Sat, 5/19, 9am, Duke Family Fun Run, 5K
Sat/Sun, 5/26, swimming w/ Andy??
Sat/Sun, 6/2, practice duathlon -- we do the Triangle Triathlon bike course, then run part of the run course.
Sat, 6/9, 7:15am, Race for the Cure, 5K
Sat/Sun, 6/16, swimming w/ Andy??
Sat/Sun, 6/23, Mini-triathlon -- we'll set up our own course
Sat, 6/30, easy run, social at my house
Sun, 7/8, Triangle Triathlon
Not doing the Triangle Triathlon? Don't worry, neither am I, I'll worry about July/Aug's schedule for the Hillsborough triathlon when the time gets closer.

Swimming tonight! (5/8) + new swim hours

Don't forget: swim clinic tonight with Andy at 6pm in the pool.

Btw, there are new hours for the Wilson pool:
Monday - Friday 10 AM - 2 PM, and 6 PM - 9 PM
Saturday and Sunday 12 PM - 4 PM

Trail info -- from Nathalie

Nathalie sent me some interesting distance info on some of our frequent trails:

• The Al Buehler trail, located around the Washington Duke Golf Course, is a moderate to advanced trail totaling 2.8 miles 2.91 mi or 3.1 miles 3.13 mi if you include the connector to the fitness loop. Here's a map of the trail with relevant distances.


• The East Campus wall has a beginner trail that runs around the inside perimeter. One complete lap totals 1.7 miles.

Also, check out the Google Maps Pedometer. It's a really cool site where you can draw your route on google maps and calculate how far you've gone. It's also got elevation information too.

Speaking of running, don't forget: Tomorrow, golf course trail, 10am.

Swimming workouts -- from Andy

I asked Andy for suggestions on how to structure swim workouts, and below is his reply. The example workout may be pretty long, so please adjust by a factor of .25, .5, etc. as necessary -- don't be intimidated! =) -E

Andy's response:

When it comes to training for distance swimming events there are a few things to keep in mind:

• warming up
  
• stroke technique and efficiency (which includes balance in water, swimming straight, breathing technique, etc)
  
• warming down
  

I would use the following skeleton in designing workouts:

• Warmup: different for different people but this should start with a nice long slow swim, thinking about body position and technique. Start with something like 200yds, a short rest, and then a few hundreds of drill, focusing on one drill aspect per 100.
  
• Long swim: Do your big set here, something around 1000-2000yds. Break it up usually (4x500, 2 X 1000, 8 x 200, etc) and occasionally push yourself into a straight long swim (2000 yds straight, that sort of thing.
  
• Kick set (500 or so of kick.. and switch this up a little now and again too)
  
• Warm down (again thinking about technique and working lactic acid out of your arms and legs with consistent slow swimming. A few hundred yards should take care of this.

An example (3600 yds total):

• 200 slow freestyle warmup
  
• 8 x 100 drill freestyle (2x100 zipper, 2xflip, 2x8kicks right/left, 2xswim with fists)
  
• 800 swim
  
• 600 swim w/ paddles
  
• 400 swim w/ snorkle
  
• 200 swim
  
• 400 kick w/ fins
  
• 200 warmdown

Obviously if people are at a more or less advances stage in their swimming, this skeleton workout can be adjusted by a factor of +/- 1 (ie do 1/2 or 2 times the yardages) just make sure you're nicely warmed up before you start to push yourself in the main set.

Next event: swimming, Tues, 5/8, 6pm, Wilson pool

Come for another clinic with Andy.

Tuesday, 5/8, 6pm, Wilson pool

Other upcoming activities

Some of you mentioned wanting to do some running races along with our training. I saw these two that looked good:

1) Duke Family Fun Run, Saturday, May 19
5K, cost is $2, around Duke Golf Course. Should be fun. Nathalie and I have already signed up.

2) Race for the Cure, Saturday, June 9
5K, cost is $30, race in Raleigh for breast cancer research. I've heard raves about this experience. I think we should totally do it. We need 10 people to form a team, so let's do it!

Let me know if you're doing either of these, especially the Race for the Cure, that way if we have enough people we can make a team.

Potential Triathlons

So I've finally gotten around to putting together an overall plan for the summer. I need feedback on what triathlons people want to do. Here are three choices that looked good to me. Let me know which one you want to do, so I can plan accordingly.

1) Kure Beach Double Sprint (Sunday, June 24) -- 375m swim, 1.5 mi run, 20K bike, 1.5 mi run, 375 m swim
This is located in Wilmington. A little different triathlon format. You swim in the ocean, then the run and bike are pretty flat.

2) Triangle Triathlon (Sunday, July 08) -- 750m swim, 15 mi bike, 5K run
This is located around Lake Crabtree (close to RDU). I know several of us will be out of town for this one. But that shouldn't stop the rest of you! This is the triathlon Alex, Jack, and I have done before.

3) Hillsborough Endurance Challenge (Saturday, August 25) -- 500m Swim, 16 mi Bike, 5K Run
This is located in Hillsborough. The swim is in a pool!

Please take a look at these and decide which one you want to do. Let me know asap.

Running, Sun, 5/6, 10am

Let's do something simple this week. Join us for a run around the golf course trail. Afterwards, we may hit the gym for some weightlifting if people want.

Sunday, May 6, 10am
Meet at Washington Duke Golf Course trail,
Intersection of 751 and Science Drive.

Swimming: Sun, 4/29, 6:30pm

Been practicing your body alignment in the water? It's time for another swim lesson with Andy. Meet in the pool at 6:30pm.

Swimming
Sunday, April 29, 6:30pm
Wilson Gym Pool

Sun Bike, TIME CHANGE

Let's meet at 11 instead of 10. Same place as described below.

Biking -- This Sun, 10 am, Eno River SP

Meet at the Eno this Sunday for a relaxed (read: slow) 24mi ride. Specifically, let's meet at the Cole Mill Parking lot (see highlighted area on map) at 10am.

The route is courtesy of the North Carolina Bicycle Club. I've also mapped it out roughly using this neat pedometer program. You can even check out the changes in elevation along the route! Cool. The ride Sunday looks like it's pretty even, aside from a few hills to start with.

Midterm Evaluations

I thought this could be a good time to get some feedback from y'all. I'm sort of running out of ideas for what our next workouts should be. Please shoot me an email or leave a comment about:

1) What workouts have you liked/gotten the most out of?
2) What workouts would you avoid in the future?
3) What would you like us to do in the future?

Here are some ideas I had for future events, please let me know what you think of them and if you have anything else to add:

1) More swim clinics with Andy. I got overwhelming positive responses from his session on Sunday. I'm thinking to go to a lesson every other week on Sundays at 6:30. How does that time work for everyone?

2) Let's do a race! There are lots of 5K's coming up (e.g. Angels Among Us, Race for the Cure). That could be fun.

3) More 'just us' workouts without a 'guru'. I think we're at the point with running and biking where we've got a lot of great info from our guest trainers, and now we need to just get more miles under our legs and build up our endurance. Jen suggested getting comfortable with running for 40mins before starting track or other "workouts". We could have more 'gym days' too where we spend time in the weight room (how many of us have been doing weights since that time in Feb with Talia? I know I've been slacking...).

Next event: biking, sometime this weekend -- feedback needed

So the next event is biking this weekend. Anyone have a time they prefer? I thought we should do another low key ride. Here's one I suggest, it's by the Eno River State Park and is ~24miles. Here's the proposed route description. And I even entered it into a pedometer where you can see the elevation changes. As you can see, I don't think it's that hilly. Let me know good times for you. I'm thinking Sun morning at 10.

Next training session: SWIM, Sun, 6:30pm, Wilson Gym

Our next training session is with Anna's swim coach, Andy. It should be great! Please be on time, because he's opening the pool just for us. The cost of this lesson is $5 per person.

Please leave a comment so I can give him a head count prior, and let me know if there's anything in particular you want to cover.

Running tomorrow -- *NEW* meeting time: 5:15pm

Reminder: running tomorrow with Jen! We're pushing the meeting time from 5 to 5:15 to accommodate some folks' seminar schedule. And don't worry, we'll be done in time to vote for popbio speaker!

Running with Jen
Thur 4/12, 5:15pm
Washington Duke Golf Course Trail
Entrance near traffic light at Science Dr and 751

Running tips -- from Jen

Jen, a fabulous long-distance runner, and Neil, her husband and a cross-country coach, put together a short document on some running training basics. Check it out. It has great info on nutrition, weight training, recovery, and generally taking care of yourself while training. Thanks for sharing the tips, Jen and Neil!

Next training sessions: Running and Swimming

Unfortunately, it was tough to schedule something for this weekend (being Easter and all), so we're off this week. But, don't despair, we've got TWO events coming up next week with 'professionals'. First, Jen is hosting a running training session this Thursday (4/12), then Andy will round things off with swimming on Sunday (4/15).

Running: Thursday, 4/12, 5pm, with Jen
Meet at the entrance to the Washington Duke Golf Course, at the traffic light on Science Drive and 751. Be prepared to run ~30min, and please be on time!

Swimming: Sunday, 4/15, 6:30pm, with Andy
Meet at the Wilson pool. Do not be late! He's an actual swim coach, and this is an 'official' swim lesson. He's doing this for us at the low low price of $5/person for an hour.

Bike -- This Sun, 4/1, 10am, Science Dr. traffic circle

Get ready for a fun ride this Sunday, April 1! Pump up those tires and let's cycle over to Maple View Farms. This will be in prep for our next big cycling training session with an actual cyclist, so this is your opportunity to get all the kinks out before embarrassing yourself in front of a professional. (not that it would be embarrassing, just my little joke).

Anyways, let's meet at the traffic circle at the top of Science Drive (near the Bryan Center) ready to ride. Here's the probable route.

This Sun, 4/1, 10am

As usual, leave a comment so we don't leave you behind.

What to bring for running

• Running shoes
• Water
• Sun screen
• Good spirit ;)

Running with Alex; Sat 3/24, 11am, Washington Duke Trail

Whew. Back from spring break and back to the grind. Alex is leading us in a running workout this Saturday, 3/24. Meet us at 11am near the entrance to the running trail around the Washington Duke Inn. We'll meet near the traffic light at Science Dr. and 751. Leave a comment if you're coming please.

Next training session: SWIM, Wed, 7:15pm

The next few training sessions around spring break will be low key fun affairs. We'll get back to serious trainers in a few weeks.

First up, Jack's running another stroke and swim session.

Wed, 3/7, 7:15pm
Wilson Pool

Anything in specific you want covered? Let us know. We've had a request for flip turn lessons and of course more stroke work.

After spring break we'll have a run in Duke Forest with Alex (Sat 3/24, 11am). The following weekend we'll have a group bike ride to Maple View for ice cream (Sat 3/31). Then it'll be back with some guest trainers in April.

Other cycling and triathlon clubs

Tom mentioned that the cycling club does "social" rides usually on Sundays that "varies in intensity, but the ride only goes as fast as the slowest speed desired (which may be desired by the slowest or fastest person there, it doesn't matter). Maple View is a regular destination of this ride." Find out more here.

Also, looks like someone from the Nicholas school is starting another triathlon training club as a club sports thing. They have their own uniforms even. Get on their mailing list through majordomo with "subscribe triathlon" in the subject of the email.

More biking tips -- from Tom

If I can give you any advice after today, it would be:

You guys can find any information you need on how to improve any aspect of
your riding - between your friends and the tremendous amount of
information out there on triathlons, there probably won't be any gaps at
all.

But you should set some real (I mean, like, numerical) goals, or even
fabricate incentives, to get you to actually train. It's terribly easy to
ride a bike for 13 miles. It's very hard to ride 13 miles in 30 minutes,
and pretty hard to do it in 40, but you can totally do it if you train.

It's easy. Find some course on which you'll regularly time yourself -
maybe a 7 mile stretch somewhere. If it takes you 24 minutes now, can you
take 30 seconds off each of the next 5 times you ride it? With a
computer, you can keep track of your average speed and go from there.
With a heart rate monitor, you can do the same.

Having something like that really helps me - otherwise I just go ride and
it's fun, but I don't get any faster. There's much less motivation to
work toward anything if there isn't anything to work toward . . . So set
some goals, experiment with position, and ride a lot. This will surely
make you faster on the bike.

Biking positions -- from Tom

Thanks, Tom for bringing the trainer and taking all the photos and videos of us on our bikes! Below is more info from Tom on what to do about our cycling positions:

Here are links to some more information on position - this is a good site
in my opinion, especially because it doesn't have a single "ideal"
position it pushes on everyone. It also shows you a nice variety of
people and positions you can examine when you consider what might be your
own optimal position for triathlon, speed, aerodynamics, comfort, etc.

www.bikesportmichigan.com/features/exisitingfit.shtml

www.bikesportmichigan.com/bikes/karma.shtml

Biking -- This Sat, 10:30 am with Tom

Tom is starting us off with our first ever cycling training session. Come with your bike, water, helmet, etc, and be prepared to hit the road!

Cycling
Sat, Feb 24
10:30 am
Outside Tyler's Taproom
American Tobacco Campus

Be on time, or you may be left in the dust! At least let us know you'll be there by leaving a comment.

btw, Thanks, Arielle for leading a great first run session last Saturday.

Next training session: Running, Sat, 10:30am

This Saturday, 2/17, 10:30 AM
Wilson Gym, Track (above the basketball court, take stairs to the right of the basketball court, near the tv, couch area)

This will feature Arielle as leader, and we'll be running!

And thanks to Talia for successfully leading us through weights this past Sunday.

If you're coming, please leave a comment so we can get a head count.

Weight Training Session with Talia!

Follow up our awesome first swim with some weight training. Talia has graciously agreed to lead us.

Sunday, Feb 11
11 am
Wilson Gym (weight room)

Pool etiquette & general info -- by Sara

Etiquette:

• If the lane is empty, don’t worry about what part of the lane you’re swimming in.
  
• If there’s already 1 swimmer in the lane, ask if you can split the lane. Essentially, you will stay on one half of the lane both up and back and the other swimmer will do the same.
  
• With 3 or more people in a lane, you will be circling which means you will go up on the right and down on the left, just like driving.
  
• In choosing a lane, I generally try to gauge the speeds of the other swimmers and try to fit myself in a lane where I’m about the same speed. If you’re circling, it can be frustrating if you’re either faster/slower than the other swimmers.
  
• Always make sure a swimmer knows you’re entering because it’s amazing how much tunnel vision you have when you’re in the middle of a workout.

General info:

• The Wilson pool is 25 yards (half an Olympic which is 50 meters).

• Location of backstroke flags can vary. Generally about 5 yards.

Wilson pool hours:

• Monday to Friday midday: 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Monday to Thursday evening: 7:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
• Friday evening: 7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
• Saturday & Sunday: noon-5:00 p.m.

East Campus pool

• Monday-Friday early morning: 7:30 am-9:30 am
• Monday-Friday midday: 12:00 PM-2:00 PM
• Monday-Friday evening: 5:00 PM-9:00 PM
• Saturday: 2:00 PM-6:00 PM
• Sunday: 4:00 PM-9:00 PM

Tips from Sara and Jack's Swim Clinic #1, 2/7/07

Pre-Swim Stretches
Arms

• Windmills
• Right hand to left hand

Legs

• Touch toes
• Indian position
• Stretch quads with right hand holding left leg & vice versa

Others?

Freestyle technique & form
Arm work & stroke

• Place arm in water
• Pull through and rotate shoulders

Kicking

• Legs should be somewhat stiff and not floppy
• Don’t want too much splash

Head position

• Head should be tilted down normally and looking at lane stripe

Breathing

• I recommend every 3rd stroke
• Should turn head slightly to side & back and breathe in pocket formed by shoulder and neck

Warm-up

• Do an easy few laps

Technique Drills
Kicking:

• Use kick board. You can work on your freestyle kick both on your stomach or on your back. Work in sets of 50s.

Arms:

• Use the swim buoy
• “Arm catch up”

Example Sprints, intervals & endurance drills
Sprint:

• Initially, work in sets of (6)50s with 30 second rests in between. Sprint every other set.

Intervals:

• Do (5)50s with each 50 on the ? second (The actual time will vary on your own ability.)

Ladders:

• Do (5)50s but reduce the amount of time in between that you rest

Endurance:

• Build up to swimming 100, 200, 300 as you train. Remember, the triathlon is 800 yards. (I think)

Cool down

• Do an easy free swim of a few laps

Ways to improve your bike time -- by Tom

Things which cost mostly time:

1. Get used to riding in the drops, on your aero bars, in a tucked position. This matters very little if you average under ~16mph, and matters a lot for speeds faster than this. It takes practice to be able to both hold a good aero position and keep your output high.

2. Get used to turning a relatively high cadence. People who come to biking after being runners often pedal too slowly to be efficient (like, 60-75rpm). Pedaling faster (90+rpm) lets you take hills and challenges with your lungs instead of your legs.

3. If you have clipless pedals, use them. Get used to pedaling in fast circles.

Things which cost mostly money:

1. Get a road bike. Get high-pressure tires. Adjust your handlebar position for a good balance between aerodynamics and power (that is, maybe move it down a little, but not so far that you can't put out power).

2. Get aero bars. These are great if you train to use them - they can easily make the difference between ~18 and ~20mph for a given amount of work if you can keep the "work" constant in the new position - and are a waste of cash if you don't.

3. Get clipless pedals.

Things which don't cost anything!:

1. Wear tight clothing. Your aero position is totally wasted if you wear a drag chute. Use safety pins to take up a jersey. Take a jersey to an alterationist and get it fitted. Buy a sleeveless top that's pretty much skin-tight. Bike in your swimsuit.

2. Take accessories off your bike to reduce weight.

3. Pump your tires up to their max recommended psi.

What to bring swimming

Swimsuit (sporty rather than skimpy, or at least let us laugh at any wardrobe malfunctions)
Towel
Goggles
Ponytail holder or swim cap
Flip flops
Lock (for lockers)

Our first meeting: SWIM

Sara and Jack will host our first swimming training session.

Wilson Gym
Meet in pool near the benches
Wed, Feb 7
7:15pm

Be changed and ready to hop into the pool!

How the club will work

We plan on meeting about once a week for ~1 hour for a group training session. Each session will focus on a particular sport (swimming, biking, running, or weight training) and will be run by a "guest trainer". These guest trainers sometimes will be invited (i.e. our friends who are good at a particular sport) or will be other club members (i.e. you!).

Because of constraints due to daylight, pool times, etc., the weekly meetings will not be regular, so please check the website regularly for the schedule! Mostly, meetings will take place in the evenings or weekends.

Welcome to tri-buddies!

Hello everyone,

It's a new year and with it starts our triathlon training! Sara, Alex, and I are setting up a low-key, non-professional training club (emphasis on nonprofessional). You are cordially invited (read: pressured, even harassed! =) ) to join us in improving our swimming, biking, and running.

How the club will work:
Starting in February, we'll meet once a week for ~1 hr to receive some 'training' by an invited 'speaker'. Each week a different sport (swimming, biking, running, or weight training) will be highlighted. The goal of these meetings is to receive some instruction and improve our skills at the sports. The speakers will also suggest workouts to do prior to the next meeting.

The goal:
Complete the Triangle Triathlon on Sunday, July 8, 2007. That is a 750 m swim, 15 mi bike, and 5 K run. This distance is totally doable for all of us -- even the slowest of us will likely finish in around 2 hours. Now, if you're not sure you want to commit to the full triathlon training, no worries -- you're still welcome (and encouraged) to come workout with us. Come improve your crawl stroke! Who doesn't want to climb hills better on their bike?! The broader goal is to improve our
skills at these sports and to maintain a good level of fitness, so even if you are unsure about competing in the triathlon itself, please come and participate in some or -- even better -- all of our training.

Prereqs:
We want to encourage all our friends to participate, and we want to emphasize the beginner-ness of this enterprise. We do, however, want us to start from the same fitness level. Here's what we'd like to be able to already do when we start training together in February:

Swim: Be able to swim 10 full laps (back and forth) in 30-45 minutes; it doesn't have to be continuous, you can stop and rest as needed.

Bike: Be able to bike 10 mi outside (think American Tobacco Trail down and back) or for 15 minutes continuously on a machine.

Run: Be able to run continuously for 5 minutes.

So start training! If you need help getting started talk to one of us, or visit www.beginnertriathlete.com. They have lots of Couch-to-Sport training plans and lots of inspiration.

We'll be in touch closer to February. And please forward and recruit any interested friends!

Best wishes!
--Erica